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The Numbers Game at UMass

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Opinion

Editorial

A recent report issued by the Pioneer Institute, a conservative-leaning, Boston-based think tank, brought a new wave of criticism to the admissions practices at the University of Massachusetts and its flagship campus in Amherst, but what it really did — we hope — is open some eyes to some of the alarming trends in higher education today.

The report, released late last month, revealed that out-of-state applicants are often getting in at the expense of in-state residents with higher grade-point averages and SAT scores. The average GPA for admitted out-of-state students was 3.78, while for Massachusetts students it was 3.97.

Stating the blatantly obvious, Mary Connaughton, co-author of the report, said it isn’t supposed to be this way. “It’s actually heartbreaking,” she told the Boston Globe. “We don’t want our kids left out in the cold.”

Indeed, we don’t. But we need a much deeper analysis of the numbers and, more importantly, some aggressive action taken by the state elected leaders to perhaps reverse them.

Out-of-state students are preferred in this environment because they pay higher rates. Meanwhile, competition for those students (and all students, for that matter) is especially keen as high-school graduating classes continue to shrink in size, and that’s why out-of-state applicants are getting admitted to the Amherst campus with lower GPAs than young people in Chicopee, Lowell, and Fall River.

As the Pioneer Institute said, in essence, that’s bad — because this is the state university we’re talking about. It’s there, primarily, to serve state residents, especially as a lower-cost alternative to the many, many exemplary private colleges and universities in this and other states.

Through the decades, it has filled this role well, even as its stature has increased and it has become much more than a ‘fall-back school’ — a phrase used by so many who went there in the ’70s and ’80s to capture how it became their choice after they couldn’t get into, or couldn’t afford, those aforementioned private schools.

But in recent years, changing financial conditions have forced changes in admission policies, and we choose those words carefully. As the state’s commitment to higher education wavered, the university was seemingly left with little choice but to favor out-of-state students and the higher tuitions they paid.

There are other reasons for admitting out-of-students; for starters, they want to come here because of the excellence of the programs, which is a good thing, but the school also wants to create needed diversity by admitting students from other parts of the country and other parts of the world.

But mostly, it’s about money. The estimated cost of attending UMass Amherst for an in-state resident is just under $30,000; conversely, for an out-of-state resident, it’s between $47,600 and $49,000. You can do the math.

And so can the people trying to administer programs at the flagship campus. They would appear to have two choices: admit more in-state residents and incur losses in revenue that threaten quality of programs and perhaps the existence of others, or admit more out-of-state students.

The latter has been the course, and in 2016, the school actually gave more admissions to students who lived outside the state than to those who called the Baystate home — although, overall, more than 75% of those attending the school are from Massachusetts.

School officials believe that’s a good number. The Pioneer Institute doesn’t, and Connaughton believes the state should consider a cap — perhaps 18%, the number used by some other states — on out-of-state admissions so that deserving state residents don’t lose out.

We have a better idea — stronger support of higher education at the state level so those reviewing admissions applications don’t have to make the amount of tuition a student can pay the first number they look at.

Briefcase

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Briefcase Departments

MGM Springfield, PVTA Introduce ‘the Loop’

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) have joined forces to create the Loop — a new public transportation service linking downtown tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, and arts and culture destinations to provide a more robust travel experience for Springfield visitors. Debuting Aug. 24 as part of MGM Springfield’s opening day, the Loop will connect Springfield’s most storied landmarks, including Union Station, the Springfield Armory, Springfield Museums, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and MGM Springfield. The Loop schedule is designed with visitors in mind. In addition to stops at cultural highlights, the shuttle also will make stops at MassMutual Center, Holiday Inn Express, Sheraton, Hampton Inn, and La Quinta Inn & Suites. The Loop will run Wednesdays through Sundays from Union Station from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and complete a full circuit in 60 minutes during the day and 40 minutes in the evening. Traveling on the Loop will be free. Sandra Sheehan, administrator with the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, noted that the Loop will be operated with a zero-emissions electric bus as part of PVTA’s goal of providing sustainable transportation. As part of its host-community agreement, MGM Springfield will provide PVTA with financial support to operate and maintain the Loop. This includes maintenance and insurance of the vehicle, as well as the costs associated with the hiring, supervising, and compensating the driver.

 

Massachusetts Business Organizations Issue Plan to Reduce Healthcare Costs

BOSTON — Twenty prominent Massachusetts business organizations representing thousands of employers announced an initiative to save $100 million in healthcare costs by reducing avoidable use of hospital emergency departments. The newly formed Massachusetts Employer-Led Coalition to Reduce Health Care Costs will work with doctors, hospitals, and health insurers to reduce inappropriate use of emergency departments (EDs) by 20% in two years. State officials estimate that 40% of ED visits are avoidable, a pattern that costs $300 million to $350 million annually for commercially insured members alone. Coalition leaders Richard Lord, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), and Eileen McAnneny, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation (MTF), say the group will help employers take a direct role in the health and healthcare of their employees and beneficiaries. Healthcare industry organizations — including the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Assoc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Assoc. of Health Plans, and the Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians — are committed to be strategic partners with the coalition. The coalition’s goal is to shift as many avoidable ED visits as possible to high-value, lower-cost settings to relieve crowded EDs, reduce the cost of care, and improve quality. Most ED use is necessary, appropriate, and in many cases life-saving. However, providers and payers broadly agree that shifting ED use for non-urgent health problems to more timely, appropriate settings will improve quality and patient experience, and lower the cost of care. Upper respiratory infections, skin rashes, allergies, and back pain are among the most common conditions for which Massachusetts patients seek care in the ED unnecessarily, and the cost of an ED visit can be five times that of care provided in a primary-care or urgent-care setting. The coalition will focus on four tactics for change:

• Work with employers to communicate information about avoidable ED use with employees and families so they can get the best possible care in settings such as primary-care practices, retail clinics, and urgent-care centers;

• Track and publicly report the rate of avoidable ED visits so employers, stakeholders, and the public may understand and tackle the scope of the issue;

• Work with labor unions, healthcare providers, health plans, employers, and employees to reward and encourage the appropriate use of the ED by aligning financial incentives, and bolster the availability of care in the community, especially during nights and weekends; and

• Advocate for policy changes that will advance new care delivery and payment models, such as accountable-care organizations, telemedicine, and mobile integrated health, which, combined, can improve access to timely care in the right setting.

Massachusetts Jobless Rate Holds Steady in April

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained at 3.5% in April, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts added 6,100 jobs in April. Over the month, the private sector added 5,900 jobs, as gains occurred in education and health services; professional, scientific, and business services; other services; financial activities; and trade, transportation, and utilities. Government also added jobs over the month. From April 2017 to April 2018, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 47,600 jobs. The April unemployment rate was four-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.9% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The labor force increased by 20,900 from 3,683,700 in March, as 19,700 more residents were employed and 1,300 more residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9% in April 2017. The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — is up over the month four-tenths of a percentage point at 66.0%. Compared to April 2017, the labor-force participation rate is up four-tenths of a percentage point. The largest private sector percentage job gains over the year were in construction; professional, scientific, and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services. Meanwhile, the largest job gains occurred in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Springfield, Barnstable, Worcester, Lowell-Billerica-Amesbury, and Framingham areas.

Opioid-related Overdose Deaths Continue to Decline in Massachusetts

BOSTON — Opioid-related overdose deaths continued to decline overall year over year in Massachusetts, according to the latest quarterly opioid-related deaths report released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The quarterly report found that, for the first three months of 2018, opioid-related overdose deaths declined by an estimated 5% over the first three months of 2017, according to preliminary data. The report also found that the total number of estimated and confirmed opioid-related deaths for 2017 is 2,016, which is 133 fewer deaths than the 2,149 estimated and confirmed deaths in 2016, or a 6% decline.

Baystate Franklin Medical Center Reaches Agreement with Nurses

GREENFIELD — Baystate Franklin Medical Center recently announced it has reached agreement on a new five-year contract with the Massachusetts Nurses Assoc. (MNA) on behalf of BFMC registered nurses. According to Baystate Franklin officials, the hospital is committed to staffing models that maintain its flexibility to address individual patient care needs in a sustainable way. Baystate Health now has no open union contracts and has reached agreement on five union contracts within the past 14 months.

Think Before Clicking That Link

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Opinion

Opinion

By Beth Haddock

The e-mail can arrive in your inbox cleverly disguised, appearing to come from your boss, a co-worker, or some other person, business, or organization you trust.

But click on a link or attachment as instructed, and you could be in for a headache. You’ve just given cybercriminals access to your company’s data — and potentially put the business out of compliance with federal laws and regulations about protecting that data.

Phishing attacks are one of the most common security challenges individuals and businesses face when it comes to keeping information secure. The phisher’s goal is to steal sensitive and confidential information. That information could include Social Security numbers, credit-card and bank-account numbers, medical or educational records, dates of birth, and e-mail addresses.

That’s problematic because federal regulations may require that your business keep certain information secure. Just as an example, health providers are expected to safeguard the medical records of patients under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Such compliance issues can create unwelcome complications for businesses, which is why they need to be proactive in addressing phishing. Here are a few steps they can take to protect themselves.

Educate employees. The first line of defense against phishing is employees, because they are the ones likely to be targeted. Make them aware of the concerns and tell them to be suspicious of e-mails that offer them links with little explanation, or that ask for sensitive data, even if it appears to be coming from a trusted source.

Reassess who has access to data. Because employee mistakes are the most likely cause of a breach, retraining alone may not get the job done. A business or organization may want to take another look at who should have access to all that sensitive data, and make adjustments where possible.

If a breach happens, take action. You can’t just ignore the data breach. Right away, your IT team needs to be notified so they can get to work handling the breach. At the same time, it’s important to immediately contact your compliance officer or attorney so they can take appropriate steps for reporting the breach to the proper regulatory agencies.

These phishing expeditions from cybercriminals represent a serious challenge for businesses and for their compliance officers. It’s critical to be aware of the threat and to know that there are steps you can take to reduce your risk and avoid finding yourself out of compliance with regulations that govern your sensitive data.

Beth Haddock, CEO and founder of Warburton Advisers, is the author of Triple Bottom-Line Compliance: How to Deliver Protection, Productivity and Impact. She has more than 20 years of experience as a compliance and business executive, and her consulting firm provides sustainable governance and compliance solutions to leading international corporations, technology companies, and nonprofits.

Company Notebook

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Company Notebook Departments

First-ever Improv Theater in Region to Open in Hadley

HADLEY — Happier Valley Comedy announced the opening of the first-ever improv theater in Western Mass., to be located at 1 Mill Valley Road in Hadley. The local improv company will provide regular shows, classes, and professional and personal development services. It will be the only improv theater in the state outside of the Boston region. Happier Valley Comedy’s recent fundraising effort raised close to $27,000, making it possible to begin immediate construction of a 70-seat theater and classroom space in the new complex along Route 9 in Hadley. Pam Victor, Happier Valley founder and president, and General Manager Braidman plan to open the theater by June 25 in time to hold their weekly summer classes. When the stage is complete later this fall, Happier Valley live shows will move to the new space. By the end of the year, the calendar will expand to include shows every Saturday night. The Happier FAMILY Comedy Show will remain at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

Starbucks Opens at Monarch Place

SPRINGFIELD — The latest edition to Springfield’s downtown, a full-service Starbucks on the corner of Main Street and Boland Way, opened on May 30. Starbucks at Monarch Place donated all proceeds from its first week of business to the Zoo in Forest Park & Education Center to assist in the creation and installation of a new educational exhibit, bringing two exotic African cats to the city. The opening of Starbucks represents the final phase of the newly renovated plaza at Monarch Place and follows the grand opening of a United Bank branch next door on the ground floor of Monarch Place. Starbucks now occupies the front corner of the plaza, facing Main Street, with 30-foot-tall ceilings, and featuring a commissioned piece of artwork by renowned artist Llew Majia, a 400-pound, 10-foot medallion that celebrates the diversity of Latin American coffee-growing countries. Patrons can also enjoy outdoor music and café seating on the plaza while overlooking the newly restored water wall.

United Bank Announces Purchase of Six Branches

HARTFORD, Conn. — United Bank announced it has entered into an agreement with Webster Bank, N.A. of Waterbury, Conn. to purchase six branches located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. United Bank will assume approximately $120 million of branch deposits in the transaction, which is expected to close in the fall of 2018, pending regulatory approval. Under the terms of the agreement, the following six Webster Bank branches will be purchased by United Bank, and employees at those branches are expected to join the United Bank team: 50 Elm St., West Springfield; 1355 Boston Road, Springfield; 62 Center Square, East Longmeadow; 124B Boston Post Road, Waterford, Conn.; 654 Long Hill Road, Groton, Conn.; and 48 Franklin St., Westerly. Due to the close proximity of three branches in the Springfield market as a result of this transaction, United Bank will take the following actions at the time of the closing of the agreement, pending regulatory approval: United’s branch at 95 Elm St., West Springfield will close. All banking activity in that branch will consolidate into the Webster branch across the street at 50 Elm St. Also, customers will continue to have access to the separate drive-up branch at 52 Van Deene Ave., West Springfield. United’s branch at 459 Main St. in Indian Orchard will close. All banking activity in that branch will consolidate into the Webster branch at 1355 Boston Road, which is only one mile away from the Indian Orchard branch. United Bank’s branch at 94 Shaker Road in East Longmeadow will close. All banking activity in that branch will consolidate into the Webster branch at nearby 62 Center Square. United Bank emphasizes that customers from the six branches included in this transaction do not need to do anything at this time. United will mail a package of information to the homes and/or businesses of all Webster customers from these branches in advance of the account and branch conversions, which are expected to occur in the fall of 2018.

WGBY Earns Emmy Nod for Opioid Special

SPRINGFIELD — WGBY’s The Opioid Crisis: A Community Dialogue, which aired live on May 11, 2017, has been recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) Boston/New England Chapter, which nominated The Opioid Crisis: A Community Dialogue for a regional 2018 Emmy Award in the category of Health/Science Program or Special. Executive Producer Tony Dunne and Carrie Saldo, the program’s host and producer, were both named in the nomination. Moderated by then-Berkshire Eagle reporter Saldo (now host of WGBY’s weekday public-affairs series Connecting Point), The Opioid Crisis: A Community Dialogue was developed in partnership with the Center for Human Development (CHD) and featured a panel of Western New England locals, including Dr. Robert Roose of Providence Behavioral Health Hospital; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni; Chantal Silloway, Adolescent Recovery Program director at Goodwin House; Danyel Zerella, a mother in addiction recovery; Jennifer Kimball, manager of the Public Health Program at the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission; and Liz Whynott of Tapestry Health’s needle-exchange program. With a town-hall-style discussion, the program was broadcast live from the WGBY studio in Springfield. Panelists fielded questions and comments from in-person audience members as well as Twitter and Facebook users.

PVCU Recognized for Promoting Savings

SPRINGFIELD — Pioneer Valley Credit Union was recognized for its efforts to encourage Americans and support its members to save money during America Saves Week and Military Saves Week. Pioneer Valley Credit Union was one of 15 banks, 17 credit unions, and five military-affiliated organizations recognized around the world. “Year after year, we work with our members to help them to achieve their financial goals and to become more savvy consumers,” said Anabela Grenier, Pioneer Valley Credit Union president and CEO. “America Saves is a wonderful program which works in concert with our philosophy to help members as they make their journey to a better financial future.”

Smith Brothers Insurance Named to President’s Clubs

EASTHAMPTON — Smith Brothers Insurance, with local offices in Easthampton and West Springfield, was recently appointed to the Hanover Insurance Group’s President’s Club, an elite group of independent insurance agencies from across the country. Agencies named to the Hanover President’s Club are recognized for delivering outstanding value to their customers through insurance expertise and responsive service. Smith Brothers was one of only 140 independent agencies recognized with this distinction across the county. The Hanover partners with 2,100 independent agents nationwide. Meanwhile, Smith Brothers was also named to the Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group’s President’s Club. Each year, Jewelers Mutual recognizes top agents nationwide for their expertise in Jewelers Block, a specialized insurance coverage protecting the jewelry trade. Smith Brothers Insurance was one of 25 brokers throughout the nation named to Jewelers Mutual’s President’s Club.

American Benefits Group Recognized with Award

NORTHAMPTON — American Benefits Group (ABG), a provider of solutions in the health-benefits industry, has been recognized by healthcare-benefits payments giant Alegeus as the 2018 APEX Award winner for Operational Efficiency and Excellence. The award was presented at the Alegeus National Conference on May 16 in Orlando, Fla. ABG currently serves more than 1,300 employer plans in all markets, including several Fortune 1000 clients. The company has grown revenues by more than 300% since 2012. ABG was also previously recognized by Alegeus as the National Customer Service Champion in 2015. In conjunction with the award, Alegeus has made a $1,000 donation to the local charity or nonprofit of ABG’s choice. American Benefits selected local nonprofit Safe Passage, an organization that serves victims of domestic abuse. “They are just making a major move into a brand-new facility, so the contribution is well-timed,” ABG CEO and founder Robert Cummings said. “We feel Safe Passage is an organization that is doing life-changing and life-saving work.”

River Valley Counseling Center Opens New Easthampton Location

EASTHAMPTON — River Valley Counseling Center celebrated the opening of its newest office location in Easthampton with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 29. Services available at the Easthampton location include individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy for adults, adolescents, and children. Clinicians help the client, couple, or family identify the concerns or issues that will become the focus of treatment. Both the client and clinician work together to determine the most effective treatment needed. The frequency and duration of counseling sessions is determined based on individualized treatment plans. River Valley also offers school-based therapy throughout all Easthampton Schools, a partnership formed in the fall of 2017. The Easthampton office is currently accepting new patients without a wait list and is conveniently located along the bike trail. For additional information, visit rvcc-inc.org or call (413) 540-1234.

Shriners Hospitals for Children Named Health Nonprofit Brand of the Year

TAMPA, Fla. — Shriners Hospitals for Children has been named 2018 Health Nonprofit Brand of the Year, based on the Harris Poll EquiTrend Equity Score. In addition, Shriners Hospitals ranked highest in trust in its category. The annual survey of brand equity, now in its 30th year, compares the brand health of thousands of brands from hundreds of categories, including eight for nonprofit organizations, based on consumer responses. Shriners is a leader in pediatric specialty care, especially in the areas of orthopaedics, burns, spinal-cord injury, and cleft lip and palate.

People on the Move

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Departments People on the Move
Nikki Gleason

Nikki Gleason

Florence Bank hired Nikki Gleason to serve as vice president and branch manager of the bank’s new Springfield location, slated to open this year. Gleason studied accounting at Springfield Technical Community College and completed the program at the New England School of Financial Studies at Babson College. She is a board member for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity as well as a fundraising committee member Revitalize Community Development Corp. of Springfield. She will work in the bank’s second Hampden County branch, at 1444 Allen St. in Springfield.

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Jose Rivera

Jose Rivera

After an extensive search, Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) hired Jose “Joe” Rivera as its new senior director of Public Safety/chief of police. Rivera, who started May 7, brings a range of law-enforcement experience. For the past 24 years, he has worked in municipal and higher-education policing. Most recently, he served as chief of police at Holyoke Community College. He previously worked at STCC as the college’s assistant director of public safety/lieutenant. Rivera, who holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Curry College in Milton, began his career with the Amherst Police Department. He moved on to other positions, including ones at the Massasoit Community College Police Department and UMass Dartmouth, where he was a sergeant and lieutenant, respectively. His certifications and training include firearms instructor, sexual-assault investigation, emergency planning, interview and interrogation, and Clery Act compliance, which requires colleges and universities participating in federal financial-aid programs to maintain and disclose campus crime statistics and security information.

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Brian Roode

Brian Roode

Gove Law Office announced it will open an office in Spencer, expanding its presence into Worcester County. The four-attorney firm also has offices in Ludlow and Northampton. Along with the opening of the Spencer office, Gove Law Office also welcomes attorney Brian Roode as an associate. Roode, who has been in practice since 2008, will be focused on real-estate transactions, family law and mediation, estate planning, and landlord-tenant matters. He earned his juris doctor from the Massachusetts School of Law in 2008 and owned his own solo practice until joining the Gove Law Office in 2018. He practices in Worcester, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.

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Becky Bozadjian

Becky Bozadjian

Tighe & Bond Inc., a regional leader in engineering and environmental consulting, appointed Becky Bozadjian as its director of Marketing & Communications. In this role, she will manage the firm’s marketing and communications group and contribute to growth strategies consistent with Tighe & Bond’s continued expansion in the marketplace. Bozadjian, who is based in the firm’s Westwood office, has more than 25 years of experience as a senior management and marketing professional in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. During this time, she has focused on building responsive marketing organizations, as well as developing and implementing strategic marketing plans for small, regional, and national professional-services firms. Her career has been defined by high-level leadership positions at several prominent engineering firms in the Boston area. Bozadjian has been a member of the Society for Marketing Professionals and has presented on a variety of topics at the national and regional levels. In the Coaching for Leadership & Teamwork Program at Babson College, she coaches undergraduate students on leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. She earned her MBA at Babson College with a concentration in marketing, and her bachelor’s degree in economics from Connecticut College.

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Heather Loges

Heather Loges

Heather Loges was recently promoted to the position of chief operations officer at Royal, P.C., a labor and employment law firm in Northampton. Loges has been with Royal since July 2016, joining as a paralegal. As the COO, Heather is in charge of all aspects of law-firm operations and law-firm management and finances, as well as managing the firm’s business-development and marketing strategies. Loges has a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and a certificate in paralegal studies from Boston University. She was recently nominated for the 2018 Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Excellence in Paralegal Work Award.

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Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, congratulates Tony Sanches, assistant vice president of Retail Operations, for receiving a Credit Union Rising Star Award at the Great New England Credit Union Show in Worcester. The show highlighted new technology and featured breakout sessions in many topics, including cybersecurity, latest trends in digital banking, member satisfaction, and member experience. The morning breakfast was a salute to employees who showed a strong sense of the mission of credit unions and strong abilities in their area of expertise, along with community involvement.

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The Lenox Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed its new executive director, Shaun Kelleher. Kelleher grew up in the Berkshires and is back home after spending nearly a decade in New York City. He attended Berkshire Community College and, later, Syracuse University. In New York, he cultivated a career in marketing. As senior director of Marketing at 24 Seven, a creative staffing and recruiting company with 12 offices across the globe, he led a team of designers, marketers, copywriters, and strategists to grow and promote the brand. Most recently, he was an account manager at BRIGADE, a marketing and design agency in Hadley, where he worked with clients such as SVEDKA Vodka, BIC, Black Box Premium Wines, Woodbridge, World Hotels, and Audience Rewards. He also sits on the board of the Ad Club of Western Massachusetts as its membership chair.

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Hannah Winters

Hannah Winters

Megan Conner

Megan Conner

Sue Camp

Sue Camp

Taylor Real Estate announced it has hired a new employee who recently earned her real-estate license, and two other agents have also been licensed in the past year. Hannah Winters came on board in April as a rental specialist, and she will lead the family-owned firm’s Rental Department. Winters and realtors Megan Conner and Sue Camp also earned the credentials that will allow them to represent a buyer or seller in a real-estate transaction. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Winters moved to Western Mass. in 2015. She is working on an associate degree in business administration at Holyoke Community College and will attend UMass Amherst this fall, where she hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She has volunteered with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps in the past and also has experience in hospitality management. Conner, the daughter of Taylor Real Estate owner Chuck Conner, is an Easthampton native who grew up working in the business. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a specialty in developmental disabilities and human services from UMass Amherst. Conner has extensive experience in customer service, having worked at Taylor Real Estate as the administrative and advertising assistant for the past nine years. She previously served as a developmental specialist relief staff at Riverside Industries. Camp has more than 20 years of customer-service experience. She holds an associate degree in biomedical engineering technology from Springfield Technical Community College and is a volunteer for Dakin Humane Society and the therapeutic Equestrian Center in Holyoke.

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Robert Mickey joined the Main Street Hospitality team as senior director of Regional Operations and general manager of the Red Lion Inn. Mickey brings 20 years of hospitality experience to Main Street Hospitality, including extensive operational and management expertise. His tenure at Old Edwards Hospitality Group in Highlands, N.C. was preceded by work at other prominent properties throughout the Southeast, including the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.V. as vice president of Guest Relations. He also served as director of Room Operations at the Sea Island Co. in St. Simons Island, Ga. In his new role at Main Street Hospitality, Mickey will focus on leading operations at the Red Lion Inn and provide oversight and support to Main Street Hospitality’s Berkshires properties, including Porches Inn at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Hotel on North in Pittsfield, and Briarcliff in Great Barrington.

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Solidago Foundation CEO Elizabeth Barajas-Román officially welcomed participants to the Women and Money Summit hosted by the Women’s Funding Network, the largest philanthropic network in the world devoted to women and girls. The summit was held at the SUNY Global Center in New York City on May 22. Barajas-Román serves as vice chair of the Women’s Funding Network. The Women and Money Summit focused on women-of-color leadership and the role of women as engaged influencers on all issues relating to economic security. Barajas-Román participated in an afternoon panel discussing the importance of including both race and gender in grant-making strategies in order to achieve economic opportunity and security for all.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

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Chamber Corners Departments

1BERKSHIRE
www.1berkshire.com
(413) 499-1600

• June 13: Good News Business Salute, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Hotel on North, 297 North St., Pittsfield. Join us to celebrate the following salutes: Excelsior Integrated, Buxton School, Mildred Elley, and the Brien Center. The presentation will begin at 4:45 p.m., and cocktail hour will start at 5:30 p.m. Guests are invited to enjoy Hotel on North for dinner afterward.

• June 20: Chamber Nite with Booking.com, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Hilton Garden Inn Pittsfield Lenox, 1032 South St., Pittsfield.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• June 14-17: Taste of Amherst on the Amherst Town Common. Showcase your restaurant or business with more than 20,000 attendees throughout the weekend. Booth space is limited, so reserve your space soon. All vendors must be open for all four days and all hours of operation, rain or shine. For more information about this event, call the chamber office at (413) 253-0700 or e-mail [email protected].

• June 22: New Member Reception to welcome, celebrate, and showcase our new members, 5 p.m. Venue to be announced.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463

• June 14: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Crumpin-Fox Club, 87 Parmenter Road, Bernardston. Networking event with refreshments and cash bar. Register at franklincc.org or [email protected].

• June 22: Annual Meeting, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Eaglebrook School, Deerfield. This will be the last breakfast until September. Local state legislators have been invited, and chamber officers will be elected. Sponsored by Greenfield Cooperative Bank, Greenfield Recorder, Greenfield Savings Bank, Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc., and Yankee Candle Village. Cost: $13 for members, $16 for non-members. Register by June 16 at franklincc.org or [email protected].

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• June 14: CEO Luncheon, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by the Collegian Court, 89 Park St., Chicopee. A quarterly luncheon series where CEOs tell of how they rose to their positions. May’s luncheon will feature Dr. Harry Dumay of Elms College. Series sponsored by Polish National Credit Union. Cost: $30 for members, $35 for non-members. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org/events or call (413) 594-2101.

• June 16: Run the Runway 5k, 9:30 a.m. Race starts at Westover Metropolitan Airport, 255 Padgette St., Chicopee. Presented by the Greater Chicopee Chamber, GCC, and WMA. Spectators welcome (behind the fence only).

