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UMass Amherst Awarded $15 Million to Lead Regional Transportation Center

AMHERST — UMass Amherst will lead the New England Region 1 consortium — one of 10 regional university transportation centers (UTCs) — for the U.S. Department of Transportation under a five-year, $15 million grant. The goal of the centers is to advance state-of-the-art transportation research, technology, and safety. The colleges and universities comprising New England’s Region 1 consortium led by UMass Amherst include the University of Connecticut, MIT, the University of Maine, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Rhode Island, and Norwich University, as well as Bunker Hill and Holyoke community colleges. The UTC program has been congressionally mandated since 1987, and each consortium includes two- and four-year colleges and universities that form a unique center of transportation excellence on a specific research topic. There are five national centers, 20 Tier 1 centers, and 10 regional centers in the U.S. President Biden’s infrastructure package included $90 million in funding per year for the competitively selected UTC program grants. The DOT received 230 grant applications, which represents the largest number of applications ever submitted in the 35-year history of the UTC program.

 

AIC Launches Graduate Criminal Justice Program

SPRINGFIELD — Law-enforcement professionals looking to further their education can now get a master of science degree in criminal justice through American International College (AIC). The fully online program is designed to appeal to criminal-justice professionals looking to enhance their skills and credentials, as well as provide the next step for students completing their undergraduate degrees at AIC. The program is now accepting students for the summer 2023 semester, which starts Monday, May 22. The MS in criminal justice provides specialized knowledge of public policy, organizational management, and administrative processes, along with advanced graduate leadership and research training. In addition to foundational theories of criminology and criminal justice, students will explore policy design and implementation alongside emerging trends in the field. The program will provide the skills, knowledge, and practical experience needed to protect and serve the public through a wide range of careers, enabling students to develop as ethical and skilled decision makers in the various branches of criminal justice. The program offers students specializations including social justice and public policy, victim studies, executive leadership, homeland security, and intelligence studies. These specializations allow students to focus on an area of interest unique to their career goals. They can also serve as stand-alone certificates for those interested in enhancing their educational goals and learning activities that overlap across disciplines but remain connected by a single shared subject.

 

Hooplandia Partners with Local Boys & Girls Clubs

SPRINGFIELD — Hooplandia, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and festival making its debut at the Eastern States Exposition (ESE) in June, announced on Thursday that its philanthropic partner will be Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Western Mass. Hooplandia takes place June 23-25 and will be hosted by the Eastern States Exposition and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Games will take place across more than 70 courts at ESE, and showcase games will be held at the Hall of Fame. As a community-forward, all-inclusive event, Hooplandia has vowed to donate $10 of every team registration to local Boys & Girls Clubs in support of the program’s mission and enrichment of the region’s youths. Additionally, Hooplandia has begun a partnership program with regional businesses to underwrite the cost of team registrations for young players from clubs throughout the region. Boys & Girls Clubs of America provide a fun, safe, and constructive environment for kids and teens during after-school hours. Community-based and led by professional staff, these programs offer students opportunities that allow them to succeed in school, develop leadership skills, and maintain healthy lifestyles.

 

LightHouse Holyoke Celebrates Transformational Youth Outcomes

HOLYOKE — LightHouse Holyoke, Personalized Education for Teens, recently celebrated its annual Raise Your Glass event at Mill One at Open Square in Holyoke. LightHouse is a personalized middle- and high-school alternative now in its eighth year in downtown Holyoke. LightHouse maintains an innovative collaboration with Holyoke Public Schools through Opportunity Academy, where students earn credit toward a Holyoke High School diploma in a program modeled after University Without Walls at UMass Amherst. The partnership allows a limited number of Holyoke Public School students to attend LightHouse along with privately enrolled students. LightHouse is accredited through the New England Assoc. of Schools and Colleges. At the annual Raise Your Glass event, speakers included musician, performer, and LightHouse graduate Nehemiah Caradwyn; Liam Russell, a current privately enrolled student and graduating senior; and Damasco Santiago, father of Jhaydon Santiago, also graduating this year, who is enrolled through the LightHouse partnership with Holyoke Public Schools.

 

Citizens Gives Nonprofits $397,000 in Financial-empowerment Grants

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Fifteen nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts will receive a total of $397,000 from Citizens through the bank’s Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money program. The initiative helps strengthen communities by supporting programs, through direct funding as well as volunteerism, that give people the resources they need to be financially healthy and inspire them to pursue their goals. The announcement comes during Financial Literacy Month, a nationally recognized campaign that raises awareness of the need for more financial-literacy education. Through Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money, the bank will provide $2 million in contributions to 150 nonprofits across the communities it serves. This years’ recipients in Massachusetts include two in Western Mass.: Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts and Way Finders Inc. Other recipients include ACT Lawrence Inc., Camp Harbor View Foundation Inc., Centro de Apoyo Familiar, Council for Economic Education, Economic Empowerment Trust Fund, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción Inc., Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance, Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership Inc., Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, the Children’s Museum, Neighborhood of Affordable Housing Inc., Urban Edge Housing Corporation, and Dress for Success Boston Inc.

 

Girl Scouts Receive $10,000 Grant from Davis Foundation

EAST LONGMEADOW — Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts (GSCWM) announced it received a $10,000 grant from the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation in support of It’s a Girls World, one of the community-based programs it offers. The afterschool program engages Hampden County girls in grades K-6 in STEM, financial literacy, and health and personal-wellness topics. The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a collection of engaging, challenging, and fun activities for girls to develop a strong sense of self, display positive values, seek challenges, learn from setbacks, form and maintain healthy relationships, and learn to identify and solve problems in their community. The support of contributors such as the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation makes this possible. The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations seeking to improve quality of life for those living in Hampden County.

 

Revitalize CDC Seeks Volunteers to Help Rebuild 12 Homes

SPRINGFIELD — Revitalize CDC’s #GreenNFit Neighborhood Rebuild is back after a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19. This year, a total of 12 homes in Springfield’s Memorial Square neighborhood — owned by low-income families with children, aging adults, military veterans, and people with special needs — will be worked on by 1,000 volunteers and more than 100 supporters. In addition, vacant lots will be cleaned up and Calhoun Park improved. Volunteers return each year from Maine to Virginia and work alongside the residents of Springfield. Families who benefited from past #GreenNFit events volunteer to help their neighbors on the next block. Revitalize CDC focuses on making meaningful improvements on homes to help reduce energy use, save money, and create a safe, healthy, and sustainable living environment for residents and the community. Improvements include installing or retrofitting HVAC systems to allow for a transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy, such as solar conversions; new roofs; energy-efficient windows, doors, and appliances; water-saving plumbing fixtures; electrical upgrades; mold remediation, lead abatement, and pest control; interior and exterior painting; and modifying homes for aging or disabled homeowners, such as building exterior access ramps. Revitalize CDC is still seeking donations, sponsors, and volunteers. Visit www.revitalizecdc.com for more information, the current list of supports, and to register.

Marketing Tips Uncategorized

Courtesy of https://www.business2community.com/

In everything we do as brands, context matters. Beyond the basic actions taken to protect employees and businesses during a crisis, brands can either help or hinder our collective experience. So when a cultural moment shifts as dramatically as it has in the face of COVID-19, it’s important that brands address the issue with tact, empathy, and mindful marketing.

That said, when it comes to current and planned campaigns, marketing teams face unique challenges during a crisis. While it’s still early in the quarantine, we’ve already been asked to help our clients adjust their communication approaches. Thus, we thought it might be useful to share some of our general guidelines for marketing protocol during these challenging times.

How to Do Empathetic Marketing During a Crisis
Here, we’ve assembled our top tips for addressing your marketing approach during a crisis.

While every brand is different, we see this as a basic action plan that can help brands of all sizes make the right choices and avoid serious mistakes.

Of course, we’re always open to more ideas about how to address sensitive times thoughtfully. If you have more tips or thoughts, please share them in the comments. Otherwise, we hope you find these tips helpful.

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Marketing Tips Uncategorized

Courtesy of WordStream.com

You own a small auto shop in Worcester, MA. Things are going well, but you can’t shake the feeling that you could be growing fasterReferral marketing isn’t bringing you as much business as it used to, and you don’t have the time or the resources to run a commercial on local TV.

So, you decide that it’s time to get serious about digital marketing. To get a high-level sense of where you currently stand, you do a quick Google search for your shop’s name. Much to your chagrin, you find this on the search results page:

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Home Improvement Uncategorized

Advice — on the House

Andrew Crane holds up a prototype of one of the reusable bags attendees will receive at the 2020 Home and Garden Show.

By Mark Morris

Sometimes the online approach isn’t the most efficient way to tackle a project.

“If you’re looking to hire a landscaper, for example, you could look all over the internet and be dissatisfied,” said Andrew Crane, executive director of the Home Builders and Remodelers Assoc. of Western Massachusetts (HBRAWM).

Instead, he suggests conducting a search at the Western Mass Home and Garden Show, where consumers can speak directly with local landscapers and myriad other professionals.

Crane’s organization sponsors the annual event, which is now in its 66th year. Held at the beginning of spring, this year’s edition is scheduled for March 26-29 at the Eastern States Exposition grounds in West Springfield.

Originally, the event served as a venue for tradesmen in the association to familiarize each other with their craft. Over time, the show evolved, putting more emphasis on consumers, and has grown to the point where more than 350 exhibitors reserve space every year.

Exhibitors at the show can help consumers with everything from replacing a faucet to building an entire home — and everything in between. Innovations in building products, as well as home-related services such as Realtors and insurance agents, all have a presence at the home show.

Todd Hickman, Steve Sgroi, and John Collins will use the show to introduce a new segment of their business, Home Service Electrical.

Regarding that landscaper search, at press time, four landscapers had reserved booths at this year’s home show. For landscape projects that involve ‘hardscape’ (incorporating stone work into a landscape design), 14 different vendors of this specialty have signed on.

BusinessWest caught up with several different exhibitors to this year’s show, representing a wide range of industries. Their home-show experience varies from nearly two decades to a couple of first-time exhibitors, but they all share an enthusiasm about the opportunity to connect with people during the event.

Room to Grow

Stuart Fearn, president of Safeco Foam Insulation, marks his 17th home show this year. “Since day one, the home show has proven to be a home run for my business,” he said, adding that he sees his main job at the show as educating people about spray-foam insulation, and it’s a worthwhile effort.

“We get a lot of business and awareness from the home show,” he noted. “It helps people know we exist, and we will often get calls up to six to nine months after the show when they need insulation.”

For nearly two decades now, remodeling has remained a strong trend in home projects. Whether someone is updating their current home or purchasing an older home to modernize, Crane said demand remains strong for windows, siding, and many other products that will fit into existing homes.

Scott Fleury, business development director for Kelly-Fradet Lumber in East Longmeadow, sees the home show as an opportunity to put consumers in touch with the best people for their remodeling projects. The current president of HBRAWM, Fleury has been a part of the home show for 10 years. Kelly-Fradet often displays kitchen, bath, and outdoor deck products it sells primarily through contractors.

Painters Christopher Grenier and Jillian Forcier inspect the results of their recent work in a Northampton home.

“Often a homeowner will come to our booth with a project, and we are able to walk them right to a contractor who is also at the show,” he said. “On the flip side, contractors will bring people to our booth to show them the products we carry that apply to their project.”

Lori Loughlin, showroom manager for Frank Webb Home in Springfield, has taken part in the show for the past five years. Loughlin, vice chair of the organizing committee for the event, said her company sees an almost immediate return on its investment.

“Initially we see a big spike in sales right after the home show,” she said adding that the impact of the event often continues throughout the year. “People will come in as late as Christmas time and tell me they saw us at the home show.”

Christopher Grenier, owner of Grenier Painting and Finishing, reserved a booth at the home show last year for the first time. He enjoyed the experience so much, he is now on the event’s organizing committee.

Grenier noted that customers who need painting services often ask him for referrals about flooring, plumbing, and other services. He gladly recommends other members of the association to help customers find the right person for the job.

“I’ve recommended other painters when a customer needs someone who specializes in painting cabinets, for example,” he said. “We’re not in competition; it’s more of a camaraderie.”

One of the key benefits he sees to having a booth at the show is the ability to give people individual attention for their projects.

“When I’m asked why people should go to the home show, my response is, you’re going to find local people you can trust,” he noted.

Loughlin agreed and said that, because people can touch the products in her company’s booth, it helps them recognize quality kitchen and bath fixtures. When products like these are researched and then bought online, there’s no tactile experience, and service after the purchase is often lacking.

“Our customers know they can call us if there is ever a problem,” she said.
“There’s no sending things in the mail; we’ll just take care of it right here.”

As in past years, most booths will be located in the Better Living Center and the adjacent Young Building. New this year, the space between the two buildings will be used as a “contractor’s village” for products that exhibit better outside.

Scott Fleury helps Kelly-Fradet Lumber get all decked out for the show.

PV Squared Solar, a residential solar-energy installer, will forego the traditional booth setup indoors and will instead set up a solar-powered trailer in the contractor’s village to run electrical devices off the grid.

