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

Alban, Oswaldo A.
215 Jasper St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/28/06

Alexander, Nadine Ann
P.O. Box 327
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/26/06

Allard, Todd M.
269 Osborne Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/29/06

Anderson, Kevin T.
26 Market St., Apt. 2H
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/27/06

Calabrese, Louis A.
16 Harris Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/22/06

Cardoza, Audra R.
38 Sheridan St., Apt. 2R
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/20/06

Carroll, Bonnie M.
11 Maple Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/27/06

Cyr, Donn Cyr, Tina M.
49 York St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/23/06

Dudley, Christopher J.
41 Circuit Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/27/06

Ekhorotomwen, Sonny
11 Ormand St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/20/06

Ellis, Margorie Anne
359-C East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/21/06

Finney, Mable
117 Almira Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/27/06

Gagner, Thomas F.
37 Spruce St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/27/06

Gallerani, Shirleen Lynn
61 Starling Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/21/06

Howell, Hallam B.
Howell, Elizabeth A.
42 Stephanie Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/27/06

Jopson, Gary Bernard
767 Main St., Apt 307
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/21/06

Kim, Phai
47 Plain St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/20/06

La Flam, Ronald Francis
La Flam, Laura Gail
4 Culdaff St., Apt A
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/21/06

Ledoux, Daryl
Ledoux, Lisa M.
78 Hall St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/26/06

  

Maxner, Albert B.
Maxner, Phyllis M.
375 Kinne Brook Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/27/06

Merdy, Pamela D.
43 Maryland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/23/06

Michon, Gerald J
Michon, Christine E
1760 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/20/06

O’Connor, Thomas P.
O’Connor, Kristen E.
1102 Worcester St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/28/06

Ozkilic, Ismet
170 East Hadley Road, Apt. 40
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/16/06

Paradis, Kerri Y.
22 Eloise St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/21/06

Peczka, Frances L.
165 East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/27/06

Prest, Julijana
14 Locust St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/16/06

Reece, Philip I
32 Flynt Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/26/06

Roman, Heather L.
53 Fairfield Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/27/06

Skaza, Peter J.; Skaza, Rita P.
31Cherry St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/26/06

Smith-Soule, Kimberly D.
115 Birchland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/28/06

Soule, Daniel L.
115 Birchland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/28/06

Stuart, Julia M.
35 Willow St., Apt. 20
Springfield, MA 01103
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/28/06

Tennyson, Daniel L.
45 D Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/20/06

Thibeau, Stephen D.
P.O. Box 90084
Springfield, MA 01139
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/21/06

Torres, Aurelio
40 Washington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/22/06

Velazquez, Julio
51 Lester St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/26/06

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of July 2006.

AMHERST

Amherst Cinema Center
28 Amity St.
$705.995 — Construct three
Cinema’s — Phase II of project

Amherst College Trustees
Porter House
$2,654,098 — Dorm
renovations

Amherst College Trustees
Newport House
$16,875 — Interior
renovations

Amherst Housing Authority
40-42 Tamarack Dr.
$210,000 — Set and complete
modular duplex

Amherst-Presidential Village
LLC
950 North Pleasant St.
$12,001 — Replace roof on
Adams House

Amherst-Presidential Village
950 North Pleasant St.
$12,001 — Replace roof on
Jefferson House

Paul C. Jones
17B Montague Road
$2,000 — Remove and replace
collection hood and fan

CHICOPEE

Calloway Golf Co.
425 Meadow St.
$84,835 — Erect building

HOLYOKE

Colvest/Holyoke LLC
447 South St.
$220,000 — Construct auto
parts store

Petroleum Engineering
545 Pleasant St.
$35,000 — Interior and
exterior repairs

  

NORTHAMPTON

Charles and Susette Lyons
126 Main St.
$100,000 — Create 5 separate
units

Seven Bravo Two LLC
152 Cross Path Road
$192,000 — Construct twounit
storage hanger

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St.
$57,000 — Convert room to
computer room

Delancey Clinton
Association
711 Dwight St.
$18,500 — Renovate twelfth
floor

Hampton Farm
105 Avocado St.
$85,000 — Interior
renovations

Springfield College
263 Alden St.
$40,000 — Renovate offices

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Balise Motor Sales
Cook Playground
$60,000 — Build skate park

Costco Warehouse
119 Daggett Dr.
$246,473 — Interior
refrigeration repairs

WESTFIELD

Colvest/Westfield LLC
208 Elm St.
$761,000 — Build CVS

By
Departments

Chicopee Savings Begins Life as Publicly Traded Company

CHICOPEE — Chicopee Savings Bank made its debut on the Nasdaq Global Market on July 19, and got off to a solid start as a publicly traded company — 1.4 million shares were traded. The stock opened at $14.25 and hit a high of $15.29 during the day. The bank sold 6.8 million shares in its subscription offering, and proceeds from that offering came in at $68.9 million, with net proceeds of $67.1 million. Bank President William Wagner said the institution, with nearly $400 million in assets, will proceed with its plan to build one new branch a year for the next four years. The bank currently has seven branches in Chicopee, West Springfield, and Ludlow.

United Financial Reports Solid Second-quarter Results

WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Financial Bancorp Inc., the holding company for United Bank, reported net income of $1.3 million for the second quarter of 2006, or $0.08 per diluted share, compared to $1.6 million for the same period in 2005. The company earned $2.6 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, compared to $3 million for the 2005 period. The 2006 results were largely affected by growth in average earning assets, net interest-margin contraction, and an incrtease in on-interest expenses. The company also announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.05 per share payable on August 22 to shareholders of record as of August 6. Total assets increased $55.3 million, or 6.1%, to $961.8 million on June 30, up from $906.5 million at Dec. 31, 2005. Total loans grew $59.4 million, or 9.3%, to $695.2 million. Loan growth was solid in all categories, including residential (4%), commercial mortgages (8.8%), construction (41.8%), commercial (8.2%), and home equity (16.3%).

Whalley Computer Ranks 276th on VARBusiness Top 500

SOUTHWICK — Whalley Computer Associates (WCA) was recently ranked by VARBusiness Magazine as the 276th largest computer reseller in North America. The ranking places WCA in the top one-third of 1% of the more than 120,000 VARs throughout North America, according to Paul Whalley, vice president, WCA. Whalley added that the company reported $73,400,000 in revenues in 2005, which represents an increase of 9.25% from the previous year. In other company news, WCA has received the IBM Chairman’s Award for Customer Service, which recognizes the company’s outstanding customer service during the past five years.

New England Financial Moves to East Longmeadow

EAST LONGMEADOW — In a strategic move by managing partners James Marlor and Christopher Gent, New England Financial (NEF) recently moved to 200 North Main St., Suite 17. Serving local individuals and small business owners, NEF has offices across Western Mass., as well as in Connecticut and Rhode Island. NEF, a Metlife company, made the move to allow easier access for clients to walk in after the rollout of their new investment and mortgage services through MetBank.

Winstanley Associates Teams Up with Spalding to Design New NBA Game Ball

LENOX — The National Basketball Assoc. and Spalding have announced the adoption of a new official NBA game ball. The new ball, a result of years of research and development, was designed by Winstanley Associates in Lenox, in cooperation with Spalding’s R&D group. Featuring Cross Traxxion™ technology, the ball delivers enhanced grip, feel and consistency, and features an interlocking two-panel design with a patented Cross Traxxion™ microfiber composite material that provides moisture management throughout the course of a game. Beginning with the 2006-07 season, the game ball will be the only basketball used during all NBA games, practices and events. The ball will also be available for sale on Oct. 31 at major sporting goods outlets as well as the NBA Store and NBAStore.com.

Smith & Wesson Move to Nasdaq

SPRINGFIELD — Seeking a larger exchange to do business, the Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. recently moved to the Nasdaq’s new Global Select Market from the American Stock Exchange. The company’s stock ticker changed from SWB to SWHC. Company officials hope the move to the Nasdaq will provide more visibility to the financial world, as well as greater recognition to the company and increased liquidity to shareholders.

ReStore Announces Home Improvement Workshops

SPRINGFIELD — ReStore Home Improvement Center has announced a new workshop series beginning this month, which will run throughout the year. “We are offering educational, economical, and eco-friendly workshops to teach do-it-yourself home repairs with an emphasis on used and surplus materials,” said John Grossman, ReStore Manager. August Workshops Include Tile Installation on Saturday, August 5, 2006, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and Community Economy in The City, a presentation by Kristin Brennan and Daniel Staub, as heard on NPR, on Saturday, August 19, 2006, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All ReStore workshops are free and open to the public. Please call Mary Wiseman, Marketing & Outreach Coordinator at 413-788-6900 to reserve a seat.

Ianello Legal Associates Expands

SPRINGFIELD — Richard Ianello, principal of Ianello Legal Associates, recently announced the opening of a second satellite office at 48 Elm St., Suite 5, in Westfield. Ianello operates the main office out of 55 State St., Suite 201 in Springfield, with a satellite office at 10 Center St., Suite 200, in Chicopee. The firm represents clients in the areas of personal injury and criminal defense. Attorney Ianello’s associate is Attorney Mark Brittain, who has extensive experience from his previous work with the Clerk Magistrate’s office in the Springfield District Court.

STCC Offers Pharmacy Tech Program

SPRINGFIELD — The Center for Business and Technology at Springfield Technical Community College will offer a Professional Pharmacy Technician Program beginning this fall. The 75-hour program is designed to teach students the fundamentals of being a pharmacy technician, as well as how to effectively assist in pharmaceutical preparations and complete daily required tasks in any pharmacy environment. For more information, call (413) 755-4502 or (413) 755-4225.

Princeton Rejoins MMWEC Membership

LUDLOW — The Princeton Municipal Light Department is returning to membership in the Mass. Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC), bringing to 26 the number of state municipal utilities that are members of the MMWEC organization. Princeton, which serves approximately 1,800 customers with a peak load of about 4.5 megawatts in Central Mass. voted to rejoin the MMWEC membership in May. MMWEC is a nonprofit, public corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that provides a wide range of power supply, financial and other services to the state’s consumer-owned, municipal electric utilities.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp Declares Dividend

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share, payable on Aug. 24, to the stockholders of record at the close of business on Aug. 10. Berkshire Hills Bancorp is the holding company for Berkshire Bank.

Springfield College, STCC Sign Admission Agreement

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) students may be admitted jointly into bachelor’s degree programs at Springfield College (SC), thanks to a recent admission agreement between the institutions. The plan encourages transfer between the two colleges in certain programs for students who meet the qualifications. The agreement includes significant financial incentives, as high as $10,000 per year, for STCC students accepted into certain SC programs, who maintain a specified grade point average and who have exhibited special leadership skills.

MassMutual Web Site Focuses on Women’s Financial Needs

SPRINGFIELD — MassMutual Financial Group recently unveiled a new addition to its Web site that focuses on the financial needs of women, enabling them to educate and empower themselves to help build a more secure financial future. The new section, available at www.massmutual.com/women, contains a wide range of financial content of interest to women, including articles that outline the important elements of a sound financial strategy, financial calculators, and a calendar of events that are of interest to professional women.

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of July 2006.

AGAWAM

Classic Cuts
225 Silver St.
Peter Cecchi

Entomology of New England
22 Southwick St.
Kelly Scagliarine

Goodies
300 Springfield St.
Mark Cornelius

HA Cleaning
143 River Road
Haydee Ashiuchi

Main Kitchen
760 Springfield St.
Bun Chan

The Pilates Studio
1325 Springfield St.
Michelle Pirroni

Xtreme Paintball
369 Main St.
Joseph O’Malley

AMHERST

Hair By Harlow
220 North Pleasant St.
Sandra Tetrault, Margaret
Hogan, Lora Gross, Kendra
Kaczenski

M & M Links
28 Amity St.
Ronnie and Maureen
Abdullah

Systems & Solutions for
Chaos Control
66 Berkshire Terrace
Leslie Arriola

CHICOPEE

CD Cleaning Services
38 Casino Ave.
Francesca Ferreira

M & B Enterprises
28 Beaumont Ave.
Ronald Brennan

Midmount Express
1981 Memorial Dr.
Desmond Pesima

EAST LONGMEADOW

Allan Jarvis General
Contractor
16 Senator Dr.
Allan Jarvis

123 Medical Billing
Medicare
32 Somers Road
Barbara Couglen

HADLEY

Hit & Bliss Records
64 North Maple St.
Douglas Van Kempen

HOLYOKE

Artistic Dance Conservatory
134 Chestnut St.
Jennifer Dubilo

Create New Habits
7 Lynn Ann Dr.
Jessica Cote

International Laser Systems
362 Race St.
Edward Sordillo

Players Barber Shop
149 Chestnut St.
Basilio Castro

Nathan’s Floors
18 Pearl St.
Nathan Holesovsky

LONGMEADOW

Heron Pond Health and
Wellness
175 Dwight Road, Suite 203A
Deborah Hoadley MD

NORTHAMPTON

Accounting Technology
Solutions
644 Park Hill Road
Sara Gross

Chambers Advisory Group
243 King St.
Robert Chambers, James Levey

Green Environmental Consulting
296 Sylvester Road
Adam Lesko

Modern Myths LLC
34 Bridge St.
James Crocker, Shannon White

  

Polaris Gifts
16C North Maple St.
Susan North, Dolores Dibrindisi

Sportshoe Center
24 North King St.
Marc Brunelle

SOUTH HADLEY

Bodies in Motion
200 Old Lyman Road
Mary Thompson, Kelly Dawson

SPRINGFIELD

Access Solutions for Life
87 Harvard St.
Alafia Thompson

C.L. Landscaping
124 Revere St.
Edwin Castellanos

Friendly Barbershop
1985 Main St.
John D’Pellegrino

Ink-FX
904 Carew St.
William Greenway

Little Angel
130 Suffolk St.
Elba Santiago

Maan Group
49 Kamuda St.
Muhayyodin Ghulam

Matthieu Metal Works
175 Garland St.
Wilfred Mathieu

Nucci’s Pizzeria
699 Sumner Ave.
Mark Babineau

Presto Digital Transfer
680Dickinson St.
Chris Miller

Souljourn Music Group
37 West Alvord St.
Stephen Yager

Thorpeestate
55 Dwight St.
Frank Thorpe

Unity Records
106 Edendale St.
Dion Byrd

Xtremex America Business Service Co.
45 Claremont St.
Traleck Dickson

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Arum Associates
291 Forest Glen
Douglas Guyett

Back Office
1161 Westfield St.
Amanda Huston

Compass Investments & 1031 Exchange
1111 Elm St.
Todd Thibodeau

Doggy Doody Disposal
165 Ohio Ave.
Theresa Selvoski

Fathers & Sons Inc.
434 Memorial Ave.
Damon Cartelli

Foxy Nails
589 Westfield St.
Lien Quach

Supercuts
935 Riverdale St.
VP Industries LLC

Today Mortgage Services
201 Elm St.
Today Financial Services

WESTFIELD

Deer Run Homes
709 Russell St.
David Wroblewski

Henry Rivera II
508 Southwick Road
Henry Rivera II

Pure Water Innovations LLC
66 Barbara St.
William Lamirande Jr.

Zuber’s Ice Cream & Deli
98 Southwick Road
Michael Zuber

By
Departments

Farewell Party.