• June 20: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Elms College Campus Center. Air Show theme. Chief Greeter: Connie Brown, Galaxy Council. Keynote: Col. Bull Durham, 439th Airlift Wing. Sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• June 14: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Fort Hill Brewery, 30 Fort Hill Road, Easthampton. Sponsored by Oxbow Ski Show Team and Tandem Bagel. Food and door prizes will be available. Pre-registration is suggested. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

• June 27: Speaker Breakfast 2018, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted and sponsored by Williston Northampton School, 19 Payson Ave., Easthampton. Keynote speaker Kate Harrington, Human Resource manager for Smith College, will speak on “Hiring the Right Fit.” She will help attendees understand how to develop a diverse applicant pool, know what questions to ask, and recognize what questions to avoid. She will also point out what to look for in a great employee and how to watch for bias. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Pre-registration is suggested. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• June 21: Workshop: “Microsoft Word: Advanced Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop will go beyond the basics and explore some of Word’s more advanced features. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required at goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

• July 11: July Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Northampton Country Club, 135 Main St., Leeds. Cost: $10 for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• June 13: June After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Westfield Bank, 462 College Highway, Southwick. Refreshments will be served, and a 50/50 raffle will benefit our chamber scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: free for members, $10/ for non-members (cash or credit paid at the door). Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org. For sponsorships or more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• June 21: Summer Sizzler Kick-Off, 5:30-8 p.m., hosted by the Ranch, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick. This event, featuring networking, oversized outdoor games, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and cocktails, is great for making connections and team building while having fun. Sponsors include Mestek Inc. (platinum event sponsor) and Berkshire Bank (gold sponsor). For sponsorships or reservations, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618 or visit www.westfieldbiz.org.

• July 12: 41st Pancake Breakfast, 7-11 a.m., hosted by South Middle School, 30 West Silver St., Westfield. Rain or shine. Attractions include a bounce house, face painting, entertainment, a live broadcast from WSKB 89.5, and vendor tables. Sponsors to date include BusinessWest (pancake sponsor), Appalachian Press (placemat sponsor), Puffer Printing (ticket sponsor), and Dunkin’ Donuts (coffee sponsor). Cost: $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for kids under 10. For additional sponsorships or tickets, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618 or visit www.westfieldbiz.org.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.shgchamber.com
(413) 532-6451

• June 12: After 5 at Ameriprise, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Ameriprise building, 551 Newton St., South Hadley. Come meet Steve Duval and the rest of the Ameriprise team, who are new members this year to the chamber family. Mix and mingle with other South Hadley & Granby Chamber members, spread the word about your business, and hear about theirs. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Register at www.shgchamber.com (click on the link in the event description) or e-mail [email protected].

• June 20: BBQ Bash Membership Drive, 5-7:30 p.m., hosted by Brunelle’s Marina, 1 Alvord St., South Hadley. Invite your friends who are not yet members of the chamber so they can get to know us. It will be an evening of food, lawn games, conversation, door prizes, and a 50/50 raffle as an extra incentive. Bring your business cards to enter the door-prize drawing. Sponsors to date include Westfield Bank (presenting sponsor) and Florence Savings Bank, M. Connie Laplante ERA Real Estate, and SHELD (participating sponsors). Register by June 15 at www.shgchamber.com (click on the link in the event description) or e-mail [email protected]. Be sure to let us know how many will be coming with you.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER
www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• June 19: Lunch ‘n Learn: Business Succession Planning, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., presented by Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, hosted by Colony Club, 1500 Main St., Springfield. The event will discuss the various stages of a business that should trigger succession-planning conversations, as well as discussion of three options for transferring the business: sale to an independent third party, transfer to family members, or sale to employees. Cost: $30 for members ($35 at the door), $35 general admission ($45 at the door). Reservations may be made at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, [email protected], or (413) 755-1310.

• July 19: Golf Tournament, 11 a.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, 281 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Reservations may be made at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, [email protected], or (413) 755-1310.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• June 12: Annual Meeting and Business Grant Drawing, 7 a.m. The event will kick off with the welcoming of new co-chairmen Frank Palange and Ryan McLane and the incoming WRC board of directors. Two $500 business grants will be drawn the morning of the event. Guest speaker Michael Harrison from TALKERS will address guests. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Sponsorships and program advertising are available. For more information or for tickets, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD
springfieldyps.com

• June 28: Tenth annual Great Golf Escape, hosted by the Ranch, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick. Visit springfieldyps.com for registration information.

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

40 Under Forty Gala

June 21: BusinessWest’s 12th annual 40 Under Forty Gala is a celebration of 40 young business and civic leaders in Western Mass. The lavish cocktail party, to be held starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, food stations, and entertainment — and, of course, the presentation of the class of 2018, profiled in the April 30 issue of BusinessWest and also available at businesswest.com. Also, the fourth Continued Excellence Award honoree will be announced. The 40 Under Forty sponsors include PeoplesBank (presenting sponsor), Northwestern Mutual (presenting sponsor), Isenberg School of Management, the MP Group, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, Health New England, renew.calm, Development Associates, and YPS of Greater Springfield (partner). Tickets cost $75 per person (tables of 10 available). For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].

Lunch & Learn Session on Employee Retention

June 22: Some 43 million Americans have $1.3 trillion in student loans. The average job tenure for Millennials is only 12 to 15 months. When an employee leaves, it costs the employer between 10% and 30% of their annual salary to replace them. The Gaudreau Group and GradFin will host a Lunch & Learn session at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Springfield to help employers overcome these issues. The session, sponsored by the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast and led by Jenny MacKay and Geoff Urquhart, will focus on increasing employee retention with new employee-benefits and engagement strategies such as loan refinance and consolidation programs, financial-wellness education, and repayment-assistance benefits. Space is limited. Register at www.gaudreaugroup.com/events.

Financial-literacy Workshops

July 11 to Aug. 1: Springfield Partners for Community Action Inc. will host financial-literacy workshops starting Wednesday, July 11 and continuing every Wednesday through Aug. 1. Sessions run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at 721 State St., Springfield, and are free and open to the public. Workshops are facilitated by the agency’s on-staff, nationally certified credit counselors. Series learning objectives include budgeting, credit, managing money, and debt. Refreshments will be served, and raffle prizes will be offered. Call Springfield Partners at (413) 263-6500 to register.

‘Trauma-sensitive Schools’

July 11-13: The Education Division at Elms College will host a three-day conference in July to give educators tools for working with students who have been affected by trauma. The conference, titled “Trauma-sensitive Schools: Meeting the Needs of Traumatized Students and Their Teachers,” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day on the Elms College campus. This conference, designed for pre-K-to-12 school administrators, teachers, counselors, school nurses, and paraprofessionals, will provide educators with the knowledge, understanding, and tools to create a successful trauma-informed learning environment. The cost for an individual to attend is $250; for district/school teams of three or more, the cost is $200 per person. The registration deadline is June 13. To register, e-mail [email protected].

Brightside Golf Classic

July 23: More than 200 golfers are expected to participate in the 38th Annual Brightside Golf Classic at Springfield Country Club in West Springfield. Two tee times are available. Registration and breakfast for the morning session will begin at 6:45 a.m. with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. Lunch and registration for the afternoon session will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The evening reception will be held immediately following the tournament from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information on sponsorships, donations, and attending the event, contact Suzanne Boniface at (413) 748-9935 or [email protected]. Information is also available at www.mercycares.com/brightside-golf-classic.

Picture This

By
Picture This

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

Finding Their Sparkle

Link to Libraries recently hosted local author Natasha Lowe at Kensington International School in Springfield

Link to Libraries recently hosted local author Natasha Lowe at Kensington International School in Springfield. Lowe spent more than an hour with the third grade, discussing life as an author and reading from her latest novel, Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle. “I’m just bowled over by the incredible work Link to Libraries does,” Lowe said. “Getting books into the hands of kids is a small thing that can make a big difference. A book can offer a child a magical world to escape into. They become like old friends, to be read over and over again. I had such a wonderful time visiting Kensington School this morning and sharing Lucy with all the third-graders.”

 

New Life on Main Street

Country Bank announced it has donated its former building, located at 65-71 Main St., Ware, to the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp. (QVCDC).

Country Bank announced it has donated its former building, located at 65-71 Main St., Ware, to the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp. (QVCDC). “The bank is looking forward to the development of this property as a creative, innovative space for artists and crafts people to practice and teach, as well as display their work,” said Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank. The retail space is currently being revitalized and will provide incubator space to three new small businesses to help them begin their journey. The plans for the retail space include a pottery studio that will work in conjunction with Workshop 13 on pottery classes for the public, an art gallery with a coffee shop, and an additional space for another artistic business. The QVCDC also received a $75,000 grant from the MassDevelopment Collaborative Workspace program to help with the renovations taking place in the new space. Pictured, from left: Alexandria Martinez, project specialist, QVCDC; Sheila Cuddy, executive director, QVDC; Scully; and Mary McGovern, CFO of Country Bank.

 

Future Teachers

The ​MassMutual Foundation has awarded Teach Western Mass (TWM) $150,000 to support two teacher-pipeline programs, Generation Teach and the Urban Education Pathway (UEP

The ​MassMutual Foundation has awarded Teach Western Mass (TWM) $150,000 to support two teacher-pipeline programs, Generation Teach and the Urban Education Pathway (UEP). Both programs are critical to TWM’s efforts to recruit, prepare, and retain effective teachers to provide access to a world-class education to every student in Western Mass. Launched in partnership with Smith College in the fall of 2017, the first cohort of undergraduate Urban Ed Scholars includes 23 students from Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, Smith College, and UMass Amherst. Generation Teach is a summer fellowship for high-school and undergraduate students interested in exploring a teaching career.

 

Running for Their Lives

More than 2,500 girls, spectators, volunteers, and community members gathered on June 3 for the Girls on the Run Western Massachusetts 5K event at Springfield College, the culminating moment of the Girls on the Run season

More than 2,500 girls, spectators, volunteers, and community members gathered on June 3 for the Girls on the Run Western Massachusetts 5K event at Springfield College, the culminating moment of the Girls on the Run season. Girls on the Run is a national, physical activity-based, positive youth-development program that uses fun running games and dynamic discussions to teach life skills to girls in grades 3-8. During the 10-week program, girls participate in lessons that foster confidence, build peer connections, and encourage community service while they prepare for the end-of-season celebratory 5K event. In Western Mass., more than 190 trained volunteer coaches facilitated the curriculum to 54 teams of girls this spring season, helping equip them with the physical and emotional skills necessary to carry them over the 5K finish line. There were 740 girls in the program this spring from 52 school sites.

 

Engineering Inspiration

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently hosted students from Putnam Vocational Technical High School and Springfield High School of Science and Technology for Engineering Exploration Day

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently hosted students from Putnam Vocational Technical High School and Springfield High School of Science and Technology for Engineering Exploration Day. The students calculated the trajectory of projectiles, explored the computer science that enables 3-D printing, built bridges out of newspapers, plotted transit maps, solved logic puzzles, examined atomic structures, generated magnetic fields, and much more. “Engineering Exploration Day was not only about letting incoming students know about our STEM programs and classes; it also offered our STEM students the opportunity to share their personal experiences of how HCC has impacted their personal journeys,” said Melissa Paciulli, HCC’s STEM project administrator. Pictured: Alban Medina, 18 (right), gets ready to shock one of his classmates from Putnam during an exercise in electricity.

 

Alzheimer’s Awareness

On May 15, Alzheimer’s Assoc. officials, local state legislators, and citizens impacted by Alzheimer’s disease gathered at the Grand Staircase at the Massachusetts State House for a day of awareness and conversation around the disease

On May 15, Alzheimer’s Assoc. officials, local state legislators, and citizens impacted by Alzheimer’s disease gathered at the Grand Staircase at the Massachusetts State House for a day of awareness and conversation around the disease. The event, Alzheimer’s Advocacy Day, included a focus on pending legislation (H. 4116) that would support these individuals and their families while focusing on preparing various stakeholders on making the state more dementia-capable. H.4116 passed the House of Representatives on Jan. 31 and is expected to be in front of the Senate this summer. Attendees also met with their local legislators to share how Alzheimer’s has impacted their lives, thank their representatives for their support of H.4116, and urge senators to support the upcoming legislation. 

 

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

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

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

Mary Grabowski v. Meredith Management Corp., Maple Springfield Management Corp., and Maple Springfield Associates, LP
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $24,000
Filed: 4/30/18

American Builders & Contractors Supply Co. Inc. d/b/a ABC Supply Co. Inc. v. Gibbkell Corp. d/b/a Gibbkell Construction Corp.
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $6,230.57
Filed: 4/30/18

Dolores Weir v. East Side Holyoke, LLC, trustee of the 7 Franklin Street Realty Trust
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: 10,378.38
Filed: 5/1/18

Syreeta Frazer v. Ocean State Jobbers Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; folding chair failed, causing injury: $2,112
Filed: 5/1/18

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Gordon Hunting v. Eastern States Exposition Inc. and Outdoor Sports Expo Group Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $9,634.01
Filed: 5/2/18

Richard Reid v. Nicholas Fay, M.D.
Allegation: Medical malpractice: $88,000+
Filed: 5/3/18

Shaun Gibson v. Cloot’s Auto Body Inc. and Gary Cloutier
Allegation: Breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, unfair and deceptive practices: $22,000
Filed: 5/7/18

Jeffrey Lauziere v. Smith & Wesson Corp., American Outdoor Brands Corp., and Smith & Wesson Security Solutions Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; plaintiff fell through roof on defendant’s premises while performing services as a roofer, causing injury: $2,441,001.46
5/11/18

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT

Fitzgerald Fences Inc. v. D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract regarding installation of fence; $16,782
Filed: 5/3/18

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Jason Calamia v. Cinemark USA Inc., Pyramid Mall of Hadley Newco, LLC, Pyramid Management Group, LLC, and Gleason Johndrow Landscaping Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $46,251
Filed: 5/3/18

Thyda Ty, et al v. Cumberland Farms Inc., et al
Allegation: Negligence; Fire-suppression system above gas pumps malfunctioned, causing chemical release in parking lot, causing injury: $25,000
Filed: 5/9/18

Shannon Coler v. Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination (pregnancy): $200,000+
Filed: 5/18/18

City of Northampton v. Barr & Barr Inc., Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., and Caolo & Bieniek Associates Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract, intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation: $100,000
Filed: 5/18/18

Jolene M. Lambert v. Holyoke Medical Center Inc., Spiros Hatiras, and Erin Hurlburt
Allegation: Employment discrimination and wrongful termination: $180,000
Filed: 5/18/18

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Peter Ziemba v. Home-Like Apartments Inc., Neil A. Abrahamson, Paul Abrahamson, and Vermont Mutual Insurance Co.
Allegation: Negligence and breach of implied warranty of habitability; slip and fall causing injury: $23,000
Filed: 5/18/18

An Important Step Forward

By
Opinion

It was encouraging to see that work will be starting again soon on the Innovation Center in downtown Springfield. Very encouraging.

It’s been almost a year since the work stopped, creating a strange and at the same time troubling blip in what seemed like an otherwise uninterrupted flow of progress, good news, momentum, and positive vibrations.

The center is just one project, but the halt to work — the result of what has been called a severe miscalculation of just how much this project cost and a resulting cash-flow problem that prompted the contractor to cease and desist — was unnerving on a number of levels.

Indeed, while all those involved were confident that work would start again soon and the project would live up it to its considerable hype, as the months went by and the quiet continued on Bridge Street, doubts grew about whether this important link in the chain would become reality.

Now, it seems likely that it will. And that’s good news on many levels.

Let’s start with DevelopSpringfield, the agency that conceived this project and saw its reputation take a small hit when the venture ran aground, if you will, just as its former director was leaving to take another opportunity.

The optics weren’t just bad, they were terrible. But the agency has bounced back from this setback to a large degree, and we will remind people that, from the beginning, and from a projects standpoint, DevelopSpringfield has taken on what could only be called the ‘hard ones.’ Make that the ‘really hard ones.’

This portfolio includes the Gunn Block in Mason Square across from the Springfield Technical Community College campus, a building that may be beyond rehabilitation at this point. But it also includes sites such as 77 and 83 Maple St. and 700 State St. (the former River Inn) — properties that have been successfully rehabilitated.

These are projects that no one else would seemingly touch. When you target longshot projects like this, things are not always going to go smoothly.

But there is a bigger-picture perspective when it comes to the Innovation Center. As we said, it is an important link in the chain, or important ingredient in the recipe for a successful downtown, if that analogy works better.

Indeed, for a central business district to work, it needs many different constituencies coming together. It needs workers (downtown has always had those); it needs residents (downtown has many of those, but it needs more, especially those in higher income brackets, and it will likely get more if talks for more market-rate options become reality); and it needs visitors, and downtown should have a much larger volume of those given the opening of MGM Springfield, the rehabilitation of Union Station, some new restaurants, and the possible revitalization of a moribund Tower Square.

But it also needs startups and young entrepreneurs, people who can make Main Street or Bridge Street, or any number of other streets in the downtown, their mailing address. In cities ranging from Cambridge to Seattle to Brooklyn (OK, that’s a borough, not a city), startups have been a huge factor in the off-the-charts growth of those communities.

They bring jobs, residents, commerce for service business, vibrancy, and something else — more startups.

The Innovation Center won’t do that all by itself, but it will be a huge contributor to that movement as it serves as home to not only Valley Venture Mentors, but eventually some of the startup businesses VVM mentors.

Given everything else going on downtown and all the things that have gone right, the restart of work on the Innovation Center may seem like a minor story.

It isn’t.

Handbook Policies and Pitfalls

By
Opinion

Opinion

By the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast

Is your company handbook in need of a checkup? While handbooks vary in scope and detail, below are five policy areas employers should review.

Sexual harassment. With the rise in social awareness about sexual-harassment and workplace respect in general comes the need for companies to review the scope and depth of their policies, not only to ensure their policies are current regarding the process and procedures for handling complaints, but also in the messaging being communicated by leadership.

Equal opportunity. With additional protected classes coming into effect into 2018 in some jurisdictions (such as state initiatives designed to expand pregnant workers), employers should ensure their EEO policies cover these new protected groups.

Pregnancy accommodation. Some states, including Massachusetts, have enacted pregnancy-accommodation laws that will provide expanded communications and policies to inform employees about their rights to pregnancy accommodations and what those might entail.

Standards of conduct or employee conduct. With a new composition of board members at the National Labor Relations Board come new interpretations on a variety of subjects like civility, social media, and confidentiality.

Leaves of absence. As states continue to adopt sick-leave legislation and/or paid family-leave legislation, companies will either need to add leave policies to comport with the new requirements or update their existing policies to ensure that they are properly aligned.

In addition to these hot topics, here are five more handbook pitfalls to avoid:

Gender-identifying pronouns. Avoid using language like ‘he’ and ‘he/she’ in policies. Rather use language like ‘they,’ ‘them,’ ‘employee,’ or ‘employees’ where possible.

Contract language. Avoid language or phrases such as ‘terms or conditions of employment,’ ‘in consideration,’ and ‘employer and employee agree’ that could potentially leave the door open for a court to construe the document as a contract.

Handbook versions and revisions. Failure to maintain revision dates, execute and maintain signed acknowledgement forms confirming receipt of the current handbook revision, or identify in the handbook that the current handbook supersedes prior editions all can raise questions of which policies apply..

Avoid legal and ambiguous terminology where possible. Your employees are not lawyers. Use easy-to-understand, objective language in policies, particularly in discipline and related matters. Provide clear examples of behavior to provide a better understanding of employer expectations.

Avoid automatic termination or ‘cliff’ language in leave-of-absence policies. Leave policies that dictate that termination will automatically result after a certain amount of time could be construed as unlawful by a court or agency because it disregards the employer’s obligation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to engage in a “good-faith, interactive process” and fails to consider whether an extended leave of absence would be an undue hardship on the employer.

 

— Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

1BERKSHIRE
www.1berkshire.com
(413) 499-1600

• June 13: Good News Business Salute, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Hotel on North, 297 North St., Pittsfield. Join us to celebrate the following salutes: Excelsior Integrated, Buxton School, Mildred Elley, and the Brien Center. The presentation will begin at 4:45 p.m., and cocktail hour will start at 5:30 p.m. Enjoy Hotel on North for dinner afterward.

• June 20: Chamber Nite with Booking.com, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Hilton Garden Inn Pittsfield Lenox, 1032 South St., Pittsfield.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• June 14-17: Taste of Amherst on the Amherst Town Common. Showcase your restaurant or business with more than 20,000 attendees throughout the weekend. Booth space is limited, so reserve your space soon. All vendors must be open for all four days and all hours of operation, rain or shine. For more information, call the chamber office at (413) 253-0700 or e-mail [email protected].

• June 22: New Member Reception to welcome, celebrate, and showcase our new members, 5 p.m. Venue to be announced.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463

• June 14: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Crumpin-Fox Club, 87 Parmenter Road, Bernardston. Networking event with refreshments and cash bar. Register at franklincc.org or [email protected].

• June 22: Annual Meeting, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Eaglebrook School, Deerfield. This will be the last breakfast until September. Local state legislators have been invited, and chamber officers will be elected. Sponsored by Greenfield Cooperative Bank, Greenfield Recorder, Greenfield Savings Bank, Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc., and Yankee Candle Village. Cost: $13 for members, $16 for non-members. Register by June 16 at franklincc.org or [email protected].

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• May 31: Sunshine Soiree, a multi-chamber networking event, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Sunshine Village, 75 Litwin Lane, Chicopee. The event will feature complimentary hors d’oeuvres, wine, and beer. Register in advance for this free event online at springfieldyps.com.

• June 14: CEO Luncheon, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by the Collegian Court, 89 Park St., Chicopee. A quarterly luncheon series where CEOs tell of how they rose to their positions. May’s luncheon will feature Dr. Harry Dumay of Elms College. Series sponsored by Polish National Credit Union. Cost: $30 for members, $35 for non-members. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org/events or call (413) 594-2101.

• June 16: Run the Runway 5k, 9:30 a.m. Race starts at Westover Metropolitan Airport, 255 Padgette St., Chicopee. Presented by the Greater Chicopee Chamber, GCC, and WMA. Spectators welcome (behind the fence only).

• June 20: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Elms College Campus Center. Air Show theme. Chief Greeter: Connie Brown, Galaxy Council. Keynote: Col. Bull Durham, 439th Airlift Wing. Sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• June 14: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Fort Hill Brewery, 30 Fort Hill Road, Easthampton. Sponsored by Oxbow Ski Show Team and Tandem Bagel. Food and door prizes will be available. Pre-registration is suggested. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

• June 27: Speaker Breakfast 2018, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted and sponsored by Williston Northampton School, 19 Payson Ave., Easthampton. Keynote speaker Kate Harrington, Human Resource manager for Smith College, will speak on “Hiring the Right Fit.” She will help attendees understand how to develop a diverse applicant pool, know what questions to ask, and recognize what questions to avoid. She will also point out what to look for in a great employee and how to watch for bias. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Pre-registration is suggested. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• June 6: June Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Glendale Ridge Vineyard, 155 Glendale Road, Southampton. Sponsored by Northeast Solar, MassDevelopment, and Kuhn Riddle Architects. A networking event. Cost: $10 for members.

• June 21: Workshop: “Microsoft Word: Advanced Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop will go beyond the basics and explore some of Word’s more advanced features. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required at goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• June 4: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Domus Inc., 101 Meadow St., Westfield. Join us for coffee and light refreshments with Mayor Brian Sullivan to get an update of important issues and projects in Westfield. This event is free and open to the public. Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org so we may give our host a proper count. For more information about the event, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• June 13: June After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Westfield Bank, 462 College Highway, Southwick. Refreshments will be served, and a 50/50 raffle will benefit our chamber scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: free for members, $10/ for non-members (cash or credit paid at the door). Sign up online at www.westfieldbiz.org. For sponsorships or more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• June 21: Summer Sizzler Kick-Off, 5:30-8 p.m., hosted by the Ranch, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick. This event, featuring networking, oversized outdoor games, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and cocktails, is great for making connections and team building while having fun. Sponsors include Mestek Inc. (platinum event sponsor) and Berkshire Bank (gold sponsor). For sponsorships or reservations, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618 or visit www.westfieldbiz.org.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.shgchamber.com
(413) 532-6451

• June 1: Annual Legislative Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by the Orchards Golf Club, 18 Silverwood Terrace, South Hadley. Meet with our town and state legislators, who will talk about the hot issues upcoming for the rest of the year. More details to come. By reservation only at [email protected].

• June 12: After 5 at Ameriprise, 5-7 p.m., hosted by: Ameriprise building, 551 Newton St., South Hadley. Come meet Steve Duval and the rest of the Ameriprise team, who are new members this year to the chamber family. Mix and mingle with other SHG Chamber members, spread the word about your business, and hear about theirs. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Register at www.shgchamber.com (click on the link in the event description) or e-mail [email protected].

• June 20: BBQ Bash Membership Drive, 5-7:30 p.m., hosted by Brunelle’s Marina, 1 Alvord St., South Hadley. Invite your friends who are not yet members of the chamber so they can get to know us. It will be an evening of food, lawn games, conversation, door prizes, and a 50/50 raffle as an extra incentive. Bring your business cards to enter the door-prize drawing. Sponsors to date include Westfield Bank (presenting sponsor) and Florence Savings Bank, M. Connie Laplante ERA Real Estate, and SHELD (participating sponsors). Register by June 15 at www.shgchamber.com (click on the link in the event description) or e-mail [email protected]. Be sure to let us know how many will be coming with you.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER
www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• May 31: Sunshine Soirée with the Springfield Regional Chamber, the Greater Chicopee Chamber, and YPS, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Sunshine Village, 75 Litwin Lane, Chicopee. Reservations may be made at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, [email protected], or (413) 755-1310.

• June 6: Business@Breakfast and Annual Meeting, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Flynn Campus Union, Springfield College Club, 263 Alden St., Springfield. Honoring our Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year, Ellen Freyman, Esq. Cost: $25 for members ($30 at the door), $35 general admission ($40 at the door). Reservations may be made at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, [email protected], or (413) 755-1310.

• June 19: Lunch ‘n Learn: Business Succession Planning, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., presented by Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, hosted by Colony Club, 1500 Main St., Springfield. The event will discuss the various stages of a business that should trigger succession-planning conversations, as well as discussion of three options for transferring the business: sale to an independent third party, transfer to family members, or sale to employees. Cost: $30 for members ($35 at the door), $35 general admission ($45 at the door). Reservations may be made at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, [email protected], or (413) 755-1310.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• June 6: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Partners Restaurant, 485 Springfield St., Feeding Hills. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, which bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information about this event, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or register at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• June 12: Annual Meeting and Business Grant Drawing, 7 a.m. The event will kick off with the welcoming of new co-chairmen Frank Palange and Ryan McLane and the incoming WRC board of directors. Two $500 business grants will be drawn the morning of the event. Guest speaker Michael Harrison from TALKERS will address guests. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Sponsorships and program advertising are available. For more information or for tickets, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD
springfieldyps.com

• June 28: Tenth annual Great Golf Escape, hosted by the Ranch, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick. Visit springfieldyps.com for registration information.

Picture This

By
Departments Picture This

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

Looking Sharp

The Light Microscopy Core Facility housed in the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) at UMass Amherst was designated as a Nikon Center of Excellence at a recent grand-opening event. It is one of eight Nikon Centers of Excellence in the U.S. The microscopes that make up the core facility have been purchased by UMass Amherst with funding from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Education Consortium and furnished by Nikon at a discount. They will allow the campus and the surrounding region access to cutting-edge technology and foster economic development, according to James Chambers, director of the IALS Light Microscopy Core Facility.

Jim Hamlin, vice president of sales for Nikon Instruments Inc., and Mike Malone, vice chancellor for Research and Engagement at UMass Amherst, cut the ribbon for the lab’s grand opening.

Jim Hamlin, vice president of sales for Nikon Instruments Inc., and Mike Malone, vice chancellor for Research and Engagement at UMass Amherst, cut the ribbon for the lab’s grand opening.