Anna Mannello, marketing coordinator for PV Squared, said that, as a first-time exhibitor, the home show presents a great way to connect with people in the community.

“PV Squared Solar is based in Greenfield, so we’ve done most of our business in Franklin and Hampshire counties,” she said. “While we’ve done a few installations in Hampden County, this will be an opportunity to increase our exposure to lots of new people.”

Mannello hasn’t yet finalized what appliances they plan to demonstrate, but during the four days of the show, attendees will be able to connect to PV Squared’s trailer to charge their phones using solar power.

It’s one thing to be a first-time exhibitor, and it’s quite something else to launch a new business at the home show. That’s how Todd Hickman, president of Hickman and Sgroi Electric, is approaching his inaugural exhibit.

While his company is an established residential, commercial, and industrial contractor, he and his partner, Steve Sgroi, are introducing Home Service Electrical, a membership-based, comprehensive approach to homeowner electrical needs. Instead of waiting for an emergency, Hickman said the service starts with a full inspection of the home’s electrical system to prevent familiar problems, such as losing power while cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

When a service call is needed, a professional technician in a fully stocked van will be expected to solve most problems in one visit. Each service has a standard price, so the consumer knows upfront what the job will cost. The home show represents an opportunity to introduce this different concept for electrical service.

“We’re creating a brand, so it’s important to educate the public on who we are, the image we present, and to assure people that we plan to be here for generations to come,” Hickman said.

Sgroi, vice president of Hickman and Sgroi, said their goal for the home show is simple, and it’s one shared by many, on one level or another.

“We hope to schedule inspections and grow the business until we are overwhelmed,” he said, while Hickman quickly added, if that happens, the business will gladly expand to meet the demand.

The Finish Line

For many years, HBRAWM provided plastic bags for show attendees to collect information from exhibitors. Crane proudly noted that the plastic bags are gone and have been replaced this year with reusable cloth bags, similar to those found in supermarkets.

“It’s one small way our members can be part of the solution to improving our environment,” he said. The bag will include a map showing all booth locations and a guide with contact information on all the HBRWM members.

“If you have a specific project, the map and guide will help you navigate the show to get the information you need,” Crane said. “If you don’t have any projects and you want a social experience, then you can just walk around, and you’ll have a great time.”

He concluded that other home shows have come and gone in the area, but ‘the original’ home show is here to stay. “After 66 years, it’s now a piece of Western Mass. history.”

The Western Mass Home and Garden show will be open Thursday and Friday, March 26-27, from 1 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 for adults. Children under 12 are admitted free. Veterans and active military with ID are admitted free on Thursday only. Discount coupons for every day of the show are available at www.westernmasshomeshow.com.

Picture This Uncategorized

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


A Visit from the First Lady

On Feb. 21, Massachusetts First Lady Lauren Baker paid a visit to Square One’s Tommie Johnson Child & Family Center, where she spent the afternoon learning about Square One’s work with children and families in the region. She was greeted by Square One educators, therapists, and children, who welcomed her with songs and gifts for the children Baker engages with in her work with the Wonderfund of Massachusetts.

 


Advocating for Community Colleges

James Lombella (left), North-West regional president of Connecticut Community Colleges, and Eileen Peltier (right), dean of Workforce Development and Continuing Education for Asnuntuck, Northwestern Connecticut, and Tunxis community colleges, traveled to Hartford in February to represent the 12 Connecticut community colleges as part of a 2020 Skills Summit organized by the National Skills Coalition. Lombella and Peltier met with staff from the office of state Sen. Richard Blumenthal and state Rep. Joe Courtney (center) to provide updates on the community colleges and seek support for Pell grants for students in non-credit programs that provide industry licensure and credentials.


Grand Opening

Brenda Cuoco & Associates Real Estate Brokerage celebrated its grand-opening ceremony on Feb. 8. The office opened for business in Wilbraham in November. State Rep. Angelo Puppolo presented Cuoco, who has been a real-estate agent for 15 years, with a House of Representatives citation.

The brokerage team, from left, Amy Beaulieu, MaryKate Caron, Paula Lynch, Alyssa Stout, Brenda Cuoco, Tammy Sandomierski, Kathleen Brenner, Paige Belcastro, and Cori Bessette

 

From left: Puppolo, David Cuoco, Brenda Cuoco, Marco Cuoco, and Antonio Cuoco

 


Giving Back to the Community

Community Bank N.A. announced that its annual charitable giving reached more than $2.6 million in 2019 through sponsorships, donations, and grants, with its branches across Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont donating to more than 2,500 local organizations. In Massachusetts, it supported a variety of organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of Springfield, the YMCA of Greater Springfield, Springfield Rescue Mission, Open Pantry Community Services, Way Finders, Gardening the Community, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County, and (pictured) the Western Regional Office of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC).

From left: Community Bank N.A. Springfield Branch Manager Gilbert Nieves, Commercial Banking Team Leader Keith Nesbitt, MSBDC Regional Director Samalid Hogan, MSBDC Client Services Coordinator and Office Manager Lynn Shedd, and MSBDC Senior Business Advisor Anita Elisaon.

 

 


Art History

Tower Square unveiled a James Kitchen sculpture in its Center Court on Feb. 26. The 11-foot-high sculpture, titled “Tower Squares,” is comprised of intricate, stacked blocks, a la Dr. Seuss, filled with parts and pieces recycled from Springfield’s past. Visitors will discover a 1940s Indian motorcycle seat, pipe wrenches invented by Solymon Merrick in 1835, a clip-on ice skate patented by Everett Barney in the 1800s, a basketball hoop, ice tongs, hammers, gears that turn, doorbells that ring, faucets, and much more. The entire installation is interactive, inviting children and adults to explore its components. The statue will be a permanent feature of the building.

 

 


 

Uncategorized

This Agency Gets IT

Anthony Ciak and Jackie Fallon say building relationships with clients and candidates is key to finding the right fit for both parties.

Finding the right candidate for a job can be a difficult task. In the tech industry, finding someone who not only has the technical skills, but also the right personality for the position, is especially challenging. That’s why FIT Staffing was established — to help companies find the right people to fill these positions, and keep them for the long haul.

Putting a square peg into a round hole just doesn’t work out.

Jackie Fallon says this goes for putting people in jobs as well. If a candidate is not the right fit for a position, things won’t work out in the long run.

Unfortunately, she says many large staffing companies habitually try to do just that — make people fit in positions where they aren’t meant to be in order to increase their numbers and help their bottom lines.

This is one of the reasons why Fallon started FIT Solutions, a technology-focused staffing company that digs deeper — much deeper — to find the right fit, for clients and candidates alike.

Fallon, president of the company, is a former engineer and employee at one of those larger staffing companies. She told BuisnessWest that she started FIT back in 2004 because she felt the Western Mass. area was underserved by the national staffing companies, and that smaller organizations that had IT needs were being overlooked.

So, she went into business for herself to change that.

“We don’t want to put people in positions that they’re not going to be successful at. We take a good, long time with our candidates and assessing what they want to do.”

The mission at FIT Solutions is to provide value to both candidates — those seeking jobs in technology, and the company’s commercial clients, those seeking employees for their open technology positions — and to do it in a thorough manner.

“We don’t want to put people in positions that they’re not going to be successful at,” said Fallon. “We take a good, long time with our candidates and assessing what they want to do.”

Division Manager Anthony Ciak emphasized the difference between FIT and larger staffing companies, adding that creating a solid fit requires more than simply looking at what’s on paper to figure out where a person might belong.

“I think that, with the larger staffing companies, maybe moreso in the IT space, it’s all about numbers,” he said. “They want to get quick placement to get numbers up, and, in the long run, that really doesn’t help anyone.”

He maintains that finding the perfect match always goes well beyond just the technical skills a candidate has. It comes down to finding the right culture and personality fit.

“Tech skills aside, sometimes it’s more about putting a hiring manager and a candidate in the same room and seeing how the sparks fly,” said Ciak, adding that good communication and chemistry are big parts of the process. “What a lot of people are looking for is a good teammate.”

One of the most common stereotypes surrounding those in the tech industry is that people are unsocial and unwilling to interact with others, but Ciak says the opposite is true, and clients look for someone who will work well with their teams.

That’s why FIT focuses on forming long-term relationships with candidates and clients so they can find the right fit for both parties.

Tech Talk

In fact, all this is spelled out loud and clear in the mission statement of the company: “to provide industry insight alongside quality staffing solutions delivered with sincerity, trust, and friendliness for our partners and candidates.”

“Our goal going into a chat with a candidate is to let them know that it’s not just about the job we might be talking about at that moment,” Ciak said. “It’s building a foundation for that opportunity and then anything else further down the line.”

In order to fill positions for clients, those at FIT often reach out to candidates they talked to months or maybe years ago. A suitable fit may not have been found back then, said Fallon, but candidates remember the service they received and are generally happy to come back for another try.

“I think that, with the larger staffing companies, maybe moreso in the IT space, it’s all about numbers. They want to get quick placement to get numbers up, and, in the long run, that really doesn’t help anyone.”

“We go back to the candidates we already have in the pipeline,” she said. “That’s our goal, to get people that we’ve already met, and we already understand what they’re looking for and make that match.”

She added that, frankly, the candidates who have résumés out on job sites like Monster or Dice are being pursued by everyone else in the industry, making it more difficult to reach them.

One thing Fallon hopes will help expand the company’s candidate pool is its recent merger with Marathon Staffing, a $70 million regional agency. Despite the reputation national staffing agencies have, she’s confident that it will help bring more more resources into the Western Mass. area.

“It gives us more bandwidth as far as options with our candidates,” she explained, adding that Marathon didn’t have an IT division, which is where FIT comes in.

Another attribute that helps FIT stand out from competition is its vetting process. Fallon said one of the best compliments the company has ever received came from a hiring manager who told her that, whenever they get a résumé from her, they know it’s a good candidate.

To explain the significance of this for the company, Ciak recalls the story of a client who was looking to fill a position at its location in Franklin County. Geographically, those at this firm knew they were going to have a harder time filling the position because of its location, and after a few months of frustration went by, they had to get creative and think outside the box.

They reached out to a female candidate who — on paper, anyway — had progressed into a few other roles that weren’t directly related to the job they needed to fill. But when FIT reached out to her, they found out that she wanted to get back into that kind of position.

When they presented her as a candidate, the decision maker for the client was reluctant to meet her. But FIT didn’t give up.

“We had a conversation with the hiring manager about trying to help them understand why we felt this person may be a good fit for the role,” said Ciak, adding that the decision maker agreed to a phone call with the candidate. As it turns out, they found she was a perfect match for what they were looking for.

“I think it was a good example of how it wasn’t about what was on the résumé … it was about a lot of the stuff in between the lines,” Ciak said. “Yes, they have to be able to do the job technically, but it’s so much more than that.”

Quality over Quantity

Using this operating mindset, the company has sustained a significant pool of candidates to reach out to, including a database of roughly 20,000 people. And it is constantly looking to make this pool even wider and deeper.

As just one example, the team recently visited Western New England University’s computer science club to talk to the seniors and other students about job opportunities in the area, how to go about looking for a job, interview preparation, salary information, and more. They also attend job summits, workshops, and other similar events to not only be a presence in the community, but also to ensure that they are constantly learning in an ever-changing industry.

“The more that we’re aware of how things are changing, the more we can impress on the candidate the importance of keeping up with technologies, too,” Ciak noted. “A lot of our clients expect the same. They expect folks to keep up with the latest and greatest and to stay educated and to challenge themselves with new technology.”

This, along with a mission to find the right fit for a candidate and client, is what makes FIT Solutions stand out from the competition. It’s what landed them on the ITS63 list as the only Western Mass. vendor, and it’s also what keeps clients and candidates in the area staffed and employed.

“It really comes back to providing value to our candidates and our clients,” Fallon said, “and being a trusted adviser to both of them.”

Kayla Ebner can be reached at [email protected]

Tourism & Hospitality Uncategorized

Katie DiClemente says the openness of the meeting spaces at the Sheraton is one of the biggest selling points for people looking to stage conventions.

Sheraton Springfield Takes Steps to Stand Out in the Marketplace

Stacy Gravanis acknowledged the obvious when it comes to the convention and meetings market in the Northeast, and the country as a whole — there is no shortage of competition.

And in this climate, the assignment is also obvious — to find a way, or several ways, as the case may be, to stand out in this crowded marketplace.

The Sheraton Springfield has been doing that since it opened more than 30 years ago, said Gravanis, general manager of the facility, and it keeps looking for new, innovative, and, well, cool ways of continuing that practice. Cool as in a Ding-Dong cart. Indeed, the nostalgic summertime staple, sometimes seen patrolling neighborhoods and often seen parked at pools and lakes, became part of the landscape at the downtown Springfield landmark during the first week in August.

It was parked on the grounds, providing a unique opportunity to cool down during what has been an oppressive summer to date — for guests and downtown workers alike. And it became another way to bring value and something different to visitors, said Gravanis, who told BusinessWest that this is all part of the work to not only stand out — as important as that is — but also to help build relationships and turn customers into repeat customers, a critical assignment in this industry.