A farewell party was held last month at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House for Springfield Technical Community College Vice President Gail Carberry, who recently became president of Quinsigamond Community College. At left (from left) Brian Corridan, emcee of the event, and chair of the STCC Assistance Corporation Brian Corridan; Carberry; Dorothy J Pryor, retired STCC Trustee and Professor Emerita; and Andrew Scibelli, president emeritus of STCC

Above, from left, Carberry, Rowdy the Ram, STCC’s mascot, Brendan Coomey, Carberry’s grandson, and Ira Rubenzahl, president of STCC.

Cutting Edge

Above, Grand opening ceremonies were staged last month for the new, 47,000-square-foot Balise Toyota Scion dealership on Riverdale Street in West Springfield. Dozens of customers, friends, and business associates turned out to tour the state-of-the-art facility and see a unique presentation.

Balise President Jeb Balise was presented with a samurai sword, a traditional symbol from Toyota, by Tim Morrison, general manager of Toyota Corp.

A Fresh Approach to Business Retention

By
Opinion

It’s the non-glamorous side of economic development.

We’re talking about the process of business retention, which doesn’t get the attention — or the headlines — reserved for bringing new companies and jobs to a region. But it is just as important, and perhaps more so, to the Pioneer Valley’s economic health and well-being as recruitment.

That’s because, as we’ve said many times, this is not a region that has historically done well with attracting companies, especially larger employers, and, given current trends in energy prices and other costs of doing business in the Northeast, there is little to suggest that this pattern will change.

Thus, the best hope for real economic development is retention of current jobs, expansion of existing companies, and new-business development. And thus we’re encouraged by the creation of a new business-retention strategy, or program, called HomeField Advantage.

Launched by the Economic Devel-opment Council of Western Mass. earlier this year, HomeField is a proactive, team-based approach to retention that, as analysts like to say of sports teams at the start of a season, certainly looks good on paper.

What the program strives to do is help companies that are experiencing issues or problems — or anticipating them down the road — with identifying and implementing solutions. History has shown that several companies have had to leave the region or shut down altogether because they were unable to cope with issues ranging from workforce recruitment to fuel prices, or were too slow to seek help in addressing them. And when such a company leaves, some elected official will inevitably say, ‘why wasn’t more done to prevent this from happening?’

HomeField was created to provide the more.

In a nutshell, it works to link businesses with resources that will help them to not only stay in this area code, but also expand, improve product quality, and, in general become more competitive. To accomplish all this, the program creates teams of economic development administrators, legislators, and business leaders that work with the company to create long-term solutions.

Using a state-of-the-art business-retention software program called the Synchronist Business Information System, HomeField administrators hope to more easily identify companies with the best growth potential, and also predict businesses at risk. And by using databases created by Synchronist, the EDC will look at help not only individual companies, but also business clusters, as it did with the region’s base of precision manufacturers.

One company that has found HomeField is East Longmeadow-based Lenox American Saw, which is facing a number of competitiveness issues and clearly understands that it needs help in addressing them. The company has identified several wants and needs, including workforce training funds, strategies to reduce energy costs that have risen by 40% over the past year, and possible designation of East Longmeadow as an Economic Target Area, a designation needed for tax-increment financing.

Bill Burke, the company’s president, said Lenox America Saw has no desire or intention to leave the Pioneer Valley. But he also understands that staying in East Longmeadow will not be easy, and that doing so brings several competitive disadvantages.

To overcome them, he must create competitive advantages elsewhere, and he and others believe HomeField can help in the process of generating them.
As we said, HomeField Advantage looks good on paper.

However, business-retention efforts, like sporting events, are not staged on paper on paper. They’re played — and victories are forged — in the trenches, and through teamwork.

That’s why this is the non-glamorous side of economic development, the side the doesn’t get the banner headlines and the visits from the governor.

But is very important work that now takes a fresh, new approach that holds enormous potential for area employers and the communities that host them.

It is our hope that businesses will take full advantage of this new opportunity and, in so doing, help the region become a stronger and more diverse economic region.

By
Departments

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

Benoit, Randall K.
227 Franklin St., Apt. 8B
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/06

Benson, Thomas J.
29 Bates St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/06

Carroll, Sheilah
64 Myrtle St., #209
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/11/06

Daniels, Judith
P.O. BOX 242
Bondsville, MA 01009
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/06

Harvey, Winston
62 Endecott St.
Springfoeld, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/15/06

Levardi, Kurt A.
199 Fort HIll Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/06

Parizo, David
Parizo, Robin
24 Zabek Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/06

  

Parker, William R.
Parker, Barbara A.
60 Oaklawn Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/11/06

Read, Martha L.
199 Fort Hill Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/06

Robillard, Lori Ann
40 Sunset St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/15/06

Salamon, Victoria A.
132 North St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/11/06

Samataro, Paul F.
16 Burt Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/06

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of June 2006.

AMHERST

Amherst College Trustees
146 Mill Lane
$15,000 — Exterior renovations

Amherst College Trustees
211 South Pleasant St.
$23,000 — Replace windows

Amherst College Trustees
Davenport Squash Courts
$55,000 — Re-roof

Amherst College Trustees
Smith House
$52,400 — Re-roof

Amherst College Trustees
Alumni Gymnasium
$92,500 — Re-roof

Amherst Shopping Center
229 University Dr.
$440,000 — Construct new
Dunkin Donuts building

Elysium LLC
100 University Dr.
$25,000 — Select demo of
interior partitions, replace ceiling

Pioneer Valley Pizza
20 Belchertown Road
$6,000 — Install new grease
hood and suppression system

Town of Amherst
603 East Pleasant St.
$10,800 — Relocate bay door

Trustees of Hampshire
College
Prescott House 72-80
$133,750 — Repair exterior
envelope and damaged walls

CHICOPEE

Wu Mei Fong
32 Center St.
$20,000 — Install exhaust duct

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Mall Co. LP
50 Holyoke St.
$80,000 — Remodel Lids

Holyoke Revolver Club
West Cherry Street Ext.
$15,000 — Build storage
addition

Nuestras Raices Inc.
24 Jones Ferry Road
$20,000 — Install open-air
tree house and stage

Salvation Army
271 Appleton St.
$39,000 — Re-roof

St. Peters Lutheran Church
34 Jarvis Ave.
$16,585 — Re-roof

NORTHAMPTON

Barry and Annette Goldberg
135 King St.
$41,000 — Construct
partitions, bathrooms and
ceiling in retail area

The Coca Cola Company
45 Industrial Dr.
$5,100,000 — Construct addition

Cooley Dickinson Hospital
30 Locust St.
$28,562 — Create new office area

Pathways Association
600 Florence Road
$33,494 — Install solar
electrical system

Seven Bravo Two LLC
152 Cross Path Road
$192,000 — Construct twounit
storage hanger

Smith College
College Lane
$21,500 — Re-roof

Smith College
Bedford Terrace
$3,000,000 — Convert dorm
rooms to suites

  

Smith College
Bedford Terrace
$424,000 — Albright House –
Replace slate roof

Trustees of Smith College
184 Earle St.
$22,800 — Re-roof

214 State St. LTD
Partnership
218 State St.
$30,000 — Convert storage
space to offices

Smith College
23 Round Hill Road
$22,300 — Re-roof

SPRINGFIELD

Dr. Annie Watson
1069 St. James Ave.
$60,000 — Renovations

Exxon Mobil Corp.
1830 Wilbraham Road
$12,500 — Interior
renovations

First Missionary Church
1001 Worthington St.
$4,000 — Renovate kitchen

Forest Park Zoological Society
Trafton Road Zoo
$8,000 — Outback exhibit/
observation deck

J.C. Penny Outlet Store
1655 Boston Road
$8,000 — Create hallway

N.E. Farm Workers
1666 Main St.
$25,000 — Interior
renovations

Paul Ramish
272 Worthington St.
$35,000 — Construct new bar

Springfield College
263 Alden St.
$70,000 — Interior build-out

Western New England College
D’Amour Library
$3,000 — Enlarge server room

Western New England
College
Emerson Hall
$16,000 — Create classroom
and 4 offices

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Friendly Real Estate & Trust
46 Morgan Road
$7,500 — Interior renovation
of restaurant

West Springfield Fire
Department
1305 Memorial Ave.
$7,000 — Install hood and
vent system

Westfield Bank
2620 Westfield St.
$30,000 — Erect ATM

WESTFIELD

Berkshire Bank
31 Court St.
$5,000 — Remodel

Heritage SPE LLC
East Main Street
$113,650 — Renovations

Savage Arms
100 Springfield St.
$82,000 — Re-roof

Smails LLC
45 Washington St.
$7,500 — Renovations

Thomas Cusack
94 Main St.
$10,000 — Repairs

By
Departments

Firm Earns National Award

GREENFIELD — Crocker Communications Inc. has been honored with the 2006 ATSI Award of Excellence, presented annually by the Association of TeleServices International (ATSI), a trade association for providers of telecommunications and call center services. If a company scored 80% or better in all categories of call-handling skills such as courtesy, response time, accuracy and overall service to their clients, they were presented with the Award of Excellence. Crocker has received the Award of Excellence seven times in the past 10 years. In addition, this is the second time the company received the Bronze Award for two consecutive years of excellent service.

Berkshire Bank Opens Mortgage Center

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank recently established a mortgage center for the Springfield/Pioneer Valley region at 41 Court St., Westfield. The office will conduct all mortgage origination services in the market area. The center’s staff includes three mortgage originators, David M. Clark, Jodi A. Colter and Matthew T. Manganelli. In other banking news, Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. has opened a full-service branch at 20 Mall in Guilderland, N.Y.

Bank Opens Northampton Branch

WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Financial Bancorp Inc. recently opened a branch in Northampton at 180 Main St. Patricia Covalli serves as personal banking officer, and is assisted by a team of experienced banking professionals. Residential mortgage and commercial lending personnel are also available at the branch. In addition, the bank will serve the financial service needs of its clients through its Financial Services Group which also has an office in Northampton, located at 14 Main St. United Financial Bancorp is the parent corporation of United Bank.

STCU Credit Union Opens Westfield Branch

SPRINGFIELD — STCU Credit Union has expanded to Westfield with a branch location at 453 East Main St. in the Westfield Shops. The office features five teller positions including one for handicapped individuals, a night depository, ATM facilities, a conference room, loan service office, and member reception area. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. STCU Credit Union first opened its doors in Springfield in 1929 and is based at 145 Industry Ave., Springfield.

Business Teams Up With ‘Habitat’ to Benefit Families

SPRINGFIELD — W.F. Young Inc. employees recently teamed up with Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity® and donated a full day’s work helping restore a house on Cambridge Street. The company shut down operations on May 25 to allow all company employees to participate in the voluntary endeavor. In addition to the team donation of labor, the company is also a corporate donor to the local Habitat for Humanity organization.

CDH Receives Kresge Foundation Opportunity, Challenge Grant

NORTHAMPTON — The Kresge Foundation of Troy, Mich., recently announced it awarded Cooley Dickinson Hospital with a Capital Challenge Grant of $900,000. The grant will support the hospital’s Caring for the Future campaign for the new patient building and Kittredge Surgery Center, and the grant will be awarded in September 2007 if CDH succeeds in raising $4 million. The grant has been made on a challenge basis, according to Diane Dukette, CDH’s executive director of development. She explained that the Kresge Foundation has challenged the hospital to meet its campaign goal of $10.8 million by Sept. 30, 2007. Dukette added that CDH is being challenged to raise an additional $4 million to secure the $900,000 challenge grant. The Kresge announcement represents an opportunity for community members to show their support of the CDH campaign, according to Dukette. “Every gift, regardless of the amount, will help bring us closer to the $900,000 grant,” she said. To date, $7.1 million has been raised in support of the CDH campaign.

Students Benefit from STCC, City Partnerships

SPRINGFIELD — A new collaboration between the Community Music School of Springfield and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will bring new options in music courses this fall. “Hip-Hop Culture” and “History of Jazz” are the first course offerings, and discussion of private music lessons for college credit is also in the works. A second partnership, with teachers from the Springfield Public Schools, will allow STCC to add Chinese language courses to its offerings starting this fall.

Chamber Has New Web Site

NORTHAMPTON — The Northamp-ton Chamber of Commerce launched its new Web site with a new address, www.explorenorthampton.com, in June. The updated site features a section for Chamber members, as well as sections for visitors and the community. In addition, the Web site now offers a calendar that will generate a ‘Coming Soon in the Northampton Area’ listing that will be automatically updated daily.

Holyoke Mall Lands The Sports Authority

HOLYOKE — The Sports Authority will open a 46,000-square-foot store in early 2007 in the space that was once occupied by Kahunaville. A.C. Moore is also expected to move into the former Kids ‘R Us space on the lower level of the mall to accommodate the space needed by The Sports Authority. Approximately 30 to 40 people will be employed at the new store. In other mall news, two recently opened stores are Bakers Fashion Footwear Boutique and Sadie’s, a photography studio.

Two Law Practices Merge

SPRINGFIELD — Raipher Pellegrino PC, based in Springfield, recently announced a merger with Denner Associates, a Boston-based firm that specializes in murder defendants in Boston and out of state. The firm is now Denner Pellegrino LLP and will serve the Hartford and Berkshire areas. Denner Associates has offices in Boston, Providence and New York. Raipher Pellegrino, a former Springfield city councilor, said the merger will help cut costs and also put together a powerful group of lawyers.

Westfield Financial Looks Toward 100% Public Ownership

WESTFIELD — Westfield Bank’s board of directors recently voted to complete a second step conversion to 100% public ownership of its stock by the end of the year. The stock price and when it will be sold will be determined at a later date. When the bank went public in 2001, the company sold 4.9 million shares at a $100-a-share subscription price, which raised approximately $48.1 million after costs. At press time, company officials said there are no specific plans for using the money that will be garnered during the stock offering.

Lia Group to Build New Toyota Dealership in Northampton

NORTHAMPTON — The Lia Auto Group has announced it will break ground soon for a new Toyota dealership on King Street, just down the road from its Honda dealership that opened in 2005. To make room for the Toyota store expansion, Lia recently closed its Chrysler Jeep dealership. In addition, the Albany-based group closed its Lincoln Mercury franchise in May. Company officials expect the new Toyota facility to cost approximately $4 million.

Elms College, Diocese Creating Academic Programs

CHICOPEE — A series of academic programs for lay leaders and ministers in the Springfield Diocese will soon be offered through a collaborative effort with Elms College. Areas of study will be designed for Catechetical leaders, adult and youth ministers, pastoral and music ministers, and parish administrators. Certificate courses will cost $120 per course and a diocesan subsidy will be available to participants. Certificate and master’s programs will be offered.

