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Bright Nights

Nov. 21-Jan. 1: Bright Nights at Forest Park in Springfield opened Nov. 21, and will run Wednesdays through Sundays until Dec. 9. Bright Nights will then be open nightly from Dec. 12 through Jan. 1. Buses run nightly from 5 to 6 p.m., and cars from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 6 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. For more information on admission, call (413) 733-3800 or visit www.brightnights.org.

ACCGS Government Reception

Nov. 28: The Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern, Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, will be the setting for the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield Inc.’s annual Government Reception. The 5 to 7 p.m. event allows ACCGS members to meet socially with local, state, and federal elected officials and begin or renew commitments to work together. For more information on tickets, visit www.myonlinechamber.com.

Day of Health

Dec. 5: The YMCA of Greater Westfield and Noble Hospital will team up for a Day of Health from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 5 to 7 p.m. at the YMCA on Court Street, Westfield. A series of free screenings will highlight the festivities, including blood pressure, body-fat analysis and BMI, foot care, pulmonary function, and sun and skin damage. Also, a fasting full lipid profile, a blood test for total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides, will be available for $25. Appointments for the cholesterol screening are available from 7 to 9 a.m. and can be made by calling Noble Health Beat at (413) 568-2328. In addition, Therapeutic Massage of Greater Westfield will treat participants to a five-minute mini-massage, and Beauty by Jeunique Custom Bras and Shape Ware will be on hand to ensure women have the perfect fit. For more information on the event, contact Charlene Call, member retention/wellness director, at (413) 568-8631, ext. 305.

Entrepreneurial  Boot Camp

Dec. 7: The Regional Technology Corporation (RTC), in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, will stage the half-day “Entrepreneurial Boot Camp & Flavors of Capital” seminar at the Kittredge Center for Business & Workforce Development at Holyoke Community College, starting at 8 a.m. The first half of this event will feature a workshop on “How to Speak Investorese,” presented by Paul Silva, managing partner at Angel Catalyst. Banks, investors, and funding agencies use specialized language to describe and analyze companies. Companies that don’t speak this language have much more difficulty in securing funding. This lecture will teach attendees the basics of how to talk to bankers, investors, and granting agencies so they will hear the actual potential of their business. Attendees will also be shown how to identify weaknesses in their business before they become a problem — and stop them from being funded. The focus of the second half is a panel discussion on the “Flavors of Capital,” moderated by Joseph Steig, managing director of Innovation Path Inc. and co-founder of the River Valley Investors angel group. Attendees will learn which types of funding source are a good fit for a given opportunity. The panel will include experts from venture capital, angel investors, regional banks, the Western Mass. Enterprise Fund, and others. Following these presentations, attendees can talk one-on-one with the presenters and visit their tabletop displays for helpful literature and handouts. Cost of the event is $25 for RTC members and $50 for non-members. Advanced registration is required, and seating is limited. Contact April Cloutier at [email protected]  to register.

UMass Dinner Forum

Dec. 11: The UMass Family Business Dinner Forum will host two topics, “The Starbucks Experience: Lessons in Leadership to Spark You and Your Business to Unimaginable Success,” and “Should We Grow Our Business by Acquisition?” Registration is required. For more information and to register, contact Ira Bryck at (413) 545-1537 or via E-mail at [email protected] .

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State Gives Go-ahead for Massive Baystate Expansion

SPRINGFIELD — The state’s Public Health Council has given Baystate Health the green light to proceed on a $239.3 million expansion project. After hearing testimony from hospital administrators and civic and business leaders, the board voted unanimously to approve Baystate’s application for the project, which will add 48 beds to the 653-bed facility. Baystate President and CEO Mark Tolosky said he expects construction to begin in the summer of 2009, and that the facility will be open in 2012. Mercy Medical Center had initially opposed the expansion plans, but later dropped that opposition when state analysts clarified themselves and said the space will not be used for additional beds, but to supplant existing beds.

Center Untangling Wireless Communication Challenges

AMHERST — A new research center that will address far-reaching problems in wireless communication will be established at UMass Amherst, thanks to a $200,000 start-up grant from the UMass President’s Science and Technology Initiatives Fund and the President’s Creative Economy Fund. The Center of Excellence in Wireless Communications should lead to broad new capabilities in areas from emergency preparedness and homeland security to health care, education, and entertainment. Led by Dennis Goeckel, the new center will bring together more than 15 researchers from the fields of networking, communication systems, electromagnetics, and circuits to tackle the challenges that arise in an increasingly interconnected world. The UMass Amherst campus is providing an additional $40,000 in funding.

Study: Health Insurance Mandates Hurt Low-income Employees

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new study presented as part of a Cornell University symposium finds that ‘Pay or Play’ laws, which require employers to provide health insurance to their employees or pay a fine, will reduce employment for the least-skilled members of the workforce. The study, sponsored by the Employment Policies Institute and authored by Cornell University economists Richard Burkhauser and Kosali Simon, uses federal Current Population Survey data to calculate that for every 100 newly insured employees resulting from a Pay or Play law, 10 low-wage employees will lose their jobs. For a copy of the study, titled “Who Gets What From Employer ‘Pay or Play’ Mandates,” visit epionline.org. The Employment Policies Institute is a noprofit research organization dedicated to studying public-policy issues surrounding entry-level employment.

AIM Applauds Introduction of Comprehensive Energy Bill

BOSTON — The Green Communities Act of 2007, previewed at a press conference recently by Speaker of the House Salvatore DiMasi, will, when enacted, place an improved focus on cost-saving energy-efficiency programs and renewable energy for both citizens and business owners throughout the Commonwealth, according to Richard Lord, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Mass. (AIM). AIM is a nonpartisan, nonprofit employer association of more than 7,000 state businesses and institutes. AIM applauds those representatives from business, energy, and environmental groups for coming together to develop an energy-reform package designed to control costs by enhancing existing energy efficiency programs in Massachusetts and encouraging the development of additional cost-effective sources of alternative energy. Last summer, AIM issued a statement that called for the reinvigorating of state energy programs, in light of the fact that Massachusetts consumers face some of the nation’s highest costs for electricity. Most recently, AIM conducted several briefings across the state outlining the results of a member survey detailing the impact of high costs of electricity on businesses. While nothing in the short term can lower the cost of electricity to the level in some other states, the Green Communities Act should serve to ensure a more efficient use of current resources as a first step to more stable rates for electricity in the future, according to Lord.

Family Businesses Face Future Risks

SPRINGFIELD — Family businesses are optimistic about growth but not immune to future challenges, according to a survey sponsored by MassMutual, the Family Firm Institute, and the Cox Family Enterprise Center at the Kennesaw State University Coles College of Business. Increasingly led by women and driven by strong ethical and family-oriented values, family businesses are most at risk for financial troubles centered on the lack of formal succession planning and preparation, and the personal financial issues of family business owners, according to the study.

2008 Woman of the Year Nominees Sought

SPRINGFIELD — The Women’s Partnership, a division of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield Inc., is once again seeking nominees for its Woman of the Year Award. This is one of the highest regarded awards by citizens and is recognized as the top citation earned locally. Women in the Pioneer Valley are eligible for nomination and a Chamber affiliation is not required. The nominee should best exemplify ideals of outstanding leadership, accomplishments, and service to the community. Services can be rendered over a lifetime or for more recent achievements. Nomination forms can be requested by calling (413) 543-8000, via E-mail to [email protected], or at the Affiliated Chamber of Commerce of Greater Springfield office, 1441 Main St., Springfield. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 9.

Survey: Firms Pursuing Technology Upgrades

MENLO PARK, Calif. — When asked what initiatives were top of mind for their firms over the next two years, chief financial officers (CFOs) surveyed most often cited technology upgrades (53%) and business process improvement measures (50%). Companies are focused on shoring up their infrastructures to create greater efficiencies and control costs, according to Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. McDonald added that technology upgrades allow firms to boost critical network security, facilitate global collaboration and enable easier interaction with customers. The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources and includes responses from 1,400 CFOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees.

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Panera Bread Opens in Chicopee

CHICOPEE — Panera Bread opened its 4,500-square-foot bakery/café on Memorial Drive on Nov. 23, featuring intimate seating areas, comfortable chairs, a fireplace, a community table, and free WiFi Internet access. Panera Bread offers a variety of artisan breads and other specialty breads, along with bagels, pastries, baked goods, and hot and cold espresso beverages. Chicopee’s site is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, offering hand-tossed salads, signature sandwiches, and hearty soups served in edible sourdough bread bowls. Panera Bread also operates bakery/cafés in West Springfield, Hadley, and East Longmeadow.

Big Y Celebrates Grand Opening

NORTHAMPTON — The D’Amour family celebrated the grand-opening celebration of its Big Y World Class Market on North King Street on Nov. 8 with a cake-cutting ceremony.

HCC Recognized By National Council

HOLYOKE — Region I of the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations recently announced that Holyoke Community College (HCC) has been chosen to receive five first-place (Gold) and two third-place (Bronze) Medallion Awards for its public-relations efforts. HCC was recognized for its success in feature and news story placement, writing, event and publication marketing, transportation advertising, and publication design. The National Council for Marketing & Public Relations represents marketing and PR professionals at 600 community and technical colleges in the United States, Canada, and Scotland.

Hatch Mott MacDonald Relocates

HOLYOKE — Hatch Mott MacDonald, a consulting engineering firm, has moved its offices to 150 Lower Westfield Road. The firm provides engineering services in the transportation, tunnels, water, wastewater, environmental, pipeline, and utility markets.

Researcher Awarded $737,000 NIH Grant

SPRINGFIELD — Alan Schneyer, a scientist at the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI), has been awarded a research grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. The grant, titled “Physiologic Roles of Activin and Myostatin Antagonists,” provides Schneyer with $737,000 to conduct research into diabetes over the next three years. He recently joined PVLSI from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Schneyer noted that his research will focus on looking for hormones that “lead to more and better-functioning insulin-producing cells.” In particular, the grant will fund studies on a protein called Follistatin, which plays an important role in normal development and appears to cause proliferation of insulin-producing cells.

Bay Path Receives Foundation Grant

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path College is the recipient of a $30,000 grant from the Berkshire Bank Foundation – Pioneer Valley, which establishes an endowed scholarship fund to support adult women who are earning their college degree through Bay Path’s One-day-a-week Saturday program. Michael Oleksak, president of the Berkshire Bank Foundation – Pioneer Valley, noted that it chose Bay Path’s innovative program since education is one of its main priorities.

Square One Adds Go FIT Program to Curriculum

SPRINGFIELD — Square One, formerly Springfield Day Nursery, recently announced the incorporation of the Go FIT program into its curriculum. Square One operates day-care and after-school programs in several locations serving more than 1,000 children daily in Greater Springfield and Holyoke. The ultimate goal of the collaboration, which includes partners like Springfield College, Partners for a Healthier Community, and the Food Bank of Western Mass., is to improve the overall health and well-being of families and children in the local communities.

Berkshire Hills Assets Climb

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp, parent company of Berkshire Bank, recently reported 2007 third-quarter core income of $4.4 million. Core income increased by $0.01 per share before one-time items and Berkshire’s investment in new branches. Third-quarter core 2006 income was $4.7 million. Last year’s results included a $0.03 per-share one-time catch-up dividend received from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. Berkshire’s investment in de novo branches increased expenses by $0.03 per share to $0.07 per share in this year’s third quarter, compared to $0.04 per share in 2006 (all per-share numbers are after-tax).

MassMutual Has Record Payout

SPRINGFIELD — MassMutual recently announced it has approved the payment of about $1.38 billion in dividends to eligible participating policyholders in 2008 — an 11.2% increase over the approved payout for 2007 and the largest ever for the company since it was founded in 1851. The total approved payout for 2008 reflects a dividend interest rate of 7.9% on most of its eligible participating policies, the company’s highest rate in five years. The previous record amount was the 2007 approved dividend payout of $1.25 billion.

City Contractor Achieves Firestone Award

SPRINGFIELD — Firestone Building Products Company recently named Morris Roofing & Sheet Metal Corp. a recipient of the 2007 Partner in Quality Award. The award recognizes the company for its commitment to installing quality roofing systems. The award recognizes contractors who installed a minimum of four warranteed Firestone roofs in each of the past five years, maintained at least 1 million square feet of Firestone roofs under warranty, and achieved an annual Quality Incidence Rating (QIR) of 2.0 or less. The Firestone QIR measures each contractor’s quality performance based on warranty repair incidences per million square feet under warranty.

Stuff a Stocking Receives Help From Baystate Rug

CHICOPEE — Stuff a Stocking’s campaign is underway, and Baystate Rug and Flooring has made a corporate donation to the local organization to kick off the holiday season. Stuff a Stocking tries to contribute at least two or three toys and food certificates to needy families in the city during the holidays. Stuff a Stocking organizers will host a breakfast buffet on Dec. 9 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Moose Family Center on Fuller Road to raise funds for its cause. For more information, contact Jorge Morgado at (413) 237-5316.

Business Weaving with Bread Bags

SPRINGFIELD — Valley Vogue Collections, a small business based in Indian Orchard Mills, has introduced a new series of bags that are woven from bread bags collected from Palmer’s Converse Middle School cafeteria. Dubbed the “Bread Bag,” the lunch bag is not only strong and durable, but can be rinsed and dried in time for the following day. Valley Vogue Collections plans to debut the lunch bag at a series of fairs and shows this holiday season.

All About You, LLC Debuts

WESTFIELD — Marge Pietras and Holly Proulx have opened All About You, LLC, a professional home-care company servicing clients and families in Hampden and Hampshire counties. The company specializes in case management, personal care, home management, and skilled nursing services. Both women are professional nurses who, combined, have more than 50 years of skilled nursing and administrative experience.

W.F. Young Purchases S.C. Firm

EAST LONGMEADOW — W. F. Young Inc. recently announced the acquisition of Equine America Inc., a South Carolina company that sells horse care products. Equine America product lines’ sales and marketing will be headquartered here. Tyler Young, president of W. F. Young, noted that the purchase of Equine America represents a significant step to broaden its product line and expand its market share within the equine health care industry. W. F. Young is best known for its Absorbine line of horse care products and the Absorbine Jr. line of consumer health care products.

Create a UMass Presence That Will Have a Real Impact in Springfield

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It’s been talked about for years, but there now appears to be some real movement in the efforts to give UMass a physical presence in downtown Springfield, and perhaps elsewhere in this region.

Looking for ways to help spark Springfield’s recovery, and also to spread the economic development wealth that the university holds, at least potentially, Gov. Deval Patrick and his administration are talking with greater urgency about creating some kind of “UMass presence” in Springfield — perhaps as part of the broad State Street corridor development/redevelopment effort.

No one knows what such a development might look like, but the parties — Patrick and his secretary of Housing and Economic Development, Daniel O’Connell; UMass administrators; and Springfield officials — have agreed that this is worth at least talking seriously about.

We concur, but would advise that all these parties perform some real due diligence and mastermind a strategy that would make a UMass presence here a long-term asset and not a quick fix designed to make it look like the Patrick camp was doing something to help Springfield. Meanwhile, this UMass presence mustn’t threaten other institutions of higher learning that have been in Springfield for decades; instead, it should complement what one or more of these schools may be doing and inspire other partnerships down the road.

Here’s one idea, actually taken from the governor’s so-called Springfield Partnership. Under the category of ‘potential future investments,’ the document lists a possible feasibility study on the development of a renewable-energy research center. If we assume for the moment that such a study reveals that this research center is indeed feasible, then it seems logical that UMass, working in concert with Springfield Technical Community College and perhaps other schools in the city, could be a catalyst for such a center.

STCC and its Technology Park (which sports a photovoltaic installation on its roof) have identified renewable energy as not merely the focus of a potential degree program, but as a very real economic-development strategy for the region, one that could, that’s could, bring large numbers of jobs to Greater Springfield — not tomorrow or next year, but over the next few decades.

It is only a matter of time, and probably not much of it, before there is an aggressive regional and national push to bring renewable energy sources to the marketplace. If the dire predictions about soaring prices for gasoline and heating oil in the coming months become reality, and the economy suffers greatly, then there will be a louder cry for alternative fuels like wind power, solar power, and others.

And just as Worcester has become a center for development in the broad biosciences field, Western Mass., and specifically Springfield, could become the hub for renewable energy research and product development.

Worcester’s base of biotechnology-related businesses wasn’t built overnight — and it’s certainly still in the early stages of development. It started with research at colleges located in and near the city, research that eventually led to jobs and, for Worcester, a reputation as a place where such businesses can get started and eventually grow.

The same can happen here, and renewable energy is just one example of how the university can help spawn some real, long-term economic development in the Greater Springfield area.

To establish a UMass presence in Springfield merely to help fill space in one or more commercial properties — the old Technical High School, for example — or maybe to help some downtown businesses by increasing foot traffic, isn’t the kind of big thinking that’s needed here.

Those at the university, the Statehouse, and Springfield City Hall need to start a dialogue about the ways UMass can make some major contributions to the local economy in a meaningful way, and for decades to come.

Time to Tweak Springfield’s Governance Structure

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Opinion

It looks good on paper — even if it isn’t formally down on paper yet.

That’s our initial reaction to a change in Springfield’s governance, as proposed by Chamber of Commerce leaders. They seek a longer term for the mayor, a substantial raise for that office, and the addition of a new position — that of ‘chief administrative officer,’ which is not, at least according to those pushing this initiative, to be confused with a city manager.

Instead, this individual would be part of what would have to be considered a modified ‘strong mayor’ form of government, a model that has been incorporated by several municipalities, including Philadelphia, Oakland, Kansas City, Mo., and St. Petersburg, Fla. Those cities have kept, or returned to, a strong mayor, one who sets a vision for a city and devises strategies for carrying it out, while also adding a layer of professional administration, something most say is needed at a time when municipal management is becoming increasingly complex.

Chamber leaders say such a model can and will work in Springfield, and we believe that it should at least be given serious consideration.

We understand clearly why business leaders would be seeking such a structural change. They have witnessed the progress achieved on several fronts by a control board completely unencumbered by politics, and don’t want to see the city backslide in any way. While no one will say it publicly, there are many who believe Springfield is better off with a control board and are not looking forward to the day when the board concludes its work here.

The proposed changes to Springfield’s governance are being put on the table to quell those fears, and put in place a format that takes the best from both the strong mayor and council-city manager forms of government.

Here’s how it works: The model calls for a mayor who would be elected by the voters and have what amounts to pre-control-board power, meaning the authority to set policy, present a budget, and, overall, set a tone for the city. But it also includes a new position, what chamber leaders call a ‘chief administrative officer,’ who would handle the day-to-day operations of the city and, in simple terms, carry out that mayor’s vision.

This format provides the city with an elected CEO, someone who will be accountable to voters in a way that no city manager could be. But it also puts in place an administrator who can handle the myriad, often complex nuances of what amounts to a $500 million entity — and can also make sure the city doesn’t spend more money than it has, a condition that spelled doom during the Mike Albano administration.

As we said, it all sounds good, and much of this plan makes sense. Two-year terms for mayors are impractical. The second year of each term is spent running for office, and, as we’ve seen this year, each issue, each decision, becomes highly politicized. Meanwhile, raising the salary from the current $95,000 to $150,000 makes clear sense, and we’ve made this argument many times. While there is the danger that one might run for mayor just for the money, there is also the opportunity to attract many quality candidates who wouldn’t run otherwise because the money isn’t good enough. As for the CAO position, it carries the potential for helping Springfield to continue the progress it has made over the past few years.

Despite all its apparent good sense, however, the chamber’s initiative may not be an easy sell. After all, it represents substantial change, and change is always greeted with skepticism. Meanwhile, this modified strong mayor form of government, while gaining favor in other parts of the country, remains an unknown quantity in the Bay State.

And there are many details to be worked out as to just how the responsibilities will be divided among the mayor and CAO, who will appoint the latter, how long a contract that individual will have, and much more.

As we said at the top, the chamber’s proposal looks good on paper — but cities, especially this one, aren’t managed on paper.

OPINION

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Opinion
Transparency at Our Hospitals

Ten years ago, the idea of tying Medicare or Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals’ performance on specific clinical measures would have been unthinkable. Today, not doing it is unthinkable.

Having worked in the hospital and health care industries for decades and in many states, we have seen firsthand how others approach quality-improvement efforts. What business leaders, opinion makers, and patients in Massachusetts need to know is that — far and away — hospitals here are leading the nation when it comes to taking on quality improvement. The type of work underway to improve patient safety through increased transparency and public reporting is unlike anything going on around the country. And it is all voluntary.

Well before federal Medicare officials announced their recent plan to no longer pay for certain preventable hospital errors, including falls and pressure ulcers (or bedsores), Bay State hospitals were collecting data in these very areas. Recently, Massachusetts hospitals, using a consumer-friendly Web site, started reporting data on falls to the public and will unveil bedsore data later this year.