One of the stops on the Sheraton’s ice cream truck tour was MGM Head Start in Springfield.

“The goal is to find that connection to them and build loyalty,” she told BusinessWest, adding that the Ding-Dong cart is just one example of programs, products, and services that go into the connection-building process.

Katie DiClemente, assistant director of Sales and Marketing for the Sheraton agreed. She said that conventions and meetings comprise a large slice of the business at the Sheraton, one where building relationships and generating repeat business is essential.

DiClemente noted that the facility hosts dozens of convention groups a year, such as the Pancretan Association of America, which was in town from June 28 to July 3 and brought 475 people to the hotel. Meanwhile, its assorted meeting spaces host a wide array of gatherings, from company retreats and annual meetings to team-training sessions, to educational seminars.

The hotel’s portfolio of facilities and its unique layout (more on that later) are attractive selling points, she said, as is the region and its many attractions.

Both Gravanis and DiClemente said an already attractive mix of attractions, from Six Flags to the Dr. Seuss museum, has been significantly bolstered by MGM Springfield, which they expect to help bring new convention business to the 413.

For this issue and its focus on meetings and conventions, BusinessWest talked with Gravanis and DiClemente about the Sheraton’s ongoing work to stand out in the market, and how it is creating new flavors of customer service — figuratively but also quite literally.

Getting the Scoop

One of the largest facilities of its kind in the region, the Sheraton boasts 325 hotel rooms, more than 36,000 square feet of meeting space, including a ballroom and eight meeting rooms on the third floor, six meeting rooms on the second floor, and two additional meeting rooms on the fourth floor, leaving plenty of space for large conventions.

DiClemente says the 10,000 square foot ballroom can hold up to 1,000 people depending on the type of event, with a 500-person cap for a banquet-style event.

But size is not the only attractive quality. Indeed, DiClemente said the setup of the meeting spaces at the Sheraton Springfield is unlike most other hotels.

“The flow of our space is something that definitely attracts people to our hotel,” she told BusinessWest. “We’re not a conference-style hotel where you’re walking down a long hallway and going to your meeting rooms and finding it that way. We’re an atrium style, so if your meeting room is on the second floor, you can look down and see where you need to go. The natural light shines through the atrium.”

This natural light, and all that comes with it, has attracted a number of groups to the Sheraton — and Greater Springfield. The Pancretan Association of America (PAA), a national organization comprised of members who support and perpetuate Cretan culture through scholarship, educational, cultural, and philanthropic programs for those in the United States, Canada, and Crete, is an example of the how the region and the hotel are drawing local, national, and even international groups.

And bringing them here is a collaborative effort, said Gravanis, adding that the hotel works closely with the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB), keeping in daily contact with Director of Sales Alicia Szenda.

“We have a really great relationship with her being the director of sales,” said DiClemente. “If the convention center has a lead where they need overnight rooms, that’s sent to the [GSCVB] and Alicia is that middleperson between the MassMutual Center and the hotels in the area.”

Once that lead is sent out to the hotels, they bid on the piece of business, which is sent directly to Szenda. Of course, this region is usually competing against several other cities in for the right to host specific conventions, which brings us back to that notion of standing out — and building relationships.

Again, the Ding-Dong cart was just part of it.

Aside from the ice cream runs, Gravanis said the hotel staff works to stay in touch with clients — be they groups or individuals — through birthday and anniversary cards and other touch points to build a relationship and, hopefully, a long-term relationship.

“Whether it’s a local client or a client out of a different city, it’s so important to build that relationship with them and that’s something we do every day,” said DiClemente. “It’s really a top priority for our sales team.”

Gravanis added, again, that the area itself is a huge selling point for the Sheraton, and it is becoming more so through the addition of MGM Springfield, which has the potential to bring a wide array of meetings and conventions to the city, many of which will require large amounts of hotel rooms and other facilities.

Staying Power

Since it opened nearly three decades ago, the Sheraton has been one of the key players in the region’s large and important hospitality sector.

It has been one of the important pieces in the puzzle when it comes to the infrastructure needed to bring meetings and conventions, and, therefore, revenue and vibrancy, to the region.

It has maintained this position by being innovative and always finding ways to stand out. And the Ding-Dong cart, as cool as it is, is just the latest example.

Kayla Ebner can be reached at [email protected]

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

Giving Back

Timm Marini, president of HUB International New England, recently presented a check for $5,000 to the Mental Health Assoc. (MHA). Marini has also committed to a $5,000 donation to MHA for 2020. “HUB International New England embraces the value of the communities where our customers and employees live and work, so we give back by supporting community-focused organizations that do good things to help others. MHA is an organization that we have supported for many years and continue to support because of the important work they do helping vulnerable people,” said Marini (pictured with Kimberley Lee, vice president, Resource Development & Branding for MHA).

Music to Their Ears

Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. recently donated $5,000 to the Berkshire Hills Music Academy (BHMA) in South Hadley, which offers a post-secondary transition program, as well as a long-term graduate program for young adults with intellectual challenges. Its educational model infuses music with an empirically based curriculum to promote skills for independence. Karen Phillips of Phillips Insurance (left) presented the check to Michelle Theroux, executive director of Berkshire Hills Music Academy, at the annual spring concert held at the Bernon Music Center on the BHMA campus.

 

City of First Socks

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno showed his support for Upscale Socks owner Lenny Underwood recently, and bought the first pair of his ‘City of First’ socks, depicting the city skyline and a basketball, representing the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The socks can be purchased online at www.upscalesocks.com, as well as the Springfield Regional Visitors Center located at 1319 Main St.

 

 

Chamber Corners Uncategorized

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.franklincc.org

(413) 773-5463

Sept. 17: Business After Hours at the United Way of Franklin County’s Taste & Toast ’Round the County, 5-8 p.m., hosted by Franklin County Fairgrounds. Join us at the historic Round House at the Franklin County Fairgrounds for the United Way of Franklin County’s Taste & Toast tournament. Mixologists are invited to face off for the chance to be named the ultimate in crafting cocktails. Register at (413) 772-2168 or uw-fc.org.

Sept. 27: Monthly Breakfast and United Way Kickoff, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Franklin County Technical High School, 82 Industrial Blvd., Turners Falls. The United Way of Franklin County is kicking off its 2019 campaign. Learn about the upcoming campaign and how you can participate. Sponsored by Melanson Heath. Cost: $15 for members, $20 general admission. Register at [email protected] or franklincc.org.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

Aug. 21: Party on the Patio Chamber Open House, 4:30-7 p.m., sponsored by Westfield Bank, Polish National Credit Union, and PeoplesBank. Networking, international foods from favorite Chicopee restaurants, cash bar, and live music. Cost: $25 or two for $40. Register at www.chicopeechamber.org/events.

Sept. 12: Business After Hours, 4:30-6:30 p.m.. hosted by the Red Fez. Sponsored by Polish National Credit Union. Networking fun at a Chicopee staple, featuring a full Portuguese buffet and cash bar. Space is limited for this annual event. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Register at www.chicopeechamber.org/events.

Sept. 18: Salute Breakfast: “Maintaining the Work-Life Balance,” 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by MassMutual Learning and Conference Center, Chicopee. Sponsored by Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, N. Riley Construction Inc., Polish National Credit Union, USI Insurance Services, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Featuring state Rep. Aaron Vega (chief greeter) and Kathy Anderson of Holyoke Medical Center (keynote speaker). An interactive opportunity for small businesses and startups to learn how to tap into state and local support. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Register at www.chicopeechamber.org/events.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

Sept. 12: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Nini’s Ristorante, 124 Cottage St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Polish National Credit Union. The event will include food provided by Nini’s, a cash bar, and business-to-business relationship building. This event is free to members and their employees; however, pre-registration is required. Non-members are invited for $20. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

Sept. 27: “Women and the Art of Risk,” 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. This year’s women’s leadership event will feature workshops, discussions, and career-development opportunities, all led by distinguished women from the Pioneer Valley. Hear personal and professional stories of how taking calculated risks led these women to new adventures and made them stronger leaders. Keynote speaker: Jody Kasper, chief of Police, city of Northampton. Cost: $119, which includes breakfast and lunch. A table of 10 may be purchased for $875. Pre-registration is required. No tickets will be sold at the door. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.northamptonchamber.com

(413) 584-1900

Aug. 21: Dazzle and Dine Holiday Menu Preview Party, 5-7 p.m., hosted by the Inn on Boltwood. Planning your holiday party? Mix and mingle with the inn’s team, take a tour of its event spaces, and enjoy hors d’oeuvres, a sampling of entrées, and live entertainment. Reserve your holiday party early to receive special discounts and perks. Cost: $20 per person. For more information and to register, visit northamptonchamber.com.

Sept. 11: September Arrive@5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Northampton Survival Center. Come when you can, stay as long as you can. A casual mix and mingle with friends and colleagues. Cost: $10 for members, $12 for non-members. For more information and to register, visit northamptonchamber.com.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

Sept. 9: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by the Arbors, 40 Court St., Westfield. Join us for coffee with Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan. The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested so we may give our host a proper head count. Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events or call (413) 568-1618.

Sept. 16: After 5 Connections, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Polish National Credit Union, 1 Parkside Ave., Westfield. Refreshments will be served, and a 50/50 raffle will benefit the chamber scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: free to both chamber members and non-members. For more information, call the chamber at (413) 568-1618, or register online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events.

Sept. 21: September Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by the 104th Fighter Wing ANG, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield. Platinum event sponsor: Baystate Noble Hospital. Gold sponsor: Westfield Gas & Electric. Silver sponsor: A Plus HVAC Inc. Bronze sponsors: Behavioral Health Network/the Carson Center, Governor’s Center, and the Arbors. For sponsorships or registration questions, e-mail [email protected] or call (413) 568-1618. Cost to attend: $28 for members, $43 for non-members. Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org/events.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.springfieldregionalchamber.com

(413) 787-1555

 

Sept. 4: Rise & Shine Business Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Sheraton Springfield, One Monarch Place, Springfield. Sponsored by United Personnel (breakfast series sponsor) and Wolf & Co. Featuring Josh Kraft, president of the New England Patriots Foundation and Nicholas president and CEO of the Boston Boys and Girls Clubs, on “Taking Social Justice Beyond Social Media.” Cost: $25 for members in advance ($30 at the door) or $35 general admission in advance ($40 at the door). To register, visit www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mail [email protected], or call (413) 755-1310.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com

(413) 426-3880

Sept. 4: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Partners Restaurant, Agawam. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members. For more information about this event, call the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

Sept. 17: Legislative Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. Presenting sponsor: Health New England. A panel of legislators, featuring state Sens. James Welch and Donald Humason and state Reps. Nicholas Boldyga and Michael Finn, will provide updates from Beacon Hill, followed by a question-and-answer session. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For sponsorships or to register online, visit www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information on ticket sales, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

Company Notebook Uncategorized

Big Y Breaks Ground on Expanded Distribution Center

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y is expanding its distribution center with a $40 million project that is set to fuel the growth of the supermarket chain for the next 20 years.

At the Big Y Store Support Center on Aug. 7, guest speakers, including Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Patrick Carnevale, director of Gov. Charlie Baker’s Western Mass. office; state Rep. Jose Tosado; and Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council, joined Charlie D’Amour, president and CEO of Big Y Foods, and many others in celebrating the beginning of the expansion. The now-189,000-square-foot facility is adding another 232,000 to bring the total to 425,000 square feet. The new space will have state-of-the-art refrigeration storage for fresh seafood from Boston, deli meats, salads, cheeses, fresh and local produce and flowers, as well as additional dry-product storage. Big Y is adding 32 full-time employees to meet the demands of the new facility, which is expected to support an additional 20 supermarkets.

The Creative Strategy Agency Celebrates 10 Years in Business

SPRINGFIELD — The Creative Strategy Agency Inc. (tCSA), a local digital marketing and advertising agency, celebrated its 10th anniversary in Aug. 9. Started by Alfonso Santaniello at age 24, tCSA has grown into a fully staffed agency servicing local and national clients in social-media marketing, advertising, and search-engine marketing. Santaniello established tCSA after getting laid off at the beginning of the recession in 2008, but wasn’t until he landed his first client, a national company that he took the leap to really pursue the business. In 2010, when most companies had yet to use video marketing or understand the influence of YouTube, Santaniello launched “Strictly Businews.” Over its run, this digital web talk show garnished more than 1 million views and an award. With the web series’ success, Santaniello’s clientele expanded from local to national as he signed on with businesses from Washington, D.C., Seattle, and San Diego. After six years, the series ended in 2016. Over the course of 10 years, tCSA has worked within a wide range of industries, including restaurants, e-commerce, manufacturing, and nonprofits.