Choice One, CTC Finalize Merger, Complete Acquisition of Conversent

Choice One Communications, CTC Communications, and Conversent Communications recently announced the completion of their previously announced combination. The merged organization will be called “One Communications” as of July 24 and will serve businesses in 16 states within the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest regions. With revenues of more than $800 million, One Communications is the largest privately-held competitive local exchange carrier in the United States. “This transaction transforms three telecommunications companies that were strong in their own right into a single broadband IP-based telecommunications powerhouse,” said Thomas J. Casey, CEO of One Communications. “We will offer a unique combination of advanced telecommunications solutions and exceptional customer service. Businesses throughout our target markets will benefit from a new competitor that is large enough to make substantial investments in enhanced services while being nimble and focused enough to serve every customer with exceptional support provided by accessible and friendly experts.” The One Communications network spans from Maine to West Virginia and the eastern seaboard to Wisconsin. The company will maintain substantial operations centers in Rochester, N.Y., Waltham, Mass., Marlborough, Mass., and Charleston, WV. In addition, One Communications will maintain dozens of regional offices in local business communities to serve small and medium sized business customers. Financing for the transaction includes a $75 million additional equity investment by both Columbia Ventures Corporation (the sole shareholder of CTC Communications), and Choice One shareholders (backstopped by Camulos Capital LP and Värde Investment Partners LP), and a $590 million credit facility arranged by Goldman Sachs Credit Partners LP. The credit facility includes $30 million in revolving credit, a $435 million first lien term loan, and a $125 million second lien term loan. Proceeds from the debt and equity offerings enabled the company to refinance existing debt, purchase 100% of the outstanding shares of Conversent and fund transaction and merger integration costs and provide additional working capital.

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.

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT
American Express Centurion Bank v. Milton Gooding a/k/a d/b/a Milton P. Gooding
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $$3,945.95
Date Filed: June 1

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Hale Trailer Brake & Wheel Inc. v. Cipolla Transport Co. LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for rental services: $4,038.53
Date Filed: June 7

USA Hauling & Recycling Inc. v. Spruce Hill Property Service Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for services: $20,332.56
Date Filed: June 8

Granite State Insurance Co. v. Jackson Fernandes d/b/a Excel Construction and Renato DaSilva d/b/a Excel Construction
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay workmen’s comp insurance: $26,654.86
Date Filed: June 9

Lambert Plumbing & Heating Inc. v. Lussier Industries Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods and services: $11,753.57
Date Filed: June 13

Select Energy Inc. v. Orlando Alban, Jr. d/b/a Mason Food Mart
Allegation: Suit on judgment: $7,804.60
Date Filed: June 14

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Select Portfolio Servicing Inc. v. Sears Roebuck & Co., Irene Trench, Charles Morrissey
Allegation: Interpleaded action to deposit with court net surplus from prior foreclosure action: $20,403.70
Date Filed: June 27

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of June 2006.

AGAWAM

Always Perfect Floors
917 Suffield St.
Victor Lysenko

Brendan Kilrain, General
Contractor
65 Spruce Circle Brendan Kilrain

Conte Construction
14 Tom St.
John Conte

N & S Express
33 Norman Terrace #2
Nelson Mukasa

On The Way
308 Suffield St.
Akhtar Mian

T.L. Smith Associates
814 Southwest St.
Tiffany Smith

AMHERST

Amherst Grocery Store
319 Main St.
Mohamed Nagood Advmai

Blue Sky Contemporary
Crafts
1 East Pleasant St.
Chris and Susan Raker

Efrain Eisen — Rabbinic
Consultant
180 Aubinwood St.
Efrain Eisen

Interventions
441 West St.
Shirley DeShields

Pet Behavior Consulting
72 Mechanic St.
Elise Gouge

Valley Opticare
31 Hall Dr.
Joel Feinman

CHICOPEE

Auto Kraft
49 Monteville St.
Daniel Herbert

Coyer & Co.
57 Canal St.
Daniel and Nichole Coyer

Golden Blossom
208 Exchange St.
Adelina Claudino

LS Cleaning Services
14 Park St.
Luciano Santos

Nowak’s Auto Center
980 East Main St.
Edward Nowak

Pelletier Funding
41 Montauk Road
Michael Pelletier

3,000 Words
97 Grape St.
Charles Taormina

HOLYOKE

Discount Auto Glass
155 Old Lyman Road
Al Lafleur

Economy Inn
671 Northampton St.
Ajay Patel

Emmanuel Christian Book
& Retail Store
321 High St.
Santiago Torres

Icing
50 Holyoke St.
Claire’s Boutiques Inc.

Liquid Sun
2020 Northampton St.
Thomas W. Spencer III

Manny’s Pizza
510 Westfield Road
Evangelos Fantakis

Mereciana Market
773 Dwight St.
Kesha Padilla

Ortiz Used Tires
640 South Bridge St.
Francisco Ortiz

  

Princess Gift Shop
449-451 High St.
Wilfredo Rodriguez

Reyes Auto Sales
10 Robert Dr.
Oscar Reyes

Roche Home Improvement
231 Cabot St.
Domingo Roche

LONGMEADOW

Dual State Appraisal
579 Laurel St.
Christopher Ascioti

French Style Nails Salon
797 Williams St.
Thanh Hieu Tran

J20 Realty LLC
1730 Longmeadow St.
James O’Connell

Jorgensen Design
128 Warren Ter.
Margie Jorgensen

Reliable Lawn and Grounds
1054 Frank Smith Road
Ryan Morgan

Scott Grosnick and Assocs.
80 Ridge Road
Scott Grosnick

NORTHAMPTON

Dances with Dogs Daycare Inc.
557 Easthampton Road
Debra Wysocki

Domino’s Pizza
241 King St.
Scott Akers

Grassroots Connection
50 Straw Ave.
Richard Puchalsky

Karen Kulakowski, RD, LDN
40 Main St.
Karen Kulakowski

Luis Electric
1131 Florence Road
Luis Eliza

Pear Tree Press Music
Productions
21 Franklin St.
Ronald Perera

Purdon’s Home Services
112 Beacon St.
Benjamin Oliver Purden

Valley Opticare
70 Main St.
Joel Feinman

Web-Tatics
48 Rockland Heights
Janel Jorda

SOUTH HADLEY

AMI Systems
13 Roosevelt Ave.
Gary Rivers

Bhasin Trading Post
34 School St.
Jouinder Sharma

Castle Cleaners
4 Cordes Court
Cynthia O’Donnell

Cold River Stone
25 Doane Ter.
Jashua Murphy

D & H Painting
1 Lansing Ave.
Daniel Haber

Dark Pilgrimage
46 Pynchon Road
James Kosiba, Jo’seth

Broussard Doorlight Publications
4 Central Ave.
Daniel Brown

Jeff’s Quality Roofing
14 Joffre Ave.
Jeff Chateauneuf

LK Investments
145 Pittroff Ave.
Louise Kidder

By
Departments

Branching Out

STCU Credit Union recently cut the ribbon on its new branch in Westfield. Doing the honors are, from left, directors Robert Mulcahey, Sidney Snegg, Rosmarie Mazza-Moriarty (with her son, Jake), Kenneth Ketchum, Chairman Ronald Joyal, STCU President and CEO Gary Fishlock, and directors Awilda Chaban-Colon, Erin O’Leary, and Norman Halls.

Grade Expectations

Rotary Scholarship Chair Foy Miller (left), presents the Longmeadow Rotary Scholarship award to the 2006 winner, Amanda Marsh, a senior at Longmeadow High School. (picture by Kevin Lonergan)

Grand Opening

Staff at Keystone Woods celebrate the grand opening of Grayson House, an assisted living facility. Back row: Deanna Lawrence, executive director; Angie Thornton, assistant director of Marketing; Leslie Pallante, assistant Health & Wellness leader. Front row: Beth Cardillo, director of Marketing; Brad Wood, vice president of Operations; Christine Denault, Business Operations leader.

Cutting the Ribbon

Westbank celebrates the grand opening of its new Southwick branch office on June 10.

By
Departments

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

Carabetta, Janet A.
17 Alice St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/06

Carlson, Cindy Ann
1233 South St.
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/08/06

Clark, Jonathan C
26 Lewis Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/06

Cruz, Maria
41 Lester Street – 1st Fl
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/06

DuFur, Beverly A.
53 Chickering St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/06

Durant, Valerie Ann
132-A South Chesterfield
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/06

Fernandez, Agnes
5C Fletcher St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/06

Fernandez, Pedro J
5C Fletcher St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/06

Forgues, Amber
26 Lewis Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/06

Harrington, Lynne
214 Winchester Rd.
Northfield, MA 01360
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/04/06

Harford, S. Rian
P.O. Box 645
Lanesboro, MA 01237
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/03/06

Lakota, Stanley J.
59 River Road
PO Box 8
Whatley, MA 01093
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/06

 

 

Laughran, William R.
712 Main St.
2nd Floor, Apartment E
Dalton, MA 01226
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/06

Levine, Jessica
14 Broad St.
Apt. #5
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/06

Lis, Angela M.
4 North St.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/06

Lowell, Lisa
87 Pleasant St
West Warren, MA 01092
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/06

Mani, George
6 Isabella St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/06

Mani, Susan
6 Isabella St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/06

Pennock, Dorothy M.
1063 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/06

Rivera, Angel Cruz
92 Adams St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/06

Skiba, Maureen T.
38 Chestnut Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/05/06

Smith, Charles W.
6 Norbell St.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/06

Thomas, Leesa
2 Standish Court #2D
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/06

Wojciechowski, Lonnie M.
53 Lawn St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/06

 

By
Departments

Steady Job Market Anticipated for Springfield Area

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield-area employers expect to hire at a respectable pace during the third quarter of 2006, according to a new Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. From July to September, 32% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 21% expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower spokesperson Cathy Paige from the Springfield office. Another 22% expect to maintain their current staff levels and 25% are not certain of their hiring plans, added Paige. For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in non-durable goods manufacturing, finance, insurance and real estate, education, services, and public administration. Employers in construction, durable goods manufacturing, and transportation/public utilities plan to reduce staffing levels, while those in wholesale/retail trade voice mixed hiring intentions. According to the national seasonally adjusted results of the survey, U.S. employers still won’t budge on hiring plans for the third quarter of 2006. Of the 16,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 31% expect to add to their payrolls during the third quarter, while 6% expect to reduce staff levels. Fifty-seven percent expect no change in the hiring pace, while 6% are undecided about their July-September hiring plans.

Westfield State President Resigns

WESTFIELD — Vicky L. Carwein, the first woman president at Westfield State College (WSC), recently announced her resignation to accept the chancellor position at Washington State University. Carwein said that the opportunity was too good to pass up since her husband also has a new position in the same area. Carwein will continue to serve as president at WSC through the summer and will assume her new position in the fall. The college’s Board of Trustees will soon embark on a national search for a successor to Carwein.

Hayden Tapped For Kittredge Center Post

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) President William F. Messner has recommended the appointment of Jeffrey P. Hayden to vice president for business and community services and executive director of the Kittredge Center. Hayden’s nomination must be formally approved by the college’s Board of Trustees, which next meets on June 27. If approved, Hayden will begin the position in early July. Hayden has worked in the Office of Economic and Industrial Development for Holyoke for 12 years, and most recently as its director. Hayden was one of 38 candidates for the position, which was left vacant last summer when long-time HCC administrator Paul Raverta assumed the interim presidency of Berkshire Community College. Named after Yankee Candle founder and HCC alum Michael Kittredge, the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development houses the college’s academic and community focused business services. The $18 million complex is home to the WISER (World Institute for Economic Research) Center, as well as the Center for Business and Professional Development.

Springfield Has Pros, Cons to Economic Profile

SPRINGFIELD — Twelve cities recently participated in a study by the Northeastern University Center for Urban and Regional Policy, with Springfield ranking in the middle of the pack. Springfield has been the only city to publicly release its information about the comparison, according to Donald Walsh, a senior fellow at Northeastern University, who also supervised the survey project. The participating cities answered 194 questions relating to the economic profile and municipal infrastructure, and then a survey of 4,000 site selectors, industrial and commercial real estate brokers, and developers ranked the importance of various measures of community performance. Springfield scored well on several issues ranging from modest traffic and the proximity of higher education to relatively low rental rates. Areas that ranked poorly in Springfield included limited parking near development sites, crime rates that are higher than average, and scores on standardized tests of students are lower than average. Mayor Charles Ryan noted that the city has been diligently working to improve results in several of the key areas cited in the survey. Other cities that participated in the survey were Attleboro, Brockton, Chelsea, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Pittsfield, New Bedford, Revere, and Worcester. The cities were chosen because they elected to pay the costs of participating, according to Walsh. The survey was co-sponsored by the National Assoc. of Industrial and Office Properties, the Mass. Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, and electric utility NSTAR.

Is Commuter Rail the Answer?

By
Opinion

Here we can go again.

It seems like every five or seven years, the talk about commuter rail and high-speed rail starts to heat up again. It usually subsides, however, due to a lack of funding, a lack of momentum on Beacon Hill, or both.

But it always comes back again — this time in the form of a proposed route between Springfield and New Haven and preliminary talk of a route between Springfield, Worcester, and points east — and we’re not really sure why.

We understand the general theory — that if you can connect cities like these with a modern, fairly high-speed form of rail transportation, then people can live in one of those cities and work in the other, creating some employment opportunities. But the last time we checked, these cities were already connected, and rather effectively, by bus, specifically Springfield-based Peter Pan, which runs several routes to New Haven and Worcester a day. And relatively few people take them.

That’s because the bus is for poor people, or so goes the argument, which continues with the presumption that if there was a publicly subsidized commuter rail line, offering rates a few dollars cheaper than the bus, then people would rush to take it. Quite frankly, we don’t see it.

What we see instead are people clinging to an old, romantic notion of rail travel. Years ago, before the interstate highway system was built and jet travel made the country exponentially smaller, rail is how anyone got anywhere. A generation ago, people commuted to and from work by rail, often traveling dozens of miles in the process.

Commuter rail proponents, and there are many of them, say it could happen again. They say individuals who want to work in Boston and New York could do so — and while living in the Pioneer Valley. They also say that a commuter rail system will ease congestion on the region’s highways, improving commerce and creating other opportunities for growth. And commuter rail has, in fact, worked in other parts of the Northeast and other regions of the country.

But we see it as an expensive gamble, one with promise, to be sure, but also considerable risk. Indeed, high-speed rail may actually hinder economic development efforts in Western Mass., by taking talent and jobs out of the region.

Before this region, the Baystate as a whole, and Connecticut dive into commuter rail with both feet, it might be best to study the matter first. ‘Study’ is often a dirty word in government and economic development circles because it’s often meant as a way to stall things or put them on the backburner for a while and hope their proponents go away or find something else to promote.

In this case, however, study is necessary, because there is no real evidence that commuter rail will stimulate economic development, as proponents claim, only speculation, and lots of it. The Springfield-to-New Haven line presents little risk, at least in the form of financial burden, for the Commonwealth, which at this point is only being asked to pick up 10% of the $300 million cost, so it might serve as a litmus test of the concept.

But the region is far from ready to take on its commitment to the project — the Union Station renovation project seems dead in the water and there currently isn’t an infrastructure in place to handle a large-scale rail service in the city — and it has other priorities.

Proponents of commuter rail argue that this economic region, which includes Northern Connecticut, needs to be imaginative in its transportation planning if it is to see economic growth . Being imaginative is fine, but the region also needs to be practical and not create redundancies in a transportation infrastructure that has not been identified as a problem.

In short, more homework is needed before we can state with any degree of confidence that commuter rail can or should be part of the solution for this region.-

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of May 2006.
     