Also, while the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is urging hospitals nationwide to get trustees more involved in the quality and safety agenda, Massachusetts hospitals, through a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, are developing a model trustee curriculum that is being piloted around the state.

This is not just a sampling of health care facilities; 100% of Massachusetts hospitals are reporting their numbers, sharing best practices with one another, and implementing new clinical protocols. We are finding that transparency and openness breed new conversations, a heightened focus on correcting problem areas, and, ultimately, improved care.

It is not just the federal government looking at ways that payments can move the needle on hospital quality. In August, the Medicaid program in Massachusetts also introduced plans to make the payment-quality connection. Unlike the federal government’s plan to withhold payment for hospital errors, the state, in partnership with Massachusetts hospitals, developed a ‘pay for performance’ initiative, which in effect gives hospitals an added bonus for a job well done in certain areas.

Under the plan, Massachusetts hospitals can earn bonuses totaling $20 million for more effectively managing such concerns as pediatric asthma, pneumonia, surgical infections, and racial and ethnic health disparities.

For years, hospitals — particularly those in urban areas — have been retooling their delivery systems to meet the changing needs of a diverse patient population. Interpreters and disease-prevention programs aimed at curbing illnesses more prevalent among certain minority populations have been the norm for hospitals in Massachusetts. Under the new Medicaid regulations, all hospitals will have an added incentive to look more closely at the issue and will be rewarded for a job well done.

Why have Massachusetts hospitals placed such an emphasis on being open with the public? The single most important reason is that we owe it to our patients. Having a loved one hospitalized can be a heart-wrenching and stressful time. Reducing the number of questions around health care quality can inform and ease the minds of our patients. Also, as transparency efforts become the standard in Massachusetts, the industry will take the lead in managing health care costs, a goal we can all support.

Virtually anywhere you look, you can find easily accessible performance information in many different industries. An airline’s on-time arrival performance or your local school’s standardized test results are two good examples. It is only common sense that information on how well your local hospital treats certain illnesses should be there for you to look at as well.

Lynn Nicholas is president and chief executive of the Mass. Hospital Assoc. Robert Norton is president and chief executive of North Shore Medical Center. This article first appeared in the Boston Globe.

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Internet Marketing 102 Workshop

Nov. 13: Level the playing field by learning best practices in advertising and how to better target your customers with keyword-triggered advertising on the big search engines. Additionally, participants will learn the Pay-Per-Click advertising that works on Google and Yahoo. The 1 to 4 p.m. workshop is planned at the Andrew M. Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass.

WNEC Workshop

Nov. 13: Dr. Fran Harris, inspirational speaker and former professional basketball player, will present a workshop titled “Student Entrepreneurship” as part of a series sponsored by the Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship at Western New England College in Springfield. For more information, visit www.law.wnec.edu/lawandbusiness.

Doing Business in China

Nov. 14: Western New England College will host an International Business Breakfast on “Doing Business in China” at 7:30 a.m. in Rivers Memorial Hall. The event is open to the public. During the breakfast, a panel of business leaders and educators will discuss their experiences and offer insight into cultural aspects of doing business in China. The nation represents one-fifth of the world’s population, an enormous market full of opportunities and pitfalls for American businesses. Tickets are available for $15 each by calling the college’s School of Business at (413) 782-1231.

Books to Blogs and Back

Nov. 15-18: Museums 10 will sponsor “Books to Blogs and Back” with special events planned Nov. 15-18. Highlights include: “The Research Library in the New Age of Information” keynote lecture by Robert Darnton, Nov. 15, 7 p.m., in Gamble Auditorium at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, South Hadley. On Nov. 16, a Books to Blogs Expo is planned from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Miles-Smith Wing, Information Commons, at Mount Holyoke College. Interactive activities and exhibits relating to the history of book creation and publication are planned. Also on Nov. 16, Jason Epstein will lecture on “Farewell to Gutenberg” in Dwight 101 at Mount Holyoke College’s LITS; a panel discussion on “The Past and Future of the Book” starts at 1:30 p.m. in Gamble Auditorium at the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum; and an opening and reception titled “Children Should Be Seen: The Image of the Child in American Picture Book Art” begins at 7 p.m. at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst. On Nov. 17, Historic Deerfield hosts “The Printer’s Apprentice” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Wilson Printshop. The program is free with museum admission. Lastly, on Nov. 18, the Amherst Cinema Arts Center will present Jacob the Liar (Jakob der Luegner) at 2 p.m. The movie is based on the novel written by Jurek Becker. His widow, Christine Becker, will be at Amherst Cinema to talk about Jurek Becker’s life and written work. The cost is $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for seniors and students, and $5.50 for members. For more information on the weekend programs, visit www.museums10.org.

SCORE Workshop

Nov. 16: Dave Wentworth, a SCORE counselor and businessman, will present “What Is the Future of Your Non-Profit?” from 9 a.m. to noon at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, One Federal St., Springfield. Wentworth notes that much of the workshop content was developed by the national SCORE organization under a Kellogg Foundation grant. A fee of $25 covers the cost of materials. For additional attendees from the same organization, the fee is $5. For more information and to register, call (413) 785-0314.

Bright Nights at Forest Park

Nov. 21-Jan. 1: Bright Nights at Forest Park in Springfield opens Nov. 21 and runs Wednesdays through Sundays until Dec. 9. Bright Nights will then be open nightly from Dec. 12 through Jan. 1. Buses run nightly from 5 to 6 p.m., and cars from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 6 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. For more information on admission, call (413) 733-3800 or visit www.brightnights.org.

Family Business Dinner

Dec. 11: The UMass Family Business Dinner Forum will host two topics: “The Starbucks Experience: Lessons in Leadership to Spark You and Your Business to Unimaginable Success,” and “Should We Grow Our Business By Acquisition?” Registration is required. For more information and to register, contact Ira Bryck at (413) 545-1537 or via E-mail at [email protected].

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Departments

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

Addy, Brenda Louise
378 1/2 Old Columbia St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/27/07

Aucella, Maria L.
151 Benz St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/18/07

Ayala, Lemuel O.
58 Taft Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/28/07

Bailey, Eugene F.
25 Hastings St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/27/07

Bailey, Tina A
288 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/27/07

Beaudet, Mark C.
350 East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/20/07

Benitez-Santiago, Maria E.
50 Susan St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Benoit Enterprises
Benoit, Kenneth M.
Benoit, Bertha M.
174 Yale St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/19/07

Benoit, Michael J.
11 Kenwood Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Benson, David. A.
31 Carpeniter St.
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Brown, Frances
84 Fairview Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Brunelle, Richard T.
53 Alvord Ave., Floor 3
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Butcher, Rosemarie Ann
3 Wilde St.
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Caron, Dianne M.
7 Exchange St., Apt. #
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/18/07

Cassidy, Andrew Francis
34 Belvidere St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/07

Combs, Jean E.
Combs, Preston
330 Pochassic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/28/07

Cook, Edgar Lum
9 Bancroft Road, Apt. B
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/19/07

Cordero, William Joel
148 Woodlawn St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/07

Dyer, Marretta O.
5 Sibley Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/17/07

Ely, Louis E.
Ely, Paula L.
74 Bryant St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/17/07

Farmer, Raymond Francis
Farmer, Doris Karen
75 Old Poor Farm Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/27/07

Farry, Seth
Farry, Michele M.
99 Stafford Road
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/19/07

Fonseca, Joel J.
20 Joy St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/21/07

Franklin Barber Shop
Bob’s Barber Shop
Elder, Robert W.
Elder, Marion L.
a/k/a Pease, Marion L.
4 Clark St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/07

Gonyea, Joseph Lawrence
Gonyea, Catherine Marie
138 Massachusetts Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/21/07

Gonzalez, Jesus M.
70 Harrison Ave., Apt. 40
Springfield, MA 01103
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Gregoire, Joyce M.
8 Yale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/20/07

Guarnera, Barbara Lee
20 Guy Place
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/28/07

Habiger, Stephan M.
6 Margaret Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/07

Hudson, Raymond J.
84 Day St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Jackson, Tod William Herb
Suber, Diane Carol
35 Calley St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/28/07

Kaniecki, Marylou
1035 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/18/07

Keane, Paul A.
Keane, Sharon L.
179 1/2 Elm St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/28/07

Kroll, Ann Marie
P.O. Box 521
Haydenville, MA 01039
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Lamoureaux, Michael J.
Lamoureaux, Kathleen A.
49 Perrine Avenue
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/21/07


  

Lapie, Alexander
239 Maynard St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/27/07

Lavalette, Patricia Sistino
169 Commnwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/24/07

Lavallee, Lionel J.
52 Harvey St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/28/07

Lenhart, Erich A.
Lenhart, Tina M.
948 North Orange Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Lightcap, Thomas K.
Lightcap, Ellen J.
60 White Fox Road
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Martinez, Reinaldo
Martinez, Minerva
184 Lancashire St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/07

Marvici, Catherine A.
163 Warrenton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/28/07

McDermott, Robert J.
McDermott, Christine E.
8 Swamp Road
West Stockbridge, MA 01266
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Murphy, Gregory
65 Orchard St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/18/07

Pagan, Rafael
280 1/2 Walnut St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Paksi, Anna
395 Porter Lake Dr., Apt. 106
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/28/07

Paropkari, Usha R.
31 Halmstad St.
Worcester, MA 01607
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Pedroza, Ramonita
83 Wallace St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Pellegrini, Laurie A.
12 Moody St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Pluta, Helen S.
109 High St.
Gilbertville, MA 01031
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/28/07

Ramos, Elizabeth
33 Merrill Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/21/07

Ramsey, Desmond A
74 Ralph St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/07

Record, Tanya M.
96 Liberty St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Rittmaier, June M.
78 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Rodrigues, Rachael
23 Gatewood Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/27/07

Rolon, Rebecca A.
a/k/a Barron, Rebecca A.
130 Garnet St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/28/07

Santiago-Torres, Elsa
170 Nursery St., Apt.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Sawin, Donald L.
51-G Northampton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Sheehy, Nancy M.
3 Swayze Dr.
Nantucket, MA 02554
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/17/07

Stack, Judith E.
23B Miles Morgan Court
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/19/07

Stairs, Jeromy Jacob
Stairs, Jennifer Renee
135 Union St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/07

Talbot, Roger B.
408 Front St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/17/07

Tavenner, Florence J.
20 Joy St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/21/07

Valego, Joseph J.
31 Meadow St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/17/07

Valle-Miletti, Antonio
5 Gilman St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/19/07

Vega, Loida
a/k/a Vega Rodriguez, Loida
83 Edgeland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/28/07

Wallace, Rebecca S.
21 Cherry St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/24/07

Wolf, Yvonne C.
64 Timber Lane
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/25/07

Wood, Roscoe E.
Wood, Laura K
20 Tavistock St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/26/07

Yule, Lynette M.
542 Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/27/07

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of October 2007.

AGAWAM

Ken Vincunas
806 Suffield St.
$710,000 — Construction of new bank facility

Polish American Club
139 Southwick St.
$41,000 — Install fire sprinkler system

Town of Agawam
57 Wright St.
$3,000 — Build divider wall for conference room

AMHERST

South Congregational Church
1066 South East St.
$10,500 — Strip and re-roof

Trustees of Hampshire College
893 West St.
$20,000 — Construction of pavilion

CHICOPEE

35 Center Street LLC
35 Center St.
$9,500 — Construction of handicap ramp

All Care Dental
601 Memorial Dr.
$175,000 — Interior fit out

Arkadia LTD Partnership
265 New Ludlow Road
$3,000 — Interior renovations to create office space

Mass Mutual
350 Memorial Dr.
$196,000 — Strip and re-shingle

EAST LONGMEADOW

Springfield Mass Mutual Credit Union
157 Shaker Road
$115,000 — Commercial renovations

GREENFIELD

Donoghue Realty Inc.
86-88 Lincoln St.
$14,900 — Re-roof

Lewis Becker
4 Wilson Ave.
$2,200 — Remove & replace rotted sills

PDV Inc.
278 Main St.
$36,000 — Interior renovations

Super 8 Motel
21 Colrain Road
$7,500 — Refinish existing EFIS on exterior wall of building

HADLEY

Gulmohar Realty Corporation
237-239 Russell St.
$26,000 — Addition

Gulmohar Realty Corporation
237-239 Russell St.
$14,000 — Minor interior renovations to conference room

Paul Zahradnik
245 Russell St.
$250 — Install door in non-structural wall

Peter Grandonico
108 Russell St.
$3,000 — Renovations to windows

Russell Street Realty
191 Russell St.
$181,000 — New retail business foundation only

HOLYOKE

Iglesia Bautista
434-440 High St.
$264,000 — Renovate existing space into church

UPC North, LLC
75 Whiting Farms Road
$1,454,000 — Construct one-story manufacturing addition to existing building

LUDLOW

Ronald Chiasson
564 Holyoke St.
$15,000 — Minor alterations

Rudolph H. Cira
114 Rood St.
$100,000 — New commercial construction

The Pro’s Choice Inc.
386 East St.
$2,500 — Construction of a handicap ramp

NORTHAMPTON

Birch Hill LLC
70 Riverside Dr.
$22,000 — New roof

Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$2,800 — Relocate break room to create new courtesy room

  

Coolidge Northampton LLC
241 King St. Suite 226
$10,000 — Construct partition walls

Edwards Church of Northampton
297 Main St.
$12,500 — New roof

FJ Roberts Company
3 Main St.
$2,000 — Repair flat roof

Forty Main St. Inc.
40 Main St. Suite 103
$12,000 — Construct walls for office space and conference room

Herbert Ross III
28 North Maple St.
$3,500 — Construct partition walls

PALMER

Cumberland Farms Inc.
1468 North Main St.
$150,000 — New construction of service station

Cumberland Farms Inc.
1468 North Main St.
$100,000 — Store renovations

SOUTH HADLEY

Hampden Eye Care
470 Granby Road
$35,000 — Renovations

MHC Merrill House
50 College St.
$5,000 — Roof repair

SPRINGFIELD

Bee-Line Corporation
85 Page Blvd.
$19,000 — Commercial renovation

City Cleaners
1072 State St.
$16,000 — Re-roof

Community Music School of Springfield
127 State St.
$265,000 — Renovations to third floor and new entrance

Hispanic Resources Inc.
114 Calhoun St.
$3,000 — Re-roof

Lilly Enterprise
622 Cottage St.
$2,000 — Pour footing for radio base

Logic Realty Group
457 Sumner Ave.
$5,000 — Frame partition walls for office space

Mass Mutual
1500Main St.
$62,000 — Alterations to suite 900

Springfield Lodge of Elks
440 Tiffany St.
$172,000 — Commercial renovations and fencing of entire compound

Springfield Rescue Mission
19 Bliss St.
$3,600 — Exterior renovations

Trak Realty LLC
475 St. James Ave.
$500,000 — Construction of new filling station

WGGB
1300 Liberty St.
$28,000 — Installation of satellite dishes

William Fallon
1171 Main St.
8,500 — Install exhaust hood for restaurant

WESTFIELD

Berkshire Industrial
109 Apremont Way
$724,000 — Commercial addition

Frank DeMarinis
Servicestar Industrial Way
$28,500 — Commercial renovation

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Donald Obitz
1340 Piper Road
$45,000 — Renovate existing restaurant

Fred Aaron
1458 Riverdale St.
$11,000 — Renovate existing retail space

By
Departments

UMass Amherst Connections to Springfield on the Table

AMHERST — Daniel O’Connell, state secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, recently visited UMass Amherst to discuss the campus’s connections to Springfield, research and development in the life sciences, and the latest advances in clean energy development and technology. O’Connell met with university administrators and top faculty, toured campus laboratories, and met over lunch with regional mayors and legislative and business leaders. Among the research areas discussed were the wind energy laboratory run by James Manwell; the nanotechnology work conducted by James Watkins and his team; life sciences research underway in the laboratory of Lila Gierasch; and work on biomediation and microbial fuel cells being done by microbiologist Derek Lovley.

HNE Earns Top-10 Spot in National Ranking

SPRINGFIELD — Health New England (HNE) recently announced it placed among the top 10 health plans in the nation. HNE was ranked ninth among the 250 plans reviewed in the just-released U.S. News & World Report/NCQA America’s Best Health Plans 2007 ranking. Each year, U.S. News & World Report works with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to determine the rankings. Health plans are rated on a variety of measures including access to care and service, overall member satisfaction, preventative care, and overall quality. HNE is a managed-care organization serving more than 100,000 members and 5,000 employers in Western Mass.

Hampden Bank Set to Open Indian Orchard Branch; Launches On-site Teller

SPRINGFIELD — Hampden Bank recently announced plans to open its eighth full-service branch at 187 Main St., in the Indian Orchard section of the city, later this month. The 3,300-square-foot facility is currently undergoing renovations and upgrades that are designed to make both transactional and consultative services convenient for customers. Services will include drive-thru banking, a drive-up ATM, and a walk-up cash dispenser. Also, on-site parking for more than 20 vehicles will be available. In other news, Hampden Bank has launched “On-site Teller,” a banking deposit technology system that will allow business customers to make deposits from the convenience of their own office. In simple terms, the product lets customers make daily deposits of checks from their place of business. By electronically scanning each item, the paper transactions are converted to digital images for high-speed electronic processing, and then are immediately transmitted to Hampden Bank, thereby eliminating trips to the bank. For more information, visit www.hampdenbank.com.

STCC Foundation Major Gifts Campaign Halfway to Goal

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation recently announced that its first Major Gifts Campaign, The Best Return on Your Investment, has so far secured $2,394,906 in donations, 53.2% of its goal. Most recently, contributions to the campaign were made by TD Banknorth, pledging $50,000, and Hampden Bank, pledging $25,000. Additionally, the Springfield Medical Assoc. has pledged $10,000. The campaign is set to conclude on Dec. 31, according to Bill Kwolek, executive director, STCC Foundation.

Webster Bank Opens in Longmeadow

LONGMEADOW — Webster Bank recently opened its fourth de novo branch at 398 Longmeadow St. This is the 27th opening of a Webster de novo branch since 2002. During a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 19, Webster Bank officials presented a $1,500 corporate donation to Louis Abbate, executive director of the Willie Ross School for the Deaf Inc.

Berkshire Hills Assets Climb to $2.5B Following Acquisition

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp, parent of Berkshire Bank, recently reported 2007 third-quarter core income of $4.4 million. Core income increased by $0.01 per share before one-time items and Berkshire’s investment in new branches. Third-quarter core 2006 income was $4.7 million. Last year’s results included a $0.03-per-share one-time catch-up dividend received from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. Berkshire’s investment in de novo branches increased expenses by $0.03 per share to $0.07 per share in this year’s third quarter, compared to $0.04 per share in 2006. Third-quarter highlights also included the completed acquisition of Factory Point Bancorp in Manchester Center, Vt., on Sept. 21, adding seven branches, and bringing the total offices to 48 locations in three states.

NewAlliance Reports Third-quarter Earnings of $7.4M

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Net income at NewAlliance Bancshares Inc., for the third quarter was $7.4 million, lowered by two unusual items — the loss on a restructuring of its securities portfolio and a tax-reserve adjustment relating back to the prior establishment of the NewAlliance Foundation in 2004. Without the two events and merger and acquisition charges, core earnings were $13.8 million, up 24% from the prior quarter’s comparable earnings of $11.1 million, and down just $187,000 from the same quarter a year ago. NewAlliance also announced that its board of directors approved a quarterly dividend of 6.5 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2007, level with the dividend paid following the second quarter.

Performance Food Group Opens Plant

SPRINGFIELD — With an investment of $30 million, the Performance Food Group (PFG) recently unveiled its new plant in the Smith & Wesson Industrial Park. The 236,000-square-foot distribution facility, the first tenant of the industrial park off Roosevelt Avenue, is considered a milestone in the rebuilding of the city’s infrastructure. In addition to carrying nationally known labels, PFG has developed its own proprietary brand food and food-related products created to meet its customers’ specific needs.

Frigo’s Plans Fall Opening

EAST LONGMEADOW — Frigo’s Gourmet Foods will be bringing its selection of foods to its newest location at 159 Shaker Road in the coming weeks. The new store will carry the same array of prepared gourmet foods and imported groceries that customers have been able to purchase at the 90 William St., Springfield location for many years. The new location will also offer a fine selection of cheeses, specialty foods, as well as catering services and gift baskets.

Easthampton Savings Assets at $742M

EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton Savings Bank recently announced its total assets reached a record $742 million by the end of the third quarter. Assets rose by $47 million over the 12 months ending Sept. 30, a 7% increase. The bank also reported net income of $3.2 million in the third quarter, and its loan portfolio grew by $42 million. Additionally, deposits grew by $23 million, or 4%, to end the quarter at $550 million.

