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Springfield Celebrates New Parking Garage, Activity Space Downtown

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The new garage replaces a half-century-old structure that was torn down in 2022.
Commercial Real Estate Special Coverage

On a Roll

The new garage replaces a half-century-old structure that was torn down in 2022.

The new garage replaces a half-century-old structure that was torn down in 2022.

 

As dignitaries gathered for a celebration of the recently opened Convention Center Carpark in downtown Springfield — and a ribbon cutting for the Landing, a neighboring plaza that will host gatherings, activities, and performances directly across Bruce Landon Way from the MassMutual Center — Nate Costa took it all in and considered what it means to the Springfield Thunderbirds.

“I think the Landing is going to be an extension of the arena. That’s the idea behind it,” the hockey team’s president told BusinessWest. “We’re hoping this is going to add that Yawkey Way type element to what we do here.

“It’s not going to be a drive-through street anymore,” Costa went on. “We’re just hoping this is a place that people come and congregate before games. I think we’ll be doing some food trucks and some other activations and live music — really trying to have it be an extension of what we do in our building, night after night. We want to find ways to program this space and drive people to our games and around our games.”

Those who spoke at the ceremony also drew parallels to Yawkey Way in Boston, which is packed with activity before Red Sox games, with fans eating, shopping, and having fun.

“I can see this place just lit up in a good way, with so many activities and parties,” Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said. “And what they’re going to do is much of the stuff you’ve seen done at Fenway Park. They’re going to gear it to whatever events are going on here, so people can come out, pre- and postgame, and go to other establishments in downtown Springfield.”

Dignitaries gather to cut the ribbon for the Landing, which is nestled between the MassMutual Center and the Convention Center Carpark.

The Landing opens at a time of momentum for the MassMutual Center itself, said Sean Dolan, the facility’s general manager.

“We just concluded fiscal year 2025 with the highest revenue growth in the convention center that the building’s ever had. And we’re going into fiscal year 2026 with the highest amount of revenue on the books that the building’s ever had,” he told the assembled crowd, touting events like WWE Monday Night Raw, which descended on the arena on Sept. 15, and, of course, the Thunderbirds, who averaged 6,369 fans last season, in a bowl that seats only 6,700. Fridays and Saturdays are typically sellouts.

“The MassMutual Center is a cornerstone of Springfield’s economy — a place that drives opportunity, brings people together, and supports the growth of this entire region.”

The Landing, then, “allows us to not only program and feed off of the 220 events we do in a year, but allows us to book stand-alone events out here that serve the community, that make this a space to gather and build that pride in Springfield,” Dolan said. “Everybody that had something to do with this here, thank you so much for believing in Springfield. Thank you for making it look like it looks.”

 

A New Era Downtown

The former Civic Center Garage at Harrison and Dwight streets, built in 1971, had fallen into disrepair by the early 2020s; sections of more than one level had closed due to safety issues before the garage was closed and demolished in 2022. The new Convention Center Carpark opened to the public this past April, and construction was completed later in the spring.

The 350,000-square-foot structure includes more than 800 parking spaces, as well as electric vehicle charging stations. Unlike the former garage, which opened only onto Harrison, it features entrances onto both streets.

That development was a big deal for the Thunderbirds franchise, which had to endure multiple seasons with no garage on site.

From left, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno credits the contributions of MCCA CEO Marcel Vernon Sr. and MassMutual Center General Manager Sean Dolan.

“It’s been a long time coming for us,” Costa told BusinessWest. “It’s been tough sledding for us getting through that, so it’s fantastic to have it open.”

The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) hosted the Aug. 27 gathering both as an official celebration of the garage and a grand opening of the Landing, an event featuring live music, food, games, and several speakers.

“The MassMutual Center is a cornerstone of Springfield’s economy — a place that drives opportunity, brings people together, and supports the growth of this entire region,” said Marcel Vernon Sr., CEO of the MCCA. “We are proud to be part of this community. The carpark and the Landing represent more than just two new facilities. They symbolize three important things: more jobs, more economic opportunity, and more vibrant, thriving downtown business activity. We are proud of these investments, but we are even more proud of the partnerships that have made them possible.”

Xiomara Albán DeLobato, an MCCA board member and vice president and chief of staff at the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, expressed pride, as a lifelong Springfield resident, in signs of downtown progress like this development.

“The reason why this is so exciting for us is because of the amount of impact this type of development has for our region. We have direct spending in our restaurants, our hotels, our shops, our museums. They receive direct impact when visitors come to the area, when tourists come to the area, and it’s instrumental for the progression of our economy.

“When you bring thousands of people down here, they’re feeling good, vibrant, they’re having a good time, right? That means they spend money — money in your businesses, folks. And then they leave the city saying, ‘gee, you know what? I had a pretty good time.’ You can’t put a price tag on that.”

“The other piece that sometimes we don’t think about is that ripple effect that happens when we have billions of dollars that funnel into our area, into our region. It impacts our workforce, it impacts our supply chain, it impacts our transportation companies, and all of the other stakeholders that are critical to the entire ecosystem of our economy here in the region. And when that ripple effect continues to move, it impacts our schools, it impacts our parks, it impacts our neighborhoods. The hospitality and tourism industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry in the Commonwealth, and we see and feel it in Western Mass. So I’m thrilled about this.”

Sarno added that “this is important to the the business community in the city of Springfield to have this first-class parking. And here’s the other thing — when you bring people to downtown Springfield, which is a neighborhood, when you bring thousands of people down here, they’re feeling good, vibrant, they’re having a good time, right? That means they spend money — money in your businesses, folks. And then they leave the city saying, ‘gee, you know what? I had a pretty good time.’ You can’t put a price tag on that.”

 

Working Together

Sarno noted that the $80 million project — including the garage, the Landing, and other improvements — is a smart investment of state and local funds.

“There have been a number of naysayers, within the city of Springfield and in Massachusetts, who say, ‘what do you expect from Springfield?’ And I’ve always said, ‘why not Springfield?’ And this is another project under my administration team, working with the state, that they say would never get done. But it’s gotten done.”

State Rep. Carlos González agreed, touting the project as forward momentum for the city. “We have so much to celebrate, and yes, we have some issues that we have to resolve, and we’re doing that on a daily basis, but with the bright stars like MGM and so many others, the hospitality industry, we’re going to continue to succeed here in the city of Springfield.”

Albán DeLobato emphasized the importance of the city and state working in tandem.

“This type of development — and this is just the first of many that we’re going to see — is successful because of this local and state partnership. We cannot make this happen without the stakeholders at the table together, being thoughtful with their decision making, being able to forecast how this is going to impact our economy at the present and in the future.”

Hadley Faces Challenges, Decisions

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Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

Paragus Strategic IT has become a regional success story from its Route 9 headquarters in Hadley.

Leaders and business owners in Hadley know the value of Route 9, which accounts for the vast majority of non-farm commerce in this community otherwise dominated by agriculture. Roughly 100,000 cars traverse Russell Street every day, but they’ve been slowed — and business owners have been frustrated — by a massive project to widen and reconstruct about 2.5 miles of the thoroughfare.

But relief in in sight, as the project is expected to wind down by next spring, and most agree the end result will be worth the trouble.

At the same time, Hadley residents are also being asked to make tough decisions about the town’s budget and its impact on their property tax bills.

Specifically, they’re being asked to consider a Proposition 2½ override. Proposition 2½ is a 1980 Massachusetts law that limits the amount of property tax revenue a municipality can raise. Each year, a community’s levy limit can increase by 2.5% of the previous year’s limit in addition to added value from new construction, renovations, and other property improvements.

To raise taxes above this limit, a community must seek voter approval through an override. By passing an override, the town can raise taxes beyond the automatic 2.5% annual increase and new growth allowed under Proposition 2½. This results in a permanent increase to the levy limit, meaning the approved amount becomes part of the tax base in all future years.

Ed Augustus

Ed Augustus

“This funding round is about more than bricks and mortar, it’s about people.”

As BusinessWest went to press on this issue, a Sept. 9 town meeting loomed in Hadley to determine whether two measures make it to a Sept. 29 special election: a $2.25 million general override to cover various operating expenses for town and school departments, and a $300,000 capital stabilization override to pay for various assets and infrastructure.

The larger measure stems from several budget needs in town, including $579,435 for an around-the-clock fire department; $824,404 for increased operational expenses, including town and school budgets and a mid-year health insurance increase; and $846,785 to cover free cash that was used to balance the budget approved by a town meeting in May.

Should both measures pass, the town’s property tax rate would increase from $11.63 to $13.57 per $1,000 valuation. That would mean a $679 difference in the annual tax bill for a house assessed at $350,000, $873 for a $450,000 home, and $1,067 for a $550,000 home.

Then there’s the search — currently paused — for a new town administrator. Carolyn Brennan stepped down from the role in December after more than four years in the chair, and Police Chief Michael Mason has been serving in that role on an interim basis. In June, the Hadley Select Board postponed the search for a permanent replacement after members decided not to offer the job to either of the two finalists — Nate Malloy, an Amherst senior planner, and Nick Caccamo, Williamsburg’s town administrator — who conducted in-depth interviews.

“There’s work that needs to be done on the Russell School. However, it is a strong building, one that is ripe for redevelopment, and one that we think should have a future in this town, from our perspective.”

Select Board members cited the Proposition 2½ matters and the looming town meeting as circumstances making it difficult to focus on hiring a permanent town administrator, and determined to resume the effort soon. In all, the search committee reviewed 16 applications and interviewed five semifinalists before narrowing the list to two and, ultimately, turning both down.

 

No Place Like Home

Affordable housing remains an issue in Hadley, as it does in most communities in Western Mass., and while it’s far from a broad solution, one state-funded project aims to make a dent.

On July 31, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $182 million in low-income housing tax credits and subsidies to 21 rental housing developments that will create or preserve 1,245 homes across Massachusetts.

Paul Kozub

Paul Kozub

“This anniversary is not just a celebration of V-One’s growth, but also of the passion and vision that have driven us since day one.”

One of those projects will be the EconoLodge redevelopment in Hadley, the adaptive reuse of a closed hotel as permanent supportive housing. The nonprofit sponsor is Valley Community Development Corp. The completed project will include 50 units for individuals or small households earning less than 60% of area median income (AMI), with 31 units further reserved for individuals or small households earning less than 30% of AMI. The completed project will primarily serve homeless individuals.

These awards were made possible in part through the Affordable Homes Act and by Gov. Maura Healey’s tax cuts package, which raised the low-income housing tax credit to $60 million annually, a $20 million increase that allows the state to support more affordable housing production.

“Our administration is working on all fronts to build more reasonably priced housing and lower costs for everyone,” Healey said. “These awards are creating thousands of apartments that people can actually afford. This is helping seniors age independently and close to their families and helping workers afford to live in the communities where their jobs are.”

Other Western Mass. projects receiving funding from the program include Ferry Street, a new construction project in Easthampton, which will offer 96 units on a site including former mill buildings; South Holyoke Homes Phase 3, a new construction family housing project in the Paper City that will offer 40 total units; and Eagle Mill Phase II, a new construction project adjacent to Eagle Mill Phase I, a mill conversion project now underway in Lee; Phase II will offer 44 units.

“This funding round is about more than bricks and mortar, it’s about people,” Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus said. “Whether it’s a formerly homeless individual in Boston, a senior in Topsfield, or a working family in Easthampton, the homes we’re supporting will change lives.”

In Hadley, housing is one option being considered for the iconic, 131-year-old Russell School, which has been vacant since 2015. A reuse study has identified several alternatives, including keeping the property as a municipal building and renovating it and creating a public-private partnership.

Pulse Café, a popular vegan restaurant, is among the many eateries located along Route 9 in Hadley.

This past spring, Architectural Heritage Foundation (AHF) Boston, working with Allegrone Companies of Lenox, completed a report on the 1894 building at 131 Russell St. That feasibility study determined that the structure can be rehabilitated into micro apartments, office space, or classrooms and art studios for less than $10 million. The study and resulting 24-page report were funded by the town and the Community Preservation Act.

“There’s work that needs to be done on the Russell School. However, it is a strong building, one that is ripe for redevelopment, and one that we think should have a future in this town, from our perspective,” said Jake Sanders, project executive for the nonprofit AHF Boston.

Hadley at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1661
Population: 5,325
Area: 24.6 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $11.63
Commercial Tax Rate: $11.63
Median Household Income: $51,851
Median Family Income: $61,897
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting, Board of Selectmen
Largest Employers: Super Stop & Shop; Evaluation Systems Group Pearson; Elaine Center at Hadley; Home Depot; Lowe’s Home Improvement
* Latest information available

“In our research, we have found the Russell School is an ideal candidate for housing or a community use,” he added, noting that options range from active use to repairs to demolition. “We have a path forward for the town.”

 

Something to Celebrate

Meanwhile, business owners along Russell Street continue to anticipate the finish line of the road project — and they are myriad, from law firms, restaurants, and car dealerships to big box stores at Hampshire Mall and Mountain Farms, to well-established local success stories like Paragus Strategic IT and V-One Vodka, which, in fact, just marked 20 years since opening its doors in Hadley.

“This anniversary is not just a celebration of V-One’s growth, but also of the passion and vision that have driven us since day one,” owner Paul Kozub said.

And while Hadley has plenty on its plate, grappling with budgetary realities, leadership discussions, housing, and more, it’s also a town on the move — and hoping to move a little more quickly down Route 9 next spring.

Study Underscores Importance of Financial Education

By Contributor
Banking and Financial Services

Youthful Interventions

On Aug. 18. EVERFI and the MassMutual Foundation announced findings from the third and final year of a three-year, longitudinal study of financial capability among adolescents. The release of this new data occurs as the MassMutual Foundation’s FutureSmart financial literacy curriculum also celebrates the milestone of reaching 6 million learners.

EVERFI is an international technology company driving social impact through education to address key societal challenges like financial wellness, character education, STEM and careers, mental health, prescription drug safety, workplace conduct, and more.

The study by EVERFI and the MassMutual Foundation, the first of its kind, has tracked financial behaviors and literacy levels of participants throughout the course of the study as they completed up to six different EVERFI financial education courses, including FutureSmart. Since the program’s inception in 2015, FutureSmart has provided free educational resources to students across the 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, helping them build a foundation for financial literacy and economic empowerment.

Third-year data was collected during the 2023-24 school year, providing further evidence that multiple financial education interventions among young people are key to making sustainable, long-term improvements to financial knowledge, self-efficacy, and desirable behaviors.

Dennis Duquette

Dennis Duquette

“These recent findings further affirm that middle school students are not only able to retain critical financial knowledge, but can show lasting success in the months following their education.”

Key takeaways from this year’s results include:

• Financial self-efficacy. Students who took multiple courses became 21% more confident in their financial skills compared to those who took one or fewer courses. Sustainable and evident growth in these students also existed six months following the program’s completion.

• Desirable financial behaviors. Taking multiple courses prepared students to actively engage in healthy financial behaviors when the opportunity arose. The frequency of these desirable behaviors increased by 10% compared to students who took one or fewer courses during the six-month period following the conclusion of the program.

• Interest in financial learning. Forty-four percent of the students who completed coursework expressed interest in receiving more financial education.

• Student-parent conversations. After participating in multiple courses from the program, students increased the frequency of financial-focused conversations with their parents by 9%. The topics that spurred these conversations included preventing financial fraud and the use of online banking applications.

• Impact on low-income families. Students in this category had a 12% larger improvement in their likelihood to engage in desirable financial behaviors compared to their peers in wealthier families.

“Throughout our strategic partnership with EVERFI, we have seen just how important sustained education is for creating a strong financial knowledge foundation and healthy financial habits for adolescents,” said Dennis Duquette, president of the MassMutual Foundation. “These recent findings further affirm that middle school students are not only able to retain critical financial knowledge, but can show lasting success in the months following their education.”

 

Continued Progress

This year’s findings build on conclusions from years one and two of the longitudinal study. Findings from year one noted that middle school students who participated in the FutureSmart curriculum significantly improved the frequency of desirable financial behaviors, including saving money, tracking monthly expenses, spending within a budget, and investing for long-term financial goals. Year two research findings confirmed that students demonstrated these behaviors after completing two or more courses in year one.

The FutureSmart curriculum significantly improved the frequency of desirable financial behaviors, including saving money, tracking monthly expenses, spending within a budget, and investing for long-term financial goals. Year two research findings confirmed that students demonstrated these behaviors after completing two or more courses in year one.

“As these recent study results confirm, the influence of multiple financial education interventions cannot be understated,” said Ray Martinez, CEO of EVERFI. “Over the past three years, we have seen how these interventions improve not only financial literacy, but willingness amongst adolescents to plan for and talk about their financial futures. Our continued work with the MassMutual Foundation is a powerful demonstration of how to empower students and help them build a foundation for financial success for themselves, their families, and their loved ones.”

The MassMutual Foundation’s stated goal is to invest in programs that help people access resources needed to earn, protect, and help build their financial capability and thrive, and its participation in this study reflects that priority.

“In 2015, our teams set a goal to reach over 6 million students with our middle school curriculum by 2025. Reaching that goal only further affirms the impact of the MassMutual Foundation’s long-term strategic partnership with EVERFI,” Duquette said. “We look forward to continuing to help build financial competency for students, their families, and communities.”

Eversource Celebrates First Smart Meter Installation in Springfield

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From left: state Rep. Brian Ashe, Itron Vice President Jim Fisher, Basketball Hall of Fame Vice President of Marketing Paul Dionne, Eversource Vice President of Customer Experience and Energy Strategy Penni Conner, and Eversource Director of Metering and Smart Meter Operations Luis Pizano stand in front of the newly installed smart meter at the Hall of Fame.
Green Business

Current Events

From left: state Rep. Brian Ashe, Itron Vice President Jim Fisher, Basketball Hall of Fame Vice President of Marketing Paul Dionne, Eversource Vice President of Customer Experience and Energy Strategy Penni Conner, and Eversource Director of Metering and Smart Meter Operations Luis Pizano stand in front of the newly installed smart meter at the Hall of Fame.

From left: state Rep. Brian Ashe, Itron Vice President Jim Fisher, Basketball Hall of Fame Vice President of Marketing Paul Dionne, Eversource Vice President of Customer Experience and Energy Strategy Penni Conner, and Eversource Director of Metering and Smart Meter Operations Luis Pizano stand in front of the newly installed smart meter at the Hall of Fame.

 

Eversource and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame recently commemorated a milestone in Massachusetts’ ongoing energy transition with the ceremonial installation of a smart electric meter.

The event on Aug. 7 marked the symbolic kickoff of Eversource’s work to install smart meters at homes and businesses across the state — a project that officially launched in late July in Western Mass. The company is also preparing for the next phase of its smart meter rollout in Eastern Mass., where crews are installing network devices to support the transition.

“Smart meters are another valuable tool in the toolbox that will help our customers better manage their energy use and costs, especially during peak seasons when heating and cooling drive higher consumption,” said Penni Conner, executive vice president of Customer Experience and Energy Strategy at Eversource. “Even small changes can make a meaningful difference on your energy bill, and this smart technology will give our customers the information they need to identify opportunities to save.”

As a key part of Eversource’s grid modernization strategy, smart meters enable two-way communication between the meter and Eversource’s systems, allowing for faster outage detection, remote service activation, and more accurate billing — all of which, according to the company, contribute to improved reliability and a smarter energy future.

“Upgrading to smart meters is like replacing an old flip phone with a smartphone,” said Jared Lawrence, Eversource’s senior vice president of Customer Operations, Digital Strategy, and chief customer officer. “In addition to empowering our customers with near real-time insights into their energy use — including how and when they use power — smart meters will significantly improve service for our customers by enabling our team to proactively address power outages before they occur and to deliver enhanced, real-time outage alerts.”

The ceremonial installation featured remarks from Eversource and Hall of Fame leadership and a live demonstration of the smart meter installation.

“Smart meters are another valuable tool in the toolbox that will help our customers better manage their energy use and costs, especially during peak seasons when heating and cooling drive higher consumption.”

“We’re delighted to support Eversource’s efforts to bring cutting-edge technology to our region,” said Paul Dionne, vice president of Marketing at the Hall of Fame. “As a landmark destination in Springfield, we’re honored to be part of this milestone and to help lead the way in embracing smart energy solutions and a more sustainable future for our communities.”

 

After the Tipoff

The ceremonial installation at the Hall of Fame marked the official start of a multi-year initiative to deliver advanced meter technology to more than 1.5 million electric customers across the state.

“We’re really excited about the smart meter initiative from Eversource,” said Ed Garibian, CEO of Springfield-based tech company LLumin. “I can now get better insights into my energy usage and lower my costs, and if there is an outage, the length of that outage can be reduced. That’s a huge benefit to all of us.”

Meanwhile, Jim Fisher, vice president at Itron, a global smart infrastructure company supporting the project, emphasized the technology’s track record. “Itron works with utilities and cities around the globe, helping them manage energy and water with intelligent-type infrastructure systems. We’ve seen great adoption of this technology around the world, in North America, and now in Springfield. These systems are working securely and safely, bringing benefits to the end customers.”

Eversource’s smart meter network went live on July 21 following more than a year of planning and testing in collaboration with local partners. Smart meter installations in Western Mass. will continue into early 2026 before expanding into Eastern Mass.

“In February 2024, we set a goal to have our smart meter technology systems live and online on July 21, 2025. Sure enough, this team was able to hit it right on schedule,” said Luis Pizano, director of Metering and Smart Meter Operations. “That milestone was critical to begin installations, and now we’re steadily ramping up, with plans to exchange up to 40,000 meters per month by fall.”

Pizano’s sentiment was echoed by state Rep. Brian Ashe, who attended the Aug. 7 event, calling it a significant step forward for the region. “As legislators, whether you’re a representative or a senator, the job really is to be an advocate for your district, an ambassador for the district that you serve, the Pioneer Valley, Western Massachusetts, and the Commonwealth as a whole. I am thrilled that Eversource is able to have this opening and to understand more about smart meters.”

Holyoke Mayor Recognized for Leadership in Clean Energy

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Green Business

Changing the Narrative

Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia was named a finalist for the Mayor of the Year Award, presented by the Northeast Renewable Energy Coalition (NREC), in recognition of his leadership and innovation in clean energy and community development.

Garcia is the first mayor in Massachusetts to be recognized by the NREC. The award will be presented during Massachusetts Clean Energy Week, taking place from Sept. 29 to Oct. 4.

“I am overwhelmed and honored to receive this recognition on behalf of Holyoke,” Garcia said. “This award is for all of us in Holyoke, not just me — our residents, business owners, and neighborhood and community activists who love our city and work so hard to move us forward in the effort to harness our clean energy resources to continue to bring environmental and economic benefits to our city.”

Holyoke has become a leader in hydroelectric and renewable energy. Through community partnerships and long-term planning, Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E) has built a sustainable clean energy portfolio. Its core strategy is to overestimate future demand, an approach that led the utility to upgrade infrastructure and install one of Massachusetts’ largest utility batteries to handle peak demand.

Affordable clean energy has also helped to attract ventures like the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center and Sublime Systems to Holyoke.

In a letter to the mayor, NREC Executive Director Kristin Rode praised Holyoke’s progress and Garcia’s community-centered approach.

Mayor Joshua Garcia

Mayor Joshua Garcia

“This award is for all of us in Holyoke, not just me — our residents, business owners, and neighborhood and community activists who love our city and work so hard to move us forward in the effort to harness our clean energy resources to continue to bring environmental and economic benefits to our city.”

“Your dedication to your community and the innovative solutions you’re implementing make you a natural fit for recognition during Massachusetts Clean Energy Week. Your leadership in Holyoke has caught our attention as truly exceptional,” she wrote.

“We understand that Western Massachusetts is often left out of the spotlight when it comes to statewide recognition, and we want to change that narrative. From what we have learned about your innovative approaches to municipal leadership and community development, you represent exactly the kind of community-centered leadership that deserves to be celebrated and shared with mayors across the Commonwealth.”

Garcia has also negotiated upgrades to Holyoke’s wastewater treatment system, replacing outdated infrastructure with energy-efficient, environmentally sound technology.

One of these separates the existing combined sewer flows within Holyoke’s River Terrace area. By leveraging clean energy savings and working closely with state and federal agencies, his administration secured funding to reduce long-term operating costs and improve water quality. These improvements not only align with Holyoke’s sustainability goals, but also position the city as a model for green municipal operations across Massachusetts.

“I appreciate Kristin’s kind thoughts about our work to change the narrative,” Garcia said. “That is exactly my greatest hope, every day, for Holyoke, for all our people — to change past perceptions and narratives. This industrial city is again being known as a place of so many possibilities.”

Representatives of the Northeast Renewable Energy Coalition visited Holyoke in early August to tour the city and learn more about these projects and initiatives.

“This nomination is an unequivocal testament to every Holyoke resident’s shared commitment to a stronger future,” Garcia said.

How AI Helped Me Crack the Code on the Boulder River

By Contributor
Technology

Fishing for Answers

By Sean Hogan

 

I recall attending a conference around 2016 where one of my friends and a speaker at the conference brought up artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning and how they would change the way we do business.

At the time, I had no clue what he meant by that; I couldn’t imagine computers taking away our day-to-day tasks or improving our customer service. I was the one with crossed arms in the back of the room stating that “AI won’t replace my technicians and my support team.” We talked among our team, and we really didn’t see a fit for AI, nor did we truly understand what capabilities AI may have in the future.

Fast-forward 10 years, and I have embraced AI in the workplace. It started slowly; I used Microsoft Copilot to help write some policy and procedure pieces — you know, the tedious docs that no one wants to write, or read, for that matter. I found AI extremely helpful for writing.

Sean Hogan

Sean Hogan

“AI was helping us with time-saving technology, and machine learning was helping our tools become better day after day.”

AI then crept into several software tools in our tech stack. AI was helping us with time-saving technology, and machine learning was helping our tools become better day after day. The next step in our AI migration was to use ChatGPT to help with social media advertising — you know, those ads and images that everyone can tell is AI.

I even use AI to help out in my garden. I upload pictures of plants and ask for help, and AI can typically identify the plant. Case in point: I grew a pepper plant in my garden, but I had no clue what type of pepper. The taste test didn’t work out so much; my mouth was on fire for about an hour. I then took a picture and uploaded the picture to Chat, only to find that harmless-looking pepper was a thai green chili, which, according to Chat, is 10 to 20 times hotter that a jalapeno. Next time, I need to upload the picture before biting the pepper in half.

Eventually, I started hearing people in my circle saying they were no longer searching in Google, but were now exclusively searching in ChatGPT. Wait — this can’t be true? Well, not only did I find out it’s true, but its flat-out better. I have since been using ChatGPT for my searches. It is excellent for market research, background information, advice, and recipes. Yes, recipes — I find myself searching recipes often, without any advertising pop-ups or other distractions.

This has been my evolution of working with AI. I want to share a real-life story from my vacation this summer. This one really impressed me.

During a recent vacation in Montana, I found myself on one of my favorite stretches of water, the Boulder River, just outside Big Timber. I’ve fished this area before, but on this day, I hit a wall. Fish were feeding, but no matter what dry flies I cast, I couldn’t get a single strike. Frustration was setting in.

That’s when I turned to something new in my fishing gear: ChatGPT.

“Eventually, I started hearing people in my circle saying they were no longer searching in Google, but were now exclusively searching in ChatGPT.”

I pulled out my phone and entered details like the river, time of day, water temperature, and weather conditions into the AI. In seconds, ChatGPT offered several dry fly patterns and presentation tips I hadn’t tried. It recommended smaller dries, and subtle presentation adjustments, which made sense — but I wasn’t entirely confident in choosing the right fly.

I had recently purchased a new fly box filled with various dries, many of which I didn’t recognize. So I took a photo of the box and uploaded it to ChatGPT. Amazingly, it identified the specific flies in the compartments and told me exactly which one to use.

Taking that advice, I tied on a small dry fly and stacked it behind a larger, more visible fly for better tracking. The results were immediate. Within a few casts, I was landing fish — more than a few, in fact.