Chambers (left) and Hamlin survey some of the new equipment

Chambers (left) and Hamlin survey some of the new equipment

Tru Stories

The developers and owners of Tru by Hilton conducted a grand-opening event on May 15 at the chain’s new Chicopee location. The new hotel, the first of its brand in Massachusetts, represents an $11 million investment by BK Investments, which also owns Hampton Inn in Chicopee, and the creation of 30 full-time jobs. The four-story building on Memorial Avenue boasts 108 rooms.

From left, state Sen. James Welch; Chip Rodgers, AAHOA; state Rep. Angelo Puppolo Jr.; state Rep. Joseph Wagner; hotel owner Dennis Patel; James Montemayor, Florence Bank; hotel owner Hershal Patel (with his children, Shaan and Neeva); Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos; Jessica Roncarti-Howe, Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce; state Sen. Eric Lesser; Mary Kay Wydra, Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau; Alexandra Jaritz, Tru by Hilton; and state Rep. Michael Finn.

From left, state Sen. James Welch; Chip Rodgers, AAHOA; state Rep. Angelo Puppolo Jr.; state Rep. Joseph Wagner; hotel owner Dennis Patel; James Montemayor, Florence Bank; hotel owner Hershal Patel (with his children, Shaan and Neeva); Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos; Jessica Roncarti-Howe, Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce; state Sen. Eric Lesser; Mary Kay Wydra, Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau; Alexandra Jaritz, Tru by Hilton; and state Rep. Michael Finn.

Kos addresses the crowd at the grand opening. Top right: the hotel’s back terrace.

Kos addresses the crowd at the grand opening. Top right: the hotel’s back terrace.

Planting Roots

On May 16, Green Thumb Industries (GTI), a national cannabis cultivator and dispensary operator, welcomed the community to an open house and ribbon cutting at RISE Amherst, the town’s new medical-marijuana dispensary, located at 169 Meadow St. “This is a great day for the patients of Massachusetts and the state’s medical cannabis program,” said GTI CEO Pete Kadens. “Our goal at our RISE dispensaries is to provide the very best care to our patients while offering the the most effective and quality medical marijuana available. We are thrilled to join the Amherst community and look forward to serving our patients.”

Cutting the ribbon are, from left, Kadens; Matt Yee, GTI Massachusetts market president; and Peter Vickery, Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce president.

Cutting the ribbon are, from left, Kadens; Matt Yee, GTI Massachusetts market president; and Peter Vickery, Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce president.

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of May 2018.

AGAWAM

1514 Main St., LLC
1514 Main St.
$4,500 — Illuminated ground sign

Agawam Veterans Housing, LLC
702 South Westfield St.
$11,300 — Erect pre-built shed on property

CH Realty VII/CG Mact Bird, LLC
6 Lealand Ave.
$14,000 — Two ground signs and one wall sign

PCT Realty Ventures, LLC; BRN Mustang, LLC
265 Main St.
$190,000 — Roofing

Rayonia Motors, LLC
521 River Road
$2,450 — Ground sign

AMHERST

Central Amherst Realty Trust
33-37 East Pleasant St.
$1,000 — Install smoke detector and CO detector

CHICOPEE

John Boryczka, Linda Boryczka
508 Montgomery St.
$5,200 — Roofing

Dwight Manufacturing
165 Front St.
$33,136 — Verizon Wireless to replace existing antennas with new models and replace remote radio heads

E and R Realty, LLC
285 McKinstry Ave.
$6,975 — Demolish storage building

Thomas Fotiathis
105 East St.
$66,850 — Demolish fire-damaged building

Meadow Street Partners, LLP
317 Meadow St., Unit 1
$1,000 — Install partition wall to separate office area

Westover Airport
255 Padgette St.
$180,000 — Re-roof terminal building

EASTHAMPTON

Keystone Enterprises
122 Pleasant St.
$20,000 — Install garden wall fence

Plauterman Enterprises, LLC
9 Chapman Ave.
$4,424 — Rebuild chimney

Willison Northampton School
19 Payson Ave.
$5,000 — Renovate bathroom

EAST LONGMEADOW

Cartamundi
443 Shaker Road
$97,325 — Erect two steel silos

Rocky’s
24 North Main St.
$32,765 — Antenna

GREENFIELD

Baystate Franklin Medical Center
164 High St.
$26,140 — Remove existing windows on west side of building, infill, and insulate

CJBW Stamp, LLC
15 Greenfield St.
$1,500,000 — Construct pre-engineered factory building

OM Greenfield Realty Trust
45-49 Main St.
$1,500 — Remodel space for a church

Town of Greenfield
209 Wells St.
$17,000 — Pour concrete foundation for modular building

Melissa Winters, Christopher Sexton
126 Deerfield St.
$10,000 — Repair siding

HADLEY

Jones Properties, LP
438 Russell St.
$10,150 — New and altered wall and ground signs at Chili’s

Parmar & Sons
340 Russell St.
$58,872 — Pool at Homewood Suites

LONGMEADOW

Bliss Williams, LLC
679 Bliss Road
$2,500,000 — Alter existing Big Y supermarket; add former hardware store, café, and barber shop into existing space

Longmeadow Country Club
400 Shaker Road
$118,500 — Build open pavilion

NORTHAMPTON

94 Industrial Drive, LLC
94 Industrial Dr.
$15,200 — Install new siding and doors

The Coca-Cola Co.
45 Industrial Dr.
$150,000 — Tea brew skid

Paul Picknelly
118 Conz St.
$144,100 — Remove and replace two bathrooms and break area

Smith College
30 Lyman Road
Demolish building

Thornes Marketplace, LLC
150 Main St.
$25,350 — Renovate and alter ramp on first floor, modify Suite 40 to accommodate new ramp landing

Whiting Energy Fuels
300 King St.
$59,250 — Replace damaged support column and siding where car hit building

SPRINGFIELD

Bay Liberty, LLC
15 Girard Ave.
$12,000 — Install six new remote radio heads and replace three old ones

Big Y Trust
1070 St. James Ave.
$200,000 — Alter tenant space for expansion of Kool Smiles dental office

Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC
12 MGM Way
$600,000 — Install fire-alarm system in entertainment area at MGM Springfield

C & W Breckwood Realty Co.
1064 Wilbraham Road
$466,676 — Alter tenant space for Save-A-Lot grocery store

City of Springfield
1015 Wilbraham Road
$974,321 — Alter two art classrooms and storage rooms into new science classrooms at Duggan Middle School

CNR Springfield, LLC
655 Page Blvd.
$42,196 — Install modular office at CRRC assembly plant

Crown Atlantic Co., LLC
22 Birnie Ave.
$25,000 — Replace three existing antennas with three new antennas, replace three remote radio heads, and add three remote radio heads

Charles D’Amour, Donald D’Amour
90 Memorial Dr.
$50,000 — Alter space to isolate existing cell-tower control room from rest of building

Derrick Hatwood, Dana Hatwood
50 Chapel St.
$25,000 — Replace three existing antennas with three new antennas, replace six remote radio heads, and add nine remote radio heads

Jon Realty, LLC
230 Verge St.
$25,000 — Alter existing cell tower

MassMutual
1295 State St.
$100,570 — Alter drop ceiling in existing third-floor office area

MTK, LLC
535 Page Blvd.
$3,000 — Extend roof over existing rear patio at Mike’s East Side Pub

Sovran Acquisition, LP
40 Congress St.
$45,000 — Alter interior space to add steel storage units at Life Storage

Westfield Bank
1342 Liberty St.
$103,000 — Erect bearing walls for four new offices

Westrock CP, LLC
320 Parker St.
$420,000 — Roofing

WARE

Cold Spring Medical, LLC
182 West St.
$3,000 — Repair existing sign structure

Nicorn, LLC
4 Longview Ave.
$6,000 — Roofing

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Eastern States Exposition
1305 Memorial Ave.
$524,900 — Construct new barn

Eastern States Exposition
1115 Memorial Ave.
$28,875 — Roofing

Reda Ishak, M.D.
120 Westfield St.
$1,500 — Build separating wall, renovate existing commercial business space

Placon
1227 Union St.
$56,585 — Add second floor to existing office with set of stairs

Purple Diamond Realty
52 Baldwin St.
$1,800 — Reoccupy existing building and erect partition wall; wire in new lights in work area

WILBRAHAM

New Life International
4 Stony Hill Road
$4,200 — Three signs

Real Estate Transactions

By
Departments Real Estate

The following real estate transactions (latest available) were compiled by Banker & Tradesman and are published as they were received. Only transactions exceeding $115,000 are listed. Buyer and seller fields contain only the first name listed on the deed.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BUCKLAND

7 Pine St.
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $263,500
Buyer: Christian M. Parenti
Seller: Joyce E. Tawney IRT
Date: 04/27/18

DEERFIELD

190 Lower Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: James D. Marciano
Seller: John Stankowski
Date: 04/23/18

ERVING

16 River Road
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Francis E. Prondecki
Seller: Prondecki, Helen M., (Estate)
Date: 05/04/18

25 River Road
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Fenner
Seller: Jeannette A. Felton
Date: 05/01/18

GREENFIELD

18 Champney Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Lisa Sommers
Seller: Steven H. Lepore
Date: 04/30/18

243 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $143,500
Buyer: John T. Sawyer
Seller: Gary T. Dubois
Date: 04/27/18

132 Davis St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Pioneer Valley Redevelopment LLC
Seller: Michael P. Mendyk
Date: 05/01/18

133 Elm St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Nancy Forrest
Seller: Stanley E. Page
Date: 04/30/18

141 Elm St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Nathan R. Jackson
Seller: Devorah L. Rosenberg
Date: 05/04/18

85 Hope St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Jonathan R. Storm
Seller: Matthew R. Guertin
Date: 05/02/18

6 Laurel St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Joe E. Otto
Seller: Mascavage, Phyllis F., (Estate)
Date: 05/04/18

48 Peabody Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Alistair N. Shurman
Seller: Whitney K. Robbins RET
Date: 05/01/18

58 Turners Falls Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: David E. Lavalley
Seller: Michael R. Babineau
Date: 04/30/18

100 Verde Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: Ann Grippo
Seller: Greenfield KMW LLC
Date: 04/30/18

NORTHFIELD

504 Mount Hermon Station Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Donald L. Tefft
Seller: Joyce A. Roberts
Date: 04/30/18

207 Old Wendell Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Colin G. Hamill
Seller: Glenn A. Thoma
Date: 05/01/18

86 West Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $288,500
Buyer: James G. MacLennan
Seller: Donald L. Tefft
Date: 04/30/18

ORANGE

12-14 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: M. Jemms Orange I. LLC
Seller: Chen Lin LLC
Date: 04/30/18

124 Mechanic St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Jacob R. Paul
Seller: Mark A. Sprague
Date: 04/24/18

53 Oak Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $255,850
Buyer: Marcia Nataly
Seller: Brandon Coy
Date: 04/27/18

185 Packard Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Brianna M. Lacki
Seller: PMC Reo Financing TR
Date: 04/27/18

114 Prentiss St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Harris Manufacturing & Supply
Seller: Boudreau, Phyllis G., (Estate)
Date: 04/27/18

ROWE

245 Zoar Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Brian C. Crowningshield
Seller: Steven R. Crowningshield
Date: 04/30/18

SHELBURNE

34 Main St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Suzanne M. Fand
Seller: Deerfield Avenue Realty
Date: 05/04/18

5 Maple St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $523,000
Buyer: Richard C. Zawalich RET
Seller: Elizabeth A. Perkins TR
Date: 04/27/18

SUNDERLAND

88 Old Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Douglas F. Houle
Seller: Cheryl A. Werner
Date: 04/27/18

26 S. Plain Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Mary A. Brandt
Seller: Anne R. Homme
Date: 04/30/18

WARWICK

555 Northfield Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $305,500
Buyer: Kelly A. Buchanan
Seller: Reva Reck RET
Date: 04/30/18

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

81 Belvidere Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: David Dunican
Seller: Kenneth Modzelesky
Date: 04/27/18

30 Clifton Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $238,500
Buyer: Wilnet Martinez
Seller: Sergey Savonin
Date: 04/25/18

54 Dartmouth St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $140,069
Buyer: Moustafa I. Tahoun
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 04/24/18

64 Federal St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $311,500
Buyer: Brendon Struck
Seller: Patrick Baker
Date: 04/27/18

55 Halladay Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Kushtrim Krasniqi
Seller: Richard F. McCaslin
Date: 04/25/18

9-11 Hamar Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $237,500
Buyer: Dominic E. Santaniello
Seller: Scott G. Roberts
Date: 05/01/18

73 Hunters Greene Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Beth Denoncourt
Seller: Craig, Cookie, (Estate)
Date: 04/27/18

138 Lancaster Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $388,000
Buyer: Huynh D. Le
Seller: Oscar Gomez
Date: 04/27/18

252 Line St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Moltenbrey Builders LLC
Seller: Campagnari Construction
Date: 04/26/18

16 Meadow St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Shaun P. Kelly
Seller: Racheal A. Paveglio
Date: 05/04/18

529 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Hayder Dawood
Seller: Yuriy Gavrilov
Date: 05/01/18

12 Ottawa St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Kirk W. Cears
Seller: Phyllis Manning
Date: 04/25/18

50 Red Fox Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Jose E. Branco
Seller: John A. Cappuccilli
Date: 04/27/18

82 South Park Terrace
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $179,400
Buyer: Joanne N. Gilley
Seller: Kathleen A. Klimoski
Date: 05/03/18

61 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Alysia M. Loso
Seller: Johnson, Todd S., (Estate)
Date: 04/25/18

BRIMFIELD

320 Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $228,500
Buyer: Sean Sweeney
Seller: Stephen R. Holuk
Date: 04/27/18

CHESTER

241 Route 20
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Carms Restaurant LLC
Seller: Robert A. Gauthier
Date: 05/01/18

CHICOPEE

43 Acker Circle
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $265,500
Buyer: Leigha Schmidt
Seller: James M. Babiec
Date: 04/26/18

2073 Airpark Way
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $1,900,000
Buyer: EIP Westover Road LLC
Seller: Sweeney Transportation
Date: 04/25/18

51 Alvord Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Loic R. Assobmo
Seller: Artur Formejster
Date: 04/27/18

118 Asselin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Alexcelin Saldana
Seller: Joyce A. Alfonso
Date: 04/27/18

23 Britton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jessica Fuentes
Seller: Ronald A. Racine
Date: 04/27/18

518 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Stephanie M. Cruz
Seller: G&D Property Management
Date: 04/30/18

60 Coakley Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $155,800
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Connie M. Blais
Date: 05/04/18

47 Conrad St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: Michael Jackewich
Seller: William Guy-Craig
Date: 05/04/18

247 East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Miranda Cora-Brian
Seller: Daniel R. Bernashe
Date: 04/27/18

20 Factory St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Duane E. Gray
Seller: Anthony E. Giannetti
Date: 04/30/18

85 Falmouth Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $231,500
Buyer: Edward W. Passa
Seller: Jessica E. Brueshaber
Date: 05/04/18

41 Foss Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Roel Figueroa
Seller: At Home Properties LLC
Date: 05/02/18

165 Front St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $7,800,000
Buyer: 4 Perkins LLC
Seller: 321 Space LLC
Date: 05/02/18

58 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $129,868
Buyer: Pennymac Holdings LLC
Seller: Timothy A. Albert
Date: 05/02/18

36 Grise Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Sean Auclair
Seller: Henry A. Benjamin
Date: 04/27/18

46 Joy St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $242,900
Buyer: Jedediah S. Fiske
Seller: Marsha L. Burek
Date: 04/30/18

25 Juliette St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: William S. Andres
Seller: James T. Griffin
Date: 04/30/18

71 Kaveney St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Dominic A. Iannuzzi
Seller: Shawn C. Roberts
Date: 04/23/18

128 McCarthy Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: James M. Whalen
Seller: Matthew R. Blais
Date: 04/30/18

15 Mellen St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Robert Taloumis
Seller: Augustin Cardona
Date: 05/04/18

6 Mount Carmel Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $116,910
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Edna C. Barton
Date: 04/25/18

94 Mountainview St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Claire M. Kennedy
Seller: Anita M. Wylie
Date: 05/04/18

115 New Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Jose A. Soto-Cintron
Seller: Kristen A. Hale
Date: 04/30/18

102 Ondrick Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Brunilda Ramirez
Seller: Leonard Bernazki
Date: 04/27/18

17 Ohio Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Sophia Bagley
Seller: Janet E. Maynard
Date: 05/04/18

59 Oxford St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $298,800
Buyer: Luke J. Tetreault
Seller: Gia M. Lamothe
Date: 04/30/18

119 Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Macmar LLC
Seller: Dows, David E., (Estate)
Date: 04/27/18

97 Robak Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Kevin Konstant
Seller: Ayaz Kagzi
Date: 05/01/18

137 Schoolhouse Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Stephen F. Powell
Seller: Sun West Mortgage Co. Inc.
Date: 04/26/18

22 Tenney St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Efrain Suarez
Seller: Douglas A. Dickens
Date: 05/01/18

31 Theroux Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $11,000,000
Buyer: Maple Ridge Apartments
Seller: Baker Turn LLC
Date: 04/25/18

21 Thomas St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $263,900
Buyer: Nadezhda P. Dipon
Seller: N. Riley Realty LLC
Date: 04/24/18

38 Ward St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Barrett
Seller: Louise M. Franczek
Date: 04/27/18

75 West St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Caroline K. Anzeze
Seller: Sergiy T. Shovgan
Date: 04/27/18

EAST LONGMEADOW

421 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Renee Denno
Seller: Marlene V. Lundberg
Date: 04/27/18

36 East Circle Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Mark T. Quinn
Seller: Craig D. Cowles
Date: 04/30/18

7 Jennifer Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Rebecca J. Harrison
Seller: Michael F. Connors
Date: 04/26/18

93 Meadowbrook Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $313,500
Buyer: International Faith
Seller: Grace & Glory Apostolic
Date: 05/02/18

1 Pecousic Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $313,000
Buyer: Kyle M. Harrison
Seller: Joel D. Baillargeon
Date: 04/27/18

137 Pleasant St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $218,983
Buyer: USA VA
Seller: Jason A. Sutton
Date: 05/03/18

Pondview Dr. #1
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Christopher Arillotta
Seller: Joseph Chapdelaine & Sons
Date: 05/04/18

122 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Elizabeth M. McCarthy
Date: 04/23/18

152 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: Jacquelyn M. Graziano
Date: 04/23/18

83 Redin Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Anthony M. Santaniello
Seller: William F. Egan
Date: 05/03/18

4 Saugus Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Michael Stevens
Seller: Louis J. Durkin
Date: 04/30/18

52 Schuyler Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Timothy Ricky-Shink
Seller: Kelly L. Cianfarani
Date: 04/27/18

25 Westminster St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Alex P. Randall
Seller: Joseph E. Chlosta
Date: 04/23/18

HAMPDEN

125 Bennett Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Ewen A. Maceachern
Seller: Joo B. Lee
Date: 05/01/18

312 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $258,900
Buyer: Stephen Baker
Seller: John J. Scavotto
Date: 04/27/18

203 South Monson Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Henry J. Wawrzonek
Seller: Ewen Maceachern
Date: 05/01/18

HOLYOKE

650 Beaulieu St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $875,000
Buyer: Solurge Realty Holyoke
Seller: Dajo Realty LLC
Date: 05/03/18

1 Burns Way
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Deborah Rodriguez
Seller: Josue Colon
Date: 04/27/18

33 Carol Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: James E. Jaron
Seller: Richard C. Lovely
Date: 04/30/18

15 Lemay Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Beatriz Colon
Seller: Grzegorz Cygan
Date: 04/27/18

93 Mountain Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Steven Darryl-Cobb
Seller: Lynda S. Abel
Date: 05/03/18

130 Nonotuck St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Kristy J. Ganong
Seller: Joseph H. Ely
Date: 04/30/18

North Bridge St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Richard Mei
Seller: Alan G. Barthelette
Date: 04/30/18

25 O’Connell Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Andrew Obrien
Seller: Michael A. Sullivan
Date: 04/25/18

6 Saint Jerome Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $146,475
Buyer: 6 Holyoke Holdings LLC
Seller: US Bank
Date: 04/30/18

246 West Franklin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $134,846
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Esther Djumabaev
Date: 04/26/18

94 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Stephen D. Bennett
Seller: Bennett, Mary C., (Estate)
Date: 04/24/18

40 Woods Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Jessa Tower
Seller: David L. Brunelle
Date: 04/24/18

LONGMEADOW

63 Briarcliff Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Rahul M. Jawale
Seller: Adam M. Goodman
Date: 04/30/18

44 Brookside Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Winifred N. Martin
Seller: Heather B. Termine
Date: 04/26/18

42 Elm Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $244,500
Buyer: Benjamin J. Barker
Seller: Richard J. Graveline
Date: 05/01/18

23 Fernleaf Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Goldfinch Holdings LLC
Seller: Robert L. Dambrov
Date: 04/30/18

85 Franklin Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Justin D. Weber
Seller: 1066 Granby Road LLC
Date: 04/27/18

255 Green Hill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Ilyssa O. Zippin
Seller: Ruth B. Roth
Date: 04/23/18

711 Laurel St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $304,850
Buyer: Charles Miller
Seller: 711 Laurel Street LLC
Date: 05/04/18

105 Longfellow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Amanda S. Desrosiers
Seller: Bailey FT
Date: 05/04/18

26 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $545,000
Buyer: Andrew E. Finn
Seller: Michael P. Landry
Date: 05/01/18

50 Merriweather Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: John H. Glenn
Seller: Howard H. Barron
Date: 04/27/18

220 Prynnwood Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $549,900
Buyer: Jennifer Nichols
Seller: Bruce A. Keator
Date: 04/24/18

50 Wheel Meadow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $361,000
Buyer: George C. Prouty
Seller: FNMA
Date: 04/30/18

101 Wildwood Glenn
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Joel D. Baillargeon
Seller: Alireza Vahadji
Date: 05/01/18

LUDLOW

202 Cady St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Antonio V. Alexio
Seller: Fontanella, Kenneth A., (Estate)
Date: 04/27/18

96 Clearwater Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $512,500
Buyer: Peter B. Homans
Seller: David Fernandes
Date: 04/27/18

195 Colonial Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Stephen W. Ryczek
Seller: Anselmo C. Amaral
Date: 04/30/18

33 Dinis St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Carol A. Babiec
Seller: Antonio L. Juliano
Date: 04/30/18

205 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Cesar Omy-Carattini
Seller: BP LLC
Date: 04/30/18

579 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $399,500
Buyer: Stephanie Shaw
Seller: Brett D. Bernardo
Date: 04/30/18

581 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $399,500
Buyer: Stephanie Shaw
Seller: Brett D. Bernardo
Date: 04/30/18

92 Grimard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $168,750
Buyer: Michael L. Cabrera
Seller: Karl L. Richard
Date: 04/26/18

42 Manor Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Ryan Collette
Seller: John A. Ruell
Date: 05/04/18

32 Lehigh St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Daniel C. Fernandes
Seller: Jose M. Dias
Date: 04/25/18

140 Overlook Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Kyle J. Gauthier
Seller: Peter B. Homans
Date: 04/27/18

84 Simonds St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Jason A. Barroso
Seller: Ronald R. Kincaid
Date: 05/04/18

3 Waz St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Julio E. Carmona
Seller: Jonas Carvalho
Date: 04/23/18

259 West St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Anthony Poehler
Seller: Kelly L. Glazier
Date: 05/01/18

139 Williams St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Matthew R. McGovern
Seller: June D. McCarthy
Date: 04/25/18

MONSON

30 Blanchard Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $336,000
Buyer: William L. Sharp
Seller: Lyn M. Fioravanti
Date: 05/01/18

9 Lincoln St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Ryan Ayaz
Seller: Wesley R. Crouch
Date: 05/01/18

169 Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Jonathan D. Caskey-Medina
Seller: Dean P. Smith
Date: 04/27/18

144 Woodhill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Eric S. Bohnet
Seller: Stephen Gallant
Date: 04/24/18

MONTGOMERY

1600 Russell Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Nadeau
Seller: James E. Johnson
Date: 04/24/18

PALMER

123 Belchertown St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $189,500
Buyer: Ryan A. Sprague
Seller: Sophie Majka
Date: 04/30/18

294 Emery St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Frederick H. Glanville
Seller: Kim M. Amadei
Date: 04/24/18

44 French Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Sharon A. Martel
Seller: Wayne R. Dimetres
Date: 04/30/18

4 Hickory Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: David R. Orr
Seller: Anthony R. Simmoneau
Date: 05/04/18

3182-3184 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $127,900
Buyer: Richard Sibya
Seller: US Bank
Date: 04/30/18

4 Homestead St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $243,250
Buyer: John M. Pollock
Seller: Michael J. Damiano
Date: 05/04/18

38 Ruggles St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Corey P. Chartier
Seller: Wayne K. Hawk
Date: 04/30/18

RUSSELL

770 Blandford Stage Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $123,250
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Yelena Govor
Date: 04/23/18

SOUTHWICK

19 Beach Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Jennifer Tibbetts
Seller: Marta M. James
Date: 04/24/18

5 Bugbee Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Timothy W. Cunningham
Seller: Winding Land Realty LLC
Date: 04/30/18

662 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $363,500
Buyer: O’Reilly Auto Enterprises
Seller: Keith F. King
Date: 04/23/18

9 Foster Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Douglas H. Teece
Date: 04/27/18

59 North Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: 59 North Longyard LLC
Seller: Griffin Land Development MA
Date: 04/26/18

SPRINGFIELD

344 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Jennifer H. Allard
Seller: Elizabeth Szarkowski
Date: 04/30/18

810 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Valerie A. Cruz
Seller: James A. Ryan
Date: 04/26/18

940 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Jose R. Diaz
Seller: Richard Chang
Date: 05/04/18

95 Alvin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Derek Sargent
Seller: Linda M. Owens
Date: 04/30/18

22 Amanda St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $120,750
Buyer: William T. Raleigh
Seller: FNMA
Date: 04/23/18

309 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Berkshire Realty LLC
Seller: MJ Chu LLC
Date: 04/26/18

172 Birchland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Joaeth A. Breton
Seller: Georgia L. Carleton
Date: 04/26/18

28-30 Blanding St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Waleska Lugo-Dejesus
Seller: Empire West LLC
Date: 04/23/18

Boston Road (SS)
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $3,085,443
Buyer: True Blue Personal Touch
Seller: 739 Boston Road LLC
Date: 05/01/18

633 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: RHL Properties LLC
Seller: FNMA
Date: 04/27/18

865 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Value Properties LLC
Seller: Abel Lee
Date: 04/30/18

75 Briarcliff St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Brianna M. Barcomb
Seller: Elaine A. Rooney
Date: 05/04/18

90 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: 1492 Redevelopment LLC
Seller: Develop Springfield Corp.
Date: 04/30/18.