UMass Amherst Again Ranks First in Campus Dining

AMHERST — For the fourth straight year, UMass Amherst tops the rankings for Best Campus Food in the nation. The honor was revealed by the Princeton Review as part of its ranking of the top 20 colleges in 62 different categories for 2020. UMass Dining is the largest collegiate dining program in America and is a recognized leader among college dining programs because of its focus on quality ingredients and meals, customer service, student health and wellness, customization options, an appreciation of global influences and modern eating trends, and creating community on campus. UMass Dining serves more than 8 million meals per year. Locally sourced food plays a major component in its success. It has relationships with more than 100 local farms, spending $2.4 million annually with Massachusetts farmers and vendors and a total of $5 million in New England.

Sunshine Village Golf Tourney Breaks Fundraising Record

CHICOPEE — Sunshine Village held its 30th annual Sunshine Village Golf Tournament fundraiser on Aug. 7 at Chicopee Country Club in Chicopee, MA. The event sold out, with 38 teams participating. A reception with awards, raffles, and a silent auction followed at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee. Ernest Laflamme Jr., president of the board of directors and chair of the golf committee, congratulated Kellco Products for winning the tournament. A team from UNUM came in second, and a team from PeoplesBank placed third. On behalf of the board of directors, Laflamme and Executive Director Gina Kos thanked the many sponsors and volunteers that helped to raise the most funds of any year in the tournament’s 30-year history. To commemorate their dedication, a group of sponsors were given special recognition as Legacy Sponsors. They include Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, PeoplesBank, Westfield Bank, Charter Oak Financial, HUB International New England, Inter-All Corp., Kellco Products, Knights of Columbus Elder Council #69, Knights of Columbus Elder Council #4044, Polish National Credit Union, Siddall and Siddall, P.C., and USI Insurance. Other major sponsors included Caolo & Bieniek Architects Inc., Key Private Bank, Marcotte Ford, and Supreme Roofing. All proceeds from the fundraiser go toward ensuring that up-to-date technology, adaptive equipment, engaging activities, and professional-development opportunities are offered to the more 500 individuals served by Sunshine Village.

PV Squared Solar Recognized as a Top Solar Contractor

GREENFIELD — With renewable energy expected to be the fastest-growing source of U.S. electricity generation for the foreseeable future, local solar installer and worker-owned cooperative PV Squared Solar is contributing toward this period of energy transition. The company has once again been recognized by Solar Power World magazine and was listed prominently among other solar contractors and developers across the country in the magazine’s 2019 Top Solar Contractors list. “It’s an honor to be recognized among the top solar energy companies in the region, let alone the nation. Our leadership within the solar industry over the years has been a significant point of pride, and we look forward to continuing that good work,” said General Manager Jonathan Gregory.

MassMutual Foundation Gives $1.5 Million to Way Finders

SPRINGFIELD — The MassMutual Foundation Inc. announced it will give Way Finders $1.5 million to help fund the organization’s new Housing Center currently being constructed in Springfield. This donation will enable Way Finders to serve even more people in the community who are facing homelessness or struggling to achieve financial security. Way Finders is in the midst of constructing a larger, more centrally located Housing Center at 1780 Main St. in Springfield that will be more easily accessible by transportation and the nearby Union Station complex, eliminating one of the greatest barriers to accessing services. The new facility will house all 160 of Way Finders’ Springfield-based staff and is slated to open its doors in April 2020. In 2018, Way Finders’ programs impacted the lives of more than 47,000 people, including thousands of children, through services including homelessness and foreclosure prevention, financial education, first-time-homebuyer workshops, and employment training. The total number of walk-in requests so far in 2019 has exceeded 2018 demand, demonstrating the growing need from the community and the crucial support the new Housing Center will provide.

MachineMetrics Achieves Amazon Web Services Industrial Software Competency Status

NORTHAMPTON — MachineMetrics, an industrial IoT platform for discrete manufacturing, announced it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Industrial Software Competency status. This designation recognizes that MachineMetrics has demonstrated technical proficiency and proven customer success building solutions for discrete manufacturing. These specialized software solutions enable companies in the discrete-manufacturing space to increase the pace of product innovation while decreasing production and operational costs in their value chain. Achieving AWS Industrial Software Competency differentiates MachineMetrics as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member that has delivered specialized solutions aligning with AWS architectural best practices for building the most secure, high-performing, resilient, and efficient cloud infrastructure for industry applications. To receive the designation, APN Partners must undergo a rigorous technical validation related to industry-specific technology. AWS is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the AWS Competency Program to help customers identify consulting and technology APN Partners with deep industry experience and expertise.

Tighe & Bond Again Named PSMJ Circle of Excellence Member

WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond has been named as a member of the PSMJ Resources Inc. 2019 Circle of Excellence for second year in a row. The Circle of Excellence highlights successfully managed firms that demonstrate outstanding achievements in areas such as profitability, overhead management, cash flow, productivity, business development, and staff growth. Founded in 2006, the Circle of Excellence represents the top 20% of participants in PSMJ’s annual A/E Financial Performance Benchmark Survey, based on 13 key performance metrics. The annual survey is open to all firms in the industry, regardless of firm type, size, gross revenue, net revenue, practice area, or location.

Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee Receives $5,000 Grant from MassMutual Foundation

CHICOPEE — The Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee received a $5,000 grant from the MassMutual Foundation as part of a national Community Service Award (CSA) program. The Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee is one of 32 organizations nationally to receive an award. The MassMutual Foundation made the grant as a tribute to the volunteer efforts of Robert Houle, a MassMutual agent with Unity Financial & Insurance Group in Holyoke and an alumnus of the club. The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee is to enable all young people reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. “We are grateful to receive this grant to help support the current programs and services provided at the club, which include art, athletics, homework help, and nutrition, to name a few,” said Jason Reed, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee. Added Houle, “I am very pleased that my dedication to the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee has been recognized by the MassMutual Foundation. This grant will provide much-needed funding to continue supporting the youth in our community.”

Work Opportunity Center Opens Community-based Day Service Facility

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Work Opportunity Center Inc. held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 23 at its newly acquired and renovated community-based day service (CBDS) facility located at 111 Park Ave. in West Springfield. Established in 1969, Work Opportunity Center (WOC) initially served its participants through a center-based work-service model. Community-based day services were added in the summer of 2014. On June 30, 2016, center-based work services were discontinued for all participants, and those services were converted to CBDS. As of July 1, 2019, there are approximately 84 individuals participating in WOC’s CBDS services. On July 1, 24 program participants and five staff members transferred from the WOC facility in Agawam to its newest facility in West Springfield. The CBDS program of enables individuals with developmental disabilities to enrich their lives and enjoy a full range of community activities by providing opportunities for developing, enhancing, and maintaining competency in personal, social, and community activities. Service options for individuals participating in the CBDS program include career exploration, community-integration experiences, skills development and training, volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits, health and fitness classes, socialization experiences, and support to enhance interpersonal skills, as well as the pursuit of personal interests and hobbies. The renovation of the 111 Park Ave. facility is supported by a $5,000 grant by United Bank in addition to a $1,000 grant from the Rotary Club of West Springfield.

STCC Wins Career Pathways Grant for Early-childhood Education

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will apply a $296,904 state grant to support a new, affordable professional-development program for early-childhood educators. The funding will allow STCC to roll out its Child Development Associate Plus program this fall. The program will help early-childhood educators obtain certification and become better-qualified to teach infants and toddlers as well as preschool-aged children. STCC announced in July that the college received the Early Childhood Education Career Pathways Grant, funded through the state Department of Early Education and Care. Those who may be interested in the program include center-based teachers, family childcare providers, and other early-care professionals who are working toward becoming qualified teachers of young children. The Career Pathways Grant provides a range of support for students in the program at STCC. Funding will pay for a new bilingual position, Early Childhood Education liaison. The person hired for the job will work closely with early-childhood students and will be able to speak Spanish and English. Additionally, the grant will be used to update an old computer lab. Students will have use of the state-of-the-art lab with access to wireless hotspots and computers to borrow if they don’t have one at home. Classes will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings, and the program is estimated to take one year to complete. Students can come to STCC on Wednesday night for tutoring or to meet with the liaison for support. Students who need extra support in math and English can take a free one-week boot camp prior to the start of the fall semester. STCC also will offer a prior learning credit, which means anyone who already has earned a CDA from another institution may qualify for college credit from STCC.

GCC Receives Continuation of Title III Grant Funding

GREENFIELD — In October 2016, Greenfield Community College (GCC) was awarded a $1.6 million Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education, to be disbursed over five years. This grant is part of the Strengthening Institutions Program, which helps institutions expand their capacity to serve low-income and at-risk students. This academic year will mark the fourth year of continued funding of GCC’s Title III grant. The aim of GCC’s Title III grant is to integrate academic-success coaching and career exploration into a structured first-year experience that supports students who have been shown to be most at risk for not continuing with their education. GCC’s focus has been on students who are the first in their family to attend college, are undecided about their major and career paths, and who place into at least one developmental-level course. The College & Career Compass program developed during the first two years of the grant offers new, current, and returning GCC students specialized advising focused on individual student needs, academic skill building, and incorporating career exploration into the academic planning process; a peer-mentoring program through which current students can share their experiences, individually and in small groups, to help other students survive and thrive at GCC; monthly academic-coaching workshops covering topics like study skills, using apps and other technology, career exploration, and avoiding procrastination; two one-credit elective courses at no cost: one focused on academic strategies for college success and the other on career exploration and planning (including four-year transfer opportunities); and a free, one-week refresher course for students who have been away from math and want to dust off their skills before the semester starts. The focus for the remaining two years of the grant is to hone and scale the Compass program to reach more students and inform advising practices across the college.

Briefcase Uncategorized

Employer Confidence Surges During July

BOSTON — Massachusetts employers shrugged off mounting evidence of an economic slowdown during July and expressed growing confidence in both the state and national economies. The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index rose 4.4 points to 62.0 last month, reaching its highest level since September. The Index has gained 0.8 points during the past 12 months and remains comfortably within optimistic territory. The confidence surge was driven by optimism in the Massachusetts economy and a strengthening outlook among manufacturers. The July confidence survey was taken before President Donald Trump touched off financial-market gyrations last week by announcing another round of tariffs on Chinese products. The constituent indicators that make up the Index all increased during July. The Massachusetts Index assessing business conditions within the Commonwealth surged 7 points to 68.2, while the U.S. Index rose 4.6 points to 62.6. The Massachusetts reading has risen 3.1 points, and the U.S. reading 0.7 points, during the past 12 months. The Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, rose 4.6 points to 60.8, leaving it 2.1 points higher than a year ago. The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, gained 4.2 points to 63.2, virtually even with its reading of July 2018. The Employment Index gained 1.9 points for the month and 0.2 points for the year. Employers continue to struggle to find qualified workers in a full-employment state economy facing a demographic challenge as Baby Boomers leave the workforce. Non-manufacturers (63.6) were more confident than manufacturers (60.5), who remain concerned about the consequences of tariffs and trade tensions. Small companies (65.2) were more confident than large companies (58.9) or medium-sized companies (62.3). Companies in Eastern Mass. (63.3) continued to be more optimistic than those in the west (59.8).

UMass Amherst Economists Examine How Minimum-wage Increases Impact Job Growth

AMHERST — Economists at UMass Amherst, along with colleagues from University College London and the Economic Policy Institute, have found that the overall number of low-wage jobs remained essentially unchanged over the five years following increases to the minimum wage, and that affected low-wage workers overall saw a wage gain of 7% after a minimum-wage increase. These spillovers extended up to $3 above the minimum wage and represent around 40 percent of the overall wage increase from minimum wage changes. The authors also found that, within the scope of minimum wages they studied — which range between 37% and 59% percent of the median wage – there was no evidence of job losses even at the higher end of this scale. These findings, the researchers say, suggest minimum wages are mostly having the intended effect of raising bottom wages with little adverse, unintended consequences on jobs. The research into the impacts of 138 prominent state-level minimum-wage changes in the U.S. between 1979 and 2016 was conducted by Arindrajit Dube, professor of Economics at UMass Amherst; Doruk Cengiz, a doctoral student in Economics at UMass Amherst; Attila Lindner of University College London; and Ben Zipperer of the Economic Policy Institute. Their report, “The Effect of Minimum Wages on Low-Wage Jobs,” was published in the August edition of the Quarterly Journal of Economics.

State Designates Agawam High School for New Innovation Pathway Program

AGAWAM — Agawam High School is one of four schools, including Atlantis Charter School in Fall River, Brockton High School, and Burlington High School, that will launch new Innovation Pathway programs this fall to give students skills and experience in particular industries through college courses and internships after recently receiving official designation status from the state departments of Elementary and Secondary Education and Higher Education, the Baker-Polito administration announced. More than 1,000 students are expected to be enrolled in these college and career pathways when the new programs are fully enrolled. Twenty-five high schools in the Commonwealth now have Innovation Pathway programs designated by the state. Agawam High School is launching an Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Pathway that will serve 466 students when fully enrolled. The school is partnering with the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board and multiple employer partners, including the Western Mass. Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Assoc., Peerless Precision, Governor’s America Corp., Mechanical Plastics, OMG Roofing Products, Ben Franklin Manufacturing, EBTEC Corp., and DFF Corp. Students will take courses at Springfield Technical Community College. Launched in 2017, Innovation Pathways give students experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as information technology, engineering, healthcare, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing, through coursework and internships at local area employers. Students earn college credits, at no cost to them, and gain insight as to whether the field is something they want to pursue in college or as a career.