It was an eye-opener. While I usually stick to nymphing (sub-surface flies), this experience boosted my confidence with dry flies. Even more, it showed how AI can be a valuable tool on the river, especially when traditional tactics fall short.

Next time you’re out fishing and feel stumped, consider using a bit of tech. You might be surprised what a virtual fishing buddy can help you catch.

AI is still new — and I need to expand my view and come up with more real-life scenarios where AI can help.

 

Sean Hogan is president of Hogan Technology Inc.

The Craft Beer Industry Is Definitely Flat

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Ray Berry (left) and Mike Yates at White Lion Brewing in downtown Springfield.
Features Special Coverage

Tapped Out?

Ray Berry (left) and Mike Yates at White Lion Brewing in downtown Springfield.

Ray Berry (left) and Mike Yates at White Lion Brewing in downtown Springfield.

Mike Yates says it’s a matter of simple math.

“People aren’t drinking as much, and when they do drink, they have a lot more options,” said Yates, brewmaster and business partner with Ray Berry in Springfield-based White Lion Brewing, adding that this math presents a challenge for area craft brewers, and it has for a while now.

Berry agreed, noting that, while they didn’t do it single-handedly, it was the Millennials that provided the foundation for the craft beer industry to build and boom. And now, those in that generation, the oldest of which are in their mid-40s, have more and different responsibilities and are thus spending less time at brew pubs and buying fewer cans and growlers.

“Ten, 15 years ago, it was the Millennials that propped up the craft beer trade and provided the enthusiasm,” Berry explained. “As those 10 to 15 years have gone by, the Millennials’ palates have changed, they have different work-life challenges, they may have children and the children are getting older … there are different priorities.

“So they’re not visiting the breweries as often as they used to,” he went on. “And the generation that stands behind them, the Gen Zs, are not as inclined to visit craft breweries as the Millennials were, nor are they as loyal.”

Meanwhile, as noted by Yates, there are more options for Millennials and everyone else — a still-dizzying number of craft beers, domestics, distilled spirits, hard seltzers, cannabis, and more. On top of all this, there are other pain points that range from inflation to workforce issues (including cost and availability) to post-COVID realities, such as fewer workers in their offices to support brew pubs in business districts — like White Lion.

“Ten, 15 years ago, it was the Millennials that propped up the craft beer trade and provided the enthusiasm. As those 10 to 15 years have gone by, the Millennials’ palates have changed, they have different work-life challenges, they may have children and the children are getting older … there are different priorities.”

All this prompted Brewers Assoc. President Bart Watson to sum up 2024 with the single word ‘painful,’ a nod to statistics showing a 2% decline in overall craft beer production and more breweries closing last year (399) than opening (335) — a sharp reversal from just a few years ago.

All this adds up to more challenging times and the need to adjust and pivot.

Which explains paint-and-sip nights at Skyline Brewery in Westfield, where participants can get a painting lesson and a cold brew, or a glass of wine, on the side, said Lisa Lafreniere, co-owner with Dana Bishop. It also explains Skyline’s popular trivia nights, live music, full food menu, wine, ciders, slushies, homemade sodas, and back patio area, which comes complete with stunning views of the farm below.

“People have to have a bigger dynamic than craft beer — the people who are struggling now are places just relying on their beer and not much else,” said Lafreniere, who, like Bishop and everyone else in this business, has noticed not-so-subtle changes in the landscape and what people are calling a ‘maturation’ of the industry.

It’s been marked, as noted, by consolidation and closures of some operations and declining sales overall and that need to pivot and offer more than pilsners, sours, IPAs, and stouts.

Dana Bishop and Lisa Lafreniere, co-owners of Skyline Brewery, say today’s craft brewers have to offer customers much more than beer.

Dana Bishop and Lisa Lafreniere, co-owners of Skyline Brewery, say today’s craft brewers have to offer customers much more than beer.

At White Lion, for example, its Pridelands on Mane event destination in Tower Square Park, across the street from its brew pub, recently hosted a puppy pool party that attracted a few dozen four-legged participants and their owners. A few days later, it hosted a seafood festival and has plans for a wine-tasting event and also a town meeting of sorts featuring candidates for Springfield City Council.

Such programs are designed to fully activate the space (complete with custom-designed shipping containers), give area residents more opportunities to sample White Lion brews, and provide more of an experience than simply sampling the latest offering.

It’s not a recent phenomenon, to be sure, but it is becoming more critical with each passing year, if not each passing quarter.

“The days of going out of your way to visit a brewery for a pint or two and then maybe spinning off to another brewery for a pint or two … that still happens, but not to the extent that it did,” Berry said. “So now, you have to create an additional experience.”

 

Pint of View

Over the past 30 years or so, BusinessWest has chronicled the rise of the craft beer sector in this region, from its infancy to an impactful presence in communities across the 413.

The names of these businesses have become part of the landscape — Tree House, 7 Railroads, Hot Plate, Abandoned Building, Vanished Valley, Barrington Brewery, Skyline, White Lion, and many more.

These ventures are still thriving, but several breweries have closed in this region and across the state, including some big players, such as Cambridge Brewing.

Pioneer Valley Brewing in Turners Falls was a recent local casualty, closing its doors on May 31, for all the reasons listed above.

“Expenses have gone through the roof,” co-owner Steve Valeski told the Greenfield Recorder. “The last two years have been devastating. Prices went up, everything’s gone up. It’s the market, it’s the economy. People aren’t going out as much. Shipping’s more expensive. Cans are more expensive. Everything is more expensive. We just can’t keep charging more and more for a glass of beer. It gets to a certain point where you have to say no.”

Most area brewers are still saying yes, but success is not coming as easily as it did a few decades ago, or even five years ago.

“People have to have a bigger dynamic than craft beer — the people who are struggling now are places just relying on their beer and not much else.”

There are many reasons for this, said Bishop, noting those demographic changes mentioned earlier, but also rising costs of everything from barley and malt to labor. In response, Skyline has taken steps to bring many products in-house, such as soda, while also implanting strategies to manage the skyrocketing cost of yeast.

Tanzi Cannon-Eckerle, majority owner of Brew Practitioners in East Longmeadow, summed it up succinctly and effectively: “there’s fewer butts in seats.”

Elaborating, she said her brewery, which does not serve food and focuses exclusively on beer and other beverages, tracks business performance in several ways, from overall visitation to new customers to spending, and the numbers tell a story.

“From last year to this, we’ve seen a decrease in the number of people coming in the door,” said Cannon-Eckerle, an employment lawyer by day and brewer … well, the rest of the time. “Spending per person has been about the same, but the number of people has changed.”

She wasn’t about to put it all on Millennials, although she has seen that maturation of the market in Western Mass. and beyond, and less overall enthusiasm for breweries and craft brews.

“This academic or intellectual pursuit of all things craft beer and it becoming cool to visit all the breweries … has that gone by the wayside? Maybe it’s not as popular with the younger drinkers,” she acknowledged, adding quickly that there is still a healthy thirst for beer, and it’s up to individual brewers to maintain a buzz for their products.

Lafreniere agreed, noting that, overall, there is less enthusiasm for craft beer, an observation that extends to everything from sales to the buzz once generated when a local brewer would roll out a new brand.

Two of the guests at White Lion’s recent puppy pool party.

Two of the guests at White Lion’s recent puppy pool party.

“People just don’t line up for a beer release — you don’t see that anymore,” she said. “They know it’s out, they know they’ll get down there; the hype, the excitement about the business is much lower.

“The bubble has burst — there’s far less buzz,” she went on. “We are friends with a lot of people who own local breweries, and we talk all the time about what is gone and the struggle to get people in the tap rooms. We’ve seen a lot of our friends that were wicked busy pre-COVID, and now, somewhat after COVID … it’s night and day.”

The challenges facing the industry were made clear at a Massachusetts Brewers Guild annual conference in Framingham 18 months ago, said Berry, where Watson, then the chief economist for the Brewers Assoc., painted a challenging picture for brewers.

“He was monitoring the trends nationwide, and the trends were either flat and going sideways or going down in particular areas of operation,” Berry told BusinessWest, returning to the notion of pivoting and providing more of an experience.

“It just cannot be a location where people come and get a beer,” he explained. “You can get a beer anywhere; you can get a beer in your backyard. What experience are you driving?”

 

Head Games

Berry said last month’s event was the second puppy pool party. The first was pre-COVID, and the second edition drew maybe 30 dogs (puppies and adults alike) and provided another opportunity to grow the brand.

“There’s 30 people that we had an opportunity to engage that we may not have been able to engage otherwise,” he noted, adding that the same is true of the seafood festival (the third annual) and the town meeting featuring City Council candidates.

“It’s about creating new experiences that people appreciate and that may keep them coming back or, at minimum, pay attention to what the city of Springfield has to offer,” he went on, adding this is what breweries must do now if they want to succeed.

Lafreniere and Bishop concurred.

“Getting people in now … it has to be a party,” said Bishop, adding that this explains Skyline’s many efforts to draw visitors, which also include a strong focus on food, initiated in 2024.

“For us, it’s a lot of food; we found that the beer drinkers are here, but we need to have the food be very exciting for them,” said Lafreniere, which is why they’ve gone from pretzels and flatbreads to a full menu that includes everything from chicken sandwiches, lobster rolls, and quesadillas to pulled pork from their own smoker.

Beyond food, there needs to be other ingredients that add up to an experience, they said, adding that trivia nights are part of the equation, as are paint-and-sip nights that draw maybe 12 to 15 people.

“The days of going out of your way to visit a brewery for a pint or two and then maybe spinning off to another brewery for a pint or two … that still happens, but not to the extent that it did. So now, you have to create an additional experience.”

“It’s not going to save us, but it helps,” said Lafreniere, adding that the collective efforts to bring more people to the brewery are paying dividends.

Cannon-Eckerle, meanwhile, stressed that, while breweries are fun — many started as hobbies and evolved into businesses — they are, in fact, businesses. And like all businesses, owners must pivot and adjust, but also focus on building their brands and differentiating themselves from the others.

“As in any business, you have to keep your ear to the ground and watch for market trends and where consumer spending is moving,” she explained.

Operations like Brew Practitioners, which are strictly breweries and focus almost exclusively on beer, have fewer opportunities to diversify and adjust, but they still must do so, and her business has, adding mocktails and other non-alcoholic beverages to meet the demands of younger customers.

“We sell quite a few of them,” she said. “The costs on them are pretty high, but it’s a pivot that we had to do to meet market demand.

“It’s about how we engage the individuals to come see us,” Cannon-Eckerle went on. “Before, when it was super cool and everyone went to see every new brewery, and whenever you went to a new town, the first thing you wanted to was check out the breweries, it was a lot easier. The question now is, how do we adjust to all that? It’s just not enough to hang out your shingle and say you’re a brewery.

“Spending is in flux right now — we don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring,” she continued. “People are being choosy about where they spend their money on a $7, $8, or $9 beer, and it better be good.”

Berry agreed. “If you don’t make adjustments, if you try to stay in a singular lane,” he said, “you will not survive, especially in this trade.”

 

Even as Federal Incentives Dry Up, Contractors Tout Value of Solar Energy

By
PV Squared workers install solar panels on a house.
Green Business Special Coverage

Power Play

PV Squared workers install solar panels on a house.

PV Squared workers install solar panels on a house.

 

 

“I’m frustrated — and, frankly, I’m disgusted.”

Those words open a blog post written recently by Greg Garrison, president of Northeast Solar, about the One Big Beautiful Bill — specifically the provision that ends, on Dec. 31, federal tax incentives for people who have solar energy installed in their homes.

The rest of that post is more measured, and even optimistic when it comes to the future of solar energy, but Garrison’s dismay is real.

“I had written some posts previous to that where I said, ‘you know, this could happen,’” he told BusinessWest during a recent visit to the company’s Hatfield headquarters. “When it actually came about, I was disappointed because that’s real money that the federal government is putting in the hands of local homeowners here, and it stays here.”

But only for a few more months. The only solar tax credits extended by President Trump’s bill are for third-party solar installers, and that goes to a corporate entity, not the homeowner, Garrison noted. “So this one core thing they could have done to make the middle class and American households a little bit stronger in this economy, they took away.”

Indeed, Northeast sells its equipment outright to the customer; some other companies operate under a third-party ownership agreement where the business owns the array and sells the power back to the homeowner; these companies will continue to benefit from federal tax incentives through 2027.

“This one core thing they could have done to make the middle class and American households a little bit stronger in this economy, they took away.”

For homeowners now calling Northeast to take advantage of solar installation before the end of 2025, well, they’re out of luck, as the company is fully booked through the end of the year. But that bad luck extends only to the federal tax incentive; Garrison’s mission now, as it has been all along, is to show people that solar energy carries long-term savings no matter what tax breaks they’re getting.

“The way this legislation cuts the production tax credits instead of incentivizing domestic manufacturing is not great policy, so the One Big Beautiful Bill will make it harder for a domestic renewable energy supply chain to be successful,” said Alex Peterkin, president of PV Squared, a Greenfield-based, worker-owned cooperative solar installation company.

Still, he told BusinessWest, the elimination of the federal solar incentives for customers is a bigger concern nationally than it is in New England, where the cost of electricity is relatively high, particularly in communities that don’t have municipal utilities. In Western Mass., he added, solar power still makes sense, and the long-term savings should still be attractive.

“When you remove the investment tax credit that homeowners were able to access, it doesn’t significantly change the long-term energy saving that they would have access to by installing solar in their homes,” Peterkin said. “It’s still an excellent choice for homeowners and businesses to get solar energy in their homes and in their businesses.”

Greg Garrison says the loss of federal solar incentives, while disheartening, shouldn’t deter homeowners from considering other ways solar energy saves them money in the long term.

Greg Garrison says the loss of federal solar incentives, while disheartening, shouldn’t deter homeowners from considering other ways solar energy saves them money in the long term.

While timetables vary for full payback of the initial investment, homeowners who install solar can typically expect their rate savings to pay for it in six to eight years. Taking away the federal incentives doesn’t change that by more than a couple years, Peterkin explained.

“This equipment is designed to last decades — 30 years, even 40 years for some equipment. A slightly different payback schedule isn’t significant when you’re going to be producing energy for 40 years.”

 

Watts Happening

Garrison said Northeast Solar has grown from a very small outfit to 24 employees today.

“We don’t grow any faster than our installation capacity — so it’s been nice, steady growth. And I would say a lot of the initial growth was from the incentives that were out there, both on the state and federal sides, with the intention of building more capacity in the state, getting more solar installed, and then making it more competitive and driving down prices.”

That has largely come to pass, he added. “When I first started in solar 15 years ago, [installation] was around $10 a watt. So if you wanted a 10-kilowatt system, it cost you $100,000. There were incentives and rebates to do to help you pay for that, but that’s what it cost. Today, it’s less than $3 a watt. So what used to be $100,000 is now less than $30,000.”

All that means the annual savings solar customers see over other forms of energy have shrunk the payback timetable, which, as noted, is typically around six to eight years.

“We’ve never offered leases. We’ve always offered direct buy, so the money stays here,” Garrison noted. “And as far as the incentives and rebates, like the federal tax credit, I looked at that money as an incentive for communities to develop better solar policies, better permitting policies, to get solar to be something that everyone would want or could afford. So every time that we put a system on someone’s roof and that 30% tax credit came back, that was money that’s going right into the economy.”

Meanwhile, both he and Peterkin said, it’s much easier to install solar capacity than increase fossil fuel generation at a time when the region — and the country — needs more production.

“It’s especially important to build solar energy on your homes or your businesses because then your energy costs are locked in. You’re not subject to increasing rates.”

“The Massachusetts DPU expects energy requirements are going to be much higher in the coming years,” Peterkin said. “And it’s difficult to have new generation created in Massachusetts. The cheapest way to get electrons onto the grid is with solar power. Other energy sources cost a little bit more; some cost quite a bit more. It’s so expensive to build a coal-fired plant. It’s so expensive to build a natural gas plant. But it’s so cheap to build solar power. And it’s frustrating to see that the best option to meet this quickly growing need is being disincentivized.”

Solar power can put downward pressure on everyone’s utility bills, noted Chris Harto, a senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports who specializes in energy and transportation. “Conserving energy is almost always cheaper than building new infrastructure to supply increasing demand,” he noted in a recent article. “Unfortunately, the premature elimination of energy efficiency programs can have the opposite effect, potentially increasing utility bills for all Americans.”

Garrison noted that Massachusetts utility rates are currently around $0.32 per kilowatt hour and rising about 3% annually. But solar costs are around $0.133 per kilowatt over the system’s 25-year lifespan — approximately 58% cheaper than the current utility rate.

“It’s especially important to build solar energy on your homes or your businesses because then your energy costs are locked in,” Peterkin added. “You’re not subject to increasing rates.”

The team at PV Squared, a worker-owned cooperative.

The team at PV Squared, a worker-owned cooperative.

As a workers’ cooperative, he explained, about 30 PV Squared employees own the company together.

“And the mission that we share — which is that we share the success together — has driven us to grow and increase employment priorities in the renewable energy sector and share the success with as many people as possible,” he said, while helping clients ranging from homeowners to factories to nonprofits like the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, for which it recently completed a major project.

“With this recent legislation and recent treasury guidelines, there are definitely challenges that make it harder for regular people to achieve energy independence,” Peterkin told BusinessWest. “But the core of it is still so strong. We’re optimistic about our business because people need to lower their energy costs, and this is the cheapest and best way to do it. So we see a bright future ahead.”

 

Shine On

Northeast Solar performs mostly residential work, with a few commercial projects mixed in. And Garrison noted that Massachusetts homeowners can still take advantage of a $1,000 state tax credit.

“The state has also maintained, with the utilities, a net metering policy. That’s where, if you export your power, you get that credit back to your bill. That’s an important part of solar. If you didn’t have that way of storing those energy dollars so you could use them later, solar would be a lot different.”

While incentives have no doubt drawn many customers to the solar side, Garrison said he relies on educating them with the savings figures.

“It’s going to take a while, and we’re going to have to go through that curve of education. But when you put solar on your roof of your home, you are fixing the cost of your electricity going forward. We call it the levelized cost of energy. You don’t have to worry about the fluctuations in energy, and you increase the home value right off the bat by putting solar on it.

“We try to get people to understand that they have an option to control their own energy, and solar is the cheapest form of energy you can buy,” he added before waxing philosophical about the power of the sun.

“It really is a simple technology that people just don’t fully understand. All the energy that we use on this planet, every bit of it, from the oil, gas, and everything else, all of it is derived from the sun. Without that power plant we have out there, we wouldn’t have any of it, because oil was created by the original plants. We’re just cutting out the middle.”

Elm Electrical Advances in the Realm of Robotics

By
A robotic palletizer tackles a load of boxes.
Special Coverage Technology

Armed with Automation

A robotic palletizer tackles a load of boxes.

A robotic palletizer tackles a load of boxes.

 

No one likes loading boxes onto a pallet. But machines don’t seem to mind.

Mike Holmberg noted as much as he pointed to a neatly palletized pile of boxes from a liquor distributor. In a non-automated facility, he said, someone would be loading those by hand.

“They’re making the different spirits, and then they put them in a bottle, put the bottle inside a case, then the case comes down a conveyor, and some person is picking up each one of these, and they’re stacking it in this stack, all day long. It’s not a fun job,” said Holmberg, senior vice president at Elm Electrical in Westfield.

“So we developed a solution for a robotic palletizer,” he said, pointing to the robotic arm and related equipment on Elm’s engineering floor. “It will now take the box as it’s coming off the conveyor, pick it up, and build this pallet. That’s called robotic palletizing.

“It’s a huge labor saver. And it’s about safety, too. It’s backbreaking. And it’s also work that people don’t want, so they don’t last. And in today’s day and age, it’s hard to find employees,” he went on. “Customers, manufacturers in particular, are having difficulty keeping those kinds of jobs filled. You’ve got to train them, they have to go through all the safety protocols, and then they come in and work for a few days and go, ‘hey, I don’t want to do this,’ and they’re out of here. Now you have to start over.”

On this recent afternoon, Holmberg led BusinessWest on a tour of the floor where it builds, programs, tests, and demonstrates robotic equipment in a growing automation division that serves clients in a number of fields.

“We essentially procure robotic arms from them, and then we integrate them. We do the programming, and we come up with the end-of-arm tool, which is like the robot’s hand. We develop that solution, and then we teach the robot to do whatever task it needs to do.”

Elm Electrical’s journey into automation was gradual, he explained, as the company originally specialized in electrical contracting and eventually moved into programmable logic controller (PLC) systems, which automate and control electromechanical processes, becoming a Rockwell Automation integrator.

“We integrated their product, and we use their product to develop solutions. And over the years, we’ve morphed into supporting different market segments, whether it’s water or wastewater, food and beverage, machining, material handling. And as automation started to grow, we started to get involved in robotics,” Holmberg explained.

To that end, Elm is an authorized FANUC robotics integrator, partnering with FANUC, a global leader in robotics and automation products.

“They make the robotic arms — that’s an arm that’s programmed to pick and place and move things. So we essentially procure robotic arms from them, and then we integrate them. We do the programming, and we come up with the end-of-arm tool, which is like the robot’s hand. We develop that solution, and then we teach the robot to do whatever task it needs to do.”

This FANUC robotic arm is set up to demonstrate its capabilities for an Elm Electrical client that makes wine racks.

This FANUC robotic arm is set up to demonstrate its capabilities for an Elm Electrical client that makes wine racks.

One arm on display was being used to nail together components of a wine rack. “The wood gets put down in this fixture, and now the robot holding the nail gun can go and build this for them,” Holmberg said. “And so you can rotate this on a table, rotate the next one in, build the next one. That frees the operator up from doing this tedious task all day to focus on quality control or doing some other portion of the business — more high-value tasks.”

 

Behind the Scenes

Holmberg noted that he brings that arm to trade shows to demonstrate opportunities for robotics.

“Behind the scenes, there’s a controller, which is essentially a computer that’s controlling that robot, telling it what to do,” he said, pointing out the physical capabilities of the arm and potential tools that can be attached to it. “There’s a motor in each one of those, and it can move in six different directions — it can spin, or it can move forward and backward. And those little motors have to be controlled.

“So we build control panels to hold all those controls, and we give the operator a touchscreen interface to make it easier to operate. Behind the scenes, here at Elm, we wire this; we put in all the technology to make that robot run. We design the control panel, we’ll connect it to the robot, then our engineers will program it to make it work.”

The robots can also be “set up for vision,” as he explained by using a set of multi-colored dice, which the arm can sort.

“Let’s say I want all the blue colors to be picked up. Well, it’ll roll them until it sees a blue color, and then it’ll pick it up and put the blue over here. That’s to show that, in the world of automation, there are times where random parts are coming down a conveyor, and I need to pick those random parts up. That illustrates to a customer that we can do vision-guided robotics. There are industries that would support.”

Whatever the capability, Holmberg continued, “we do all the programming, we do all the testing here, and then we take it to their site, install it, and then train their operators. We do the whole thing.”

While there has always been negative talk about robots replacing workers, Holmberg said this technology can be a positive for both employers and employees.

“Automation sometimes can be a taboo thing because people say, ‘well, it’s eliminating jobs.’ But in some cases, it’s creating opportunities for clients that can’t find laborers to do the work anymore. So in some instances, without automation, they’re not going to survive because they can’t do the work. This allows companies to be able to differentiate themselves and do things less expensively because they can do things faster. This doesn’t take a break, doesn’t go home sick, it doesn’t do any of that stuff because it’s running all the time.

“But I also look at it as an advancement for the employee,” he went on. “If I’m the employee that was doing that tedious task of picking something up and placing the round peg in the round hole all day long, now I get to operate the robot that’s doing that. And maybe I’m operating several robots. So I’m able to achieve a higher value at a job by learning the robotics, learning those skills, and now I have a much different career.

“I envision it as creating opportunities for people in the technology space. If they’re operating the robots, they get a little higher-tech job, and it’s much easier than the backbreaking work they were doing before.”

“So I envision it as creating opportunities for people in the technology space,” he added. “If they’re operating the robots, they get a little higher-tech job, and it’s much easier than the backbreaking work they were doing before.”

 

Complete Package

Holmberg explained that Elm Electrical has long operated as a four-legged stool, so to speak — its construction division (the main business, which launched the company), an automation group, a service group that provides 24/7 support service for companies, and its control panel business.

“So, ideally, we like to sell a solution that has all four of the legs in the stool. If we can sell an automation solution where we get the after-market support service, that’s great. If we can do our installation, our construction group can install it and put it in place. And if it has control panels in it, now we’ve sold all four legs of the stool. That’s what we try to do.”

Most electrical contractors don’t offer all four niches, he added. “Typically, they would have the service business unit and the contracting division, but they don’t have a panel shop where they build the control panels; they would typically farm that work out. And most integrators doing the automation work like we do, that’s all they do, and they would hire an electrical contractor to do the installation. So it’s rare to find somebody that has all four legs and be able to supply that complete turnkey solution.”

While automation is a growth industry, he added, it also requires significant investment up front, which can be a challenge for potential clients.

“There’s not a manufacturing facility that can’t leverage automation. They want to do something to make their job easier and to make their products faster. They want to open up capacity. They want to make it higher-quality. Now, whether or not they can afford to do that is the next question. Do they have the capital to do that? That’s an investment.”

He acknowledged that further growth is complicated by uncertainty in manufacturing around the economy, tariff impacts, and other factors, but the overall potential remains.

“I feel like automation is a place to be. Think about it — today, everybody wants something now, they want it tomorrow, they don’t want to wait. You can order something on Amazon, and it’s delivered that day,” Holmberg said. “That mindset means you’ve got to build it faster, you’ve got to have it ready faster — and all that is going to take automation.”

At the end of the day, he told BusinessWest, “we want to help customers solve their problems. That’s what we hope to do. We want to develop solutions. That’s the business we’re in — developing solutions and helping customers solve a problem.”

And those customers aren’t choosing from pre-designed models, he added. “Everything we do is custom. We develop it for you. It ends up being your solution for your project. So we like to be a partner with our clients. That’s how we get more work — by doing good things for good people.”

Many West Side Stories Are Converging

By
Eileen LaMountain has been managing the giant slide at the Big E for nearly 40 years.
Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

Eileen LaMountain has been managing the giant slide at the Big E for nearly 40 years.

Eileen LaMountain has been managing the giant slide at the Big E for nearly 40 years.

 

Eileen LaMountain says she’s getting too old to handle the waxing duties at the Big E’s Giant Slide, so she leaves that to her younger co-workers.

That waxing detail generally involves the upper portions of the 46-foot-high attraction, she noted, followed by repeated runs down the slide to spread the wax across its full length.

“That’s why I tell them to hire young people,” she said with a laugh. “A lot of the people I have are not that young, and they can’t go back and forth 10 times.”

But she still handles every other duty involved with managing that popular attraction, which she’s been doing since 1987. She essentially took over for her husband, who had done it the previous five years before moving over to handle admissions, which he did until he officially retired last year after working 58 years at the Big E.

The LaMountains are prime examples of area residents who return each year to work the 17-day fair and become part of a workforce of more than 1,000 people, said Gene Cassidy, president and CEO of Eastern States Exposition.

“Pre-COVID, we retained about 90% of our staff, and post-COVID, we retain about 80% of our staff,” he explained, adding that the fair needs to hire about 200 people for this year’s edition — to handle assignments ranging from parking lot attendant to landscaper to cashier — and is well on its way to doing so.

“I was all in favor of knocking it down originally and building something nice and new and modern. But on the other hand, that’s more expensive. Maybe we can do it with a remodel, but this is probably the last time in my lifetime that we’ll build a police station, so we want to do it right and give them what they need.”

Assembling the workforce is one of the many storylines for the 110th edition of the fair, which will start Sept. 12 and have a very difficult act to follow.

Indeed, 2024 was a banner year for the Big E. Attendance records were set (1,633,937 people came through the gates, breaking the previous mark by seven-tenths of a percentage point) and it was the fair’s most profitable year ever, with more than $6 million in net income.