180 Carver St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $146,400
Buyer: Kathleen Sheridan
Seller: Jeremy E. Lindsay
Date: 04/30/18

334 Chapin Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Eli S. Lopez-Torres
Seller: Charlie S. Melo-Perez
Date: 04/27/18

126 Clarendon St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $312,500
Buyer: Mary B. Campion
Seller: Walter W. Bigelow
Date: 04/25/18

114 Clement St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Michael Alexander
Seller: James R. Knight
Date: 05/03/18

95 Clough St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Minh Lam
Seller: Dixon, John G. Sr., (Estate)
Date: 05/04/18

187 Connecticut Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Julio Pineda
Seller: Oniel Morrison
Date: 05/04/18

11 Coomes St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Yolanda Gomez
Seller: Chad T. Lynch
Date: 05/04/18

15 Copeland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Eula S. Drummer
Seller: Nicholas E. Sergentanis
Date: 05/04/18

44-46 Dawes St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $185,500
Buyer: Gabriel M. Serrano
Seller: Extremely Clean
Date: 04/27/18

120 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Jennifer M. Rademacher
Seller: Abby L. Evers
Date: 04/27/18

43 Eckington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Linda J. Lafleche
Seller: Kenneth D. Lafleche
Date: 05/01/18

74 Ellendale Circle
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Margaret L. Gatesman
Seller: Mary E. Surniak
Date: 04/26/18

40 Elmore Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Nyomie J. Montanez
Seller: BP LLC
Date: 04/27/18

242 Gilbert Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Julio A. Velez
Seller: Michael T. Tracy
Date: 04/25/18

27 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Castellano
Seller: Hillary M. Sullivan
Date: 04/30/18

98 Grover St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Cynthia Carmenatty
Seller: Junior Properties LLC
Date: 05/01/18

76 Hall St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Long River Realty LLC
Seller: Shawn Sandoval
Date: 04/23/18

100-102 Hamburg St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Nancy Cortes
Seller: Laura Sherry
Date: 05/01/18

99 Jefferson Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $224,006
Buyer: AAA Homes LLC
Seller: City Of Springfield
Date: 04/27/18

186 Jeffrey Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Kimberly M. Hodges
Seller: Isarelys C. Ortiz
Date: 04/30/18

7 Joanne Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Cleveland Rahymes
Seller: Gregory P. Gethins
Date: 04/23/18

15 Jordan St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $175,074
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Daniel Brown
Date: 05/03/18

190 Leopold St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jacqueline M. Algarin
Seller: Alex Owusu
Date: 04/30/18

55 Lindsay Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Andrew T. Silva
Seller: Louis P. Marinaro
Date: 04/30/18

50 Macomber Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $139,500
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Johnny R. Hallums
Date: 04/25/18

1780 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $2,750,000
Buyer: 1780 HCHQ Inc.
Seller: Park View North LLC
Date: 04/30/18

50 Maple St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $2,000,000
Buyer: Arcoleo Realty LLC
Seller: Visiting Nurse Association
Date: 04/30/18

403 Maple St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Errin Green
Seller: Mental Health Assn. Inc.
Date: 05/02/18

20 Maura St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Kimberly M. Conrad
Seller: Donald F. Healy
Date: 04/27/18

101 Meadowlark Lane
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Danielle M. Powell
Seller: Anthony C. Mone
Date: 05/02/18

29 Montford St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Jose L. Cortes
Seller: Kevin J. Tessier
Date: 05/01/18

201 Morton St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Robert N. Carter
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 04/30/18

196 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Rafael Marte
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 04/26/18

67 Old Brook Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $197,500
Buyer: Sarah M. Fields
Seller: Robert Lunde
Date: 04/30/18

40 Old Farm Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: William Velez
Seller: Gina G. Daniele
Date: 05/01/18

36 Orchard St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Sharna Pearson
Seller: Jose Munoz
Date: 04/27/18

94 Orpheum Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Seth C. Judson
Seller: Opus Durum LLC
Date: 04/30/18

936 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $139,239
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Mark Ako-Brew
Date: 05/03/18

2000 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $211,500
Buyer: Stephanie N. Burgess
Seller: John P. Lafrance
Date: 05/04/18

64 Price St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $119,900
Buyer: Rochelle A. Chaisson
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 04/30/18

30 Savoy Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Axel Davila
Seller: Ambika Biswa
Date: 04/30/18

618 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Anthony Nash-Yeboah
Seller: AAD LLC
Date: 05/01/18

1069 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Imani Hines-Coombs
Seller: Efrain Quinones
Date: 05/04/18

126-128 Tavistock St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Andrew H. Tsang
Seller: Brian M. Liquore
Date: 04/26/18

151-153 Trafton Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $141,750
Buyer: Select Portfolio Servicing
Seller: Michael B. White
Date: 04/25/18

15 Undine Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: North Harlow 5 LLC
Seller: Patrick K. Sullivan
Date: 04/27/18

126 Undine Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Alfredo Rosario-Roman
Seller: Harry L. Burgos
Date: 04/26/18

31 Upton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Marta Rodriguez
Seller: Irene Provost
Date: 04/30/18

100-102 Wait St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Peter Livieratos
Date: 04/24/18

369-R Walnut St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Kathryn E. Suarez
Seller: Katherine A. Grenier
Date: 04/27/18

77 Warehouse St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Charles G. Arment
Seller: Peroulakis LLC
Date: 04/30/18

343-345 Water St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: FV 1 Inc.
Seller: Kellie Lynch
Date: 04/30/18

52 West Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $123,032
Buyer: Tiffany Quan
Seller: OCWEN Loan Servicing LLC
Date: 04/24/18

72 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $121,688
Buyer: Matadormus LLC
Seller: Loandepot Com LLC
Date: 04/27/18

22 Wheeler Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Amanda M. Stone
Seller: Gabriel Almenas
Date: 05/03/18

186 Whittum Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Ashley L. Reilly
Seller: AJN Rentals LLC
Date: 04/23/18

1988 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $184,500
Buyer: Stanley Clerge
Seller: Joyce J. Turco
Date: 04/30/18

36-38 Wilmont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Nina Nguyen
Seller: Kevin P. Bach
Date: 04/25/18

207 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Monica M. Orta
Seller: Steven R. Lemelin
Date: 04/30/18

27 Woodcliff St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Jenna L. Hayden
Seller: Property Keys LLC
Date: 04/27/18

WALES

61 Monson Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $176,880
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Armand A. Arsenault
Date: 04/30/18

WESTFIELD

47 Aldrich Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Hector M. Hernandez
Seller: Shawn P. Tatro
Date: 04/27/18

3 Butler St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Mario R. Seguin
Seller: Tiffany Royland
Date: 04/26/18

24 Charles St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Aita Gurung
Seller: Jason P. Maraj
Date: 04/24/18

104 Foch Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Kevin Ritchie
Seller: Steven S. Brzoska
Date: 05/01/18

78 Heggie Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $171,900
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Gladys D. Alcaide
Date: 04/23/18

112 Pineridge Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Timothy P. Ayers
Seller: Irene E. Dennison
Date: 04/30/18

22 Putnam Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $140,220
Buyer: OCWEN Servicing LLC
Seller: Frank L. Brucknak
Date: 05/03/18

83 Rachael Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $379,000
Buyer: Babita Gurung
Seller: Ralph L. Tropeano
Date: 04/30/18

8 Sycamore St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Adam T. Chagnon
Seller: Dig Bista
Date: 05/03/18

70 Vadnais St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Bobbie C. Longo
Seller: Timothy P. Ayers
Date: 04/30/18

26 West School St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $119,900
Buyer: Gennadiy Lisitsin
Seller: Milton Vazquez
Date: 04/30/18

132 Westwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $232,750
Buyer: Isaac A. Stayton
Seller: Popovich, Sam H., (Estate)
Date: 04/27/18

WILBRAHAM

17 Joan St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Doris K. Johnson
Seller: Thomas G. Gilmour
Date: 04/25/18

593 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $195,700
Buyer: Fumi Realty Inc.
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 04/26/18

22 Merrill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $251,200
Buyer: Jeremy E. Lindsay
Seller: Debra J. Lampson
Date: 04/30/18

299 Mountain Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Garry A. Nickerson
Seller: Bjorn Schultz
Date: 04/30/18

105 Post Office Park
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $930,000
Buyer: Cumberland Farms Inc.
Seller: Garvey Group Inc.
Date: 04/30/18

3 West Colonial Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $308,000
Buyer: Efrain Quinones
Seller: David R. Orr
Date: 05/04/18

WEST SPRINGFIELD

61 Appaloosa Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Hasmukh Gogri
Seller: Moe K. Denny
Date: 04/27/18

17 Blossom Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Michael K. Mattoon
Seller: Stephen Buynicki
Date: 05/04/18

70 Brookline Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Robert E. Gonzalez
Seller: Ashley T. Stone
Date: 04/30/18

65 Cataumet Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $439,900
Buyer: Isarelys C. Ortiz
Seller: David M. Duquette
Date: 04/30/18

55 Gay Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Kerryann M. Serju
Seller: Kellee A. Grucci
Date: 04/26/18

137 Greystone Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Adam Bartman
Seller: Joshua C. Lyon
Date: 04/24/18

33 Kelso Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Ramon J. Sanchez
Seller: John E. Fitzgerald
Date: 05/03/18

83 Labelle St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jose A. Benvenutti
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/03/18

137 Massasoit Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,900
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Jennifer L. Kenny
Date: 05/04/18

102 Miami St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Gary L. Scott
Seller: US Bank
Date: 04/30/18

23 Morningside Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Shawn D. Kelly
Seller: Miroslav Tkach
Date: 05/04/18

26 Southworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Charles T. Disponett
Seller: Christian D. Bodley
Date: 04/30/18

68 Southworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: David Wellspeak
Seller: Kenneth P. Goudreau
Date: 04/24/18

42 West School St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $120,500
Buyer: Joe O’Malley
Seller: OCWEN Loan Servicing LLC
Date: 04/27/18

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

132 Aubinwood Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $411,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Folsom
Seller: Joan T. Gallinaro
Date: 04/26/18

159 Farview Way
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Carolyne Hinkel
Seller: Jolayne J. Hinkel TR
Date: 05/04/18

24 Hickory Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Toby Barnes
Seller: Paul C. Roud
Date: 04/25/18

51 Jeffrey Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Dongliang Guo
Seller: Michael I. Fagerson
Date: 04/26/18

902 North Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: John W. Kinchla
Seller: Diane M. Russell
Date: 05/01/18

33 Oakwood Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Mohamed H. Hassan
Seller: Judith A. Karren
Date: 04/30/18

159 Old Belchertown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: ADB2 Properties LLC
Seller: Poet Valley Partners LLC
Date: 04/24/18

166 Wildflower Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Olufemi O. Vaughan
Seller: Nigar J. Khan
Date: 04/30/18

BELCHERTOWN

86 Amherst Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Hilary N. Piquette
Seller: Michelle Stewart
Date: 04/27/18

535 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Chantel Mallalieu
Seller: Anuj Dhamija
Date: 05/04/18

196 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Kelly Gemme
Seller: Brandon J. Gonzalez
Date: 05/02/18

45 Jabish St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $187,400
Buyer: Pierre D. Willems
Seller: Allen F. Wentworth
Date: 04/27/18

522 Michael Sears Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $245,900
Buyer: Philip M. Sze
Seller: Katherine A. Hannon
Date: 04/27/18

71 North St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Christopher K. Wyman
Seller: Springrestore RT
Date: 04/25/18

62 Oakridge Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $329,900
Buyer: Patrick R. Shea
Seller: Stephen Rock
Date: 04/30/18

290 Rockrimmon St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $137,600
Buyer: Wilmington Trust
Seller: Fred Davis
Date: 04/25/18

17 Sherwood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Daniel P. Steele
Seller: Eugene J. Karmelek
Date: 05/04/18

237 West St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: William Sullivan
Seller: Cynthia L. Messer
Date: 04/30/18

CHESTERFIELD

213 Ireland St.
Chesterfield, MA 01084
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Kamil Zakrzewski
Seller: James S. Kolodziej
Date: 04/27/18

210 Sugar Hill Road
Chesterfield, MA 01096
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Kenneth R. Madigan
Seller: Ryan B. Bouvier
Date: 05/04/18

CUMMINGTON

54 Porter Hill Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Samantha B. Michaud
Seller: Matthew White
Date: 04/27/18

EASTHAMPTON

1 Allen St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: KM Properties LLC
Seller: Tina R. Wagner
Date: 04/25/18

38 Carillon Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Nina E. Spiro
Seller: Karen A. Normand
Date: 05/04/18

6 Davis St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Oliver Zeff
Seller: Corinne S. Barrineau
Date: 05/02/18

30 Kenneth Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Erik M. Swift
Seller: David E. Hunt
Date: 04/27/18

Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Tim Seney Contracting Inc.
Seller: Cykowski RET
Date: 04/26/18

Pomeroy St. #1
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: David A. Hardy Contractor
Seller: Cykowski RET
Date: 05/03/18

143 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Rebecca J. Mazuch
Seller: US Bank
Date: 05/01/18

3 Zabek Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Andrea A. Przybyla
Seller: Alena Marand
Date: 04/30/18

HADLEY

22 Breckenridge Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Philip W. Shumway
Seller: Marlene A. Schuster
Date: 04/23/18

HATFIELD

15 Plantation Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Raymond Romero
Seller: Vionette Vazquez
Date: 04/27/18

HUNTINGTON

15 Mountain View
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $150,880
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Dustin S. Kellogg
Date: 04/30/18

NORTHAMPTON

16 Bates St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $331,000
Buyer: Valerie Hood
Seller: Martha V. Dragon
Date: 04/30/18

540 Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Heather G. Richard
Seller: Mckeever, C. J., (Estate)
Date: 04/27/18

66 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: Katrina Fralick
Seller: Hampshire Property Mgmt.
Date: 04/27/18

15 Franklin St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $467,500
Buyer: Matthew Muspratt
Seller: Faith L. Foss
Date: 05/03/18

3 Linden St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Melanie Richards
Seller: Stephen P. Mikelis
Date: 05/01/18

179 Prospect Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Mark C. Jewell
Seller: Michael D. Houle
Date: 04/26/18

34 Ryan Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $256,500
Buyer: Charlotte T. Hathaway
Seller: Edward W. Passa
Date: 05/04/18

11 School St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $520,000
Buyer: Ethan Vandermark
Seller: Luke Bloomfield
Date: 05/03/18

17 Villone Dr.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Alice G. McKusick
Seller: David P. Foster
Date: 05/01/18

19 Washington Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $451,000
Buyer: William G. Sherr
Seller: Allison Lockwood
Date: 04/27/18

779 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Kevin L. Shepard
Seller: Kevin T. Kittredge
Date: 04/27/18

71 Woodmont Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $184,720
Buyer: LNV Corp
Seller: Kathleen Mullaney
Date: 04/27/18

PELHAM

312 Amherst Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Scott R. Rhodes
Seller: Sarahbess Kenney
Date: 05/01/18

SOUTH HADLEY

28 Atwood Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Thomas F. Ciufo
Seller: Elizabeth P. Sharp
Date: 04/27/18

1 Bach Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Michelle L. Hamelin
Seller: Phoebe Daunais
Date: 04/26/18

6 Center St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: John M. West
Seller: Peter H. Engel
Date: 04/30/18

65 Columbia St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Margaret Beauchemin
Seller: Oliver M. Zeff
Date: 05/02/18

10 East Red Bridge Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Juan A. Marin
Seller: Luis Builders Inc.
Date: 04/25/18

100 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Jessica Poser
Seller: Raymond R. Brunelle IRT
Date: 04/27/18

21 Grandview St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $294,900
Buyer: Matthew M. Trudel
Seller: Stephen W. Sroka
Date: 05/01/18

99 Hildreth Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Stephen J. Lamirande
Seller: Bruce C. Taylor
Date: 04/24/18

5 Hillcrest Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Matthew M. Kakley
Seller: Martha Lee-Brown
Date: 04/26/18

14 Hollywood St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Timothy A. Sheaffer
Seller: Jeffrey M. Poirier
Date: 04/27/18

4 Leblanc Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Rubeela Malik
Seller: Philip C. Beaudry
Date: 05/02/18

85 Lyman Terrace
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $322,500
Buyer: Charlene Wilder RET
Seller: Thomas J. Vautrin
Date: 05/02/18

144 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Matthew B. Fitzgerald
Seller: Anouk RT
Date: 04/27/18

37 Old County Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $452,000
Buyer: Albert P. Cordner
Seller: Patrice L. Dardenne
Date: 04/30/18

315 River Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: Bryan M. Trapp
Seller: Deborah C. Saperstone
Date: 04/23/18

5 Rivercrest Way
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Shawn M. Spencer
Seller: Rivercrest Condominiums
Date: 05/04/18

24 Tampa St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: David G. Morris
Seller: RB Homes LLC
Date: 05/03/18

8 Walnut St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Marleena A. Biela
Seller: Cynthia M. Chapdelaine
Date: 04/24/18

SOUTHAMPTON

40 Lead Mine Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Aaron L. Simms
Seller: Patricia G. Sandoval
Date: 05/03/18

75 Moose Brook Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $432,000
Buyer: Robert T. Hurley
Seller: David Garstka Builders
Date: 05/04/18

WARE

62 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $298,139
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Anna P. Thomas
Date: 05/03/18

16 Dugan Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Joshua Lynch
Seller: Daniel J. Alexander
Date: 04/27/18

7 King St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: George N. Hadley
Seller: Gail A. Glassbrenner
Date: 05/04/18

14 Malboeuf Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Kristin M. Fredette
Seller: Stephen W. Ryczek
Date: 04/30/18

290 Osborne Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Richard A. Cook
Seller: Jennifer L. Murray
Date: 04/26/18

27 Otis Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Paul T. Poirier
Date: 04/23/18

22 Sorel Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $156,500
Buyer: Alma J. Feitelberg
Seller: Erik F. Ramsland
Date: 04/27/18

WILLIAMSBURG

123 Main St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Ronald K. Munson
Seller: Sacheverell Seney
Date: 04/23/18

10 River Road
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Lawrence L. Lashway
Seller: Willo Carey
Date: 05/01/18

27 South Main St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: N. J. Fischer-Rodriguez
Seller: Douglas P. Ferrante
Date: 04/26/18

WORTHINGTON

165 Starkweather Hill Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Marie Hellouin-DeCenival
Seller: Susan S. Markush
Date: 04/27/18

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies Departments

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

Alexopoulos Construction Inc.
TREE413
Alexopoulos, Joseph P.
155 Hillcrest Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/23/18

Arnold, Christopher M.
Arnold, Carrie J.
257 Farrington Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/18

Arnold, Vicki Q.
63 Beekman Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/26/18

Bansfield, Gregory
73B Hadley Village Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Barnard, Immacolata C.
a/k/a Lombardi, Immacolata C.
13 Redfern Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Beauregard, Kevin M.
Beauregard, Suzanne Marie
a/k/a O’Connell, Suzanne M.
32 Acrebrook Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Berkshire Brush
Smith, Jeffrey M.
P.O. Box 115
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Breton, Dawn
16 Ludon St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/18

Brunelle, Sarai
324 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/18/18

Burnash, Laurie Ann
13 School St., Apt 1L
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/18

Build Your Brand Management
McGregor, Winston Benjamin
160 Shefford St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7 Filing
Date: 04/16/18

Cassaro, Dominick
42 Hall St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/18

Citlak, Ilknur
81 Bluebird Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/18

Cordero, Andrew A.
23 Shaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/18

Cuoco, Josephine
a/k/a Papallo, Josephine
136 Pineacre Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/30/18

Desilets, Robert A.
188 Glendale Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/25/18

Desilets, Sarah
9 Ellis St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Dould, John Francis
Dould, Kathleen Marie
494 School St., Apt. 3
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/18

Drewnowski, Paul Donald
90 Royal St., Fl. 2
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/18

Dunn, Dana M.
88 Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Felix, Stanley
7 Campbell Place
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/18

Ferguson, David J.
98 Brown St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/18

Fleur de Lis Housekeeping
Hoynoski, Suzanne L.
a/k/a Perna, Suzanne
1278 Colebrook River Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/18

Fonseca, Ricardo
Aponte, Liliana
50 Langdon St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/17/18

Fresh Cuts by Toni
Marcus, John C.
Marcus, Toni R.
a/k/a Francisco-Marcus, Toni R.
123 Shawinigan Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/20/18

Furey, Fonda M.
166 Madison Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/28/18

Gates, Kim Marie
a/k/a Zink, Kim
25 Woodland Dr.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/18

Gentles, Cheryl Denise
82 Ardmore St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/23/18

Goralski, Kimberly A.
P.O. Box 192
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/18

Harrison, Timothy W.
1 Congress St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/16/18

Hartshorn, William Wayne
5 Greenleaf Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/18/18

Haynes, Patricia A.
267 Rowley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Henry’s Tailor Shop
Sinkowski, Henry
a/k/a Sinkowski, Henryk
a/k/a Sinkowski, Henri
Sinkowski, Dorothy E.
110 Grape St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/18

Hurteau, Renee F.
1209 White Pond Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/16/18

Ingersoll, Michael Robert
Ingersoll, Melissa Lynn
PO Box 314
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/17/18

Kiki’s Magic World DayCare
Sierra, Marimonsi
a/k/a Sierra, Mary
53 Jenness St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Landry, Linda M.
28 Glen Albyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/23/18

Lemelin, Craig P.
71 Michigan St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Marrero, Carmelo O.
a/k/a Barrero, Carmelo
Marrero, Virgen G.
101 Lowell St., Apt. 722
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Marrero, Joanna M.
79 Michaelman Ave., Apt. 10
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/25/18

Martin, Neal B.
Martin, Barbara J.
36 Cady St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/19/18

Martinez, Juan B.
a/k/a Vega, Juan
a/k/a Martinez Vega, Juan B.
Martinez, Nancy A.
137 Hendrick St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/18

Nichols, John A.
Fletcher St., Apt. 25A
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/18/18

Oliveira, Mario
Oliveira, Amanda
272 Mount Pleasant St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/18

Palmer, Tammy L.
a/k/a Duggan, Tammy
a/k/a Thiphavong, Tammy
4030 Church St.
Thorndike, MA 01079
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/18/18

Prindle, Joyce E.
266 Grove St., Unit 1
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Przechocki, Daniel C.
Przechocki, Diane M.
55 Mohegan Ave.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/17/18

Ramsdell, Cheryl Patricia
a/k/a Gonzalez, Cheryl Patricia
130 Mt. Pleasant St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/18

Rogerson, Mark K.
Rogerson, Lynne A.
a/k/a Ziegert, Lynne A.
51 Wrenwood Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/22/18

Sanborn, Kathleen M.
a/k/a Bouvier, Kathleen M.
62 Aspen St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/23/18

Sarcastic Fringehead Vapo
Hurteau, Christopher D.
1209 White Pond Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/16/18

Semaski, Jason R.
Semaski, Kerry A.
58 Highland Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/24/18

Siano, Michael George
Connolly, Catherine Elizabeth
145 Rolf Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/17/18

Solomon, Maxwell O.
PO Box 3202
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/17/18

Steele, A. J. Michael
107 Quarry Road
Cheshire, MA 01225
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/18

Sullivan, Dennis J.
101 Putnam St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/19/18

Sullivan, Keith Andrew James
101 Putnam St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/19/18

Szymanski, Catherine J.
P.O. Box 121
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/24/18

Tripp, Stephen A.
100 Mechanic St., Apt.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/19/18

Ward, Anthony Lee
Ward, Faith Eileen
a/k/a Montaperto, Faith Eileen
224 Main St., Apt. B
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/17/18

Webb, Constance A.
4168 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/17/18

Wolf, Lynn M.
28 Chase Ave., 1st Fl.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/18

Doing Business As Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of May 2018.

AMHERST

Analystika
11 Amity St.
Infinitika, LLC; Seyed Amirali Jazayeri

The Athena Initiative
226 Pine St.
Julia Khan

Innate Body Wisdom Physical Therapy
96 North Pleasant St.
Marjorie Giliberto

Kendrick Property Management
1185 North Pleasant St.
Donna Golec

Neyman Arts
23 South Mount Holyoke Dr.
Ignacy Grzelazka

Northeast Construction Services
433 West St.
Ronald Laverdiere

Rise Salon
40 Main St.
Michelle Tomlinson

Sarah Marcus, LICSW
24 South Prospect St., #108
Sarah Marcus

Shumway Roofing
625 East Pleasant St.
Alan Shumway

Tensen Kilduff Design Lab
220 North Pleasant St.
Tim Tensen

BELCHERTOWN

Out! for Reel
27 Eagle Heights
Judith Lebold

Quabbin Painting and Construction
340 State St.
William Landford

Robert’s Handyman Services
38A Warren Wright St.
Robert Rybicki

Strong Walls
15 Sherwood Dr.
James Strong

CHICOPEE

Anajen Group, LLC
13 Lauzier Terrace
Jennifer Diaz, David Diaz

D & M Compliance Services
25 Jefferson Ave.
Mary Schryver

Hair Kings
693½ Grattan St.
Hector Cortez Jr.

L & L Treasures
35 Simonich St.
Elizabeth Thomas

Lisa A. Vachon, CPA
48 Center St.
Lisa Vachon

Nuñez Tax Service
28 Montgomery St.
Sonia Torres

Pavel Delivery
57 Larchmont St.
Pavel Arbuzov

Porchlight Home Care
2024 Westover Road
Kurt Toegel

Porchlight VNA
2024 Westover Road
Kurt Toegel

Property Keys, LLC
144 Broadway
Hector Quiles

Real Estate Keys, LLC
144 Broadway
Natasha Quiles

Webway Transport
53 Chatham St.
Jeffrey Weber

EASTHAMPTON

Ben Falkoff Music
8 Groveland St.
Ben Falkoff

Creations by Candy, LLC
186B Northampton St.
Candy Lacey

Dostal Eyecare
250 Northampton St.
Eric Dostal

Mac Industries
30 Pleasant St.
John McDonough

Old School Landscaping
245 Park St.
Jason Lafosse, Douglas Barton II

Salon Avanti
186 Northampton St.
Michelle Shanley, Ronald Finnessey Jr.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Agnew Quality Painting
P.O. Box 63
Val Shuetz

Shapes
219 Shaker Road
Joanne Cirillo

Shear Integrity
60 Shaker Road
Patricia Morin

Travel with Paula Jean
65 Porter Road
Paula Jean Alger

HOLYOKE

413 Family Fitness
15 Dillion Ave.
Juan Vazquez

Aguila Recording Studio
671 High St.
Abimael Robles

Dollar General Store #15341
250 Westfield Road
DG Retail, LLC

FYE #725
50 Holyoke St.
Record Town Inc.

Holyoke Express Multiservice
78 Cabot St.
Rosa Sanchez

JYN Mini Market
81 North Bridge St.
Norquelis Veras

Le Sisters, LLC
50 Holyoke St.
Huu Van Le

Manny’s Pizza
510 Westfield Road
Ricardo Sustache

Massachusetts Academy of Ballet
4 Open Square Way
Charles Flachs

Mercy Medical Group Inc.
306 Race St.
Mercy Medical Group

Ross, Webber & Grinnell Insurance
150 Lower Westfield Road, Suite 2
William Grinnell

LONGMEADOW

Heather Murphy, LICSW
785 Williams St., #344
Heather Murphy

Police Drones of Massachusetts
57 Cooley Dr.
John Alden

LUDLOW

Jayott General Development
644 Poole St.
Walter Martowski

Thermocrete Chimney Sweeps, LLC
36 Nowak Circle
Jonathon Burek

NORTHAMPTON

Alexander W. Borawski Inc.
88 King St.
Robert Borawski, David Malek

Country Hyundai Inc.
347 King St.
Carla Cosenzi Zayac

Elisabeth’s Hair Design
30 North Maple St.
Elisabeth Gaddy

Gene Callahan Real Estate
44 Conz St.
Eugene Callahan Jr.

Great Clips
228 King St.
Inpachelvan Vithianan Than

Kailo Coaching and Consulting
90 Conz St., Suite 101
Erik Mutén

Kailo Mentoring Group
90 Conz St., Suite 101
Erik Mutén

Kelley Green Lawncare
30 Hatfield St.
Peter Kelley

LadyBug Body-Mind Healing
90 Conz St.
Leslie Gould-Barkman

Little Bear Bread
61 Overlook Dr.
Joshua Stumpf

Massmetal Publishing
670B Haydenville Road
Kristian Strom

NETA
118 Conz St.
Leslie Laurie

Room 6 Salon
140 Pine St.
Jennifer Lea Mott

Stan Schapiro Consulting
139 Vernon St.
Stanley Schapiro

TJ’s Pop
467 Burt’s Pit Road
Troy Atherton Sr.