AGAWAM

Amherst Commercial LTD
Partnership
352 Northampton Road, Bldg. 1
$27,000 — Replace existing
shingles, install drip edge, ice
and water shield

Amherst Commercial LTD
Partnership
378 Northampton Road, #4
$14,000 — Replace existing
vinyl siding

Amherst Housing Authority
36 Tamarack Dr. 36 -38
$20,000 — Foundation for
new duplex

J. David Marley
100 University Dr.
$249,250 — Convert/alter 314
of first-floor to medical offices
for Cooley Dickinson PHO

Martin Wells
867 East Pleasant St.
$15,000 — Convert singlefamily
home to workshop

Slobody Development Corp.
101 University Dr. A4 –
UMass Outreach
$537,559 — Interior build-out

Trustees of Hampshire
College
Franklin Patterson
$35,600 — Convert storage
space into two offices

CHICOPEE

Eugene Warguleski
41 Springfield St.
$700,000 — Alterations to
Rivoli Theatre Nightclub

Top Flight Golf Co.
425 Meadow St.
$9,880 — Pour foundation

HOLYOKE

Open Square Properties
4 Open Square Way
$28,500 — Interior alterations

  

NORTHAMPTON

Ahamed Bashir
213 Main St.
$4,500 — Replace ceiling and
construct counters for carpet
business

Coolidge Northampton LLC
225 King St.
$10,000 — Construct
partition walls

518 Pleasant Street LLC
518 Pleasant St.
$3,000 — Construct partition
walls, add door

Northampton Co-operative
Bank
8 Main St.
$2,450 — Erect ground signs

Pug Realty LLC
557 Easthampton Road
$31,550 — Remove three non
-bearing walls and construct
two half walls

Smith College
College Lane
$2,281,721 — Renovate first
& second floor College Hall

Smith College
126 West St.
$30,000 — Construct 8 x 20
steel drop box

SPRINGFIELD

Bank of Western MA
1391 Main St.
$33,893 — Add office space

Baystate Medical
3300 Main St.
$269,200 — Replace MRI
machine

Eastfield Mall
1655 Boston Road
$516,000 — Interior
renovations for new store

WESTFIELD

Robert Williams
8 Turnpike Road
$289,000 — Addition

OPINION

By
Opinion
A Modern Touch for the Pension System

It’s time to take a hard look at how to modernize and streamline Massachusetts’s archaic pension system.

There are 106 state and local public employee pension systems. Each has overhead, inefficiencies, loopholes, and, in some cases, mounting deferred expense.
The state pension system has $13 billion in unfunded liability that acts like an anchor on the budget and mortgages the state’s future. Next year, taxpayers are set to pay more than $1 billion just to chip away at the pension debt. Those annual payments will rise to $2.3 billion by 2023.

In addition, cities, towns, and counties waste almost $200 million a year running their own systems, much of that going toward making up for poor returns on investment. A study by the Pioneer Institute found that just 5.7% of local pension systems match the state fund’s investment returns.

Local pension systems are also weighed down with separate investment managers, accountants, and additional duplicative overhead. Maintaining that local control over pension systems comes at a large cost. Taxpayers will pay another $3 billion over 20 years just to make up for poor investment performance in local systems over the last decade.

The pension system is also easily gamed by insiders who know how to work the system to maximize their payout. At the same time, the system discourages bright, idealistic young people from spending a few years in public service before moving on in their education or career, by denying short-term employees any pension benefit.

What can be done to fix this mess? Most companies have started offering their employees a 401(k) option. Recognizing that modernization, other states have followed the lead of the private sector, and Massachusetts should be next.

If we institute changes that bring us more in line with the successes of the private sector, we can stop the $13 billion in unfunded pension liability from growing larger, and immediately deliver nearly $200 million in annual savings while maximizing returns for retirees.

The Healey-Hillman pension reform plan would apply to all new public employees in Massachusetts, except police officers and firefighters, who often retire at an early age and spend their days in hazardous working conditions. It would fold 106 taxpayer-funded state, county, municipal, and authority systems into one, eliminating abuses, duplication, and unnecessary local overhead costs, and give municipalities the benefit of the state pension fund’s strong performance.

Employees could choose to invest the money themselves, continue to have the Commonwealth invest it for them, or opt for guaranteed annual interest equal to the 10-year Treasury bond, currently around 5 percent.

Employees could take their retirement benefits with them when they leave, creating an incentive for young people to spend a few years in public service.

Our proposal will save some money immediately and have significant long-term financial benefits. The system would save more than $100 million over the next decade. Once all state employees are covered by the plan, taxpayers will save $140 million each year.

Municipalities would save about $200 million a year immediately, and could use the savings to return money to taxpayers in the form of property tax relief, or to boost local services. Most important, once all employees are in the new system, taxpayers in Massachusetts will not have to worry about unfunded pension liability dragging down the budget and the economy again.

Our pension reform will transform a broken system into one that is fair to employees, less burdensome to taxpayers, and helps to modernize an out-of-date Massachusetts bureaucracy that is weighing the state down and making it less competitive.

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey is the Republican candidate for governor.

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of June 2006.
     

AGAWAM

Champagne & Rinaldi
Electrical
41 Jade Lane
Lawrence Rinaldi

Cinron
1815 Main St.
Ronald Boudreau

Coyote Landscaping
144 Coyote Circle
Kevin Rowe

Design-a-Scape
706 Main St.
Christopher Romano

Joanne Szymanski at
Rosemarie’s Salon
351 Main St.
Joan Szmanski

On The Way
308 Suffield St.
Amandeep Singh

Pleasant Valley Lawn Care
1327 Main St.
Todd Beddow

Win Restaurant
846 Suffield St.
Shi Jong Zhang

WRB Auto Sales
170 Coyote Circle
Dominic Candido

AMHERST

Amherst Family Practice PC
29C Cottage St.
Anne Weaver

Elwood’s Cleaning Service
1039 North Pleasant St.
Elwood Shular

Footage Films
171 Gray St.
Benjamin Nathan

HCM Enterprises
170 East Hadley Road
Hughia Magnus

Pat Mount Real Estate
71 Mt. Holyoke Dr.
Patricia Mount

Trainer’s Spectrum
98 Spring St.
Alexander Hiam

CHICOPEE

Camelot Paintball
610 Lombard Road
Chad Faraham

Country Scentsabilities
31 Christopher St.
Amy Bedore

Full Spectrum Ascension
514 Lafleur Dr.
Michael Golmane

Internet Resource Solutions
29 Elliot St.
Kevin Pirnie

Salon Temps
40 Montcalm St.
Kirsten Ritter

Yaniri’s Perfume
41 Norman St.
Ines Bisono

EAST LONGMEADOW

D & D Enterprises
27 Bunker Circle
David Preste

MAK Construction
124 Kibbe Road
Kricor Melkian

The Nail Lounge
217 Shaker Road
Jennifer Mancuso

Quality Building Products
100 Shaker Road
Builders Services Group Inc.

Shapes A Salon
219 Shaker Road
Tracey Meara

HADLEY

Edible Arrangements
41 Russell St.
Louise & Robert Beaucnemin

HOLYOKE

B & M Fashions
22J Maplecrest Circle
Bradley and Monika Jordan

Homewood Suites
370 Whitney Ave.
Holyoke Lodging Associates

Mill Vallley Hall
26B Hadley Mills Road
Mike Rigali

Your Place Caf}
254 Maple St.
Gregory Schwartz

NORTHAMPTON

Chen’s Northeast Inc.
18 Main St.
Tong Fang Chen, Wei Yun
Chen, Kung Huan Chen

Dust Dancer
42 Fruit St.
Patricia Trant

The Firefly Salon
122 Main St.
Kay Gregory

Joel Russell Associates
25 Kensington Ave.
Joel Russell

Peri’s Line
46 Crosby St.
Oded Peri

Route 9 Design & Build
104 North Elm St.
John Landry

Soul Touch Massage Therapy
16 Center St.
Leigh Newton

   SPRINGFIELD

Big Nick’s Cleaning Service
95 Quincy St.
Albert Caudle

C & M Decorative Concrete
27 Palm St.
Donald Hyland

Dinner, Dancing, Dates
48 Bryant St.
Felicia Manthe

Dynasty Restaurant
5 Locust St.
Rong Jin LLC

The Final Touch Barber
821 State St.
Clarence Smith III

Ghost Music Records
837 State St.
Michael Jones

Hollywood Video
1365 Liberty St.
Mark Moreland

How U Want It Cleaning
120 Sylvan St.
Sandra Lowe

Jay’s Construction & Remodeling
1532 Bay St.
Jasen Mindt

Motto Express
300 Locust St.
Victor Jimenez

Process Management
Associates
91 Mulberry St.
James Duquette

R & R Auto Repair
337 Walnut St.
Roman Rivera

Retamar’s Home
Improvement
39 Commonwealth Ave.
Angel Retamar

Robichaud Home
Improvement
61 St. James Ave.
Richard Robichaud

SPI Distribution
300 Albany St.
Michael Rogers

T & C Auto Service
1304 Dwight St.
Francisco Rodriguez

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Affordable Solutions Online
12 Royce Court
Dwayne Henderson

Bob’s Court
2071 Riverdale St.
Badui Chidiac

Boston Billiard Club
855 Riverdale St.
Kurt Mathias

C & N Carpentry Services
59 Woodmont St.
Jon Yarsley

Direct Power Sports
409 Main St.
Gilbert Perez

Elite Floor Covering
104 Kings Hwy.
Reynaldo Mendez

Five Star Roofing and Home
Remodeling
39 Maple St.
Anatoly Kukharchuk

Greenwood Electric A10926
1649 Westfield St.
James Greenwood

K & M Auto Sales
697 Union St.
Kyle Shoemaker

Liquori’s Pizza & Restaurant
Inc.
659 Westfield St.
Antonio Liquori

Mingle’s
1547 Riverdale St.
CDR Inc.

Needle and Scissors
29 Worthen St.
Marina Dragun

Segway Central Massachusetts LLC
33 Sylvan St.
George Condon

Siciliano Salon
2260Westfield St.
Michael and Brenda Siciliano

Stevens Jewelers Inc.
2068 Riverdale St.
Joseph Stevens

Valerie Franz @ Mind, Body
& Skin
117 River St.
Valerie Franz

West Side Roofing
166 Memorial Ave.
Juan Hernandez

WESTFIELD

The Auction House
1029 North Road
Mark LaValley

Dan Allie Designs
38 Union St.
Dan Allie

Home D}cor
1012 Russell Road
Kendra Kearing

Westfield Furniture
Clearinghouse
130 Park Dr.
Edwin Pembertan

By
Departments

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

AMHERST

Kiln Works Inc.,
460 West
St., Suite 1, Amherst 01002.
James A. Jemison, 33
Kellogg Ave., Apt. 69,
Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit)
To promote the arts,
especially ceramic arts
through educational space
and a co-operative
atmosphere to learn and
pursue creative ideas.

BELCHERTOWN

The Belvedere Restaurant
and Cafe Inc.,
9 North Main
St., Belchertown 01007.
Dennis A. Graham, 4 Jon
Dr., Belchertown 01007. To
operate a restaurant and cafe.

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Festofall Inc.,
89
Bell St., Chicopee 01013.
Robert Liswell, same.
(Nonprofit) To promote the
civic well-being for all
citizens and business in the
greater Chicopee area.

Kung Fu Academy Inc.,
551
East St., Chicopee 01020.
Mark A. Ostrander, 360
Osborne Ter., Springfield
01104. Operation of a martial
arts school.

Polish Legion of American
Veteran USA Western MA
Post 193 Inc.,
6 Roosevelt Ave., Chicopee 01013.
Edward J. Kaplita, 615 West
Main St., Plainfield 01070.
(Nonprofit) To preserve the
true spirit of fraternity and
patriotism arising from the
sacrifices in the wars and
conflicts of the USA, etc.

Steve Beshara Inc.,
42 Robin Ridge Road, Chicopee 01022.
Steve Beshara, same. Copy
shop, printing and related
activities.

Westfield Auto and Truck
Center Inc.,
31 Cecile Dr., Chicopee 01020. Nicolas K.
Korny, same. Repair,
servicing, maintenance and
inspection of autos and trucks.

EASTHAMPTON

Bacis Properties Inc.,
67
Division St., Easthampton
01027. Thomas M. Bacis,
same. Home construction and
land development.

Summit Ridge Builders
Inc.,
110 Union St., Easthampton 01027.
Matthew B. Gawle, 36 Holly
Circle, Easthampton 01027.
Construction of homes and
land development.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Holistic Retreat Inc.,
280 North Main St., Suite 7, East
Longmeadow 01028. Alice
Shabunin, 168 Mountainview
Road, East Longmeadow
01028. Holistic health care.

NLB Appraisal Services Inc.,
2 Athens St., East Longmeadow 01028.
Christopher Bertelli, same.
Real estate appraisals.

GOSHEN

Goshen General Store Inc.,
31 Main St., Goshen 01032.Judi Christine Morin, same.
Retail sales of groceries and
general merchandise.

HADLEY

South Middle Street Inc.,
31 Campus Plaza Road, Hadley
01035. Douglas A. Kohl, 59
Summer St., Northampton
01060. Real estate
development.

South Middle Street Inc.,
31 Campus Plaza Road, Hadley
01035. Douglas A. Kohl, 59
Summer St., Northampton
01060. Real estate development.

HAMPDEN

GTech Manufacturing Inc.,
95D Commercial Dr., Hampden
01036. Gary L. Lombardo,
same. General machine shop.

  

HOLYOKE

Fragrance Source
International Inc.,
88 Winter St., Holyoke 01040.
David L. Peskin, 25 Warwick St.,
Longmeadow 01106. To
manufacture, market and sell
perfumed plastic beads, etc.

Maki of Japan Holyoke Inc.,
50 Holyoke St., Ste. #CS1,
Holyoke 01040. Bi Qiu Wu,
507 Bryant Place, Riverdale,
NJ 07675. Bi Qiu Wu, 50
Holyoke St., Ste. #CS1, Holyoke,
registered agent. To own and
operate a restaurant business.

LUDLOW

CS Landscaping Design and
Construction Inc.,
14 Salli Circle, Ludlow 01056. Lee H.
Corbert, same. Landscaping
and design.

NORTHAMPTON

Turnkey Imaging Consultants Inc.,
161 Crescent St., Northampton
01060. William Orr,
Consulting to and equipping
the photo imaging trade.

PALMER

Doyle’s At Forest Lake Inc.,
702 River St., Palmer 01069.
William J. Doyle, 23
Fieldstone Dr., Palmer 01069.
Operation of restaurant/bar.

Doyle’s Realty Holdings Inc.,
702 River St., Palmer 01069.
William J. Doyle, 23
Fieldstone Dr., Palmer 01069.
To deal in real estate.

Sweet Dreams Anesthesia
Corp., 119 Boston Road,
Palmer 01069. Tammy
Rackliffe, same. To provide
nurse aesthesis services to
various hospitals.

PELHAM

Gary Hyman Consulting Inc.,
49A Gulf Road, Pelham
01002. Gary Hyman,
same.Consulting.

SOUTH HADLEY

Stadium Renovation
Initiative Inc.,
153 Newton St., South Hadley 01075. Mark
Dubois, 4 Scott Hollow Dr.,
South Hadley 01085. (Nonprofit)
To renovate, construct, operate
various public recreational
facilities and public works
within South Hadley, etc.