“And all $6 million will be put into the facility,” Cassidy said, adding quickly that it will make just a very small dent in what he estimates to be $250 million in deferred maintenance on grounds dominated by buildings more 100 years old.

The Big E’s new season is one of many storylines unfolding in West Springfield. Others include:

• Movement toward creation of a new police station at the site of the former Walgreens location on Route 20, which was acquired by the city. A preliminary study by a design team will determine whether the best course is to renovate the facility, just a few feet from City Hall, where the police are currently headquartered, or demolish it and build new, Mayor Will Reichelt said;

• Ongoing infrastructure work on both of the city’s main retail arteries — Memorial Avenue and Riverdale Street — with the former entering the “final stretch,” as Reichelt called it, and the latter in its earlier stages;

• Little movement to create new housing despite critical need, said the mayor, citing a lack of developable land, the high cost of building, and the relative scarcity of funding assistance from the state as the primary reasons why. There is an 11-unit subdivision in the works off Piper Road, as well as 40 to 50 over-55 condos now under construction off Birnie Avenue and continued talk of new housing at the site of a former nursing home off Route 20, but little else on the drawing board;

• More new development on Riverdale Street, which is in a seemingly constant state of change, including the demolition of a few older hotels, including a large portion of the Clarion, and plans to build new ones, as well as a new Balise Honda store taking shape in the parking lot of the existing facility (more on this later);

• A new breakfast and lunch restaurant, the Roundabout, at the Route 20 and Elm Street rotary, another sign, said Reichelt, of how investments in that area, which also include new sidewalks, lighting, and other improvements, are paying dividends in the form of new businesses; and

• Preliminary discussions about creation of a new master plan for the city, one that will provide a blueprint to take the community to 2050 and beyond.

“Our master plan is 16 years old now, give or take, and we’re finishing up a lot of what’s in it,” the mayor explained. “We want to look out 25 years — not to predict the future, but to examine what the retail world will look like, for example, and whether we’re ready for potential changes that could impact Riverdale Street.”

For this latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the many converging West Side stories.

Alex Balise says the new Balise Honda store will better serve customers.

Alex Balise says the new Balise Honda store will better serve customers.

 

Progress Report

Reichelt noted that West Springfield is perhaps the last city in Western Mass. that still has its police station within City Hall — a throwback to when this was a much smaller community, but a situation that has lingered for decades as the city has searched for a suitable site.

It found one when Walgreens closed its Route 20 location in 2024 as part of a larger scaling-back initiative, leaving another question — renovate or build new? And Reichelt can look at two neighboring communities for some possible insight.

Indeed, Westfield is building new on Union Street, and Agawam is nearly done renovating the former Hub Insurance building on Suffield Street into its new headquarters.

“Agawam spent like $30 million less than Westfield’s going to spend” said Reichelt, adding that renovation of the Walgreens, which has a full basement in addition to its spacious retail floor, could be a less expensive option.

“I was all in favor of knocking it down originally and building something nice and new and modern,” he explained. “But on the other hand, that’s more expensive. Maybe we can do it with a remodel, but this is probably the last time in my lifetime that we’ll build a police station, so we want to do it right and give them what they need.”

In either case, the new headquarters will be downtown — which won’t be the case in either Westfield or Agawam — which has its advantages, the mayor noted.

Beyond the plans for the new police station, infrastructure work remains one of the main storylines in the city, especially on those two retail arteries, said Reichelt, adding that there is some light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the work at Memorial Avenue, which recently entered a new, more visible phase with completion of the Complete Streets initiative set for early 2027.

“Until recently, most of the work has been replacing the water main, sewer main, stormwater … the underground stuff,” he explained. “But now, as you come onto Memorial from the rotary at the Memorial Bridge, they’re redoing the road layout, adding new granite curbing, and changing the actual look of the road to get ready for the new pavement.”

On Riverdale Street, infrastructure work, due to be completed in 2027, is in earlier stages, and will include new sidewalks, off-street bike paths, and some repaving, the mayor continued, adding that, longer-term, the state has plans to improve Route 20.

Meanwhile, the new Honda store at the east end of Riverdale Street is starting to take shape.

And for those thinking the existing store isn’t very old … you’re right. It was just 2010 when Balise Motor Sales completed an extensive renovation of the former Yale Genton clothing store and a 20,000-square-foot addition. But Honda is changing the look of its dealerships, with a nod toward less square footage and a design that features a new-look façade and is modular and flexible, and the Balise store will be at the forefront of these changes, said Alex Balise, director of Corporate Strategy for Balise Motor Sales.

“The existing dealership is fully functional, but we have plans to grow,” she explained, noting that talk of building a new store began in 2023. “And to do that, and better serve our needs, we needed a new dealership.”

She said the new facility will be easier to navigate and be very similar to what was done at the chain’s Lexus dealership further down Riverdale Street in terms of easier access to the service area.

A portion of the existing dealership will be salvaged and used for a state inspection center, calibration services, parts distribution, and used-car reconditioning, she went on, adding that the remainder will be demolished and used for parking. The project is on track to be completed in mid-December.

 

Fair Assessment

Cassidy’s attention to detail, especially when it comes to the weather, has been well-chronicled. Indeed, each day of the Big E, he takes detailed notes about what the conditions were, almost hour by hour, entries that help explain attendance figures.

So when he said it didn’t rain much last year, he didn’t generalize. He went right to the book.

“Let’s see … the second Thursday, the 26th, we had light rain late morning and mid-afternoon, but it didn’t really have any impact on our attendance … that was it,” he said, adding that this rainfall total was a big change from 2024, when it rained on several days during the fair, and it goes a long way toward explaining the record attendance and record profits.

West Springfield at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1774
Population: 28,835
Area: 17.5 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $14.87
Commercial Tax Rate: $30.28
Median Household Income: $40,266
Median Family Income: $50,282
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Eversource Energy, Harris Corp., Home Depot, Interim Health Care, Mercy Home Care
* Latest information available

Those numbers will be tough to repeat, let alone surpass, in 2025, he acknowledged, noting that the weather will likely not be as good this year. But with a shrug of the shoulders, he indicated that anything is possible.

For the most part, he stuck to what is likely, which — again, weather permitting — will be another solid year. He noted that fairs like this one are not entirely recession-proof, but they’re close.

“Fairs represent tradition, and people, at this time in our history, are hungry for that; they desire that,” he said. “And for that reason, fairs tend to be insulated from inflation. People might defer on taking a trip to Disney, but they’re going to come to the fair because that’s their family tradition.”

This explains why many recent fairs have done well, said Cassidy, citing the Wisconsin State Fair, which was on pace to shatter attendance records until heavy rains and some flooding, as one example.

As for the 2025 Big E, like most of the 109 that have come before it, this one will feature ‘new and old,’ a phrase that covers everything from attractions to food to the brews in the many beer gardens.

The ‘new’ this year includes the return of Navy Week programming as a lead up to the nation’s 250th birthday, including performances by the Navy Band Northeast and the Navy Windward Quartet, as well as Collector Car Live: Race Day, a car show featuring race vehicles and NASCAR driver Ryan Preece, and increased ‘strolling entertainment,’ including Fritzy One Man Circus and strolling musician Freddie Marion.

‘New and old’ also refers to the music lineup, which includes everything from ZZ Top and Foreigner to Five for Fighting, Train, Busta Rhymes & Rick Ross, and TLC with Big Boi.

As for the ‘old,’ that would include the giant slide, which has been part of the Big E since 1969. It stretches 135 feet, and LaMountain knows every inch of it, although, as noted earlier, she’s not out there waxing it anymore.

When asked how those applying the wax to those higher areas do so without gravity taking hold, she said “very carefully.”

In addition to supervising the waxing, LaMountain, 73, makes sure the slide is properly staffed (it takes a half-dozen people to operate it) and that the various procedures are followed, including protocols when it rains — it shuts down immediately when drops start falling.

Overall, more than 100,000 people will go down the slide over the course of the 17 days, she said, adding that maybe 9,000 will visit the attraction on a busy Saturday. That adds up to long days, but she endures — and she comes back every year.

“It’s fun. It’s a long day, but … it’s the people you see every year,” she explained, adding that that the money earned over the course of the fair pays for a vacation or some extras, with some going in the bank. “We have a good time, and I would really miss it if I didn’t do it.”

With that, she spoke not only for people who work at Big E, but for everyone who visits each year.

A Fuzzy Picture on Tariffs Becomes Sharper, But Questions Linger

By
Carlo Bonavita
Features

Coming into Focus

 

Carlo Bonavita

Carlo Bonavita says tariffs will likely prompt some wine drinkers to switch to domestic products.

 

Clarity.

Ever since tariffs became a main thrust of the Trump administration’s economic policy — that would be day 1 — that’s what business owners and managers have been calling, if not begging, for.

They still don’t have as much as they want, but they now have a lot more than they did 60 or even 30 days ago.

That’s especially true in the auto industry, where trade deals inked with Japan, South Korea, and the EU lock in 15% tariffs on a large list of foreign imports. That translates into a roughly $2,000 increase on an average-priced vehicle, which is now in the mid-40s, said Ben Sullivan, chief operating officer for the Balise Auto Group.

And that number must be put into perspective, he went on, noting that, with the return of incentives such as 0% financing and attractive lease rates, the consumer’s monthly payment — which is what most focus on — may not rise much higher than it is now.

“At the same time as those price increases are coming, most manufacturers have increased production, and when they increase production, they want to sell a bunch of cars, and when they want to sell a bunch of cars, they put incentives on them.”

“At the same time as those price increases are coming, most manufacturers have increased production, and when they increase production, they want to sell a bunch of cars, and when they want to sell a bunch of cars, they put incentives on them,” said Sullivan, who cited the case of a co-worker with a truck coming off lease. She’s getting into a new one and shaving $100 off the monthly payment at the same time.

That’s an indication of how unattractive the incentives were in the years after COVID, and how much better they are now, said Sullivan, adding quickly that, while there’s still a good amount of dust to settle, especially with regard to tariffs imposed on Canada and Mexico and the cars and parts made in those countries, there is a sense of normalcy returning to this sector (more on that later).

Ben Sullivan

Ben Sullivan says that, while car prices are rising by $2,000 on average due to tariffs, with incentives, consumers may not see a rise in their monthly payment.

The same can generally be said for Carlo Bonavita’s business, Springfield Wine Exchange, where clarity is also a technical term.

Bonavita’s shelves are loaded with imported wines, many of which will now be subjected to at least 15% tariffs. This will add a few dollars to the average-priced bottle, which might be enough to sway some consumers to switch to domestic labels, something he’s been promoting for some time now, especially with the prices from some European wines rising even before tariffs were imposed, for reasons he can’t pinpoint.

“The reality is, I’d prefer to find domestic wine alternatives for our customers. It’s our job to go out there and find wines for our customers that are affordable, quality — and that’s easy to do,” he said, adding that he expects that some will shift more to domestic products. “Most people are loyal to the grape, and not necessarily the label,” he said, adding that consumers are likely to trade an Italian Pinot Grigio for one made in California.

There is less clarity in some other sectors, however, and with many different products, especially since a new, wide round of tariffs on individual countries went into effect earlier this month. The countries included Brazil (50%), Switzerland (39%), Vietnam (20%), and Taiwan (20%), and the tariffs are expected to generate price increases on everything from watches to shoes; computers to furniture; coffee to toys.

Construction is another sector where there are still some unknowns.

Dave Fontaine, CEO of Fontaine Bros. Inc., said tariffs will certainly impact the cost of projects large and small because tariffs on products, such as steel or copper, are applied not when they are ordered, but when they enter the country.

“I would equate it to walking into a store … the sales tax is 6.25%, and then, while you’re purchasing the item, the sales tax gets doubled or tripled,” he explained. “That’s going to impact at the register.”

To date, increases in prices from tariffs have been offset by decreases in the cost of some materials due to a general slowdown in the industry, allowing projects to stay on budget, he went on, but it remains to be seen if things will stay that way.

“I don’t know for sure, but I think that what our distributors did, as these tariff talks were going on, was bulk up their warehouses just to get people along for six or seven months in anticipation that the tariff talks would blow over and things would get settled.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talked with business owners and managers across several sectors to get some perspective on tariffs and what they mean for their businesses and their customers.

 

Grape Expectations

The announcement of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs on April 2 has been followed by four and half months of trade talks, new deals, deadlines made, deadlines extended, and seemingly never-ending speculation about the impact of tariffs on prices, individual businesses, and entire sectors.

In many respects, the speculation is giving way to increased clarity, though there are still plenty of question marks on everything from how much of the price increases will be passed on to consumers to how those same consumers will respond to the higher prices.

More will be known in the weeks and months to come, said those we spoke with, adding that much, but not all, of what’s for sale now — be it cars in showrooms or wines on shelves — were delivered before tariffs went into effect.

That’s true of the popular beers from Germany, Belgium, and other European countries sold at the Student Prince, said Nate Yee, director of Hospitality for the Bean Restaurant Group, which counts the downtown Springfield landmark among the many area eateries in its portfolio.

“I don’t know for sure, but I think that what our distributors did, as these tariff talks were going on, was bulk up their warehouses just to get people along for six or seven months in anticipation that the tariff talks would blow over and things would get settled,” he said, adding that prices have remained remarkably, and unexpectedly, stable. “That’s the only explanation I can think of for why our costs haven’t gone nuclear.”

The company has enough in its own warehouses to get through the Big E, where it will have several locations, said Yee, adding that what happens when the current warehouse stock is replaced with post-tariff products remains to be seen.

“Who knows what will happen?” he said, adding that, if costs rise, the Bean Group will have to think about adjusting its own prices. “But we want to be as price-sensitive as we can; we want to be affordable, and we want our guests to come back multiple times a week, and a big part of that is the value aspect of it.”

Bonavita said almost everything at his storefront in Tower Square, and everything shipped to customers elsewhere, including the eastern part of the state (a growing part of this business), arrived pre-tariffs. It will be September or October, he projects, before the nature of the inventory shifts and prices are adjusted.

And while he will continue to order wines from dozens of other countries (together, they make up roughly 35% of what he sells), he fully expects movement toward domestics as the inevitable price increases come. Meanwhile, like Yee, he said he will likely absorb some of the hit to minimize the impact on the consumer.

“We wouldn’t be here without our customers, so I’ll do whatever it takes to keep our customers,” he explained. “If that means we work on a lesser margin, we’ll work on a lesser margin.”

 

Driving Forces

Sullivan said many — but certainly not all — the cars on area lots were delivered pre-tariffs. That means consumers might find two almost identical cars at a dealership with different price tags.

And, as he mentioned earlier, while the price tag on the post-tariffs model might be higher, the monthly payment might — that’s might — not be. And that’s just one of the many intriguing dynamics within the auto industry as a once-fuzzy picture sharpens a bit.

“The tariff landscape is coming into clearer focus,” he told BusinessWest. “Now, it’s about what the scale and the impact of the tariffs will be and when it will all settle into something that’s predictable. We’re not home yet, knowing exactly where this whole thing shakes out, but we’re getting closer.”

Elaborating, Sullivan said there will be more clarity in the months and years to come on issues ranging from used car sales to how long consumers hang on to their cars as the cost of maintaining them rises because of tariffs on parts, many of which are made in China.

Meanwhile, with new car sales, as well as the proverbial big picture, there is more normalcy than a few months ago, when panicked consumers were running to dealerships to beat the tariffs.

“Now, things have calmed down,” he said. “People are aware that it’s not as bad as they feared; it’s still going to cost them more to buy a car, but not as much as they feared. So right now, we’re seeing a more normalized market than we’ve seen in a while.”

‘Normalized’ wouldn’t be a word to describe what’s happening in the construction sector, said Fontaine, noting that tariffs are impacting not only projects in progress — such as the new high schools his company is building in East Longmeadow and Agawam — but some initiatives on the drawing board.

“When the cost of materials is going up, that makes construction projects more difficult to to get financed — and more difficult to make sense,” he explained, adding that this is more prevalent on the private side of ledger than on the public side. “And a lot of people are in the wait-and-see phase because of the uncertainty with the economy.”

For construction firms, the challenge is to find ways to minimize the impact through use of more domestically produced materials and other strategies to keep projects on budget.

“We’re spending a lot of time trying to protect ourselves and our clients from the impact of them, and I think we’ve been generally successful with that,” Fontaine said. “We’ve pushed a lot of things to be imported from places that are not impacted by tariffs or made in America. We’re doing everything we can to mitigate costs, but it’s a hot issue in construction right now.”

And in many other sectors as well.

Contested Estates Can Cause Turmoil Within Families

By Contributor
Commercial Real Estate
Law

Trouble in Margaritaville

By Hyman G. Darling, Esq.

 

Over the past couple of years, you may have read about all the famous people who passed away either with no estate planning documents or perhaps documents that were not up to date or complete enough to avoid contest.

In the past two months, there have been several notorious people in the news that are causing lawyers and judges to deal with litigious matters regarding estates. The first estate was Jimmy Buffett’s. In this brewing legal battle, Jane Buffett (his wife) filed a petition to remove her co-trustee of the marital trust, Jimmy’s longtime business manager. It was estimated that the estate was worth approximately $275 million. This trust was to continue for Jane’s lifetime, but she now alleges that the business manager was charging excessive fees, mismanaged the trust, and has become adversarial and hostile toward her.

It is unfortunate this has occurred because now the funds are going to be scrutinized and her legal fees, the trustee’s legal fees, and potentially backup and independent trustees’ fees will be taken from the trust, thus diminishing the funds available to Jane.

Hyman G. Darling

Hyman G. Darling

“It is very important to think clearly about what will happen if the children cannot agree. Perhaps the documents should have a provision stating that, before litigation ensues, the trustees or beneficiaries should be forced to mediate the matter in an attempt to resolve the conflicts without litigation.”

This situation is not uncommon. Clients often wish to name two or more children co-trustees or perhaps powers of attorney, personal representatives (formerly called executors), or healthcare proxy agents. The clients believe the children would get along and make decisions together. However, when one decision maker does not agree with the other, it places the client or their family in a precarious situation because, if they cannot agree, there is a stalemate until such time as either a mediator or court makes a decision as to what is correct or who should make the appropriate decisions.

Some clients feel that the oldest child should serve, some clients feel that the child who is in business should serve, and others believe they should have an independent trustee so that this situation does not occur.

Oftentimes, however, the children cannot agree as to what is best for the parent or for the ultimate beneficiaries of the trust. Therefore, it is very important to think clearly about what will happen if the children cannot agree. Perhaps the documents should have a provision stating that, before litigation ensues, the trustees or beneficiaries should be forced to mediate the matter in an attempt to resolve the conflicts without litigation. Often, once litigation is filed, there is a line drawn in the sand and no turning back, which causes perpetual disharmony in the family.

 

Dollars and Sense

Another significant celebrity in the news is Jeff Bezos, with his prenup and recent Venice wedding. Since the Amazon founder did not have a prenuptial agreement with his first wife, it was clear to him that he should have a prenuptial agreement for this marriage to Lauren Sanchez.

Although there were somewhat disparaging comments regarding her wedding gown, the location, the cost of the wedding, and the numerous celebrity guests, the reporters did not pay much attention to the prenuptial agreement, the details of which are not public. However, the prenuptial agreement presumably would provide that, if the marriage were to be dissolved or he were to pass away first, his wife would receive a portion of the assets based on how many years he was married to her, or perhaps based on the size of his estate.

While most of you who are reading this do not have an estate the size of Bezos’s (although his estate is reduced by $36 billion in Amazon stock he paid to his first wife), it is important to consider what would happen to your assets if you die leaving assets to your children. Perhaps your children’s marriages are not the most sound, and you wish to be sure that the children or their children will receive assets. Therefore, perhaps a trust should be established for them, or maybe leave some assets to your children and some assets to the grandchildren in order that the in-law (sometimes referred to as the out-law) would not receive this unintended inheritance.

 

Bottom Line

The lessons here are not only that documents need to be prepared, but significant thought should be given to the language in the documents, the individuals who are named or not named, and the distribution of those assets. Also to be considered are long-term care issues and tax issues to maximize the amount that will be passing to the next generation.

Of course, charities should also considered in estate planning documents, not only to minimize taxes, but also to carry on the legacy built during one’s lifetime.

 

Hyman Darling works in the Springfield office of Bacon Wilson. He is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and the U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts. He is an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is a certified elder law attorney. Additionally, he is a member of the Special Needs Alliance and the Hampden County Bar Assoc.

What Rental Property Owners Should Know About Control

By Contributor
Law

When a Fire Strikes

By Daryl M. Johnson, Esq.

 

When a rental property suffers a devastating fire, most owners assume they’ll have the freedom to use the fire insurance proceeds to pay off their mortgage or make other financial decisions. But in cities like Springfield and others in Massachusetts, property owners can be in for quite a surprise. Local ordinances — combined with the city’s enforcement powers — can significantly limit what you and your lender are allowed to do with the building and the insurance funds.

 

Fire Insurance Proceeds: Not Always Yours to Direct

In many cases, a mortgage instrument allows the lender to apply insurance proceeds toward repairing the mortgaged property or paying down the outstanding loan in the event of a casualty. However, when a building is declared uninhabitable, condemned, or becomes a blighted nuisance, local governments can, and will, step in. In Springfield, under its municipal code and zoning regulations, the city has the authority to initiate enforcement actions in housing court that affect both property owners and lenders.

Daryl M. Johnson

Daryl M. Johnson

“When a building is declared uninhabitable, condemned, or becomes a blighted nuisance, local governments can, and will, step in.”

City Intervention in the Aftermath of a Fire

Under Springfield’s Code of Ordinances — particularly its anti-blight, nuisance, and vacant property regulations — the city may take swift action when a structure is significantly damaged by fire. If the building is left vacant, unsecured, or deemed a public safety risk, the city can initiate a housing court action to enjoin the property owner and the mortgage lender from accessing or making unilateral decisions about the property.

It can also seek a receivership order, allowing a third-party receiver to take control of the property, make repairs, and recover costs via liens, and it can even restrict or monitor the use of insurance proceeds, particularly when used for purposes other than code compliance, demolition, or rehabilitation.

In some cases, the city may record a lien or notice of violation that clouds title and complicates, and in some instances prevents, refinancing, resale, or redevelopment.

 

Mortgage Lenders Are Not Exempt

Springfield ordinances don’t just target property owners — they also involve mortgage holders, especially when lenders receive insurance proceeds or attempt to foreclose on or dispose of fire-damaged properties without addressing code violations or unsafe conditions.

Housing court judges have broad powers to issue injunctive relief against lenders and loan servicers, require insurance proceeds to be escrowed, and prevent satisfaction or discharge of the mortgage until compliance is achieved.

 

Best Practices for Owners and Lenders

If you own a fire-damaged rental property in Springfield, consider these immediate steps:

• Notify the city’s Code Enforcement Department to assess the building and clarify obligations.

• Consult legal counsel before using fire insurance proceeds or negotiating with your mortgage lender.

• Secure and maintain the site to avoid blight premises designation.

• Engage a licensed contractor to prepare a code-compliant rehabilitation or demolition plan.

• If you’re a mortgage lender, be prepared for involvement in housing court and restrictions on the application of fire insurance funds to pay off the mortgage loan.

 

Regional Enforcement: Not Just Springfield

The city of Springfield is not the only municipality in Western Mass. aggressively enforcing fire-damaged and blighted property regulations. Other cities, such as Holyoke, Chicopee, and Worcester, are similarly proactive. These municipalities frequently seek injunctions against both owners and mortgage lenders like those sought out by the city of Springfield.

A fire doesn’t just damage real estate — it can fundamentally alter your legal rights as a property owner or lender. In Springfield and surrounding cities, local governments have legal authority to control what happens next. Whether you’re trying to use fire insurance proceeds to refinance, repair, demolish, or sell the property, failing to understand the municipal framework could land you with housing court violations, penalties, or fines.

Legal counsel familiar with local ordinances and housing court procedure is essential to avoid costly missteps and navigate court-ordered restrictions.

 

Daryl M. Johnson is an attorney in the Real Estate and Business and Finance practices at the law firm Pullman & Comley. She is based in the firm’s Springfield office.

 

The Ins and Outs of a Legally Compliant Reduction in Force

By Contributor
Law

Avoiding Layoff Pitfalls

By John Gannon, Esq.

 

Last month, on Independence Day, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), a nearly 1,000-page bill addressing significant federal tax and spending policies. According to the White House, the OBBB will act “as a catalyst for job creation, domestic investment, and long-term growth.”

But critics are not so sure the legislation will boost job growth. Indeed, many are concerned that deep spending cuts to social safety net programs such as Medicaid and food stamp benefits, coupled with the end of tax credits tied to clean energy, will cause many Americans to lose their job. One study estimates that 1.22 million jobs could be lost in 2029 due to Medicaid and SNAP cuts.

Given these deep spending cuts, coupled with what seems like daily (and sometimes hourly) uncertainly over foreign tariffs, the Trump administration is leading many businesses to consider cutting labor costs, even if only for the short term. In light of this, employers need to understand the legal and practical ramifications when implementing a reduction in force (RIF), which is a more formal term for layoffs. Key aspects include understanding the relevant legal risks, selecting employees fairly, and providing proper communication and support.

John Gannon

John Gannon

“Employers need to be able to provide legitimate, business-based reasons for implementing a workforce reduction. These typically involve economic considerations, such as the loss of key contracts or higher material costs, but could also be the product of a department or company-wide reorganization.”

Legal Issues

To start, employers need to be able to provide legitimate, business-based reasons for implementing a workforce reduction. These typically involve economic considerations, such as the loss of key contracts or higher material costs, but could also be the product of a department or company-wide reorganization. Whatever the reason(s), businesses need to be able to explain in crystal-clear terms why people are losing their jobs.

There are also a host of employment laws that businesses need to be cognizant of when implementing a RIF. In a large-scale workforce reduction, the most important of these laws is the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which requires 60 days notice to all affected employees in the event of a mass layoff or plant closing.

The penalties for failure to comply with WARN are steep. WARN Act violations include back pay and benefits for up to 60 days for each affected employee, civil penalties of up to $500 per day of violation, and potential attorneys’ fees for successful lawsuits. Needless to say, determining whether the WARN Act applies is always step number one when businesses are considering a RIF.

Next, employers must ensure that the selection criteria used to determine who will be included in the RIF are non-discriminatory and based on legitimate business needs. This means reasons for selecting an employee for the RIF cannot be tainted by bias based on age, race, gender, or other protected characteristics, including use of Paid Family and Medical Leave or sick leave protected by the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time law.

To that end, employers should develop an documented selection criteria plan for the decision makers prior to announcing the end result to employees. Establish selection factors with the company’s legitimate business needs in mind, trying to keep the selection process focused on objective, legal criteria as much as possible (such as seniority, elimination of unnecessary categories such as part-time and temporary, elimination or consolidation of unnecessary positions. etc.).

Taking this one step further, employers should consider conducting a detailed analysis of the potential for disparate impact discrimination in a workforce reduction. Disparate impact discrimination occurs when a policy, practice, or decision-making process of an employer that appears to be neutral has a negative impact on a protected group of employees.

For example, if a high percentage of those selected for layoff are over age 40, and a significant amount of those retained are under 40, there is a risk that someone will file an age discrimination claim and argue that the method used to evaluate employees had a disparate impact on those over 40, and, therefore, led to their separation.

Disparate impact testing helps organizations recognize and address biases that might exist within their decision making process, even when there’s no intent to discriminate. We suggest that any disparate impact analysis be conducted by an attorney so that any problematic data that is discovered would be protected from disclosure in lawsuit by the attorney-client privilege.

Finally, employers need to be aware of wage payment obligations for those who are laid off. Under the Massachusetts Wage Act, employees who are laid off as part of a RIF must be paid all earned wages — including pay for all accrued and unused vacation — on their last day of employment. Also, if a worker is subject to the terms of an employment contract (as opposed to be employed at-will), that employee might be entitled payout if the employment relationship ends prior to the expiration of the term set out in the employment contract.