Steve & Barry’s Set to Open

AGAWAM — Steve & Barry’s, known for its high-quality products at affordable prices, will soon open a new store in the former Food Mart in the Agawam Towne Square. The 42,000-square-foot space boasts several exclusive lines, including the Starbury Collection, BITTEN, bubbagolf, and dear. In addition, Steve & Barry’s showcases the Big Ben Wallace Collection, an affordably priced line of sneakers and athletic apparel created by four-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace. The company boasts 200 super-stores in 33 states and plans to open approximately 70 stores before the end of the year.

W.F. Young Inc. Marks 115 Years

EAST LONGMEADOW — W.F. Young Inc., best known for its Absorbine product line for both human and horse health markets, celebrated 115 years in business this fall. The family-owned and -operated organization is now led by Tyler Young, president and CEO, the fourth generation of the Young family to lead the company. Though the company is one of the largest marketers of horse care products in the world, its philosophy remains the same as in 1892 — creating a partnership with consumers with innovative new offerings to add to its equine products portfolio. In addition to its equine brands, Absorbine Jr. is one of the best-selling liquid external analgesic products in the United States and is marketed worldwide.

ElectroTerm/ Hollingsworth Moving Operations

SPRINGFIELD — ElectroTerm/ Hollingsworth, a solderless terminal manufacturer and distributor, will move its operations from 90 Memorial Dr., across from Smith & Wesson, to the Cabotville Industrial Center on Front Street in Chicopee. The firm, which employs 56, will continue to maintain a manufacturing operation in Rhode Island.

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of October 2007.

AGAWAM

Viktoria’s Cleaning Service
418 Meadow St.
Viktoria Zagorodrjuk

AMHERST

Atkins Farms Country Market
1150 West St.
Pauline Lannor

Dancer Computers
450 West St.
Daniel S. Kaden

Echo Hill Art
64 Heatherstone Road
Natalie Stafford

Judy Associates
6 High Point Dr.
Judith Tambasco

Kelly’s Restaurant
314 College St.
Stephen M. O’Brian

Lincoln Real Estate
25 North Pleasant St.
Peter P. Grandinico

Mass Players Soccer League
134 Summer St.
Christopher Monteiro

New England Dance Quarters
316 College St.
Penny Manheim

Northeast Environmental Solutions
577 West St.
Taylor Davis

R & T Package Store
505 West St.
Leonard H. Pratt

Silicon Goblin Technologies
171 State St.
Steven Linberg

Stone House Farm
649 East Pleasant St.
Candace Talley

Sunrise Annex B & B
1330 S. East St.
Margaret Holcomb

The Mercantile
11 East Pleasant St.
Adrian Wilkins

UMass Rugby Football Club
302 Orchard Hill Dr.
Diego De Leon

CHICOPEE

Atlantic Marine Communities
4 Stephens St.
Atlantic Marine Corps Communities, LLC

Colonial Restorations
1174 Montgomery St.
James G. Chartier

Extreme Stucco & Painting
21 Nassau St.
Anatoliy Maksimchuk

JDR Sales
79 Shepard St.
John D. Roux

Reliable Limousine Services
376 Chicopee St.
Anzhelika Salagornik

TNG Stenography
807 Sheridan St.
Nicole E. Guilbert

EAST LONGMEADOW

Arnold’s Meats at the Barn, LLC
359 Shaker Road
Susan Katz

IRM Insurance Agency Inc.
75 North Main St.
Barry M. Stephens

Peppa’s by the Slice Pizza
33 Harkness Ave.
Argiro Degulielmo

The Pizza Shoppe
134 Shaker Road
Nicholas Guiggio

GREENFIELD

C & M Online Services
178 Chapman St.
Edward C. Craig Jr.

Dave’s Drywall & Painting
167 Conway St.
David R. Deforge

Historic Factories, LLC
2 Mead St.
Albert L. Shane

House Imagination
178 Chapman St.
Maria M. Ortiz

K & K Auto Sales
381 High St.
William D. Kilgour

Problem Wildfire Solutions
83 Puckett Lane
Rocky Fletcher

HADLEY

I.T.S./ Designers 2
12 Middle St.
Chester E. Abel

KFC
3 S. Main St.
John P. Hayes

Matthew Hallmark
115 Hampshire Mall
Ann M. Hofferberth

Michael Community Therapeutics
138 Russell St.
Kent S. Hesse M.D.

HOLYOKE

Boobu-Akees
10 Clinton Ave.
Marisol Cartagena

Calendar Club
50 Holyoke St.
Omar Khan

Flats Market
36 Ely St.
Evaristo Almonte

New Realty
183 Sargeant St.
Sarah Rose Stack

Now Who’s Next
241 Main St.
Eric Nieves

Pioneer Valley Flea Market
2200 Northampton St.
Richard A. Burns

Rivera’s Variety Store
368 High St.
Saiid Rivera

Seamus Pub LLC
80 Jarvis Ave.
Eileen O’Leary Sullivan

Target Optical Shop
50 Holyoke St.
Jack Dennis

  

LONGMEADOW

Cellular Products Consulting
116 Brooks Road
Michael Keene-Moore

Richard M. Russo Real Estate
61 Nevins Ave.
Richard M. Russo

LUDLOW

Balance Professional
77 East St.
Lori Miller

NORTHAMPTON

Fitness Together
18 Strong Ave.
Brandon Reed

Hair by Patrick
56 Main St.
Patrick J. Mansfield

Island Homes, USA
19 Tyler Court
Alan Michael Miller

M & M Links
28 Pleasant St.
Maureen Abdullah

PALMER

Gales Newsstand
1363 Main St.
Robyn Ottomaniello

GQ Painting
11 Holbrook St.
Gerald Quesnel

Sweet Pumpkin Catering
57 Laurel Road
Sara J. Sullivan

SOUTH HADLEY

Able Security Company
94 Hadley St.
John Muise

Advanced Telemessage Service Inc.
138 College St.
Morando DeFronzo

Mandarin Gourmet
481 Newton St.
Michael Wong

Spectrum Educational Technologies
30 Riverboat Village Road
Jason Frey

SPRINGFIELD

Al’s Paintball Discounters
171 Marsden St.
Andrew a. Clough

C.I. Clean
58 Dresden St.
Charlie Moore

Castellanos Restaurant
2895 Main St.
Samuel Rivera

Cephas Property Management
211 Wilbraham Road
Roberto McCarthy

Charlene’s Boutique
180 Eastern Ave.
Charlene Naylor

Crystal and Glass Creation
33 Greenbrier St.
Cynthia K. Lincoln

Cuddly Creation
1065 Boston Road
Michael Ventrice

Eric-N-Son’s Trucking LLC
52 Pearl St.
Eric Bernard Denson

H & L Auto Sales
1535 Bay St.
Larry J. Cole

J.B. Creative Photos
167 Laconia St.
Sheila M. Cotto

Jimenez Barber Shop
278 Oakland St.
Juan Jimenez

Josie Jewels
90 Allen St.
Jo Sette

Linda’s Dance Studio
233 Franklin St.
Linda C. Toombs

M Brothers Auto Repair
279 Mill St.
Jose Medina

Mbane International
147 Maple St.
Makala Francis

Medina Financial Inc.
2705 Main St.
Jose Juan Medina

WESTFIELD

AMR Automotives
170 Lockhouse Road
Michael Chaplin

Budget Rent-A-Car Inc.
190 East Main St.
Anne Lomonaco Avis

Day Lumber Company
34 South Broad St.
Jason Ryan Kaplan

Deals “4” Wheels, Inc.
115 Springfield Road
Darlene Roache

Coggin Creek Stables
1008 Granville Road
Brenda L. Coggin

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Alpha Home Improvement
1241 Elm St.
Gregory Gilbert

Connecticut Remodeling
15 Prince Ave.
Peter Gurchenko

J.A.M. Candles
76 Irving St.
Jessica Markel

Leo Hood D.M.D
1284 Elm St.
Leo Hood

Preco Power Equipment
2385 Westfield St.
John Grimaldi

Pavel Water Filtration
70 Windsor St.
Henry H. Pavel

Sharon’s Hair Care
1027 Westfield St.
Sharon Edith Hallmark

By
Departments

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

AMHERST

Jacobs and Swender Inc., 26 Sumner Mountain Road, Amherst 01002. Paul D. Jacobs, same. (Foreign corp; NY) Consulting and writing.

ASHFIELD

Common Good Finance Corp., 48 Buckland Road, Ashfield 01330. William Spademan, same. Forming a bank (but not being a bank and not acting as a bank).

BUCKLAND

Shelburne Falls Theatre Arts Inc., 142 Bray Road, Buckland 01338. Janice Kay Dompke, same. (Nonprofit) To provide the local community with creative arts performances, etc.

CHICOPEE

Allium Home Care Inc., 333 Front St., Suite 1, Chicopee 01013. Lorraine Marie Tunstall, same. Health care.

E Beals & Sons General Contracting Inc., 140 Joy St., Chicopee 01013. Jessica Lapa, same. Residential and commercial real property renovations.

QuickService Solutions Inc., 21 Duprat Ave., Chicopee 01020. Christine M. Cote. same. Refurbishing parts.

EASTHAMPTON

Riya Bansri Inc., 21 Kingsberry Way, Easthampton 01027. Chandresh Patel, same. To operate a package store/convenience store.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Letendre Painting & Decorating Consulting Inc., 444A North Main St., Suite 280, East Longmeadow 01028. Sandra Lee Beaudry-Letendre, same. Consulting businesses on house painting.

Six-Point Creative Works Inc., 88 Fernwood Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. David G. Wicks, same. Marketing and advertising service.

Sumner Avenue Inc., 167 Pease Road, East Longmeadow 01028. Pamela McCarthy, same. Real estate.

HOLYOKE

Mass Auto Sales Inc., 1616 Northampton St., Holyoke 01040. Jefffrey E. Richardson, same. Automobile purchase and sales.

LONGMEADOW

Green Earth Energy Corp., 208 Shaker Road, Longmeadow 01106. Christopher I. Seyocurka, same. Consulting for the design and installation of geothermal energy systems and other non-fossil fuel energy sources.

Starr Landscape Construction Inc., 844 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow 01106. John Burritt, same. Landscaping.

  

MONSON

Beth Deb’s Family Dining Inc., 10 Wales Road, Monson 01057. Stephen J. Wark, 210 Wales Road, Monson 01057. To purvey food and beverages of all types.

NORTHAMPTON

Family Financial Associates Inc., 355 Bridge St., Suite 5, Northampton 01060. Maureen L. Goddard, 98 South Mill River Road, Deerfield 01373. Wealth management and financial planning.

SOUTH HADLEY

Maramor Inc., 514 Amherst Road, South Hadley 01075. Russell Mariani, same. Marketing health and fitness products and services.

SPRINGFIELD

Crown Pizza and Fried Chicken Inc., 1208 Main St. Springfield 01103. Vincent Maldonado, 135 Spring St., Suite 3A, Springfield 01150. A wholesale and retail food sales vendor dealing in multiple restaurant locations.

Dafrauda Inc., 57 Florence St., Springfield 01105. Darnel J. Ali, same. (Nonprofit) Fraud awareness, detection, and prevention.

Rodriguez International Trade Co. Inc., 228 Tiffany St., Springfield 01108. Juan Ramon Rodriguez, Jr., same. Retail, wholesale apparel, footwear, electronics.

Wellness for Abundant Living Ministries Inc., 1410 Carew St., Springfield 01104. Annie B. Watson, 705 Rainbow Road, Windsor, CT 06095. Betty Johnson, 208 Massachusetts Ave., Springfield 01109, clerk. (Nonprofit) To provide healing, empowerment, and health in people through education toward total wellness, etc.

WESTFIELD

Radisson Heights Association Inc., 37 Radisson Lane, Westfield 01085. James Crean, same. (Nonprofit) To own and manage property known as “Open Spaces” within the Radisson Heights, a/k/a Plantation II Residential Subdivision in Westfield, etc.

WILBRAHAM

Chicopee News Distributor Inc., 655 Glendale Road, Wilbraham 01095. Leonard Surdyka, same. Newspaper distribution.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Anvil Ornamental Inc., 94 Miami St., West Springfield 01089. Kenneth G. Rose, same. Metal fabrication and installation.

T.P.I. Group Consulting Services Inc., 28 Poplar Ave., West Springfield 01089. Billy D. Ballard, same. To provide technical and professional training and consulting services to general business entities, etc.

By
Departments

The Super 60

The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield staged their annual Super 60 luncheon on Oct. 26. The event recognized the top performers in the categories of revenue and revenue growth.

Above: keynote speaker Dale Collie shares his war stories and the U.S. Army’s ‘6 Elements of Surprise.’

Above: receiving the award for the top ‘Growth’ company, Kleer Lumber, LLC, is Walter Valentine, center, president and CEO, along with Peter Straley, president and CEO of presenting sponsor Health New England, and Meghan Sullivan, with platinum sponsor Sullivan, Hayes & Quinn.

Center right: receiving the award for the top ‘Revenue’ company, Springfield College, is Brendan Neal, director of Community Relations, along with Straley and Thomas Burton, president of platinum sponsor Hampden Bank.

Above: nearly 700 Western Mass. business leaders attended this year’s luncheon at Chez Josef.

By
Departments

MassMutual Financial Group has announced that Stephen Deschenes has been hired as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for MassMutual’s Retirement Income Group. In his new role, Deschenes will assume overall responsibility for marketing, product development, and pricing of the broad array of retirement income products. In addition, he will be charged with the management of a special, dedicated team focused on development of next-generation income products, including MassMutual’s Retirement Management Account.

•••••

Melyssa A. Brown, a Senior Associate at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. of Holyoke, has obtained a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

•••••

Angela Gilligan has joined the Westfield office of Park Square Realty as a Sales Associate.

•••••

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of New England has announced that Tim Wright has joined the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office in Longmeadow as a Realtor.

•••••

Aimee Griffin Munnings, Director of the Western New England College Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship in Springfield, has been named one of the state’s Up and Coming Lawyers by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

•••••

R. Lorraine Moore of Carlson GMAC Realtors, has successfully completed the Realtor e-PRO course offered through the National Association of Realtors. Moore is an Agent in the Chicopee sales office.

•••••

Thomas P. Cohan has been appointed Director of Government Relations for New England/New York by Charter Communications.

•••••

Kimberly Allen has joined the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office in Belchertown as a Realtor.

•••••

Dr. Janice Yanni has been honored with the Massachusetts Dental Society’s ‘Ten under 10’ recognition. Yanni, who was featured in the Journal of the Massachusetts Dental Society, is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and the University of Pittsburgh.

•••••

Jason Gingerich, a Senior Investment Strategist at Prime Advisors in Windsor, Conn., has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

By
Departments

Cutting the Ribbon

School officials, alumni and student-athletes participated recently in a ribbon-cutting and dedication of the new $5 million Wilbraham & Monson Academy Athletic Center. The 16,800 square foot facility includes a state-of-the art fitness center, new lockers for students and visiting teams, a dance studio, a boardroom, administrative offices and an outdoor deck overlooking Crystal Pond in the center of the campus. The construction project also included improvements to the Academy’s pool and gymnasium. The new fitness center was also dedicated the Jane McNamara Kelly Center for Strength & Endurance. Kelly was a long-time instructor and swim coach at the Academy. She was also responsible for bringing the Relay for Life fundraising event for the American Cancer Society to WMA. She lost her own battle to cancer in 2005. Back row: Athletic Director Skip Jarocki, Titan, team captains Eddie Jewel, Andrew Harvey, Brigid Jurgens, Russell Dinkins, Sarah Lyon, Makeeda Gibbs, and Head of School Rodney LaBrecque. Front row: Heather Hamil, Brittany Batterton, Hanah Kee, and Chelsea Goldrick.

Celebrating 40 years

Springfield Technical Community College staged a 40th anniversary gala on Oct. 19 at the Storrowton Tavern Carriage House. Nearly 200 current and former administrators, staff, faculty members, and trustees turned out. Above, current President Ira Rubenzahl, left, and former President Andrew Scibelli pose with former trustee and faculty member Dorothy Pryor (center) and Cecelia Gross, a current professor of Social Sciences. At top, Trustee Chairman Steven Bradley, left, chats with fellow trustee Maria Goncalves and her husband, Larry Tiberio.

After 5

The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce staged its September After-5 networking event at the Fathers and Sons dealership in West Springfield. At top, Webster Bank was the Gold Sponsor for the event. Above, from left, John McTighe, Sarah Chapin, and Amada Davis from Strategic Information Systems.

Some Practical Lessons from Lowell

By
Opinion

This issue, BusinessWest begins a series of articles on how other cities are faring with the challenges facing all urban centers in the 21st century, with the goal of identifying strategies and philosophies that may be incorporated in this region. We start with Lowell, a community similar to Springfield in many ways — it is a former manufacturing (textiles) hub, runs along a major river, pursued minor league baseball (successfully), and was managed by a finance control board during its darkest days — and also a community hailed by many as a model for urban revitalization.

The comeback effort, waged over the past 30 years or so, was recently called into question by some academics and economic development experts, who say that Lowell hasn’t created enough new jobs and still has high rates of poverty. This may be true, but by most estimates, what Lowell has accomplished is worthy of praise and emulation. The city is vibrant, with perhaps 3,000 more residents living in its downtown (most all of them with disposable income) than just seven years ago, and it has re-invented itself as a cultural destination, and an attractive place to live and work.

Springfield has those same goals, but it faces some handicaps that Lowell doesn’t. It is too far from Boston and the Route 128 beltway to gain appreciably from the strong economy there. Meanwhile, it doesn’t have the millions of square feet of vacant mill space that developers transformed into condos and apartments in Lowell’s downtown area.

But there are plenty of lessons Springfield officials can take from Lowell, and we hope they do. Here are a few:

  • Embrace the Past: Lowell’s revitalization efforts started with the Lowell National Historic Park, which pays tribute to the city’s heritage as a planned industrial city, and it was moved forward by the fact that the city didn’t bulldoze all those old mills. Springfield can learn from this and try to create more cultural and historical attractions. The Armory museum is already here, and it can supplemented by facilities that recognize the city’s manufacturing heritage, the products made here, the many ‘firsts’ for which the city is known, and the entrepreneurs who started those ventures.
  • Focus on Market-rate Housing: Lowell found a way to add market-rate housing to its downtown without displacing poor residents and those in subsidized housing. Springfield can do the same, but it will have to be more creative. It doesn’t have mills, but it does have upper-floor spaces in many buildings downtown. And if the struggles to attract commercial tenants to One Financial Plaza continue, maybe, just maybe, several floors could be converted to market-rate (not subsidized) housing. It may be necessary to incentivize developers to build such projects, and if that’s the case then the city needs to find a way.
  • Embrace the Arts: The key to urban residential development in any city is to make that urban area attractive enough for people to want to live there. Thus, Springfield has a lot of work to do. Part of the success formula in Lowell was a full embrace of arts and culture. The city boasts a number of museums and galleries, and hosts several music and cultural festivals each year. These assets are complemented by restaurants and clubs that keep the downtown humming throughout the day. Springfield can and must do the same.
  • Foster Teamwork: Little of what has happened in Lowell could have been accomplished without teamwork and consensus-building. Creating the same type of working environment in Springfield will be an important assignment when — and even before — the control board eventually finishes its work here. One planning official in Lowell said a key to progress there was the ability to get officials to share in the responsibility for getting things done — and then share the credit. This may be the most important lesson Springfield can learn.
  • Be Positive: It would wrong to say that the “Lowell miracle,” as some call it, was made doable by a can-do attitude. But it certainly helped. At some point early in the revitalization process, Lowell started believing in itself. In Springfield, it seems, a ‘can’t-do’ attitude seems to prevail.

OPINION

By
Opinion
STCC Technology Park Is an Asset for the Region

Lost in the controversy earlier this year about the possible location of a new state information technology center either at the STCC Technology Park or in the former Tech High School on Elliot Street is the vital role the tech park has played, and will need to play, for Western Mass. to be considered an inviting address for new, emerging, or native tech-savvy companies.

When former STCC President Andrew Scibelli had the vision to create a technology business park adjacent to the college campus, he, and those of us who were part of the founders’ team, were responding to changes evident in a global marketplace early in the high-tech revolution. It was bold, risky, and the first of its kind.

It was just that kind of ahead-of-the-curve thinking that led STCC’s first president and visionary, Edmond Garvey, to establish STCC, known then as the Springfield Technical Institute, in 1967, turning a suddenly defunct federal armory into a center for technological learning.

Just 10 years ago, around the time the technology park was launched, E-mail and use of the Internet in daily commerce was still in its infancy. That the technology park has grown, changed, and broadened its scope is a testimony to just how fluid and dynamic this new age of technology is. Just as Edmond Garvey saw a niche to fill, so too did all of us who were involved in the startup of the park.