Incorporations Uncategorized

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

ADAMS

Got Spots Etc. Inc., 8 Marshall Ave., Adams, MA 01220. Kathy Hynes, 88 Sand Mill Road, Cheshire, MA 01225. Volunteer-powered organization of dedicated people working together to save destitute canines of any breed and age.

AMHERST

Eric J. Castenson, DDS, P.C., 148 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002. Eric J. Castenson, 22 Harness Road, Pelham, MA 01002. Dental services.

BECKET

Friends of The Becket Spring Inc., 324 Wade Inn Road, Becket, MA 01223. Michelle Kenney, 33 Maple Ave., Chester, MA 01011. Serve as a fundraise entity in order to pay for expenses in relation to protect and preserve the Becket Spring for use of the people of Massachusetts and surrounding states.

EASTHAMPTON

Easthampton Sports Bar Inc., 334 Main St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Naresh K. Patel, 8 Kingsberry Way, Easthampton, MA 01027. Restaurant.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Friends of McAllister Park Inc., 50 Hurlburt Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Jeffrey N. Cohen, same. Maintain, improve and manage McAllister Park in the town of Great Barrington, Mass.

INDIAN ORCHARD

For the Love of Good Foundation Inc., 52 Darling St., Indian Orchard, MA 01151. Kevin Joslyn, same. Help our neighbors, the struggling, homeless, and disadvantaged, with fuel assistance, food, clothing, school supplies, glasses, medical devices, and other tangible assistance.

NORTHAMPTON

Fazzi Holding Company, 11 Village Hill Road, Ste. 101, Northampton, MA 01060. Robert A. Fazzi, same. Holding company.

ORANGE

East River Inc., 426 East River St., Orange, MA 01364. Jignesh Patel, same. Package and convenience store.

PITTSFIELD

Elegant Labs Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Gabe Smallman, same. Software development.

SOUTH HADLEY

Friends of South Hadley Dog Park Inc., 22 East Red Bridge Lane, South Hadley, MA 01075. Robert S. Berwick, same. Supports dog-friendly, social environments which encourages opportunities for community involvement in education, scientific, and literary development within the town of South Hadley.

SPRINGFIELD

GEG & Associates Inc., 55 State St., Suite 306, Springfield, MA 01103. Gregory E. Greene, same. Provide free and low-cost technical assistance to individuals and businesses within the Commonwealth for the creation of start-up business websites, hosting, e-mail, merchant and e-commerce solutions and services. The corporation will also provide consultation and support services for the implementation and creation of non-profit small businesses within the Commonwealth.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

EE Transport Inc., 169 Main St., Apt. 10, West Springfield, MA 01089. Aleksandr Karapetyan, same. Transportation.

Freight Services Inc., 24 Moseley Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Hussein Tasayev, same. Transportation.

WILBRAHAM

Falcon Football Youth Association Inc., 12 Addison Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Shannon Melluzzo, same. Promote and develop a youth football program in the town of Wilbraham and surrounding towns.

WILLIAMSTOWN

Eugene Sachakov DMD, PC, 182 Adams Road, Williamstown, MA 01267. Eugene Sachakov, 219 West Main St., Apt. 2, Dudley, MA 01571. Dentistry.

DBA Certificates Uncategorized

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of July 2019.

AMHERST

Athena’s Pizza
65 University Dr.
ArdaBeraa IncI

Crossman Properties
462 Main St.
Thomas Crossman

Mass Vintage
45 Boltwood Walk
Daniel Williams

Sunset Farm
409 Main St.
William Gillen

Welcome Homes Construction
20 Western Lane
Bryan Welcome

BELCHERTOWN

BKaye Realty
39 Federal St.
Brian Kaye

Black Horse Equine Massage Therapy
86 Sabin St.
Elizabeth Adams

Creative Dance
1 Stadler St.
Kathryn Scherr

Envy Yard Maintenance
68 North Liberty St.
Nicholas Vona

CHICOPEE

470 Chicopee Marine Ball Assoc.
570 Patriot Ave., Box 43
Bradley Skidmore

A and J Trust Auto Repair, LLC
920A Meadow St.
A and J Trust Auto Repair

AK Home Improvement
66 New Ludlow Road
Anatolii Kiriukhin

Joe T Handyman Services
40 Slate Road
Joseph Taliceo

DEERFIELD

Antonellis Farm, LLC
345 Pine Nook Road
Michael Antonellis

EASTHAMPTON

C. Pelkey’s Painting and Home Repair
17 Monska Dr.
Christopher Pelkey

Sleepy Own Herbs
491 East St.
Rebecca Hoffer

EAST LONGMEADOW

Elite Nutrition
130 Shaker Road
Crystal Jimenez

Jennifer Guinipero
225 Shaker Road
Jennifer Guinipero

Villa Calabrese Inc.
162 Shaker Road
Aldo Fazio

HADLEY

Family Window Cleaning
119 South Maple St.
John Cristoforo

Hadley Garden Center
285 Russell St.
Thomas Giles, Janine Giles

Hadley Hops
83 Rocky Hill Road
David Moskin

Vision Showcase Eyecare
207 Russell St.
DD&G Holdings, P.C.

Warvik Enterprises
207 Russell St.
Christian Rahn

HOLYOKE

Auto Zone #5146
2231 Northampton St.
Auto Zone Part Inc.

Mont Marie Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center
36 Lower Westfield Road
Yitzchok Rokowsky

QWS Corp.
181 West Franklin St.
Fouzia Rafiq

Sonido Musical
327 High St.
Jorge Alban

Top-Flight Nutrition
594 Dwight St.
Erika Matos

LUDLOW

Esthetics by Erin @ Spa West
326 West Ave.
Erin Roch

Law Office of Gary Scagliarini
733 Chapin St., Suite 203
Gary Scagliarini

Monteiro Properties/Monteiro Home Improvement
60 Bluegrass Lane
Steven Monteiro

NORTHAMPTON

1776 Contract Labor & Consulting
355 Acrebrook Dr.
Debora Laizer

Bombay Royale
One Roundhouse Plaza
Pramod Warriar

Care One at Northampton
548 Elm St.
548 Elm Street Operating Co., LLC

Hannah Enright, LICSW
60 Maple St., Suite 2A
Hanna-Lee Enright

Little Ram Training Co.
265 State St.
Geneva Molins

South Brewster, LLC
1 Brewster Court
Julia Mathiau

rebelle
20 Ladd Ave.
Charlotte Hanna

River Valley Midwives
150 Main St.
Jharna Harvey Ahmai

PALMER

Hebert Home Improvement
9 Country Lane
David Hebert

Mind’s Eye Center
4 Springfield St., Bldg. 3, Unit 513
Christian Correia-Covert

Palmer Shed Sales
21 Wilbraham St.
Joshua Landry

Pioneer Valley Tree
77 Beech St.
Rudolph Marek

Shea Restoration
411 Springfield St.
Anthony Shea

Transform KM, LLC
159 Wilbraham Road
Robert Reicker

SPRINGFIELD

Anser Advisory
115 State St.
Pinck & Co. Inc.

Bay State Auto Sales Corp.
784 Bay St.
Argenis Ramos

Bay State Bottle & Can Return
836 Bay St.
Vu Hung Nguyen

Beaute’ Within Inc.
546 Sumner Ave.
Vanessa Hall

Bienveni Do Lopez
3 Hastings St.
Bienveni Do Lopez

El Gallo Mini Mart
431 White St.
Charlie Otero

Empowerment
104 Woodlawn St.
Michelle Crean

Falcon Gas
560 State St.
T.A. Khan

Fancy Your Auto
11 Willard Ave.
Yailine Ruiz

Fast Forward Learning & Development
97 Granby Road
Myra Quick

La Plazoleta
2625 Main St.
Angel Nazario

Lipsicles Beauty Supply
45 Marjorie St.
Imani Perez

Lytvynenko Services
67 Forest Park Ave.
Dmytro Lytvynenko

Majestic Barber Shop
444 Chestnut St.
Misael Colon

Mason’s Lawn Care Service
279 Mill St.
Cyril Fisher

Queen Victory
1883 Main St., Apt. 56
Vilmary Santiago

Ratell Funeral Home
200 Main St.
Cariage Funeral

Reyes Barbershop
342 Bay St.
Jose Reyes

WARE

82nd Wellness
14 West St.
Michael Harris

A+ Concepts
31 Maple Ave.
Andrew Kimball

AMC Cleaning Service
1 Susan Dr.
Anna Calvanese

Eric Bowler Floor Covering
137 West Main St.
Eric Bowler

Firesafe Chimney Services
277 Palmer Road, Unit 2C
James Walling Jr.

Front Yard Farm
16 Gilbertville Road
Kelly Wheeler

Mayberry’s Portable Welding Inc.
282 Palmer Road
Peter Mayberry Jr.

Sweet Temptations Bake Shoppe
97 Fisherdick Road
Celeste Noad

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Aquatique Pool, LLC
730 Union St.
Christopher Genereux

CJC Events
158 Doty Circle
James Powers

Entre Computer Center
138 Memorial Ave.
Norman Fiedler

KM Design Interiors
30 Burke Ave.
Kara Masters

Kohl’s #639
935 Riverdale St.
Joe Wagner

WILBRAHAM

Iron Duke Brewing
20 Cottage Ave.
Nicholas Morin

Kate’s Dance Co. Plus
65 Post Office Park
Kathryn Cavanaugh

Orchard Valley at Wilbraham
2387 Boston Road
KRE Husky Wilbraham Licensee, LLC

Bankruptcies Uncategorized

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

Ash, Susan G.
495 South Barre Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 07/11/19

Baldridge, Brian Douglas
Baldridge, Joanne Vitkus
132 East Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/09/19

Billings, Deane Merritt
Billings, Donna Marie
552 South River Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/09/19

Bird, Bill E.
68 Valley St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 07/09/19

Churchill, John
29 Notch Road
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/11/19

Davis, Delise Jamie
61 Beauregard St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/15/19

Ierardi, John Myles
356 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/11/19

Irizarry, Edwin
Moreno, Paola A.
24 Puritan Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/15/19

Jacques, Frances John
Jacques, Theresa Ann
459 Fenn St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/09/19

Lopez, Nelida
225 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 07/11/19

Ogulewicz, Ginette
a/k/a Rheaume, Ginette
26 East Glen Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/15/19

Russo, Scott William
2 Belchertown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/11/19

Saldana, Rafael A.
P.O. Box 6409
Holyoke, MA 01041
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/10/19

Sampel, Zuleika M
a/k/a Sampel Arzola, Zuleika
269 Stonyhill Road, Apt T22
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/11/19

Scholtz, William J.
251 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/10/19

Solivan, Reinaldo
80 Castle St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/15/19

Tatro, Jeffrey F.
Tatro, Kelly M.
606 East Main St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/15/19

Total Cleaning Plus
Zononi Enterprises LLC
Zononi, Charles George
9 Hancock Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 07/15/19

Young, Peter
Young, Kathleen
107 Woolworth St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 07/09/19

Real Estate Uncategorized

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

69-A Pfersick Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Arianna Collins
Seller: Albert L. Pieropan INT
Date: 07/17/19

BERNARDSTON

147 Bald Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Cody M. Johnson
Seller: Thomas V. Newton
Date: 07/19/19

BUCKLAND

88 East Buckland Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Jonathan M. Unaitis
Seller: Shari L. Ovitt RET
Date: 07/26/19

14 Pine St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Molly D. Porter
Seller: Diane M. McCloud
Date: 07/19/19

COLRAIN

323 Main Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Scott T. Bryant
Seller: Herzig 2015 IRT
Date: 07/24/19

CONWAY

148 Emerson Hollow Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Richard P. Bean
Seller: C. H. Alfred-Barten
Date: 07/30/19

DEERFIELD

70 Hillside Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Guillermo Hardman
Seller: Philip R. Allard
Date: 07/24/19

27 Juniper Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Viktor P. Vlasenko
Seller: Reza M. Shafii
Date: 07/26/19

98 Sandgully Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Zachary M. Cross
Seller: Heather M. Crossen
Date: 07/25/19

ERVING

11 Old State Road
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Nathan D. Black
Seller: Richard Edwards
Date: 07/24/19

GREENFIELD

106 Beech St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Sarah Cook
Seller: Raymond R. Tuttle
Date: 07/29/19

46 Birch St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Richard A. Adams
Seller: Alden D. Booth INT
Date: 07/26/19

8 Cherry Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Catherine A. Bozarth
Seller: Davina M. Chudzik
Date: 07/23/19

99 Columbus Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Nyuudlya M. Araeva
Seller: Ilie P. Taraburca
Date: 07/30/19

286 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $131,900
Buyer: Scott K. Russell
Seller: Kenneth W. Russell
Date: 07/24/19

112 Davis St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Sean Knightly
Seller: Ann M. Emanuelli
Date: 07/19/19

362 Log Plain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: James G. Walsh
Seller: Catherine V. Seaver
Date: 07/29/19