C.S.O.R.K. Inc.,
27-81 Crooked
Ledge Road, Southampton
01073. Constanza S. Ontaneda,
same. Importing of finished
goods for sale in the US.

SPRINGFIELD

Debra’s Beauty Solutions Inc.,
64 Boston Road, Springfield 01109. Debra L.
Watson, same. Retail sale of
beauty supplies.

Greenleaf Pest Management Inc.,
177 Shawmut St., Springfield 01108. Enoi
Chonmany, same. Pest
management and control.

Manjlee Inc.,
1624 Main St., Springfield 01103. Young Kil
Lee, 10 Chestnut St., Apt.
#3408, Springfield 01103. To
operate a jewelry sale and
repair shop(s), etc.

Wak Services Inc.,
125 Liberty St., Suite 406, Springfield 01103. Kiyoko Ogoke, 116
Hunters Green Circle,
Agawam 01001. Management
of health care practices and offices.

WESTFIELD

Marvon Construction &
Development Inc.,
396 Prospect St. Ext., Westfield
01085. Lori Ann Kurtz, same.
Construction and real estate
development.

By
Departments

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. of Holyoke and Greenfield announced the following:
• Donna Nichols has joined the firm as a Receptionist in the Holyoke office;
• Hanna Ramanenka has begun a 10-week internship at the firm;
• Timothy Garstka has begun a 10-week internship at the firm, and
• Chaim Muller-Ravett has begun a 10-week internship at the firm.

•••••

Richard D. Wilson Jr. has been appointed National Sales Manager for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual). He will have management responsibilities for the external team that wholesales life insurance product and sales concepts to the MassMutual career agency sales force.

•••••

The Springfield Falcons announced the following:
• Garrett Nolan has been promoted to Manager of Ticket Operations;
• Jason Gonet has been named Manager of Game Night Operations & Promotions/Sales Associate;
• Mike Mitchell has joined the team as a Sales Associate;
• Kyle Bousquet has joined the team as a Sales Associate, and
• Brent Bousquet has joined the team as a Sales Associate.

•••••

UMass Amherst announced the following:
• Engineer Jonathan Rothstein has garnered $300,000 over three years for his research in finding ways to modify the surface of an object to reduce drag. The Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award will support his investigations of drag and how to reduce it;
• Lila Gierasch, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, has been appointed a Distinguished Professor. Gierasch was recommended for the honor by Chancellor John V. Lombardi and Charlena Seymour, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, who called her a “world-renowned leader” in the study of protein and peptide structure and folding, and the interaction between proteins and biological membranes, and
• Brian Conz, a graduate student in geosciences, has been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship from the U.S. Department of Education for political ecology fieldwork in Guatemala. Conz will carry out six months of fieldwork on indigenous people, conservation, and protected areas in Guatemala starting in July.

•••••

Mary Beth Wood has joined Park Square Realty of Westfield as a Sales Associate in its Feeding Hills office.

•••••

Sam Everett has been promoted to Vice President of RDW Group Inc. He will supervise RDW’s Worcester office.

•••••

Eric Person has joined Johnson Health Network in Stafford Springs, Conn., as Vice President of Johnson Development Fund Inc.

•••••

Carlson GMAC announced the following:
• Carole Sterritt has joined the firm as a Salesperson in the Longmeadow Shops;
• Linda Ferrero has joined the firm as a Salesperson in the Longmeadow Shops;
• Brian Spears has joined the firm as a Salesperson in the Wilbraham office;
• Michael Guardione has joined the firm as a Salesperson in the Wilbraham office, and
• Nathan Czub has joined the firm as a Salesperson in the Holyoke office.

•••••

  

John W. Therrien has been named Manager of Plant Operations at Holyoke Medical Center.

•••••

Greenfield Community College has appointed Anna Berry its Coordinator of Disability Services.

•••••

Maryann Aubuchon, Salon Manager at JC Penney in the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, was among almost 100 Penney salon managers who were named Personal Best Award winners.

•••••

Nancy Harper, RN, BSN, RHP, has been promoted to Regional Director of Resident and Family Services for Benchmark Assisted Living, based in Wellesley.

•••••

New officers of the Pioneer Valley chapter of Business Network International are:
• Corrine Chartland of Charter Home Mortgage, serving as president;
• Steve Lang of Curry Copy, serving as vice president, and
• Eric Lubarsky of E & G Automotive, serving as treasurer.

•••••

Rocky’s Ace Hardware of Springfield announced the following:
• Lynn Kelly has joined the company as Director of Human Resources, and
• Laraine Johnson has joined the company as Vice President of Store Operations.

•••••

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, based in West Springfield, announced the following regional leadership and service awards at its recent annual meeting:
• Judith S. Eiseman received a regional recognition award for being a long-standing member of the PVPC’s Executive Committee. She is also a PVPC Commissioner representing the town of Pelham;
• Stanley E. Kowalski, Jr. received a regional recognition award for his service as a Plan for Progress Trustee. Kowalski is retiring as Dean of the School of Business at Western New England College, Springfield;
• Delania Barbee, a High School of Commerce graduate, received the Linda L. Petrella Springfield Summer Youth Internship Award, and
• Kinshasa Fowkles, a High School of Commerce graduate, received the Linda L. Petrella Springfield Summer Youth Internship Award.
Both teens will serve internships at PVPC this summer before starting college in the fall.

Crime Is Killing Springfield

By
Opinion

Tim Brennan was talking about the bike path that winds its way along the east bank of the Connecticut River. But he might as well have been talking about the city of Springfield as a whole.

Brennan, director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, which coordinated construction of the 3.7-mile Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway, told the local press recently that the path is considered underutilized — roughly 150 users on weekdays and just over half that number on weekends — because of doubts about safety.

And there will certainly be more of those now following the stabbing death of one the path’s few users earlier this month, the city’s sixth homicide of the year, which is slightly below the record pace (18 for the year) set in 2005.

Like the bike path, many of Springfield’s neighborhoods, institutions, and, yes, businesses, are being hurt (or underutilized) because of crime and, equally important, the perception of it. The city has other issues, to be sure, including its fiscal woes and overall image problem, but crime has taken center stage.

It is a factor impacting everything from where people live, work, shop, eat, and go to college, to whether they use the bike path along the river. And in many ways, it is stifling economic development in the area, because, as much as anything else, Springfield is now synonymous with crime.

Some local officials would like to blame the press and its ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ operating strategy for this phenomenon, but when a city this size has five shootings in one night, as was recorded early in May, the problem is not the press.

Rather, it’s the apparent inability to gain any sense of momentum in the fight against crime. Some officials would have you believe there is some, and use easily pliable statistics to back up those claims. But the real measure of progress is public opinion (and traffic counts on the bikeway), and at the moment the public remains skeptical — and, in many ways, afraid.

Recently named Police Commissioner Edward Flynn has taken the fight to the neighborhoods and the city’s housing projects. He is imploring residents to get involved and be part of the solution, not part of the problem by protecting criminals. He’s been very visible — one can see him on the streets and hear him on the radio — and he’s made the word ‘snitch’ part of the local lexicon.

We can only hope that increased patrols and the appointment of area commanders to oversee neighborhood coverage will succeed not only in bringing the crime rate down, but in making people feel better about Springfield in the same way that many residents of Holyoke feel better about their community.

Overall, we believe the city needs additional resources, and that Gov. Mitt Romney should make a stronger commitment to keeping the streets safe in the state’s third-largest city.

When the bike path was put on the drawing board more than a decade ago, it was envisioned as a way to make the city’s riverfront vibrant and more relevant. It was viewed as a way to bring people back into the city for recreation, to create images like those we’ve seen of people walking, running, biking, and roller-blading in Washington, D.C., Cambridge, San Diego, and other cities.

Very little of that has happened, and safety is the reason. And so many other things aren’t happening in Springfield for the very same reason.

The bike path is not just the scene of a fatal stabbing; it’s a symbol of what could be, and isn’t, in Springfield, largely because of public safety concerns. Maybe it can serve as additional motivation in the effort to make this the City of Homes, not the City of Crime, once again.-

OPINION

By
Opinion
The Real Energy Crisis

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Turn the page of any paper or turn on any news show and you’ll likely hear about the global energy crisis and soaring gas prices. But the real energy crisis is not taking place in the oil fields of Texas and Iraq or the gas stations of New York and California, but rather inside the people and the companies that contribute to our global economy.

In a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive Inc. less than 15% say they feel strongly energized by their work and only 20% feel very passionate about their jobs. While part of this crisis can be attributed to management (37% of managers are indifferent to their company’s fate) a big part of the problem can be associated with worker burnout; 42% are coping with burnout while 33% believe they have reached a dead end in their jobs, and 21% are eager to change their jobs.

The cost of fatigue, burnout, and a lack of engagement to corporate America is staggering. The Gallup organization estimates the cost to be $250 billion to $300 billon dollars, while workplace fatigue alone costs American businesses at least $77 billion per year, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

There’s no doubt that today’s employees as a whole are under-engaged, overtired, and overstressed. If you’re not convinced just try to eavesdrop on water cooler conversations. You won’t hear anything because they are not there. They’re hovering around the coffee pot or in line at the corner coffee shop. People are clearly searching for their energy, but unfortunately they are finding it in double lattes, diet sodas energy drinks, and other quick fixes that do not last.

After all, there are more Starbucks then ever but America’s workforce is more tired and less engaged than ever.

The fact is that enhanced energy, success, and performance cannot be found in a bottle or cup of espresso and we cannot replace sleep with a double latte. Just as the world must find alternative sources of energy to oil, it’s clear that Corporate America must look to alternative sources of energy besides coffee to power its workforce.

Instead of energy drainers, American businesses must focus on becoming power generators. Considering that only 31% (strongly or moderately) believe that their employer inspires the best in them, one of the most significant actions business leaders can take is to implement programs and business practices that develop positive, high performing engaged employees and teams that are fueled by purpose and enthusiasm.

Ironically, one of the great role models of this business philosophy and practice is Howard Schultz and Starbucks. From the very beginning Schultz realized and trained his managers that they weren’t in the coffee business serving people but rather in the people business serving coffee. He explained his vision that he wanted to build a company that valued, invested in, and respected its employees. One of the ways Schultz did this was by offering comprehensive health insurance to employees that work more than 20 hours a week.

Now, Starbucks spends more on health insurance then it does coffee beans. Schultz also hosts frequent town hall meetings with management and employees and he personally visits 30-40 locations a week to share his passion, enthusiasm, and purpose with his employees. They receive his positive energy and in turn they share this positive energy with their customers.

Judging from Starbucks growth and sales it is certainly a successful formula. But Starbucks isn’t alone. Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence explains that a company with positive employees and a positive culture will outperform their negative counterparts every time. Also, consider that if you would invest in the top 100 best companies to work for, you would significantly outperform the market average. Positive work environments clearly produce positive results.

Thus, the answer to the real energy crisis is not a cup of Joe but the attitude, enthusiasm and energy of the Joe that is employed by your company. If you develop, engage and energize him you’ll be one step ahead of the competition.-

Jon Gordon is s a professional speaker, consultant, and energy and performance coach.

By
Departments

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

Atkins, Pansy H.
259 Sabin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/06

Bander, Mark Alan
48 Taylor Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/06

Barona, Jorge S.
178 Bolton St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/06

Baxter, Edward Joseph
Baxter, Mabel Margaret
22 K St.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/06

Bennett, Seth
66 Norris St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/20/06

Block, Stephen J.
35 Bessemer St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/06

Brooks, James Edward
Brooks, Brenda Lee
22 Clesson Brook Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/06

Campbell, James H.
243 Bridge St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/25/06

Caraballo, Francisco
Caraballo, Felicia
7 Ellis St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/06

Chrisanthopoulos, Kevin
P.O. Box 334
Greenfield, MA 01302
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/25/06

Davis, Shariece
18 Carver St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/20/06

Denette, Leonard A.
Denette, Barbara A.
134 Balboa Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/25/06

Denning, Joan E
15 Inward Commons
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/19/06

Dion, Jaimee M.
40 Hitchcock St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/19/06

Fennimore, Jeffrey J.
37 Eddy St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/23/06

Galus, Betty A
106 Peekskill Ave.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/06

Goodick, Edward J.
P.O. Box 107
South Barre, MA 01074
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/06

Haley, Christopher E.
Haley, Janet A.
16 Demond Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/06

Jillson, Michael D
1063 S. Main St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/06

Keitt, Dale A.
63 Arthur St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/06

Liswell, Ann Marie K.
89 Bell St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/06

Locklear, Shirley J.
99 Lawrence St., Apt. 6
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/06

Malley, Douglas Alan
2 Amherst Ave.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/06

Martinez, Juan M.
P.O. Box 4161
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/06

Mayrand, Ronald Edward
Mayrand, Veronica Ann
22 Quincy St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/06

Santana, Crucito
Santana, Janet Crespo
182 West Franklin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/06

Shabunin, Vladimir
Shabunin, Alice
168 Mountainview Road,
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/06

Shear, Edward Collin
116 Lancaster Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/25/06

Sherman, Ronald E.
Sherman, Susan A.
1 Comanche Dr.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/06

Singer, Becky Lee
11 Hillside Village
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/06

Sinopoli, John G.
154 McIntosh Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/06

Sinopoli, Nina M.
154 McIntosh Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/06

Stegall, Michelle Renee
261 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/06

Thomas, Beverley N.
4 Daytona St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/20/06

Waring, Cindy Darlene
81 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/24/06

Woods, Tommy
Woods, Blanny
36 Oak Grove Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/06

By
Departments

Springfield Colleges Launches Expansion Project

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College recently conducted groundbreaking ceremonies for its major renovation and expansion of Schoo Hall into a state-of-the-art science teaching facility. The cutting edge interior design of the new facility follows guidelines of the National Science Foundation’s Project Kaleidoscope, which showed that effective undergraduate programs foster hands-on investigative learning. The building is designed to facilitate interaction among students and faculty, laboratory experience, and student research. Faculty members will also conduct research, often involving students, in the building. The $5 million science center is scheduled for completion in early 2007, and will house programs in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computer science. During demolition and construction, the college has relocated classrooms, laboratories, and faculty offices to other areas of the campus. The Schoo Hall renovation is the first campus building project funded through the current $40 million campaign, ‘Leadership for the 21st Century.’ In addition to renovating Schoo Hall, the college plans to construct a new campus union, field house, and wellness center. The campaign will also support additions and improvements to academic programs and a range of current and future needs.

Nicolai Law Group Provides TeleCounsel Benefit to Incubator Firms

SPRINGFIELD — The incubator companies in the Andrew M. Scibelli Enterprise Center at Springfield Technical Community College can now access the TeleCounsel library offered by Nicolai Law Group, P.C. The free service gives the 10 companies access to a password-protected section of Nicolai Law Group’s Web site at www.niclawgrp.com. Companies can then use the firm’s searchable database of more than 500 legal articles and publications. Nicolai Law Group, P.C. officials said that offering this service is part of its ongoing commitment to help businesses grow through access to an extensive and trusted legal resource.