As I exit at the end of October from my service as chairman of the STCC Assistance Corporation Board, I leave satisfied that the park has upheld its original mission but also acutely aware that it will need vision and renewed commitment from all involved in order to respond to a rapidly changing and expanding business environment.

So much has changed, yet the focus, and need for the technology park, have never been greater. Events in the global marketplace and the acceleration of technology at all levels of business and commerce make the case that not only was development of the park the right thing to do, but that it is a critical piece of the puzzle in attracting new business development.

Flying somewhat under the radar to date, the park now has a broad range of business concerns that represent an asset to Springfield, the region, and STCC. These include organizations such as One Communications, the largest privately held competitive telecommunications provider in the U.S.; C2C, the E-mail archiving and management firm; and national and regional companies such as Verizon and Western Massachusetts Electric Company.

On the other end of the spectrum is a company like Mind Wing, a small startup technology firm born in the Curtis Blake Day School at American International College that recently graduated from the STCC Incubator. The park also hosts the National Center for Telecommunications Technology, the advanced technology center that develops and pilots telecommunications courses in high schools and colleges. It is a testimony to the original vision that organizations large and small have the confidence to be stakeholders in the park.

The park has also attracted a breadth and scope of business concerns that are utilizing the park’s unique assets of security and redundant digital capacity. These are important elements needed by growing technology-based companies and can be duplicated nowhere else in the Valley.

And it isn’t just those of us who had a founding role who feel this way. The park has won some national acclaim over the years: in 2001 the Economic Development Administration recognized it for ‘Excellence in Urban Development,’ and the International Economic Development Council bestowed its Excellence in Economic Development Award on the park in 2002.

At the end of the day, it isn’t about awards or recognition, or about my own view of the Technology Park’s success and prospects.

What’s at stake here is how we do business as a larger community — putting on display all of the region’s assets as we go about the task of advancing economic development in the region.

And, as Edmond Garvey proved to all of us, we shouldn’t limit our own thinking about what is possible.

Brian Corridan is the outgoing chairman of the Springfield Technical Community College Assistance Corp.

By
Departments

Museum Marks Fifth Anniversary

October-Jan. 27 & Nov. 15-March 9: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst recently launched a full slate of fall programs in celebration of its fifth anniversary, including two special exhibitions. “Spiderwick: From Page to Screen,” opened Sept. 22 and runs through Jan. 27. The show explores the art of Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black’s The Spiderwick Chronicles, and follows the story’s translation to the big screen (coming Feb. 15, 2008). The second exhibition, “Children Should Be Seen: The Image of the Child in American Picture Book Art,” opens Nov. 15 and runs through March 9. The show features the work of 84 artists in a comprehensive survey of the best American picture book art of the last decade.

Money Smart Program

Oct. 30-Nov. 27: The Holyoke Credit Union will once again offer its free award-winning financial education program titled Money Smart, which covers a multitude of personal banking and finance subjects. The course will be conducted on Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. for five consecutive weeks at the Holyoke Credit Union’s main branch at 490 Westfield Road, Holyoke. The program is free to the public, however, pre-registration is required. Registration may be made at any branch location or by calling (413) 532-7007.

Women Business Owners Conference

Oct. 31: The 14th Women Business Owners Conference, hosted by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network, is planned from 8 a.m. to noon, followed by an optional lunch. The theme is “Succession Planning: Transition & Transformation.” Among the highlights of the morning will be a panel discussion on the legal and financial considerations that are paramount to sound succession planning. Registration is planned from 8 to 8:30 a.m. in Willits-Hallowell Center at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley. For fees and more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass.

CPA Tech Day

Nov. 2: Uplinc Inc. will host a CPA Technology Day at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in West Springfield, complete with breakfast, a vendor technology fair, lunch, and seminars on topics ranging from “Product and Document Management” to “Disaster Recovery.” Vendors participating in the daylong event include Xerox, Barracuda, AmeriVault, Hewlett Packard, and Cisco. The event concludes with a full open-bar social. Reservations are limited. For more information, call (413) 693-0700, ext. 221, or visit www.uplinc.com

Entrepreneurship Summit

Nov. 5: Bay Path College in Longmeadow will host its next Innovative Thinking & Entrepreneurship Summit at 4:15 p.m., featuring breakout sessions and a lecture by keynote speaker Nadine Thompson. Thompson is the co-founder of Warm Spirit, and co-author of Values Sell: Transforming Purpose Into Profit. Breakout session topics will include ‘Coach Me Into Greatness!,’ ‘Making the Leap,’ ‘Best Practices for New Business Launch,’ and ‘Creating a Guide for a Life You Love.’ The program is free; however, pre-registration is required. To register or for more information, visit www.baypath.edu. For questions, call Kellie Lavoie at (413) 565-1054 or E-mail her at [email protected]

Guerrilla Marketing

Nov. 7: Inspired by a guerrilla-marketing philosophy, this workshop will condense an MBA curriculum’s worth of marketing planning fundamentals to seven essential sentences. Participants will leave the workshop with an actionable document designed to focus on 30-, 60-, and 90-day marketing action items relating to the only four profit-boosting methods that exist for any business. The 9-to-11 a.m. session is planned at the Andrew M. Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. The cost is $35. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass

BayPath Lecture Series

Nov. 9: William A. Burke III, president of LENOX of East Longmeadow, will be the featured speaker for Bay Path College’s Innovative Thinking & Entrepreneurship Lecture Series in the Blake Student Commons on the Longmeadow campus. A continental breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m., followed by Burke’s presentation on innovative thinking and entrepreneurship. LENOX employs more than 700 people and markets band saw blades, hand tools, and power-tool accessories in more than 70 countries. Seeking to capitalize on the brand equity of its linear-edge products and its efficiency on the factory floor, Burke initiated a strategy calling for aggressive growth. This growth was driven by new product development, imaginative marketing, and new sales strategies. Seating is limited, and registration is required. For more information, call Briana Sitler at (413) 565-1066 or E-mail her at [email protected]

Six Flags CEO To Address A.I.M.

Nov. 9: Marc Shapiro, president and CEO of Six Flags Inc., will outline his managing style for overseeing the world’s largest regional theme park company during the Associated Industries of Massachusetts Executive Forum meeting at the Westin Hotel, 70 Third Ave., Waltham. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m., followed by the program from 8 to 9:15 a.m. For registration information, call Julie Fazio at (617) 262-1180 or Chris Geehern at (617) 834-4414, or visit www.aimnet.org

Advertising Seminar

Nov. 9: Smart Moves Advertising will offer a free interactive advertising seminar from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in West Springfield to all members of the Women’s Partnership and members of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield. Speakers will be Janet Casey of Smart Moves Advertising, Joan Letendre of Letendre Advertising, and David Horgan of Horgan Associates. Attendance is limited. For more information, e-mail Janet Casey at [email protected]

Internet Marketing 102

Nov. 13: Level the playing field by learning best practices in advertising and how to better target your customers with keyword-triggered advertising on the big search engines. Additionally, participants will learn the pay-per-click advertising that works on Google and Yahoo. The 1 to 4 p.m. workshop is planned at the Andrew M. Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass

WNEC Workshop

Nov. 13: Dr. Fran Harris, inspirational speaker and former professional basketball player, will present a workshop titled “Student Entrepreneurship” as part of a workshop series sponsored by the Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship at Western New England College in Springfield. For more information, visit www.law.wnec.edu/lawandbusiness

SCORE Workshop

Nov. 16: Dave Wentworth, a SCORE counselor and businessman, will present ‘What Is the Future of Your Non-profit?’ from 9 a.m. to noon at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, One Federal St., Springfield. Wentworth notes that much of the workshop content was developed by the national SCORE organization under a Kellogg Foundation grant. A fee of $25 covers the cost of materials. For additional attendees from the same organization, the fee is $5. For more information and to register, call (413) 785-0314.

Bright Nights

Nov. 21-Jan. 1: Bright Nights at Forest Park in Springfield opens Nov. 21 and runs Wednesdays through Sundays until Dec. 9. Bright Nights will then be open nightly from Dec. 12 through Jan. 1. Buses run nightly from 5 to 6 p.m., and cars from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 6 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. For more information on admission, call (413) 733-3800 or visit www.brightnights.org

By
Departments

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

A1 Pizza
Durmaz, Koray
Durmaz, Jessica
a/k/a Savage, Jessica
86 Walter St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/14/2007

Acus, Donald E.
Acus, Sarah M.
a/k/a Cortesi, Sarah M.
21 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/12/2007

Auger, Diane Marie
15 Chapel St.
West Warren, MA 01092
Chapter: 13
Date: 09/12/2007

Cahoon, Jean L.
155 Veazie St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/10/2007

Day, Lee J.
88 Lyman Road #4
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/10/2007

Darling, Patricia A.
1549 Allen St. Apt. 1
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/10/2007

Doran, Amelia
PO Box 216
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/12/2007

Fazio, Aldo R.
6 Lyric Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/10/2007

Fazio, Candice L.
a/k/a Brown, Candice
579 Barry St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/10/2007

Herbert, Oliver S.
Herbert, Elizabeth J.
a/k/a Rocasah Elizabeth J.
P.O. Box 60751
Longmeadow, MA 01116
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/10/2007

Hill, John E.
Hill, Marcia J.
79 Forest Ridge Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/13/2007

Jasienowski, Shannon N.
19 Helen St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/11/2007

Jones, Melanie F.
39 Duggan Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Date: 09/12/2007

Kelley, Samuel T.
33 Claremont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Date: 09/11/2007

Loomis, Thomas P.
11 Stanley St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/10/2007

Malejka, Patricia Ann
254 South St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/07/2007

Malone, Arthur D.
64 Carlisle St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/13/2007

Malumphy, Bernard J.
58 Taylor St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Date: 09/11/2007

  

Neves, Bret J.
95 Stafford Road
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/14/2007

Owens, James J.
4 Williston Drive
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/14/2007

Parker, Wilmer A.
52 Pendleton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 09/13/2007

Pinney, Edward L.
a/k/a Pinney, Edward V.
Pinney, Stella A.
a/k/a Antico-Pinney, Stella R.
297 Granville Rd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/07/2007

Provost, Judith A.
439 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/10/2007

Provost, Desiree N.
122 Bellwood Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/12/2007

Ray, Rachel M.
88 Providence St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/12/2007

Richer, Michelle D.
58 Camden St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/10/2007

Rodriguez, Keishla
588 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01107-2045
Chapter: 13
Date: 09/14/2007

Samimi, Behzad A.
36 Emerald Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/11/2007

Slick, Nancy Marie
180 Montgomery Ave. Ext.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/14/2007

Smith, Eric T.
18 Lombard Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/10/2007

Sullivan, Kimberly A.
57 Chilson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Date: 09/13/2007

Villemaire, James Clifford
24 Marion St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/13/2007

Watson, William Paul
28 Berbay Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/12/2007

Welz-Andrews, Ann
42 Navajo Dr.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/12/2007

Wolf, Donna Marie
4 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/12/2007

Zorfas, Harvey
Zorfas, Cynthia W.
P.O. Box 256
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 09/14/2007

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of October 2007.

AGAWAM

HP Hood, LLC
233 Main St.
$100,000 — Installing silo on existing silo pad

CHICOPEE

CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
601 Memorial Dr. Suite C
$310,000 — Alterations to Papa Gino’s restaurant

AMHERST

Amherst College Trustees
50 Lincoln Ave.
$10,500 — Re-shingle

Peter Grandinico
25 North Pleasant St.
$5,000 — Remove partitions to prepare for future restaurant

GREENFIELD

Rober Inc.
225-245 Mohawk Trail
$106,500 — Installation of ATM

Rudolph Boudreau
150-154 School St.
$2,000 — Re-roof

Stan Kol
22 High St.
$4,000 — Install five windows in existing openings

Stoneleigh Burnham School
574 Bernardston Road
$10,750 — Re-shingle roof

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$40,000 — Remodel existing Sports Zone store

Holyoke Shopping Center, LLC
2251-2295 Northampton St.
$290,000 — Build out for children’s dental office

Loomis House Inc.
298 Jarvis Ave.
$31,000 — New addition and laundry room

Loomis House, Inc.
298 Jarvis Ave.
$20,000 — New exercise room and offices

Pilduski Park Trust
County Road
$25,000 — Build new storage room

LUDLOW

270 West Street Realty Trust
270 West St.
$500,000 — New commercial construction

NORTHAMPTON

Eric Suher
56 Main St.
$9,500 — Interior renovations

HS Gere & Sons, Inc.
115 Conz St.
$2,615,000 — Renovate and construct 6,669-square-foot addition

  

Micala Sidore
17 Hawley St.
$3,500 — Construct interior partitions

Patricia Miller
26 Crescent St.
$10,000 — Non-structural interior renovations

River Run Condo Associates
80 Damon Rd.
$48,500 — Install replacement egress and security doors

Strong Avenue LLC
15 Strong Ave.
$12,700 — Non-structural interior renovations

World War II Veterans Association
50 Conz St.
$130,000 — Renovate bar area, new HVAC & sprinkler systems

PALMER

Cumberland Farms
1472 North Main St.
$3,000,000 — New 3,200-square-foot commercial building

SOUTHWICK

Nicolay Gerasimehuk
797 College Highway
$3,500 — Interior renovations

Shepard Corporation
320 College Highway
$140,000 — Addition

Shepard Corporation
320 College Highway
$750,000 — Commercial storage units

SPRINGFIELD

Bruce Bromley
340 Main St.
$30,000 — Alterations in existing building to create new dance studio

Charles Eliasson
184 Maple St.
$225,000 — Repair fire damage to building

Jon Realty LLC
230 Verge St.
$10,000 — Antenna change out

Spine Realty LLC
55 St. George Road
$60,000 — Addition of new office

Springfield Grouping
333 Bridge St.
$28,900 — Alterations to existing space

WESTFIELD

Sun Healthcare Group
60 East Silver St.
$164,000 — New roof

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Mark Lucas
356 Memorial Ave.
$40,000 — Commercial renovations

Salamon Realty
52B Wayside Ave.
$256,000 — Fit out 10,250-square-foot of showroom space

By
Departments

Microtest Labs Wins State Award

AGAWAM — Microtest Laboratories has been honored with a Massachusetts Economic Impact Award for its strong record of job creation and business expansion. The company was named the Silver Level Award recipient in the Western Mass. region by the Mass. Alliance for Economic Development (MAED). Microtest specializes in testing services and contract manufacturing for the medical device, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. MAED is a private, nonprofit partnership of business, industry leaders, and government dedicated to the economic growth of Massachusetts. MAED will recognize its 2007 Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Award winners during a luncheon on Nov. 20. For more information, visit www.massecon.com.

United Financial Bancorp Starts Second-step Conversion

WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Financial Bancorp, Inc. recently announced it and United Mutual Holding Company, its mutual holding company, have received conditional approval from the Office of Thrift Supervision to commence its second-step conversion and offering. The company also announced that the registration statement relating to the sale of common stock by United Financial Bancorp Inc., its new Maryland corporation, was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The subscription and community offering was expected to begin on or about Oct. 22, when offering and proxy materials were mailed to eligible depositors of United Bank, the savings bank subsidiary of the company. Proxy materials will be mailed to stockholders of the company eligible to vote on or about Oct. 22. A syndicated offering of unsubscribed shares to the general public is expected to begin at a later date. The Stock Information Center, which opened on Oct. 24, may be reached at (413) 788-3333.

Easthampton Savings Opens Westfield Office

WESTFIELD — Easthampton Savings Bank recently staged grand-opening ceremonies for its new branch on Broad Street in Westfield. Katrina Dziedzic, who has more than 20 years of banking experience, serves as branch manager. The new full-service branch includes a drive-up window, safe deposit boxes, a night depository, and a drive-up automated teller machine. Founded in 1869, Easthampton Savings also has branch locations in Easthampton, Southampton, Northampton, Hadley, South Hadley, and Belchertown.

Bauzá & Associates Expands Client Portfolio

HOLYOKE — Bauza & Associates recently announced it has greatly expanded its client portfolio during the second and third quarters of 2007. The new additions to its portfolio include Comcast, Northeast Utilities, Health New England, Eastern Connecticut State University, Stamford Hospital, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Well Done Productions, Eastern States Exposition, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. “We are proud to work with such incredible organizations who understand the value of the Hispanic market and are taking the right approach to building brand awareness and driving sales with Hispanic consumers,” said Hector Bauza, president. The firm also has offices in Boston and New Haven, Conn.

Dave’s Gets OK to Expand Store

AGAWAM — Dave’s Soda and Pet City has received permission from the Planning Board to eliminate 1,500 square feet of the former Ames department store on Springfield Street to make way for adequate parking requirements. David A. Ratner, owner of Dave’s, said he hopes to move his current operation from Ramah Circle to the new site by spring, which will also include a dog obedience facility and a grooming center. Ratner noted that the new site will feature 25,000 square feet of retail space and 10,000 square feet of warehouse space. With the additional space, Ratner plans to expand the Agway line.

Breast Cancer Awareness Program Expected to Raise Donation to Local Groups

SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual) recently kicked off an innovative breast cancer awareness program that will raise an estimated six-figure contribution for local cancer organizations across the country while also educating women about financial preparedness, especially when it comes to breast cancer and other unexpected life events. The program, part of a year-long effort by MassMutual to support breast cancer awareness efforts, will make charitable contributions of up to $3,000 to local cancer organizations in the name of each MassMutual agency that conducts a Pearls of Wisdom® financial education seminar in its local community in October. Additionally, as it does every year, MassMutual will undertake a variety of activities at its Springfield and Enfield, Conn., headquarters to involve and educate its own employees on the topic of breast cancer prevention. For more information, visit www.massmutual.com/women.

Mercy Medical Center, Cancer Society Team Up To Help Cancer Patients

SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center recently signed a collaboration agreement with the American Cancer Society which partners the two organizations in an effort to save lives and improve the quality of life for cancer patients and survivors in the Greater Springfield area. Each year, Mercy Medical Center serves more than 1,200 newly diagnosed cancer patients in Greater Springfield, offering a range of patient care services, including prevention, early detection, treatment, counseling and support, and patient education. The hospital collaboration agreement will ensure that all newly diagnosed cancer patients are informed of all resources, programs, and services provided by the American Cancer Society. Mercy also offers its cancer patients the only American Cancer Society cancer resource center in the area, staffed by well-trained volunteers, where patients can seek out additional cancer-related resources in the community.

UMass Professors, Town Officials Launch Wireless Network

AMHERST — In a distinctive town-gown electronic partnership, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and town officials have unveiled the first phase of a community wireless mesh network in the downtown area. This network allows the public and town workers access to a broad range of services from WiFi-equipped mobile devices including laptop computers, hand-held devices and smartphones. The new wireless network is the result of collaboration between Kristopher J. Pacunas, information technology director for the Town of Amherst, and Mark Corner and Brian Levine, professors in the UMass Amherst computer science department. The network has been in the testing phase for the last several months. UMass researchers are using the network to run a number of projects in mobile computing, networking for disaster management, and municipal sensor networks. The system will be managed and maintained by the town’s information technology department. Equipment and installation were funded through several grants to UMass Amherst from the National Science Foundation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In addition to providing Internet access to the public, town officials have begun experimenting with operating some town services over the network, suggesting the potential to reduce costs for phone lines that the town leases for data from sewage and water sensors. In addition, town officials hope the network could greatly increase the monitoring of the town’s infrastructure, including traffic signals and pollution. For more information about the project, visit www.amherstma.gov/communitywireless.

Enterprise Fund Provides Business Loans to Two Local Companies

HOLYOKE — The Western Mass. Enterprise Fund announced it has provided small business loans recently to Cubit Wire & Cable Co. Inc. of Holyoke and Australis Aquaculture, a fish farm and processing company in Turners Falls. The small business loan to Cubit Wire in Holyoke will be used as working capital and will enable the company to capitalize on new opportunities and increase sales volume resulting in new job creation. Cubit focuses on manufacturing a special type of wiring for equipment such as ambulance track lights, railroad track lights, industrial air conditioning, aircraft instruments and pool vacuums. Cubit is a certified minority owned business and began operations after acquiring the former American Electric Cable Company in 2004. Australis will use the loan to purchase filleting and processing equipment needed to process its primary product Barramundi in house. The company has turned a previously unknown fish in the United States into a significant seafood trend. Australis has relationships with several of the country’s leading supermarket and restaurant chains. Australis grows its fish in an ecologically friendly indoor facility located in Turners Falls. According to Christopher Sikes, executive director of WMEF, “These loans highlight the diversity of our portfolio and the small businesses that operate in Western Mass. sometimes unnoticed. One company provides a unique and growing food product available throughout the country and another is a minority owned company with great potential for growth.”