115 Oakland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Lisa Hassay
Seller: Jennifer R. List
Date: 07/29/19

15 Rockland Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: PDV Inc.
Seller: Frederick J. Myerson RET
Date: 07/30/19

5 Taft Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Douglas S. Downham
Seller: Holly L. Alexander
Date: 07/26/19

23 Vermont St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: David Righini
Seller: Anita Y. Buchiane
Date: 07/25/19

21 Woodleigh Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Sarah W. Kulp
Seller: Jubb, Lawrence A. Sr., (Estate)
Date: 07/25/19

HAWLEY

9 Hunt Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Brandin R. Coates
Seller: Sidehill Farm LLC
Date: 07/17/19

LEVERETT

194 Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $401,000
Buyer: Flavia Grattery-Musinsky
Seller: Lynn Peterfreund
Date: 07/18/19

108 Old Mountain Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Andrew P. Parker-Renga
Seller: Jonathan R. Thompson
Date: 07/23/19

MONTAGUE

Federal St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Nathaniel I. Cook
Seller: Jenks INT
Date: 07/19/19

NORTHFIELD

2 Adams Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Gregory Richardson
Seller: William A. Richardson
Date: 07/18/19

33 Maple St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Jesse P. Magnuson
Seller: David J. Chula
Date: 07/30/19

533 Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: James Schilling-Cachat
Seller: Nancy B. Couper
Date: 07/26/19

426 Old Wendell Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Benjamin Guest-Thomas
Seller: Deborah J. Taricano
Date: 07/29/19

ORANGE

19 Gay St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $147,500
Buyer: Bethany L. Evangelista
Seller: Imbriglio Gary J., (Estate)
Date: 07/19/19

14 Highland St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Quinn P. McAuliffe
Seller: Burkley Properties LLC
Date: 07/24/19

18 King St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Perkins
Seller: Mary L. Rieth
Date: 07/25/19

15 New Athol Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Keith J. Lague
Seller: Rebecca J. Eklund
Date: 07/17/19

202 Oxbow Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Kevin King
Seller: John H. Kelley
Date: 07/17/19

101 Walnut Hill Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Laura Brown
Seller: Jeffrey Lacoy
Date: 07/26/19

ROWE

19 Pelham Dr.
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Stephen R. Provost
Seller: Robert P. West
Date: 07/17/19

21 Pelham Dr.
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Stephen R. Provost
Seller: Robert P. West
Date: 07/17/19

SHELBURNE

47 Water St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Ashley Braziel
Seller: Gail A. Bissell TR
Date: 07/24/19

SHUTESBURY

43 Merrill Dr.
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Ethan H. Schmid
Seller: Francis Merrigan
Date: 07/19/19

11 Montague Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jessica Eldridge-Young
Seller: Sekou Sylla
Date: 07/19/19

305 Montague Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Lara Wahl
Seller: Glenn Motzkin
Date: 07/19/19

SUNDERLAND

35 Country Lane
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Hebert 2017 IRT
Seller: Nancy T. Mauger IRT
Date: 07/30/19

178 Montague Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Katelyn Rennie
Seller: Brian K. Peltier
Date: 07/29/19

3 River Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Patrick M. Power
Seller: Marilyn J. Munn RET
Date: 07/17/19

WHATELY

336 Haydenville Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: J2K Realty LLC
Seller: Charles E. Stacy
Date: 07/22/19

186 Westbrook Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Dennis C. Roof
Seller: Barbara J. Banik IRT
Date: 07/19/19

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

62 Alhambra Circle, North
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Matthew V. Izzo
Seller: Poplar Development LLC
Date: 07/22/19

145 Brien St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: David L. Duff
Seller: Charlene C. Hermans
Date: 07/25/19

153 Cardinal Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $4,260,000
Buyer: KRE BSL Husky Cardinal Dr.
Seller: 153 Cardinal Drive LLC
Date: 07/19/19

186 Clover Hill Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: David Wilbur
Seller: Mary L. Hollander
Date: 07/26/19

716 Cooper St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Lyudmila Serman
Seller: Liquori, Antonia E., (Estate)
Date: 07/25/19

32 Fairview St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $261,000
Buyer: Dermott O’Malley
Seller: Donald J. Taddia
Date: 07/19/19

31 High St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $139,475
Buyer: NJRE Property Group LLC
Seller: MLS Management LLC
Date: 07/26/19

158 Karen Lynn Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Eagle Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Richard C. Ardolino
Date: 07/22/19

73 Kensington St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $158,260
Buyer: Lakeview Loan Servicing
Seller: Donald Woodin
Date: 07/22/19

29 Ley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Scott E. Minalga
Seller: John D. Fiorini
Date: 07/19/19

15 Marlene Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $336,500
Buyer: Mark W. Brittain
Seller: Joseph Depalma
Date: 07/22/19

15 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $254,900
Buyer: James T. Thrower
Seller: Gail P. Sullivan
Date: 07/29/19

72 Parkedge Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Zackary Cameron
Seller: Joseph Labelle
Date: 07/29/19

54-60 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: 18 Canterbury LLC
Seller: John N. Depalma
Date: 07/26/19

31 Rowley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Kaitlin Dilizia
Seller: Robert B. Paul
Date: 07/26/19

588 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $1,525,000
Buyer: Sunshine Village Inc.
Seller: ECS Realty Inc.
Date: 07/17/19

377 South West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Bridgette A. Barna
Seller: Palmer, Edward S., (Estate)
Date: 07/25/19

67 Spencer St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Elizabeth J. Bienia
Seller: John Scobie
Date: 07/23/19

29 Western Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $197,900
Buyer: James W. Wood
Seller: Franceska E. Solon
Date: 07/29/19

BLANDFORD

166 Chester Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Shane Ladue
Seller: Marjorie C. Sheridan
Date: 07/26/19

BRIMFIELD

158 Dunhamtown Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: John M. Fabrizio
Seller: Leonard R. Minnie
Date: 07/26/19

24 Forest Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Sarah N. Cronin
Seller: Keith R. Lachapelle
Date: 07/19/19

CHICOPEE

6 Asinof Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Urszula NT
Seller: Asinof Avenue LLC
Date: 07/19/19

87 Basil Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Suzanne L. Orsini
Seller: Sandra J. Walz
Date: 07/30/19

77 Bray St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $213,500
Buyer: Jose M. Nunez
Seller: Robert D. Labine
Date: 07/26/19

536 Britton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Katherine E. Orszulak
Seller: LTL LLC
Date: 07/26/19

770 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Ross S. Cookis
Seller: Robert Beany
Date: 07/22/19

60 Cecile Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $168,400
Buyer: Leonard P. Madzy
Seller: Dianne M. Greaney
Date: 07/24/19

22 Clark St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Roberto Perez
Seller: Inna Houle
Date: 07/19/19

22 Empire St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $159,800
Buyer: Damaris Perez-Pizarro
Seller: Sylvia J. Durphey
Date: 07/30/19

80 Empire St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: David S. Kida
Seller: Danielle A. Dion-Korell
Date: 07/30/19

32 Fairmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Daniel J. Greenwood
Seller: John Allsop
Date: 07/30/19

50 Grace St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Emily D. Descheneaux
Seller: Ashley N. Gavioli
Date: 07/30/19

161 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Cynthia Silva
Seller: Jocelyn Nunez
Date: 07/25/19

80 Hilton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Justin Doyle
Seller: Larry S. Kelly
Date: 07/17/19

176 Jacob St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Steven R. Rivera
Seller: Edward J. Jacques
Date: 07/23/19

174 Langevin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Robert R. Croteau
Seller: Judith A. Rusciano
Date: 07/26/19

90 Loveland Ter.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Cecilio Cruz-Rivera
Seller: CIG 4 LLC
Date: 07/18/19

103 Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Premier Home Builders Inc.
Seller: Daniel R. Kaeble
Date: 07/18/19

47 Marcelle St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Alexander C. Trusiewicz
Seller: Maria K. Buniowska
Date: 07/29/19

54 Mary St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Sarah A. Hews
Seller: Joyce A. Labonte
Date: 07/19/19

44 Melvin St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: James Grandchamp
Seller: Anibal Rivas
Date: 07/23/19

52 Morgan Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Stephen Nembirkow
Seller: Geoffrey J. Creed
Date: 07/24/19

30 Old Lyman Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Steven J. Proulx
Seller: Jose L. Rodriguez
Date: 07/19/19

107 Parenteau Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Donna M. Starke
Seller: Dino A. Brunetti
Date: 07/29/19

470-472 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Urszula NT
Seller: Asinof Avenue LLC
Date: 07/19/19

104 Streiber Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,900
Buyer: Asia Pietskowski
Seller: Ivy McClaflin
Date: 07/17/19

167 Summit Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Alison R. Riffenburg
Seller: Jason Venne
Date: 07/22/19

1622 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Steven Roy
Seller: Bruce A. Bernier
Date: 07/22/19

1694 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Wrecker LLC
Seller: Henry B. Boutilier
Date: 07/19/19

1721 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Lisa K. Lewis
Seller: DGL Properties LLC
Date: 07/19/19

43 Willow St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Cady
Seller: Daniel T. Jones
Date: 07/25/19

200 Woodcrest Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $226,500
Buyer: Thomas J. Rowland
Seller: Rita A. Desautels
Date: 07/24/19

EAST LONGMEADOW

82 Deer Park Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $5,523,299
Buyer: Arclin Surfaces-Blythewd
Seller: Surteco GMBH
Date: 07/23/19

153 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $176,512
Buyer: Bank Of New York Mellon
Seller: Laura Lacrosse
Date: 07/29/19

50 Fernwood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $302,500
Buyer: Bradford D. Amidon
Seller: Laura A. Campbell-Sills
Date: 07/29/19

3 Greenacre Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $247,900
Buyer: Daniel P. Rosen
Seller: Mary E. Goodrow
Date: 07/19/19

38 Hazelhurst Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Natalia Salagornick
Seller: Mark L. Grabowski
Date: 07/29/19

22 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $243,500
Buyer: Jennifer L. Palmer
Seller: John L. Maloney
Date: 07/17/19

40 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Mohamed A. Hussein
Seller: Donna Maloney
Date: 07/18/19

88 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Patrick Ayres
Seller: Mark N. Edoff
Date: 07/26/19

227 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Jean D. Reginald-Beauzile
Seller: Jeremy F. Edwards
Date: 07/29/19

7 Schuyler Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $141,960
Buyer: Rizwan Hanif
Seller: Reid J. Lavallee
Date: 07/25/19

47 Schuyler Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Chris Nguyen
Seller: James R. Kelley
Date: 07/17/19

337 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Jared M. Flores
Seller: Scott C. Jelescheff
Date: 07/19/19

234 Wilbraham Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Felix W. Rodriguez
Seller: Tesia M. Pollock
Date: 07/26/19

GRANVILLE

Beech Hill Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Springfield Water & Sewer
Seller: Meriamne Singer
Date: 07/22/19

305 Crest Lane
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $319,000
Buyer: Elizabeth A. Benson
Seller: Henry Babiec
Date: 07/23/19

HAMPDEN

294 Glendale Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Revampit LLC
Seller: Robert R. Melville
Date: 07/22/19

144 Mountain Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $344,900
Buyer: Selina Ortega
Seller: Bruce S. Dahn
Date: 07/22/19

20 Old Orchard Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Geoffrey R. Farrington
Seller: Donna L. Muska
Date: 07/23/19

HOLLAND

12 Craig Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Roy M. Henshaw T. 1996
Seller: Duane D. Boudreau
Date: 07/19/19

12 Forest Court
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Rebecca C. Tanaka-Reader
Seller: Brian J. Pajak
Date: 07/26/19

83 May Brook Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Maketansky
Seller: Paul J. Novinsky
Date: 07/19/19

125 Vinton Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Lynn Brindamour
Seller: Valerie J. Butler
Date: 07/22/19

HOLYOKE

88-90 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Lennix E. Rosa
Seller: David P. Richards
Date: 07/17/19

56 Canal St.
Holyoke, MA 01013
Amount: $3,500,000
Buyer: IIP MA 3 LLC
Seller: Trulieve Holyoke Holdings
Date: 07/29/19

94 Central Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Christopher T. Gillis
Seller: Ingrid R. Gureckis-Grant
Date: 07/23/19

110 Congress Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Carmen G. Ortiz
Seller: Raymond P. Smalley
Date: 07/26/19

53 George St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Gamaliel Soto
Seller: Donna M. Lyons
Date: 07/17/19

5 Gilman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Jill P. Fiorini
Seller: Stephen J. Orsini
Date: 07/30/19

131 Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Katherine A. Sylvain
Seller: Shane M. Michon
Date: 07/26/19

126 Lincoln St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $322,500
Buyer: John Marshall
Seller: A. Peter Swiderski
Date: 07/19/19

Lower Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $2,500,000
Buyer: BRE Development LLC
Seller: Holyoke Mall Co. LP
Date: 07/24/19

86 Lower Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $825,500
Buyer: Plumbers & Pipefittrs Union
Seller: Holyoke Mall Co LP
Date: 07/23/19