 

Practical Considerations

Employees who are let go as part of a RIF are likely going to expect severance pay to help pay the bills while they look for new employment. That said, there is nothing that requires employers to offer separation agreements to at-will employees being laid off (note that this might be different if the employee is subject to the terms of an employment contract).

However, most employment lawyers and HR professionals will tell you that offering at least some severance, while not legally required, is a best practice. This is because, as noted above, it provides departing employees with some level of financial stability while they are in between jobs. Severance packages also often include payments for continued health insurance or other benefits, easing the transition and potentially reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses for departing employees.

Finally, obtaining signed severance agreements from departing employees mitigates legal risk, as the agreement should include a legally compliant release of claims against the employer. Stated otherwise, employees accept the severance payments, and in exchange, they agree not to bring a legal action against the company. We see this as a win-win for the employee and the employer.

Finally, as far in advance as possible, businesses need to start developing a clear and transparent communication strategy that will be used to explain the RIF to the workforce. This strategy should involve two messages — one for the entire workforce that explains the business needs for the RIF, and another message that is tailored to those who are affected by the RIF.

For those who will be losing their jobs, conduct private meetings to deliver the news and discuss next steps. This meeting should go over the terms of the severance package, if one is being offered. While the meeting should be brief, employees should be given some time to discuss the positives and negatives of their employment experience, as well as ask questions related to post-employment issues such as unemployment and health insurance continuation.

As for the remaining employees, the business should have a plan in place to discuss how the RIF will affect their day-to-day duties. Is there a plan in place to replace the departing workers if business circumstances improve? Will the RIF lead to longer days and more demands for the remaining employees? Does the company plan to lay off more employees within the next few months?

These types of questions, as well as the psychological impact associated with many co-workers (and friends) losing their jobs, is often referred to as workplace survivor syndrome. Leaders in the organization must be prepared to answer questions from remaining employees about their ‘new normal,’ as well as listen and respond to their concerns and fears, in order to avoid workplace survivor syndrome causing more negative workplace ripples than the RIF itself.

Implementing a RIF is no small task. There are serious legal and practical considerations that businesses need to consider as soon as potential layoffs are a topic of conversation during leadership meetings. Be sure to engage experienced employment counsel early on in the process so businesses leaders do not get caught in traps for the unwary during a workforce reduction.

 

John Gannon is a partner with Springfield-based law firm Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., a law firm exclusively practicing labor and employment law for more than a half-century, focusing on litigation avoidance, employment litigation, and labor law and relations. He specializes in employment law and regularly counsels employers on compliance with state and federal laws; (413) 737-4753.

Annual Women in Business Summit Marks 20th Year in September

By
Attendees gather at the 2024 Women in Business Summit, also held in Springfield.
Women in Businesss

Connection and Inspiration

 

Attendees gather at the 2024 Women in Business Summit, also held in Springfield.

Attendees gather at the 2024 Women in Business Summit, also held in Springfield.

 

It was called the Women in Business Passing the Baton: Today, Tomorrow & Beyond Summit.

That’s … quite a mouthful.

Back in 2005, Kisha Zullo recalled, she was launching an event planning company called Events of Joy and wanted to plan a conference for women who had achieved a certain level of success and could learn from each other.

“But the summit name was very long,” she admitted. “So, later, I scrunched it into the Women in Business Summit, because who’s going to say all that every day?”

But there was a reason for that initially too-long name.

“I wanted the image of passing the baton, like we’re in this race together, and we’re just passing on knowledge so the next generation can close the pay gap — at the time, I think it was 77 cents to a dollar; now it’s about 83 cents. So, things like the pay gap and managing your time, how to communicate with confidence, topics like that have not gone away.”

Which is why Zullo’s annual Women in Business Summit — which started in Connecticut but moved to Springfield three years ago — is still going strong in what will be its 20th iteration next month. The event will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 24-25 at Marriott Springfield Downtown. Registration is open at wibsummit.com.

“We started with 60 people, and we’re anticipating about 300 coming into Springfield this year,” she told BusinessWest. “They’re coming from Western Mass., Connecticut, New York, New Jersey … last year I saw Vermont, Florida, Colorado.”

The mission of the conference, as always, is to develop a strong community of women leaders and entrepreneurs by sharing resources, knowledge, and inspiration.

“This year, we’ve chosen to focus on leadership development because we’ve talked to our [past] attendees, and that’s what they want to hone — their leadership skills,” Zullo explained.

“We’re doing a wellness track, and wellness can be mind, body, soul, and spirit, but it can also be your relationship with money,” she added. “If you’re always saying, ‘money moves through my hand quickly’ or ‘I can never keep it,’ well, that’s a mindset shift that maybe you have to make. So I’m excited about that.

Kisha Zullo

Kisha Zullo

“Over the past 20 years, I have been really fortunate to have a really great group of people. Some speakers are returning from last year because their workshops were incredibly popular.”

“Then we have an entrepreneurship track,” she added, “because half of our audience are solopreneurs or small business owners, and the other half work for someone else in nonprofit, corporate, or other industries.”

 

Women to the Front

This year’s keynote speaker is Endia DeCordova, vice president for Institutional Advancement at Morgan State University and executive director of the Morgan State University Foundation. “She was at the very first Women in Business Summit, and I’ve kind of watched her career soar,” Zullo said.

Other presenters include María Elena Gavilán Alfonso, technology leader and technical program manager with MathWorks; author and activist Choc’late Allen; Jennifer Bouquot, vice president of Talent Development for Liberty Bank; Lisa Carrol, founder and CEO of LIVLY; Orlena Cowan-Bailey, chief elevation officer of HR Zoom Consulting and HR Swag Shop; Sara Diaz, founder of the First Gen Madrina; Iquo Essien, founder of Crowdfund Your Dream; Veronica Garcia, CEO of Latino Marketing Agency; Patsy Mundy, assistant vice president at Travelers; Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, executive director of EforAll Holyoke and Holyoke city councilor; Latonia Tabb, CEO of Cooke Consulting Management; therapist Whitney Wilfred; and Michelle Wirth, co-owner of Mercedes-Benz of Springfield and founder of Feel Good Shop Local. Tiffany Joy Murchison, owner of TJM & Co. Media Boutique, will serve as emcee.

Meanwhile, panel and workshop topics will touch on managing burnout, technology and AI trends, the future of work, leading with purpose, thinking outside the box, entrepreneurship, the power of conversation, and much more.

“It’s really attendee-led,” Zullo said when asked how the roster comes together. “We get a lot of speaker inquiries, but it’s the attendees who tell us what they want to see.”

Take Carrol, who has turned LIVLY into a well-known high-end clothing brand. “I want her to talk about her story of how she brought LIVLY to life and was able to fundraise $10 million,” Zullo said. “That is of interest to an entrepreneur who’s just starting out or in the middle of their career.”

She added, “one the things that I’ve said to the presenters is, ‘please, when you’re in your session, it’s about have the experience … make your presentations interactive so you’re not just sitting there as a talking head in a workshop. And over the past 20 years, I have been really fortunate to have a really great group of people. Some speakers are returning from last year because their workshops were incredibly popular.”

 

From the Ground Up

Zullo’s event-planning business, Events of Joy, launched in 2005, and the Women in Business Summit — actually, the Women in Business Passing the Baton: Today, Tomorrow & Beyond Summit — was her first event.

“I didn’t know I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I remember, when I was working in D.C., I worked for this really cool property that did so many different events. I saw different types of weddings, cultural weddings, nonprofit events, corporate events, this really amazing mix,” she recalled, adding that she began to wonder about the woman she saw working behind the scenes, and what that job might be like.

“I thought, one day I want to plan parties. So I tucked it away, and when I moved to this area, I thought I would love to start my own business. And then it was like, how do I get it started? And what is going to be the name?”

In fact, Events of Joy has a double meaning, named after both Zullo’s mother and how she feels bringing events to life.

“I started out doing weddings — I don’t plan weddings anymore, but there’s someone on my team who does. I focus primarily on nonprofit signature events, fundraisers, and corporate events. And of course, planning events for the Women in Business Summit.”

Twenty years later, Zullo is gratified by the impact the event continues to have.

“As women leave, they say, ‘oh, I’m so inspired because I heard this,’ or ‘this is a new thought that I can implement the next day at work,’ or ‘I’m going to use this to resolve this issue in my life.’ That just makes my heart soar, to hear those kinds of testimonials.”

Applying Business Lessons from Women in Sports

By Contributor
Women in Businesss

The Other Side of Victory

By Mia McDonald

 

One of the most transformative quotes that has inspired my life over the past year is from Ilona Maher. The U.S. women’s rugby player shot to fame when she helped lead her team to a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics — the first time an American team has ever taken home a medal in this event.

Following this feat, she was asked in an interview about her experience with impostor syndrome. Confidently and without hesitation, she declared, “I don’t have that” because “it’s OK to be proud of what you’ve done. It’s OK to believe you deserve something because you’ve put in the work for it.”

This is a concept more women should feel empowered and energized by. Being confident and unapologetically sharing your confidence — and your passion — will only work to inspire and lift others up around you. Empowered women empower women.

Mia McDonald

Mia McDonald

“Being confident and unapologetically sharing your confidence — and your passion — will only work to inspire and lift others up around you. Empowered women empower women.”

Ilona is only one of the many current voices in women’s sports in whom I have found inspiration, and whose exemplary leadership has helped guide me to where I am today in my professional career. Another one of the most powerful moments came just weeks ago, when Faith Kipyegon became the first woman to attempt running under four minutes in the mile. This experiment is incredibly significant to the athletics and running community, because while thousands of men have achieved this feat, it is one that no woman has ever accomplished.

Faith, the world record holder in this distance, embraced the challenge head-on with the full support of her sponsor, Nike, and their innovative teams and technology, which sought to optimize the perfect conditions and variables to best set her up for success. Following this attempt, as a fan of the sport and as a woman, was incredibly motivating and exciting and came with major takeaways that can be applied to women in the workplace. Here are four of them.

 

 

Find a Team and Trust in Them

To break a barrier as significant as Faith set out to do, alone, would be impossible. Faith had a team on the track — 13 world-class pacers who were all also Olympians and champions in their own right. They were organized in a meticulous formation to minimize draft and pull her along to her goal time.

There was something incredibly emotional and empowering about watching all of these men and women come together and be unified in the support of Faith and her goal. In addition to this direct support on the track, Faith had a stadium full of fans cheering her on in person, and countless others across the world.

The same concept is applicable to the professional environment. Especially when first entering the field, it can be intimidating as a woman to speak up in a room that is often full of men. There is also so much to balance throughout the day, be it work-related goals and obligations, family, volunteering, outside passions, mental and physical health, or any other commitments. What is most important is building a community of people who you trust and can lean on for support as needed.

Whether offering advice or providing cheers and moral support, having teams of people you love and look up to is the foundation of success. To this point, it is also essential to surround yourself with people who challenge you. When your support system has role models who can push you to improve and who have achieved successes that you aspire to reach, it will provide a source of continuous motivation.

 

Try Something New

In Faith’s case, this was all orchestrated and designed by Nike’s innovation team, much like a science experiment. It included new shoes, new high-tech gear, new pacing formations, and so much more, all aimed to create optimal conditions.

Although optimal conditions are never truly realistic or practical, this attempt goes to show the benefits of not being afraid to switch things up in the workplace. Change is uncomfortable, but growth comes from being able to exist in and embrace this discomfort. This can help foster a fresh take and create a culture where new ideas are welcomed and encouraged.

Whether it improves efficiency or helps to create stronger bonds across different teams, being open to change comes with so many benefits. In addition, on an individual level for women in the workplace, it opens up new opportunities to take on leadership roles and provide mentorship to others. Being confident enough to challenge yourself and step out of your typical comfort zone will lead by example for other women to do the same and will help their aspirations and growth trajectory.

 

Be Bold, Be Confident, and Don’t Stop Trying

Faith may not have become the first woman to break four minutes in the mile, but at its core, that was not the purpose of the challenge or what it represented for women. Faith set out to prove that she is brave enough to set a scary goal and to try something perceived as impossible. Then, she was strong enough to persevere when it did not go as hoped.

And even though she did not reach this stretch goal on her first true attempt, she turned around and ran a world record in the 1,500-meter race the next weekend, which is a distance just shy of one mile. Even though she did not hit her first goal, this is a remarkable testament to how she was able to take all her training, enthusiasm, and drive, and then pivot, refine a new goal, and execute.

The same concept is applicable to professionals. It is important to not get discouraged when challenges are encountered. Although it is OK and normal to become frustrated with difficulties, what will truly yield the best results is when you don’t allow yourself to dwell on these perceived failures.

The ability to be coached — being able to seek out and be open to receiving feedback — is what encourages growth. It is even more powerful and impactful to find other women who have grown through the workforce and experienced similar challenges, learn from their experiences, and take lessons back to your own.

 

Be Passionate and Excited About Something

Faith’s love of the sport and desire to advance it and be challenged is what makes the seemingly impossible, possible. This passion and excitement is also what creates value as a woman in the workplace. When you are doing something that is meaningful or that makes you happy, you’ll be more productive and better at communicating and lifting others up.

Being a woman in the profession comes with knowing you have the opportunity to inspire others, and it is so important to be able to use this to offer continuous encouragement and share the excitement and the triumphs that come with achieving meaningful milestones. Although these successes look different to everyone, it is incredibly impactful to be in a position where you can help to celebrate daily accomplishments big and small, and grow the next generation of strong, confident women.

 

Mia McDonald is a senior associate at the Holyoke-based accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. and a member of the BusinessWest 40 Under Forty class of 2025.

State Awards $24.2 Million to Expand Training Opportunities

By Contributor
Home Improvement

Career Minded

 

 

Last week, the Healey-Driscoll administration awarded $24.2 million in Career Technical Initiative (CTI) implementation grants to 23 school districts to train 2,490 individuals for careers in high-demand occupations within the trades, construction, and manufacturing sectors across Massachusetts.

The CTI grant program partners with career and technical education schools to provide adult learners, especially unemployed and underemployed individuals from underserved populations and underrepresented groups, with career training and technical skills to meet the needs of Massachusetts employers.

Since 2023, the administration, in partnership with Commonwealth Corp., has awarded $53 million in CTI grants, projected to train more than 6,090 unemployed and underemployed individuals. Last week’s announcement launches the 10th cohort of CTI grants. Among nine awarded cohorts to date, roughly 4,400 total participants have received training, 3,150 participants have completed training, 3,100 have earned industry-recognized credentials, and 2,360 have secured employment.

“The CTI program opens doors for adult learners by providing the hands-on training they need to step into high-demand careers in construction, the trades, and manufacturing,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “With some of the best public career technical education schools in the country and strong employer partnerships, Massachusetts is positioned to prepare our residents for rewarding, lifelong careers.”

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll added that “these awards are a key part of our agenda to build a job-ready workforce for today and the future. By tapping into our world-class education system and investing in targeted job training, we’re growing the talent pipeline that employers across Massachusetts depend on to compete and thrive.”

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) oversees the CTI program, which is administered by Commonwealth Corp., a quasi-public agency of EOLWD. In partnership with the Executive Office of Education, CTI aims to transforms career and technical education schools across the state to become ‘career technical institutes’ that run three shifts a day for skill-building programs in the trades, construction, and manufacturing career pathways. The latest $24.2 million awarded focuses on job training for adult learners participating in the evening hours, or third shift.

Lauren Jones

Lauren Jones

“By leveraging available resources at career and technical education schools across Massachusetts, we are opening more opportunities to help train and prepare untapped talent for current workforce demands.”

“By leveraging available resources at career and technical education schools across Massachusetts, we are opening more opportunities to help train and prepare untapped talent for current workforce demands,” Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones said. “This program is a great example of the collaborative efforts needed to build our workforce. We appreciate the partnership with career and technical education schools, MassHire Regional Workforce Boards and career centers, businesses, and labor for paving the way for more job seekers to gain meaningful skills and employment in Massachusetts.”

Three of the awards involve schools in Western Mass.:

• Franklin County Technical School in Turners Falls will receive $2,219,375 to provide training to 216 participants for auto tech, building maintenance, carpentry, electrical, horticulture, plumbing, and welding positions.

The school will partner with Ames Electrical Consulting, National Grid, Crocker Electrical Services, Indie Automotive, Harrison Diesel Solutions, Cherry Rum Automotive, Built for the East Offroad, Grass Roots Landscaping LLC, Pioneer Gardens Inc., Snow & Sons Landscaping, Sugarloaf Gardens, Champion Tree and Lawn Care, Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Doyle Properties, Ironworkers Local 7, Winchester Precision Technologies, SMART Local #63 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center, Sheet Metal Workers Local 63, Sandri Energy, Mike Woodard Plumbing, Carpenters Local 336 North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, Mowry & Schmidt Inc., Fine Line Builders, Neal Leno Carpentry, Ron Grogan Homebuilder, and Salmon Falls Builders.

• Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School in Palmer will receive $730,000 to provide training to 72 participants for CNC Machine operator, electrician, and plumbing positions. It will partner with Viant, Sanderson MacLeod, Knight Machine, B&R Machine, IMI Adaptas, Noonan Energy, NBE, KACO, PVE, EWS, and Aquarius.

• Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School in Northampton will receive $479,998 to provide training to 60 participants for culinary arts positions. It will partner with Snapchef, Tosca, Smith College Dining Services, Atkins Farms, River Valley Co-Op, Pete’s Sweets, Ana Bandeira Chocolates, and Hungry Ghost Bread.

“With this investment in career technical education, we are creating more pathways for adult learners to gain the skills and experience needed to enter high-demand industries like the trades, construction, and manufacturing,” Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler said. “I’m grateful to our schools and employer partners whose collaboration is helping to expand access to career-connected learning and grow our state’s workforce.”

Added Tom Hooper, vice president of Sector Strategies at Commonwealth Corp., “vocational schools across Massachusetts continue to be the backbone of the Career Technical Initiative, delivering hands-on, high-quality training in critical industries like construction, manufacturing, and the skilled trades. Their leadership and commitment are essential to building the talent pipelines our workforce needs to thrive.”

Consider These Common Myths That Get Employers Sued

By Contributor
Law Special Coverage

Can I Fire Someone for That?

By Michael Lewis, Esq.

Employers regularly wonder: “can I fire someone for that?” You might assume the answer is simple, especially in an at-will state like Massachusetts. But the reality is more complex. Missteps can land your business in court. Here’s how to avoid them and keep your company focused on growth, not litigation.

 

Myth: At-will Means Any Reason Goes

At-will employment allows termination without contractual cause. Yet, anti-discrimination laws and retaliation protections still apply. Even a valid reason, like poor performance, becomes risky if the employee recently complained about harassment, requested an accommodation, or reported a safety issue. Terminating soon after a complaint invites legal trouble.

For example, you want to fire Sarah for repeated tardiness. But what if she reported sexual harassment a few weeks earlier? Timing alone can create exposure. So document performance issues as they arise.

Also, check if the employee recently returned from Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) or Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). A Springfield auto repair shop faced a claim after firing a worker the day after he returned from PFML to care for his newborn. The company blamed tardiness, but the timing triggered months of legal headaches.

Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis

“At-will employment allows termination without contractual cause. Yet, anti-discrimination laws and retaliation protections still apply. Even a valid reason, like poor performance, becomes risky if the employee recently complained about harassment, requested an accommodation, or reported a safety issue.”

Myth: No Documentation Needed

Some employers assume that no paperwork is necessary under at-will rules. That approach creates unnecessary risk. Without records, even lawful firings appear questionable. Weak evidence damages credibility.

Imagine Tom, a low performer who never received formal feedback. If you fire him after years of positive reviews, expect scrutiny. Always provide timely written warnings and accurate performance evaluations. Keep emails, attendance records, and coaching notes. Would your records persuade a jury that the termination was justified?

 

Myth: We Treated Everyone Fairly

Fair treatment requires consistency. If one employee is fired and another is only warned for the same violation, questions follow.

Consider two salespeople, Mike and Jose, both caught inflating sales numbers. Mike receives a warning. Jose gets fired. If Jose claims racial bias, inconsistent discipline strengthens his argument. Review prior disciplinary decisions. Can you show a clear record of equal treatment?

 

Myth: We Can Share the Reason Widely

Managers sometimes explain a termination too broadly, believing transparency protects the company. In reality, public disclosure creates legal risk.

An employee fired for theft sued his employer after leadership announced it to the entire staff. Even truthful statements, shared excessively or with ill will, can spark defamation claims. A local example: a Chicopee retailer emailed all employees, naming a worker fired for alleged cash shortages. That email became exhibit A in court. Limit disclosure to those who truly need to know.

 

Avoiding Retaliation Claims

Retaliation is the most common Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claim. Firing someone after they complain about discrimination, request leave, or raise pay concerns often leads to lawsuits. Subtle actions can count, too — cutting hours, assigning undesirable shifts, or excluding them from meetings.

Did Lisa report a wage issue last week? If she now gets the worst shifts, her attorney will call it punishment. Train managers to pause and ask: “does this look like payback?” In one Springfield restaurant, a server who complained about tips was fired days later for “attitude.” The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination viewed the timing as retaliation, and the case settled quickly.

 

Managing the Termination Meeting Professionally

How you fire someone matters. Keep the meeting short and calm. Speak plainly. Avoid debate. Bring a neutral witness, usually HR. Disable system access and collect company property immediately. For remote workers, coordinate IT to end access during the call.

Have you prepared your team to stay composed when an employee gets angry or upset? A concise, professional exit reduces emotion and litigation risk.

“You can prevent most legal problems with proactive steps. Train managers to document consistently. Encourage employees to raise concerns early, and respond appropriately when they do.”

Reducing Risks Before They Occur

You can prevent most legal problems with proactive steps. Train managers to document consistently. Encourage employees to raise concerns early, and respond appropriately when they do.

Also, follow Massachusetts requirements: final wages and accrued vacation must be paid promptly, sometimes the same day. Missing or delaying a payment can trigger penalties. Review whether your managers apply standards uniformly. Track disciplinary trends by department or supervisor. In one Holyoke warehouse, inconsistent discipline across shifts led to multiple claims that could have been avoided with routine audits.

 

Quick Pre-termination Checklist

• Document the issue in writing.

• Confirm whether the employee recently exercised protected rights (complaint, FMLA, PFML, workers’ compensation).

• Ensure similar cases were handled consistently.

• Complete a fair investigation and allow the employee to respond.

• Prepare final pay and unused vacation in compliance with Massachusetts law.

 

Bottom Line

Employee terminations happen. Legal trouble does not have to. Careful documentation, consistent actions, and thoughtful communication protect your business. Before acting, stop and ask: “have we done this right?”

Taking these steps helps you confidently answer, “can I fire someone for that?” That answer should never rest on guesswork.

 

Michael Lewis is an attorney at the Royal Law Firm who helps employers resolve workplace challenges. He counsels and defends businesses across Massachusetts and Connecticut, handling matters involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour claims, restrictive covenants, and breach of contract. His practice includes litigation in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies.

Lindsay LaBonte Wants to Help Clients — and the Community — Thrive

By
Lindsay LaBonte
Special Coverage Women in Businesss

Lessons Learned at Home

Lindsay LaBonte

 

Lindsay LaBonte recalls how she felt growing up, watching her father, who owned an independent mortgage broker company, help people get into homes.

“He always came home from work so satisfied with being able to help people reach the American dream and own a house,” she said, adding that she decided early on that she wanted to do the same. “I knew I had to go to school and get that done, but I really wanted to work. So when I was 16, I started as an intern with him, and the rest is history. I worked my way up, got licensed as a loan officer, happened to be good at it — and I enjoy it.”

These days, LaBonte enjoys that work as branch manager of the Applied Mortgage team at the Northampton branch of HMA Mortgage, the most recent national company Applied Mortgage has been affiliated with.

“We’ve had different parent companies. In the mortgage world, it’s a franchise model, where branches often run as a team name and feed up to a larger parent company,” she explained. “So we’ve had different parent companies over the decades, but always the same Northampton-based Applied Mortgage team.”

Her father entered the business in 1987, and LaBonte’s success over the past two decades — she’s one of the top loan originators in Western Mass. — has turned this family success story into a multi-generational one.

“For people who are buying a home, no one’s process is the same as the next person because everybody’s got different goals, different financials. We take those goals and financials and put them together, figure out the mortgage that’s going to work, and get them into that home.”

“A lot of family businesses don’t work out, but I’m really fortunate — my dad is an awesome dad, an awesome mentor, an awesome boss at the time. I ended up being his boss. Now he’s retired, so it’s been a good run.”

That run continues with LaBonte and her team serving a variety of clients in Western Mass.; the business is licensed in more than 30 states, but about 99% of its business is centered in Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties.

The focus is residential mortgages, she explained — purchases, refinances, and renovations of primary or second homes, and some clients who rent out homes as entrepreneurial enterprises. About a third of her clients are first-time homebuyers, while the rest are either upsizing, downsizing, repeat buying, or renovating.

With that volume of clients navigating the process for the first time, LaBonte said strategic planning and financial education are important parts of what Applied Mortgage brings to the table.

“What I love the most, at least professionally, is getting to meet with and speak to people from all different walks of life,” she said. “For people who are buying a home, no one’s process is the same as the next person because everybody’s got different goals, different financials. We take those goals and financials and put them together, figure out the mortgage that’s going to work, and get them into that home.”

For this issue’s focus on women in business, BusinessWest sat down with LaBonte for a wide-ranging talk about the mortgage business, why she enjoys it, and how she connects with the community in a number of different ways.

 

Sharing the Love

It’s called Local Love Days.

That’s a program recently created by Applied Mortgage as a way to give back and support local businesses. On select days, the team will partner with local small businesses and invite the community to stop by, explore what they offer, and show their support. To spark participation, Applied Mortgage will cover the cost of a small thank-you item, such as a coupon for the first set of shoppers, a free drink or appetizer, or another offering tailored to the partner business.

Lindsay LaBonte (center) with HMA Mortgage colleagues

Lindsay LaBonte (center) with HMA Mortgage colleagues Bob Petrelli (left) and Jess LaMothe.

“We’ve always, throughout the years, supported nonprofit organizations,” LaBonte said. But at the same time, “we’ve got a lot of business owners we work with. So, while we want to continue to give back to the nonprofit sector, I was trying to brainstorm, how do we directly impact and help businesses?

“If if we’ve got a network of about 10,000 to 15,000 homeowners that we’ve helped over the last 35 years, how can I mobilize those people to come out and support businesses and also give them a cool incentive or coupon or something? So the Local Love Days really came from trying to tie that all in together,” she went on.

“We’re selecting some businesses to partner with and having a day where maybe the first 50 people get a free donut on Tuesday morning at such and such donut shop, or maybe something at a happy hour at a bar, or a free yoga class. We’re trying to span the three counties that we work in, span all different types of restaurants and retail, and use this as an opportunity to mobilize our network and help connect people and bring them out to support businesses.”

As she noted, the company supports dozens of nonprofits as well through volunteerism and philanthropy, and LaBonte also serves on a number of local boards. That, like her business goals, was partly due to her father’s influence.

“I think my dad was maybe a little ahead of his time, starting in the ’80s, being in a mortgage company and raising his hand for corporate social responsibility. We’ve always had that ingrained in our core values. And I picked that up from him when I started.

Lindsay LaBonte

Lindsay LaBonte

“I think my dad was maybe a little ahead of his time, starting in the ’80s, being in a mortgage company and raising his hand for corporate social responsibility. We’ve always had that ingrained in our core values. And I picked that up from him when I started.”

“He said, ‘you’ve got to get out there,’” she added. “So part of it was business networking, and another part of it was, what do you want to support? In the financial world, we’re in a spot where we can financially support causes, as well as volunteering and lending our expertise.”

As for that volunteering, LaBonte — now the mother of two kids, ages 4 and 3 — has had to learn how to balance work, family, and her passion for the community.

“I got engaged with some of the local young professional organizations originally, and it kind of grew from there. I was probably 20 at the time that I served on my first committee, and once you raise your hand as a young professional, you get pulled by a lot of different organizations. So most recently, it’s been figuring out where it makes sense and learning how to not say yes to everybody, even though it’s really hard to do that.”