ECS Announces Stock Ownership Plan

AGAWAM — Environmental Compliance Services, Inc. (ECS) announce the establishment of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). “The timing is right to continue our growth trajectory and to maintain the strong commitment of our dedicated and passionate employees,” said Mark Hellstein, Founder and President. “The employees have made this company what it is and they deserve the opportunity to control their destinies.” Currently celebrating its 25th year in business, ECS is a pioneering environmental consulting firm with more than 200 professionals. ECS’ full line of services includes site assessment, remediation and engineering, fuel system management, multi-media services, and cost-recovery services.

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

Chas. Gilman & Sons Inc. v. West Street Bar & Grill Inc.
Allegation: Recovery of judgment action: $1,571.61
Filed: 9-11-07

Larry’s Heating Hardware & Plumbing v. Blue Dolphin Pools
Allegation: Non-payment of merchandise received: $110.12
Filed: 9-04-07

Nicholas Bernier v. Stephen Constant & Westover Animal Clinic
Allegation: Payment for emergency services due to negligence: $127.50
Filed: 9-13-07

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Montague Rivers Edge LLC v. Dmitriy’s New England Construction Inc.
Allegation: Breach of construction contract: $66,900
Filed: 9-06-07

Rice Oil Company v. J & S Auto Services Center Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods and services: $61,207.71
Filed: 9-12-07

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Craig J. & Jennifer C. Demerski v. Willowbrook Associates
Allegation: Breach of real estate contract: $382,500
Filed: 9-26-07

Elizabeth & Franklin Cyran v. Sovereign Bank New England
Allegation: Breach of lending contract: $85,000
Filed: 9-21-07

Hampden Village Inc. v. Westfield Fuel Company
Allegation: Negligence in delivery causing property damage: $13,959
Filed: 9-21-07

Sharon Holda v. W.E. Donovan & Company Inc.
Allegation: Negligence in delivery causing property damage: $105,770
Filed: 10-02-07

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Action Air Inc. v. Anderson Builders Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay under the terms of a construction contract: $87,354
Filed: 8-30-07

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts by and through the University of Massachusetts v. Shooshanian Engin-eering Associates Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $100,000
Filed: 8-24-07

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Canal Industrial v. Adalberto Bernal d/b/a America Buses & Trucks
Allegation: Non-payment of rent: $2,500.00
Filed: 5-07-2007

Puerta de la Esperanza, LP v. Grace Demose Furniture Inc.
Allegation: Possession and rent owed: $17,081.72
Filed: 1-29-07

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Cook Builders Supply Company v. St. Claire Landscaping
Allegation: Non-payment of materials: $22,621.52
Filed: 8-17-07

Gilbert & Son Insulation v. Glenn Building Associates Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods: $12,518.83
Filed 7-30-07

Goldman Marketing Inc. v. Steven Lewis Subaru
Allegation: Breach of contract: $2,800.00
Filed: 8-06-07

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Bill Thompson Transport Inc. v. Quaboag Transfer Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods received: $8,135
Filed: 9-10-07

Sherman & Frydryk v. Jon Ker and DLP Hospitality LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of survey and engineering services: $3,599.44
Filed: 8-28-07

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Claire H. Goldsmith v. Town of West Springfield
Allegation: Injuries sustained during fall caused by pothole: $23,818.86
Filed: 9-17-07

Dauphinais & Son Inc. v. MG Concrete
Allegation: Non-payment: $14,608.16
Filed: 9-12-07

Eastern Bearings Inc. v. Joseph Crouch d/b/a CMD Technologies
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,713.16; Filed: 9-17-07

Farrell Precision Metal Craft v. CMD Technologies
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,607.50; Filed: 9-10-07

Robbie B. Cox v. Bosco’s Automotive, Inc.
Allegation: Expenses due to fall from Bosco’s vehicle which was transporting Mrs. Cox: $10,975; Filed: 9-12-07

United Brothers Enterprises d/b/a Monson Getty v. Taylor Freight Service
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $15,377.71; Filed: 9-12-07

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Darrell S. Merceri v. Families Matter Painting
Allegation: Breach of contract – non-payment: $702
Filed: 8-10-07

Kutty’s Fuel Oil v. Bentley Billiards Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of home heating oil sold and delivered: $912
Filed: 8-08-07

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of October 2007.

AGAWAM

Carla Santia & Associates
154 Brookfield Lane
Carla Santia

Coach T’s
360 N. Westfield St.
Beverly J. Weil

AMHERST

C & C Clothing and C.D.’s
233 North Pleasant St.
Danielle Lesure

Choice Travel of Amherst
12 White Pine Road
Ati Jain

Cross Culture Journey’s
12 White Pine Road
Ati Jain

Rampage
233 North Pleasant St.
Valerie Vasquez-Alexander

Third Eye Production
28 Amity St.
Adrian D’Errico

CHICOPEE

Gracey’s Cleaning Services
155 State St.
Grazyna Syrek

Jan Peters Pottery
159 Moore St.
Janice B. Peters

Sayegh Jewelers Inc.
601 Memorial Dr.
James A. Sayegh

Zasco Productions Inc.
340 McKinstry Ave.
Michael W. Zaskey

EASTHAMPTON

Molly Montgomery Painting
69 Pleasant St.
Molly Montgomery

EAST LONGMEADOW

All For You Agency
469 Prospect St.
Galina Gertsezen

Bretta Automotive
20 Dorset St.
Roland Bretta

Caldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Real Estate School
55 North Main St.
NRT New England, LLC

College Counseling Services
14 Baldwin St.
Joan Tompkins

International Paintless Dent Removal
302 Somers Road
Wayne Pilon

The Pizza Shoppe
134 Shaker Road
Nichloas Giuggio

GREENFIELD

Carried Away
10 Miles St.
Mona A. Minor

Cycle Werx
322 Deerfield St.
Peter R. Graves

Freelance Writing By Josephine
57 Congress St.
Josephine Griswold

Hannoush Jewelers
269 Main St.
Joseph Hannoush Family Inc.

HADLEY

Barley Education Associates
105 Honey Pot Road
Patrick L. Leighton

Buck Brothers Concrete
340 River Dr.
Leonard Buck

Ken’s Catering
61 Middle St.
Kenneth Berestka

HOLYOKE

Barber Magic
1312 Dwight St.
Laura M. Renardson – Chabot

Eastern Arts MA
50 Holyoke St.
Lian Liu

Kid’s Foot Locker # 6715
50 Holyoke St.
Delphine Coot

Libreria Roca de Santidad
364 High Street
Juan Morales

Rayzor Sharp Images
118 Maple St.
Raymond Rodriguez

Sam’s Food Stores
515 High St.
Syed A. Ali

Sporting Chance Inc.
50 Holyoke St.
Rick Gileau

T. J. T. Furniture Store
677 High St
Margarita Herrera

LONGMEADOW

Accounting and Management Services
109 Colony Road
Monica Crowley

C & S Marketing
50 Yarmouth St.
Carlo A. Simeoli

FARaero
100 Cobblestone Road
Michael Gitlen

LUDLOW

Element Salon & Day Spa
21 Harding St.
Dani Montgomery

Golden Age Club of Ludlow
37 Chestnut St.
Florence M. Perrault

Joseph Kozicki Plumbing & Heating
153 Chapin St.
Joseph Kozicki

NORTHAMPTON

Healthy Homecare
71 Gleason Road
Sarah W. Nenner

Kunhardt Financial & Insurance Strategies
8 North King St.
Daniel B. Kunhardt

Prism Transcription
61 North Main St.
Mary Cassidy

Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters
124 King St.
Curtis Rich

Staples
136 North King St.
Staple the Office Superstore Inc.

The Historic College Inn
74 Bridge St.
Todd Marchefka

PALMER

Northern Drywall
3119 Main St.
Jason Lebeau


  

O’Connor Auto Body
45 Commercial St.
Daniel P. O’Connor

Office Care of New England
55 Beacon Dr.
Kathleen Dyer

Rainbow Realty
324 Old Warren Road
Lewis Paul Councilman

RepairMasters
9 Ridge Road
James M. Hurley

SPY Enterprises LLC
2278 Main St.
Lynn Sampson

Total Quality
3171 Foster St.
Keith Lindsey

USAVE Discount Mattress
241 Wilbraham Road
Richard Plante Jr.

Walt’s Wallpapering & Painting
77 Nipmuck St.
Walter J. Reynolds

SOUTH HADLEY

Bridal Heirlooms
17 College Highway
Christine Auffrey

Covet Audio
51 Lamb St.
Eugene C. Trottier

Intelicoat Technologies
28 Gaylord St.
Robert B. Thumith

My Mushroom Mittens
536 Newton St.
April Prentiss-Was

Quality Auto Repair
3 Main St.
Brian Bogart

SOS Heating and Air Conditioning
89 Pitroff Ave.
Timothy Sosnicki

SOUTHWICK

Craft Manor Gifts
160 Point Grove Road
Raymond J. Coperchioli

SPRINGFIELD

J&D Polishing
33 Mohawk Dr.
Dennis Nelson

JC Remodeling
12 Ames St.
Melvin J. Gali

Jaisiah’s Dream
276 Longhill St.
Lucy L. Savage

Joey’s Place
356 Parker St.
Roberto Galvan

Knox Food Market
17 Knox St.
Tariq Mahmood

Latin Barber Shop
2881 Main St.
Jose Miguel Gonzalez

Le’ Buddies Helping Hands
79 Rochelle St.
Althea Carter

Liranzo Restaurant
895 Carew St.
Andrea Liranzo

Love 2 Sparkle Boutique
45 Monticello Ave.
Heather Ann Watling

New Era
902 Carew St.
Jason Torres

Payson Renovation
36 Wildwood Ave.
Stephen Carl Payson

Pennington Painting Company
363 Sunrise Terrace
Dustin Pennington

Puerto Del Sol Travel
270 Grisham St.
Maria R. Lozada

Pyramid Services Company
20 Dartmouth St.
Gregory R. Gavin

Reliable Painting and Roofing
217 Chapin Terrace
Eric Warren

Small Repair/PC
50 Hollywood St.
Fred Moskowitz

Tree Huggers Tree Care
85 North Branch Parkway
Norbert Maleshefski

White Glove Cleaning
28 Beaumont Terrace
Chandlen Daniels

YNV Entertainment
22 Phoenix St.
Moises Cepeda Jr.

WESTFIELD

Angelo’s Market
266 Elm St.
Angel Morales

Frankie’s Barber Shop
36 Mechanic St.
Frankie C. Pileggi

Liberty Exercise & Wellness
15 Coolidge Ave.
Susan M. Gouin

North East Lawncare & Landscape
543 West Road
Jeffrey Stokowski

Tobacco Barn
53 Elm St.
Mina Rishamwala

Wal-Mart
141 Springfield Road
Wal-Mart Stores East, LP

Wintersales
80 Tannery Road
John D. Strauss

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Greenwich Logistics International
71 Craig Dr.
Aloyce C. Assenga

Los Duenos Del Estilo Barber Shop
1146 Union St.
Luis Rivera

Sol’s Tire Service Inc.
953 Union St.
William R. Ellis

S.T.A.N.
791 Piper Road
Stanley J. Zalewski

T-130 Productions
11 Pleasant St.
Christopher Thibault

Ten Thousand Angels
1130 Memorial Ave.
David John Rowe

West Side Hypnosis
12 Railroad St.
Louise Ellen Jahr

Zenith Auto
86 Exposition Ave.
Igor Kuznetsov

By
Departments

Museum Marks 5th Anniversary

October-Jan. 27 & Nov. 15-March 9: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst recently launched a full slate of fall programs in celebration of its fifth anniversary, including two special exhibitions. “Spiderwick: From Page to Screen,” opened Sept. 22 and runs through Jan. 27. The show explores the art of Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black’s The Spiderwick Chronicles, and follows the story’s translation to the big screen (coming February 15, 2008). The second exhibition, “Children Should Be Seen: The Image of the Child in American Picture Book Art,” opens Nov. 15 and runs through March 9. The show features the work of 84 artists in a comprehensive survey of the best American picture book art of the last decade.

Furniture Art& Craft 2007

Through Oct. 28: Danish Inspirations in West Hatfield will host Furniture Art & Craft 2007, a regional furniture makers’ exhibit, with a reception for the artists on Sept. 22 from 3 to 5 p.m. The theme of the second annual show is “Extending the Boundaries of Quality.” For more information, contact Peter Knapp at Danish Inspirations, (413) 247-5681, Bill Sheckels at (413) 773-8244, or visit www.danishinspirations.biz/FAAC2007.html.

University Without Walls Information Sessions

Oct. 18, 24, 27, 30: The University Without Walls (UWW) at UMass Amherst will conduct small group information sessions with a UWW representative who will review all the key features of the program and answer prospective students’ questions. UWW is an adult bachelor’s degree completion program that offers extensive business-related course offerings. In addition, students design their own degrees and earn credit for the learning and experience they have done “outside the walls” of UMass Amherst. Sessions are slated for Oct. 18, 5:30 p.m.; Oct. 24, 5:30 p.m.; Oct. 27, 10 a.m., and Oct. 30, 5:30 p.m. Sessions are approximately 90 minutes each and are held at the UWW office at 100 Venture Way, Suite 200, Hadley. Anyone interested in attending a session can sign up online at www.umass.edu/ uww.info_sessions/small_group.html, or call (413) 545-1378.

Gottlieb Exhibition

Through Oct. 26: R. Michelson Galleries on Main Street in Northampton will host Paula Gottlieb’s new show titled The Road Home — Recent Landscapes. “The stunning beauty of the land and my concern for its disappearance through development and degradation are the inspiration for this new series of local landscape paintings,” said Gottlieb, who has been painting and teaching for 40 years, and has lived in the Pioneer Valley since 1979. For more information, visit www.RMichelson.com or call (413) 586-3964.

CHD Conference

Oct. 23: The Center for Human Development will present its third annual conference titled Through Her Eyes, the Experience of Girls and the Juvenile Justice System, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel in West Springfield. The theme is “Relationships for Success: Critical Pathways for Supporting Young Women.” The conference will feature 12 workshops, with special emphasis on relationships, empowerment, and mentoring. The closing panel discussion will provide perspectives of women who have been in the criminal justice system and opportunities to relate their experiences to concepts presented throughout the workshops and addresses. Through their stories of challenges and successes, the women will give conference attendees an opportunity to experience the system through their eyes. Keynote speakers include Dr. Stephanie Covington, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., and Andrea Johnston, J.D. Dr. Covington founded the Center for Gender and Justice and the Institute for Relational Development. Johnston co-founded with Gloria Steinem the Girls Speak Out Foundation, and recently launched “The Caged Bird Sings Project” that empowers girls isolated in extreme circumstances in the United States and Africa. For reservations and more information, contact Ruth Dudley-Carr at (413) 737-2679, or register online at www.throughhereyes.org.

Money Smart Program

Oct. 30-Nov. 27: The Holyoke Credit Union will once again offer its free award-winning financial education program titled Money Smart this fall which covers a multitude of personal banking and finance subjects. The course will be conducted on Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. for five consecutive weeks at the Holyoke Credit Union’s main branch at 490 Westfield Road, Holyoke. The program is free to the public, however, pre-registration is required. Registration may be made at any branch location or by calling (413) 532-7007.

Women Business Owners Conference

Oct. 31: The 14th Women Business Owners Conference, hosted by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network, is planned from 8 to noon, followed by an optional lunch. The theme is ‘Succession Planning: Transition & Transformation.’ Among the highlights of the morning will be a panel discussion on the legal and financial considerations which are paramount to sound succession planning. Registration is planned from 8 to 8:30 a.m. in Willits-Hallowell Center at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley. For fees and more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass.

Guerrilla Marketing

Nov. 7: Inspired by a Guerrilla Marketing philosophy, this workshop will condense an MBA curriculum’s worth of marketing planning fundamentals to seven essential sentences. Participants will leave the workshop with an actionable document designed to focus on 30-, 60-, and 90-day marketing action items relating to the only four profit-boosting methods that exist for any business. The 9 to 11 a.m. session is planned at the Andrew M. Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. The cost is $35. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass.

Six Flags CEO To Address A.I.M.

Nov. 9: Marc Shapiro, president and CEO of Six Flags Inc., will outline his managing style for overseeing the world’s largest regional theme park company during the Associated Industries of Mass. Executive Forum meeting at the Westin Hotel, 70 Third Ave., Waltham. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m., followed by the program from 8 to 9:15 a.m. For registration information, call Julie Fazio at (617) 262-1180 or Chris Geehern at (617) 834-4414, or visit www.aimnet.org.

Internet Marketing 102

Nov. 13: Level the playing field by learning best practices in advertising and how to better target your customers with keyword-triggered advertising on the big search engines. Additionally, participants will learn the Pay-Per-Click advertising that works on Google and Yahoo. The 1 to 4 p.m. workshop is planned at the Andrew M. Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass.

By
Departments

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

AAA Water Service
Plasse, Jeremy I.
273 State St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/07

Allen, Rondey Alford
3 Terrace View
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/04/07

Almonte, Elena B.
15 New Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/07

Aquarius Hairstyling
Brouillette, Thomas E.
Brouillette, Wendy L.
79 River Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/07

Banas, Andrea Lynn
71 Leonard St.
Leeds, MA 01053
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/07

Barriere, Paula J.
9 Barnes St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/31/07

Becker, Raymond E.
636 Shaker Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/05/07

Carson, Kevin D.
Carson, Sarah L.
282 West Franklin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/07

Corliss, Kermit K.
12 Fifteenth St.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/07

Craven, Carroll A.
601 Old Greenwich Plains
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/01/07

Escribano, Antonio
26 Talbot Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/06/07

Ferriter, Matthew V.
136 Prospect Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/29/07

Fitzgerald, Robert Shea
PO Box 7000
Northampton, MA 01061
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/07

Flynn, Judith Ann
P.O. Box 1012
Greenfield, MA 01302
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/05/07

Gardner, Anna Faith
a/k/a McCullough, Anna
58 Amherst Ave.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/07

Garzone, Nicholas John
19 Crystal St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/07

Goulet, Debra J.
38 East Street Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/07

Grigas, Philip F.
Grigas, Deborah M.
7 Eagle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/05/07

Helberg, Glen R.
81 Rural Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/04/07

Hezik, John S.
Hezik, Jennie
45 Jaeger Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/07

Hurwitz, Michael D.
80 Munson St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/07

Jaskulski, Linda A.
23 Hancock St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/07

  

Johnson, Robert A.
P.O. Box 25
Greenfield, MA 01302
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/07

Kavanaugh-Godar, Gerald G.
a/k/a Godar, Gerald K.
a/k/a Kavanaugh God, Gerald
a/k/a God, Gerald K.
30 Highfield Dr.
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/07

Majkowski, Robert F.
Majkowski, Audrey M.
15 Hummingbird Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/04/07

Matos, Angel
21 Ledyard St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/05/07

Morin, Kristine J.
22 Abbey St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/04/07

Nolan, John F.
Nolan, Theresa M.
247 Zerah Fiske Road
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/07

Peyman, Christine M.
a/k/a Mahoney, Christine
3338 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/07

Priester, Samantha L.
Po Box 466
Chicopee, MA 01021
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/07

Reid, AnnMarie E.
97 Grape St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/07

Remillard, Sharon L.
9 Power Square
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/07

Richardson, Celines
Saez, Celines
38 Maryland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/07

Rodriguez, Pedro
107 Portulaca Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/04/07

Sadiq, Talib
Bias, Vincent Elex
Sadiq, Jamie Danielle
Daniels, Jamie Danielle
34 Pomeroy Lane, Unit 15
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/07

Scott, Martha A.
19 Chauncey Walker St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/07

Serrano, Francisco
37 Whitmore Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/07

Sheridan, Hope E.
427 Green River Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/27/07

Something Special Catering
Bernier, Barry A.
181West State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/07

Sullivan, Shawn D.
249 Chicopee St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/07

Tamashaitis, Tamika Nicole
71 Milford St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/28/07

Wolper, Jennifer L.
600 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/07

Woytowicz, Susan M.
PO Box 55
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/07

By
Departments

MassMutual Named A Working Mother 100 Best Company

SPRINGFIELD — Working Mother magazine recently named MassMutual a ‘2007 Working Mother Best Company.’ Leading a significant and ongoing culture shift, MassMutual officials note they are using company-wide benefits and programs to help ensure the retention and advancement of working mothers. MassMutual provides a number of options to help employees achieve a strong work/life balance, including flexible schedules, on-site and near-site child care facilities, an on-site credit union, convenience store with a full-service pharmacy, dry cleaner, tailor, jewelry and shoe repair, a barbershop, and a hair salon. MassMutual also has a strong commitment to employee health, offering state-of-the-art wellness activity centers, employee health service centers that offer such amenities as personal health assessments, on-site physical therapy, and flu vaccinations, as well as an employee-assistance program. In other news, the company has been awarded the No. 1 ranking in this year’s InformationWeek 500 “Information Security/Privacy” category for its proprietary information security management system. MassMutual’s award is one of only five “Leaders in Innovation” category awards identified by InformationWeek, namely, Productivity, Information Security, Supply Chain Innovation, Emerging Technology and Customer Intimacy.