WNEC Receives Merit Awards

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England College (WNEC) was recently honored with a Gold Award for its new undergraduate marketing brochure, titled It’s Your Time, at the 2006 Creative Merit Awards presented by the Ad Club of Western Mass. Contributors to the award-winning project were Debbie Chappell, creative director; Carlos E. Durkin, senior graphic designer, and Mary Mazzaferro, director of copywriting services. All are members of WNEC’s Division of Marketing and External Affairs. Other contributors were photographers Paul Schnaittacher and Pat O’Connor, and printer, Andrews Connecticut. The Creative Merit Awards also featured a student category, and Bill Rinaldi, a recent WNEC graduate, received a Silver Award for his video on the local GoFIT Foundation. His instructor, Brenda Garton, served as adviser and on-air talent for the video.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp Among Globe’s ‘Top 100’

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. was recently ranked by the Boston Globe as one of the 100 top performing Massachusetts-based public companies for the fifth year in a row. The company is one of eight financial services companies in the state and one of four companies in Western Mass. that were selected for the honor. In addition, the company received the highest ranking in Western Mass. and is the only public company selected from Berkshire County. For 2005, the company was ranked 92nd out of 224 Massachusetts-based companies whose stock is publicly traded, based on a composite score ranking of annual growth, annual profit-margin growth, and return on equity.

Shriners Hospital for Children Launches New Campaign

SPRINGFIELD — Shriners Hospital for Children has recruited Stevens Design Studio of Westfield to help establish a new brand image and then implement its comprehensive awareness campaign. The goal of the campaign is to increase recognition of the specialty medical services provided by the hospital. Children are treated at no cost through the Shrine Endowment Fund, the Shriners fraternity, and the generosity of the general public. The campaign first launched with print advertising. Currently, the campaign can be seen throughout the terminals at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn. In addition, new billboards can be seen along Route 291 in Springfield. The campaign will continue to roll out over the coming year and will include print advertising, newspaper inserts, and airport duratrans throughout New England.

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.

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT
Sharifs’ Inc. d/b/a Copycat Print Shop v. Ct. Business Systems LLC d/b/a Bloom’s
Allegation: Breach of servicing equipment contract: $25,000
Date Filed: May 15

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Rugg Lumber Co. Inc. et al v. J.F. Kennedy Corporation et al
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $37,760.05
Date Filed: May 22

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT
Holyoke Mall Co. LP v. Grand Wireless Inc. d/b/a Grand Wireless
Allegation: Breach of contract — Violation of lease: $418,455.74
Date Filed: May 3

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Bowtie Inc. d/b/a Fancy Publications v. Fleming Industries Inc. d/b/a Pet-Medic
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for advertising services: $2,550
Date Filed: May 2

Quality Machine Solutions Inc. v. Topsfield Tool & Engineering Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for services: $17,000
Date Filed: May 2

Construction Service, a division of Dauphinas & Sons Inc. v. J.F. Kenney Corporation
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $9,343.01
Date Filed: May 8

WMECO v. Seawave Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for services: $4,075.39
Date Filed: May 12

Stephen Jaldonski, Architects v. Pearson Systems
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for services: $15,700
Date Filed: May 17

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Haro Bicycle Corp. v. David Axler d/b/a Axler’s Cicycle Corner Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $5,572
Date Filed: April 11

Doing Business As Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of May 2006.

AGAWAM

B & L Construction and Design
115 South West St.
Robert Tareau

Chirgwin Computer & Accounting
19 Cedar Knoll Dr.
Audrey Chirgwin

Commercial Grounds Maintenance Inc.
26 Perry Lane
Stephen Amato

Corner Deli & Variety II
644 Main St.
Dinker Dasai

The Daily Grind
360 North Westfield St.
Paul Bshara

Goulet Real Estate
18 Blacksmith Road
Ronald Goulet

NBS Construction
664 Main St.
Paul Chartier

Tami Lemke At Rosemarie’s Salon
351 Main St.
Tami Lemke

AMHERST

Adair Construction
89 Potwine Lane
Robert Adair

Amy J. Rubin, DVM
390 Potwine Circle

Amy J. Rubin Essentials
28 Amity St.
John Urshel

Hart Graphics
241 Northampton Road
Rita Hart

Left-Click
59A Boltwood Walk
Kelly Albrecht

Pioneer Valley Pizza
20 Belchertown Road
Brian Covel

Welcome to the Zoo
388 North Pleasant St.
Etan Efrati

CHICOPEE

Allen Blanchard
11 Whitman St.
Allen Blanchard

Chuck’s Auto Service
58-68-78 West St.
Charles Swider

Europa Salon & Volpe Nails
1400 Memorial Dr.
Kristine Quiterio

Insta-Comp
671 James St.
Robert Gaudrault

Royal Coach Sales LLC
658 Fuller Road
John Garcia

Sophisticated Cuts
375 Chicopee St.
Caridad Cruz

EAST LONGMEADOW

Baystate Medical Practice
294 North Main St.
Baystate Affiliated Practice
Organization Inc.

K.O. Building & Remodeling
6 Lois St.
James Kelly

Meadows Medical Associates
294 North Main St.
Baystate Affiliated Practice
Organization Inc.

Pattie @ Shapes
219 Shaker Road
Patricia Morin

HADLEY

Alligator Brook Farm
42 Lawrence Plain Road
James Gnatek

Norm’s Auto
11 Railroad St.
Norm Wilber

HOLYOKE

Applied Light
48 Commercial St.
Kathleen Sciabarrasi

Cuba Supermarket
439 High St.
Nuevo Cuba Supermercado
LLC

Jerry’s Auto
901 Main St.
Gerard Duval

Sam’s Food Store
515 High St.
Syed Mohsin Raza

NORTHAMPTON

Buenos Aires Leather Co.
7 Ladyslipper Lane
Brett Stein

Display Design & Management
50 Harrison Ave.
E. John Harlow

Expert Resume Services
12 Crosby St.
Christine Palmieri

Hygeniks
74 Bridge St.
Todd Marchefka

Kristy’s Nails
137-C1 Damon Road
Hoang Mui Nhuc

Primed to Sell
93 High St.
Bernice Andres

SPRINGFIELD

Brenda & Lelly’s Hair Salon
196 Chestnut St.
Justo Rodrieguez

C & C Wholesale Group
121 Goodwin St.
Christopher Mingolla Jr.

Davidson Home Improvement
190 Newton Road
Todd Davidson

Douglas-Allen Inc.
1500 Main St.
Robert Stevens

Express Repair
18 Berkshire Ave.
Marilyn Arce

Franco Hood & Ducts
17 Sumner Ave.
Andrea Franco

Glossy Design
69 Lucerne Road
Latina Duncanson

J.L. Beauregard Properties
92 Lloyd Ave.
James Beauregard

Latina & Co.
876 Sumner Ave.
Elsie Collazo

Over the Rainbow Daycare
24 Harmon Ave.
Patricia Blomquist

Prospect Variety
51 Prospect St.
Clarissa Cepeda

Redbox Automated Retail
1277 Liberty St.
Coinstar Inc.

Ritchie Handyman Service
230 El Paso St.
Ritchie Nebar

7-11
425 Springfield St.
Geoffrey Wilson

Super Class Laundry
1171 Boston Road
Kenny Nguyen

2:30 AM Paperart Designs
34 Front St.
Donna Beck

W.A. Belanger Home
Decorating &
Organization 238 Maple St.
Wendy Belanger

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Absolute Home Improvement
346 Main St.
Raymond Strobel

At One Massage Therapy
1036 Elm St.
Tina Giachello

Bob’s Discount Furniture
135 Memorial Ave.
Robert Kaufman

Breaker’s
1272 Memorial Ave.
LMR Inc.

Castillian Hair Cutters
664 Union St.
Tito Perez

D’Orazio Guitars
54 Christopher Ter.
David Schmidt

Ewect
506 Main St.
Anatoliy Sergeychik

GN General Contractor
24 West School St.
Genady Nemchinsky

Joe’s Garage
2 Elizabeth St.
Stacey Lee Bingle

Lincare Inc.
53 Capital Dr.
Lincare Inc.

Maximum Pawn Co.
1142 Memorial Ave.
Maximino Salvador

Mr. Safety
54 Christopher Ter.
David Schmidt

Pizza King
1130 Memorial Ave.
Maria Hernandez

Sergie Gut Professional Painting
1151 Elm St.
Sergey Gut

Steve’s Sports
94 Front St.
Steve Bordeaux

United Bank Foundation
95 Elm St.
United Charitable Inc.

V3 Construction
101 River St.
Vadim Borodiaev

WESTFIELD

Alumasoft Web Development
132 Valley View Dr.
Natalie St. Jean

Baystate Indoor BMX
459 Russell Road
Todd Bard

Hayrake Farm
1150 East Mountain Road
Christine Buffum

Westfield Auto & Truck Center
86 Summit St.
Nicholas Korny

By
Departments

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

AGAWAM

Champagne & Rinaldi Electrical Contractors Inc.,
41 Jade Lane,
Agawam 01001. Lawrence
W. Rinaldi, same. Electrical
contracting and installation
including alarm systems.

BELCHERTOWN

Blaze Enterprises Inc.,
26 Plaza Ave., Belchertown
01007. Jonah J. Fialkoff,
same. Consulting, advising,
and conferring in the field
of entertainment, etc.

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Chix Inc.,
44 Parenteau Court, Chicopee
01020. David Pise, same.
(Nonprofit) To make
available amateur softball to
young women and girls, etc.

Dynamic Embroidery and Silk Screening Inc.,
23 Jackson St., Chicopee
01020. June E. Langevin,
same. Embroidering and
silk screen for clothing, wall
hangings, uniforms, etc.

TM Design Solutions Inc.,
1 Springfield St., Suite 5D,
Chicopee 01014. Brian C.
Taylor, 239 McCarthy Ave.,
Chicopee 01020.
Mechanical, engineering,
product design.

Wilson’s Paving & Construction Inc.,
604 Montgomery St., Chicopee
01020. Chester F. Wilson,
Jr., same. Commercial and
residential asphalt paving
and construction.

EASTHAMPTON

CitySpace Inc.,
Eastworks
Bldg., 116 Pleasant St.,
Easthampton 01027.
William L. Bundy, 248
South Central St., Plainfield
01070. (Nonprofit) To
develop space committed to
the performing and visual
arts in Franklin,
Hampshire, and Hampden
counties, specifically the old
Town Hall of the city of
Easthampton, etc.

New City Processing Inc.,
2 Mechanic St., Suite C-6,
Easthampton 01027. Wayne
F. Demers, Sr., 8 Blumer
Road, Southampton 01073.
Processing and brokering
mortgages, disbursing loans,
etc.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Katcon Inc.,
26 Deer Park
Dr., East Longmeadow
01028. James M. Quinn, 30
Kenneth Lunden Dr., East
Longmeadow 01028. To deal
in real estate.

Pioneer Valley Independent Health P.C.,
110 Millbrook Dr., E.
Longmeadow 01028. John
E. Murphy, same. To
practice medicine as a
professional corporation.

Young Presidents’ Organization, Berkshire Chapter Inc.,
302 Benton Dr., East Longmeadow
01028. Tyler F. Young, 192
North Road, Hampden
01036. (Nonprofit) To
promote the exchange of
ideas, experiences and
practices pertaining to
business management, etc.

INDIAN ORCHARD

Eddie Painting Inc.,
9 Lawe St., Indian Orchard
01151. Edmund Serafin,
same. Painting services.

Lilli Event Planners Inc.,
33 Fairhaven Dr., Indian
Orchard 01151. Tonya L.
Foggs, same. Planning and
consulting services for
weddings, parties, etc.

LONGMEADOW

Han’s Character for Kids and Adult Smart Programs Inc.,
96 Redfern Dr., Longmeadow 01106. Keun
Soo Han, same. To promote
and develop the public’s
interest in martial arts, etc.

NORTHAMPTON

The Organization for Voter Integrated Democracy Inc.,
49 Market St., Northampton
01060. David McCormic,
same. (Nonprofit) To
promote a more inclusive
Democracy and foster
greater cooperation between
citizens and their elected
officials, etc.

PELHAM

Annwn Foundation Inc.,
29 Buffam Road, Pelham
01002. Neil Anders, same.
(Nonprofit) To educate the
public regarding sustainable
affordable housing, etc.

SOUTH HADLEY

DeoArtur Holdings Inc.,
311 Brainerd St., South
Hadley 01020. Deoclecio J.
Artur, same. Sales,
marketing consultant and
exporting goods.

SOUTHAMPTON

Carolin Ltd., 57 Crooked
Ledge Road, Southampton
01073. Douglas M. Jaciow,
same. Package store.

Yiannis Distributing Co.,
162 College Highway,
Southampton 01073. Ioannis
J. Mirisis, 146 College
Highway, Southampton
01073. Beer and wine
distribution.

SOUTHWICK

Competitive Plumbing Inc.,
17 Babb Road, Southwick
01077. Illia M. Olbrys, same.
Plumbing and heating
services.

SPRINGFIELD

Commonwealth United Mortgage Savings & Loan Investment Corp USA Inc.,
107 College St., Springfield
01109. Teddy Guy, same.
Mortgages.

Karen Real Estate
Investments Inc., 671
Belmont Ave., Springfield
01108. Mihran Arakelian,
same. To deal in real estate.

Lessard Plumbing & Heating Inc.,
12 Arcadia Blvd., Springfield 01118.
Timothy P. Lessard, same.
Plumbing and plumbing
contracting.

WESTFIELD

Whip City Realty Ltd., 97
Woodmont St., Westfield
01085. Maurice H. Valois,
Jr., same. Real estate.

WEST HATFIELD

Vision Machining Inc., 9
West St., West Hatfield
01088. Ross Poudrier, 96
Mountain Road, North
Hatfield 01066. Machining.

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of May 2006.

AGAWAM

Bugmaster Pest Control Services
56 North West St.
Kevin Tessier

Creative Cousins
23 Halladay Dr.
Tina Wetmore

Green Tea Asian Restaurant
365 Walnut St. Ext.
Jiwen Shi

Nef’s Landscaping & Construction
75 River Road
Nefail Ahmeti

AMHERST

Bay Colony Farry
620 Bay Road
Helen Thelen

Tana Productions
310 West St.
Santo Alers

CHICOPEE

Brake King
519 Front St.
Front St. Auto Repair Inc.

Jimmy G’s Grass Cutting
28 Ingham St.
James Glanville

Serenity Salon
472 Burnett Road
Laurie Kareta

EAST LONGMEADOW

Mind — Body Connections
143 East Shaker Road
Cheri Brady

S & P’s Scent-Sational Scents & Gifts
176 North Main St.
Susan Lecuyer, Paul Copeland

HADLEY

Mastercuts
7201 Metro Blvd.
Alison Pearce

HOLYOKE

Sadies
50 Holyoke St.
Sadies LLC

Voltscooter
56 Nonotuck St.
Kenneth Harstine

LONGMEADOW

Mary Demers Massage Therapist
734 Bliss Road
Mary Demers

NORTHAMPTON

Fitzwilly’s
23 Main St.
Fred Gohn

Kidstuff
90 Maple St.
Tami Schirch

Taletfusion
15 Hawley St.
David Pollard

SOUTH HADLEY

Zahsr Inc.
12 Spring Meadows
M. Zubair Kareem

SPRINGFIELD

Alanson Auto Body
7 Ringgold Ave.
Robert Guay

Cordelia’s Florist
377 Belmont Ave.
Claudette Smart

1st Step Productions
83C Mill Park
Gabriel Ortiz Jr.