That said, she finds as much time for all of it as she can, and laughed when asked what her typical day is like.

“Typical is not really in my vocabulary anymore. It used to be,” she said, noting that she was “very type A” at one time, but having young kids changed that.

“About 10% of our homeowners actually are entrepreneurs. And a lot of my time is speaking with other entrepreneurs, business owners right here in the Pioneer Valley. And we do a lot of work with nonprofit organizations, giving back to over 30 organizations a year. So my day kind of bounces between actually working on mortgages to just meeting and networking with folks, and then also doing a lot of the community support that we get to do.”

 

Changes and Challenges

LaBonte said the mortgage field has changed in some ways, especially through new technology, which now incorporates everything from electronic portals to share information to clients using FaceTime to view houses.

“There’s just so much more video and photography and text messaging and all these different aspects. I think that’s the biggest change. And what we always try to do is use technology and social media and all those other support tools to enhance relationships rather than to replace the relationship.”

Of course, the biggest challenge for clients these days is the fact that home values have soared, inventory is tight in most areas, and mortgage rates are higher than they have been in the recent past.

“I was just speaking with somebody earlier this week, and they said, ‘wow, this just isn’t my mom’s housing market.’ I’m like, I need to make a T-shirt that says that. Because it’s hard, right? I mean, where do you typically go for your advice? Probably your parents or close friends or someone else who bought a house five or 10 years ago. And really, in the last five years, there’s been a big switch.

“It’s attainable for some people, but not for everybody. And it’s less affordable to buy a house than it has been,” she went on. “So we’ve always incorporated an element of education into everything we do. I always tell people, it’s never too soon to contact us to just start making a plan.”

For many clients, especially first-time homebuyers, that’s crucial, LaBonte added.

“There’s not really financial 101 kind of stuff in schools. Sometimes, when we’re talking to people, it’s their first time ever seeing their credit score or really sitting down and making a budget. So we have those conversations that are just a base plan, all the way up to people who own five, six, seven investment properties, and they’re trying to figure out how to structure things to make their next move. So it can be basic or intricate.

“We consider ourselves their debt advisors,” she went on. “Financial advisors are managing the assets, and we’re trying to figure out how do you best structure this debt? Because a mortgage is usually attached to somebody’s biggest asset, but it’s probably their biggest debt, and they’ve got to be able to pay it, and it’s got to make sense and be comfortable.”

That’s another quality she said she absorbed from the way her father conducted business.

“I learned from my dad originally to give people the time of day, to sit down with them, meet them where they are, and just help them. And I think, through that mindset, we get repeat customers. People who worked with my dad before send their kids, even their grandkids now. And it’s really wonderful.

“It’s a great community,” she added. “We’re really fortunate to have a community that values supporting local folks. And we just stick to that mission of just doing good. Good business begets good business. And it just grows from there.”

Like her father, LaBonte is gratified when she comes home having helped someone secure a home in a region she’s clearly passionate about.

“I always ask homeowners, because I am curious, ‘why now? Why are you moving here? What’s the draw?’ And mostly what I hear is we kind of have the perfect area,” she told BusinessWest. “We have the Five Colleges system. We have great public schools. We have great hospitals. We have all these little downtown areas with great retail, great restaurants. People value that. Plus we have a good environment for hiking, biking, whatever outdoor activities that people like.

“So I do think it’s really a perfect landing place for a lot of folks,” she went on. “And that makes it trickier with our low supply and high demand of housing inventory. But that’s a whole other conversation.”

 

Success Stories

LaBonte has been a Banker & Tradesman top loan originator across the four Western Mass. counties for eight consecutive years, has been named among Scotsman Guide’s top 1% women originators nationally, and was featured in Mortgage Banking’s Powerful Women in Mortgage Banking in 2022.

“I think, when it comes down to it, those are just accolades, right? she said. “It’s the actual people that we’re helping who motivate me — making sure that we’re actually serving people’s best interests.”

When LaBonte was named to BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2018, she was asked what three words best describe her, and she replied, “goal-oriented, efficient, planner” — and judging from the recognition from the publications noted above, those traits have certainly served her well.

But she’s also personally evolved quite a bit since 2018.

“What’s that, seven years ago? That was before I was married, before kids, before I was actually managing my own group. My mindset was so much more individual — and you can see that in the words that I picked.

“So yes, I think that foundation definitely got me here, but I think I’ve also learned a lot more empathy and sympathy and leadership skills and everything else since then,” she went on. “And I have such an awesome team now. I’m thankful for that. So I think now it would be a lot more team-oriented.”

She’s also more grateful for each individual client success.

“It’s harder now, and it’s not just helping people get to the finish line of owning the home —that’s really the starting line. It’s everything we do after that to support people and the conversations we have and making sure that they’re continuously able to stay in their home. It’s got to be one of the coolest jobs.”

Anna Cook, Heidi Flanders Lead with Integrity

By
Anna Cook (left) and Heidi Flanders
Home Improvement Special Coverage

Nailing It

Anna Cook (left) and Heidi Flanders

Anna Cook (left) and Heidi Flanders

 

 

Both Heidi Flanders and Anna Cook described it as the best alternative to having to look for work.

That was their somewhat tongue-in-cheek way of explaining how and why they became co-owners of Integrity Development & Construction, a design-build firm based in North Amherst. Only they weren’t kidding.

It was 2012, and then-owner Peter Jessop was looking to retire, and was either going to find a buyer — preferably from among his staff — or close the doors, recalled Flanders, adding that she and Cook decided to step in and take that giant step from being employee to employer.

Beyond fear and loathing of the job market, there were other reasons for wanting to take that entrepreneurial leap of faith, primarily a comfort level with the business, the staff, the course the venture was on, and, especially, each other.

“We worked really well together as colleagues,” said Cook, co-owner and project manager, who started at Integrity as an unpaid intern from UMass Amherst in 2002. “By 2012, she was the only designer, I was the only project manager; we felt like the two of us were working hand-in-hand on every project.”

Flanders, co-owner and designer, agreed. She came to Integrity as a designer in 2008 and worked closely with Cook as the company weathered the Great Recession — becoming smaller and leaner in the process — and rebuilt from there. “We partnered up because we felt we were burning the midnight oil together anyway; we decided we’d rather do that than try to find jobs.”

“We partnered up because we felt we were burning the midnight oil together anyway; we decided we’d rather do that than try to find jobs.”

Over the past 13 years, they have kept Integrity on a course of steady growth, building a deep portfolio of residential, commercial, and institutional work that effectively conveys the diversity that has enabled it to withstand several downturns in the economy and other recent challenges ranging from workforce shortages to price and supply chain issues.

“We do a little bit of everything,” Flanders said. “That really helped us survive when commercial work was drying up; we could shift to other things.”

On the residential side, the company handles everything from new home design and construction to kitchen remodels; from porch, deck, and garage additions to aging-in-place design. On the commercial side, it specializes in office renovations, commercial storefront improvements, new office building design and construction, and more.

This Colonial home in Conway is one of many recent additions to the Integrity portfolio.

This Colonial home in Conway is one of many recent additions to the Integrity portfolio.

The kitchen in that new home in Conway.

The kitchen in that new home in Conway.

There is still demand for work in pretty much all those categories, said the partners, adding quickly that the unsettled nature of the economy and widespread uncertainty about what comes next has some clients, on both the residential and commercial sides, pumping the brakes.

“We’ll have a preliminary conversation with someone, and then they’ll come back to us and say, ‘we just want to let the dust settle for a few months — we’re not sure about the state of the economy,’” said Cook, adding that some who once thought their jobs were stable are now not quite so sure, especially in the higher education sector, which dominates the firm’s primary coverage area.

But, overall, the company has a considerable amount of work on the books, said Flanders, adding that 2024 was a very solid year, 2025 has been strong to date, and the simple plan moving forward is to continue building on solid word-of-mouth referrals and a pattern of smart growth.

“Our goal over the past 13 years has been to grow steadily — we don’t want to see large peaks and valleys in that growth,” she went on. “And we want to continue on that path moving forward.”

For this issue and its focus on home improvement, we talked at length with Flanders and Cook about what they’re building — both in the field and with their company — and where they want to take this venture.

 

Solid Foundation

Flanders told BusinessWest that her mother has run a mom-and-pop store for decades, and she learned a lot from her about all that’s involved with owning a business.

“I’ve watched her work every day, 12 hours a day, 364 days a year, so I know what it takes to go into something like that,” she told BusinessWest. “That piece of this — knowing that I would be working long hours and knowing that I would be doing just about anything on any given day — didn’t scare me.”

It didn’t scare Cook, either, which explains their willingness to take a risk in 2012 to acquire Integrity from Jessop, who would stay with the company in a type of advisor and mentor role for several years.

But they didn’t consider it a huge risk because of the solid foundation they, Jessop, and the rest of the team had built, and confidence in themselves.

There were some learning curves along the way, especially on the accounting and HR sides of the ledger, as there are with almost all small business owners, and COVID proved to be an anxiety-filled time. But the two knew the business and what it took to continue that pattern of steady growth, and they’ve been hitting their targets since taking ownership.

As for the current and recent portfolio, it includes, as noted earlier, projects across a wide spectrum, with most work undertaken in Amherst and surrounding communities, including Belchertown, Northampton, Conway, and others.

On the commercial side, the project list includes a law office renovation, a dental office, the Trolley Barn in North Amherst, some historic preservation work at Amherst College, as well as an intriguing project to convert a two-family home into a veterinary hospital in Turners Falls.

On the residential side, the company handles new home construction, both custom and modular homes, and has tackled many of both across the region. The bulk of its residential work, though, is renovations and additions, from one or two rooms to an entire house, as well as energy retrofits, which are in demand as area residents look to pare their energy costs by becoming more efficient and ‘green.’

“We’ll do as little as replacing a few windows and as much as the whole house, top to bottom,” said Cook, adding that the commercial side is dominated by small to mid-size projects, many of them renovations and fit-outs.

“There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty about pricing — questions about what’s happening with tariffs and how that will affect a project. The future is unknown.”

The residential side of the ledger is generally a mixed bag, with some new construction, but a great deal of work involving improvements to existing homes, noted Flanders, adding that many recent projects involve helping people stay in their homes as they age.

“We do get a good number of calls from Baby Boomers who are trying to stay in their homes,” she told BusinessWest. “They don’t want to wind up in a nursing home, so they’re proactive now to improve the home to ensure that they can stay in it long-term.”

Conversely, the firm is getting more calls from younger people who want to renovate or build an addition to a home to accommodate an aging parent.

Indeed, as more communities pass measures permitting in-law apartments, there has been a big uptick in interest in such accommodations, said the partners, adding that there is a learning curve for clients, especially with all that’s involved — and the price tag — with such facilities.

“There’s a big disconnect concerning this,” Cook said. “If we’re building a two-bedroom, one- or two-bath, small, detached space … for us, that’s a whole house; it needs all the things a house needs. But mentally, people think of this as an accessory to their house, so there’s a learning curve on the cost of things.”

 

Building Momentum

While work is steady and the pipeline is full of projects, there are challenges, said the partners, starting with some anxiety concerning the economy in general and prices for materials in particular.

“There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty about pricing — questions about what’s happening with tariffs and how that will affect a project,” Cook said. “The future is unknown.”

Flanders agreed, noting that there have been recent issues with price and availability of fixtures and other items due to tariffs on specific metals.

Meanwhile, there’s the economy and uncertainty about the future, especially in sectors like higher education, they noted, adding that, while it’s generally good to be based in a college town — or the Five College area, as the case may be — current conditions are not the norm.

“People are worried that jobs that were once considered stable may not be so stable anymore,” she noted. “If you’re on soft money and your grant got clawed back and your position is now in question, you may not want to go ahead with a project.”

Then are lingering workforce issues affecting the entire construction sector, said the partners, adding that, as long-time staff members retire — and several of them have in recent years — replacing them is becoming increasingly challenging.

And workforce is an issue at a company that self-performs much of its work as opposed to construction managing and subbing the work out to others, as Cook explained.

“We self-perform everything from demo to framing to painting, and we do that for quality control,” she noted. “We could sub things out more, and we could then do more projects and increase our capacity, but we feel like we would lose a handle on the quality. So the side effect of that is that we have to schedule things out a little farther.

“We want to staff the project with capable, skilled carpenters and the right helpers with them,” she went on, adding that staffers often get to work on a project from start to finish, rather than just take a small segment of the work.

Flanders noted the firm works with two schools — Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School and South Hadley High School — that have co-op programs, and they have introduced dozens of students to the field through those initiatives and gained several employees in the process.

“It’s proven to be a good pipeline … we currently have four current carpenters on our staff that have come through those programs over the years,” she noted, adding that, overall, finding skilled labor has been a stern challenge in recent years.

“We often joke here … where did the 30- to 50-year-olds go? We don’t know — they’re disappearing,” she said. “Getting people who actually have experience is pretty challenging. We’ve found a few over the past few years, which is great, but it’s few and far between.”

And workforce plays a huge role in both long-term plans for continued growth and shorter-term efforts to slot in a broad mix of projects large, small, and in between.

“We have a full pipeline of projects,” said Flanders, noting that some of these initiatives have been in the discussion stage for months or even years, and others just a few days or weeks, and they’re handled as quickly as workforce, materials, and other factors will allow. “Some people take their time and don’t move as fast; other people move fast, and then we have a backlog.”

Cook concurred. “Because we’re in a college town, we call it our ‘rolling admissions policy,’” she said. “When you’re ready to send the contract, you get the next spot on the schedule.”

To continue this use of higher-ed terminology, it’s fair to say Cook and Flanders have more than made the grade as business owners and key players in this challenging industry.

Westfield Finds Ways to Raise Its Profile

By
Mayor Michael McCabe
Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

Mayor Michael McCabe

Mayor Michael McCabe says it’s important to expand the tax rolls with both new businesses and housing growth.

Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe is a believer in business growth — specifically, bringing new businesses to the city to boost the tax base and general vibrancy. But for every opportunity, there’s a challenge.

For example, “how do we balance the environment with new growth? Our north side pretty much all sits above an aquifer system, which has caused us some angst because most of the land that we have for economic development and growth is on the north side.

“So if you’re trying to be respectful of your aquifer and at the same time trying to figure out how you get new growth, it’s an interesting scenario,” he went on. “As you know, new growth is one of the things that actually funds the city. It’s where you get new tax revenue from, so you don’t have to tax your residents more.”

“Elm Street Plaza has really worked out beyond our expectations.”

That said, while this city — the region’s fourth-most populous and one of the largest geographically in the state — has seen new businesses lay down roots, from several new restaurants downtown to industrial businesses on the north side, what’s been happening at the municipal level has made the biggest news lately, including:

• The completion of the five-year Cowles Bridge replacement project on Routes 10 and 202, which should be finished by Sept. 25;

• A planned reimagining and redesign of Mass Pike exit 41 — funded by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation — that aims create a more motorist- and resident-friendly traffic pattern involving three roundabouts;

• A coming new Police Department headquarters on Union Street, expected to be open by the end of 2027; and

• Elm Street Plaza, a gathering and performance space that has not only drawn both city residents and visitors to Westfield’s downtown for events, but opened up much-needed parking for retail shop and restaurant owners;

“Elm Street Plaza has really worked out beyond our expectations,” McCabe said, “with the amount of events and the amount of use it gets, and the amount of free parking it has, so merchants can have customers in and out who don’t have to worry about trying to find parking.”

That development has coincided with a number of new restaurants downtown, offering culinary diversity to the central district, he added.

“If you’re looking for something to eat and you don’t want traditional America cuisine, you have Spanish, you have Italian, you have Turkish, you have Ukrainian, you have Slavic, you have Polish, you have Vietnamese … I mean, you have a pretty eclectic mix, all within a tenth of a mile.”

Amanda Waterfield

Amanda Waterfield says events in Westfield, from Friday night concerts to Starfires games, have a multiplier effect when visitors stay in the city to eat and drink.

The downtown will also play host to a welcome-back party for Westfield State University students, one way the city is trying to connect the school to its downtown, McCabe added. “I think there’s a realization that vibrancy begins with people walking around downtown.”

Amanda Waterfield, who has been executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce for just over two years, echoed the mayor’s focus on hospitality businesses, noting that the chamber is planning a Restaurant Week this Nov. 4-9, featuring menu specials, unique promos, and other activities aimed at raising the profile of participating eateries just before the start of the holiday retail season.

Noting about 70 restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, and other culinary businesses in Westfield and Southwick, Waterfield said she’d like to see at least a third of them participate, and then grow the event from there in subsequent years.

“And I really would like to reach out beyond Westfield,” she added. “I’d like everybody in the Valley to think of Westfield as a destination.”

 

On the Right Track

Westfield Gas & Electric (WG&E) adopts the same philosophy on the importance of growth, which partly explains its launch, a decade ago, of Whip City Fiber, which has now completed wiring the entire city for high-speed internet, and also serves 23 other communities, including the region’s hilltowns as well as East Longmeadow and, most recently, West Springfield, where it has begun to build out infrastructure.

That has brought in significant revenue, and the WG&E is using some of it — $15 million over 15 years, in fact — to pay the city’s bond (with interest) for an $11 million athletic complex at Westfield High School, which broke ground last month.

“My overall goal is to see downtown thrive. Restaurants are a wonderful draw, but we need more than just restaurants. We need more things for people to do when they come into town. I’d love there to be a little more retail to draw folks in and keep their dollars local.”

“It’s a stadium with a full collegiate track, lights, and turf fields,” said Tom Flaherty, general manager of WG&E, noting that the field will be used for football, men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse, field hockey, and more, while a second multi-purpose field, without lights, is being developed behind the school for overflow events; the softball field is being turfed as well.

“We’re really planning for the future with something all of Westfield can use — people of all ages, including senior citizens, who can walk on the track at night safely,” he noted. “I see that all the time in Southwick; a great deal of people use the track they put in about 10 years ago.”

In addition, Flaherty noted, “the fields are for everyone, from youth soccer and youth football all the way to potentially having a revenue stream for the school athletic department by leasing it out to private club teams.”

Westfield Gas & Electric

Westfield Gas & Electric hosted a groundbreaking last month for an $11 million athletic complex at Westfield High School.

McCabe agreed that the benefits of the project are many, and would include the potential of hosting regional tournaments on both the high school and collegiate levels, possibly working with Westfield State University — all of which would bring more visitors to the city, in the same way the Westfield Starfires, now winding down their seventh season of play in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, or the city’s 14 municipal pickleball courts, have done.

“The greater the exposure to Westfield, the greater commerce there is in the city,” the mayor added. “And it’s not all Westfield residents. People will stop by one of the cafés downtown, or have a drink with their friends afterward, and all of those things are very good, obviously, for the city. So that’s what we’re trying to embrace.”

Waterfield added that Elm Street Plaza has enhanced Westfield’s visibility as a cultural focal point; in fact, the city received a Massachusetts Cultural Council designation last fall.

That’s important, she said, because it brings in marketing dollars to organizations working collectively to raise the city’s profile. For example, an organization called Artworks Westfield puts on eight Friday nights concerts at the plaza during the summer, all free to the public.

Westfield at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1669
Population: 40,834
Area: 47.4 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $15.18
Commercial Tax Rate: $29.17
Median Household Income: $45,240
Median Family Income: $55,327
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Westfield State University, Baystate Noble Hospital, Mestek Inc., Savage Arms Inc., Advance Manufacturing Co.
* Latest information available

“Those seem to be drawing folks in,” she said. “It’s just a good time on a Friday night — bring your lawn chair, there’s food trucks, there’s beer trucks. It’s very family-friendly. I see people with their dogs.”

The prevailing theme with many of these efforts is to get people to notice Westfield — and come back.

“I think if you’re from Westfield, you know what we have to offer here. There’s a lot here,” Waterfield said. “But people might think, ‘I’m from Longmeadow; am I going to make the trek to Westfield?’ Well, yes, actually, you should. You know, come on Thursday to the farmers market and then stay for dinner. Come on Friday and have dinner beforehand and then go to a concert. Go see a baseball game.”

What visitors find, she added, is that Westfield has numerous important elements that contribute to a robust community, from Westfield State University to Baystate Noble Hospital to Barnes Municipal Airport (and the Air National Guard’s 104th Tactical Fighter Group, which recently procured new F-35 fighter jets) to a river and a rail trail.

In addition, “I’m encouraged by the lack of crime downtown, which is wonderful,” she said. “And I give the big businesses downtown credit for being here. The banks, the Gas & Electric, they don’t have to be downtown, but they choose to support the community by having a really visible, meaningful presence here.”

McCabe also praised the Police Department’s work, not only in crime prevention, but being visible to residents, just one more factor in why Westfield has a strong housing market.

“People want to live here,” the mayor said, but, like virtually every town in Western Mass., Westfield needs more housing stock. “We’ve looked at two spaces on the north side for multi-use housing, and we’re hopeful that we were going to see some help from the state in terms of grant funding from the Massachusetts Housing and Livable Communities office.”

 

Local Focus

Waterfield said she’s made progress in her goal to engage more businesses with the chamber; membership was under 200 when she came on board, but is at 258 now, and her goal is 275 by year’s end.

“That’s partly what I hope Restaurant Week will do, give community members an idea that the chamber is here to support the businesses and ultimately improve the state of living in the city.”

She and her team also updated the chamber’s strategic plan last year, and moving the chamber offices to a downtown storefront has been a plus as well.

“My overall goal is to see downtown thrive. Restaurants are a wonderful draw, but we need more than just restaurants. We need more things for people to do when they come into town. I’d love there to be a little more retail to draw folks in and keep their dollars local,” she told BusinessWest.

The mayor was quick to run down why people might want to move to Westfield, from the ones already mentioned — the university, the community hospital — to recreation opportunities.

“We have Stanley Park, which is 225 acres of preserve. And there are plenty of venues to go to now where the kids can play. The parks have been brought back up to speed to where they’re supposed to be. Our municipal parks have pickleball and tennis courts and baseball fields and softball fields.

“And we have good service organizations — the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield do phenomenal work,” he added. “So I think we’re doing pretty well.”

Pilot Program Expands Access to AI Opportunities in Classrooms

By
Educators gather at the professional development kickoff at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative campus in Westborough.
Education

Leading the Way

Educators gather at the professional development kickoff at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative campus in Westborough.

Educators gather at the professional development kickoff at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative campus in Westborough.

The Healey-Driscoll administration recently partnered with Project Lead The Way (PLTW) to launch Future Ready: AI in the Classroom. Through a $135,000 investment, this professional development pilot will support teachers in 45 classrooms, estimating to reach more than 1,600 students, and is designed to provide high school educators with the tools, knowledge, network to bring artificial intelligence (AI) into their classrooms.

This experience is jointly funded through the administration’s STEM Advisory Council and the Massachusetts AI Hub and will be administered by PLTW. Organizers say this pilot marks an important step in expanding access to AI learning opportunities for students and educators across the state.

“Massachusetts has long been a global leader in both technological innovation and education,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “With this pilot, we are building on that success, providing our teachers with the skills and tools so they can support the next generation and ensure Massachusetts remains a global leader in applied AI.”

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll added that “our administration knows AI is a transformative technology that is already reshaping how we live and learn. Through this pilot, we’re giving educators the foundation they need to navigate this new era with confidence, fueling workforce readiness and expanding opportunity for students.”

This year-long, 50-hour professional development experience kicked off at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative campus in Westborough, where participants engaged in curriculum design workshops, peer collaboration sessions, and targeted mini-trainings. This first experience aimed to create a professional learning community that fosters innovation and shared best practices. The program introduced educators to the fundamentals of AI, explored ethical and responsible classroom applications, and facilitated ongoing collaboration with industry experts and peers throughout the academic year.

“As a former teacher, I know how important professional development is, especially in an ever-changing world. This pilot helps turn possibility into practice,” Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler said. “By investing in our educators and grounding their work in ethical, real-world AI applications, we’re making sure our students are not just consumers of technology, but future leaders in it.”

Interim Secretary of Economic Development Ashley Stolba added that “Massachusetts is uniquely positioned to lead in the responsible and innovative use of artificial intelligence. This pilot reflects our forward-looking approach, aligned with the vision of the Massachusetts AI Hub. By investing in educators today, we ensure our students are prepared to shape the innovations of tomorrow. Supporting this kind of early, hands-on learning helps build the talent pipeline that will drive our future economy.”

Technology Services and Security Secretary Jason Snyder related how, as a young student interested in computer science, having passionate and experienced teachers as mentors was transformational. “This pilot helps ensure that our next generation of students in Massachusetts learn the fundamentals of data and AI literacy, and that our educators are empowered to lead with confidence and instill emerging technology proactively, in classrooms all over the state.”

“Through this pilot, we’re giving educators the foundation they need to navigate this new era with confidence, fueling workforce readiness and expanding opportunity for students.”

The pilot is a cornerstone of the Massachusetts AI Hub’s mission to position the state as a global leader in applied and ethical AI. Future Ready: AI in the Classroom is the first in a series of educator-focused initiatives aligned with the Hub’s education and workforce development strategy, ensuring that students across Massachusetts are not only prepared for the future of innovation, but are actively shaping it. The pilot program also advances the goals of the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council by strengthening STEM education and supporting educators with a network of STEM resources.

“Artificial intelligence has the potential to expand access to information and unlock new learning opportunities for students across Massachusetts,” Massachusetts AI Hub Executive Director Sabrina Mansur said. “With this pilot program, our state will be able to empower teachers to incorporate the benefits of AI in student education. Ultimately, our goal is to create a strong pipeline of talent who understand how to use AI to build a stronger economy.”

David Dimmett, president and CEO of PLTW, noted that “we believe in empowering students to become the innovators and problem solvers of tomorrow. This partnership with Massachusetts represents exactly the kind of forward-thinking approach we need to prepare educators and students for an AI-driven future. By providing teachers with hands-on, project-based AI learning experiences, we’re ensuring that students don’t just understand artificial intelligence — they learn to harness it as a tool for creativity and innovation. This pilot will serve as a model for how we can scale AI literacy across the U.S.”

The launch of the pilot reflects a broader, coordinated effort across Massachusetts state government to harness AI’s potential in a way that is forward-thinking, inclusive, and impactful. It follows the work of the Massachusetts AI Strategic Task Force, established by Healey in 2024 to chart a path for AI adoption, talent development, and economic growth. The task force’s recommendations directly informed the creation of the AI Hub and highlighted the need for strong partnerships between government, industry, and academia. The administration also invested $100 million through the Mass Leads Act to support AI innovation at scale and strengthen Massachusetts’ global leadership in AI.

In K-12 education specifically, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is also leading efforts to support educators as access to AI increases. Through a partnership with the International Society for Technology in Education and the Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development, DESE convened a K-12 AI task force focused on developing recommendations to support school communities in their use of AI. This task force produced a multi-year AI roadmap focused on AI literacy, student data privacy, and educator preparation.

Senior Planning Guide 2025

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Senior Planning Special Coverage Special Publications

When BusinessWest and the Healthcare News first started publishing an annual Senior Planning Guide, the idea wasn’t to create a roadmap to the end of life, though it could, in some sense, be described as such. Along with information about financial planning, care options, and family conversations, the idea was also to express that the retirement years should be a rich, rewarding, and robust time. It’s a topic of interest for an increasing number of individuals and families. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans age 65 and older — which was 35 million in 2000, just 12% of the population — will reach 74 million by 2030, or 21% of U.S. residents. That’s a lot of people. And a lot of planning. And a lot of living left to enjoy. In this year’s guide, we bring you perspectives on everything from Medicare plans, food insecurity, and important health issues, like stroke, to local options for in-home care, adult day programs, and more, as well as why it’s so imortant to stay active and have fun well into the retirement years. In short, stories about the questions families are grappling with every day. After all, these years should be an enjoyable time, highlighted by special moments with family and friends, the freedom to engage in a range of activities, maybe even a chance to develop new interests and hobbies. Hopefully, the 2025 Senior Planning Guide will be a helpful resource in that process.    