Daly Honored At Baystate Dedication

SPRINGFIELD — Recognizing his strategic vision and his inspirational leadership of the organization for 22 years, Baystate Health recently honored Michael J. Daly during a dedication ceremony of the Daly Building, formerly the Centennial Building, at the stystem’s Springfield campus. Baystate’s Board of Trustees officially renamed and dedicated the medical center to honor Daly, who served as chief executive officer from 1981 to 2003. An unveiling of a special plaque in his honor was among the festivities during the dedication ceremony on Oct. 2.

Spalding Introduces ‘The Beast’

SPRINGFIELD — Spalding is bringing an NBA in-arena style experience to a new portable outdoor system. By introducing The Beast, Spalding now offers the first ever 60-inch glass portable backboard system in the market. The Spalding Beast’s glass board provides increased benefits to players, highlighted by a 37% truer rebound than achieved with acrylic systems, according to company officials. The Beast also boasts an aluminum-trimmed unit which features a heavy duty steel frame, Z-arm board mounts that provide increased stability, and a heavy duty Pro Image® breakaway rim. In addition, an institutional style lift provides infinite height adjustment from 7.5’ to 10’, a portable, multi-wheel with castors base provides ease of movement, and a four-strut pole/base mount provides superior system rigidity.

North Amherst Company Wins National Award

NORTH AMHERST — Cowls Land and Lumber Company has been awarded the Assoc. of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ prestigious Landowner Stewardship Award. The award is presented annually to landowners who make a significant and positive conservation impact on a large area of privately owned land. The award was recently presented to Cinda Jones and her husband, Chuck Walker, of the Cowls Companies at the annual meeting of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in Louisville, Ky. Over the past 265 years, the family’s Western Mass. forest land has been devoted to sustainable timber production, while providing public recreational access and improved wildlife habitat. Cowls was one of the original tree farms to embrace and meet the requirements to be certified as a sustainable producer of trees in the United States. Cowls employs professionally trained foresters in the management of its land and incorporates multiple uses into its land-management plans. Cowls management plans are long-term and set the goal of achieving a sustained yield while retaining diversity of fish and wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems function. This year’s award represents the first time recognition has been given to a sustainable forest-based enterprise (in the past only farmers and ranchers have been recipients) and the first time for a Northeastern state. For more information on the award program, visit www.fishwildlife.org.

Big Y Promo Supports Breast Cancer Research

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y Supermarkets will be donating proceeds from its produce department as well as additional select products in October to the local Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Massachusetts and Connecticut Affiliates, to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer. The month-long initiative is titled “Partners of Hope,” and Big Y has partnered with many manufacturers to procure hundreds of thousands of pick-labeled products with funding toward breast cancer research and awareness. Big Y will be selling pink T-shirts, pink-frosted cupcakes, pink travel mugs and water bottles, pink bouquets and more. Pink paper ribbons will also be available for a $1 donation and will be posted in each market. Internally, Big Y’s Wellness Team will be hosting several programs this month to highlight breast cancer awareness to the employee family.

TD Banknorth Grant Supports Museum Programs

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Museums have received a $10,000 grant from the TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation for its Weekend Family Fun series of educational programs. Weekend Family Fun programs highlight holidays, special exhibits, cultures from around the world, and popular topics like dinosaurs and Dr. Seuss. Each program includes a performance, art demonstrations, science activities, and hands-on craft workshops. The four Springfield Museums and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden are located on the Quadrangle at 21 Edwards St.

Springfield Falcons Partner with Big Y, WNEC

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Falcons recently signed a two-year corporate partnership agreement with Big Y Foods that once again offers fans a discount ticket for select nights when they present their Big Y Savings Card at the MassMutual Center Box Office. Big Y Foods will also receive maximum exposure as part of its partnership with their logo appearing on signage on the MassMutual Center center-hung video board, and also on dasherboard signage inside of the MassMutual Center. The Falcons also recently partnered with Western New England College for the 2007-08 season to develop the Falcons’ new multimedia section located on Falconsahl.com. The new feature will consist of both audio and video clips involving Falcons players and coaches, as well as game highlights. WNEC officials noted they are proud to provide support and assistance for this ambitious web marketing enterprise, known as the Western New England College multimedia section of the Springfield Falcons’ website, where fans will be able to enjoy a more interactive experience with the organization.

Avada’s Blulink Offers Wireless Hearing

SPRINGFIELD — Avada Hearing Care Centers recently introduced Blulink™, its first wireless communication system that tackles challenges for those with hearing loss — providing ultimate sound quality that is delivered in sync with the listening environment and offering hands-free connectivity to Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and other wireless electronic devices. Unlike traditional hearing instruments, Blulink’s high speed wireless digital technology creates a wireless ‘bubble’ around the user, allowing a pair of Blulink hearing devices to communicate together to process sounds similar to the way the human brain receives and interprets sounds. For more information, visit www.avada.com.

Hampden Bank to Continue Energy Relief Program

SPRINGFIELD — There is still uncertainty about how much it will cost homeowners to stay warm this heating season. However, many people are already beginning to wonder, and worry, about how they are going to pay their heating bills this winter. In response to what could be some very tough situations for local residents, Hampden Bank has decided to once again continue it’s Energy Relief Program introduced two years ago. The program is designed to give mortgage customers the option to make a smaller, ‘interest only’ payments on their mortgage for the duration of the heating season. “We are reacting to the needs of our customers,” said Senior Vice President Robert Michel. “While fuel prices have come down, filling up your car or paying the heating bill is still painful. With this program, we allow our borrowers to make an interest-only payment. They’ll be able to use the savings each month to apply toward their heating costs.” Michel added. The program is simple, but the savings can be profound. For example, a $150,000 loan balance with a 20-year remaining term at an average 6.5% interest rate would yield a savings of almost $250 per month.

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

Instar Service Group, L.P. v. Niki Limn – Callidice Realty Trust
Allegation: Breach of contract – non-payment of services rendered: $1,874.15
Filed: Sept. 14

Joseph A. Paul Jr. v. Abrams Masonry
Allegation: Concrete services not rendered: $400
Filed: Sept. 27

Valley Communications Inc. v. Packard Motor Car Services Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $1,802.53
Filed: Sept. 18

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Wiesia Ney (administrator) v. Goly’s Garage
Allegation: Wrongful death — negligent maintenance and inspection: $1,005,047
Filed: Sept. 21

Town of Buckland v. RAC Builders
Allegation: Breach of construction contract against general contractor: $95,200
Filed: Oct. 1

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Town of Greenfield v. Noreen Hamayun d/b/a Valley Mart
Allegation: Breach of promissory note: $22,526.82
Filed: Sept. 27

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Elizabeth Burke v. School Street Bistro Corporation
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury due to fall: $9,074.17
Filed: Sept. 17

Karen A. Connor (executrix of estate of Thomas O’ Connor) v. Jiu Ming M.D.
Allegation: Wrongful death: $25,000
Filed: Sept. 28

Geraldine Liquori (representative of estate of John Liquori) v. The Town of Agawam and the Town of West Springfield
Allegation: Wrongful death caused by negligent provision of emergency service: $25,000
Filed: Sept. 27

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Brenda J. Wagschal v. Clarion Hotel
Allegation: Injuries suffered as a result of luggage rack falling on plaintiff: $14,820.47
Filed: August 30

Kenneth & Patricia Sicard v. Lesly Spokas and Howard Environmental Services
Allegation: Negligent design and placement of a septic system: $73,500
Filed: Oct. 2

Michael Dean v. Northeast Energy Systems Inc.
Allegation: Injury from fall: $450,000.00
Filed: August 31

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Open Square Properties, LLC v. Anamorphic Systems Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of rent: $7,683.99
Filed: August 17

Windship Enterprises Inc. v. Labor Ready Northeast Inc. & CT Corporation System
Allegation: Non-payment of rent plus utilities: $21,762.61
Filed: August 31

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Raymond M. Rice v. All Star Insulation & Siding
Allegation: Services not rendered: $9,326.50
Filed: August 31

Jenison Lee Retzlaff v. Dolan Transportation Services, Inc.
Allegation: Head and facial injuries caused by accident: $17,061.77
Filed: August 24

Lucia Lumber Company, Inc. v. Kimball Custom Homes
Allegation: Non-payment — Goods and services sold and delivered: $10,921.94
Filed: Sept. 17

Fedex Customer Information Services v. EZ Ship N Sell
Allegation: Breach of contract: $3,052.74; Filed: Sept. 26

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

The Sherwin Williams Company v. Tighe Construction
Allegation: Non-payment of goods received: $5,523.69
Filed: Sept. 10

Schmidt Equipment Inc. v. Hoenig Construction Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $4,626.61
Filed: Sept. 17

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Bradco Supply Corporation v. GMC Home Improvements Inc.
Allegation: Breach of personal guarantee-non-payment: $3,357.49
Filed: Sept. 13

Carter Mcleod Paper & Management v. Omniglow LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $18,842.66
Filed: Sept. 24

Goodless Electric Company v. Holy Christian Orthodox Church
Allegation: Non-payment of services: $3,213.73
Filed: Sept. 21

Hardware Specialties Inc. v. Anderson Consulting & Construction
Allegation: Non-payment of services: $17,514.78
Filed: Sept. 20

MK Automation Engineering Inc. v. CMD Technologies Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods received: $7,388.50
Filed: Sept. 18

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Sherwin Williams Inc. v. Letourneau & Sons Painting
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $1,878.15
Filed: August 28

Patricia Steele-Perkins v. Chris’ Tree & Landscaping, Inc.
Allegation: Deposit given but work never done: $300
Filed: Sept. 7

The State Can’t Just Throw Money at Springfield

By
Opinion

It was with much fanfare that Gov. Deval Patrick announced a “partnership” between the Commonwealth and the city of Springfield earlier this month. He actually held a cabinet meeting in the City of Homes — no one can remember if or when that ever happened before — to mark the occasion, and spoke at length about how important the success of Springfield is to the state as a whole.

He then listed several examples of how this partnership would manifest itself — everything from money to put more police officers on the street to plans for reopening the governor’s office in the State Office Building and naming it the Western Massachusetts Office. In a printed statement from his office, the governor said, “working with local leadership, legislators, businesses, and community groups, we can tap the considerable potential of Springfield and the region, and re-energize a vibrant hub for growth in Western Mass.”

This sounds good, and we hope that’s what this partnership can actually do, but we admit to being a little skeptical. Many of the investments listed as being part of this so-called partnership have been on the books or in the planning stages for some time now, such as a commitment to renovate and expand the police training facility at Springfield Technical Community College and plans to site a Western Mass. fire training facility in Springfield.

These and many other measures listed by the governor, including matching funds for a homeless shelter and an investment in state-assisted public housing units, amount to simply throwing money at some of Springfield’s problems, with no long-term benefits to be seen.

Springfield isn’t going to be re-energized by the Worthington Street Shelter Housing Project, even if it does become a model for the rest of the state, or by more public housing, nor is it to become a vibrant hub of growth due to police and fire training facilities being located here. This city needs some good, old-fashioned economic development in the form of private-sector investments that will spur new jobs.

Meanwhile, there must be some spark that will make Springfield, and especially its downtown, a place where people will want to live and work again. This is the formula that has worked for many other cities in this state and elsewhere, and it must be applied here as well; the city can’t move forward if public housing continues to be its most successful business enterprise.

In fairness to the governor and his cabinet, they are at least trying to help the Finance Control Board with its next, and most challenging, assignment — bringing some real economic progress to a community that, like many others in the Northeast, is seeing its manufacturing base slowly deteriorate. Stabilizing the city’s finances and creating surpluses instead of deficits hasn’t been easy, but that job has a much lower degree of difficulty than the task of making Springfield vibrant again.

Other cities have turned themselves around — Providence, Lowell, and, to a lesser extent, Worcester, have all been mentioned — but they have benefited greatly from geography and their proximity to Boston. Springfield doesn’t have that luxury and will need some help from the state that might fall into the category of extraordinary.

State leaders can’t be expected to favor Springfield over other cities or regions of the Commonwealth that also need help, but it can and must provide assistance in ways that make redevelopment of the York Street Jail, the Chapman Valve site in Indian Orchard, and even Union Station real and not wishful thinking.

The governor is right when he says that Springfield’s success is vital to the Commonwealth as a whole, and his administration is to be commended for recognizing that Springfield needs help, and then offering some. But the help must be substantive, not symbolic; it must provide long-term benefits, not short-term buzz.

We hope that this is a real partnership, one that generates real progress in Springfield.

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of October 2007.

AGAWAM

Able Services
433 Springfield St.
Jane Grimaldi

Cheers Discount Liquors
416-418 Springfield St.
Jose C. Faria

The Tot Spot
187 Adams St.
Angela Jodoin

AMHERST

F.L. Roberts & Company Inc.
372 Northampton Road
Jonathan Roath

New England Image Workshop
491 Pine St.
David A. Carpenter

Sugarloaf
305 Middle Road
John Rae

The Option Books
62 Boltwood Ave.
Aaron Vigdor

University Liquors
6-10 University Dr.
Ambakrupa, Inc.

CHICOPEE

Avalon Management Services
574 East St.
Francis & Virginia Bateman

Da-Vi Nails
591 Memorial Dr.
Jimmy Nguyen

Quality Printing & Wallpapering
30 Austin St.
Andrzej Jacek Gryz

Victorya Cleaners Services
209 Montgomery St.
Flavio Jose de Oliveira

Wal-Mart Supercenter
591 Memorial Dr.
Brandy McCool

EASTHAMPTON

Philigil International
28 Kingsberry Way
Laticia M. Almeida

EAST LONGMEADOW

Bluebird Estates
One Apple Blossom Lane
Harvest Leasing LLC

Dr. Robert Caprile, Chiropractor
16 Mapleshade Ave.
Robert Caprile DC

East Meadow Farms
135 Parker St.
Kimberly & Gary Turnberg

Go Graphix
436 North Main St.
Gary Stone

My Bookkeeper
16 Mapleshade Ave.
Richard Bachand

White Stone Marketing Group
436 North Main St.
James White

GREENFIELD

C&M Online Services
178 Chapman St.
Edward C. Craig Jr.

Have Imagination
178 Chapman St.
Maria M. Ortiz

Kaji’s
50 Federal St.
Robin Eldaly

Meadow Green Nail Salon By Connie
263 Federal St.
Constance Jean Hale

HADLEY

Carey Farms
188 River Dr.
Sarah & Cameron Carey

Sleepy’s
335 Russell St.
Adam Blank

Southern New England Spice Company
35 Lawrence Plain Road
Diane Kirby

Spruce Hill Java
229 Russell St.
Nancy Bailey

HOLYOKE

Coffee Shop
50 Holyoke St.
Mohamed Elkhashab

Ingleside Therapeutic Massage and Yoga
415 Ingleside St.
John P. McCann

Journey’s #1470
50 Holyoke St.
Michael Canterbury

Kid’s Fashion
602 Dwight St.
Dilly Vassallo

Las Chicas Market
341 Appleton St.
Lidia C. Rodriguez

Positronic Design
903 Dwight St.
David Caputo

Premiere Staffing Services, LLC
23 Suffolk St.
Ernest D. Whitney

Roca Fellas
451 High St.
Wanda Barta

Sears Optical # 150
50 Holyoke St.
Jack Dennis

Tosado Auto Sales & Towing
64R Clemente St.
Gilfredo Tosado

Valley Chiropractic & Rehabilitation, LLC
98 Lower Westfield Road
Anna N. Storozuk

LONGMEADOW

A & D Morgan Construction LLC
114 Williams St.
David W. Correira

Security Consulting Inc.
160 Birch Road
Lawrence Marc Pearl

Shoenique
714 Bliss Road
Kevin M. Lennon

LUDLOW

Berry Knolls Gardens
276 Fuller St.
Thomas & Irene Janas

Generations Salon & Day Spa
293 State St.
Tami L. Scott

Lavoie Family Chiropractic
733 Chapin St.
Christopher Lavoie

Sam’s Natural Farm
153 Chapin St.
Joseph Kozicki

NORTHAMPTON

Achieve Fitness USA
15 Munroe St.
Lisa Conz

Buena Vista Theatrical Group Ltd.
1450 Broadway St.
Marsha L. Reed

Notto Networks
72 Autumn Dr.
James J. Baronowski

Sara @ Shear Xtreme
4 Old South Road
Sara E. Cloutier

  

The Gift Basket
96 Pleasant St.
Mark B. Unger

Zoom Systems
228 King St.
Gower Smith

PALMER

Baker’s Auto Body LLC
1700 Park St.
Russell Baker

Baker’s Self Storage, LLC
1700 Park St.
Russell Baker

Bondsville Engineering
46R Fuller Road
Peter J. Blake

Dance Inn Studio
4023 Main St.
Carol Beaudoin

Fay Engineering Services
4023 Main St.
William Kevin Fay

Flat Fee Assist
13 Walnut St.
Debra Woods

Gil’s Gym & Racquet Health Club LLC
Unit H Kmart Plaza
Glen Gary Gilmore

SOUTH HADLEY

Advanced Gas Systems
1 Valley View Dr.
Edward Schwalm

Artistic Details
15 Bunker Hill St.
Nilda J. Delgado

James Fleming Electrical Contractor
7 Meadowood Dr.
James Fleming

Jens Designs
23 Spring St.
Jennifer DeForge

O’Connell’s Convenience Plus
483 Granby Road
O’Connell’s Convenience Plus

Ron’s Precision Automotive
504 Granby Road
Ronald G. Paul

SOUTHWICK

Ambience Wigs & Prosthetics
549 College Highway
Laura Castellini

SPRINGFIELD

Accurate Business Service
50 Mayfair Ave.
Indra Harris-Gomez

Arriagas Productions
24 Arch St.
Jesus Arriaga

Beavex Inc.
511 East Columbus Ave.
William Tad Selby

Bi-O Cleaner
806 Main St.
Jong Nam Joo

Car Credit 1st
683 Sumner Ave.
Alex J. Friedman

CJD Property Service
18 Sumner Ter.
Christopher Joseph

Complete Bookkeeping Services
94 Fenimore Blvd.
Nina M. Zaleski

Credit Changers
603 Sumner Ave.
Alex J. Friedman

Cuffie and Sons
115 Sanderson St.
Willie Cuffie

Drake CNC Programming
25 Haumont Ter.
Patrick Land Drake

Elsie’s Flower Shop
166 Main St.
Carlos Porfiro

Emely Market
168 Eastern Ave.
Rony Almonte

Estate Stone Designs Landscaping
25 Arliss St.
James Kofi Osofo

Eyesight and Surgery Associates
299 Carew St.
Andrew S. Jusko

Eyesight Optical
299 Carew St.
Andrew S. Jusko

Family Remodeling
36 Emily St.
Annette O’Farril

Hair is Yours Plus Nails
23 St. James Ave.
Geovanni Barbosa

House Max
555 Main St.
Abdur R. Salimi

Investment Education Associates
76 Pineywoods Ave.
Peter G. Simko

WESTFIELD

Baystate Transcription
38 Hillcrest Circle
Lori Hinds

Christopher A. Benda Electric
79 Franklin St.
Christopher A. Benda

Full Tilt Fabrication
9 Cleaveland Ave.
Michael Rossman

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

John J. Palczynski
6 Main St.
Shirley A. Palczyski

Little Crappy News Company
44 Highland View St.
Mark Bell

Solid Ground Construction & Consulting
27 Susan Dr.
David L. Guilbert

Sound Cleaning On-Site
54 Noble St.
Phillip F. Zych

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Advanced Repair and Design
90 Butternut Hollow
Tod Ernest Kopyscinski

Best Price Auto Glass
758 Union St.
Pavel Shvetsov

Debron’s Full Service Salon
242 Westfield St.
Deborah Lynn Scharmann

Eastern Electronics & Security Inc.
540 Main St.
William R. Porfilio

Innovative Pediatric Therapy
77 Valley View Circle
Cynthia K. Montano

J. F. 21st
1150 C Union St.
Jacques Fortilus

Matta Brothers Service Station Inc.
173 Elm St.
Ramez Matta

Montessori Children’s House
118 Riverdale St.
Janis F. Ruggiera

By
Departments

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

AGAWAM

Emil Krisna Inc., 1 Belden Court, Apt. H-1, Agawam 01001. Ramesh Patel, same. Convenience store.

Ganpati Inc., 36 Yarmouth Dr., Agawam 01001. Dinesh P. Patel, same. Convenience store.

TM Properties Inc., 13 Southbridge Dr., Agawam 01001. Michael Werman, 152 Whitaker Road, Westfield 01085. Real estate investment/leasing.