Just One Touch Barber
180 Eastern Ave.
Mahdee Naylor

Marty’s Real Estate
528 Main St.
Marty’s Inc.

OK Coins
189 Mulberry St.
Robert Cornell

O’Reilly Drywall
99 Granby St.
Sean Reilly

Springfield International Health Center
760 Chestnut St.
P. Kishore

Unburied Talents
47 Milton Court
Annie McNeil

Wally Property
23 Noel St.
Olubowale Shobande

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Arbella Insurance Group
1 Interstate Dr.
Arbella Insurance Group

D.A. Services
207 Morgan Road
John N. Demas

J & P Glass & Mirror
15 Bosworth St.
Josephine Forestier

Main Auto Sales
842 Main St.
William L. Matte

R.G.C.
90 Frederick St.
Yaroslav Zayats

Zephyr’s Express
469 Westfield St.
Karen A. Richard

WESTFIELD

Clark Landscape Service
67 Hawks Circle
Myrl Clark

Northeast Timber Co.
9 Gladwin Dr.
Matthew Swayger

Urban Image
36 Mechanic St.
Omar Martori

By
Departments

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

AGAWAM

Concept Builders Inc.,
1775 Main St., Agawam 01001.
Carlo P. Donavita, 68 Old
Feeding Hills Road, Westfield
01085. A construction company.

Namking Garden Inc.,
115 Southwick St., Agawam
(Feeding Hills) 01030. Kam
Kay Tang, 70 Southwick St.,
Agawam (Feeding Hills)
01030. Restaurant.

Root Technology Inc.,
188 Pine St., Amherst 01002.
Muthoni Magua, same.
(Nonprofit) To provide access
to computer technology to
African youth through
donations of computers and
software to schools.

Belchertown Flag Football League Inc.,
109 Howard St.,
Belchertown 01007. Josh
Kusnierz, same. (Nonprofit) To
create a framework for boys
and girls in Western Mass. to
play flag football games, etc.

BLANDFORD

Music Literacy Inc.,
112 North Blandford Road,
Blandford 01008. Nina Dawe,
same. (Nonprofit) To increase
awareness of the value of
musical educational programs
and technology, fund research
into new ways of teaching
music and into music and the
brain, etc.

CHICOPEE

EJ’s Pizza Cafe Inc.,
140 1/2 Exchange St., Chicopee 01013.
Evelyn Robinson, 57 Felix St.,
Chicopee 01020. Food service.

Sky Dragon Restaurant Inc.,
1995 Memorial Dr., Chicopee
01020. Jin Min Li, same.
Restaurant.

EASTHAMPTON

KSG. Inc.,
121 Holyoke St.,
Easthampton 01027. Scott D.
Akers, same. Pizza restaurant.

HOLYOKE

Ministerio Musical Un Nuevo Renacer Inc.,
14 Quirk Ave,
Holyoke 01040. Edgardo
Santana, same. (Nonprofit) To
make a difference in Christian
communities.

Pereira Mortgage Inc.,
82 Nonotuck St., Holyoke 01040.
Jesus M. Pereira, same.
Mortgages, first and second
liens and construction loans.

INDIAN ORCHARD

No Limit Investment Inc.,
17 Dunhill Ave., Indian Orchard
01151. David Sims, same. Real
estate purchase, improvement
and sales/rental.

LONGMEADOW

Hugh O’Donnell Metallurgical Enterprises Inc.,
389 Converse St.,
Longmeadow 01106. Hugh
O’Donnell, same. To provide
consulting and other services
in the field of metallurgy and
related fields.

LUDLOW

Delisle Management Inc.,
26 Chadbourne Ave., Ludlow
01056. Douglas M. Delisle,
same. Business management
services, coordinating retail
food sale entities.

Hair Gallery & Day Spa Inc.,
345 Holyoke St., Ludlow 01056.
Ann M. Roberts, 424 West St.,
Ludlow 01056. To own and
operate a beauty salon/spa.

PALMER

Computer Training of America Inc.,
1448 North Main
St., Palmer 01069. Thomas M.
Gingras, #2 Woodcrest Dr.,
North Oxford 01537. Computer
training and database
consulting.

Zin Food Corp.,
1432A Main
St., Palmer 01069. Alan R.
Aubin, 29 Highland St., West
Warren 01092. To carry on a
general restaurant, banquet and
catering business.

PLAINFIELD

Ravenwood Freedom Farm and Learning Center Inc.,
63 Hawley St., Plainfield 01070.
Saralinda Lobrose, 122 East
Main St., Plainfield 01070.
(Nonprofit) To provide
educational programs focusing
on the life sustaining
importance of human and
ecological diversity, farm,
nature, and arts-based
programming, etc.

SOUTHAMPTON

Opa Opa Brewing Co. Inc.,
162 College Highway, Southampton
01073. Antonios Rizos, 2 Geryk
Court, Southampton 01073.
Marketing, importing, exporting
and distribution of brewery
products.

RJM Landscaping Inc.,
33 Pomeroy Meadow Road,
Southampton 01073. Richard J.
Miller, same. Landscaping.

SPRINGFIELD

272 Worthington Street Inc.,
272 Worthington St.,
Springfield 01103. Paul V.
Ramesh, 935 Main St.,
Springfield 01103. Restaurant
and bar.

Dong Ting II Inc.,
19 Abbott St., Springfield 01118. Xiao
Ting Dong, same. Food service.
Harry Van Wart Painting Inc.,
160 Cambria St., Springfield
01118. Harry Van Wart, same.
Residential and commercial
painting.

Mason Square Veterans Association Inc.,
59 Tyler St.,
Springfield 01109. Richard
Horace Griffin, 252 King St.,
Springfield 01109. (Nonprofit)
To assist veterans and their
dependents access federal, state,
local and veterans benefits, etc.

NAOS Development Corp.,
100 Wait St., Springfield 01107.
Jae Wook Jee, 525 Hillside
Ave., Palisades Park, N.J.
06650. Bernal E. Ramirez, 100
Watt St., Springfield 01107,
registered agent. To engage in
the construction industry.

RBSGD Unlimited Inc.,
171 Belvidere St., Springfield 01108.
Grace Murray, same. To own
and operate a restaurant.

WESTFIELD

March for Christ — March for Life Inc.,
26 St. Paul St., Westfield 01085. Deborah Olive
Nilesmorgan, same. (Nonprofit)
To organize Christian marches,
gatherings and events for the
sole purpose of Christian
outreach ministry.

WILBRAHAM

Creative Woodworking Corp.,
995 Stony Hill Road,
Wilbraham 01095. Jim
Goodrich, same. Construction.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Arena’s Fencing Inc.,
168 Windsor St., West Springfield
01089. Mark A. Arena, 127
Coyote Circle, Feeding Hills
01030. To install and deal in
fencing items.

United Charitable Foundation,
95 Elm St., West Springfield
01089. Dena M. Hall, same.
(Foreign corp; DE) To conduct
charitable activities.

OPINION

By
Opinion
Higher Education Must Remain ‘Affordable’

Community colleges across the country promise access to higher education at an affordable price. These two-year institutions are low in cost and high in value. They are academically supportive, offer flexible class schedules, and respond quickly to the needs of the surrounding community and its employers.

However, the first part of that promise – affordability – is endangered in Massachusetts.

A recent study by MassINC (the Mass. Institute for a New Commonwealth) reveals that the state’s enviable array of private four-year colleges are rapidly rising in price – with tuition now accounting for 33% of a family’s income, as opposed to 25% in 1992-93. Our four-year public colleges are reflecting a similar increase — from 18% to 21% of a family’s income.

As Massachusetts residents turn to community colleges, the traditionally most affordable sector of higher education, where more than half of our residents begin their college careers, they discover that these costs are also rising. For these students, who are often the first in their families to attend college, and generally hold down a part-time or even full-time job, any increase in fees can mean the difference between going to college and going without.

Community colleges are still an unbeatable value, frequently charging only one-tenth the cost of private colleges. Community colleges are the entry to rewarding careers and a low-cost foundation toward a bachelor’s degree.

At this crucial time for the Massachusetts economy — when large numbers of taxpayers are moving out of state for perceived better opportunities and when our innovation economy and current industry are dependent on educated employees — the governor and our Legislature must follow through on the plan to adequately support public higher education.

Our public higher education institutions, once described as state-supported, have for the past decade been more accurately described as state-assisted. Massachusetts, as a high-income state, has the ability to do more for public higher education, but actually ranks 49th in the country in per-capita support for its public institutions.

As a result of the significant decline in support, our annual state appropriation barely covers the cost of employee payroll. This leaves the colleges to find their own operating funds. One result is that maintenance is generally deferred – leaving power plants, buildings, and equipment to continue to deteriorate. And last year, our energy costs rose by a combined total of nearly $1 million at STCC, HCC, and GCC.

Our colleges have become more nimble and creative in pursuing grants and private funding. Capital and major gift campaigns, once the province of private institutions, are increasingly common at state institutions. And as a last resort, colleges have been forced to raise their fees, supplementing inadequate state aid by increasing direct costs to the group that can least afford them – our students. This trend must be reversed.

Our state legislators worked diligently this year to create a seven-year plan to fill the identified funding gap in our public institutions. A joint task force studied the needs for our state and drew up a comprehensive plan which, as the Public Higher Education bill, was passed by the House and moved to the Senate. We urge the Senate to meet the challenge of passing Bill 2380, to carry out this plan and adequately fund the institutions that represent the future success of our young people and our commonwealth.

“Higher education is the gateway to the American dream,” says Ian Bowles, president and CEO of MassINC. “But its cost is accelerating much faster than income … as a region that is struggling with a high cost of living and the out-migration of young families, we should make this challenge a priority.”-

Robert Pura is president of Greenfield Community College, and chairman of the Massachusetts Community Colleges Presidents’ Council; William Messner is president of Holyoke Community College; Ira H. Rubenzahl is president of Springfield Technical Community College

Belchertown Project Captures the Imagination

By
Opinion

We’ll admit, we had doubts — many of them.

A resort spa? In Belchertown? At the old state school site?

The concept sounded intriguing, but also somewhat far-fetched, given the geography — Belchertown isn’t easy to get to from anywhere — and also the town’s struggles to find a workable game plan for the school grounds, which have been decaying since the facility closed in 1992. People were talking about everything from a jail to a national music center. But it was all talk.

Roughly two years after the resort spa idea was first put on the table, however plans are coming together for what is to be the largest private development in Western or Central Mass. — ever, with a pricetag that could approach $150 million. A purchase–and–sale agreement on the property was inked last week, another important milestone in the development of the 400-acre site by a Chicago-based outfit called Bridgeland Development, LLC.

The company was formed by Paul McDermott, who has extensive experience working on large-scale developments of this type. His resume includes work on the redevelopment of the Glenview Naval Air Station in Illinois, a $1 billion project; another base-closure redevelopment at the Orlando Naval Training Center; and ongoing development of a 1,200-acre site on the grounds of closed a textile mill complex in Rock Hill, S.C.

McDermott will call on all of those experiences as he develops a vision for the Belchertown State School property, which is a blank canvas that he is starting to color in.

Watching the project take shape will likely be an exciting spectator sport in the Pioneer Valley, although many will do much more than sit and watch. Indeed, the project appears to have captured the imagination of residents and business owners across the region, and if that energy is channeled into the venture, what is now being called the Quabbin Resort Development could be a real spark for this area.

And as we’ve said many times, the region needs one. There hasn’t been much in the way of economic development in the area over the past decade or so, and relatively few new jobs have been added. Instead, many businesses — and people — have left.

Regional economic development leaders are working with their counterparts in Connecticut to market the stretch between Hartford and Amherst as one economic market, known as the Knowledge Corridor. The two states hope to take advantage of the many colleges and universities in the ‘corridor’ and their graduates to lure companies across several sectors. Thus far, it hasn’t happened, and people are still talking about ‘potential’ and the future.

That’s why the Belchertown project is so intriguing — and important; it’s happening.

Plans are still preliminary, but the Quabbin Resort Development could include a destination resort spa with related, wellness-oriented businesses and attractions. The planned mix — again, a work in progress — could include everything from a hotel to an equestrian center; restaurants to hiking trails; senior housing to a micro brewery.

But could it really happen? In Belchertown?

McDermott certainly things so, and his resume and track record show that he can, indeed, take massive, highly complex projects from the drawing board to reality. He believes he can put the pieces together, as evidenced by his company’s financial commitment to the venture.

McDermott told BusinessWest recently that these large-scale development projects succeed through the creation of momentum. It starts with a few key players getting involved, he explained, and soon, as the picture comes together, other parties want to become part of something exciting. It happened in Illinois, at ‘The Glen’ development, and it is happening in Eastern Mass. with the ongoing redevelopment of Fort Devens.

The Quabbin Resort Development has a very long way to go. It will take years, perhaps a decade or more for the vision to completely shape. And who knows what the market will deem economically viable for that site.

But the project has already succeeding in capturing the region’s imagination, and prompting people to think about what can happen in the Pioneer Valley — not what can’t, or probably won’t, happen.

We could use some more of that around here.-

By
Departments

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

Adams, Eboni N.
241 Jackson St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/10/06

Albano, Mariarosaria
42 Maryland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter:
Filing Date: 04/14/06

Ambridge, Nelson L.
28 East Silver St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/10/06

Avery, Robert E Avery, Melissa M
2261 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/13/06

Berthiaume, Jaime Lee
124 Shearer St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/08/06

Brooks, Heather R.
322 Columbus Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/10/06

Brown, Patricia R.
52 Garden St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/07/06

Cheeks, Timothy Christopher
134 Groton St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/10/06

Daly, Robin M.
85 West Housatonic St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/13/06

Doughty, Abby M.
475 Riceville Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/07/06

Hazen, Bruce F. Hazen, Nancy M.
87 Coolidge St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/07/06

Lawton, Elwyn T. Lawton, Laurie E.
15 Oaklawn Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/06/06

Loughman, John J.
33 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/10/06

Murphy, Heather J.
61 Pine Tree Ter.
South Barre, MA 01074
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/07/06

Ocasio, Siomara
102 Putnam Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/06/06

Poirier, Cynthia J.
181 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/10/06

Robins, Marion F.
293 High St.
Dalton, MA 01226
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/11/06

Rodriguez, Hector Manuel Rodriguez, Lisa Ivelinda
3 Litchfield St., #1
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/12/06

Salzarulo, Scott M.
200 West Housatonic St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/11/06

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of May 2006.