 

Go HERE to view the Digital Interactive 2025 Senior Planning Guide

 

The Serious Business of Joy

Why Having Fun Is Essential to Healthy Aging >> Read More

 

A Shared Responsibility

Let’s Work Together to Address Senior Food Insecurity   >> Read More

 

Decisions, Decisions

What to Look for in Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans  >> Read More

  

Having the Talk

Ten Tips on How to Approach a Difficult Topic  >> Read More

 

Opening Hearts and Homes

Adult Family Care Offers Numerous Benefits  >>  Read More

 

Benefits of In-home Care

How It Supports Independence for Older Adults  >> Read More

 

Keeping the Pace

Mercy LIFE Aims to Improve Seniors’ Overall Wellness  >>  Read More

 

All About Stroke

The Medical Emergency That Doesn’t Discriminate  >> Read More

 

The Basics of IRMAA

How Does This Surcharge Impact Your Medicare?  >> Read More

 

Senior Resources

These Nonprofits Can Help Families with Care Planning  >> Read More

 

Linda Dulye Envisions Harmony Between Technology, Human Connection

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Features Special Coverage

The Blended Workplace

As companies grapple with the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and other disruptive technologies, the conversations tend to focus on productivity and efficiency.

Linda Dulye wants companies to think about something else: the human element.

“I’ve seen it in my clients; there’s this rush, this FOMO — ‘we’ve got to get this injection of AI,’” she told BusinessWest, using the popular acronym for ‘fear of missing out.’ “This reminds me a lot of when I was working with General Electric and also AlliedSignal — when Lean and Six Sigma were unfolding, we were on the front end of it; we were the pioneers. And there was this rush.”

And her current concern surrounding AI is the same concern she had then — and has expressed with clients over the years when discussing those efficiency models — which is whether the human element is being squeezed out of the discussion.

“You can come in with all the tools, all the technology that is going to improve processes, and we’re going to take what was 10 steps down to three steps, but that can be daunting and scary for many people. So you still have to have a degree of human connection, collaboration, and communication.

“A lot of my work has been centered on, how do we get people to understand the new technology that’s coming in? Automatically there’s a barrier — ‘we’ve been doing this for 10 years; what do you mean I have to change?’”

Dulye — who launched her management consultancy, Dulye & Co., in 1998 to help business leaders and their organizations cultivate cultures where people want to stay and grow — has turned her thoughts on the coming AI revolution into a concept called the Blended Workplace, which she calls a “human-centered approach that harmonizes the benefits of advanced technology with the in-the-moment power of digital minimalism.”

In short, she said a technology-first, people-second mindset is costing companies dearly and pulling leaders away from making critical investments in human connection and communication.

“You can come in with all the tools, all the technology that is going to improve processes, and we’re going to take what was 10 steps down to three steps, but that can be daunting and scary for many people.”

“AI is essential for business success — so is human interaction,” Dulye notes on her website. “The current AI surge feels eerily similar to the Lean and Six Sigma boom. Back then, companies realized that even the most powerful productivity tools couldn’t succeed without real, person-to-person communication. The same holds true today: when workplace connections erode, so do trust and teamwork.”

In a wide-ranging conversation with BusinessWest recently, she explained that people love new bells and whistles in, say, their cars, but not so much at work.

“That’s kind of scary for many people. So that’s why I developed this concept of the Blended Workplace — it’s helping organizations understand they’ve got to devote time with human beings, helping them understanding why we’re doing this, showing them how this augments their skills and doesn’t make them obsolete.”

Linda Dulye

Linda Dulye says any process improvement has to be accompanied by human connection, collaboration, and communication.

On the contrary, the goal is to show team members how to adapt to new technology and new models and make themselves even more valuable to the company.

“That’s ultimately what we’d love to have people do. But we all don’t operate the same,” Dulye went on. “It’s not like flicking a switch and saying, ‘OK, on Monday, we’re going to be utilizing this new AI technology,’ and you’re like, ‘wait, what? What’s going on?’ We want to help people understand why we’re doing it, what it means to them in their job, and how to get comfortable with it. You have to help people.”

 

Change Agent

The Blended Workplace fits well with the overarching philosophy of Dulye & Co., a concept (and movement) known as the Spectator-Free Workplace, which emphasizes investments in human connection and communication in the workplace — in short, being engaged at work and not just a spectator.

Dulye’s new message with the Blended Workforce concept is underscored by a few insights:

• Employee fatigue is real. Endless screen time and nonstop notifications are burning employees out. Her company’s research shows employee engagement is steadily declining, echoing Gallup’s report of a 10-year low in 2024. Making matters worse, only 56% of employees believe their leaders genuinely care about their well-being, according to a Deloitte survey.

• Gen Z, in particular, is unplugging. The rising generation of professionals values authenticity and meaningful relationships over algorithms. CNBC reports that Gen Z craves in-person interaction — especially new graduates, who’d rather learn company norms from colleagues than scroll TikTok.

• Connection drives performance. Whether in person or with cameras on, face-to-face interaction builds trust, ignites creativity, and strengthens accountability.

One Dulye & Co. client boosted engagement and productivity by more than 50% in less than a year simply by transforming team meetings with no-frills fixes like employees helping to set agendas, tackling tough issues head-on, and recognizing peer contributions, she noted.

“We want to help people understand why we’re doing it, what it means to them in their job, and how to get comfortable with it. You have to help people.”

Meanwhile, Dulye told BusinessWest, workers from different generations have different responses to — and tolerances of — major change, especially technological change, in the workplace.

“There’s always a new wave. Do you remember when computers happened? I’m old enough to remember the pink slip. I came in my office — I was a reporter then — and saw who called, and now I had to return a call. Well, the person who wrote that doesn’t exist anymore. And neither does the pink slip.”

The idea, she went on, is that change of any kind is constant in the workplace, and in the rush to apply new tools and technologies to be more efficient, companies aren’t spending enough time on the people side to help everyone navigate change — especially dramatic change like AI, which is much more disruptive than ditching written phone messages.

“These tools are only effective when people are working collaboratively, when they understand them together,” she explained. “We all are gaining efficiencies with these new tools that help us work better together collectively, not just individually. So you’ve got to spend time as a team really figuring out, how do we work these tools into our own practices? And that involves communication between team members.”

Moreover, Dulye added, “we’ve got to understand all the different nuances that affect learning it, applying it, and feeling comfortable enough that I want to advance this; you’re going to have different roadblocks than me, just because of our experiences. But that’s the kind of discussion a team needs to do together. Leaders need to spend time helping their organizations know why we are doing this.”

Dulye said there’s an opportunity to promote this kind of conversation with Gen Z, whom many people assume want to live behind screens — a stereotype she said isn’t true. “I feel bad for this generation because they actually want more connections than maybe Boomers do or or some of Gen X.”

But connections are harder in general during the new age of remote and (more commonly) hybrid schedules, which make it more of a challenge for leaders to promote communication in the office. But she said hybrid arrangements are a net positive in many ways.

“I think the flexibility factor is strong. Unless you do a lot of work in manufacturing, or have a job where you have to physically be there — like hospitality — I think you have to have a hybrid schedule. I see models where having an in-person requirement on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday is very effective.

“It’s not just getting people to come in, but being very deliberate and intentional about what we are doing to create more team-based experiences.”

“But here’s the thing,” she went on. “Just because we’re coming in doesn’t mean we’re working more collaboratively together. Just coming in doesn’t mean you and I will cross paths. So it’s not just getting people to come in, but being very deliberate and intentional about what we are doing to create more team-based experiences.”

That goes back to Dulye’s original business concept, the Spectator-Free Workplace.

“People want experiences at work that make them feel, one, I’m valued; two, I really like the team I’m with; and three, I really do like the company I work for. But it takes an experience. If you’re still operating on routines that you’ve been doing the last five years, that’s building a spectator-filled workplace. And it’s not beneficial. It’s just people coming into work, showing their faces, and really not interacting. So I’m all for the hybrid workplace — with very intentional team experiences.”

 

Beyond Meetings

Dulye concedes, of course, that hybrid schedules create a more challenging environment for business leaders when it comes to in-office interaction, but that it’s still possible to create a healthy, connected workplace even if employees are at home part of the time.

One strategy are team meetings where everyone is expected to contribute.

“It’s not OK to have a team meeting where three people out of 20 are talking, and everyone else just sits there doing something else, and says, ‘yeah, pass, I have nothing going on.’ Really? If you’re paying me and one week has gone by and I have no new information to contribute to my team, there’s something wrong. That’s not acceptable,” she said.

“If you’re getting together as a team once a week for 30 minutes, everyone’s got to bring something they learned, maybe something they didn’t expect that happened, maybe even just a recognition of a team member, but everyone has to contribute. You don’t get a pass.”

Getting back to communication around AI, she said some employees are worried about the implications on job security, but those concerns existed when Lean and Six Sigma came into being as well.

“People were all concerned about, ‘well, if we take 10 steps and go to five, how many jobs is that?’ So this is not new. I think people need to understand this is not a new phenomenon. People have always been fearful that technology can reduce jobs when it makes work more efficient.

“Again, it’s how do you see yourself being able to utilize that technology in a role that you still want? Or, maybe you want to think about a new role that requires skill sets you have and want to grow, but maybe isn’t as affected by AI. I mean, AI won’t affect us all at the same rate. It affects us all, but by different degrees.”

Walt Tomala Helps Students Discover Passion for Construction

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Walt Tomala (center) with apprentices Ben Harrington (left) and Matt Ganhao.
Construction Special Coverage

Spark of Youth

Walt Tomala (center) with apprentices Ben Harrington (left) and Matt Ganhao.

Walt Tomala (center) with apprentices Ben Harrington (left) and Matt Ganhao.

 

While he was already interested in the construction field, Matt Ganhao had never actually been on a job site before starting a co-op with TNT General Contracting in Westfield, which he procured through the Lower Pioneer Valley Career Technical Education Center, or CTEC.

“I was really excited — it was a new experience for me,” he told BusinessWest. “Once I finally got to work out in the field and actually get to see what goes into building a deck or building stairs, doing a roof, whatever, it really sparked something in my mind that maybe this is something that I want to do. And then, as I kept working my co-op apprenticeship, I decided I want to go full-time.”

That’s music to the ears of Walt Tomala, president of TNT, who has brought a number of teenagers onto job sites for lengthy co-op experiences in order to introduce them to a career path that, both locally and nationally, is in desperate need of young talent, as retirements continue to outpace new workers.

Tomala understands a youthful passion for this work; he started his company right out of high school and has done everything from changing screen doors to large remodels, additions, new homes, and even two Extreme Makeover builds.

“We’ve tried different strategies and different business models,” he explained. “And one that I just kept coming back to is working with our youth. Someone put some time and energy into me and helped me along the way, and if I didn’t have that, I don’t know that I’d be here and still loving the industry the way I do, or as passionate about it.”

“Once I finally got to work out in the field and actually get to see what goes into building a deck or building stairs, doing a roof, whatever, it really sparked something in my mind that maybe this is something that I want to do.”

Ben Harrington will be entering his junior year at Westfield Technical Academy this fall and already has real-world construction experience outside the shop environment at school.

“I just like being out here, working on different things, learning new skills — and I feel like being in this trade is very good for me,” he said, adding that it’s beneficial to learn from both teachers in school and construction professionals on job sites. “It’s good to know multiple people’s ways. If I ask Walt questions, he’ll give me different answers than somebody else, but if I listen to both answers, it helps me a lot. And it feels good knowing I’m doing something right for Walt.”

And that’s one thing Tomala emphasizes with his apprentices — the gratification of a job well done and understanding the why as much as the how.

“We do certain things all day, every day, and it can feel like the same thing over and over. But we take the time and make it our mission to make sure everybody understands why we’re doing this and why it’s so important,” he explained.

“They have to understand the passion that we have,” he went on. “No employee is ever going to be as passionate as you are about your business, but they can be as passionate about the industry. And it may mean they move on and start their own company or become a subcontractor. Or it may mean they just really embrace our beliefs and passions and then stay with us for as long as they choose to. There’s plenty of room for growth.”

Ganhao, who graduated from both West Springfield-based CTEC and Ludlow High School this past spring, is already convinced.

“I don’t really want to go to school and learn a different trade; I did decide that I want to go full-time,” he said. “It’s a new experience, and it’s something that not everyone’s going to like. But if you’re interested in the industry, this is something you should try out.”

Walt Tomala gives some instruction to Ben Harrington on a job site in Westfield.

Walt Tomala gives some instruction to Ben Harrington on a job site in Westfield.

When he was 16, Tomala said, he didn’t know if this was the industry for him; he needed exposure and experience.

“These young people should have an opportunity to really learn, and not just be kind of barked orders at. They’re full employees, on payroll, and we also teach them the whole finance component — how to open up checking accounts, getting direct deposits. So we’re preparing them for the real world, no matter what they choose to do. And hopefully, it’s construction.”

 

Desire to Inspire

Tomala has served in leadership with local, state, and national trade organizations, with the overall goal of “just kind of making sure that we’re all doing things the right way, the proper way.”

And building things to code is only the bare minimum, he added. “It’s like graduating with a D. You still pass, but did you do a great job? Our focus is showing everybody that it doesn’t have to be difficult — that it really can be an easy transition to just doing things better. It’s about collaborating with the right manufacturers and the right products and finding the systems that really work for you.”

That philosophy carries over to the way he mentors young people in the field. “I think my message to other builders out there is, take the time; put the energy in. Don’t show them just how to dig a hole, but why we dig that hole and, better yet, the importance of doing it right before we have to dig a hole. Make sure the foundation’s sealed correctly; make sure the roof is put on with all the right underlayments; make sure the windows are taped and sealed.

“Someone put some time and energy into me and helped me along the way, and if I didn’t have that, I don’t know that I’d be here and still loving the industry the way I do, or as passionate about it.”

“I’ve found, throughout my years, that a lot of times, we get some older people in the industry who just wanted to do a job. They didn’t want to learn how. So I sit on the board for three trade schools [Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy in Springfield is the third] because I want these young folks while they’re fresh, while they’re still excited. And the program we implement is, ‘hey, come on board. Come on for the summer; see if you like it. You’re in a trade school right now, but you might not know if this is the industry for you.’”

The backdrop to all these efforts, of course, is a persistent shortage of construction talent, which is why Tomala values apprenticeship.

“It’s not just important; it’s critical. I think we’ve been talking about this as an industry for 15 years,” he said, noting that Fine Homebuilding magazine has a program called Keep the Craft Alive, through which contractors donate funds to help support trade schools and improve their offerings.

“We’re now at a point where most of my subcontractors are going to age out and retire, and we just don’t have enough of the youth understanding how important this industry is, how rewarding it is, and how you can make an extremely good living here,” he said.

Matt Ganhao checks out a residential basement crack.

Matt Ganhao checks out a residential basement crack.

“It’s not like, ‘oh, you’re a roofer, so you’re only going to get paid so much,’” he went on. “No, there’s a really, really good paycheck at the end of the day, especially when you know what you’re doing and you deliver on the expectations. And that’s why it’s so important to know what the client wants and to be able to deliver on that. I’m not saying it’s the right fit for everybody, but I want to remind the world that the are companies out here taking the reins and giving these young folks an opportunity.”

 

World of Experience

Tomala said his influence on local young people interested in construction started with visits to the trade schools.

“They wanted someone to come in and talk, to just inspire students overall. And that worked out pretty nicely. I’d spend two hours with the students, and I enjoyed it,” he recalled. “But it wasn’t until after COVID that I was like, you know what? I get to see these kids for a day, but there should be more of a connection, and there should be more of an avenue for them to get to us.

“So I sat down with a lot of the teachers and said, ‘this is what I want to do, this is what I want my business model to be, and is there an opportunity for us to collaborate and to bring students on?’” I also said, ‘I don’t want to stop them from going to other places as well, but I’d like them to have an opportunity to interview with me, to just sit down to see if we’re a good fit or not.’”

“There’s a really, really good paycheck at the end of the day, especially when you know what you’re doing and you deliver on the expectations. And that’s why it’s so important to know what the client wants and to be able to deliver on that.”

He had nothing but praise for the teachers and programs in those schools. “Students are coming out with real knowledge. They’ve got some really great, committed teachers who are getting that curriculum going and inspiring the youth coming through that program.”

Ganhao said his classmates in Ludlow have been curious about his real-world experience.

“I’ve been asked questions like, ‘is that something you’re going to do for the rest of your life? Are you just doing it just for the heck of it? What’s up with that?’ And I feel like kids are missing out on the opportunities,” he said. “I feel like it should be more publicized because a lot of kids do want to try out a trade.”

Tomala it’s easy to become passionate about construction on actual job sites, finishing real projects. He was working with Ganhao and Harrington on a home in Westfield the day they spoke with BusinessWest, repairing a basement leak and replacing windows and shutters; a third apprentice, also from Westfield Technical Academy, wasn’t on the job that day.

“I think it’s rewarding for them to be able to start something and finish it and see that completed project because, often in the school system, they don’t get to complete a project in full,” Tomala noted. “And they’re learning how to work with each other in different skill sets and different personalities. They’re all having such a good time doing it, and it’s just such a good experience overall.

“I want them to form relationships and friendships and to just understand that the client is a human being — everything we do, whether it’s a deck or a whole house, is for somebody else,” he added. “It might be a small project to us, but it’s their entire world at one point in time. So they get that feeling of satisfaction and camaraderie, understanding how important it is to the client.”

And, hopefully, they find a passion they can turn into a career, in a field where young talent remains elusive.

“Just being able to see the customer at the end, satisfied with our work,” Ganhao added, “it’s something else.”

Easthampton Grapples with Growing Pains

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Burns Maxey in the balcony of the second-floor performance space.
Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

Burns Maxey in the balcony of the second-floor performance space.

Burns Maxey in the balcony of the second-floor performance space.

An architect’s rendering of the new entrance and elevator at Old Town Hall, home to CitySpace.

An architect’s rendering of the new entrance and elevator at Old Town Hall, home to CitySpace.

Salem Derby says he certainly didn’t see this coming.

Easthampton’s City Council President was at a meeting with Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, executive assistant Lindsi Sekula, and City Solicitor Mark Tanner, expecting conversation about municipal matters, when LaChapelle informed him that she would leaving to become the state’s Conservation and Recreation commissioner. And he would be serving as interim mayor.

“It was a complete surprise, and it was really quick — she said she’d be leaving in six days,” said Derby, an elementary school teacher, adding that he plans to be in City Hall something approaching full time this summer, but will maneuver around his classroom schedule once school starts, working afternoons, weekends, and in the morning if needed.

He’ll only be in the corner office until the November election (he won’t be a candidate for the job), and over the next four and a half months, he plans to provide stability, keep things running “as drama-free and interference-free as possible,” and, well, keep the ball rolling, if you will.

Indeed, Easthampton is a community in demand, and it has been this way for a while now, a pattern that brings with it some opportunities, but also stern challenges, as Derby, who has been on the council for more than 20 years, well knows.

“Housing is huge — the ability for people to find affordable housing is something I’ve been focused on the entire time I’ve been on the council,” he said, adding that the challenge extends across the housing spectrum, from potential homebuyers facing spiraling prices and limited inventory to renters in some of the bigger complexes — many of which have been sold to larger corporations — encountering increases that are pretty significant.

“There was a large group of renters and tenants outside of City Hall yesterday; they had a meeting and a little bit of a rally,” he explained. “There’s a push for the council to help the Legislature push for rent control.”

This housing crunch, and LaChapelle’s exit for the State House, are just two of the many converging story lines in Easthampton. Others include:

• Several projects in various stages of development to bring more housing on the market. These include, as we’ll see, everything from conversion of three closed elementary schools to the reimagining of more former mills;

• The start of redevelopment of the Tasty Top site on Route 10, a highly anticipated and somewhat controversial project that begins with a new Greenfield Savings Bank branch and also includes a gymnastics center, a daycare facility, retail, and a large residential component;

• The start of the second phase of redevelopment of the old Town Hall into CitySpace, what its leaders call a “thriving arts ecosystem.” This phase includes a new entranceway and elevator that will open the door, quite literally, to phase 3, renovations to the second-floor auditorium for concerts and other performances and events;

• New leadership at the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce. Jon Kostek took the helm almost two months ago, and has established goals to continue growing membership; bring more users to WorkHub on Union, a co-working space at the chamber offices that opened roughly a year ago; and make more and better use of digital platforms to promote the chamber and its services, and, hopefully, engage more young business owners;

• Zoning changes to accommodate short-term rentals, a move that brings the community in line with what most other cities and towns have done and helps meet recognized need; and

• Plans for a new music performance venue at the site of a former massage school, an undertaking being spearheaded by the Heavy Culture Cooperative, a project that will, with the nearby CitySpace, create more vibrancy in the downtown area and serve to connect the downtown with the neighboring mills and the cultural activities taking place there.

For this latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at Easthampton and how it continues to be in demand and cope with its growing pains.

 

Supply and Demand

Allyson Manuel was drawn to Easthampton by its many selling points — a vibrant arts community, an increasingly eclectic downtown area, a small-city feel, recreation, and more.

Formerly town planner in West Springfield, she and her husband settled here five years ago after considering several potential landing spots, and she became the city’s director of Planning and Community Development last December.

She can attest to spiraling home prices and a shortage of inventory, and how this surge is creating challenges.

“There’s a lot of demand. A lot of people want to be here, which is wonderful; it’s clearly indicative of a good quality of life and quality of place,” she told BusinessWest. “But it does come with challenges. Affordability is an issue for anyone looking to buy a house anywhere right now, but especially in Easthampton and Hampshire County.

“So, we’re reckoning with that and also with making sure we’re not pricing out residents that have been here for many, many years,” she went on. “And for the rental market, there’s been quite a pinch.”

“There’s a lot of demand. A lot of people want to be here, which is wonderful; it’s clearly indicative of a good quality of life and quality of place. But it does come with challenges. Affordability is an issue for anyone looking to buy a house anywhere right now, but especially in Easthampton and Hampshire County.”

Indeed, the housing market in the community is exceedingly tight across the board, and both Manuel and Derby hope and expect that the many projects promising to bring a mix of housing will serve to loosen things up a little.

Projects in various stages of development include Growing Green, a rural project just off Main Street, an initiative slowed by an appeal filed by neighbors but still progressing, with the number of planned units reduced from 87 to the mid-60s, said Manuel, adding that another project involves development of more property within the massive Ferry Street complex, specifically Building 11, where 96 units of housing are planned.

An architect’s rendering of the residential component slated to be built on the site of the former Tasty Top on Route 10.

An architect’s rendering of the residential component slated to be built on the site of the former Tasty Top on Route 10.

Another initiative involves redevelopment of the former Notre Dame Church and surrounding properties on Pleasant Street into approximately 42 ‘townhouse’ units, said Manuel, adding that several of these units will be in the church itself.

“I think those will be really cool units when they’re done,” she said, adding that other structures on the property will be razed to make way for new construction.

At the 34-acre Tasty Top site, housing (more than 200 planned apartments, a mix of market rate and affordable) is one of many components to a project being undertaken by developer Frank DeMarinis, said Derby, adding that more than 100 units are expected to be created through redevelopment of the three shuttered elementary schools.

These projects and other smaller initiatives are expected to make a real dent in overall need, he went on, and relieve pressure on existing inventory.

“Once all these are completed, I think the amount of housing in Easthampton will increase so significantly that I’m hoping it will make a real impact on affordability and access to quality housing,” the interim mayor said. “I’m hoping this can potentially be a catalyst for people who need affordable housing and maybe take a little pressure of some of the other units in Easthampton.”

Manuel agreed. “We have some challenges ahead of us, absolutely, but we also have a strong foundation that not all communities have to work from,” she said. “We have a lot of social capital — people that live in the city are very involved, they care about their neighbors, they care about the well-being of the city at large. And that goes a long way toward solving these types of problems. I don’t think it will happen overnight, but the fact that people care enough is a really valuable tool to have in the toolbox.”

 

Art and Soul

As she walked with BusinessWest up to the balcony of the auditorium in the old Town Hall, Burns Maxey gestured with her hand to the space below.

“You can imagine the possibilities,” she said of this space, which has sat idle for the better part of a decade and a half now.

The key to unlocking its full potential as a resource for the community is accessibility, said Maxey, who was honored by BusinessWest with its Difference Makers award in 2023 for her efforts to transform the landmark, opened in 1869, into CitySpace, adding that such access is at the heart of phase 2 of the ongoing project.

Designed by Amherst-based Kuhn Riddle Architects and construction work being handled by West Springfield-based Keiter, the $3.9 million project to build a new entrance and elevator is expected to take about 18 months, said Maxey, adding that, as this initiative is undertaken, a capital campaign continues to raise funds for the third phase.

Jon Kostek

Jon Kostek says one of his goals for the Greater Easthampton Chamber is growth of its WorkHub on Union.

Backing up a little, she said phase 1 included infrastructure work and conversion of the ground floor into an arts hub, with performance space (an area called the Blue Room) and several tenants, including Big Red Frame, a gallery, and Easthampton City Arts, the arts organization within the city’s Planning Department.

Phase 2 has been in the planning stages for several years and was delayed somewhat by bids for construction that came in higher than originally anticipated. With additional support in the form of an underutilized properties grant from MassDevelopment, the agency went out to bid again, with Keiter prevailing.

Easthampton at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1785
Population: 16,211
Area: 13.6 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $13.67
Commercial Tax Rate: $13.67
Median Household Income: $45,185
Median Family Income: $54,312
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Berry Plastics Corp., INSA, Williston Northampton School, National Nonwovens Co.

The new entranceway and elevator have been designed to provide access, but also preserve the architectural and historic integrity of the building, said Maxey, including the staircases at the front of the structure, which is similar in many ways to Chicopee’s City Hall and designed by the same architect, Charles Parker.

As for phase 3, the projected cost is expected to approach $7 million, said Maxey, adding that work covers a wide spectrum, including the ceiling, lighting, sound baffling, asbestos remediation, sprinkler and fire suppression systems, bathroom renovations, creation of a green room and offices, and more.

Fundraising continues, and the stated goal is certainly a challenge, but Maxey is confident that the community will continue to support the initiative.

“We have a ways to go — we’re about halfway there,” she conceded, adding that the overall price tag for the project has soared from roughly $6 million to more than $11 million, mostly due to inflation and rising construction costs.

Once funding is secured, she believes phase 3 can be completed in perhaps 18 months, ushering in the next chapter in the story of CitySpace.

 

Making Connections

As for next chapters, the Easthampton chamber is writing itself, with Kostek taking the helm after long-time executive director Moe Belliveau stepped down earlier this year.

Kostek said he was looking for a new challenge after his position with the United States Tennis Assoc. New England was eliminated.

He said his work at the USTA, much of it focused program development for young people, is similar to his new role at the chamber in that they both involve relationship building.

“One of the things I liked most about my work with USTA was meeting people and developing relationships, and I think a lot of these same things apply here, at the chamber … meeting with members and discussing with them what the chamber offers and what we can do moving forward.”

Kostek said he’s spent much of the time since his arrival getting to know the community, meeting with his members, and gauging what they like, dislike, and want more of.

In that last category are face-to-face networking opportunities, he said, adding that he plans to add such events, including After-5s and more Coffee and Connections events at the WorkHub, to the calendar.

Also on his to-do list is growing overall membership and especially membership for WorkHub on Union. The facility has attracted only a few regular users to date, he said, adding that he plans to more aggressively market it across multiple platforms to get the word out.

“It’s a great space, and I think there is a real need for facilities like this,” he said, noting that there are several workstations, as well as a shared conference room, kitchen, and other facilities. “And it’s open 24/7.”

Senior Resources

By Contributor
Senior Planning

These Nonprofits Can Help Families with Care Planning

These regional and statewide nonprofits can help families make decisions and access resources related to elder care planning.