Wade Wofford, Filmmaker
8 Munroe St.
Wade Wofford

Your Elegant Divorce
76 Masonic St.
Gabrielle Hartley

PALMER

ABC Pool & Supply
248 Ware St.
Mark Kirk

Diamond Junction Bowling Lanes
1446 North Main St.
Charles Hood III

RB Enterprise
Nipmuck Street
Raymond Breton

SOUTHWICK

Jerrett Fanion Moving Specialist
7 Sheep Pasture Road
Jerrett Fanion

Patriots Machine
12 Patriots Way
David Diadzio

SPRINGFIELD

Car-On Transport
19 Yale St.
Timothy Caron

Denise & Friends Salon
931 Belmont Ave.
Denise Carol

Dollar General Store #14404
1504 Allen St.
DG Retail, LLC

Euro Style Hair Salon
28 Burnette St.
Yelena Merzel

Jah Lloyd Cuisine
341 Wilbraham Road
Trevor Lloyd

K’s Kakes
529½ Main St.
Luz Cruz

KK’s Discount Market
666 Belmont Ave.
Kamal Biswa

L.J. Liquidation Co.
1078 Worthington St.
Luis Esoinal

La 3 Pleta
5 Fairdel St.
Yonad Sierra

Makki Masjid
605 Dickinson St.
Rizvan Merza

Mayers Home Repairs
30 Clayton St.
Simeon Mayers

Mercy Medical Center
271 Carew St.
Mark Fulco

Mobile Gifts Express
30 Wing St.
Richard Agin

Mom & Rico Market
899 Main St.
Enrico Daniele

Rosario’s Junk Removal
60 Glenwood St.
Carlos Rosario

Scanlon Social Media
119 Bellwood Road
Patrick Richard

Springfield Golden Nozzle
915 East Columbus Ave.
Nouria Energy Retail

Treaty, LLC
3601 Main St.
Marc Gammell

Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital
233 Carew St.
Mark Fulco

Wireless Connection by Torres
1655 Boston Road
Beury Torres

Workwise Occupational Health
233 Carew St.
Mark Fulco

YBL Youth Basketball League
79 Eloise St.
Julius McKinstry

WARE

Best Bee Honey
115 Greenwich Plains Road
John McCarthy

Carpentry Concepts
75 Cummings Road
Roger Bouchard

Larry Allard Plumbing & Heating Co.
193 Old Gilbertville Road
Lawrence Allard Jr.

Odd Jobs
51 West St.
Derek Murphy

Property Masters
15 Homecrest Ave.
Joshua Berthiaume

Swistak Stump Grinding
131 Church St.
John Swistak

WESTFIELD

Kirby’s Kids Family Childcare
92 Union St.
Kimberley Kirby

R & C Countertops
9 Bartlett St.
Randy Arkoette

Scooters Paradise Pet Resort
380 Southampton Road
Susan Lamoureux

Stephanie at Source Hair Salon
2 Russell Road
Stephanie Haskins

WEST SPRINGFIELD

C.R. Landscaping
92 Chilson Road
Patrick Butler

Capital Realty Inc.
125 Capital Dr.
Capital Realty Inc.

Caring Solutions, LLC
131 Elm St.
Patricia Baskin

The Head Shop
524 Main St.
Steve Holloman

Line-X of West Springfield
52 Baldwin St.
Automotive Innovators

Mayimbes Auto Repair Inc.
55 Exposition Terrace
Luis Martinez

Oak Hollow Farms
711 Amostown Road
Joseph Dumont

The Tent
977 Main St.
Hamza Khdeer

Thibault Fuel, LLC
41 Chapin St.
Rene Thibault

West Springfield 15
864 Riverdale St.
Efrain Hague

Wright Associates
1111 Elm St.
John Wright

Yara Market Corp.
470 Main St.
Mohammed Mohammed

WILBRAHAM

American Discount Gutters
23 Pine Dr.
Marcel Vendon

Fresh Home
1158 Glendale Road
Dana Botta-Arroyo

Suzann Andre Salon
2341 Boston Road
Wioleta Guberow

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AMHERST

Democracy Action Inc., 48 North Pleasant St., Suite 304, Amherst, MA 01002. Ben Clements, 256 Park St., Newton, MA 02458. Promote social welfare and working to protect the promise of American democracy, challenging corruption at the highest level of the American government.

CHICOPEE

Czar Industries Inc., 1981 Memorial Drive, #256, Chicopee, MA 01020. Curtis P. Duval, same. Metal door manufacturing.

EASTHAMPTON

Easthampton Screaming Eagles Softball Corporation, 57 Ward Ave., Easthampton, MA 01027. Jennifer McCarthy, same. Provide a fast-pitch softball organization for the youth in and around Hampshire county. For tournaments, games and fun.

HOLYOKE

Casa De Restauracion Nuevo Pacto, 384 High St., Third Floor, Holyoke, MA 01040. Luz Torres, 26 Tracy St., Springfield, MA 01104. Restaurant.

PALMER

Aquatic Avengers Inc., 45 French Dr., Palmer, MA 01069. Corey Lomas, Same. Swim coaching.

PITTSFIELD

Bill White Insurance Agency Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. William White, 710 Rimpau Ave., Suite 203, Corona, CA 92879. Insurance producer.

SPRINGFIELD

Colby’s Path to The Cure; Hope. Love. Cure. Inc., 35 Palm St., Springfield, MA 01108. Colette Proctor, same. Raising awareness and supporting research to cure synovial sarcoma.

Crowned with Excellence Inc., 1655 Main St., Suite 302, Springfield, MA 01103. Merlly Ortiz, 52 Casino Ave., Chicopee, MA 01013. Foster a holistic approach of healing, transformation and empowerment of woman.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Aroma One Inc., 935 Riverdale St., Suite F105-107, West Springfield, MA 01089. Xian-Ming Zheng, Same. Restaurant.

Carolina Express Tours Inc., 425 Union St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Rheuben Herbert, same. Charter bus company.

Chrzan Founder Holdings Inc., 143 Doty Circle., West Springfield, MA 01089. Jan Chrzan, same. Shipping and delivery service.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

State Receives $11.7 Million for Opioid Prevention, Treatment

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration announced that Massachusetts has received an $11.7 million federal grant to continue its public-health response to the opioid epidemic and bolster community overdose prevention, outpatient opioid treatment, and recovery services across the Commonwealth. This is the second consecutive year the state has received the funding, bringing the two-year total to $23.8 million. “The opioid and heroin epidemic have led to heartbreaking addiction and losses for too many families in the Commonwealth, and this critical funding will increase support for important services like recovery coaches and medication-assisted treatment,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. This grant, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is the second round of funding authorized under the 21st Century Cures Act, signed into law in December 2016. The funds address the opioid crisis by increasing access to treatment, reducing unmet treatment needs, and reducing opioid overdose-related deaths through the provision of prevention, treatment and recovery activities for opioid-use disorder. It supports existing statewide services managed by the state Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. In addition to this new federal funding, through administrative actions, the Baker-Polito administration will invest up to $219 million over five years from the state’s 1115 Medicaid waiver, starting in the fiscal year 2018, to meet the needs of individuals with addictions and/or co-occurring disorders. These funds will expand residential recovery services, increase access to medication-assisted treatment, add new recovery coaches and navigators, and implement a consistent clinical assessment tool throughout the treatment system. Since 2015, the administration has doubled spending to address the opioid crisis and added more than 1,100 treatment beds, including 748 adult substance-use treatment beds at different treatment levels, and certified more than 162 sober homes, accounting for an additional 2,184 beds.

Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone Awarding $5,000 in Scholarships

HOLYOKE — The Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone in Massachusetts is sponsoring a nationwide essay contest focusing on innovative ways to prevent drunk driving. The three essay winners will receive $5,000 worth of scholarship prizes for education-related expenses. The essay contest is open to undergraduate college students and law-school students enrolled at accredited schools in the U.S. Essays must be between 500 and 1,000 words on the following topic: “How can we prevent drunk driving and promote safe driving among young motorists?” The winning essay will be awarded $2,500, second prize is $1,500, and third prize is $1,000. Each submission must include an essay as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx format); school transcript or proof of enrollment; applicant’s name, address, and phone number; school name and address; a two- to three-sentence bio; and a waiver form with a parent or guardian’s signature for applicants under 18. The application deadline is Aug. 15. Winners will be announced on Sept. 14. Applicants can view the rules of the contest and apply online at www.marksalomone.com/scholarship.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

Big Y Opens New Fuel Station on Cooley Street in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y Foods Inc. recently opened its seventh Big Y Express gas and convenience store at 471 Cooley St. in Springfield. The other six Massachusetts stores can be found in Lee, Pittsfield, Hadley, Longmeadow, Wilbraham, and South Hadley. The new Springfield location boasts eight gas pumps and free air machines for tire inflation. Inside the store, selections include donuts, pastries, and store-baked muffins; Green Mountain Coffees; fresh fruit; gourmet sandwiches and salads; milk and numerous other cold beverages; as well as bread, candy, snacks, tobacco products, lottery, and ice. The store director of this location is Yanira Febus. There are currently seven employees, and Big Y is looking to hire one or two more. The site formerly operated as Ultra Gasoline, and all Ultra employees were encouraged to apply for a position with Big Y. The store will be open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Florence Bank Recognized at Banking Choice Awards

FLORENCE — Florence Bank recently earned four industry honors at the first annual Banking Choice Awards in areas such as quality and service, with recognition based on an independent survey of customer feedback. At the event on April 26 at Boston’s Omni Parker House, Florence Bank ranked first in the Western Mass. region in Overall Quality, Customer Service, and Technology, and second in Community Contribution. “These rankings came from an independent survey performed by a recognized leader in tracking and measuring the customer experience,” President and CEO John Heaps said. “It’s nice to get recognition from those we aim to serve well. I couldn’t be prouder of our employees and this achievement.” Florence Bank employees were among staff from 33 banks across the state at the Banking Choice Awards, developed jointly by the Warren Group and Customer Experience Solutions.

Hazen Paper Earns Accolades with AIMCAL Product of the Year

HOLYOKE — The holographic Kat Von D “Metal Crush” limited-edition powder highlighter carton produced by Hazen Paper Co. was named Product of the Year at the 2018 annual meeting of the Assoc. of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL), held in Charlotte, N.C. Hazen also received Product Excellence awards for a Marc Jacobs “Decadence” perfume box and a Burmester Porsche “Music to Your Ears” brochure. “We’re always pleased when our customers obtain recognition for extraordinary packages that take advantage of our capabilities,” said John Hazen, the company’s president. “They challenge us to continue to develop new and better products. Together, we work to intrigue and delight consumers and improve revenues, while doing our part to operate conscientiously and sustainably.”

Elms to Launch Computer Science, Computer IT and Security Majors

CHICOPEE — Elms College announced that it will launch two new majors this fall, in computer science (CS) and computer information technology and security (CITS). The CITS major prepares students for careers as information technology (IT) professionals, providing a breadth of knowledge and the skills necessary to become IT technicians, system administrators, network administrators, and cybersecurity specialists. Required course topics for this major include databases, networks and security, system administration, digital forensics, hardware maintenance, cyber ethics, web design, and more. The CS major focuses on the design and development of software and the algorithms that make code work efficiently. Students will become proficient in C#, Javascript, HTML/CSS, SQL, and other programming languages. Required courses for this major will focus on programming, data structures and algorithms, databases, system administration, cyber ethics, web design, and more. “Our students are very excited about these new majors,” said Beryl Hoffman, associate professor of Computer Information Technology at Elms. “Computer-science graduates are in high demand, and computer security is one of the fastest-growing job markets within IT.” Both majors will include a professional internship that will give students real-life experience in computer science or computer information technology and security. Electives for both the CS and CITS majors will include artificial intelligence, game design, mobile-app design, graphic design, and video.

PetSmart Charities Awards $200,000 to Second Chance Animal Services

EAST BROOKFIELD — Second Chance Animal Services recently received a $200,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, toward the purchase and renovation of a new location for its Community Veterinary Hospital in Springfield. After five months of hard work and setbacks that included delays from extensive water damage in January, Second Chance celebrated its grand opening on May 23. Second Chance had been leasing a building on Belmont Avenue in Springfield, offering full-service veterinary care ranging from routine exams and vaccines to in-house blood testing and urinalysis, X-rays, spay/neuter surgery, dental surgery, and more. Its community veterinary hospitals provide high-quality veterinary service to all, with subsidized pricing for qualified households. Word spread throughout the community, and the growing demand for services quickly outgrew the space. The move to a new and larger location at 67 Mulberry St. in the heart of Springfield this month will allow Second Chance to meet the need for veterinary care.

Berkshire Theatre Group Feted by Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) was honored as Employer of the Year for “providing valuable employment opportunities for the members of Berkshire Pathways” at the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition’s annual Employment Celebration at the State House in Boston on April 3. Joanne Rosier, a BTG ticket-office associate, was also honored as a Clubhouse member and Berkshire Theatre Group employee. In addition, BTG received a congratulatory citation in recognition of its award from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, offered by state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier. Berkshire Theatre Group also received a congratulatory citation from the Massachusetts Senate, offered by state Sen. Adam Hinds.

People On the Move

By
Departments People on the Move
Ellen Freyman

Ellen Freyman

The Springfield Regional Chamber has named Ellen Freyman, an attorney with Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. in Springfield, its 2018 Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year. Freyman concentrates her practice in all aspects of commercial real estate: acquisitions and sales, development, leasing, and financing. She has an extensive land-use practice that includes zoning, subdivision, project permitting, and environmental matters. A graduate of the Western New England University School of Law and Pennsylvania State University, Freyman has been recognized or awarded by the National Conference for Community and Justice for Excellence in Law, the Professional Women’s Chamber as Woman of the Year, the Ad Club of Western Massachusetts as a recipient of its annual Pynchon Award, the Springfield Leadership Institute with its Community Service Award, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a recipient of its Top Women in Law Award, and Reminder Publications with its Hometown Hero Award. She was also chosen as one of BusinessWest’s Difference Makers in 2010. Freyman is active on many nonprofit boards and currently serves as a member on the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce board of directors, which she has also chaired; the boards of the Community Music School of Springfield, the Center for Human Development, New England Public Radio, the Springfield Museum Assoc., the World Affairs Council, the YMCA of Greater Springfield, the Springfield Technical Community College Foundation, and the Springfield Technical Community College Acceptance Corp., and on the Elms College board of trustees. She is also an active member of the Longmeadow Zoning Board of Appeals, the Jewish Family Service board of directors, and the National Conference for Community and Justice board of directors. She is the founder and president of On Board Inc., a past president of the Springfield Rotary Club, and has been honored as a Paul Harris Fellow.

•••••

Tracy Adamski

Tracy Adamski

At the firm’s annual stockholder’s meeting, Tighe & Bond announced the promotion of Principal Planner Tracy Adamski to vice president. Adamski, who joined Tighe & Bond in 2001, is an American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) professional with 24 years of experience. She provides the firm’s clients with a broad range of planning expertise in regulatory compliance, environmental permitting, land-use planning, grant writing, and public outreach. Adamski has employed her in-depth knowledge of local, state, and federal environmental and land-use laws and regulations to successfully permit a broad range of complex projects throughout the Northeast. This includes renewable-energy power-generation facilities, electric utility infrastructure, resource-area enhancements, municipal infrastructure improvements, and coastal infrastructure. She is currently coordinating permitting efforts on several coastal projects to address climate change in the city of Quincy, developing petitions related to siting energy-facility infrastructure in Eastern Mass., and assisting communities across Massachusetts with stormwater-management compliance programs. Adamski works out of Tighe & Bond’s Westfield office. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and is a member of the American Planning Assoc. and the New England Water Environment Assoc.

•••••

Leslie Jordon

Leslie Jordon

Peter Shrair, managing partner of Cooley Shrair, P.C., announced the appointment of attorney Leslie Jordon to the firm. Jordon has practiced family law since 1991. Her practice has focused on marital dissolution actions involving high-net-worth estates, complex support proceedings, and high-conflict custody matters. A graduate of Brown University and the Northwestern University School of Law, Jordon has been active in the bar and has held leadership positions in national and local organizations. She served as chair of the Family Law Section of the American Assoc. of Justice (formerly the Assoc. of Trial Lawyers of America), was on the executive committee of the Family Law Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Assoc. as well as the board of governors of the Women Lawyers Assoc. of Los Angeles, and was appointed to the Sole Practitioner and Small Firm Section Council of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Jordon has also lectured and moderated panel discussions on the subject of family law for the Family Law Section of the Assoc. of Trial Lawyers of America, the International Bar Assoc., and the Law Education Institute, co-sponsored by the Family Law Section of the American Bar Assoc., and has been a contributing author to multiple continuing legal-education programs. Since the inception of her career, she has engaged in pro bono work, receiving an award from the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law for distinguished service to the cause of justice of low-income families in Los Angeles County and representing economically disadvantaged litigants in court. She has also volunteered her time as a judge in the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Mock Trial Program, a competition for high-school students in the Commonwealth.

•••••

Jocelyn Roby

Jocelyn Roby

Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Jocelyn Roby has joined the firm’s Hadley office as an associate attorney. Roby is a member of Bacon Wilson’s real estate department, where her practice is focused largely on residential real estate, including closings and title work. She is a graduate of the Western New England University School of Law, and received her bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State College.

•••••

At its annual stockholder’s meeting in April, Tighe & Bond announced that Robert Belitz will succeed David Pinsky as president and CEO when Pinsky retires from that position at the close of 2018. Belitz, the firm’s current chief financial officer, will assume the role of president and CEO effective Jan. 1, 2019. Belitz will be Tighe & Bond’s ninth leader in its 107-year history. Pinsky has served as president and CEO since 2006 and has been with the firm for 30 years. During Pinsky’s tenure as CEO, Tighe & Bond has substantially increased its revenue and more than doubled its staff size, growing from 160 to 340 employees. Tighe & Bond also has expanded its breadth of engineering and environmental services, as well as opened four new office locations throughout the Northeast. Belitz, who has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, joined Tighe & Bond four years ago as the firm’s chief financial officer. In this role, he has directed the firm’s financial operations and priorities, as well as contributed to growth strategies consistent with the Tighe & Bond’s continued expansion in the marketplace.

•••••

Russell Fontaine

Russell Fontaine

Yvonne Santos

Yvonne Santos

Country Bank announced that Russell Fontaine has joined its team as first vice president of Sales and Market Management, while Yvonne Santos has joined the team as vice president of Market Development. These two newly created positions allow the bank to further focus its efforts on market management and development within its various markets throughout Hampshire, Hampden, and Worcester counties. With 27 years in the financial and retail-services industry, Fontaine is an experienced sales manager and has held various positions over the years in sales, management, and customer contact solutions. His earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and finance from Westfield State University. He also graduated from the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking and earned a Wharton Leadership certification. Fontaine served on the board of directors for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity for the past five years and chaired the Habitat Restore committee. He is also an avid supporter of the United Way and Western Mass. Special Olympics. Santos joins Country Bank from United Bank, where she worked for the past 33 years in various roles, with her most recent position being vice president, area manager in the Ludlow and Indian Orchard markets. Santos is actively involved in the Ludlow Community Center, the United Way, and Relay for Life, and is on committees of the Rotary Club of Ludlow (chair of the scholarship committee), the Gremio Lusitano Club, the East of the River Chamber of Commerce, and the Portuguese American Citizens Club. She has received the Rotary International Paul Harris Award, the Ludlow Education Association Award, the Friend of Education Award, and the United Cooperative Bank President’s Award.

•••••

Beverly Elliott

Beverly Elliott

Comcast announced the appointment of Beverly Elliott as vice president of Engineering for the company’s Western New England Region, which is headquartered in Berlin, Conn. and includes more than 300 communities in Connecticut, Western Mass., Western New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In this role, Elliott oversees Comcast’s network operations, including construction, product engineering, and overall system integrity, as well as the reliability and resiliency of Comcast’s converged, fiber-optic network. Recently, she was responsible for the rollout of Comcast’s new 1-Gb internet service. Elliott has more than 20 years of industry experience and has held a number of roles in engineering, project management, and marketing at Comcast since she joined the company in 2005. Prior to her new role, she served as vice president of the region’s Project Management Office, where she created and managed the execution of plans and cross-functional teams to ensure new initiatives and product launches were rolled out smoothly. One of her key initiatives was to implement the company’s multi-year strategy to transform the customer experience. Before Comcast, Elliott worked for Cablevision for six years and also spent five years at BET/Action Pay-Per-View service in Santa Monica, Calif.

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Rebecca Greenberg

Rebecca Greenberg

The Solidago Foundation recently introduced Rebecca Greenberg as the newest member of its program team. As program officer, Greenberg will draw on her 15 years of frontline advocacy to support the organization’s democracy and independent power-building work. She will work with the veteran Solidago Program team of strategic funders and national organizers to recommend program strategies. Greenberg is a leader in the New York City housing-justice movement, serving most recently as deputy director of the Tenant Rights Coalition, the largest civil legal-services program in the country. In this role, she has worked with diverse stakeholders including tenants, judges, attorneys, clients, and policymakers, and supervised a legal team, working in partnership with local organizations and elected officials, to support communities facing significant housing needs in light of rapid and disruptive neighborhood changes and gentrification.

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Keshawn Dodds

Keshawn Dodds

Karissa Coleman

Karissa Coleman

The African Hall subcommittee of the Springfield Science Museum announced the winners of the 27th annual Ubora Award and the ninth annual Ahadi Youth Award. The 2018 Ubora Award recipient is Keshawn Dodds, executive director of the Springfield Boys & Girls Club. The 2018 Ahadi Youth Award recipient is Karissa Coleman of Springfield Central High School. A former a fourth- and fifth-grade elementary-school teacher at the Homer and Washington elementary schools in Springfield and a mayoral aide under former Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan, Dodds worked for a decade at American International College as director of Diversity & Community Engagement. He is currently executive director of the Boys & Girls Club Family Center. He is also a published author, playwright, and actor. His first book, Menzuo: The Calling of the Sun Prince, became an Amazon bestseller. Coleman, who attends Springfield Central High School, is a cadet in the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (AFJROTC), where she is a training captain. Her high grade point average qualifies her to serve as director of Academics, and she runs the tutoring program for her fellow cadets. She also helps to mentor younger AFJROTC members in the overall training program. Coleman is a cheerleader, plays softball, is a member of the National Honor Society, and volunteers for Revitalize Springfield, Toys for Tots, and breast-cancer awareness. She also participates with her church community by singing in the choir, helping to usher, working with children, and participating yearly in the Easter play.

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Erin McHugh

Erin McHugh

Florence Bank promoted Erin McHugh to the position of vice president/operations manager. McHugh joined Florence Bank in November 2010. Formerly, she served as the payments operations manager. An accredited Automated Clearing House professional, she studied at the University of Connecticut, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. She volunteers as a basic tax preparer for Community Action Pioneer Valley’s income-tax assistance program. She attends the New England School for Financial Studies. McHugh is a past recipient of the President’s Club Award, given out annually to Florence Bank employees who exemplify the highest standards of performance and customer service within Florence Bank.

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Renaissance Investment Group, LLC, an independent, SEC-registered investment-advisory firm, announced the appointment of Chris Silipigno to the role of chief operating officer. He will be responsible for providing operational leadership within the firm, as well as coordinating strategic business-development efforts across the region. Silipigno comes to Renaissance with nearly 20 years of senior leadership positions in both operational and business-development functions for nonprofit and for-profit enterprises. His experience spans all facets of the mortgage banking industry, nonprofit development, organizational effectiveness and leadership, performance management, and revenue growth areas. Most recently, he brought his business acumen to City Mission of Schenectady, N.Y., an inner-city nonprofit dedicated to helping the homeless, abused, and impoverished to become sustainable. Previous to this role, he held multiple positions at the vice-president level within the banking and finance industry. His accomplishments include building and managing divisions responsible for originating more than $750 million in annual loan volume. Chris earned a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from SUNY at Albany and a master’s degree from George Mason University, and he holds his FINRA Series 65 registration.

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Daishany Torres

Daishany Torres

Daishany Torres was named 2018 Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee, and will compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for the Massachusetts Youth of the Year title and a $5,000 college scholarship from Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). Torres, 18, was recognized for her leadership, service, academic excellence, and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle. She has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee Teen Center since her freshman year at Chicopee Comprehensive High School. She is a junior counselor now, working with other club members each week. She is also part of the club’s SMART Girls program, which allows members to explore their own and societal attitudes and values as they build skills for eating right, staying physically fit, getting good healthcare, and developing positive relationships with peers and adults. She has developed a passion for working with children, and will continue her education after graduation next year and hopes to open her own daycare in the future.

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Stephanie Rodrigues

Stephanie Rodrigues

Anna Dias Vital

Anna Dias Vital

LUSO Federal Credit Union announced the promotion of Stephanie Rodrigues to senior branch supervisor and Anna Dias Vital to lead VIP banker. In her new position, Rodrigues will be responsible for overseeing the teller line, member service representatives, and new account openings in the credit union’s Wilbraham branch, as well as meeting branch goals, holding staff meetings, and mentoring personnel. Rodrigues joined LUSO as a member service representative in 2013 and most recently served as head of consumer lending for both the Ludlow and Wilbraham branches. Vital has nearly two decades of experience in finance. She worked in the controller’s office of Western New England University before joining LUSO in 2016. In her new role as lead VIP banker, she will oversee the teller line at the credit union’s Ludlow branch and will be responsible for cross sales, managing member satisfaction, and day-to-day operations.

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OTELCO Inc. hired David Chaplin as an outside plant field technician to work out of its Granby office. In this position, Chaplin is responsible for all aspects of OTELCO network maintenance and customer service in Granby, including both the central office and the outside plant. He also serves as special projects contributor and emergency coverage backup in the Shoreham, Vt. market. Chaplin comes to OTELCO with 31 years of service as a technician at Verizon Communications. Most recently, he worked as an engineering project manager at UC Synergetic. OTELCO provides wireline telecommunications services in Massachusetts and six other states.

Picture This

By
Picture This

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

Breaking Ground

Caolo & Bieniek Architects of Chicopee and R.A.C. Builders Inc. of Agawam took part in the May 5 groundbreaking for West Boylston’s new senior center. R.A.C. Builders was awarded the $4.25 million contract to construct the new facility, which was designed by Caolo & Bieniek. The same two companies designed and built the new West Boylston police headquarters in 2017.

From left, Chris Rucho, West Boylston selectman; project manager Tony Dilusio; Curtis Edgin, principal with Caolo & Bieniek; Roland Ciocca, president of R.A.C.; and John Hadley, West Boylston selectman.

From left, Chris Rucho, West Boylston selectman; project manager Tony Dilusio; Curtis Edgin, principal with Caolo & Bieniek; Roland Ciocca, president of R.A.C.; and John Hadley, West Boylston selectman.

Members of the senior center building committee, plus state Senate President Harriette Chandler (second from right) and state Rep. James O’Day (fourth from left).

Members of the senior center building committee, plus state Senate President Harriette Chandler (second from right) and state Rep. James O’Day (fourth from left).

 

Meeting an Urgent Need

Country Bank recently donated $15,000 to the Ware River Valley Domestic Violence Task Force to support its continued commitment to helping those in need in the Quaboag Hills Region. “Country Bank’s donation has been the foundation of all local domestic-violence services at Valley Human Services of BHN Inc. in the Quaboag Hills,” said Jac Patrissi, director of Domestic Violence Services at Valley Human Services (pictured, left, with Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president, Community Relations with Country Bank. “Their funds have been the seed money and remain the match for programs now supported by municipal, state, and federal dollars. We literally would not have our team preventing and responding to domestic violence in our region without Country Bank.”