AMHERST

Amherst-Colonial Village LLC
81 Belchertown Road 33
$13,000 — New vinyl siding,
shutters and gutters

Amherst Commercial LTD Partnership
388 Northampton Road, Bldg. 2
$28,000 — Re-roof, install drip
edge and ice and water shield

Elysium LLC
100 University Dr.
$10,000 — Interior alterations

GPT-RG Amherst LLC
422 Belchertown Road 147-162
$18,252 — Re-roof

Planet Beach Tanning Salon
181 University Dr. B
$30,000 — To build out interior
space for tanning spa

EAST LONGMEADOW

Strawberries
446 North Main St.
$50,000 — Interior alterations

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Mall Co.
50 Holyoke St.
$155,000 — Remodel Vitamin
World

NORTHAMPTON

City of Northampton
137 High St.
$15,000 — Construct Handicap
Ramp – Buildings M & Q

Guerra Claudio
12 Crafts Ave.
$8,760 — Construct awning in
alleyway

Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$395,000 — Building for woodfired
heat plant

Hampshire Franklin & Hampden Counties
Fairgrounds – 54 Fair St.
$9,000 — Interior alterations

Service Properties Inc.
82 Conz St.
$4,000 — Erect shed for
landscape equipment

SPRINGFIELD
Christ Church Cathedral
37 Chestnut St.
$60,000 — Renovate men’s and
women’s rooms

Salvation Army
285 Liberty St.
$74,675 — Interior renovation

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Famous Footwear
935 Riverdale St.
$160,000 — Renovate retail
space

By
Departments

Florence Savings Bank Continues Strong Growth

FLORENCE — Florence Savings Bank’s first-quarter financial results indicate a continuation of its strong growth trend, according to John F. Heaps, Jr., president. Total assets at the end of the first quarter stood at $883.8 million, an increase of $51.6 million or 6.2% from the corresponding period last year. Growth in the bank’s loan portfolio was the primary source of the asset growth. Total loans ended the quarter at $531.8 million, up $71.7 million or 15.6% from the prior year. The loan growth was fueled by increases in both residential real estate loans and equity loans. Residential real estate loans were up $49.7 million or 15.8%, ending the quarter at $364.8 million, and equity loans increased 39.8% or $19.2 million, ending the quarter at $67.5 million. Total deposits were $633.9 million at the end of March, up $31.2 million or 5.2% from March 2005 levels.

MassMutual Offers Weekly Podcast To Field Sales Force

SPRINGFIELD — While many people use their computers or MP3 players to download music, TV shows, and movies, MassMutual is taking podcasting to new levels by providing its field sales force with company news, product information, and marketing tips on a weekly basis. MassMutual’s National Center for Professional Development (NCPD), a unit providing training content and opportunities for its field force, writes, produces and distributes a weekly 15-minute audio podcast – a digital audio file delivered via the Internet – to field representatives. Currently, more than 700 of MassMutual’s field force subscribe to the free weekly program, and that number continues to grow. Subscribers provide regular feedback to the NCPD on content they would like to hear, which results in timely and informative programs that speak directly to the interests of listeners.

Easthampton Savings Bank Surpasses $675M in Assets

EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton Savings Bank’s assets were at $675.9 million at the end of the first quarter, according to William S. Hogan, Jr., president. The bank’s total assets were up $32.2 million from a year ago, an increase of 5%, and total assets were up $8 million for the quarter. Also, loans total more than $502 million, with the total loan portfolio increased $31 million, while deposit growth was $17 million or 3% from this time last year, an increase of $11 million or 9% for the quarter. Total deposits are now at $525 million.

UMass Breaks Ground for Environmentally Friendly Heating Plant

AMHERST — Groundbreaking ceremonies were recently staged for a $118.7 million central heating plant at UMass Amherst. The facility will replace an obsolete, coal-burning facility built in the 1940s. Fueled by natural gas and oil, the new plant will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions upon its scheduled completion in March 2008. The plant is designed to meet the campus demand for steam and will satisfy nearly all of the demand for electricity, and will comply with some of the most rigorous air quality requirements in the U. S. The facility will be located adjacent to the Amherst wastewater treatment plant on the western edge of the campus, overlooking playing fields. Housed in a 45,000-square-foot building with a 95,000-square-foot big roof that covers both the energy facility and associated storage tanks, the plant will have the look of a field house.

Bank Featured in American Banker; Opens NY Branch

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc., and its subsidiary, Berkshire Bank, were recently featured in American Banker, the daily trade publication for the U. S. banking industry. The article discusses how the bank has grown since late 2002, under the direction of President and CEO Michael P. Daly. In other news, the bank recently opened a full-service branch at Delaware Plaza in Delmar, N.Y.

Smith & Wesson Lands $8M Contract

SPRINGFIELD — The California Highway Patrol recently ordered 9,700 stainless steel tactical pistols from Smith & Wesson, valued at approximately $8 million. The model 4006TSW pistols will be shipped over an 18-month period beginning in June. The pistols are priced at about $850 each and will replace earlier versions of the model 4006, which the California officers have used since 1990.

Businesses Receive CMA Awards

SPRINGFIELD — lshd Advertising Inc. recently won 17 Creative Merit Awards (CMA) at the Ad Club of Western Massachusetts’ annual awards show. lshd received top awards for Blackstone Medical Inc.’s “NASS Trade Show Promotional Campaign,” MassMutual’s “8-Ball” direct mail and landing page and “Prepared USA” ad and Tip in Brochure, as well as First Pioneer’s Annual Report and “USCRA Vintage Grand Prix” 4+ color poster. As part of the annual awards, the Ad Club also recognizes results. For the fifth consecutive year, lshd won the coveted Dynamic Impact Award for its results-driven campaign for MassMutual. Additionally, the firm won four Silvers, one of which was Holyoke Medical Center’s ‘A Star Is Born’ radio campaign, and seven Bronze Awards. Clients included MassMutual, Blackstone Medical Inc., Nufern, Deerfield Urethane, Heat-fab, Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense and Farm Credit. Lenox Softworks also received a Gold Merit Award for its Lexington Group’s Web site entry in the Electronic/Interactive Media-web site category. The Lexington Group web site features a series of animated scenes of modern office space. For a complete list of Ad Club winners, visit www.adclubwm.org.

Titan Roofing Recognized By Firestone Building Products

CHICOPEE — Titan Roofing Inc. is a recipient of the 2006 Firestone Master Contractor Award from the Firestone Building Products Company. The yearly award recognizes a company’s dedication to installing quality roofing systems. This recognition marks the 19th time Titan Roofing has achieved Master Contractor status. Firestone-licensed contractors earn the Master Contractor Award each year based on total square footage and quality points accumulated for achieving exceptional inspection ratings on Firestone Red Shield warranted RubberGard™ EPDM, UltraPly™ TPO and asphalt based roofing system installations.

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.

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Kelly Fradet Lumber Co. Inc. v. Eric Weichselbaumer and Sara Weichselbaumer d/b/a Avalanche
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $16,338.83
Date Filed: April 4

WMECO v. Steve Brody d/b/a Furniture Distributors LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for services: $2,114.23
Date Filed: April 4

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Tital Roofing Inc. v. Castagna Construction Corp.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered and services: $24,332.29
Date Filed: April 6

By
Departments

SBA Workshop

May 23: The U.S. Small Business Administration and Strategic & Learning Services Inc. will present a workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for small businesses in areas of high unemployment and low income, small disadvantaged businesses, and 8(a) and HUBZone certified businesses. Topics will include strategies for obtaining and managing government contracts, marketing, tips on retaining and managing employees, leveraging relationships and succession plans and exit strategies. The workshop will take place at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, One Federal St., Springfield. To register or for more information, visit www.sls-7J.net or call Kathleen Doherty at (800) 827-3500. Attendees will be eligible for a 90-day follow-up training session that will feature additional management and technical assistance.

‘Instant Persuasion’

May 23: Author Laurie Puhn will present Instant Persuasion: How To Change Your Words To Change Your Life from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center in Northampton. Puhn will offer practical rules for activating one’s innate power of persuasion to help people quickly and easily reduce conflict and get what they want in their personal and professional lives. The event is part of the Family Business Center Dinner Forum series through the UMass Family Business Center. For registration information, call (413) 545-1537 or visit www.umass.edu/fambiz.

Paradise City Arts Festival

May 27-29: More than 90 new exhibitors along with the established favorites will participate in the Memorial Day weekend Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton. Visitors can relax to the sounds of live jazz under the festival dining tent while sampling some of the newest menu additions from Northampton’s chefs and explore the 200-foot Sculpture Garden. For more information on the festival, visit www.paradisecityarts.com.

Party with the Animals Fundraiser

June 24: The Forest Park Zoo and Education Center in Springfield will host its annual fundraiser, Party With the Animals, beginning at 6 p.m. A new partnership with Outback Steakhouse promises to make the event on the grounds of the zoo a memorable affair. Highlights of the evening also include a 17-piece swing band for dancing and live and silent auctions. For ticket information, call Allison at (413) 733-2251, ext. 10.

By
Departments


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

Bray, Elizabeth H.
14 Dale St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/06

Bridge, Patricia A.
41 Mountain Road
Erving, MA 01344
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/29/06

Buteau, Robert F.
Buteau, Denise Rolande
140 Maple St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/30/06

Buzzeo, Robert H.
138 St. James Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/30/06

Connors, Linda
P.O. Box 832
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/06

Fanion, Richard J.
3 Dubois St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/27/06

Fields, Peggy J.
414 Chestnut St.
Apt. #1009
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/30/06

Giard, Jeanne E.
42 Purrington Lane
Colrain, MA 01340
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/30/06

Hoff, Glenn D.
Hoff, Bianca S.
43 Darlene Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/04/06

Holden, Michael S.
103 Wallingford Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/31/06

House, Rosemary
483 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/30/06

LaRoche, Michael P.
1006 Templeton Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/29/06

Leary, Terrance W.
Leary, Sandra M.
43 Arden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/31/06

Lent, Daniel D.
51 Queen St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/30/06

Murray, Michael W.
Murray, Kathryn A.
37 Thayer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/31/06

Ortiz, Jose I.
145 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/30/06

Pigeon, Mary S.
49 Grandview Ter.
Building 4, Apt. 41
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/27/06

Pouliot, Adam L
75 Berkshire St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/04/06

Rivas, Hector M.
1163 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/31/06

Rivera, Mindy Kim
874 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/06

Rowbotham, Deborah A.
78 Hampden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/06

Roy, Averi Willow
39 Westbrook Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/06

Searles, Robert James
43 Clubhouse Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/31/06

Sherman, Wendy Sue
43 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/28/06

Sugrue, John M.
Sugrue, Constance J.
440 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/30/06

Woods, Joanne
110 Vincent St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/29/06

Yurko, Diana M.
22 Phoenix St., 2nd Fl.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/29/06

By
Departments

UMass Professor Tapped for FDIC Post

AMHERST — Sheila C. Bair, a professor at the Isenberg School of Management at the UMass Amherst, has received the endorsement of the White House for the post of chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission. President Bush is expected to nominate Bair for the post which would be for a five-year term, and as a member through 2013. Bair, of Amherst, has a varied financial background including serving as senior vice president of government relations for the New York Stock Exchange from 1995 to 2000, and as a acting chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission from 1991 to 1995. Currently, she teaches courses on insurance and corporate governance at the Isenberg School.

New England College Costs Consuming Growing Share of Family Income

BOSTON — Since 1992-93, the costs of attending New England colleges have grown considerably for families, even though both family incomes and grant aid have increased, according to a research report recently released by The Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC). Paying for College: The Rising Cost of Higher Education shows that families with students attending private colleges in New England are spending a third of their annual income on tuition, required fees, and living expenses. This represents a significant rise from 1992-93 when families spent 25% of their incomes. Families are also spending more to send a student to the region’s public four-year colleges. To cover these growing costs, more students and parents are taking out loans. Student debt load has increased significantly – even after adjusting for inflation – over the past decade. At public four-year colleges, fourth-year students hold an average debt of $15,399, a 39% increase since 1992-93. “Higher education is the gateway to the American Dream,” said Ian Bowles, President & CEO of MassINC. “But its cost is accelerating much faster than incomes, even more so in New England than the nation. As a region that is struggling with a high cost of living and the outmigration of young families, we should make this challenge a priority.” Sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Paying for College examines the impact of New England college costs on families and students as well as the factors that contribute to those costs. While the long-term value of a college degree may left taking on debt to obtain it, many students leave school without earning a degree. College dropouts often incur the double burden of loan repayments without the economic advantages that a degree provides. The average costs of tuition and fees at public colleges in Massachusetts are higher than the national averages. In 2005-06, the average cost of the state’s private four-year colleges was $27,780, 31% higher than the national average. The average cost of the state’s community colleges was $3,477, 59% higher than the national average. “Our state depends on talented college graduates to drive its economy and bring depth to its civic life,” said Peter Meade, Executive Vice President of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. “We must work on improving graduation rates while keeping a first-class public higher education affordable for everyone.” The full report can be viewed at the MassINC Web site – www.massinc.org.

A.I.M. Sees Business Confidence Slip in April

BOSTON — In a recent survey of employers across the state, business confidence declined less than one point in April to stand at 57.4 on the Business Confidence Index, according to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (A.I.M.). The index calculations are based on results of scores higher or lower than 50. Results registering above 50 indicate optimism by employers while results below 50 signal pessimism. Overall, respondents expect the state’s economy to improve in the next six months, however, results will be less than what had been anticipated earlier in the year. Most employers felt that the state needs an economic stimulus bill to make it easier to do business in Massachusetts.

Stormwater Education Campaign Underway

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, in concert with the Stormwater Subcommittee of the Connecticut River Cleanup Committee, is launching a public education campaign about water pollution and protecting water resources from common pollutants found in stormwater. The multi-year regional public education and outreach program aims to raise awareness about how our daily activities affect the water resources around us. The outreach program will instruct people about better ways to manage landscape fertilizers, pet waste, car washing, and leaking car oil. Each of these activities generates waste products that are picked up by stormwater runoff and transported to rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and wetlands, causing pollution. Information will be disseminated to the public through newspapers, local cable access television stations, displays at town offices and libraries, town web sites and other venues. For more information, contact PVPC Senior Planner Anne Capra at [email protected] or (413) 781-6045.

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of April 2006.

AMHERST

Amherst-Colonial Village LLC
81 Belchertown Road 25
$13,000 — New vinyl siding,
shutters, and gutters

Amherst Commercial LTD
362 Northampton Road,
Bldg. 3
$28,000 — Re-roof, install
drip edge and ice and water
shield

Chris & Laurel Peltier
691 South East St.
$22,000 — Convert existing
building from business to
single-family home

GPT-RG Amherst LLC
422 Belchertown Road
$18,252 — Re-roof

Pizza Shark
17B Montague Road
$14,000 — Interior
alterations

EAST LONGMEADOW

East Longmeadow High
School
180 Maple St.
$5,000 — Erect two dugouts

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Mall Co.
50 Holyoke St.
$371,136 — Renovate store

Holyoke Mall Co.
50 Holyoke St.
$159,000 — Remodel Select
Comfort

NORTHAMPTON

Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$21,000 — Interior alterations

Emerald City Partners LLC
17 New South St.
$85,000 — Interior
renovations

ERB Maribeth
274 Pleasant St.
$23,310 — Repartitioning of
existing space

Quickbeam Realty Trust
429 Pleasant St.
$3,200 — Interior alterations

Smith College
25 Henshaw Ave.
$3,000 — Install new shower

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Health
759 Chestnut St.
$48,000 — Interior renovations

Mercy Hospital
300 Stafford St.
$9,650 — Interior renovations

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Westfield Bank
780 Memorial Ave.
$30,000 — Erect ATM