68 Meadowview Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $303,000
Buyer: Jasmine Bustamante
Seller: Tierney, Marion F., (Estate)
Date: 07/19/19

79 Merrick Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: William Lyle
Seller: Nancy E. Clark
Date: 07/29/19

393-395 South Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Angel L. Ramos-Collazo
Seller: AAD LLC
Date: 07/30/19

45 Taylor St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Karen L. Everett
Seller: Frederick Andujar
Date: 07/19/19

15 Vadnais St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Amy C. McDonough
Seller: McDonnell, Catherine R., (Estate)
Date: 07/18/19

143-145 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $261,000
Buyer: Juan Martinez
Seller: Perry R. Dulude
Date: 07/22/19

7 Yale St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $362,900
Buyer: Maurice J. Dufresne
Seller: Ronald E. Kanagaki
Date: 07/25/19

LONGMEADOW

18 Barbara Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Alexander Fenska
Seller: Maria DelCarmen-Orejuela
Date: 07/30/19

84 Benedict Ter.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: John R. Vellenga
Seller: Eric J. Gouvin
Date: 07/29/19

163 Cedar Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Dana M. Hartigan
Seller: Heather G. Sheridan
Date: 07/25/19

43 Crest Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $358,000
Buyer: Anthony M. Rosati
Seller: Louise M. Croll
Date: 07/19/19

104 Crestview Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $472,500
Buyer: Michael DiYeso
Seller: Stephen Crane
Date: 07/19/19

73 Ellington St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Christine Viereck
Seller: Linda H. Dunn
Date: 07/26/19

49 Eunice Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Vijay C. Hanchatey
Seller: Halim O. Muslu
Date: 07/29/19

42 Fairway Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Kathryn M. Belkin
Seller: Lawrence M. Conti
Date: 07/30/19

252 Kenmore Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Magee
Seller: Margaret M. Croteau
Date: 07/26/19

1195 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Sarah R. Lapolice
Seller: Barbara W. Elsner
Date: 07/19/19

86 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Mihaela S. Stefan
Seller: John Brock
Date: 07/23/19

210 Meadowlark Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Rachel E. Georgantas
Seller: Karen A. Barrows
Date: 07/18/19

80 Mill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $484,900
Buyer: William J. Linville
Seller: Daniel P. Yerrington
Date: 07/26/19

195 Overbrook Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Michael C. Serricchio
Seller: Walter P. Gunn
Date: 07/22/19

97 Riverview Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Vy T. Luong
Seller: Richard C. Sprinthall
Date: 07/19/19

80 Severn St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $682,000
Buyer: Jared D. Hudson
Seller: Thomas C. Sullivan
Date: 07/30/19

85 Tennyson Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $674,900
Buyer: Theodore K. Mlapah
Seller: Alex F. Dixon
Date: 07/22/19

69 Warwick St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Dario Caddeo
Seller: Downey, Mary A., (Estate)
Date: 07/18/19

66 Woolworth St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Robert S. Richardson
Seller: Kathleen P. Afolabi
Date: 07/26/19

LUDLOW

144 Bondsville Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Patrick McCuskey
Seller: Mark R. Shapiro
Date: 07/19/19

28 Brownell St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Erik S. Shumake
Seller: Christine L. James
Date: 07/25/19

1252 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $205,005
Buyer: Launa B. Saleh
Seller: Machado, Paul D., (Estate)
Date: 07/17/19

48 Jackie Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $514,000
Buyer: Sean J. Robinson
Seller: Stephen Nembirkow
Date: 07/24/19

130 Kirkland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Chocorua Realty Invests
Seller: Lisa S. Goncalves
Date: 07/26/19

122 Nash Hill Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Daniel Owino-Awuor
Seller: Ann C. Beardsley
Date: 07/22/19

1 Olivia Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $509,000
Buyer: Andrew Rose
Seller: Derek Rodrigues
Date: 07/18/19

71 Parker Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Kapinos
Seller: Jose F. Lopes
Date: 07/26/19

22 Salli Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Alan M. Blake
Seller: Nadia Leonidovna-Ruby
Date: 07/19/19

326 Sewall St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: CPN&J Realty LLC
Seller: Carol Labrecque
Date: 07/22/19

405 Ventura St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $205,005
Buyer: Launa B. Saleh
Seller: Machado, Paul D., (Estate)
Date: 07/17/19

881 West St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $231,900
Buyer: David R. Klock
Seller: James J. Magrath
Date: 07/25/19

100 Williams St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $190,500
Buyer: Laurie Stawicki
Seller: William E. Lawlor
Date: 07/25/19

MONSON

70 Carpenter Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Dimitri A. Bryant
Seller: Celeste M. Gould
Date: 07/25/19

22 Country Club Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Angela M. Allain
Seller: Blythewood Property Mgmt.
Date: 07/24/19

34 Wales Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Michael H. Green
Seller: Steven B. Dethloff
Date: 07/22/19

PALMER

25 Cheney St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Paul D. Martin
Seller: Dorothy O. Tenczar
Date: 07/29/19

15 Holbrook St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $234,900
Buyer: Kerilyn R. Barrios
Seller: Preferred Property Mgmt.
Date: 07/18/19

2314 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jessica Richardson
Seller: Joseph H. Baldyga
Date: 07/19/19

385 Rondeau St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Amnouy Soynanhang
Seller: Marcus L. Nutter
Date: 07/26/19

25 Walnut St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Michael Saccamando
Seller: James A. Deauseault
Date: 07/22/19

RUSSELL

1371 Blandford Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Allen D. Papillon
Seller: Everett R. Cooley
Date: 07/29/19

SOUTHWICK

35 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: Brian C. Chambers
Seller: Paul E. Jerusik
Date: 07/19/19

19 Honey Pot Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: David N. Wilson
Seller: Cedar Investment Group
Date: 07/23/19

105 Point Grove Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: William L. Gould
Seller: Gould, David, (Estate)
Date: 07/22/19

26 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Juliet Samba
Seller: Kimberly A. Valentino
Date: 07/26/19

8 Veteran St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Kevin J. Larosa
Seller: Michael L. Menard
Date: 07/25/19

SPRINGFIELD

77 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: Katiria Cruz
Seller: Christina J. Cronin
Date: 07/22/19

115 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Leanna R. Lewis
Seller: Alexsandr Bloom
Date: 07/25/19

307 Arcadia Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $234,500
Buyer: Damaris D. Marmolejos
Seller: Donna Dunn
Date: 07/19/19

50 Beaufort Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Eugenio Rodriguez
Seller: Property Keys LLC
Date: 07/19/19

1269 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Erika Wallace
Seller: Genowefa Skora
Date: 07/26/19

8 Bosworth St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Odalina M. Portes
Seller: Martin A. Portes
Date: 07/25/19

26 Brewster St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $170,180
Buyer: John Oliveri
Seller: Bank Of New York Mellon
Date: 07/26/19

34 Brighton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Solivelises Gonzalez
Seller: Juan Esteves
Date: 07/29/19

22 Buick St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Keanaha Milbier
Seller: Lisa J. Russell
Date: 07/18/19

93 Burghardt St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Migdalia Flores
Seller: Ivan Rizzo
Date: 07/23/19

27 Bushwick Place
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Doraliz Ubeda
Seller: Juan M. Barrera
Date: 07/26/19

199 Cambria St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $120,769
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Steven E. Jacobson
Date: 07/18/19

674 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Brandon Klein
Seller: Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity
Date: 07/24/19

111-113 Cherrelyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $174,500
Buyer: Yudelkis M. Paulino
Seller: Adolfo Serrano-Torres
Date: 07/29/19

41 Copeland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Israel E. Garcia-Camacho
Seller: Brian F. Szmigiel
Date: 07/25/19

54 Cumberland St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Ironsides Mainland LLC
Seller: Mister Mister LLC
Date: 07/19/19

82 Druid Hill Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Robert A. McCaffrey
Seller: Carlo J. Camerota
Date: 07/26/19

50-52 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Kevin Malone
Seller: Scudder Bay Capital LLC
Date: 07/19/19

222 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Miguel Nieves
Seller: Edmond R. Moreau
Date: 07/19/19

3 Elaine Circle
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Juan Esteves
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 07/30/19

63 Eleanor Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: J. J Feliciano-Hernandez
Seller: Damaris D. Marmolejo
Date: 07/19/19

81 Embury St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Marva Peynado
Seller: Vincent Daley
Date: 07/29/19

35 Fern St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Karna B. Tamang
Seller: Hira Thatal
Date: 07/23/19

300 Forest Park Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $269,500
Buyer: Eric D. Braaten
Seller: Adam R. St.Martin
Date: 07/19/19

123 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Marika Franklin
Seller: Christine Whyte
Date: 07/22/19

63-65 Granby St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Jason Hoffman
Seller: Gary A. Daula
Date: 07/22/19

65 Garland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Olga L. Orengo
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 07/26/19

95-97 Genesee St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Sultan Mourad
Seller: De Q. Wu
Date: 07/26/19

42 Geneva St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Christine A. Valardi
Seller: Matthew J. Kapinos
Date: 07/26/19

317 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Peter S. King
Seller: William F. Winslow
Date: 07/24/19

21 Gralia Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: TM Rentals LLC
Seller: Barbara Wenc
Date: 07/25/19

43 Grandview St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $215,500
Buyer: Benjamin Medina
Seller: John B. Johnson
Date: 07/18/19

8 Groveton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Andy Pham
Seller: Ha Pham
Date: 07/19/19

66 Hermitage Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $249,500
Buyer: John P. Ryan
Seller: Jordan N. Nascimento
Date: 07/29/19

38 Ina St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Soledad Diaz
Seller: LE & Associates LLC
Date: 07/18/19

47 Jasper St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Juliet M. Lowe
Seller: Barrington Stephenson
Date: 07/26/19

94 Joanne Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $329,900
Buyer: Shelley S. Whitley
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 07/29/19

120 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Jovani S. Allen
Seller: Grace L. Smith
Date: 07/19/19

184 Knollwood St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Daniel Rivera
Seller: Diego I. Dominguez
Date: 07/17/19

191 Lamont St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Jose A. Ocasio
Date: 07/24/19

26 Lenox St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $1,800,000
Buyer: Sumner Avenue 473-477 LLC
Seller: Northamptonboys2 LLC
Date: 07/17/19

88-92 Leyfred Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Yerenilda R. Frias
Seller: Andrea Richards
Date: 07/19/19

2-4 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Dillanira Arreaga
Seller: Antonio Maldonado
Date: 07/22/19

14 Lyndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Sumner Avenue Realty LLC
Seller: Dara M. Howard
Date: 07/29/19

2137 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $1,150,000
Buyer: Ironsides Mainland LLC
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 07/19/19

93 Melville St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Reginald P. Johnson
Seller: Shawna Gutowski
Date: 07/24/19

33 Mohegan Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $193,500
Buyer: Wilber A. Cedrez
Seller: Sarah B. Brittain
Date: 07/19/19

40-42 Mooreland St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Lesley A. Hernandez
Seller: Mark A. Robbins
Date: 07/25/19

105 Newhouse St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Jose L. Gonzalez
Seller: Carole L. Magidson
Date: 07/29/19

202 Northampton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $131,655
Buyer: Laelia LLC
Seller: Heath J. Richardson
Date: 07/29/19

1392 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Lavinia Velazquez
Seller: Luis Velazquez
Date: 07/26/19

1286 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Imran R. Chaudhry
Seller: RETained Realty Inc.
Date: 07/19/19

87 Pennsylvania Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $172,900
Buyer: Julio Marrero
Seller: Narapati Kafley
Date: 07/29/19

79 Penrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Carlos A. Torres
Seller: MBC Properties LLC
Date: 07/19/19

53 Pidgeon Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Marlena Acevedo-Sanchez
Seller: Sheila Greenia
Date: 07/18/19

20 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Martin A. Portes
Seller: Rafael A. Santana
Date: 07/26/19

159 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Shekina T. Mondon
Seller: Gerardo Lebron
Date: 07/25/19

11 Pulaski St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: 1 Call Maintenance LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 07/17/19

14 Rachael St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: James Leahy
Seller: Francine M. Kustwan
Date: 07/24/19

29-31 Ralph St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $129,625
Buyer: MHFA
Seller: Hipolito Gonzalez
Date: 07/19/19

9-11 Ramah St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Alexander R. O’Neil
Seller: Jamie A. Jacobs
Date: 07/29/19

42 Redstone Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Sara L. Maggipinto
Seller: Ashley M. McFarlane
Date: 07/19/19

80 Rochelle St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Chelsea Rohman
Seller: JJJ 17 LLC
Date: 07/26/19

115 Rochford Circle
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Sacha Vazquez
Seller: West, Robert, (Estate)
Date: 07/26/19

85 Ruthven St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $133,500
Buyer: Aguasvivas Realty LLC
Seller: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Date: 07/26/19

55 Saint George Road
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $3,400,000
Buyer: ARHC PSNTMA01 LLC
Seller: Pioneer Mob LP
Date: 07/23/19

1175 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Dennis O. Navarro-Cosme
Seller: Donna M. Roy
Date: 07/18/19