Jac Patrissi, director of Domestic Violence Services at Valley Human Services (pictured, left,) with Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president, Community Relations with Country Bank

Jac Patrissi, director of Domestic Violence Services at Valley Human Services (pictured, left,) with Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president, Community Relations with Country Bank

Down the Stretch…

More than 300 supporters of Square One turned out at Mercedes-Benz of Springfield for the nonprofit’s third annual Derby Party on May 5. The gathering, a networking and watch party centered on the Run for the Roses, netted more than $10,000 for Square One’s programs for children and families. Presenting sponsors were the Gaudreau Group and Northeast IT, the venue sponsor was Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, and the platinum sponsor was Alekman DiTusa. 
Photos by Michael Epaul Photography

From left, Amy Selvia Smith, Danielle Williams, Michelle Wirth, and Yvonne Williams

From left, Amy Selvia Smith, Danielle Williams, Michelle Wirth, and Yvonne Williams

from left, David Finn, Maureen McCollum, Ryan McCollum, Kristine Allard, and Kelli Moriarty Finn

from left, David Finn, Maureen McCollum, Ryan McCollum, Kristine Allard, and Kelli Moriarty Finn

Joan Kagan and her husband, Dr. Steve Levine

Joan Kagan and her husband, Dr. Steve Levine

Regina Burns (left) and Jenny MacKay display their winning tickets

Regina Burns (left) and Jenny MacKay display their winning tickets

From left, Alex Dixon, Peter Wirth, and Art Jasper

From left, Alex Dixon, Peter Wirth, and Art Jasper

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Ronald J. Grandbois v. Bailey J. Jones and Alert Ambulance Service Inc.

Allegation: Negligence; vehicle owned by Alert Ambulance Service collided with plaintiff’s vehicle, causing injury: $8,694.57

Filed: 4/20/18

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

American Builders & Construction Supply Co. Inc. d/b/a ABC Supply Co. Inc. v. David Kimball a/k/a David L. Kimball d/b/a Coastal Custom Remodeling

Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $13,396.48

Filed: 4/6/18

Brandon Prior, a minor, by his father and next friend, Dennis Prior, v. Shawn McEwen, a minor, by his father and next friend, Brandon McEwen, and New England Fitness & Wellness, LLC

Allegation: Negligence; plaintiff struck by yoga ball at Healthtrax facility during hockey camp, causing injury: $4,120.95

Filed: 4/12/18

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Carol Burns v. Medcare Emergency Health

Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $2 million

Filed: 3/23/18

US LBM Holdings, LLC d/b/a East Haven Builders Supply v. Whitman Restoration Inc. and Claude Whitman

Allegation: Breach of contract; money owed for construction materials sold and delivered: $22,914.23

Filed: 3/29/18

Gregory Heffernan v. Automatic Equipment Manufacturing Co. d/b/a Blue Ox, Diamond RV Centre Inc., and Keller Marine Service Inc.

Allegation: Product liability; plaintiff injured while unhooking trailer hitch from RV: $1 million

Filed: 3/30/18

Herman P. Cumby v. 110 Island Pond Road, LLC d/b/a Nathan Bill’s EFP Bar and Restaurant, et al

Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $1.1 million

Filed: 4/6/18

Jackie Ligon v. Nathan Bill’s Bar & Restaurant and John Robert Sullivan

Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $101,000

Filed: 4/6/18

Jozelle Ligon v. Nathan Bill’s Bar & Restaurant and John Robert Sullivan

Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $101,650

Filed: 4/6/18

Michael Cintron v. Nathan Bill’s Bar & Restaurant and John Robert Sullivan

Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $101,000

Filed: 4/6/18

Ryan P. McConnell p/p/a Paul R. McConnell v. Town of Wilbraham and Hampden-Wilbraham County Regional School District

Allegation: Negligence; loose concrete capstone on brick support at Mile Tree Elementary School fell and struck plaintiff, causing injury: $150,000

Filed: 4/6/18

Paula Click v. Walmart

Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $32,945

Filed: 4/6/18

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT

W.B. Mason Co. Inc. v. Veracruz Foods Inc. d/b/a La Veracruzana

Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $11,552.13

Filed: 4/16/18

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

DAS Property Group, LLC v. The Antiquarian, LLC

Allegation: Breach of lease: $73,965

Filed: 4/10/18

Country Bank for Savings v. Big Y Foods Inc.

Allegation: Breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, breach of contract: $25,000+

Filed: 4/19/18

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

John Nadolski v. Michael J. Bisgrove d/b/a Bisgrove Construction

Allegation: Defendant damaged equipment rented from plaintiff and failed to pay for damage: $7,967

Filed: 3/14/18

Agenda

By
Agenda

Future Tense Lecture

May 17: The second installment of the BusinessWest lecture series Future Tense, titled “What Got You Here Might Not Get You There: Mistakes Business Owners Make Before and After Retirement,” will take place from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Tech Foundry, 1391 Main St., ninth floor, Springfield. The lecture, open exclusively to CEOs and business owners, will be delivered by Amy Jamrog, wealth management advisor with the Jamrog Group. The cost is a $25 donation to Tech Foundry. Event sponsors include Paragus IT, the Jamrog Group, and Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. Metered street parking is available near the venue, and there are several parking-garage options nearby as well. To register, visit businesswest.com/lecture-series.

Bereavement Support Event

May 19: Bereaved children and their caregivers are welcome to attend a free art-based support event from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Baystate Health Education Center at 361 Whitney Ave. in Holyoke. Titled “Healing Wounded Hearts with Art: A Retreat for Grieving Families,” the event is open to bereaved children ages 5 to 18. It is sponsored by Batstate Hospice and the Pediatric Palliative Care team. As part of the program, children and teens who are grieving the death of a close family member will have an opportunity to meet others and connect through the power of art making. “Healing Wounded Hearts with Art” aims to help grieving children and their families to commemorate those in their lives who have died. Space is limited and those wishing to attend must register by Friday, May 11 by contacting Betsy Flores, bereavement coordinator, Baystate Hospice, at (413) 794-6559 or [email protected].

Pets Rock!

May 19: The Foundation for TJO Animals will present its second annual Pets Rock! — a concert to benefit local, homeless animals in need at the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center — from 1 to 6 p.m. at Springfield Lodge of Elks #61, 440 Tiffany St., Springfield. The event is sponsored by Planet Fitness and the Arbors Camp, and hosted by special guest Pat Kelly of Lazer 99.3 and 98.5. The festivities will feature entertainment by local bands Tough Customer and Good Acoustics. There will plenty of games and activities for kids hosted by Arbors Camp, crafters will be on hand with their unique items, and raffle prizes will be given away. Lunch will be provided, and and both White Lion Brewing Co. and Harpoon Brewery will be on hand. Tickets are $20 per person, including lunch. Children under 12 are free. Buy tickets at www.tjofoundation.org or at the show gate on event day. A free, refillable event beer mug will be given to the first 200 guests through the gates. Attendees are welcome to bring their lawn chairs and blankets. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome, but no flexi-leads are allowed. No coolers are permitted. All proceeds from this event will provide much-needed medical care and training to the many animals that call TJO their temporary home.

NAMI Walkathon

May 20: The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Western Massachusetts will be holding its 18th annual walkathon, “A Journey of Hope and Recovery,” at Stanley Park’s Beveridge Pavilion Annex in Westfield from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The walk is suitable for all ages and will directly benefit the continuing efforts of NAMI – Western Mass. to help improve the lives of individuals living with mental illness and their families. Among the festivities will be guest speakers, entertainment, refreshments, and raffles. For further information, call (413) 786-9139 or visit www.namiwm.org/events for entry and sponsorship forms. Volunteers are needed.

‘Women Lead Change’

June 4: The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) will host its annual “Women Lead Change: A Celebration of the Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI) Class of 2018” event at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The event will feature a keynote address by Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper. The Women’s Fund will present Kasper with the She Changes the World Award, honoring her contributions for not only leading her local department, but also leading on a national level with regard to transparent data, hiring practices, and other local initiatives that have shaped community policing for the better. More than 300 guests are expected at the annual celebration of graduates of the Women’s Fund LIPPI program, the only leadership program of its kind in the Commonwealth. The event recognizes the accomplishments of the 31 graduates of the LIPPI class of 2018, who have participated in 11 educational sessions over nine months designed to address the shortage of women stepping into public leadership. LIPPI gives women tools and confidence to become more involved civic leaders and to impact policy on the local, state, and national levels. Proceeds for this annual event empower the Women’s Fund’s mission.

‘Thrive After 55’ Wellness Fair

June 15: State Sen. Eric Lesser and Health New England announced that they will host the second annual “Thrive After 55” Wellness Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Springfield College’s Blake Athletic Complex, located at 263 Alden St., Springfield. The fair is free and open to the public. With more than 40 local organizations ranging from health and fitness to nutrition to elder law, the event will connect residents of the First Hampden & Hampshire District with information and resources to help them thrive. The free program includes a boxed lunch, educational seminars, hundreds of raffle prizes, and access to information and experts to talk to. To RSVP for the event, call Lesser’s office at (413) 526-6501 or visit www.senatorlesser.com/thrive.

40 Under Forty Gala

June 21: BusinessWest’s 12th annual 40 Under Forty Gala is a celebration of 40 young business and civic leaders in Western Mass. The lavish cocktail party, to be held starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, food stations, and entertainment — and, of course, the presentation of the class of 2018, profiled in the April 30 issue of businesswest and also available at businesswest.com. Also, the fourth Continued Excellence Award honoree will be announced. The 40 Under Forty sponsors include PeoplesBank (presenting sponsor), Northwestern Mutual (presenting sponsor), Isenberg School of Management, the MP Group, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, Health New England, Renew.Calm, Development Associates, and YPS of Greater Springfield (partner). Tickets cost $75 per person (tables of 10 available). For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners

1BERKSHIRE

www.1berkshire.com

(413) 499-1600

• May 16: Chamber Nite & BYP Networking Social, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Dalton Union, 395 Main St., Dalton. Join us for our joint May Chamber Nite and BYP Social at Union Block in downtown Dalton with participating businesses: Hot Harry’s, Berkshire Dream Home, Therapeutic Massage & Wellness, Academy Mortgage Corp., Horace Mann Insurance, McMahon & Vigeant, P.C., Wheeler & Taylor Insurance, Dalton Restaurant, New England Dynamark Security, and 2 Flights Up Dance & Game Studio. Cost: free. Register online at www.1berkshire.com.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• May 16: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at Munich Haus, 13 Center St., Chicopee. Chief greeter: Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos. Keynote Speaker: Kim Kenney-Rockwal, Elms MBA. Sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Sunshine Village, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• May 18: Chicopee Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. shotgun start, hosted by Chicopee Country Club, 1290 Burnett Road, Chicopee. Presented by Polish National Credit Union. Sponsored by Gaudreau Group, First American Insurance Agency Inc., Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Poly-Plating Inc., N. Riley Construction, Hampton Inn, Residence Inn of Chicopee, Tru by Hilton, and Health New England. Cost: $125 per golfer, $500 per team of four, and/or $20 golfer package that includes 25 raffle tickets and one mulligan. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• May 31: Sunshine Soiree, a multi-chamber networking event, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Sunshine Village, 75 Litwin Lane, Chicopee. The event will feature complimentary hors d’oeuvres, wine, and beer. Register in advance for this free event online at springfieldyps.com.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• May 24: Chamber on the Vine, 5:30-8:30 p.m., a wine-tasting event hosted by Glendale Ridge Vineyard, 155 Glendale Road, Southampton. Taste wine, enjoy local food, and listen to the music of Trailer Trash. Cost: $20 to enjoy the music, $30 to taste the wine. Pre-registration is a must. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call (413) 527-9414.

• June 14: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Fort Hill Brewery, 30 Fort Hill Road, Easthampton. Sponsored by Oxbow Ski Show Team and Tandem Bagel. Food and door prizes will be available. Pre-registration is suggested. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

• June 27: Speaker Breakfast 2018, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted and sponsored by Williston Northampton School, 19 Payson Ave., Easthampton. Keynote speaker Kate Harrington, Human Resource manager for Smith College, will speak on “Hiring the Right Fit.” She will help attendees understand how to develop a diverse applicant pool, know what questions to ask, and recognize what questions to avoid. She will also point out what to look for in a great employee and how to watch for bias. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Pre-registration is suggested. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holyokechamber.com

(413) 534-3376

• May 16: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Holyoke Hummus, 285 High St., Holyoke. Meet up with your business associates for a little networking while hosts John and Dawn whip up some munchies. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Feel free to bring a door prize. Sign up online at holyokechamber.com.

• May 23: Leadership Holyoke Information Session, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Holyoke Community College, Frost Building, Room 309, 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke. Join the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and Holyoke Community College for a free information session for Leadership Holyoke 2018-19. The program is designed for emerging leaders within in the community to sharpen their skills, meet local leaders, and more.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com

(413) 584-1900

• May 17: Workshop: “Microsoft Excel Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop will present our favorite tips, tricks, and shortcuts we have collected and developed over 20 years of teaching and using Microsoft Excel. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops and follow along with the instructor, but this is not required. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Pre-registration required at goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

• June 6: June Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Glendale Ridge Vineyard, 155 Glendale Road, Southampton. Sponsored by Northeast Solar, MassDevelopment, and Kuhn Riddle Architects. A networking event. Cost: $10 for members.

• June 21: Workshop: “Microsoft Word: Advanced Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop will go beyond the basics and explore some of Word’s more advanced features. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required at goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.shgchamber.com

(413) 532-6451

• May 21: After 5 at the Ledges Golf Course, 5-6:30 p.m., hosted by the Ledges, 18 Mulligan Dr., South Hadley. An evening of networking with other community business leaders while overlooking the Connecticut River Valley and Mount Tom across the way. Sponsored by the Ledges Golf Course. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Pre-register by May 15 by contacting Sara Lawrence at (413) 532-6451 or [email protected].

• June 1: Annual Legislative Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by the Orchards Golf Club, 18 Silverwood Terrace, South Hadley. Meet with our town and state legislators, who will talk about the hot issues upcoming for the rest of the year. More details to come. By reservation only at [email protected].

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.springfieldregionalchamber.com

(413) 787-1555

• May 15: C-Suite Conversations & Cocktails, 5-7 p.m., hosted by CityStage, One Columbus Center, Springfield. Exclusive members-only event. Cost: $25 for members ($30 at the door). Reservations may be made at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, [email protected], or (413) 755-1310.

• May 31: Sunshine Soirée with the Springfield Regional Chamber, the Greater Chicopee Chamber, and YPS, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Sunshine Village, 75 Litwin Lane, Chicopee. Reservations may be made at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, [email protected], or (413) 755-1310.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com

(413) 426-3880

• May 17: Networking Lunch, noon, hosted by Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. Must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief intro and company overview. The only cost to attend is the cost of your lunch if you are a member. Non-member fee: $10. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. We cannot invoice you for these events. Register at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• May 22: Job Fair 2018, 3-6 p.m., hosted by Storrowton Tavern/Carriage House, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. West Springfield and Agawam businesses, along with other employment opportunities, will be showcased. This event is free and open to the public. To be a participating vendor, register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

springfieldyps.com

• May 18: Adult Field Day, 2-5 p.m., Irish Cultural Center, West Springfield, hosted by the Irish Cultural Center, 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield. Adult Field Day is a throwback to elementary school, created with adults in mind. Friends and co-workers will relive their glory days while playing classic games, as well as a few new surprises. For more information, visit springfieldyps.com.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase

MGM Springfield to Officially Open on Aug. 24

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Resorts International announced it will open the doors to MGM Springfield, New England’s first integrated luxury resort and entertainment destination, on Friday, Aug. 24. “A testament to a decade of collaboration between the city of Springfield and MGM Resorts, MGM Springfield will pay tribute to the city’s legacy and celebrate its bright future, while introducing a stellar array of hospitality and entertainment experiences that will attract guests from New England and beyond,” said Michael Mathis, president of MGM Springfield. Added Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, “I look forward to working with MGM Springfield for many years to come. They’re a world-class company and an outstanding corporate citizen. I deeply appreciate their belief and investment in our Springfield. I wish them continued success as we create another Springfield first.”

Local Farmer Awards Give $135,000 to 59 Farmers

AGAWAM — The Local Farmer Awards, funded by a group of philanthropic leaders and businesses, recently gave $135,000 in awards to 59 farmers operating in Western Mass. to fund infrastructure improvements on their farms. Each award winner received up to $2,500 through a competitive application process for projects that will help them expand their businesses, compete in the marketplace, and continue providing the health and environmental benefits of local farming. Now in its fourth year, the awards have increased the number of farmers supported, from 33 in the first year to 59 this year, thanks to 10 funders, including Big Y and the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, along with a team of sponsors: HP Hood LLC, Friendly’s, PeoplesBank, Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place, Ann and Steve Davis, Baystate Health, Farm Credit East, and Florence Bank. More than half of the award winners have been in business no more than 10 years. “Western Massachusetts’ agricultural roots run deep, and we have long been known as one of the primary growing regions in New England,” said Charlie D’Amour, president and chief operating officer of Big Y. “Today, alongside families who have been farming for generations, a new crop of young farming families and entrepreneurs are continuing this fine tradition. At Big Y, we are pleased to continue our own 80-plus year tradition of supporting these farmer families by joining with the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation and other sponsors to provide grants and opportunities for this important part of our region’s economy and culture.” Matthew Bannister, first vice president for marketing and innovation at PeoplesBank, a new sponsor for 2018, added that “PeoplesBank is proud to support our local farmers and their innovative ideas. We congratulate the awardees and thank the entire local farming community for their efforts.” The four counties of Western Massachusetts feature an abundance of farms; more than 800 farms in the region have sales greater than $10,000 — a requirement for the award application. Recognizing that agriculture is such a strong regional force, Harold Grinspoon founded the Local Farmer Awards four years ago. “I have so much enjoyed being part of the Local Farmer Awards program,” he said. “Farmers are amazing — so hardworking and industrious. It is an absolute pleasure to get to know them.” Berkshire Grown and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, advocates for farming and agriculture in the region, have provided advice and support for this program since its inception. A farmer appreciation event will be held in late fall 2018 to recognize all applicants and promote the importance of local agriculture.

Incorporations

By
Incorporations

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

AMHERST

Mass Landlord Education Inc., 11 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002. Thea L. Costine, 131 Main St., Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. To provide education and assistance to individuals new to the business of being a landlord.

BERNARDSTON

Jim Whitney Plumbing & Heating Inc., 336 Huckle Hill Road, Bernardston, MA 01337. James D. Whitney, Same. Plumbing and heating.

CHICOPEE

Interstate Carriers Corp., 78 Robak Dr., Chicopee, MA 01020. Marina Biley, same. Vehicle transportation.

EGREMONT

Kifar Zaydee Corp., 196 Egremont Plain Road, Egremont, MA 01258. Peter Neustadter, same. Real estate rentals.

HAYDENVILLE

Massachusetts Families for College Success Inc., 2 Cole Road, Haydenville, MA 01039. Marc Kenen, Same. Educates the public about the need to increase the number of Massachusetts residents who attend and graduate from college.

SHELBURNE FALLS

Ksw Home & Building Services Inc., 4 Laurel St., Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. Kelly S. Warger, same. Construction.

SPRINGFIELD

L F Meat Food Market Corp., 89 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA 01109. Francisco Augusto Cabrera, 55-E Stavord, Springfield, MA 01109. Grocery store products.

Mad Max Transportation Inc., 46 Haumont Terrace, Springfield, MA 01104. Max Charvayev, same. Transportation.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

JC Charter Inc., 425 Union St., West Springfield, MA 01089. John H. Cookley, same. Passenger transportation.

WILBRHAM

Kao Services, P.C., 1225 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Kathleen A. O’Malley, same. Legal services.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of April 2018.

AMHERST

Amherst Enterprise Park
441 West St.
Leigh Andrews

Domain Masonry, LLC
86 Kellogg Ave.
Christopher Domain

Golden 3 Counseling Services
447 West St., Suite 3
Brittanie Jemes

Gorilla Tactics
145 University Dr., #3541
Jesse Crafts-Finch

J. Hurd & Associates
220 North Pleasant St.
Jason Hurd

J. Shefftz Consulting
14 Moody Field Road
Jonathan Shefftz

Jennifer Lefort, PhD
15 Linden Ridge Road
Jennifer Lefort

BELCHERTOWN

Morning Star Graphics
238 Rockrimmon St.
Roger Duffy, Natalia Duffy

CHICOPEE

The Chinese Kung Fu Wushu Academy
551 East St.
Binh Nguyen

Electra-Sounds Entertainment
5 Julia Ave.
William Butman Jr.

First Stop Grocery
830 Chicopee St.
Sudan Curiel

Generations Salon
588 Chicopee St.
Lisa Carlson

JWI Kitchens, LLC
374 Springfield St.
Ivelesse Perez

MamaRazzi Photography Inc.
165 Front St., Building D
Jenna Medina, Jacqueline Slatton

Meraki Salon
685 James St.
Christine Peacey

RazziKids
165 Front St., Building D
Jenna Medina, Jacqueline Slatton

Serenity Salon & Spa
472 Burnett Road
Alison Metcalfe

Style and Grace Hair Studios
1735 Westover Road
Ruben Camacho Jr.

WP-HL Foundation
16 America St.
Edward Fulke

EASTHAMPTON

Brian Harrison
1 Nashawannuck St.
Brian Harrison

C.R.P. Home Improvement
73 Glendale St.
Corey Pease

Frusho
28 Golden Dr.
Christopher Cabrini

Furs A Flyin
155R Northampton St.
MaryKate Murray

Pressplayhouse Duds
312 Main St.
Matthew Goldman

Worldsongs.com
116 Pleasant St., #334
Charlie Shew

EAST LONGMEADOW

Dreamscape Properties
20 Somerset St.
Marco Basile

G & A Import Auto Repair
41 Fisher Ave.
Alfonso Gioiella

McRae Consulting Solutions
57 Merriam St.
Mary McRae

HOLYOKE

Aeropostale #112
50 Holyoke St.
Aero Opco, LLC

The Clover Pub
102-104 High St.
Michael Rigali

Creative Concepts
24 Old Jarvis Ave.
Thomas Kennedy

Giggles Daycare
53 Argyle Ave.
Siobhan Sullivan

The Honey Pot
264 Sargeant St.
Jocelyn Poirier

Hyperperformance Cuts, LLC
118 Maple St.
Hanser Perez

Mocha Emporium
50 Holyoke St.
Adel Wahhas

Quick Stop
172 Sargeant St.
Tariq Aziz Khan

Reliable Computer
867 Main St.
Daniel Deschaine

Taste Freeze
915 Main St.
Daniel Rios

Your Brother-in-Law’s Handiman Services
33 Clerk St.
Joshua Silva

LONGMEADOW

EDV Home Design and Renovation
121 Willow Brook Road
Elaine D’Alleva-Vehse

SmartCheck
17 Barrington Road
Nora MacKay, Mark Fellows

LUDLOW

The Beauty Studio Boutique Inc.
393 East St.
Marsia Nogueira, Kristen Bousquet

NORTHAMPTON

Absolute Zero
229 Main St.
Meng Qin Wang

C.L. Frank & Co.
50 Cooke Ave.
Christopher Frank

Chill Harmonics
39 Main St., Suite 3
Pamela Smith

Christopher Foley Painting
68 Bradford St., Apt. B
Christopher Foley

Compass Community Education Center
221 Pine St., Suite 320
Shelly Risinger, Elena Allee

Couples Center of the Pioneer Valley
182 Main St., #202
Katherine Waddell

Dodeca
38 Main St.
Endamian Stewart, Robert Stewart

Hygeniks Inc.
106 Industrial Dr.
Todd Marchefka

Joel Russell Associates
16 Armory St., Suite 7
Joel Russell

Kidstuff
90 Maple St.
Tami Schirch

Metalmass Records
670B Haydenville Road
Kristian Strom

MG Coaching Services
98 Pine St., Unit 6
Martha Grinnell

New England Medical Consultants Inc.
124 Maple Ridge Road
Matthew Kane, Ann Markes

Northampton Golden Nozzle #04082
304 King St.
Nouria Energy Retail Inc.

Robinson Real Estate
35C State St.
Steven Slezek

Room 6 Salon & Nails
140 Pine St., #6
Melanie Burnett

State Street Fruit Store, Deli, Wines & Spirits
51 State St.
Richard Cooper

PALMER

JKL Liquid Asphalt
244 Burlingame Road
Raymond Croteau

Marlene’s Beauty Salon
1461 North Main St.
Jean Ciukaj

Tranquility Central
1384 Main St.
Kathleen Jett

SOUTHWICK

Humble N’Kind D-Sign
352 North Loomis St.
Elizabeth Vivier

Total Home Services
445 College Highway
Geno Whitehead

SPRINGFIELD

413 Video Productions
40 Edgewood St.
Aaron Williams

All Seasons Basement Dewatering Inc.
45 Jamestown Dr.
James Kelly

Around the Clock Adult Home Care
130 Fenwick St.
Linda Sheehan

Aer Wireless
119 Maplewood Terrace
Wi4me, LLC

Banh Mi Mia
461 Belmont Ave.
Hung Nguyen

Grez Automotive, LLC
604 Boston Road
Pan Siphanoum

Hariss Beauty
20 Arnold Ave.
Brittany Franco

House of Lockhart
89 Hyde Ave.
Ramon Albizu

J M Towing
56 Loring St.
Jerry Martinez

La Marguencita Bakery
755 Liberty St.
Lorena Vicente

Little Luv Bugs Day Care
24 Mayfair Ave.
Judy Williams

Ma Chere Creole Kitchen
94 Pennsylvania Ave.
Michael Guidry

Maidpro
527 Belmont St.
Heewon Yang

Montalvo Trucking
48 Appleton St.
Victor Montalvo

Mzion Corp.
1341 Main St.
Ni Si Kim

Northeast Mountain Footwear
459 Breckwood Blvd.
Algeni Enterprises

Rex Ambrosia, LLC
145 Ambrose St.
Glenn Mills

Rock Bottom Records
114 Cardinal St.
Abdul Ibrahim Jr.