CHICOPEE

Delta Oil Inc., 817 Front St., Chicopee 01020. Huseyin Ozdemir, 136 Washington Ave., West Haven, CT 06516. Frank A. Caruso, 127 Mulberry St., Springfield 01005, registered agent. Gas station and convenience store.

International Fellowship of Charismatic Churches Worldwide Inc., 37 John St., Chicopee 01013. Bishop Ellery Q. Brevard, same. (Nonprofit) To witness to the Lordship of Christ over human beings and history by serving people in international relations, promoting reconciliation, etc.

Western Mass. Youth Soccer Association Inc., 99 Main St., Chicopee 01020. Louis Teixeira, 11 Maple Terrace, Three Rivers 01080. (Nonprofit) To promote, support and develop youth soccer in Massachusetts, etc.

FEEDING HILLS

EZ Tax Inc., 45 Cricket Road, Feeding Hills 01030. Andrew J. Fox, same. Income tax return preparation.

GREENFIELD

Donohue, Rioux & Frangie Ophthalmology, P.C., 489 Bernardston Road, Greenfield 01301. Nathalie C. Rioux, M.D., same. Medical services with respect to treatment of the eye.

LONGMEADOW

National Federation of Credit Restoration Inc., 296 Ardsley Road, Longmeadow 01106. W. Kevin O’Donnell, same. Membership-based credit restoration.

LUDLOW

Element Salon & Day Spa Corp., 21 Harding Ave., Ludlow 01056. Elizabeth Fernandes, 5 Stebbins Road, Monson, 01057. Salon & day spa.

NORTHAMPTON

Brigi Inc., 289 Elm St., Northampton 01060. Deliabridget Martinez, same. To own, manage, and develop real property.

E2M Regional Economic Council of Western Mass. Inc., 31 Olive St., Northampton 01060. Richard J. Felman, same. (Nonprofit) To facilitate funding and support for the E2M.ORG model of community-based economic development.

Hampshire County Bar Association Foundation Inc., 15 Gothic St., Northampton 01060. Alfred P. Chamberland, 5 Arthur St., Easthampton 01027. (Nonprofit) To research any branch of the law, making results freely available to the public, improve the administration of justice, etc.

SOUTH HADLEY

Ahsan International Inc., 18 Main St., Suite 2B, South Hadley 01075. Ahsan Latif, same. Trading merchandise.


  

Geitz & Wood Inc., 18 Priestly Farms Road, South Hadley 01075. Carl Geitz, same. Personalized art.

SOUTHWICK

VMDJ Inc., 8 Buckingham Dr., Southwick 01077. Paul D. Musselwhite, same. To operate a convenience store, etc.

Williams & Company Staffing Inc., 25 Deer Run, Southwick 01077. Todd M. Williams, same. To provide medical staffing personnel to medical service providers.

SPRINGFIELD

Ambassador Sports Club Inc., 21 Dineen St., Springfield 01104. Trevor Peterkin, same. (Nonprofit) Non-professional sports activities.

Joseph Freedman Export Mgmt. Co. Inc., 115 Stevens St., Springfield 01104. John Freedman, same. Sales representative.

Springfield Baller Athletic Assoc. Inc., 76 Long Terrace, Springfield 01104. Robert McCoy, 152 Westford Circle, Springfield 01109. (Nonprofit) To provide support and services to 12 and under girls’ basketball teams, etc.

WESTFIELD

Greater Westfield & Western Hampden County Medical Reserve Corps. Inc., 577 Western Ave., Westfield 01086. Edward Mello, Jr., 58 Vadnais St., Westfield 01085. (Nonprofit) To supply manpower on a voluntary basis to local communities, hospitals and municipalities in time of disasters, etc.

WESTHAMPTON

Robert H. Dunn, Jr. Construction Services Inc., 43 Burt Road, Westhampton 01027. Lynn M. Dunn, same. Construction services.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Grand Central Vac Inc., 745 Memorial Dr., West Springfield 01089. Daniel J. Desnoyers, 16 Ryan Dr., West Springfield 01089. Central vacuum systems.

J & M Gasoline Inc., 1130 Riverdale St., West Springfield 01089. Jack Azar, 2 Drybridge Road, Medway 02053. Ownership and operation of a gas station.

Massachusetts Skill Game Inc., 1434A Memorial Ave., West Springfield 01089. Carlo A. Sarno, same. Coin operated amusement devices and games of skill.

WILBRAHAM

Manny’s Holding Company Inc., 1872 Boston Road, Wilbraham 01095. Emanuel Rovithis, 21 McIntosh Dr., Wilbraham 01095. To hold stock for various companies.

By
Departments

David Appleman, a licensed real estate broker, has joined the staff at Pride Stations and Stores as Director of Real Estate. He will be based out of the corporate office located at Pride Plaza on Cottage Street in Springfield and oversee all aspects of leasing, site acquisition, and new development opportunities for Pride.

•••••

Philip J. Houser has joined Keller Williams Realty’s Longmeadow office as a Sales Agent.

•••••

Kristi Nelson has been named Director of Development at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge.

•••••

Darryl Konicki has been named Sports Information Director at American International College in Springfield.

•••••

Western New England College School of Law Professor Jamison E. Colburn has been selected as the 2007 Wallace Stegner Young Scholar by the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law’s Wallace Stegner Center. During his residency at the Stegner Center in October, he will deliver lectures on the future of land use planning in the fire prone “wildland urban interface.”

•••••

Carlson GMAC Real Estate announced the following:

• Kathleen Morris, Lauren Stabilo and Lori Casey are new Agents in the Wilbraham office;

• Richard Bellicchi and Roseanne Casale are new Agents in the Holyoke office;

• Lori Barron, Kim Biathrow, Marie Beaulieu and Lisa Little are new Agents in the Chicopee office;

• Irene White is a new Agent in the Palmer office, and

• Jill Surprenant is a new Agent in the Agawam office.

•••••

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of New England announced the following:

• Mary Grace Stewart has joined the firm’s Longmeadow office as a Realtor, and

• Anthony Moura has joined the firm’s East Longmeadow office as a Real Estate Agent.

•••••

The Springfield Housing Authority has named Alex Corrales as its Interim Executive Director. Corrales currently serves as Assistant Executive Director at the organization.

•••••

The Corporators of the Springfield Museums recently elected five Trustees to three-year terms. They are:

• Donald D’Amour, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Big Y Foods, Inc.;

• Jani Flynn, former Owner and President of Software Solutions for Business, Inc., in Omaha, Neb.;

• Ann Mann, a member of the Board of the YMCA of Greater Springfield and a volunteer with Baystate Medical Center, WGBY, and Storrs Library in Longmeadow;

• Elaine Sarsynski, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at MassMutual Financial Group, and also President and Chief Executive Officer at MassMutual International LLC, and

• Gregory Swanson rejoins the Board following a one-year hiatus as required by the Springfield Museums Assoc. bylaws. The MassMutual retiree has volunteered with the museums for 23 years.

In other news, those reelected to the Springfield Museums board for three-year terms were: Arthur L. Jones, Peter F. Straley, Robert Sullivan, Jr., R. Lyman Wood and Richard Zilewicz. Also, officers elected for one-year terms were: J. Michael Wallace, Esq., Chairman; Richard B. Collins, Vice Chairman; John M. O’Brien, III, CPA, Treasurer; Peter Picknelly, Assistant Treasurer; Frances M. Gagnon, Clerk, and Dr. Ruth Njiiri, Assistant Clerk.

By
Departments

Honoring Entrepreneurship

On Oct. 4, Springfield Technical Community College staged its 9th Annual Western Massachusetts Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Banquet at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House. Above, representatives of the Class of 2007 gather for a group photo. The Hall inducted Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), members of the Bassett family (Bassett Boat), members of the Roberts Family (F.L. Roberts), members of the Falcone family (Rocky’s Hardware), George and Charles Merriam (Merriam-Webster), and members of the Gordenstein family (Broadway Office Interiors). BusinessWest uses the occasion to present its annual ‘Top Entrepreneur’ award. For 2006, that honor went to the Falcone family. At right, BusinessWest senior writer Jaclyn Stevenson (second from left) presents a plaque to (from left) Rocco, Claire, and Jayson Falcone.

A Grand Opening

Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan, center, joins Square One President and CEO Joan Kagan and Board Chair Ken Tobias, vice president of TD Banknorth, to celebrate the Holyoke Center’s grand opening on Oct. 4. Square One’s newest center, its first in Holyoke, will provide early education and care services to approximately 100 infant, toddler, and preschool-age children with an emphasis, through its Parenting Works program, on parent education, support, and training.

By
Departments

Weight Staff


Mark Archer, right, vice president of Del Padre Visual Productions (DVP) in East Longmeadow, recently experienced the rare thrill of weightlessness aboard G-Force One, a specially outfitted 727 operated by the Zero Gravity Corp. DVP was contributing HD video footage of the event for a documentary for Northrop Grumman’s “Weightless Flights of Discovery” program, in which teachers from around the country get to bring the experience back to their classrooms and promote excitement in science education.


Matthew Reyes, director of Technical Operations for Zero-G, giving Archer a hand in keeping stable while weightless.

Cigars Under the Stars

More than 50 cigar aficionados turned out Sept. 18 for a special night at Max’s Tavern called ‘Cigars Under the Stars,’ a name that pretty much tells the story of this event. At top, from left, are Mark Lauria of Rexel CLS, Dirk Kidwell of Kidwell Electric, and Vito Costantiello and Joe Lapuma, both of Rexel CLS. Bottom, from left, are Max Bichler of The Cigar Agency, Michael Lynch of Florence Savings Bank, Jeff Anderson of the Crystal Company, Karin Tranghese, owner of The Cigar Room, Bob Borawski and Dave Malek, both of Borawski Insurance, and Ken Salem, of Salem Board & Beam.

Marketing Vehicle

On Sept. 12, Innovative Business Systems Inc. of Easthampton hosted a Technology Showcase featuring many local and national vendors, highlighted by the Microsoft Across America Mobile Event Experience vehicle. Pictured are Joseph Parente, left, and Dan Grenier, both of Grynn & Barrett Studios.

Meeting of the Minds

Modeling Change in Urban Communities was the first in a four-part planning series that will be hosted by Holyoke Community College’s Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development. At the Sept. 18 installment, urban policy experts James Stergios and Barry Bluestone put a magnifying glass to the struggles and triumphs that frame the experience of older industrial cities like Springfield, Holyoke, and Pittsfield. The two-and-a-half-hour meeting sparked some interesting discussion. From left are Bluestone, Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan, Stergios, state Sen. Senator Michael Knapik, and Allan Blair, president/CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass.

Happy 20th

Ronald Marino, left, president of Uplinc, accepts a proclamation from state Rep. James Welch that recognizes the company on its 20th anniversary.

Physically and ‘Fiscally’ Fit Triathletes

More than 50 agents and employees of MassMutual and their families and friends recently participated in the Danskin Women’s Triathlon in Webster. Many triathletes participating in the race, which MassMutual sponsors nationally, raised money through pledges to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. MassMutual also hosted a pre-race ‘Pearls of Wisdom’ seminar, as it does in each of the triathlon series’ cities, to educate participants about ‘fiscal’ fitness. For each attendee, MassMutual donated $10 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Last year, MassMutual donated more than $7,000 to the foundation as part of its involvement, and expects the total to be even higher this year.

 

The Life Sciences Race Isn’t Over Yet

By
Opinion

It would be easy for area economic development leaders to say that Worcester has won the life sciences and biotechnology race — or at least the contest for the development that hasn’t taken place in Cambridge and Boston.

It is a fact that Worcester took an early lead over the Pioneer Valley in nurturing a biosciences sector and then building an infrastructure that would foster new development and jobs. And it has only increased that lead over the past decade.

There are many reasons why the gap is so big, starting with simple geography; Worcester is an hour from Cambridge (if the traffic isn’t heavy), and Springfield is two hours away. But there’s more to it than that. Worcester aggressively pursued opportunities in this sector — sometimes luring entrepreneurs who did their research in this region as it did so — and has been diligent in creating both a proper environment and a qualified workforce to support and expand a biosciences cluster.

Those in Western Mass. need telescopes to see Worcester, it is so far ahead, and can really only dream of matching that city’s success and sharing its prospects for the future.

But the race isn’t over.

This region can still get in it, and it must, because this is a race where there could be many winners. And the prizes are substantial, starting, but certainly not ending, with Gov. Deval Patrick’s $1 billion life sciences initiative, which promises state funding to businesses, colleges, health care institutions, and other entities that can turn research into badly needed, high-paying jobs.

To get in the biosciences game, the region simply has to be more aggressive, as Worcester was and still is, in both marketing its resources and developing that critical infrastructure needed to support biosciences companies. The region has the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, a cutting edge biomedical research center, but it does not have the workforce or available facilities with which companies can start or grow — at least to the extent that Worcester does.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Worcester Business Development Corp. have partnered to build Gateway Park, an 11-acre mixed-use complex in the heart of that city’s downtown that will be devoted to research and incubating companies in the broad biosciences realm. This region can’t be expected to duplicate that effort — not soon, anyway — but it must do something to display a commitment to this sector and give businesses and entrepreneurs a reason to look in this direction.

For years, economic development leaders have been touting this area as a lower-cost alternative to Boston and the Route 128 beltway. While this is obviously true, the region must be able to do more than say it’s cheaper. Worcester has learned that lesson, and the Valley should take note.

The region has a number of assets to bring to the table in the quest for jobs in the biosciences. It has UMass Amherst and the research facilities there, and it has a number of top-shelf health care providers. It also has that quality of life it touts so heavily and those lower prices on housing, real estate, office space, and living in general.

It needs to put this package together, polish it, and then market it aggressively, because unlike the governor’s plans for casinos — a very democratic model where each area of the state benefits — the fruits of the biosciences race will go to those that have earned them.

As noted (repeatedly) by those who spoke with BusinessWest this issue about the prospects for biosciences development in this region, the huge circle that identifies the so-called life sciences super-cluster on maps of the Commonwealth covers Worcester, Cambridge, and everything in between. In Western Mass., there are but a few tiny specks to identify the handful of life sciences and biotechnology ventures here.

The region could someday be covered by that larger dot. It just has to get into the race, and remember that this is a marathon.-

By
Departments

Museum Marks 5th Anniversary

Sept. 22-Jan. 27 & Nov. 15-March 9: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst recently launched a full slate of fall programs in celebration of its fifth anniversary, including two special exhibitions. “Spiderwick: From Page to Screen,” runs through Jan. 27. The show explores the art of Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black’s The Spiderwick Chronicles, and follows the story’s translation to the big screen (coming Feb. 15, 2008). The second exhibition, “Children Should Be Seen: The Image of the Child in American Picture Book Art,” opens Nov. 15 and runs through March 9. The show features the work of 84 artists in a comprehensive survey of the best American picture book art of the last decade.

Furniture Art & Craft 2007

Through Oct. 28: Danish Inspirations in West Hatfield will host Furniture Art & Craft 2007, a regional furniture makers’ exhibit. The theme of the second annual show is “Extending the Boundaries of Quality.” For more information, contact Peter Knapp at Danish Inspirations, (413) 247-5681, Bill Sheckels at (413) 773-8244, or visit www.danishinspirations.biz/FAAC2007.html.

University Without Walls Info Sessions

Oct. 2, 13, 18, 24, 27, 30: The University Without Walls (UWW) at UMass Amherst will conduct small group information sessions with a UWW representative who will review all the key features of the program and answer prospective students’ questions. UWW is an adult bachelor’s degree completion program that offers extensive business-related course offerings. In addition, students design their own degrees and earn credit for the learning and experience they have done “outside the walls” of UMass Amherst. Sessions are slated Oct. 2, 5:30 p.m.; Oct. 13, 10 a.m.; Oct. 18, 5:30 p.m.; Oct. 24, 5:30 p.m.; Oct. 27, 10 a.m., and Oct. 30, 5:30 p.m. Sessions are approximately 90 minutes each and are held at the UWW office at 100 Venture Way, Suite 200, Hadley. Anyone interested in attending a session can sign up online at http://www.umass.edu/uww.info_sessions/small_group.html, or call (413) 545-1378.

SCORE Workshop

Oct. 5: A workshop, Tips on Commercializing Your Innovation, sponsored by the Western Massachusetts chapter of SCORE, will be conducted from 9 a.m. to noon at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, One Federal St., Springfield. The workshop is specifically directed to the business innovator/inventor. Dave Wentworth, a SCORE counselor and businessman, will be the facilitator. The cost is $25 and pre-registration is required. For more information, call (413) 785-0314 to leave your name and phone number.

Fall Shopping Fair

Oct. 11: A ‘Fall Shopping Fair’ will be staged at Ludlow Country Club to benefit the Rays of Hope Foundation. The event, which kicks off at 5 p.m., will feature a number of local vendors displaying apparel, floral items, jewelry, culinary products, skin care items, and more. There is no entrance fee, but donations to benefit Rays of Hope will be accepted. For more information, call (413) 583-3434, ext. 2.

Menopause Lecture

Oct. 16: “Bio-Identical Hormones: What’s It All About?” will be presented at 6:30 p.m. at the Quantum Life Management Center, 30 Westwood Ave., East Longmeadow. Bio-identical hormones are an alternative to traditional hormone replacement therapy for the symptoms of menopause. Jenifer Fleming of The Counseling & Gynecology Group in East Longmeadow is the presenter. There is no charge for the informational session.

Education & Trade Fair Show

Oct. 17: The Realtor® Association of Pioneer Valley, Inc. will sponsor its 14th annual Education and Trade Fair Show from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Springfield Sheraton. The event combines educational opportunities and a trade show for realtors and affiliates. Highlights will include keynote speaker Darryl Davis, a real estate trainer and motivational speaker; a continental breakfast and lunch for attendees, and a wine and cheese party at the culmination of the day’s festivities.

CHD Conference

Oct. 23: The Center for Human Development will present its third annual conference titled “Through Her Eyes, the Experience of Girls and the Juvenile Justice System,” from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel in West Springfield. The theme is “Relationships for Success: Critical Pathways for Supporting Young Women.” The conference will feature 12 workshops, with special emphasis on relationships, empowerment, and mentoring. The closing panel discussion will provide perspectives of women who have been in the criminal justice system and opportunities to relate their experiences to concepts presented throughout the workshops and addresses. Through their stories of challenges and successes, the women will give conference attendees an opportunity to experience the system through their eyes. Keynote speakers include Dr. Stephanie Covington, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., and Andrea Johnston, J.D. Dr. Covington founded the Center for Gender and Justice and the Institute for Relational Development. Johnston co-founded with Gloria Steinem the Girls Speak Out Foundation, and recently launched “The Caged Bird Sings Project” that empowers girls isolated in extreme circumstances in the United States and Africa. For reservations and more information, contact Ruth Dudley-Carr at (413) 737-2679, or register online at www.throughhereyes.org.

Chefs for Healthy Babies

Nov. 5: Signature chefs from across Western Mass. will present a culinary extravaganza during the annual March of Dimes “Chefs for Healthy Babies” fundraiser that begins at 5:30 p.m. at The Log Cabin in Holyoke. Highlights of the evening affair also include a wine tasting and silent and live auctions. For additional information and online registration, visit www.marchofdimes.com/ma or call the Chapter office at (508) 329-2800.

Six Flags CEO To Address A.I.M.

Nov. 9: Marc Shapiro, president and CEO of Six Flags, Inc., will outline his managing style for overseeing the world’s largest regional theme park company during the Associated Industries of Massachusetts Executive Forum meeting at the Westin Hotel, 70 Third Ave., Waltham. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m., followed by the program from 8 to 9:15 a.m. For registration information, call Julie Fazio at (617) 262-1180 or Chris Geehern at (617) 834-4414, or visit www.aimnet.org.

‘Selling Products Globally’

Nov. 15: Holland & Bonzagni, P.C., registered patent attorneys based in Longmeadow, will present an informative workshop from noon to 4:30 p.m. on how to sell products in today’s global market. The event is planned at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 100 Berlin Road, Cromwell, Conn. Speakers include Carl R. Jacobsen and Sharon Bongiovanni, both of the Middletown U.S. Export Assistance Center; Stephen Sarro of A.N. Deringer, Inc.; Joseph H. Bartozzi, Esq., of O. F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., and Donald S. Holland, Esq., of Holland & Bonzagni, P.C. The cost is $50, which includes a buffet luncheon. For more information, call (413) 567-2076 or register online at www.hblaw.org.