AARP Massachusetts
1 Beacon St., #2301, Boston, MA 02108
(866) 448-3621;
states.aarp.org/region/massachusetts
Administrator: Mike Festa
Services: AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, social-welfare organization with a membership of nearly 38 million that advocates for the issues that matter to families, such as healthcare, employment and income security, and protection from financial abuse

Access Care Partners
4 Valley Mill Road, Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 538-9020; www.accesscarepartners.org
Administrator: Roseann Martoccia
Services: Provides an array of in-home and community services to support independent living; interdisciplinary team approach to person-centered care; information, referrals, and options counseling as well as volunteer opportunities available; primary service area includes Holyoke, Chicopee, Granby, South Hadley, Belchertown, Ludlow, and Ware, as well as other surrounding communities

The Conversation Project and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
53 State St., 19th Floor, Boston, MA 02109
(617) 301-4800; www.theconversationproject.org
Administrator: Kate DeBartolo
Services: The Conversation Project is dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care; its team includes five seasoned law, journalism, and media professionals who are working pro bono alongside professional staff from the Instititute for Healthcare Improvement

Elder Services of Berkshire County Inc.
877 South St., Suite 4E, Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 499-0524; www.esbci.org
Administrator: Christopher McLaughlin
Services: Identifies and addresses priority needs of Berkshire County seniors; services include information and referral, care management, respite care, homemaker and home health assistance, healthy-aging programs, and MassHealth nursing home pre-screening; agency also offers housing options, adult family care, group adult foster care, long-term-care ombudsman, and money management, and oversees the Senior Community Service Aide Employment Program

Estate Planning Council of Hampden County
www.estateplan-hc.org
Administrator: Christopher McLaughlin
Services: Provides a forum for current, accurate, and authoritative information with regard to estate and financial planning; council members are life-insurance professionals, bankers, fiduciaries, lawyers, accountants, planned-giving professionals, and other financial-service providers engaged in the planning, settlement, and management of estates

Greater Springfield Senior Services Inc.
66 Industry Ave., Suite 9,
Springfield, MA 01104
(413) 781-8800; www.gsssi.org
Administrator: Jill Keough
Services: Private, nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining quality of life for older adults, caregivers, and people with disabilities, through programs and services that foster independence, dignity, safety, and peace of mind; services include case management, home care, home-delivered meals, senior community dining, money management, congregate housing, and adult day care

Highland Valley Elder Services
320 Riverside Dr.,
Florence, MA 01062
(413) 586-2000;
www.highlandvalley.org
Administrator: Allan Ouimet
Services: Services include care management, information/referral services, family caregiver program, personal emergency-response service, protective Services, home-health services, chore Services, nursing-home ombudsman Services, adult day programs, elder-care advice, bill-payer services, options counseling, respite Services, representative payee services, local dining centers, personal-care and homemaker Services, and home-delivered meals

LifePath
101 Munson St., Suite 201, Greenfield, MA 01301
(413) 773-5555; www.lifepathma.org
Administrator: Gary Yuhas
Services: LifePath, formerly Franklin County Home Care Corp., an area agency on aging, is a private, nonprofit corporation that develops, provides, and coordinates a range of services to support the independent living of elders and people with disabilities with a goal of independence; it also supports caregivers, including grandparents raising grandchildren

Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs
1 Ashburton Place, Unit 517,
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 727-7750;
www.mass.gov/elders
Administrator: Robin Lipson
Services: Connects seniors and families with a range of services, including senior centers, councils on aging, nutrition programs such as Meals on Wheels, exercise, health coaching, and more; supports older adults who may be somewhat frail through programs in nursing homes, such as the ombudsman program, volunteers who visit residents, and quality-improvement initiatives in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities; caregiver programs offer support to people with mild Alzheimer’s disease or those caring for someone with more advanced Alzheimer’s

MassOptions
(844) 422-6277;
www.massoptions.org
Administrator: Dr. Kiame Mahaniah
Services: A service of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, MassOptions connects elders, individuals with disabilities, and their caregivers with agencies and organizations that can best meet their needs; staff can also assist with determining eligibility for and applying to MassHealth

VA Central and Western Massachusetts Healthcare System
421 North Main St., Leeds, MA 01053
(413) 584-4040;
www.centralwesternmass.va.gov
Administrator: Jonathan Kerr
Services: Provides primary, specialty, and mental-health care, including psychiatric, substance-abuse, and PTSD Services, to a veteran population in Central and Western Massachusetts of more than 120,000 men and women

How Does This Surcharge Impact Your Medicare?

By Contributor
Senior Planning

The Basics of IRMAA

By Erica Beaudry

 

I’ve previously written articles about some of the basics of Medicare, like “Navigating the Medicare Maze,” in which I introduced the concept of working with an independent broker such as myself to help guide you through the enrollment process, or “Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage: What’s the Big Deal?” which looked at how both Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans can be fortification tools that help limit the liabilities one is exposed to when covered by Original Medicare (the red, white, and blue card) alone.

Erica Beaudry

Erica Beaudry

“The Social Security Administration determines you owe an income-related monthly adjustment amount, it will send you a notice for the amount of your new premium and the reason for its determination.”

Today, we break down IRMAA, or the income-related monthly adjustment amount, which some folks pay for their Medicare Parts B & D coverage.

IRMAA is a surcharge that is determined by the Social Security Administration and is based on income reported two years prior. The amount is calculated annually, so if your income changes, so might your IRMAA.

The base rate for Medicare Part B in 2025 is $185. Depending on your modified adjusted gross income as reported on your IRS tax return from two years ago, you may have to pay the standard Part B premium and an income-related monthly adjustment amount.

 

If the Social Security Administration determines you owe an income-related monthly adjustment amount, it will send you a notice for the amount of your new premium and the reason for its determination. If you disagree with that determination, you have 60 days from the date of notice to appeal. Life changing events such as loss of income, death of a spouse, marriage, or divorce could be grounds for a redetermination, as well as inaccurate or outdated tax information.

IRMAA also comes into play with your Part D, or drug coverage. The same set of parameters are used to calculate the surcharge for Part D. The important part to remember is that the Part D IRMAA is in addition to any premiums associated with your Part D coverage, but is paid directly to the Social Security Administration the same way you pay for your Part B premiums.

 

A couple of scenarios worth mentioning that can affect your income-related monthly adjustment amount are the sale of a primary real estate property or winning the lottery. Both life events will increase your income for the year they occur in and may therefore result in an IRMAA surcharge two years later. Both life events are generally not appealable, meaning that you are more likely to lose an appeal filed on the grounds that your income increased in any given year due to these events occurring. With real estate properties, some exceptions are made when the property has been income-producing.

If your head feels like it is spinning after reading this, don’t worry. Take the headache out of understanding Medicare by working with a professional such as myself who will help you sift through all the details that come with enrollment and coverage.

Independent Medicare specialists do not work for the insurance carriers. Instead, we provide an independent, unbiased view of insurance options available to seniors and Medicare recipients at no cost to the people we serve. We focus on Medigap, Medicare Advantage, and prescription drug plans.

Our service to you doesn’t end when you enroll in a plan. We live in your community and are here to answer your questions on bills, drug plans, provider services, extra benefits, and much, much more year-round. 

 

Erica Beaudry is a local, licensed, independent insurance broker with EA Financial Solutions, focusing on Medicare. She does not work for and is not affiliated with Medicare. She can be reached at [email protected] or (413) 626-9906.

All About Stroke

By Contributor
Senior Planning

The Medical Emergency That Doesn’t Discriminate

By Mary Orr

 

Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or ruptures. When that happens, part of the brain is deprived of the blood and oxygen it needs, causing brain cells to die.

“Affecting people of all ages, stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. And while you cannot predict if you will suffer a stroke, there are things you can do to increase your odds of preventing one.”

Affecting people of all ages, stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. And while you cannot predict if you will suffer a stroke, there are things you can do to increase your odds of preventing one, such as maintaining a healthy weight; eating fresh, unprocessed food; committing to a regular exercise schedule; limiting your intake of alcohol; and stopping smoking. And if you’re on medication, it’s vital to take it as prescribed.

If you do suffer a stroke, every minute counts. In fact, brain cells begin to die after a few minutes without oxygen. That’s why it is so important to recognize the first signs of a stroke and act quickly. The acronym BE FAST provides a helpful reminder:

B: balance issues

E: eye changes

F: facial drooping

A: arm weakness

S: speech difficulty

T: time to call 911

If you or a loved one have any of these symptoms, quick action in calling for an ambulance is essential. EMS crews pre-notify hospitals while en route with stroke patient information and arrival time. This allows for necessary teams to prepare to receive the patient, provide the quickest evaluation, and administer eligible acute treatments in the emergency department. In the event of a stroke, time is of the essence in determining the patient’s most effective course of treatment.

For more information on Stroke and Neurology services at Trinity Health Of New England, visit trinityhealthofne.org/stroke. n

 

Mary Orr is Communications and Media specialist for Trinity Health Of New England.

Keeping the Pace

By Contributor
Senior Planning

Mercy LIFE Aims to Improve Seniors’ Overall Wellness

By Mercy LIFE

 

Mercy LIFE is a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). We meet you where you are and help you feel better, live safer, and stay connected to what you love.

When you join Mercy LIFE, we know our participants by name; you are more than a number. Our team of healthcare providers will meet with you to discover your goals and create an individualized care plan, keeping you at the center of your healthcare decisions.

“The program does for me what I can no longer do for myself. It helps me to remain independent.”

What Makes Mercy LIFE Different?

The wrap-around care allows you and your loved ones to rest easy and experience peace of mind. A driver from our team is available to help participants get to and from our center and other medical appointments. Our center serves as a one-stop shop, with physical and occupational therapists, skilled nurses, primary care, nutritional planning with dietitians, and fun activities with our recreation therapy department. You can receive all your care under one roof.

Our team might decide home care visits are best for you. In addition to our medical and social support services, home care can help with daily tasks such as bathing, getting dressed, and light housekeeping. Our goal is to keep you living at home as long as possible, while helping you maintain your independence.

 

What Do Seniors and Caregivers Say About Mercy LIFE?

“I love, most of all, when I am not feeling good, I can call them, and they will set up time for me to come into the clinic. They don’t make you wait long — sometimes they can get me in the same day or the very next day. They find out what is going on, and if they can’t help me, they will send me to a doctor who can help. It makes me feel good I can get the help I need.” —Carolyn M.

“We have hospitals and all the doctors, but it’s different when you have one number to call, and they help you make decisions on what to do next.” —Lisa D.

“I have seen a lift in my husband’s spirits and in improvement in his health. I would recommend it to other people. He can do a few things they have taught him to do on his own, and it’s helpful to me, giving me a break as a caregiver.” —Margaret K.

“The program does for me what I can no longer do for myself. It helps me to remain independent. I can’t come and go as I used to. The program comes, they bring my medications, they pick me up at the door, they bring me into the center. I’m never lonely anymore.” —Sandra G.

 

How Can Mercy LIFE Improve Mental or Spiritual Health?

As seniors age, isolation and loneliness can cause concern, not only for mental health, but also physical health. Mercy LIFE understands social connection is a priority for wellness. When participants visit our center, they have access to primary care and rehabilitative therapies, as well as engaging recreational therapy activities like chair yoga, pet therapy, and crafts.

Our care model treats the whole person — in mind, body, and spirit. Participants have access to spiritual care, designed to honor your values, preferences, and cultural traditions. We prioritize making sure participants know we care about them as individuals and ensure they are treated with dignity and reverence.

The most important thing is that our colleagues are fully present with every interaction and open to receive what you want to share, whether that’s celebrating a milestone or companionship in times of loss or grief.

Social workers will work with you to help make decisions and connect you to resources like counseling services, caregiver education, or access to legal support. If a senior is eligible for housing assistance, our team will work closely with participants to ensure they have a safe, accessible place.

Our team is committed to going beyond treating your physical health, and we are dedicated to your overall wellness. Leading with compassion and healing with heart, we treat the whole person.

Learn more about the comprehensive care at Mercy LIFE by calling (413) 827-4238 or visiting mymercylife.com. 

Benefits of In-home Care

By Contributor
Senior Planning

How It Supports Independence for Older Adults

By Access Care Partners

 

In-home care is a lifeline for countless older adults and individuals with disabilities, offering a vital alternative to long-term care facilities. As the population ages and the desire for aging in place grows, in-home care has emerged as a cornerstone of support for maintaining independence, dignity, and quality of life.

 

Personalized Care Tailored to Individual Needs

One of the greatest advantages of in-home care is its ability to cater to the unique needs of each individual. Unlike the one-size-fits-all approach often found in institutional settings, in-home care plans are designed with the individual’s preferences, health conditions, and goals in mind. Caregivers provide assistance with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, and medication management, ensuring that each person receives the support they need while maintaining their autonomy.

 

Familiar Surroundings Enhance Well-being

Remaining in the comfort of one’s home can significantly impact mental and emotional well-being. Familiar surroundings, cherished routines, and the proximity of loved ones create a sense of security and normalcy. For individuals with cognitive challenges like dementia, staying in a known environment can reduce confusion and anxiety, contributing to a better quality of life.

 

Cost-effective Alternative to Facility Care

In-home care often proves to be a more affordable solution compared to long-term care facilities. Families can choose the level of care needed, whether it’s a few hours a week or round-the-clock assistance, allowing for flexibility in managing costs. Additionally, many programs and services exist to help offset the expenses of in-home care, making it an accessible option for those with limited resources.

 

Promotes Independence and Empowerment

In-home care empowers individuals to retain control over their lives. By supporting activities of daily living and encouraging participation in decision making, caregivers foster a sense of independence. This autonomy helps to preserve dignity and self-worth, essential elements for a fulfilling life.

 

Reduces Hospital Readmissions and Improves Health Outcomes

With the personalized attention provided by in-home caregivers, health conditions are often better managed, reducing the likelihood of hospital readmissions. Caregivers can monitor symptoms, ensure medication adherence, and assist with mobility, all of which contribute to improved overall health outcomes.

 

A Holistic Approach to Care

In-home care goes beyond physical assistance; it also addresses social and emotional needs. Companionship is a key component, alleviating feelings of loneliness and isolation that can negatively impact health. Caregivers often become trusted allies, fostering connections that enhance emotional well-being.

 

Who We Are and What We Do

At Access Care Partners, we are proud to continue the work we have done for decades under our previous name, WestMass ElderCare — helping people remain independent in their homes. Our new name reflects our commitment to the broad range of individuals we serve, from age 3 and up. Whether it’s a child, an adult with a disability, or an older individual, we are here to provide the support and resources they need. Our mission remains steadfast: to help people live with dignity and independence. 

If you or a loved one could benefit from in-home care services, call Access Care Partners at (413) 538-9020 or visit accesscarepartners.org to learn more about how we can support your journey toward independence. No matter your needs, our dedicated team is here to help you live life on your terms, in the comfort and familiarity of your own home.

Opening Hearts and Homes

By Contributor
Senior Planning

Adult Family Care Offers Numerous Benefits

By Kayla Brown-Wood

 

In today’s fast-paced world, where independence is highly valued yet often difficult to maintain for individuals with medical or cognitive challenges, Adult Family Care (AFC) services offer a dignified solution.

Grounded in respect, care, and a sense of community, AFC enables individuals who need assistance with daily living to thrive in a safe and supportive home environment. At the same time, it empowers caregivers, who are often family members or trusted individuals, with the support and resources to provide care in a sustainable and fulfilling way.

Whether you’re a potential caregiver exploring meaningful ways to help a loved one or a family member seeking the best quality of life for someone in need, understanding Adult Family Care can open the door to a life-changing journey for both the caregiver and the member.

Kayla Brown-Wood

Kayla Brown-Wood

“Adult Family Care is a community-based residential care option designed for adults who cannot live safely on their own due to age, physical disability, chronic illness, or cognitive impairment.”

What Is Adult Family Care?

Adult Family Care is a community-based residential care option designed for adults who cannot live safely on their own due to age, physical disability, chronic illness, or cognitive impairment. Unlike nursing homes or assisted living facilities, AFC allows individuals to remain in a home environment where they receive individualized care according to their needs.

At its core, AFC matches a qualified caregiver with a member who needs daily support in the form of supervision and cueing or hands-on physical assistance throughout an activity of daily living. Such support may include help with bathing, dressing, meal preparation, and medication management. A care team consisting of a registered nurse and case manager conducts monthly home visits and provides support and training to ensure everyone involved is set up for success.

 

The Benefit to the Member

For the individual receiving care, known as the ‘member,’ AFC is more than just a service; it’s a lifeline. One of the most profound benefits of AFC is the opportunity to remain in a home setting rather than being placed in an institutional environment. This can mean waking up in a familiar room decorated to their liking, eating preferred meals at the kitchen table, and receiving care from someone they know, trust, and can rely on.

While members may need help with daily tasks, they are still encouraged to participate in decision making and maintain as much independence as possible. This balance of support and self-determination lies at the heart of our mission, empowering individuals to live with dignity, purpose, and a true sense of belonging.

 

The Benefit to the Caregiver

AFC caregivers are truly the heart of the program. Whether a caregiver is a devoted family member or someone drawn to the role out of compassion and a drive to make a difference, the rewards of caregiving through AFC are both practical and deeply fulfilling. Providing care in an AFC setting isn’t just a job; it’s a vocation and heartfelt calling rooted in kindness, patience, and a deep commitment to supporting another person’s well-being.

To recognize the significant responsibility of caregiving, the AFC program provides a tax-free stipend to caregivers. Additionally, caregivers are also entitled to a room and board payment, which is provided through a portion of the member’s monthly entitlements. The program includes clinical support from a registered nurse and case manager, who visit at least monthly to assess the member’s health, provide training, and troubleshoot any challenges. This support network is invaluable, ensuring caregivers are never left to navigate the journey alone.

 

A Bridge to Support

Importantly, AFC also serves families. For those who have been caring informally for a loved one with increasing needs, the program can be a much-needed bridge. It allows family members to formalize the care they are already providing, gain financial support, and receive guidance from a qualified team. It removes the isolation that can often accompany family caregiving and replaces it with partnership and a sense of relief.

If you or someone you know could benefit from AFC, whether as a caregiver or a member, reaching out is the first step. You may find that what begins as a caregiving arrangement becomes something even more profound: a shared life, filled with care and compassion. With the right support, care can happen right where it matters most, in the place you both call home.

 

Member and Caregiver Eligibility

To qualify as a member for Adult Family Care, the individual must be age 16 or older, have MassHealth (Medicaid), or be enrolled in another qualifying health insurance plan. They must also be unable to live alone due to a chronic medical, cognitive, or physical condition and require daily assistance, supervision, or cueing with at least one activity of daily living. AFC services must be ordered by a physician, and the member must live in the same home as the caregiver.

To qualify as an Adult Family Care caregiver, the individual must be at least 18 years old and may not be the legal guardian or spouse of the member. The caregiver must reside with the member, be physically capable of providing hands-on assistance, and successfully complete all required screening and training processes. Caregivers don’t need a professional healthcare license, just a genuine heart for helping others and a strong commitment to providing meaningful, quality care.

For more information on the Adult Family Care program at BFAIR, call (413) 664-9382 or visit bfair.org. 

 

Kayla Brown-Wood is director of Community Services at BFAIR.

Having the Talk

By Contributor
Senior Planning

Ten Tips on How to Approach a Difficult Topic

By the AARP Foundation

The reality is that some conversations are just plain difficult — even with the people to whom you feel the closest. When preparing to discuss a difficult topic like senior care needs, it helps to follow the ground rules below to ensure that everyone’s feelings are respected and viewpoints are heard. To help make the conversation as productive and positive as possible:

1. Try not to approach the conversation with preconceived ideas about what your loved ones might say or how they might react. “Dad, I just wanted to have a talk about what you want. Let’s just start with what is important to you.”

2. Approach the conversation with an attitude of listening, not telling. “Dad, have you thought about what you want to do if you needed more help?” — as opposed to “we really need to talk about a plan if you get sick.”

3. Make references to yourself and your own thoughts about what you want for the future. Let them know they are not alone, that everyone will have to make these decisions. “Look, I know this isn’t fun to think about or talk about, but I really want to know what’s important to you. I’m going to do the same thing for myself.”

“Make references to yourself and your own thoughts about what you want for the future. Let them know they are not alone, that everyone will have to make these decisions.”

4. Be very straightforward with the facts. Do not hide negative information, but also be sure to acknowledge and build on family strengths. “As time goes on, it might be difficult to stay in this house because of all the stairs, but you have other options. Let’s talk about what those might be.”

5. Phrase your concerns as questions, letting your loved ones draw conclusions and make the choices. “Mom, do you think you might want a hand with some of the housekeeping or shopping?”

6. Give your loved ones room to get angry or upset, but address these feelings calmly. “I understand all this is really hard to talk about. It is upsetting for me, too. But it’s important for all of us to discuss.”

7. Leave the conversation open. It’s OK to continue the conversation at another time. “Dad, it’s OK if we talk about this more later. I just wanted you to start thinking about how you would handle some of these things.”

8. Make sure everyone is heard — especially those family members who might be afraid to tell you what they think. “Susan, I know this is really hard for you. What do you think about what we are suggesting?”

9. End the conversation on a positive note. “This is a hard conversation for both of us, but I really appreciate you having it.”

10. Plan something relaxing or fun after the conversation to remind everyone why you enjoy being a family. Go out to dinner, attend services together, or watch a favorite TV program.

These are just a few suggestions of things you, your loved ones, and other family members can do to unwind after a difficult conversation. 

Decisions, Decisions

By Contributor
Senior Planning

What to Look for in Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans

By Sarah Fernandes

 

Each year, people who are 65 or older make decisions about their Medicare and Medicare Advantage coverage during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (also known as Open Enrollment) from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Before choosing their plans, Medicare beneficiaries should consider a few things.

 

Is All Medicare Coverage the Same?

While Original Medicare (Parts A and B), the plan provided by the federal government, covers hospitalizations and most doctors’ services, coverage for other services — like outpatient care, medical supplies, and preventive health care (Parts C and D) — can vary widely. Part C, otherwise known as Medicare Advantage, and Part D (prescription drug coverage) are offered through private insurers, such as Health New England and others.

Sarah Fernandes

Sarah Fernandes

“By focusing on prevention, any potential health issues can be identified early, and you can work to maintain optimal health and prioritize your well-being.”

What Is Medicare Advantage (Part C)?

Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans cover everything Original Medicare (Parts A and B) would cover, but offer additional benefits and services beyond Original Medicare. These added benefits can include prescription drug coverage, vision care, dental services, hearing aids, wellness programs, and more. Medicare Advantage plans provide greater opportunities for beneficiaries to engage in preventive services, such as regular check-ups, screenings, vaccinations, and health education.

By focusing on prevention, any potential health issues can be identified early, and you can work to maintain optimal health and prioritize your well-being. If you do have a chronic condition, a coordinated approach from your Medicare Advantage plan and your providers ensures that you receive the necessary support, education, and interventions to manage your condition effectively, leading to improved quality of life and health outcomes.

 

How Do I Decide?

To decide what plan is right for you, be sure to review the features of the plan. For instance:

• Make a list of your preferred healthcare providers and see if they are considered in network or out of network for each plan you are considering. Some plans do not cover out-of-network services at all, while some cover them partially.

• Similarly, make a list of your medications and see if they will be covered and how much, if anything, you will need to pay out of pocket (your co-pay).

• If you travel or spend time in other areas of the country, check if the plan allows you to use any Medicare-accepting doctor anywhere in the U.S.

• See if the plan covers dental, vision care, hearing services, and prescription drugs.

• Ask if the plan offers additional healthy benefits such as gym memberships, coverage for acupuncture, activity trackers, and weight management programs.

 

How Do I Learn More?

Health New England’s Medicare Advantage plans are a popular option for people age 65 and older who are looking to tailor their healthcare coverage to their personal needs. Health New England has many high-quality providers in our network across Western Mass., and we have plans that cover you anywhere you travel in the U.S.

To learn more about choosing the right Medicare or Medicare Advantage plan, you can attend Health New England’s live information sessions, which you can find and register for at healthnewengland.org/medicare/sessions, or visit healthnewengland.org/medicare for details about all we offer. You can also call Health New England at (877) 443-3314 (TTY: 711).

Other resources include SHINE, Massachusetts’ free Medicare advice service; visit online at mass.gov/health-insurance-counseling or call (800) 243-4636. Meawhile, the Medicare website is medicare.gov. n

 

Sarah Fernandes is the Medicare sales manager at Health New England and been with Health New England for more than 25 years. She and her team spend countless hours educating Medicare beneficiaries in Western Mass. on their Medicare options.

A Shared Responsibility

By Contributor
Senior Planning

Let’s Work Together to Address Senior Food Insecurity

By Jodi Falk

 

Food insecurity affects millions of Americans, but one of the most overlooked groups struggling with hunger is our aging population. According to Feeding America, nearly 5.5 million seniors in the U.S. faced food insecurity in 2021, a number expected to grow as the population ages and inflation continues to rise.

In Western Mass., tight budgets, limited transportation, and social isolation increase the vulnerability of seniors who may already be choosing between medication and meals. Proposed changes to SNAP and other federal food assistance programs could further strain seniors’ ability to access affordable, nutritious food. This is not the fault of individuals — it’s a systemic issue that impacts us all, and one we can work together to solve.

Jodi Falk

Jodi Falk

“In Western Mass., tight budgets, limited transportation, and social isolation increase the vulnerability of seniors who may already be choosing between medication and meals.”

How Seniors Can Get Support Now

If you’re a senior facing food insecurity or know someone who is, here are three meaningful steps to take:

1. Access Local Food Pantries and Delivery Services. Many organizations, including those to whom Rachel’s Table of Western Massachusetts (RTWM) delivers, provide direct food access through rescued and purchased food programs. Visit 413cares.org for information on where to find a pantry or meal site near you.

2. Enroll in SNAP and HIP. Whereas the requirements for these programs may be changing, they offer financial assistance for groceries, and HIP allows for extra benefits when purchasing fresh produce from local farmers. There may be a Mobile Market in your neighborhood. Visit mass.gov for more information.

3. Join a Community Garden Program. Opportunities like RTWM’s Growing Gardens allow seniors to grow their own food, build community, and improve physical and mental well-being. There are many community gardens in our area; check with your town or city to get connected.

 

Four Ways Rachel’s Table Fights Senior Hunger

RTWM addresses food insecurity through four core programs: Rescue, Purchase, Glean, and Grow. Every initiative is community-led and rooted in dignity, sustainability, and empowerment. Every program feeds and nourishes all generations. You can explore each in detail at feedwma.org, but one program especially stands out for seniors: Growing Gardens.

Currently partnering with two agencies that serve only senior residents and several others that serve seniors alongside people of all life stages, RTWM’s garden program provides education, supplies, mentorship, and community-building opportunities tailored to older adults. Through this initiative, dozens of seniors have regained access to culturally meaningful, fresh food, right from their own garden beds. For many, it’s more than just food — it’s connection. It’s confidence. It’s healing.

RTWM provides materials and mentoring to agency sites that encourage senior residents or constituents to plan, plant, and harvest their own food. Many seniors participate in community workshops with recipes from the garden — sofrito, pico de gallo, and many more. Seniors have said, “we are able to access a taste of home, of our history.”

Become a Tend-A-Garden Sponsor and Grow More Than Food

Businesses, organizations, and families can deepen their impact by becoming a Growing Gardens Tend-A-Garden sponsor. With three tiered levels of support, sponsors can contribute not just funding, but also their time, talents, and services to help these gardens — and the communities they nourish — thrive.

• Seed Starter ($5,000):

– Logo on RTWM’s website

– Acknowledgment in quarterly newsletters

– One aligned social media shout-out

• Seed Saver ($7,500):

– All Seed Starter benefits

– Garden signage

– Sponsor spotlight in newsletter

– Three robust social media features

– Employee recognition during gleaning events

• Seed Sustainer ($10,000+):

– All previous benefits

– Exclusive sponsor gleaning day for your team

– Inclusion in press and media outreach

– Co-branded local media and educational materials

 

Food for Thought

Whether it’s watering a garden on your morning commute, donating compost, or teaching a financial literacy workshop, your involvement matters. And your partnership will directly support seniors and others experiencing food insecurity in our region.