Trinity Health of New England
271 Carew St.
Mercy Medical Group

Vladmierj Tailor
66 Dickinson St.
Thuy Fuda

WARE

Blissful Moments Hair Skin Body Studio
89 Main St., Suite 4
Tenah Richardson

Dance Unlimited MA
23 West Main St.
Mary Royer

Lost & Found Mercantile
85 Main St.
Kristin Rosenbeck, Dennis Cote

Miss Sue’s Place
42 Greenwich Road
Susan Flamand

Murphy’s Painting
197 River Road
Cole Murphy

Western Mass Home Improvement
81 Greenwich Road
Christopher Wiggin

WESTFIELD

Affordable Building Contractor
26 Northridge Road
David Wroblewski

Ace Photography
29 Beckwith Ave.
Nicholas Ventura

MAR Consulting
83 Pineridge Dr.
Mona Rastegar

Power Control Services & Electric Inc.
227 Loomis St.
Power Control Services & Electric Inc.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Arbella Insurance Group
1 Interstate Dr.
Arbella Insurance Group

B+ Clean-Outs
10 Elizabeth St.
Joseph Switzler

Ballard Mack Sales & Service
124 Ashley Ave.
John Picking

Custom Railings Tech Inc.
117 Allston Ave.
Armand Cote

Energia Massage
1111 Elm St.
Tatiana McCoy

Holiday Flowers
69 Angeline St.
Joan Marino

Olympia Junior Hockey
125 Capital Dr.
Patrick Tabb

Plato’s Closet
1472 Riverdale St.
Kathleen White

Springfield Inn
1573 Riverdale St.
Dilip Rana

Wendy’s #292
288 Park St.
Inspired By

Wendy’s #318
644 Riverdale St.
Inspired By

WILBRAHAM

Barone’s Landscaping
375 Mountain Road
Nicholas Barone

BJC Consulting
9 Whitford Place
Barry Christman

C & S Construction
9 Meadowview Road
Christian Mills

Trinity Health of New England Medical Group
70 Post Office Park
Carlos Martins

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

Adams, Harvey E.
1272 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/12/18

Bardwell, James W.
12 Hebert Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/10/18

Beaudreau, Jonathan M.
6 B St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/11/18

Boyle, Loretta Marie
c/o Attn: Richard Boyle Jr.
180 Sargeant Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/31/18

Brown, Kara Anne
95 Babcock Tavern Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/05/18

Collins, Catherine M.
4 Summer St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/06/18

Crandall, Cara C.
417 West St. #206
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/04/18

Denny, Darlene Yvonne
1144 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/30/18

Ferreira, Marc A.
162 Peterson Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 03/31/18

Fortuna, Timothy D.
131 East Brimfield Holland
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/03/18

Frisbie, Robert
85 Manchonis Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/04/18

Giroux, Tamie L.
43 King St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/08/18

Greaney, Timothy R.
34 Dartmouth St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/02/18

Hobbs, Jeremy N.
134 Hubbard St.
Lenox, MA 01240
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/10/18

Hobby, Jenny L.
205 Hardwick Road
Gilbertville, MA 01031
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/06/18

Hyytinen, Dawn
200 Lower St.
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/09/18

Jezisek, Lisa
13 Pinebrook Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/05/18

Kacoyannakis, Eleftherios
75 Pleasant St., APT C201
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/03/18

Kawalec, Jennifer
14 Lorimer St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/13/18

LaMountain, Michele Renay
35 Summit St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/30/18

Lemay, Eileen Alma
407 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/30/18

Letourneau, Erin
6 Spring St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/05/18

Lissa’s Cottage Cleaning
Stone, Lissa J.
84 Riverview Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/04/18

Loncrini, Kelly Ann
a/k/a Toomey, Kelly Ann
111 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/03/18

MacKinnon, Carrie A.
37 Glenn Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/10/18

Morris, Trisha S.
a/k/a Ferguson, Trisha
239 Rowley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/02/18

Moulton, Eric J.
Moulton, Jessica A.
36 Verde Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/15/18

Muri, Samuel
193 Park Hill Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/06/18

Nevins, Paul R.
Nevins, Tracy L.
68 Fairview St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/11/18

Pare, Michael
797 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 03/31/18

Parzych, Diane D.
1150 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/02/18

Peach, Robert R.
Peach, Donna M.
52 Smith St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/12/18

Raimer, Josephine A.
2 Harvest Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/06/18

Ricker-Horton, Melissa A.
a/k/a LuLaRoe, Mel Horton
50 Fountain St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/10/18

Rodriguez, Magdalena
38 Newland St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/10/18

Rosa, Jose A.
a/k/a Rosa-Castellano, Jose A.
101 Lowell St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/10/18

Salazar, Mercedes
130 Malden St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/09/18

Santana, Severo
378 El Paso St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/10/18

Santos, Jeremia
137 Farnum Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/13/18

Soares, David
Soares, Anita
a/k/a Bergamotto, Anita
a/k/a Galella, Anita T.
65 Yorktown Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/11/18

Sullivan, Janice E.
17 Alden Ave.
Apartment 2
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/03/18

Tisdell, Michael S.
608 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/08/18

Vegas, Joel A.
a/k/a Vegas Paulino, Joel A.
342 Dalton Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/13/18

Vogel, Mary-Jane
422 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/04/18

Woodbury, Susan M.
118 Clairmont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/06/18

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of April 2018.

AGAWAM

James Acerra, Clark Dore
707-709 Main St.
$20,000 — Interior repairs to walls and ceilings for conversion from convenience store to nail salon

Agawam Historical Assoc. Inc.
251 North West St.
$1,200 — Demolish barn

Ashakrishna, LLC
336-344 North Westfield St.
$4,500 — Open wall, install tile, paint existing wall

Ashakrishna, LLC
336-344 North Westfield St.
$4,675 — Move bathroom walls for handicap access

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
1061-1065 Springfield St.
$3,000 — Construct shed connecting to existing building at Sacred Heart Church

AMHERST

Stavros Center for Independent Living
210 Old Farm Road
$68,820 — Rooftop photovoltaic system

CHICOPEE

64 Dulong Circle, LLC
64 Dulong Circle
$40,000 — Conversion of three sleeping rooms into two classrooms, reuse of former classroom for sleeping rooms, toilet modification

904 Meadow Street, LLC
904 Meadow St.
$7,100 — Tenant fit-up; office, vestibule, bathroom walls

EIP Westover Road, LLC
2073 Westover Road
$188,250 — Renovate select portions of existing building

J and N Salema Family Limited
510 Burnett Road
$4,500 — Install of fire protection signaling system

McDonalds Real Estate Co.
350 Burnett Road
$427,000 — Interior, exterior, and site work

Meadow Chicopee 425-521, LLC
425 Meadow St.
$582,500 — Roofing

David Momnie
113 Center St.
$16,000 — Strip and re-roof

Maurice Spear Jr.
220 Exchange St.
Roofing

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
600 Grattan St.
$73,475 — Minor alterations to cabinetry to accommodate new appliances including refrigerator and sinks

EASTHAMPTON

Eastworks, LLP
116 Pleasant St.
$20,000 — Add non-load-bearing walls, add handicap-accessible bathrooms

Eastworks, LLP
116 Pleasant St.
$25,000 — Interior renovations to Suite 335

Eastworks, LLP
116 Pleasant St.
$375,000 — Roofing

EAST LONGMEADOW

The Arbors Kids
126 Industrial Dr.
$5,000 — Sheet metal

Ascent Dental
250 North Main St.
$20,000 — Sheet metal

Meadows Podiatry
313 Maple St.
$27,000 — Demolish building

GREENFIELD

Center for Human Development
102 Main St.
$11,000 — Install fire-suppression system to protect server room

Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
180 Silvio O. Conte Dr.
$35,073 — Remodel two bathrooms

Four Rivers Educational Foundation
248 Colrain Road
$19,200 — Reinforce barn shed roof

Rachael Katz
229-231 Main St.
$2,030 — Replace rear exterior door, construct box steps over existing concrete steps

Town of Greenfield
125 Federal St.
$4,450 — Install kiln

HADLEY

Shipman Realty Trust
140 Russell St.
$6,000 — Strip and replace roof at Greenfield Savings Bank

Shipman Realty Trust
140 Russell St.
$18,980 — Six new signs for Greenfield Savings Bank

LONGMEADOW

Longmeadow Mall, LP
827 Williams St.
$328,000 — Renovate new restaurant space

NORTHAMPTON

City of Northampton
125 Locust St.
$49,591 — Construct new mezzanine

City of Northampton
80 Locust St.
$3,500 — Cut new doorway at Smith School for exterior walk-in cooler/freezer for cafeteria kitchen

Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society
54 Fair St.
$2,000 — Temporary stage for concert

Industrial Drive, LLC
94 Industrial Dr.
$13,100 — Drywall ceiling, insulation, lighting, and HVAC

Northampton Realty, LLC
293 King St.
$17,000 — Remove and replace sign at Lia Honda

SPRINGFIELD

271 Page Blvd., LLC
271 Page Blvd.
$40,000 — Partial demolition of commercial warehouse building

C & W Breckwood Realty Co.
1060 Wilbraham Road
$10,000 — Alter building facade and canopy in shopping center

F.L Roberts Co. Inc.
275 Albany St.
$37,000 — Demolish portion of commercial building, former Paul’s Fuel

Gardening the Community Inc.
200 Walnut St.
$21,134 — Add solar panels to farm stand

Anthony Patalino, Douglas Delisle
136 Walnut St.
$130,000 — Interior renovations to convert service station to Domino’s pizza bakery store

Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield
516 Carew St.
$187,781 — Alter interior space on second floor for inpatient acute rehabilitation

Springfield Partners for Community Action Inc.
721 State St.
$56,167 — Alter restroom space for accessibility upgrades at New Beginnings Child Care

Barrington Stephenson
47 Jasper St.
Remove right side of attached shed and repair garage wall

Edale Realty, LLC
211 Worthington St.
$45,000 — Alterations to bar/restaurant, including glass overhead door and storefront, repair fire alarm and kitchen Ansul system

WARE

Baystate Mary Lane Hospital
85 South St.
$8,980 — HVAC duct systems for Davis Building, fourth-floor Oncology project

Wicked Wings
136 Pleasant St.
$12,000 — Replace existing hoods with make-up hoods, fire suppression

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Atrium Property Services
439 Cold Spring Ave.
$15,900 — Roofing

Robin C. Taylor, LLC
54 Myron St.
$79,000 — New metal studs and drywall partitions, hollow metal frames and wood doors, electrical work, remodel bathrooms, acoustical ceilings

Town of West Springfield
255 Interstate Dr.
Replace three antennas with three new antennas, add three lines of hybrid fiber cable

WILBRAHAM

Wilbraham & Monson Academy
423-451 Main St.
$22,375 — Pavilion

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AMHERST

Mass Landlord Education Inc., 11 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002. Thea L. Costine, 131 Main St., Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. To provide education and assistance to individuals new to the business of being a landlord.

BERNARDSTON

Jim Whitney Plumbing & Heating Inc., 336 Huckle Hill Road, Bernardston, MA 01337. James D. Whitney, Same. Plumbing and heating.

CHICOPEE

Interstate Carriers Corp., 78 Robak Dr., Chicopee, MA 01020. Marina Biley, same. Vehicle transportation.

EGREMONT

Kifar Zaydee Corp., 196 Egremont Plain Road, Egremont, MA 01258. Peter Neustadter, same. Real estate rentals.

HAYDENVILLE

Massachusetts Families for College Success Inc., 2 Cole Road, Haydenville, MA 01039. Marc Kenen, Same. Educates the public about the need to increase the number of Massachusetts residents who attend and graduate from college.

SHELBURNE FALLS

Ksw Home & Building Services Inc., 4 Laurel St., Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. Kelly S. Warger, same. Construction.

SPRINGFIELD

L F Meat Food Market Corp., 89 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA 01109. Francisco Augusto Cabrera, 55-E Stavord, Springfield, MA 01109. Grocery store products.

Mad Max Transportation Inc., 46 Haumont Terrace, Springfield, MA 01104. Max Charvayev, same. Transportation.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

JC Charter Inc., 425 Union St., West Springfield, MA 01089. John H. Cookley, same. Passenger transportation.

WILBRHAM

Kao Services, P.C., 1225 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Kathleen A. O’Malley, same. Legal services.

The Importance of Summer Jobs

By
Opinion

Editorial

Winter hung in for so long, we thought spring might never arrive. But it has.

Indeed, the first of the college commencements were last weekend (it wasn’t so long ago that students didn’t gown up until after or just before Memorial Day, but that’s another story), and there are several more this weekend.

Meanwhile, the high-school graduation ceremonies are only a few weeks away. These occasions serve as reminders that soon, if not already, thousands of young people will be looking for summer jobs.

In what has become an almost annual plea, we strongly encourage area companies large and small to help them in their quest.

Summer jobs are important not only to young people and their families, but for the entire region, and for a number of reasons, some of which actually fall into the category of economic development.

But we’ll get to that in a minute. First, the more obvious benefits.

Yes, summer jobs put money in the pockets of young people, something that’s especially important as the costs of attending college rise and more and more families struggle to meet those costs. But there are many benefits beyond the paycheck.

As those of us who have been there know, first jobs — and second jobs and third jobs — are important learning experiences, whether they take place at Mercy Medical Center, MassMutual, Friendly’s, Six Flags, a vegetable farm in Hadley, the corner pizza parlor, or one of the Balise company’s new car washes. Each and every job is a learning experience.

Those who hold those jobs learn about the responsibility of coming to work every day and working as a part of a team to deliver products and services. And about being on time and providing solid customer service.

Meanwhile, they’re also developing skills and learning about a particular field and the career opportunities that lie within it.

Which brings us to that economic-development component of this discussion and, more specifically, the workforce-development component.

If you read BusinessWest regularly, and thoroughly, you can probably recall many occasions when, in the course of tracing their career path, the subject in question will talk about how a summer job or internship altered their trajectory and thus altered their life.

You hear it from doctors and nurses, bankers and accountants, machine-shop owners, and even business writers. A summer job opened their eyes — to a great company, to opportunities, and to a career.

It doesn’t happen all the time, certainly, but it happens enough.

When you look at all the reasons why companies should work hard to create a summer job or two (or 10 if they can manage it) — from that exposure to their company to having some young people to bounce ideas off and gain input from, to simply getting some much-needed work done — it’s clear that they can and must make the effort.

It’s easy to say they don’t have the budget or that summer help is too much trouble or that it’s just too hard to get good help.

We encourage companies not to do what’s easy, but instead do what’s right — for them, the young people they’ll hire, and the region as a whole.

Spring is here, and that means it’s time to think about creating summer jobs.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

MGM Springfield to Officially Open on Aug. 24

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Resorts International announced it will open the doors to MGM Springfield, New England’s first integrated luxury resort and entertainment destination, on Friday, Aug. 24. “A testament to a decade of collaboration between the city of Springfield and MGM Resorts, MGM Springfield will pay tribute to the city’s legacy and celebrate its bright future, while introducing a stellar array of hospitality and entertainment experiences that will attract guests from New England and beyond,” said Michael Mathis, president of MGM Springfield. Added Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, “I look forward to working with MGM Springfield for many years to come. They’re a world-class company and an outstanding corporate citizen. I deeply appreciate their belief and investment in our Springfield. I wish them continued success as we create another Springfield first.”

Local Farmer Awards Give $135,000 to 59 Farmers

AGAWAM — The Local Farmer Awards, funded by a group of philanthropic leaders and businesses, recently gave $135,000 in awards to 59 farmers operating in Western Mass. to fund infrastructure improvements on their farms. Each award winner received up to $2,500 through a competitive application process for projects that will help them expand their businesses, compete in the marketplace, and continue providing the health and environmental benefits of local farming. Now in its fourth year, the awards have increased the number of farmers supported, from 33 in the first year to 59 this year, thanks to 10 funders, including Big Y and the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, along with a team of sponsors: HP Hood LLC, Friendly’s, PeoplesBank, Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place, Ann and Steve Davis, Baystate Health, Farm Credit East, and Florence Bank. More than half of the award winners have been in business no more than 10 years. “Western Massachusetts’ agricultural roots run deep, and we have long been known as one of the primary growing regions in New England,” said Charlie D’Amour, president and chief operating officer of Big Y. “Today, alongside families who have been farming for generations, a new crop of young farming families and entrepreneurs are continuing this fine tradition. At Big Y, we are pleased to continue our own 80-plus year tradition of supporting these farmer families by joining with the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation and other sponsors to provide grants and opportunities for this important part of our region’s economy and culture.” Matthew Bannister, first vice president for marketing and innovation at PeoplesBank, a new sponsor for 2018, added that “PeoplesBank is proud to support our local farmers and their innovative ideas. We congratulate the awardees and thank the entire local farming community for their efforts.” The four counties of Western Massachusetts feature an abundance of farms; more than 800 farms in the region have sales greater than $10,000 — a requirement for the award application. Recognizing that agriculture is such a strong regional force, Harold Grinspoon founded the Local Farmer Awards four years ago. “I have so much enjoyed being part of the Local Farmer Awards program,” he said. “Farmers are amazing — so hardworking and industrious. It is an absolute pleasure to get to know them.” Berkshire Grown and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, advocates for farming and agriculture in the region, have provided advice and support for this program since its inception. A farmer appreciation event will be held in late fall 2018 to recognize all applicants and promote the importance of local agriculture.

Natural-gas Curbs Hurt Environment

By
Opinion

Opinion

By Bob Rio

A shortage of natural-gas capacity during the December-January cold snap added $1.7 billion to the electric bills of business and residential customers in New England while erasing all the environmental benefits from solar energy in Massachusetts during 2017.

Now you know why Massachusetts employers support the idea of expanding natural-gas infrastructure in the region.

New data released this month by the Massachusetts Coalition for Sustainable Energy (MCSE) and compiled by Concentric Energy Advisors underscores the economic and environmental damage wrought by our energy status quo.

Natural-gas supplies in the region are tight during the winter. Despite abundant supplies just a few states away, pipeline infrastructure to get it here is inadequate, and efforts to address this issue have been stymied by those who believe upgrading our natural-gas infrastructure will stall progress on transitioning to clean energy.

Electricity generators simply don’t have enough natural gas to operate during the bitter cold because most of the available gas is used to serve businesses and homeowners.

To satisfy the increased demand for electricity, power plants burn stored backup oil and coal. The lights stay on, but greenhouse-gas emissions increase exponentially since oil and coal emit more carbon than natural gas. The cold-weather shortage of natural gas has become so common in recent winters that power generators are paid to store oil, whether or not it is needed, as sort of an insurance policy funded by ratepayers through higher electric rates.

According to the Concentric report, the amount of coal and oil burned during just a two-week period generated 1.3 million tons of extra greenhouse-gas emissions over what would have been emitted if gas had been available. The ratepayer cost was $1.7 billion higher than the previous winter — most of which will show up in next winter’s energy bills. In fact, Eversource recently sought a 15% increase in electric rates for customers in Western Mass. for the period July through December.

How much is 1.3 million tons? The extra greenhouse gases negated all the greenhouse-gas savings from all the solar energy produced in Massachusetts throughout 2017. It’s a problem that cannot be solved by adding more solar capacity, since the highest need for natural gas is in the winter, when solar output is at its lowest.

Had the cold period continued (or if another came later in the year), brownouts would likely had occurred. ISO-NE, the regional power-grid operator, reports that the system was about three days away from crashing, as some plants were running out of oil and had to curtail their output.

This dangerous mix of rising costs, rising emissions, and potential brownouts comes at a time when other states are dangling low energy costs in front of Massachusetts employers to persuade those companies to expand elsewhere. It’s not a tough sell — our energy costs are nearly double those of states in other regions of the country.

Associated Industries of Massachusetts, along with other members of the Coalition for Sustainable Energy, support a balanced approach to address the region’s energy problems. That approach embraces renewables — AIM has supported the development of both hydro power and offshore wind — while at the same time acknowledging the stresses on our current system and the economic and environmental damage that is occurring.

Bob Rio is AIM’s senior vice president, Government Affairs.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

Webber & Grinnell Acquires Ross Insurance

NORTHAMPTON — Ross Insurance agency of Holyoke has been acquired by Webber and Grinnell Insurance Agency of Northampton. Maureen Ross O’Connell will continue to manage the Holyoke operation at 150 Lower Westfield Road in Holyoke under the name of Ross, Webber and Grinnell Insurance. Kevin Ross plans on retiring sometime over the next 18 months. “Ross Insurance is synonymous with community and trust,” said Bill Grinnell, president of Webber and Grinnell. “We are thrilled to have their staff joining our team and enabling us to serve clients across the entire Pioneer Valley. Kevin and Maureen are incredible insurance professionals, and I look forward to Maureen joining our ownership group.” Added Ross O’Connell, “we feel that we found the perfect partner to continue the Ross family legacy. Webber and Grinnell has a long history of generous community support and exceptional customer service.”

Westfield Bank to Open Liberty Street Office

SPRINGFIELD — Westfield Bank announced it will open a full-service branch office at 1342 Liberty St. in Springfield in July. When it opens, the Liberty Street office, which currently has a 24-hour ATM, will be operated as a full-service branch featuring lobby and drive-up banking, a drive-up ATM, and banking specialists trained to assist customers with business banking, residential mortgages, and investment and insurance services (via Westfield Financial Management Services). Construction is already underway, with renovations expected to be completed in late June or early July. Roberta Lussier, who currently oversees the bank’s Tower Square office, will also manage the Liberty Street office. Westfield Bank plans to celebrate the opening of the Liberty Street office with special events and promotions, which will be announced at a later date.

Spacelabs Invests $720,000 in UMass Center Nursing Program

SPRINGFIELD — Spacelabs Healthcare, a Snoqualmie, Wash.-based medical-equipment manufacturer, recently unveiled a $720,000 investment in the UMass Center at Springfield’s nursing laboratory. The state-of-the-art Spacelabs equipment includes two Sonicaid fetal/maternal monitors, ambulatory blood-pressure monitors, multiple nursing monitors, and invasive cardiac outputs that will benefit the UMass Amherst College of Nursing’s accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program, which serves as a pipeline for rained nurses into the region’s healthcare sector. The equipment will be primarily used by UMass Amherst nursing students in the accelerated program, which is based in Springfield.

Tighe & Bond Climbs in National Ranking

WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond, a full-service engineering and environmental consulting firm, climbed 19 spots this year to No. 241 on Engineering News Record’s “2018 Top 500 Design Firms” ranking. In the past two years, Tighe & Bond climbed 34 spots as the firm continues to grow its regional market. The publication ranks its list of top 500 design firms nationally based on design-specific revenue from the previous year.

Valley Blue Sox Announce New Ownership

SPRINGFIELD — The Valley Blue Sox announced that Hadley native Fred Ciaglo has taken over the reins as team owner and president from the departing Clark Eckhoff. Ciaglo has been a long-time part of the Valley Blue Sox, hosting players for the past seven years and as a bench coach for the last four years. He has been involved with baseball in the Valley since he was able to throw a ball, playing at Hopkins Academy in Hadley and then at Springfield College, helping pitch the Pride to the 1986 Northeast-10 championship when the school competed in Division II athletics. Ciaglo was a staple of the Tri-County Baseball League for more than 20 years, twice winning the league’s Wes Carr Trophy for best pitcher. He has taught and coached at Hopkins Academy since graduating from Springfield, coaching boys and girls basketball as well as baseball over that time; in addition, he spent a decade as Hadley Youth Baseball’s coaching coordinator and on the board of directors for the Cal Ripken level. Vice President and General Manager Hunter Golden will stay on with the team and remain in his role. Also returning this season will be Manager John Raiola, who will return for his fourth season as head coach, as well as pitching coach Jim Woods. Joining the coaching staff, former Blue Sox player Hezekiah Randolph will serve as hitting coach for the team.

Country Bank Donates $15,000 to Domestic Violence Task Force

WARE — Country Bank announced that it recently donated $15,000 to the Ware River Valley Domestic Violence Task Force to support its continued commitment to helping those in need in the Quaboag Hills Region. “Country Bank’s donation has been the foundation of all local domestic-violence services at Valley Human Services of BHN Inc. in the Quaboag Hills,” said Jac Patrissi, director of Domestic Violence Services at Valley Human Services. “Their funds have been the seed money and remain the match for programs now supported by municipal, state, and federal dollars. We literally would not have our team preventing and responding to domestic violence in our region without Country Bank.”

Berkshire Hills Bancorp Reports 63% Increase in Q1 Earnings

BOSTON — Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. reported first-quarter 2018 net income of $25 million, a 63% increase over the 2017 first-quarter results of $15 million. This reflected the ongoing benefit of the company’s growth and expansion, together with the benefit of a lower federal tax rate resulting from federal tax reform. “We had a solid start to the year, delivering ongoing growth while integrating our new commerce operations,” CEO Michael Daly said. “With the benefit of greater efficiency, GAAP return on assets improved to 0.88%, and core return on assets improved to 1.04%. We expect continued momentum in the second quarter, where GAAP return on assets will improve to over 1.00% and core return on assets will improve to over 1.10%.” The board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.22 per common share to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 10, payable on May 24. The dividend equates to a 2.3% annualized yield based on the $37.88 average closing price of Berkshire Hills Bancorp common stock during the first quarter. The board also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.44 per share for the preferred stock issued in conjunction with the Commerce acquisition, with the same record and payment dates as above. The quarterly common and preferred dividends were increased in the prior quarter by 5%.

Girls on the Run Nominated for Award

NORTHAMPTON — The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) announced that Girls on the Run Western Massachusetts has been selected a finalist for the 2018 Nonprofit Excellence Award in the Small Nonprofit category. The Excellence Awards will be presented at the Massachusetts State House on Monday, June 4. The Small Nonprofit Excellence Award recognizes an organization making an outsized impact in its community despite limited resources. Girls on the Run inspires girls to be healthy, joyful, and confident, using an experiential, social-emotional curriculum that integrates running. In its third year of operation, Girls on the Run has 180 volunteer coaches, including teachers, parents, and community members operating at 54 school sites serving over 740 girls. To date, Girls on the Run has served more than 1,200 girls around Western Mass.

Chili Chocolate Chip Wins UMass Ice Cream Competition

AMHERST — The winning flavor in this year’s UMass Amherst student ice-cream competition is chili chocolate chip, as selected by judges in the fourth annual food-science event held on campus April 30. It will become the latest UMass student-created ice cream produced by Maple Valley Creamery of Hadley over the coming weeks, said owner Bruce Jenks. For the event, creamery staff, local chefs, and guest judges sampled original ice creams created by four teams of senior food-science majors vying for the honor of developing a new flavor for the UMass label. The three other entries in this spring’s competition were a butternut squash flavor with lemon zest, ginger, turmeric, and semi-sweet chocolate bits; a chocolate banana graham-cracker flavor; and a strawberry-basil flavor with dark chocolate pieces. The strawberry-basil, dubbed ‘summer blush’ by its creators, won the audience’s vote for best flavor, and Jenks said he may make a seasonal batch of it in the summer. Members of the winning chili chocolate chip team are Marina Gela, Gina Grimaldi, Rachael Montigny, Joshua Liao, Erica Snyder, and Jozxelle Tongson.

ESE Donates $240,000 to Big E/West Springfield Trust Fund

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Eastern States Exposition President and CEO Eugene Cassidy presented a donation of $240,198 to the Big E/West Springfield Trust Fund in a ceremony held at Town Hall on April 18. The amount, the largest to date since the fund’s inception in 1994, represents 1% of the Exposition’s gross revenues for 2017. Including this year’s gift, exposition contributions now total $3,999,669. During the presentation of this year’s check, Cassidy pledged a personal donation of $331 to bring the total to an even $4 million. Trustees of the fund are West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt, Cassidy, and Attorney Mary Paier Powers. Grants in 2017 totaled more than $63,209 for 15 town organizations, schools, sports teams, and more.

Arrha Credit Union Awards Five Scholarships

SPRINGFIELD — Arrha Credit Union recently awarded five $1,000 scholarships to area students based on scholastic merit and civic achievement. To be eligible for the Anthony J. Serafino Scholarship, recipients must demonstrate scholastic achievement, be a high-school senior, be a member of Arrha or a student whose parent is a member, be active in extracurricular activities and community endeavors, and intend to attend a two-year or four-year degree-granting college or university. The 2018 recipients are A’Shaela Chaires from Williston Northampton School, Kimberly McLeod from Longmeadow High School, Patricia Moriarty from Phillips Exeter Academy, Owen Serafino from West Springfield High School, and Tamra Zippin from Minnechaug Regional High School. In addition to the scholarships, each student was given $100 to open an account with a debit card to jump-start their financial future on a positive note. “We wish each of our recipients the best of luck with their educational endeavors,” said Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union.