Bright Nights Ball

Nov. 17: East Longmeadow-based Hasbro Games will be the sponsor of the 2007 City of Bright Nights Ball, which will take on a Monopoly® theme. The event, the major fundraiser for the Spririt of Springfield, which puts on the annual holiday display in Forest Park known as Bright Nights, will take place in the ballroom of the Sheraton Springfield at Monarch Place. The black-tie event features a gourmet dinner, dancing and the opportunity to win and purchase some fabulous items. Guests will be able to purchase Monopoly deeds, everything from Baltic Avenue to Boardwalk, and redeem them for prizes. Bidding on five showcase items will begin on-line in early November and be completed the evening of the gala. Other premium items will be sold in an on-line auction. Auction items will be announced at a later date. In addition to Hasbro Games, the City of Bright Nights Ball is being supported by Bay State Health, Health New England, MassMutual Financial Group, and Sheraton Springfield. Tickets to the 12th annual City of Bright Nights Ball are $500 per couple. Tables of 10 are available for $2,500. For more information, contact the Spirit of Springfield at (413) 733-3800.

Money Smart Program

Oct. 30-Nov. 27: The Holyoke Credit Union will once again offer its free award-winning financial education program titled Money Smart this fall which covers a multitude of personal banking and finance subjects. The course will be conducted on Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. for five consecutive weeks at the Holyoke Credit Union’s main branch at 490 Westfield Road, Holyoke. The program is free to the public, however, pre-registration is required. Registration may be made at any branch location or by calling (413) 532-7007.

By
Departments

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

Dowland, Christopher
Dowland, Jennifer
8 Bayberry Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/24/07

Bashara, Jeffrey G.
66 Springside Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/07

Benoit, Donna M.
3125 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/22/07

Cancro, Corrina M.
23 Veazie St., Apt. 1
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/07

Capriati, David J.
105 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/21/07

Charron, David E.
232 Cady St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/16/07

Collamore, Robert L.
20 Weymouth St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/16/07

Couture, Sharon M.
125 Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/07

Elegant Touch Friesians
Theroux, Sandee Lee
15 Birchwood Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/07

Eruditions
Kibbe, Daniel W.
243 Circle Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/07

Fernandes, Steven A.
24 Maple St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/07

Flagg, Mary M.
Flagg, Mary M.
207 Chapman St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/07

Francis, Debra A.
334 Page Blvd., #2
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/17/07

Fresia-Tucker, Ida M.
103 Euclid Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/21/07

Generoso, Robin Marie
96 Lawton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/07

Ilnicky-Mercier, Robyn Ellen
a/k/a Mercier, Robyn Ellen
84 Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/07

Jordan, Anthony L.
459 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/22/07

Larson, Christina A.
Porcino, Christina A.
84 Stony Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/07

Mann, Michael Steven
Allah-Mann, Jah-Ahbu Lakim
21-23 Continental St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/07

McCarthy, John
McCarthy, June A.
53 Sheri Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/27/07

McClure, Edith F.
35 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/07

  

Mercier, James William
84 Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/07

Miner, Steven K.
27 Hadley Road, #170
Sunderland, MA 01375
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/07

Morales, Juanita
196 Breckwood Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/07

Ocasio, Abil J.
107 Vadnais St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/21/07

Ocasio, Theresa J.
123 Cross Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/07

O’Connor, Sean Patrick
Henry-O’Connor, Heather
60 Wayne St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/17/07

Ortensi, Deborah A.
3 Frederick Place
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/16/07

Ortiz, Gloria J.
34 Talcott Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/07

Pabon, Luis D.
882 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/21/07

Perez, Rafael
135 Meetinghouse Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/17/07

Russell, Barbara Ellen
a/k/a Bourgeois, Barbara E.
P.O. Box 163
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/07

Settle, Christopher A.
Settle, Jennifer L.
223 Greystone Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/16/07

Sheridan, Peter S.
427 Green River Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/27/07

Smith, Richard
Smith, Holly
5 Margaret St.
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/24/07

Spaulding, Dwight Joseph
56 Sherman Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/21/07

The Associate Group
Scott, Timothy
P.O. Box 91079
Springfield, MA 01139
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/07

Tyler, Gregory D.
144 South Shelburne Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/07

Viruet, Zoraya
49 Ansara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/07

Walker, Barbara N.
8 Murphy Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/16/07

Whitehead, Frank L.
23 Avondale Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/16/07

By
Departments

Webster Bank Plans More Branches

LONGMEADOW — By the end of the year, Webster Bank will expand its presence by adding a branch in town and one in East Longmeadow. Currently, Webster Bank has locations in Springfield, West Springfield, and Westfield. Officials from the Waterbury, Conn.-based bank noted that adding branches is a continuing extension of growth in the I-91 corridor between Hartford and Springfield. In town, the branch at 408 Longmeadow St. is expected to be open by mid-October. The East Longmeadow branch will be located at the Center Village shops and is scheduled for a December opening.

Hulmes Transportation Services Wins PVTA Contract

SPRINGFIELD — Hulmes Transportation Services of Belchertown recently received a three-year, $15 million contract to provide dial-a-ride shuttle services in Hampden and Hampshire counties for the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA). Almost two years ago, Hulmes was among the offices raided when the FBI probed into suspected bid-rigging by former PVTA Administrator Gary A. Shepard. Hulmes emerged from that criminal investigation unscathed.

Microtest Labs Is Finalist for Economic Impact Award

AGAWAM — Microtest Laboratories of Agawam has been named as a finalist for the 2007 Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Award by the Massachusetts Alliance For Economic Development (MAED). The Awards honor the companies that have made the strongest contributions over the past year to the Massachusetts economy through job creation and business expansion. Microtest is being considered for its impact and contributions in Western Mass. Microtest, a leader in testing services and contract manufacturing for the medical device, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries, employs more than 100 in Agawam. The company recently completed a $7.5 million expansion to its headquarters, adding new state-of-the art pharmaceutical testing laboratories and new aseptic fill/finish manufacturing facilities – along with new professional staff. The company has working partnerships with economic and business organizations throughout Western Mass. — and deep relationships with the region’s educational institutions. “Everyone at Microtest is extremely proud” of being named a finalist by MAED, said Steven Richter, Ph. D., President and Scientific Founder of Microtest. “Our mission is to become a long term economic driver in the valley.” MAED is a private, non-profit partnership of business, industry leaders, and government dedicated to the economic growth of Massachusetts. MAED will announce its 2007 Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Award winners during a special luncheon on Nov. 20. For more information, visit www.massecon.com.

Mary E. Davis ICU Opens at Mercy Medical Center

SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center has completed the first phase of an extensive construction and renovation project to improve patient care services and operational efficiency in both its Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Ambulatory Services Unit. A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Mary E. Davis Intensive Care Unit was staged Sept. 24. The program also featured a blessing by the Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. The new ICU, located on the third floor of Mercy Medical Center, features private rooms for each patient, direct access to windows or natural light, and 280 square feet of space within each room. Family members and visitors will also find additional space inside patient rooms and in common areas. With the completion of the ICU, construction efforts will now concentrate on renovations of the Ambulatory Services Unit, also located on the third floor. Plans call for the construction of separate pre-operative and post-operative areas, the addition of private recovery rooms, and the modification of walls to increase staff visibility to patients. Hospital operations will continue uninterrupted during the second phase of construction. The $16 million project is scheduled for completion during the summer of 2008.

Berriman & Associates Inc. Changes Name

EAST LONGMEADOW — Berriman & Associates, Inc., a local wealth management and retirement consulting firm, became ONE Source Financial Group Inc., effective Oct. 1. The firm has been serving the needs of local companies and investors for 20 years, and its new name reflects the growth of the company and the services offered, according to company officials.

Vann Group Company Announces New Affiliation

SPRINGFIELD — Client First Associates, a city based organizational development firm and a Vann Group company, announced a new affiliation with Ann Holland, currently an adjunct professor at Bay Path College in Longmeadow. The firm specializes in organizational conflict resolution, leadership development, strategic facilitation, organizational assessment and design, team building, hiring models, training and employee development, and compensation systems. Holland has an extensive business background in operations, marketing, training and development. She holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Management and has received her certification as a business and life coach through IPEC and the International Coaching Federation. Client First Associates is owned by the Vann Group, a Springfield-based business advisory firm specializing in helping companies in transition.

By
Departments

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Titan Roofing Company v. Klewin Building Company
Allegation: Breach of contract – unpaid services: $21,674.50

Steven Moran & Noreen Nowak-Moran v. Dan’s Quality Roofing
Allegation: Breach of contract – services not rendered: $6,500

Joe R. Perez, Delia Perez, Edwin O. Graciani, Elba L. Ruiz v. The Commerce Insurance Company
Allegation: Breach of contract-non-payment of personal injury benefits: $3,367

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Action Air Inc. v. DJB Building and Construction & Greenfield Hotel, Inc.
Allegation: Breach of construction contract: $18,000

Kirk D. Ovitt Builders v. Robert Deeley Builders
Allegation: Breach of contract-failure to pay for services: $37,111

Mohammed Malekniaz v. Rodney Hunt Company, Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, and retaliation: $25,000

Orange Oil Company, Inc. v. Eastern Services Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay for goods: $65,598.37

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Blake Equipment Company v. Michael D. O’Dell d/b/a Mike’s Pump
Allegation: Nonpayment of goods and services: $6,672.02

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Mirta Figueroa v. City of Springfield
Allegation: Action against the Commonwealth: $3,274

Shemy Lynch v. Comcast Cable Communication Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

General Casualty Insurance Company v. Hebert Plumbing Company
Allegation: Negligence causing destruction of property: $177,837.70

Biolase Technolog, Inc. v. Martin A. Wolh, D.D.S.
Allegation: Failure to pay for merchandise: $80,639

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Brent Delano v. Buderus Hydronic Systems
Allegation: Breach of contract: $22,500

Broadcast Music Inc. v. La Casuela Restaurant
Allegation: Breach of contract: $1,209.99

Vistar Corporation v. Todd Denis d/b/a Wings & Things
Allegation: Breach of contract: $6,564

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Joseph & Katherine Gonyea v. Metropolitan Property & Casualty Insurance Company
Allegation: Breach of contract: $22,999

Saga Communications v. Salty Dog Saloon
Allegation: Nonpayment of services rendered: $5,770.81

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

B & M Electric v. Four Plus LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract: $1,630

New England Custom Countertops Inc. v. Regal Homes & Development
Allegation: Breach of contract-recovery for unpaid services: $1,129.28

Patricia Pezzillo v. Halsted Communications, LTD
Allegation: Property damage due to negligence: $1,500

Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation v. F.L. Roberts & Company d/b/a Golden Nozzle Car Wash
Allegation: Recovery for damages to car: $1,538.78

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of September 2007.

AGAWAM

Mr. T’s Cleaning Service
50 Wilson St.
William Tessicini

The Cutting Edge
28 Southwick St.
Linda Gill

The Grout Doctor
38 Dolores Lane
Sean  Devall

The Piano Loft
375 Walnut St.
Linda Gill

AMHERST

Amherst Hairstyles
40 Main St.
Terry L. Knott

K. Chulu Bags
85 Mt. Holyoke Dr.
Kaye E. Dougan

Mustard Seed Press
263 Northampton Road
Melanie Krumrey

CHICOPEE

As Promised Professional Cleaning Service
41 Sullivan St.
Flavio Nunes da Cunha

Sweet St. Confections
252 Columbia St.
Janet Allen

TNT Restaurant
82 Main St.
Timothy Ruel

EASTHAMPTON

Autumn Management
181 Northampton St.
Richard R. Boyle

Mary Lemoine Designs
56 Loudville Road
Mary M. Lemoine

EAST LONGMEADOW

East Meadows Farm
135 Parker St.
Kimberly & Gary Turnberg

Flowers and More
126 Shaker Road
Cheryl A. Shaw

GREENFIELD

Extreme Styles
395 Federal St.
Jeffrey Ennis

Franklin First Federal Credit Union
57 Newton St.
Martha Richardson

Magic Fuels
486 Bernardston Road
Geo T. George

HADLEY

Kothar Imports
206 Middle St.
Bastian H. Aue

Millennium Hair Salon
195 Russell St.
Dinita Ann Dominick

HOLYOKE

Amedeo’s Restaurant & Pizzeria
8 North Bridge St.
Tony Dibenedetto

Apple Inc.
50 Holyoke St.
Terry Ryan

Good Fella’s Barber Shop
671 High St.
John Alicea

Highland Farms
636 Main St.
Deborah A. Shah

Los Master Social Club
65 Commercial St.
Beatriz Rodriguez

Pretty Nails & Tan
2257 Northampton St.
Ngocgiao Dinh

Professional Machine
518 Maple St.
Vladislav M. Yefimiadi

Sonido Musical
327 High St.
Jorge Alban

LONGMEADOW

Enterprises
79 Longview St.
Carolyn Loewenthal

Carlson GMAC Realty
688 Bliss Road
David Bricker

Corey Benjamin James
38 Fairview St.
Corey B. James

ELL Educational Consultants Associates
PO Box 60202
Janine Ann Preston

The New England Relocation Group
688 Bliss Road
David Bricker

NORTHAMPTON

Beyond Landscape Contracting
20 Union St.
Lawrence A. Brotherton

Calvin Coolidge Nursing and Rehabilitation
548 Elm St.
Alberto Lugo

Divine Energetics
13 Old South Road
Patricia E. Sommeling

J. Rick Construction
51 Conz St.
Jose Mayancela

Pam’s Kickin Kuts
92 King St.
Pamela Bushey

PALMER

Body Piercing by Colleen
3033 Main St.
Colleen M. Maloney

Captain Fitness
21 Wilbraham St.
Michael Houle

Carlson GMAC Real Estate
1581 Main St.
David M. Bricker

Deans Vintage Performance
251 Breckenridge St.
Dean Rymer

Luke’s Beer & Wine
1478 Main St.
Joppu Lukose

Kszepka Insurance
2376 Main St.
Paul Kszepka

SOUTH HADLEY

People’s Bank
494 Newton Ave.
Jeannine M. Pelchat

Pro/Team
20 The Knolls
W. Bryan Bruce

  

Veryl’s Auto Service Inc.
644 Newton St.
Denis Poirier

SOUTHWICK

Gigi’s Pizza II Inc.
108 Congamond Road
Matthew J. Roberts

Simply Made Gift Baskets
1 Blackberry Crescent
Nicole Markel

Lakeside M.I.T.
33 Miller Road
Jill L. Dalton

SPRINGFIELD

Miguel Coamo Auto Detailing
197 Plainfield St.
Miguel A. Velazquez

Millennium Nails Salon
1655 Boston Road
Nhac Truong

Mr. Tux #5188
1267 Boston Road
Mitchell’s Formal

Neivar Enterprises Inc.
1487 Bay St.
Thomas D. Lesperance

North End Funeral Home
130 Carew St.
Jorge Colon

Nu Visions Manufacturing
225 Carando Dr.
Lori Ann Jarrett

Perfect Cleaning Solutions
723 Belmont Ave.
Nathan Meckling

Persona Bleu
102 Balboa Dr.
Jason Corbin

Pine Hill Towing
95 Newfield Road
Kenneth E. White

Quax Caricatures
12 Mattoon St.
Quincy Brown

Ralph’s Home Improvement
149 South Tallyho Dr.
Ralph A. Smith

Refrexcentro
1129 State St.
Tomas Carrasquillo

Rosewood Consulting
34 Sumner Ave.
Lisa Marie Andoscia

Saint James Management
350 St. James Ave.
Michael J. Begley

Side Bar Café
91 State St.
Katherine Walz

St. James Custom Auto Body
503 St. James Ave.
Cory A. Taylor

Supreme Auto Sales
1608 State St.
Jose Concepcion

Sweeney Roofing
107 Cliftwood St.
William Marchetti

Tele-Talk Communication
430 Belmont Ave.
Jean Carol Mattson

Touch of Wellness
112 Island Pond Road
Michelle Rijos

Trendsetters Clothing
897 Carew St.
Jaycie Olivero

Tristan & Company
830 Carew St.
Michael James

Unity World
106 Edendale St.
Dion Byrd

Wheeler’s Convenience
142 Dickinson St.
Rizvan Merza

Young Mom’s Laundramat
169 Hancock St.
Suk Hui Forrester

WESTFIELD

A-1 Nolan Realty
350 Elm St.
Steve Rovithis

Chinto’s Pizza & Restaurant
868 Southampton Road
Jacinto Blanco-Munoz

Creative Photography
52 Murray Ave.
Andrea J. York

Creative Publications
52 Murray Ave.
Andrea J. York

Hair Masters
8 Main St.
Julie L. Duris

JJ International
73 Colony Dr.
John H. Jaszek

J&M Stables
598 Southwick Road
Mary E. Hayden

Precision Panels
66 South Broad St.
Michael Lemelin

Real China
116 Elm St.
Xiang Tony Ni

SM Courier
440 East Mountain Road
Sandra Morris

SRC Consulting
31 Cara Lane
Shawn Czepiel

WEST SPRINGFIELD

A.G. Golf Repairs & Refinishing
83 Spring St.
Joseph C. Agostino

Academy of Tae Kwon Do
632 Kings Highway
Angela M. Park

Day’s Inn
437 Riverdale St.
Patel Brothers Corporation

Kozar’s Delicatessen
246 Elm Ave.
Steven Kozar

Manchester Home Improvement
209 Rogers Ave.
Barry Manchester

Medequip Inc.
134 Bliss St.
William Russell

Suburban Painting
34 Eldridge Ave.
Ralph Figueroa

West Side Auction
414 Park St.
Lynn E. Ugolini

By
Departments

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

AGAWAM

Ganpati Inc., 36 Yarmouth Dr., Agawam 01001. Dinesh P. Patel, same. Convenience store.

AMHERST

Samadisy Inc., 345 Lincoln Ave., #921, Amherst 01002. Amr Elssamadisy, same. To own, develop and market software ideas and companies.

BELCHERTOWN

Mass Information Technology Solutions Inc., 32A Everett Ave., Belchertown 01007. Shahid Habib, same. Information technology solutions.

CHICOPEE

Couture Realty Inc., 67 Ross Ave., Chicopee 01020. Raymond G. Couture, same. Real estate acquisition.

EASTHAMPTON

We Love Bicycles Inc., 4 Applewood Circle, Easthampton 01027. Daniel Richard Coady, same. Retail sales of bicycle related items.

Worldwide Covering Inc., 150 Pleasant St., Easthampton 01027. Glenn T. Labay, same. (Foreign corp; NV) Protection covers for aircraft engines.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Grimaldi Painting Inc., 102 Lee St., East Longmeadow 01028. John A. Grimaldi, same. Painting and paint contractor.

Radcliffe is the Reason and Arthur Too! Fight Autism Inc., 63 Heathertone Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. Radcliffe F. Kenison, same. (Nonprofit) To help raise public awareness of how Autism effects the individual, families, and communities, etc.

HOLYOKE

Baskets and Broken Bread Inc., 372 Maple St., 4R, Holyoke 01040. Kathleen Wilkinson, same. (Nonprofit) For the enrichment and empowerment of inner city residents to enable them to have a more meaningful life, etc.

LONGMEADOW

Massachusetts Citizens for Africa Inc., 92 Riverview Ave., Longmeadow 01106. Gabriel I. Mokwuah, same. (Nonprofit) To establish a humanitarian society to promote charitale works aimed at enhancing the well-being of the society in Africa, etc.

NORTHAMPTON

Hampshire County Bar Association Foundation Inc., 15 Gothic St., Northampton 01060. Alfred P. Chamberland, 5 Arthur St., Easthampton 01027. (Nonprofit) To research any branch of the law, making results freely available to the public, improve the administration of justice, etc.

  

SOUTH DEERFIELD

Jewish Historical Society of Western Massachusetts Inc., Old Firehouse, Sugarloaf St., South Deerfield 01373. Kenneth N. Schoen, same. (Nonprofit) To provide a resource facility for research on Jewish llfe and activities in Western Massachusetts.

SOUTH HADLEY

Ahsan International Inc., 18 Main St., Suite 2B, South Hadley 01075. Ahsan Latif, same. Trading merchandise.

SOUTHWICK

VMDJ Inc., 8 Buckingham Dr., Southwick 01077. Paul D. Musselwhite, same. To operate a convenience store, etc.

SPRINGFIELD

Advanced Incident Management Corp., 45 Carlisle St., Springfield 01109. Garry A. Porter, same. Management services.

El Bohio Corp., 1655 Main St., Suite 201, Springfield 01103. Miguel Martinez, 13 Donbray Road, Springfield 01129. Real estate acquisition and development.

Joseph Freedman Export Mgmt. Co. Inc., 115 Stevens St., Springfield 01104. John Freedman, same. Sales representative.

St. James Cleaners Inc., 1003 Saint James Ave., Springfield 01104. Myung Sik Kim, same. Dry cleaner.

WESTHAMPTON

Robert H. Dunn, Jr. Construction Services Inc., 43 Burt Road, Westhampton 01027. Lynn M. Dunn, same. Construction services.

WILBRAHAM

SK3 Realty Inc., 840 Ridge Road, Wilbraham 01095. Stanley Kowalski, III, same. To hold real estate.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Grand Central Vac Inc., 745 Memorial Dr., West Springfield 01089. Daniel J. Desnoyers, 16 Ryan Dr., West Springfield 01089. Central vacuum systems.