To learn more or arrange a visit to one of our gardens, visit feedwma.org/growing-gardens. n

 

Jodi Falk is executive director of Rachel’s Table of Western Massachusetts.

The Serious Business of Joy

By Contributor
Senior Planning

Why Having Fun Is Essential to Healthy Aging

By Kathy Martin

 

Getting older comes with a full plate of responsibilities. From managing health concerns and financial planning to navigating family dynamics and estate matters, the list of ‘serious stuff’ seems to grow longer with each passing year. Whether you’re still working or enjoying retirement, it’s easy to let the weight of these obligations crowd out something just as vital to your well-being: fun.

Yes, fun. Joy. Laughter. Play. These aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re essential ingredients for a long, healthy, and fulfilling life.

 

Kathy Martin

Kathy Martin

“Why does laughter matter? Because it’s healthy for the mind, body, and soul.”

 

The Science of Laughter

In the mid-1990s, Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician in Mumbai, India, sparked a global movement by tapping into the healing power of laughter. He founded the first Laughing Club, blending intentional laughter with deep breathing and stretching. This evolved into what we now know as laughter yoga, a playful, social, and surprisingly effective wellness practice.

Why does laughter matter? Because it’s healthy for the mind, body, and soul. Here’s what a good laugh can do:

• Lift your mood by increasing oxygen intake and reducing cortisol, the stress hormone.

• Strengthen social bonds and reduce feelings of isolation.

• Boost brain health by improving blood flow, memory, and focus.

• Build resilience by helping you cope with stress more effectively.

• Defuse tension and lighten difficult conversations.

• Support your immune system and improve sleep quality.

In short, laughter isn’t just contagious — it’s therapeutic.

 

Making Joy a Priority

The real challenge — and opportunity — is to make fun a deliberate part of your life. That means holding space for the things that bring you joy and being open to discovering new ones. Here are some ideas to spark your imagination:

• Love music? Attend a summer concert series or open mic night. Dust off that guitar or take up a new instrument. Or sign up for vocal lessons — singing is great for your lungs and your spirit.

• Feeling crafty? Join a local art class for jewelry making, watercolor, calligraphy and more. Explore DIY projects or creative workshops at your local senior center.

• Want to get your game on? Move beyond solo apps like Wordle and join a Scrabble or Mahjong group. Or host a game night with friends — puzzles, chess, bridge, or Bananagrams.

• Want to give back? Volunteer with a nonprofit that aligns with your passions, mentor younger generations, or help out at local events.

• Feeling competitive? Join a golf or pickleball league, or learn to play for the first time. Walk with a neighbor, cycle with friends, or try a new fitness class.

• Hungry for knowledge? Start or join a book club. Take a class, attend a lecture, or learn a new language. Visit museums or historical sites in your area.

• Craving adventure? Plan a trip, near or far. Try an improv class or attend a live theater performance. Explore new hiking trails or attend a local sports game.

• Foodie at heart? Take a cooking class or try a new cuisine. Visit a winery, brewery, or food festival. Or host a themed dinner night with friends.

 

Your Community Is a Playground

Many towns offer vibrant programs for older adults through senior centers, libraries, and parks and recreation departments. These hubs of activity are goldmines for connection, learning, and fun. Group travel for older adults is also on the rise, perfect for those who want to explore with like-minded adventurers.

 

A Silver Spoon Reminder

Years ago, a dear friend gave me a sterling silver ice cream scoop engraved with the words: “Life is short; eat dessert first.” It’s a sweet reminder that joy isn’t something to save for later. It’s something to savor now.

So yes, keep managing your health, finances, and responsibilities. But don’t forget to laugh, play, and explore. Fun isn’t a distraction from healthy aging — it’s a cornerstone of it. And we are fortunate to live in a region that is rich with options.

Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the one to start a laughter yoga class right here in Western Mass. If you do, count me in! n

 

Kathy Martin is president and CEO of Glenmeadow, a life plan retirement community in Longmeadow.

Valet Park of America Marks 35 Years of Steady Growth

By
Angela and Ted Chagnon (front, second and third from left) and the leadership team at Valet Park of America
Features

Lots to Celebrate

Angela and Ted Chagnon (front, second and third from left) and the leadership team at Valet Park of America

Angela and Ted Chagnon (front, second and third from left) and the leadership team at Valet Park of America

 

When Ted Chagnon started his own business in 1990, he had big goals, but there were times, early on, when operating in seven states — from New England to Florida — and employing more than 1,250 people may have seemed like a dream too far.

But that’s precisely the growth trajectory Valet Park of America celebrated when it marked 35 years in business last month.

“It was kind of slow growth at first,” Chagnon said, recalling that his first two valet clients were Yankee Pedlar restaurant in Holyoke and Hotel Northampton, and other small businesses followed. It took two years before the company landed its first major client, Baystate Medical Center, and over the next several years, other large clients followed, particularly in the medical realm, from UMass Medical Center to MetroWest Medical Center in Natick and Framingham.

“Around 2005, we started adding ski resorts, locations in Albany, some locations in Connecticut, and we started to build some momentum. It was tough because we didn’t have any resources in the beginning.”

Initially focused on valet parking only, the business later expanded into parking management, operating lots and garages, and then other transportation services.

“That was simply because a lot of our clients, whether it’s a medical facility, a college, a casino, or a ski resort, sometimes need more than just valet; they need parking management services or transportation for guests, patients, or even transporting employees off site,” Chagnon explained. “Sometimes you’re moving the employees to off-site parking garages and parking lots when you run out of space.”

The company operates in a wide geographic footprint, from Buffalo, N.Y. to Boston, as well as in Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Florida. “We’re in Virginia as of last year, and we’ve been in Florida for five years now, and we’ve really grown tremendously there.”

Many employees have been with Valet Park of America for decades, some more than 30 years. Some of those are family, and Chagnon called this a family business; his wife, Angela, is senior vice president, with responsibilities in client relations, human resources, payroll, auditing, and marketing, and other relatives work in leadership positions as well.

“It’s so important to remember what those frontline people are doing out there, with the weather, and the circumstances, and the vehicles, and the hectic days. It can be stressful at times, and to have somebody in here who understands that and appreciates that is huge.”

“My sister was one of the founders. My niece runs our payroll department. My brother runs our fleet management and quality control department. So we are very much a family-run and owned and operated business,” he said.

But he also attributes this employee loyalty to a culture of opportunity, where someone can start by parking cars and eventually move up as other opportunities arise.

“As we grow, we have to hire more people, more regional managers, and it’s nice that we can promote from within. Many worked for us during college and came on board full-time right after college. I don’t think many of them thought they were going to have a career in parking, but then they stayed with the company. In fact, some of their kids are in college now and working for us.”

 

Getting Behind the Wheel

The Chagnons initially operated the company from home, then moved into an office at 191 Chestnut St. in Springfield, where Valet Park of America is still headquartered today.

“Then we kind of grew,” he said, but it was very gradual growth until about 20 years in, when both the roster of clients and the company’s geographic reach started to create more noticeable momentum. “Then you start becoming a bigger company, with different challenges. But one of the biggest, I think, has been keeping the mentality of a family-run and owned business and maintaining that culture.”

Angela agreed. “I think that just came naturally to Ted and me. I love seeing somebody that starts off as an entry-level valet attendant, and now they’re in the payroll department, or they’re helping me in the accounting department. It’s very rewarding to know that we can do that for them. Anytime we have an opening in the office, we post internally. I love to bring somebody up who knows us, who knows the business, who knows our culture, who appreciates what those frontline employees do.

“That’s the biggest factor for me,” she added. “I’m more internal; we’re more support staff on the back end, and it’s so important to remember what those frontline people are doing out there, with the weather, and the circumstances, and the vehicles, and the hectic days. It can be stressful at times, and to have somebody in here who understands that and appreciates that is huge. It makes a difference, I think, to the frontline employees when they see that. I’ve parked cars. I know what’s happening.”

With the company’s growth, Ted said he’s competing with a number of national firms, and dealing with the sorts of economic shifts that any industry faces — and, like many of them, he relies on a diverse client mix to weather those trends.

Angela and Ted Chagnon launched their enterprise 35 years ago last month

Angela and Ted Chagnon launched their enterprise 35 years ago last month

“During COVID, which was unusual, colleges got shut down; they’re doing well now, but they’re finding some fiscal restraints. Hospitals right now are finding some fiscal restraints as well; there have been some cuts there. And restaurants, in some cases, with inflation, have had to cut back, and valet services might be something that’s cut,” he explained.

“But we’ve expanded to ski resorts and casinos and still have medical facilities, colleges, and independent parking lots. So we have a wide range of industries that we service,” he added. “So we do well; one industry might be seeing some cuts or finding some fiscal restraints, and something else might be flourishing. And some states might be doing better than others. It’s never completely smooth sailing.”

The pandemic, as Chagnon noted, was indeed unusual, and particularly challenging, as colleges, casinos, and ski resorts shut down and hospitals cut way back on visitor traffic.

“We had to evolve and adapt, and we had to lay a lot of people off, but here’s what we did: we went back to our hospital clients especially and said, ‘is there anything you need us to do? You don’t need us to transport anyone. You don’t need any parking services, but what can we do for you?’

“And as things progressed, we ended up staffing a lot of COVID testing sites. We were greeting people, lining up the parking, queuing them up, checking them in. That rolled into screener services at a lot of facilities where you would come in and we’d check your temperature, and we’d ask you an array of questions pertaining to travel and things like that before you could enter the hospital. We’d register you. Because the hospitals were short-staffed, and we had a lot of people that had been working with us for a long time, and we wanted to retain them.”

Two scenes from last month’s 35th anniversary celebration, a family-friendly event that drew about 500 people.

Two scenes from last month’s 35th anniversary celebration, a family-friendly event that drew about 500 people.

It was a time of pivoting and resilience for most businesses, he noted.

“Everyone just said, ‘what do we need to do to keep the lights on?’ Because we still had bills to pay, mortgages and insurance and leases on vehicles. You still had to charge through that and make it happen. So we were fortunate that we had a decent number of people that were willing to do that,” he continued. “I was here at work every day just fighting through those challenges. It was a difficult time.”

 

Shifting into the Next Gear

With the pandemic well in the rear view — literally and figuratively — Valet Park of America continues to grow its services and footprint while maintaining that culture the Chagnons value. Last month, the company marked 35 years with a family-oriented celebration in its expansive parking lot, featuring inflatables, rock climbing, cornhole, face painting, and other activities.

“That brought about 500 people here — about 200 employees and all their kids and their spouses — and it was a very much a family environment for everyone to celebrate,” Ted said.

The event also individually recognized employees who had been with the company for 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years. “We wanted to start with the fifth year, but we had over 150 employees that were here more than five years and a large number of employees over 10 years, and would have been here for two days celebrating each one of them individually,” he said.

“We take pride in our employees’ tenure and the environment that we provide for them,” he added. “It’s a company that can’t run on its own. You can’t have just one person or two people running it. You need a large, supportive team behind you.”

The company also invests in plenty of training for its employees, he told BusinessWest. “We do a lot of training year-round for all our staff because we feel it’s important to make sure that they’re educated, that they know the business, and it gives them opportunity to advance.

“And it helps maintain our culture, too, because we’re in the people business, any way you look at it. We might be in the parking business, we might be in transportation, but it takes people to provide those services, and our employees are really our greatest asset.”

That culture extends to community involvement in many ways as well, supporting organizations like the USO, Jenna’s Blessing Bags, and the various foundations of the company’s medical clients — not to mention encouraging employee volunteerism with nonprofits and charitable events, like the annual UMass Cancer Walk. And those efforts are multiplied across the company’s seven states.

Looking ahead, Chagnon said Valet Park of America will continue to grow smartly and innovate in a number of ways — like its adoption some years ago of automation in the parking process at many sites.

“It’s a company that can’t run on its own. You can’t have just one person or two people running it. You need a large, supportive team behind you.”

“We distribute magnetic parking gates and started building our own entrance and exit payment kiosks for parking garages and parking lots. We kind of branched off into that a little bit to try to be a multi-faceted service provider for our clients.

“We try to control costs for them, provide a very good service, evolve, and adapt to their needs as a vendor or partner. And I think we do that well,” he continued. “Every year we see growth, and it’s primarily because of the services that we provide and the quality that we provide and a lot of good referrals.”

Angela agreed. “Our culture is so important to us, and it always has been. It’s something we focus on every year when we talk about our goals. We make sure to maintain, as best we can, communication and relationships with all the employees as we continue to grow,” she told BusinessWest. “And we have seen that nice, steady growth … obviously minus the COVID years.”

“We’re just looking forward to the next number of years,” Ted added. “Hopefully we have quite a few ahead of us.”

Why Every Company Needs a Compliance Program

By Contributor
Accounting and Tax Planning

The Unseen Superhero

By Tanzi Cannon-Eckerle, Esq.

 

Most likely, nobody dreams of growing up and becoming a compliance officer. Hollywood has yet to greenlight Compliance: The Movie, and you’re unlikely to see glossy magazine profiles of the world’s top compliance chiefs (though wouldn’t that be a page turner?). Still, in the narrative of modern business, the compliance program is the unsung superhero — quietly saving the day, one avoided disaster at a time.

Why, you might ask, does your company even need a compliance program? Isn’t it just a bunch of paperwork, long-winded training sessions, and rules that seem designed to stop you from having fun? Well … kind of — but it is also so much more. The reality is far more entertaining — and, in the long run, far more profitable. Let’s unpack the reasons with wit, wisdom, and a few hypothetical examples that might hit closer to home than you’d expect.

 

The Wild West Without Compliance

Imagine a company called AutoToastBot, the world’s fastest-growing supplier of smart toasters, run by a CEO who believes rules are for “other people.” Employees are encouraged to be creative — so creative, in fact, that the accounting team once tried recording sales made to imaginary customers in Neverland. Human resources operates like a game show, where every new hire spins a wheel to determine their salary. Marketing’s latest campaign involves sending unsolicited bread samples to every mailbox in the country, leading to the Great Pigeon Stampede of 2025.

Tanzi Cannon-Eckerle“A compliance program is a structured set of internal policies, procedures, and controls designed to ensure that a company and its employees follow laws, regulations, and ethical standards. Think of it as the operating manual for not accidentally (or intentionally) landing your company on the evening news.”

Unsurprisingly, the government takes notice. Regulators descend. Fines are levied, lawsuits filed, and soon the only thing rising faster than the company’s bread is its legal bill. The story of AutoToastBot ends not with a bang, but with a whimper — and a cautionary tale about why compliance isn’t just a buzzword, but a business necessity.

 

What Is a Compliance Program, Anyway?

A compliance program is a structured set of internal policies, procedures, and controls designed to ensure that a company and its employees follow laws, regulations, and ethical standards. Think of it as the operating manual for not accidentally (or intentionally) landing your company on the evening news.

A proper compliance program typically includes:

• Clear guidelines on what’s allowed and what’s not;

• Training sessions to educate staff (yes, even those who think they know everything);

• Mechanisms for reporting and addressing violations; and

• Periodic reviews and updates to keep up with new regulations.

In short, it’s about building an organizational immune system to detect, prevent, and respond to business risks before they become full-blown crises.

 

Example 2: The Vendor Who Wasn’t

SirTechalot prides itself on speed. In the rush to launch a new product, the procurement team skips the vendor due diligence. The chosen supplier, BestParts4U, offers unbeatable prices and an address suspiciously similar to a parking garage. Months later, the company receives counterfeit parts, and customers post photos of exploding gadgets. Oops. The company’s new product is promptly banned from the market, and its CEO becomes intimately familiar with legal counsel.

A compliance program requires vendor vetting to ensure suppliers are real, reputable, and not just a front for creative entrepreneurship.

 

The Real Value (Beyond Avoiding Jail Time)

Even when the value of a good compliance program is clear, the implementation and continued execution of it can seem drab, dull, a fun sucker … yes, many employees see compliance as the ‘fun police’: “You can’t do this. You mustn’t do that. Please don’t build a zipline from the roof to the parking lot.”

While it may seem like compliance dampens creativity, the truth is that a good compliance program doesn’t stifle innovation — it guides it. Imagine trying to play a sport with no rules. The strongest players would dominate, injuries would soar, and chaos would reign. Rules, like those in compliance, create a level playing field. They keep the game fun for everyone (and out of court).

Of course, avoiding handcuffs and headlines is a good incentive, but the value of compliance goes deeper. It presents significant strategic value for forward-thinking organizations. A well-structured compliance program can:

• Enhance reputation: Nobody wants to do business with a company known for shortcuts or scandals. Compliance builds trust.

• Build employee morale: People thrive in environments where expectations are clear and fair. Compliance fosters a culture of integrity.

• Reduce risks: By proactively identifying and mitigating risks, companies can avoid costly fines, sanctions, and litigation.

• Create competitive advantage: Companies that anticipate and address risks don’t just survive — they outpace competitors mired in litigation and scandal.

• Promote sustainability: Long-term growth depends on responsible, legal operations. Compliance isn’t just a cost; it’s an investment.

• Attract investment: Investors are increasingly scrutinizing compliance and governance structures before committing capital.

 

How to Build a Compliance Program Without Losing Your Sanity

The good news? Compliance does not require a PhD in legalese or a taste for endless PowerPoints. Here’s how to get started.

First, leadership must be committed to compliance and must walk the walk. Remember, compliance works best when it’s embedded in the company’s culture, not tacked on like an afterthought. The next steps are to:

• Appoint a compliance officer or team (preferably someone who enjoys reading fine print);

• Map out the legal and ethical requirements for your industry;

• Draft clear policies, in plain language (bonus points for humor);

• Create regular, interactive training — think quizzes, scenarios, even the occasional game show;

• Set up anonymous reporting channels for concerns; and

• Review and update your program regularly to keep pace with new laws and business changes.

 

Some Key Areas of Compliance

• Data privacy and protection: In the age of digital everything, regulators have turned the spotlight on how businesses handle personal info. Companies must have robust security measures and transparency in their data practices.

• Anti-bribery and corruption: With laws like the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act, it’s all about keeping it clean. These regulations demand businesses whip up comprehensive training and auditing systems to deter any shady dealings.

• Environmental compliance: Sustainability is the new black. From emissions standards to waste management protocols, businesses are now expected to be green warriors, adhering to environmental regulations with gusto.

• Employment law and workplace practices: Fair hiring, anti-discrimination, and occupational safety regulations are the guardians of a positive work environment. Think of them as the cool kids ensuring every workplace is just and safe.

• Financial reporting and anti-money laundering: Accurate financial reporting and vigilance against money laundering are not just about ticking boxes. They’re the bedrock of maintaining investor and public confidence, making sure the financial ship sails smoothly.

 

The Compliance Program: Everyone’s Secret Superpower

In the end, a compliance program is less about red tape and more about creating a workplace where everyone knows the rules — and the reasons behind them. It prevents disasters, protects reputations, and empowers companies to grow with confidence.

So, the next time someone suggests that compliance is boring, remind them of AutoToastBot’s Pigeon Stampede, or SirTechalot’s exploding gadgets. A compliance program may never win an Oscar, but it will help your company survive to see another business day — and that’s a story worth telling.

 

Tanzi Cannon-Eckerle is the principal attorney at General Counsel by Cannon, PLLC, a fractional general counsel law firm that focuses on labor, employment, and business law. She is also a certified workplace investigator, compliance professional, and equity and inclusion officer. For more information about workplace investigations or to seek legal assistance on business matters or labor and employment concerns, schedule a free, 30-minute consultation by emailing [email protected], or visit gcbycannon.com and fill out the ‘Contact Us’ form.

How to Keep Your Business from Being Victimized by Scammers

By Contributor
Accounting and Tax Planning

Online Fraud on the Rise

By Dan Werme and Terra Carnrike-Granata

 

We’re all aware of the many ways scammers are working to defraud individuals out of their hard-earned money. But small businesses continue to be in the crosshairs of today’s online criminals.

The Federal Trade Commission highlights a wide range of fraudulent schemes targeting businesses, including scams involving fake invoices and unordered merchandise, online listings and advertising, credit card processing and equipment leasing, tech support, altering online reviews, bank and business impersonation scams, and the list goes on.

In its 2024 Internet Crime Report, released earlier this year, the FBI showed that business email compromises resulted in $2.77 billion in losses to businesses. Phishing or spoofing scams, defined by the FBI as “the use of unsolicited email, text messages, and telephone calls purportedly from a legitimate company requesting personal, financial, and/or login credentials,” were the cause of $70 million in losses. Other scams, like tech support and personal data breaches, resulted in losses exceeding $1.4 billion.

In all, businesses and individuals lost a record $16.6 billion to cybercriminals last year, and projections are that scams driven by artificial intelligence (AI) could result in as much as $40 billion in losses by 2027.

Terra Carnrike-Granata

Terra Carnrike-Granata

Dan Werme

Dan Werme

“In all, businesses and individuals lost a record $16.6 billion to cybercriminals last year, and projections are that scams driven by artificial intelligence (AI) could result in as much as $40 billion in losses by 2027.”

Protecting your company’s valuable financial assets starts with internal security; a few simple steps can go a long way in protecting your business from external threats. Your business should:

• Trust but verify whenever you receive a request for payment or invoice changes from customers, vendors, or partners. It is important to make direct contact using a trusted phone number to confirm the instructions aren’t coming from a scammer.

• Implement good computer security practices. It’s essential to establish and maintain basic security procedures and controls for your business, and to update and distribute these to all employees regularly.

• Safeguard your information. Some simple steps include installing commercial antivirus software on all computers, ensuring those programs are updated regularly, and installing spyware detection programs.

• Educate your employees. A robust security program, combined with awareness of warning signs, safe practices, and responses to a suspected takeover, is crucial for protecting your company and its customers.

• Protect your online environment. Do not use unprotected internet connections. Encrypt sensitive data and keep your computer up to date with the latest virus protections. Use complex passwords and change them periodically.

• Partner with your bank to prevent unauthorized transactions.

• Pay attention to suspicious activity and react quickly. Look out for unexplained account or network activity, pop-ups, and suspicious emails. If detected, immediately contact your financial institution, stop all online activity, and remove any systems that may have been compromised. Keep records of what happened. And never share one-time pins, especially if you receive a call from someone claiming to be your financial institution. Banks don’t ask that.

• Understand your responsibilities and liabilities. The account agreement with your bank will outline the commercially reasonable security measures required for your business. You must understand and implement the security safeguards in the agreement. If you don’t, you could be liable for losses resulting from a takeover.

 

What to Do After an Incident

Despite taking these critical steps, businesses can sometimes be victimized by cybercriminals. In such cases, immediate action is crucial to help limit the damage or loss.

In the event of a cybercrime incident, several steps should be taken. First and most important, cease all activity on your computer system immediately, contact your bank, and change your online banking passwords. Other actions include opening new accounts, filing reports with local police and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, and keeping meticulous records of events around the hack.

If you’ve lost your business’s credit or debit cards or checks, contact your bank.

If you think you’re being scammed through email, remember that financial institutions will never ask for personal information or account access credentials in an email. Don’t click on any links or respond to the message — delete the email and check your computer for spyware or other malware and contact your bank.

Identity theft can impact businesses as well as individuals, and there are several ways to know if you have been victimized. They include notices or emails telling you that your account information has been updated or that your information may have been compromised, bills or collection calls for accounts you’ve never opened, unknown accounts or inquiries that appear on your credit report, or an unexpected denial of a credit card application. If you suspect your identity has been stolen, contact your bank and place a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting one of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.

In our increasingly digital world, threats abound, with the growth of AI-based scams exponentially increasing those threats. NBT Bank’s Business Fraud Information Center provides a full range of resources and information to help keep your business secure. We work to provide up-to-date fraud information and alerts to help ensure your business won’t be one of the thousands victimized by scammers.

Dan Werme is regional president of Massachusetts for NBT Bank, which serves commercial and retail banking clients at locations in North Adams, Pittsfield, Lee, Great Barrington, South Egremont, and Sheffield. Terra Carnrike-Granata is senior director of Information Security at NBT Bank, where she designs and implements sophisticated controls to prevent loss and mitigate risk, while also developing innovative ways to educate consumers and businesses on cyber threats.

Monson Developmental Center Is the Latest Westmass Challenge

By
An aerial view of the Monson Developmental Center campus.
Commercial Real Estate

The Next Chapter

An aerial view of the Monson Developmental Center campus.

An aerial view of the Monson Developmental Center campus.

 

When Jeff Daley first pitched the Westmass Area Development Corp. board on the concept of redeveloping a portion of the former Monson Developmental Center (MDC) campus, it wasn’t a hard sell, necessarily.

“But it was a sell,” said Daley, the agency’s president and CEO, and for several reasons.

“It’s an imposing site, and there’s a ton of work that has to be done,” he said of the 100-acre parcel, which essentially sits between two mountains, with very little of what would be considered flat land. “And there’s a lot of money that has to be invested just to make the site developable again.”

But Daley was able to sell his board on the concept — a commitment from the state to provide a $9 million site readiness grant to the agency, as well as an accompanying reversion clause, certainly proved to be a turning point in the sales process — and late last month, the Commonwealth officially conveyed the property to Westmass, touting the transaction as part of ongoing efforts to utilize existing properties to build more housing in a state where there is a strong need for it.

And with that transfer, Westmass, in partnership with the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, will commence work to create what will be known as the Village at Sawmill Brook.

The brook runs through the middle of the property, said Daley, adding that the name was chosen to reflect the rural nature of the community, and a ‘village’ is what is intended, with both residential and commercial development planned.

This is a village that will take shape over the next 10 to 20 years, he noted, adding that the first steps in the process involve demolition of almost all of the 14 existing buildings on the site — one structure, a recreation center at MDC, might be salvaged — as well as environmental remediation and infrastructure improvements.

Demolition is slated to begin early next year, and actual building will likely commence in maybe three years, Daley said.

Exactly what will be built remains to be seen, he told BusinessWest, as well as a gathering of about 100 Monson residents at a recent meeting of the Monson Board of Selectmen, noting that the site, and the market, will likely determine what shape this village will take.

“It’s an imposing site, and there’s a ton of work that has to be done. And there’s a lot of money that has to be invested just to make the site developable again.”

There will be housing, and probably several forms of it, with subdivisions, senior housing, veterans’ housing, and other options under consideration.

One of the first steps in the process will be creation of a master plan for the site to determine how many of those 100 acres can be developed, and in what ways.

“We’re in discussions with several of the groups that do housing for veterans,” Daley noted. “We’ll also talk with folks who do assisted living projects around the area to see if there’s a need for that in the Monson area.”

The next phase of the MDC project will involve demolition of the buildings on the campus

The next phase of the MDC project will involve demolition of the buildings on the campus, most of which are in an advanced state of deterioration.

There could also be senior affordable housing, similar to what has been created at another Westmass property, Ludlow Mills, he went on, adding that single-family homes, condos, duplexes, and fourplexes could also be in the mix. There will also be commercial elements, he said, such as retail businesses with residential units on the upper floors of buildings, in keeping with that ‘village’ concept.

“Right now, it’s a blank slate,” he noted, adding, again, that need and market conditions will likely dictate how the site is redeveloped.

Before any development can take place, the site needs to be cleared and infrastructure improved, a massive undertaking involving everything from the demolition of existing buildings, some of which are quite large, to replacement of a bridge that provides access to the site, for which the state has approved $5 million in funding.

The total cost of site preparation work is expected to approach and perhaps exceed $20 million, said Daley, adding that the state will work with Westmass to identify additional funding sources to advance the development.

Overall, the project represents a different kind of challenge for Westmass, but in many ways it is similar to the Ludlow Mills in that it involves extensive demolition and redevelopment of cleared sites.

“This is what we do … this is where Westmass shines,” Daley explained. “We take older properties and figure out what we can do with them, and I thank the governor and her team for trusting us and supporting us with the financial resources to do this. But once it’s down, cleaned, and demoed, it’s up to us to put together a really good, solid development plan that will benefit Monson.”