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move
Moira Maguire

Moira Maguire

Holyoke Community College recently welcomed Moira Maguire as its new dean of Social Sciences. Maguire most recently served as dean of Liberal Arts at Schenectady County Community College in New York. Before that, she spent 12 years as a professor of history at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, where she was a tenured faculty member and served as a department chair and course coordinator. She holds a Ph.D. in history from American University, a master’s degree in history from Northeastern University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from George Washington University. As a teacher and scholar specializing in 20th-century Irish history, Maguire spent more than 10 years at the University of Ireland Maynooth, where her research on infanticide and the Irish government’s care of unwed mothers and their children led to many articles and a book, Cherished Equally? Precarious Childhood in Independent Ireland. She has also worked as a consultant for the BBC on documentaries related to her research. As dean of Social Science, she will oversee six academic departments: Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, Critical Cultural Studies (Economics, Geography, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Women’s Studies), Psychology, and Sociology/Anthropology.

•••••

Sonya Stephens, the acting president of Mount Holyoke College, has been named the college’s 19th president, effective July 1. The Mount Holyoke College board of trustees announced its decision to appoint Stephens on April 23 after an extensive presidential selection process that began in January. A formal inauguration will be held in September. The decision was unanimous. Stephens was made acting president in July 2016. During her tenure, she has overseen the implementation of the Plan for Mount Holyoke 2021 and been focused on ensuring the college’s long-term financial stability. Other key efforts include the creation of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative, which led to the annual BOOM! (Building on Our Momentum) learning conference and to the hiring of the college’s first chief diversity officer. Stephens led the development of the college’s comprehensive self-study for re-accreditation by the New England Assoc. of Schools and Colleges, and launched the Community Center construction and the opening of the Dining Commons. She is also overseeing the college’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality by its bicentennial in 2037.

•••••

Elissa Langevin

Elissa Langevin

Lee McCarthy

Lee McCarthy

Shelley Daughdrill

Shelley Daughdrill

Lori Jarrett

Lori Jarrett

Celia Alvarado

Celia Alvarado

Alicia Pare

Alicia Pare

Florence Bank has promoted three employees to oversee the management of branches within their designated regions. Elissa Langevin has been named vice president and area manager for the bank’s main office in Florence, Lee McCarthy will serve as vice president and area manager for the King Street office in Northampton, Shelley Daughdrill and will hold the role of vice president and area manager for the Belchertown branch. Langevin is a 10-year employee of Florence Bank. Formerly, she was vice president and branch manager of the main office in Florence. During her tenure at the bank, Langevin has been the recipient of Florence Bank’s Community Service Award, which provides recognition to employees who are actively involved in community organizations. She serves as the current treasurer of the Belchertown Day School and has served as a board member for Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts. She has also served as board member and president of the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce. McCarthy is a 15-year employee of Florence Bank. Formerly, she was vice president and branch manager of the King Street office. During her tenure at the bank, McCarthy has served as consumer lending officer and branch manager. She is a volunteer for the United Way of Hampshire County and serves on its Community Allocation Committee. In 2015, she was recognized by the United Way as an honoree for the Community Champion Award, presented to a community member who has made a significant contribution to the organization’s mission of creating positive and lasting change in Hampshire County. Daughdrill is a 12-year employee of Florence Bank. Formerly, she served as vice president and branch manager of the Amherst and Belchertown offices. She has been the recipient of the bank’s President’s Award and Community Service Award. She is a board member, attendance chair, and auction committee member for the Amherst Rotary Club, and she also serves on the development committee for the Amherst Survival Center. Meanwhile, Florence Bank has also hired three new employees to serve in various positions. Lori Jarrett will serve as assistant controller in the Finance Department in the main office in Florence, Celia Alvarado was named portfolio officer/commercial loan origination, and Alicia Pare was named to the position of cash management relationship officer. Jarrett holds a master’s degree in accounting from Western New England University. She volunteers for area nonprofits, including Riverside Industries, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, and Safe Passage, and she runs in the Apple-a-Day 5K, which benefits the elementary schools of Easthampton. Alvarado joined Florence Bank in February with nearly 10 years of banking experience. She currently studies at the New England College of Business, where she’s working on a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. She volunteers for Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts and has served on its board in the past. Pare earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Assumption College in Worcester. In 2014, she received Florence Bank’s prestigious President’s Club Award, an annual tradition that recognizes outstanding performance, customer service, and overall contribution to Florence Bank.

•••••

Mark Fuller, current dean and Thomas O’Brien Endowed Chair at Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, has been appointed the new vice chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations by UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. Fuller will succeed Michael Leto, who announced his upcoming retirement last fall. As the university’s chief advancement officer, Fuller will serve on the chancellor’s leadership team and be responsible for short- and long-term plans to improve private support as well as cultivate strong relationships with UMass alumni and supporters. UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth’s flagship campus, has more than 200,000 living alumni. Fuller has led UMass’s Isenberg School of Management since 2009. Under Fuller’s leadership, Isenberg has generated a four-fold increase in annual gift performance since 2010; received a $10 million endowment to create the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship; increased student giving ten-fold; secured private support for the new, $62 million Business Innovation Wing; and created 12 new endowed faculty positions. Prior to coming to UMass Amherst, Fuller was a professor and chair of the Department of Information Systems and holder of the Philip L. Kays Distinguished Professorship in Management Information Systems at Washington State University. He received his master’s degree in management and his Ph.D. in management information systems from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management. His research focuses on virtual teamwork, technology-supported learning, and trust and efficacy in technology-mediated environments. Prior to Washington State, Fuller was an associate professor at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University.

•••••

Maureen “Maura” Guzik

Maureen “Maura” Guzik

Casey Cusson

Casey Cusson

Erin Tautznik

Erin Tautznik

Janet Rosenkranz

Janet Rosenkranz

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced one new hire as well as three promotions. Maureen “Maura” Guzik joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank as vice president, Commercial Loans. She will be responsible for developing new commercial business in Hampshire County with the Northampton Cooperative division of the bank. She will be based in the bank’s Triangle Street branch in Amherst. She has more than 34 years of commercial banking experience. Guzik is a board member of the Northwestern District Attorney’s Children Advocacy Center and chairperson of the Belchertown Council on Aging. She is also active with the Amherst Area and Greater Northampton chambers of commerce. She earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Anselm’s College and her MBA from American International College. Casey Cusson has been promoted to assistant vice president and branch manager of the bank’s Shelburne Falls location. He has more than 15 years of management experience and joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank in June 2017. He is a board member on the Shelburne Falls Area Business Assoc. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from UMass Amherst and will attend the New England School of Banking at Babson College beginning in May. Erin Tautznik was promoted to branch officer. With more than 13 years of banking experience, she is responsible for managing the bank’s 67 King St., Northampton office. She joined Northampton Cooperative Bank in 2004 and has attended Holyoke Community College and numerous banking seminars and courses. She is also a volunteer with the JFK Middle School’s after-school program. Janet Rosenkranz, credit officer, has additionally been named the Credit Department manager, and is now responsible for the bank’s Credit Department staff and coordinating its activities. She joined the bank in 2016 and has more than 18 years of experience in banking. She is a volunteer with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. She received her bachelor’s degree at UMass Amherst and will attend the National School of Banking at the Wharton School beginning in June.

•••••

Brian Kapitulik has accepted the position of dean of Business, Information Technology, Professional Studies, and Social Sciences at Greenfield Community College (GCC). “After a thorough search, we were excited to offer the position of dean to Brian,” said Catherine Seaver, chief Academic Affairs officer. Kapitulik has 18 years of professional experience in the Massachusetts public higher-education system and, in particular, during the last decade, in community college. Before his current role, he was chair of the Department of Social Sciences and professor of Sociology at GCC. He has also taught at UMass Amherst and Quinsigamond Community College. During this time, he evaluated and developed curriculum, assessed and reviewed programs, created new courses, and hired and mentored new faculty, all while teaching students, publishing papers, organizing professional-development workshops in his field, and serving the college in a number of leadership capacities ranging from search committees to faculty mentor for online pedagogy.

•••••

The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ newly launched arts initiative, ValleyCreates, announced the appointment of five community advisors to support the initiative’s core mission to address underserved communities’ access to arts and culture funding and resources. Gina Beavers, Arts and Culture editor for the Valley Advocate, will serve as a liaison to arts and culture organizations in Hampshire and Hampden counties. Vanessa Pabón-Hernandez, director of Community Engagement and Education for WGBY, will serve as the initiative’s liaison to arts organizations in Hampden County. Matthew Glassman, co-artistic director ensemble of Double Edge Theater in Ashfield, will serve as a liaison to rural arts and culture organizations with a focus on Franklin County. Rosemary Tracy Woods, executive director and chief curator of the nonprofit Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield, will serve as the ValleyCreates events curator. Finally, Kent Alexander will serve as the initiative’s diversity, equity, and inclusion facilitator. He brings with him years of experience conducting anti-racism and social-justice-focused workshops for various local organizations. Each community advisor will contribute up to eight hours per month for one year and will receive a stipend. ValleyCreates is supported by the Barr Foundation, through the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ participation in the Creative Commonwealth Initiative.

•••••

Jeanne Hardy, associate professor of Chemistry, whose research focuses on a key protein linked to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, is being recognized with the inaugural Mahoney Life Sciences Prize at UMass Amherst. A panel of expert judges from the life-sciences sector observed that the “biomedical implications are significant” and “this could turn out to be one of ‘the’ pivotal studies in the effort to combat Alzheimer’s.” Hardy will receive the prize and present her research with life-sciences experts and UMass officials and scientists at a breakfast ceremony on Tuesday, June 19 at the UMass Club in Boston. Established by UMass Amherst alumni Richard, Robert, and William Mahoney, the $10,000 prize is intended to recognize scientists from the university’s College of Natural Sciences whose work significantly advances connections between research and industry. The prize will be awarded annually to one faculty member who is the principal author of a peer-reviewed paper about original research. Eligible papers can be on any topic in the life sciences that focuses on new research with translatable applications to industry and society. Hardy’s research paper, “Multiple Proteolytic Events in Caspase-6 Self-activation Impacts Conformations of Discrete Structural Regions,” was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in September 2017.

•••••

Baystate Franklin Medical Center announced that two interim leaders have accepted permanent positions at the community hospital. Ron Bryant has been named president, Baystate Franklin Medical Center/Northern Region, in addition to his continued role as president, Baystate Noble Hospital. Deb Provost has been named chief nursing officer and chief administrative officer, Baystate Franklin Medical Center/Northern Region, in addition to her continued role as chief regulatory officer, Baystate Health. Both have been serving in these roles in an interim capacity. Since Bryant’s interim appointment in January, he has held many open forums focusing on employee engagement and the need for a strong collaborative culture, advancing system integration and re-emphasizing the health system’s mission from a patient and employee perspective. Provost has been serving in the interim role of vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Baystate Franklin since November. Since her appointment, she has worked collaboratively with Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s leaders and team members to help ensure safe, high-quality care to the residents of Franklin County. Provost has been with Baystate Health for 41 years and has served as vice president, Surgery and Anesthesia and as interim chief nursing officer at Baystate Medical Center.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

1BERKSHIRE

www.1berkshire.com

(413) 499-1600

• May 16: Chamber Nite & BYP Networking Social, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Dalton Union, 395 Main St., Dalton. Join us for our joint May Chamber Nite and BYP Social at Union Block in downtown Dalton with participating businesses: Hot Harry’s, Berkshire Dream Home, Therapeutic Massage & Wellness, Academy Mortgage Corp., Horace Mann Insurance, McMahon & Vigeant, P.C., Wheeler & Taylor Insurance, Dalton Restaurant, New England Dynamark Security, and 2 Flights Up Dance & Game Studio. Cost: free. Register online at www.1berkshire.com.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• May 16: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at Munich Haus, 13 Center St., Chicopee. Chief greeter: Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos. Keynote Speaker: Kim Kenney-Rockwal, Elms MBA. Sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Sunshine Village, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• May 18: Chicopee Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. shotgun start, hosted by Chicopee Country Club, 1290 Burnett Road, Chicopee. Presented by Polish National Credit Union. Sponsored by Gaudreau Group, First American Insurance Agency Inc., Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Poly-Plating Inc., N. Riley Construction, Hampton Inn, Residence Inn of Chicopee, Tru by Hilton, and Health New England. Cost: $125 per golfer, $500 per team of four, and/or $20 golfer package that includes 25 raffle tickets and one mulligan. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• May 31: Sunshine Soiree, a multi-chamber networking event, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Sunshine Village, 75 Litwin Lane, Chicopee. The event will feature complimentary hors d’oeuvres, wine, and beer. Register in advance for this free event online at springfieldyps.com.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• May 24: Chamber on the Vine, 5:30-8:30 p.m., a wine-tasting event hosted by Glendale Ridge Vineyard, 155 Glendale Road, Southampton. Taste wine, enjoy local food, and listen to the music of Trailer Trash. Cost: $20 to enjoy the music, $30 to taste the wine. Pre-registration is a must. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call (413) 527-9414.

• June 14: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Fort Hill Brewery, 30 Fort Hill Road, Easthampton. Sponsored by Oxbow Ski Show Team and Tandem Bagel. Food and door prizes will be available. Pre-registration is suggested. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

• June 27: Speaker Breakfast 2018, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted and sponsored by Williston Northampton School, 19 Payson Ave., Easthampton. Keynote speaker Kate Harrington, Human Resource manager for Smith College, will speak on “Hiring the Right Fit.” She will help attendees understand how to develop a diverse applicant pool, know what questions to ask, and recognize what questions to avoid. She will also point out what to look for in a great employee and how to watch for bias. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Pre-registration is suggested. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holyokechamber.com

(413) 534-3376

• May 16: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Holyoke Hummus, 285 High St., Holyoke. Meet up with your business associates for a little networking while hosts John and Dawn whip up some munchies. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Feel free to bring a door prize. Sign up online at holyokechamber.com.

• May 23: Leadership Holyoke Information Session, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Holyoke Community College, Frost Building, Room 309, 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke. Join the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and Holyoke Community College for a free information session for Leadership Holyoke 2018-19. The program is designed for emerging leaders within in the community to sharpen their skills, meet local leaders, and more.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com

(413) 584-1900

• May 17: Workshop: “Microsoft Excel Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop will present our favorite tips, tricks, and shortcuts we have collected and developed over 20 years of teaching and using Microsoft Excel. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops and follow along with the instructor, but this is not required. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Pre-registration required at goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

• June 6: June Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Glendale Ridge Vineyard, 155 Glendale Road, Southampton. Sponsored by Northeast Solar, MassDevelopment, and Kuhn Riddle Architects. A networking event. Cost: $10 for members.

• June 21: Workshop: “Microsoft Word: Advanced Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop will go beyond the basics and explore some of Word’s more advanced features. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required at goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.shgchamber.com

(413) 532-6451

• May 21: After 5 at the Ledges Golf Course, 5-6:30 p.m., hosted by the Ledges, 18 Mulligan Dr., South Hadley. An evening of networking with other community business leaders while overlooking the Connecticut River Valley and Mount Tom across the way. Sponsored by the Ledges Golf Course. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Pre-register by May 15 by contacting Sara Lawrence at (413) 532-6451 or [email protected].

• June 1: Annual Legislative Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by the Orchards Golf Club, 18 Silverwood Terrace, South Hadley. Meet with our town and state legislators, who will talk about the hot issues upcoming for the rest of the year. More details to come. By reservation only at [email protected].

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.springfieldregionalchamber.com

(413) 787-1555

• May 15: C-Suite Conversations & Cocktails, 5-7 p.m., hosted by CityStage, One Columbus Center, Springfield. Exclusive members-only event. Cost: $25 for members ($30 at the door). Reservations may be made at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, [email protected], or (413) 755-1310.

• May 31: Sunshine Soirée with the Springfield Regional Chamber, the Greater Chicopee Chamber, and YPS, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Sunshine Village, 75 Litwin Lane, Chicopee. Reservations may be made at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, [email protected], or (413) 755-1310.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com

(413) 426-3880

• May 17: Networking Lunch, noon, hosted by Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. Must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief intro and company overview. The only cost to attend is the cost of your lunch if you are a member. Non-member fee: $10. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. We cannot invoice you for these events. Register at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• May 22: Job Fair 2018, 3-6 p.m., hosted by Storrowton Tavern/Carriage House, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. West Springfield and Agawam businesses, along with other employment opportunities, will be showcased. This event is free and open to the public. To be a participating vendor, register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

springfieldyps.com

• May 18: Adult Field Day, 2-5 p.m., Irish Cultural Center, West Springfield, hosted by the Irish Cultural Center, 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield. Adult Field Day is a throwback to elementary school, created with adults in mind. Friends and co-workers will relive their glory days while playing classic games, as well as a few new surprises. For more information, visit springfieldyps.com.

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

Future Tense Lecture

May 17: The second installment of the BusinessWest lecture series Future Tense, titled “What Got You Here Might Not Get You There: Mistakes Business Owners Make Before and After Retirement,” will take place from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Tech Foundry, 1391 Main St., ninth floor, Springfield. The lecture, open exclusively to CEOs and business owners, will be delivered by Amy Jamrog, wealth management advisor with the Jamrog Group. The cost is a $25 donation to Tech Foundry. Event sponsors include Paragus IT, the Jamrog Group, and Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. Metered street parking is available near the venue, and there are several parking-garage options nearby as well. To register, visit businesswest.com/lecture-series.

Bereavement Support Event

May 19: Bereaved children and their caregivers are welcome to attend a free art-based support event from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Baystate Health Education Center at 361 Whitney Ave. in Holyoke. Titled “Healing Wounded Hearts with Art: A Retreat for Grieving Families,” the event is open to bereaved children ages 5 to 18. It is sponsored by Batstate Hospice and the Pediatric Palliative Care team. As part of the program, children and teens who are grieving the death of a close family member will have an opportunity to meet others and connect through the power of art making. “Healing Wounded Hearts with Art” aims to help grieving children and their families to commemorate those in their lives who have died. Space is limited and those wishing to attend must register by Friday, May 11 by contacting Betsy Flores, bereavement coordinator, Baystate Hospice, at (413) 794-6559 or [email protected].

Pets Rock!

May 19: The Foundation for TJO Animals will present its second annual Pets Rock! — a concert to benefit local, homeless animals in need at the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center — from 1 to 6 p.m. at Springfield Lodge of Elks #61, 440 Tiffany St., Springfield. The event is sponsored by Planet Fitness and the Arbors Camp, and hosted by special guest Pat Kelly of Lazer 99.3 and 98.5. The festivities will feature entertainment by local bands Tough Customer and Good Acoustics. There will plenty of games and activities for kids hosted by Arbors Camp, crafters will be on hand with their unique items, and raffle prizes will be given away. Lunch will be provided, and and both White Lion Brewing Co. and Harpoon Brewery will be on hand. Tickets are $20 per person, including lunch. Children under 12 are free. Buy tickets at www.tjofoundation.org or at the show gate on event day. A free, refillable event beer mug will be given to the first 200 guests through the gates. Attendees are welcome to bring their lawn chairs and blankets. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome, but no flexi-leads are allowed. No coolers are permitted. All proceeds from this event will provide much-needed medical care and training to the many animals that call TJO their temporary home.

NAMI Walkathon

May 20: The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Western Massachusetts will be holding its 18th annual walkathon, “A Journey of Hope and Recovery,” at Stanley Park’s Beveridge Pavilion Annex in Westfield from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The walk is suitable for all ages and will directly benefit the continuing efforts of NAMI – Western Mass. to help improve the lives of individuals living with mental illness and their families. Among the festivities will be guest speakers, entertainment, refreshments, and raffles. For further information, call (413) 786-9139 or visit www.namiwm.org/events for entry and sponsorship forms. Volunteers are needed.

‘Women Lead Change’

June 4: The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) will host its annual “Women Lead Change: A Celebration of the Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI) Class of 2018” event at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The event will feature a keynote address by Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper. The Women’s Fund will present Kasper with the She Changes the World Award, honoring her contributions for not only leading her local department, but also leading on a national level with regard to transparent data, hiring practices, and other local initiatives that have shaped community policing for the better. More than 300 guests are expected at the annual celebration of graduates of the Women’s Fund LIPPI program, the only leadership program of its kind in the Commonwealth. The event recognizes the accomplishments of the 31 graduates of the LIPPI class of 2018, who have participated in 11 educational sessions over nine months designed to address the shortage of women stepping into public leadership. LIPPI gives women tools and confidence to become more involved civic leaders and to impact policy on the local, state, and national levels. Proceeds for this annual event empower the Women’s Fund’s mission.

‘Thrive After 55’ Wellness Fair

June 15: State Sen. Eric Lesser and Health New England announced that they will host the second annual “Thrive After 55” Wellness Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Springfield College’s Blake Athletic Complex, located at 263 Alden St., Springfield. The fair is free and open to the public. With more than 40 local organizations ranging from health and fitness to nutrition to elder law, the event will connect residents of the First Hampden & Hampshire District with information and resources to help them thrive. The free program includes a boxed lunch, educational seminars, hundreds of raffle prizes, and access to information and experts to talk to. To RSVP for the event, call Lesser’s office at (413) 526-6501 or visit www.senatorlesser.com/thrive.

40 Under Forty Gala

June 21: BusinessWest’s 12th annual 40 Under Forty Gala is a celebration of 40 young business and civic leaders in Western Mass. The lavish cocktail party, to be held starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, food stations, and entertainment — and, of course, the presentation of the class of 2018, profiled in the April 30 issue of businesswest and also available at businesswest.com. Also, the fourth Continued Excellence Award honoree will be announced. The 40 Under Forty sponsors include PeoplesBank (presenting sponsor), Northwestern Mutual (presenting sponsor), Isenberg School of Management, the MP Group, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, Health New England, Renew.Calm, Development Associates, and YPS of Greater Springfield (partner). Tickets cost $75 per person (tables of 10 available). For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Ronald J. Grandbois v. Bailey J. Jones and Alert Ambulance Service Inc.

Allegation: Negligence; vehicle owned by Alert Ambulance Service collided with plaintiff’s vehicle, causing injury: $8,694.57

Filed: 4/20/18

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

American Builders & Construction Supply Co. Inc. d/b/a ABC Supply Co. Inc. v. David Kimball a/k/a David L. Kimball d/b/a Coastal Custom Remodeling

Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $13,396.48

Filed: 4/6/18

Brandon Prior, a minor, by his father and next friend, Dennis Prior, v. Shawn McEwen, a minor, by his father and next friend, Brandon McEwen, and New England Fitness & Wellness, LLC

Allegation: Negligence; plaintiff struck by yoga ball at Healthtrax facility during hockey camp, causing injury: $4,120.95

Filed: 4/12/18

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Carol Burns v. Medcare Emergency Health

Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $2 million

Filed: 3/23/18

US LBM Holdings, LLC d/b/a East Haven Builders Supply v. Whitman Restoration Inc. and Claude Whitman

Allegation: Breach of contract; money owed for construction materials sold and delivered: $22,914.23

Filed: 3/29/18

Gregory Heffernan v. Automatic Equipment Manufacturing Co. d/b/a Blue Ox, Diamond RV Centre Inc., and Keller Marine Service Inc.

Allegation: Product liability; plaintiff injured while unhooking trailer hitch from RV: $1 million

Filed: 3/30/18

Herman P. Cumby v. 110 Island Pond Road, LLC d/b/a Nathan Bill’s EFP Bar and Restaurant, et al

Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $1.1 million

Filed: 4/6/18

Jackie Ligon v. Nathan Bill’s Bar & Restaurant and John Robert Sullivan

Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $101,000

Filed: 4/6/18

Jozelle Ligon v. Nathan Bill’s Bar & Restaurant and John Robert Sullivan

Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $101,650

Filed: 4/6/18

Michael Cintron v. Nathan Bill’s Bar & Restaurant and John Robert Sullivan

Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $101,000

Filed: 4/6/18

Ryan P. McConnell p/p/a Paul R. McConnell v. Town of Wilbraham and Hampden-Wilbraham County Regional School District

Allegation: Negligence; loose concrete capstone on brick support at Mile Tree Elementary School fell and struck plaintiff, causing injury: $150,000

Filed: 4/6/18

Paula Click v. Walmart

Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $32,945

Filed: 4/6/18

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT

W.B. Mason Co. Inc. v. Veracruz Foods Inc. d/b/a La Veracruzana

Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $11,552.13

Filed: 4/16/18

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

DAS Property Group, LLC v. The Antiquarian, LLC

Allegation: Breach of lease: $73,965

Filed: 4/10/18

Country Bank for Savings v. Big Y Foods Inc.

Allegation: Breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, breach of contract: $25,000+

Filed: 4/19/18

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

John Nadolski v. Michael J. Bisgrove d/b/a Bisgrove Construction

Allegation: Defendant damaged equipment rented from plaintiff and failed to pay for damage: $7,967

Filed: 3/14/18

Picture This

By
Departments Picture This

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

Breaking Ground

Caolo & Bieniek Architects of Chicopee and R.A.C. Builders Inc. of Agawam took part in the May 5 groundbreaking for West Boylston’s new senior center. R.A.C. Builders was awarded the $4.25 million contract to construct the new facility, which was designed by Caolo & Bieniek. The same two companies designed and built the new West Boylston police headquarters in 2017.

From left, Chris Rucho, West Boylston selectman; project manager Tony Dilusio; Curtis Edgin, principal with Caolo & Bieniek; Roland Ciocca, president of R.A.C.; and John Hadley, West Boylston selectman.

From left, Chris Rucho, West Boylston selectman; project manager Tony Dilusio; Curtis Edgin, principal with Caolo & Bieniek; Roland Ciocca, president of R.A.C.; and John Hadley, West Boylston selectman.

Members of the senior center building committee, plus state Senate President Harriette Chandler (second from right) and state Rep. James O’Day (fourth from left).

Members of the senior center building committee, plus state Senate President Harriette Chandler (second from right) and state Rep. James O’Day (fourth from left).

 

Meeting an Urgent Need

Country Bank recently donated $15,000 to the Ware River Valley Domestic Violence Task Force to support its continued commitment to helping those in need in the Quaboag Hills Region. “Country Bank’s donation has been the foundation of all local domestic-violence services at Valley Human Services of BHN Inc. in the Quaboag Hills,” said Jac Patrissi, director of Domestic Violence Services at Valley Human Services (pictured, left, with Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president, Community Relations with Country Bank. “Their funds have been the seed money and remain the match for programs now supported by municipal, state, and federal dollars. We literally would not have our team preventing and responding to domestic violence in our region without Country Bank.”

Jac Patrissi, director of Domestic Violence Services at Valley Human Services (pictured, left,) with Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president, Community Relations with Country Bank

Jac Patrissi, director of Domestic Violence Services at Valley Human Services (pictured, left,) with Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president, Community Relations with Country Bank

Down the Stretch…

More than 300 supporters of Square One turned out at Mercedes-Benz of Springfield for the nonprofit’s third annual Derby Party on May 5. The gathering, a networking and watch party centered on the Run for the Roses, netted more than $10,000 for Square One’s programs for children and families. Presenting sponsors were the Gaudreau Group and Northeast IT, the venue sponsor was Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, and the platinum sponsor was Alekman DiTusa. 
Photos by Michael Epaul Photography

From left, Amy Selvia Smith, Danielle Williams, Michelle Wirth, and Yvonne Williams

From left, Amy Selvia Smith, Danielle Williams, Michelle Wirth, and Yvonne Williams

from left, David Finn, Maureen McCollum, Ryan McCollum, Kristine Allard, and Kelli Moriarty Finn

from left, David Finn, Maureen McCollum, Ryan McCollum, Kristine Allard, and Kelli Moriarty Finn

Joan Kagan and her husband, Dr. Steve Levine

Joan Kagan and her husband, Dr. Steve Levine

Regina Burns (left) and Jenny MacKay display their winning tickets

Regina Burns (left) and Jenny MacKay display their winning tickets

From left, Alex Dixon, Peter Wirth, and Art Jasper

From left, Alex Dixon, Peter Wirth, and Art Jasper