51-53 Sanderson St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Victor R. Lopez-Cortes
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 07/30/19

42-44 Santa Barbara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Steven Al-Husseini
Seller: Jason H. Casagrande
Date: 07/26/19

89 Sawmill Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Peter J. Kaufmann
Seller: Mark E. Tartt
Date: 07/24/19

19 Sedgelia St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Giovani Rivera
Seller: Prime Partners LLC
Date: 07/30/19

125 South Shore Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Laura Dubowski
Seller: Vicente Perez
Date: 07/29/19

980 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Sandra Benson
Seller: Huan V. Huynh
Date: 07/30/19

66 Sunapee St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Katherine M. McDonald
Seller: Ann M. Decoteau
Date: 07/26/19

33 Superior Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Shannon Connor
Seller: Luz Martinez
Date: 07/26/19

14 Sunridge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Michelle R. Gilley
Seller: Peter J. Kaufmann
Date: 07/23/19

66 Switzer Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Noelis Santiago
Seller: Thomas C. Baird
Date: 07/23/19

56 Tallyho Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $255,900
Buyer: Anne H. Pietras
Seller: Custom Homes Development Group
Date: 07/30/19

220 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Razi Jaber
Seller: Daniel Gnidenko
Date: 07/22/19

17 Vail St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Ismael J. Cintron
Seller: Erik F. Rosa
Date: 07/18/19

36 Valley Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Ellen May
Seller: Forest, Norman P., (Estate)
Date: 07/19/19

38-40 Van Buren Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Luz D. Guerrero
Seller: Fritz Bosquet
Date: 07/29/19

28 Waldorf St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Santa B. Pabon
Seller: Colleen Moynihan
Date: 07/26/19

129 Warrenton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $127,850
Buyer: Denis A. Couture
Seller: Michael Ferris
Date: 07/25/19

205 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $175,257
Buyer: Stacy E. Heimann
Seller: Michael A. Sukhram
Date: 07/26/19

155 Wheeler Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Loy Solan-Anderson
Seller: Ana N. Colon
Date: 07/25/19

101 Whittier St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $218,125
Buyer: James Kihungi
Seller: Florence Testa
Date: 07/17/19

30-32 Wilbraham Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Ngoc T. Nguyen
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 07/19/19

75 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $170,900
Buyer: Israel Ruiz
Seller: Onota Rental LLC
Date: 07/26/19

137 Wollaston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Megan Dilisio
Seller: Neung Chummasorn
Date: 07/30/19

TOLLAND

272 Meadow Dr.
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $228,736
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Ashley H. Donnellan
Date: 07/22/19

WESTFIELD

17 Crescent Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Robert Paul
Seller: Peter Storozuk
Date: 07/17/19

62 Crescent Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Joseph E. Labelle
Seller: Karen E. Siart
Date: 07/29/19

7 Cross St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $204,900
Buyer: Artem Martynyuk
Seller: Liliana Burgos-Ortiz
Date: 07/24/19

29 Dana St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Pisey C. Hean
Seller: Joanne T. Ciancotti
Date: 07/19/19

79 Glenwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Everett R. Cooley
Seller: Aaron A. Bean
Date: 07/22/19

45 Grandview Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Michael L. Menard
Seller: Sandra L. Cennamo
Date: 07/25/19

3 Hanover St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $182,941
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Leo Boucher
Date: 07/26/19

7 Harrison Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: John Weir
Seller: Christopher Lusignan
Date: 07/24/19

31 Harvest Moon Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: Nicholas Cal
Seller: David A. Metcalf
Date: 07/19/19

68 Klondike Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,733,000
Buyer: Arbor Residents Assn. Inc.
Seller: James Buratti
Date: 07/25/19

28 Knollwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Paul A. Laquerre
Seller: Thomas J. Keating
Date: 07/26/19

11 Lockhouse Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Vitaliy Novenko
Seller: Andrey L. Girich
Date: 07/22/19

72 Pinehurst St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $212,900
Buyer: Peter Storozuk
Seller: Lawrence H. Messer
Date: 07/24/19

273 Ponders Hollow Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Sonam Bhujel
Seller: John F. Kielb
Date: 07/25/19

63 Radisson Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: David R. Boudreau
Seller: Jane T. Condon
Date: 07/17/19

221 Russellville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Christa L. Blair
Seller: David Perez
Date: 07/17/19

107 Sandy Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Kenneth S. Soto
Seller: Barbara F. Bodendorf
Date: 07/29/19

868 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,790,000
Buyer: Heritage Residents Association
Seller: James Buratti
Date: 07/25/19

27 Tow Path Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Katie B. Oleksak
Seller: Wade, Grace J., (Estate)
Date: 07/22/19

152 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Spenser L. Afonso
Seller: William D. Murphy
Date: 07/29/19

WILBRAHAM

15 3 Rivers Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Susan Lufkin-Curtis
Seller: David P. Owen
Date: 07/30/19

2287 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $7,710,000
Buyer: KRE BSL Husky Wilbraham
Seller: 2387 Boston Road LLC
Date: 07/19/19

29 Brookside Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Brianna N. Kipetz
Seller: Lori A. Martin
Date: 07/18/19

660 Glendale Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Scott A. Foulis
Seller: Christian, David A. Sr., (Estate)
Date: 07/18/19

18 Herrick Place
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $549,000
Buyer: John J. Guerin
Seller: Paul E. Abrahamson
Date: 07/29/19

6 Julia Way
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Jose L. Ferreira
Seller: Custom Homes Development Group
Date: 07/24/19

15 Linwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Jordan Nascimento
Seller: Oliver Leung
Date: 07/29/19

53 Manchonis Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Douglas Look
Seller: Charles B. Proctor
Date: 07/24/19

211 Manchonis Road Ext.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Kevin Ordynowicz
Seller: Paul A. Knaplund
Date: 07/18/19

19 Oakland St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Sarah E. Miller
Seller: Matt J. Mahaney
Date: 07/24/19

2 Park Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $322,400
Buyer: Mary E. Goodrow
Seller: John H. McCullough
Date: 07/19/19

34 Pleasant View Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Renee K. Duncan-Mckenzie
Seller: Maureen C. Moran
Date: 07/19/19

52 Shirley St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $438,000
Buyer: Ian Hart
Seller: David W. Glidden
Date: 07/22/19

136 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Luis I. Garced
Seller: Allan M. Solaroli
Date: 07/18/19

874 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Ethan J. Lafreniere
Seller: Raschilla, Michael A., (Estate)
Date: 07/19/19

29 Victoria Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $513,000
Buyer: Doris A. Naiman
Seller: John J. Guerin
Date: 07/19/19

WEST SPRINGFIELD

270 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Oksana Lavrenchuk
Seller: Osama Jalal
Date: 07/25/19

24 Autumn Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $331,000
Buyer: William C. Reichelt
Seller: Cote FT
Date: 07/26/19

22 Chapin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Andrey Shlykov
Seller: Jeffrey Bergeron
Date: 07/19/19

28 Cornflower Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Joshua M. Derry
Seller: Gerard R. Roy
Date: 07/29/19

71-73 East School St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Murad A. Sulaymanov
Seller: Morray Inc.
Date: 07/25/19

218 Forest Glenn
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Alissa L. Burke-Spaulding
Seller: Patricia M. Selva
Date: 07/18/19

127 Herrman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Cheryl A. Ruggirello
Seller: Kerry J. Derry
Date: 07/29/19

2 Lenox St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: Sean C. Hurley
Seller: Mattbo RT
Date: 07/29/19

78 Lincoln St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Margarita Lopez
Seller: Lees, Alberta E., (Estate)
Date: 07/19/19

125 Monastery Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Michael T. Burque
Seller: Benjamin D. Berchulski
Date: 07/19/19

19 Moseley Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Halilu I. Daraja
Seller: Ram P. Pathak
Date: 07/29/19

131 Nelson St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Jacob Johnston
Seller: Raymond L. Wellspeak
Date: 07/19/19

599 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Enrico Nitura-Talamayan
Seller: Bernard C. Pickett
Date: 07/29/19

136 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Bhakta Dahal
Seller: Megan Dilisio
Date: 07/30/19

83 Sibley Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Brady M. Walsh
Seller: Isaac Santana
Date: 07/24/19

74 Southworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Lori Harris
Seller: Thomas E. Hague
Date: 07/17/19

27 Sylvan St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $2,850,000
Buyer: ARHC PSNTMA01 LLC
Seller: Pioneer Mob LP
Date: 07/23/19

41 Therese Marie Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $555,000
Buyer: Maroun N. Hannoush
Seller: Daniel M. Spaulding
Date: 07/18/19

24 Western Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $5,900,000
Buyer: ARHC PSWSGMA01 LLC
Seller: Pioneer Mob LP
Date: 07/24/19

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

270 East Leverett Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $617,500
Buyer: Jesse R. Hart
Seller: Derek J. Dassatti
Date: 07/18/19

384 Henry St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Charlotte Driscoll
Seller: Elizabeth H. Follmer
Date: 07/19/19

22 Kamins Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $396,000
Buyer: Benigno R. Sanchez-Eppler
Seller: George E. Como
Date: 07/26/19

Lindenridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Bercume Construction LLC
Seller: Tofino Associates LLC
Date: 07/19/19

381-383 Main St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Long Mountain LLC
Seller: 383 Main LLC
Date: 07/25/19

127 Pelham Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Zhiqi Huang
Seller: Lyle E. & Melba L. Larson RET
Date: 07/25/19

34 Potwine Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $358,000
Buyer: Benjamin M. Rau
Seller: James R. Crotty
Date: 07/29/19

317 South Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $484,000
Buyer: Amherst College
Seller: Benigno R. Sanchez-Eppler
Date: 07/26/19

28 Trillium Way
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Alex K. Phakos
Seller: Richard L. Gerstein
Date: 07/25/19

1240 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Raphaela R. Levy-Moore
Seller: Freda Peters
Date: 07/26/19

75 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Hang Le
Seller: Joslad & Associates PC
Date: 07/26/19

26 Wildflower Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $428,000
Buyer: M. Hajiesmaili
Seller: Charlotte A. Jackson
Date: 07/24/19

BELCHERTOWN

639 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Kyle Alamad
Seller: Robert E. Carter
Date: 07/29/19

350 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Bryan Lee
Seller: Robert E. Klaum
Date: 07/23/19

27 Canal Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $307,500
Buyer: Shane M. Parrott
Seller: Steven G. Burton
Date: 07/29/19

17 Dogwood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: Harlan G. Sturm
Seller: Albert Grimaldi
Date: 07/26/19

99 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: James S. Pieciak
Seller: Nathan Santerre
Date: 07/24/19

800 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Phurbu Dolma
Seller: Nicholas C. Aquadro
Date: 07/17/19

31 Fuller St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Danielle M. Dushane
Seller: James D. Cole
Date: 07/29/19

814 George Hannum Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Colleen A. Duncan
Seller: Dargis, Marc A., (Estate)
Date: 07/26/19

32 Jensen St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $206,500
Buyer: Andrew Loebel
Seller: Daniel R. Roy
Date: 07/30/19

33 Magnolia Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $409,900
Buyer: Gonzalo Aguilar
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 07/24/19

41 Magnolia Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $417,900
Buyer: Maureen Keizer LT
Seller: J. N. Duquette & on Construction
Date: 07/19/19

6 Old Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Thomas G. St.Laurent
Seller: Harlan G. Sturm
Date: 07/26/19

202 Old Enfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $436,000
Buyer: Neil L. Desroches
Seller: Laliberte Home Builders
Date: 07/30/19

375 Rockrimmon St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $321,700
Buyer: Christopher R. Perron
Seller: Christopher E. Pelletier
Date: 07/26/19

191 Stebbins St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Katie A. Napolitano
Seller: Bruce W. Adams
Date: 07/26/19

5 Woodhaven Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Matthew Lakso
Seller: Paul L. Beaulieu
Date: 07/29/19

CHESTERFIELD

416 Main Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Michael J. McVeigh
Seller: David L. Fobes
Date: 07/30/19

EASTHAMPTON

90 Briggs St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $266,900
Buyer: Cassandra Eckhof
Seller: Thomasa & K. Lombardo LT
Date: 07/30/19

21 Button Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Edward V. Harvey
Seller: Peter P. Hamelin
Date: 07/29/19

5 Campus Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: 5 Campus Lane LLC
Seller: DO Holding Co. LLC
Date: 07/25/19

17 Deerfield Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $342,000
Buyer: Catherine M. Hardie
Seller: Kevin J. Wilby
Date: 07/29/19

112 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Crossroads Property Investors
Seller: Gary R. Campbell
Date: 07/19/19

41 East Green St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $222,500
Buyer: Brian P. Brown
Seller: Valdore O. Gagne
Date: 07/30/19

3 Keddy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Christine N. Crutchfield
Seller: Latka RT
Date: 07/24/19

22 Morin Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Joshua Smith
Seller: Edward Harvey
Date: 07/29/19

8 Oakridge Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Robert G. Labrie
Seller: Ronald T. Labrie
Date: 07/26/19

GOSHEN

35 South Chesterfield Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $234,900
Buyer: Shirley M. Kubosiak
Seller: Zachary A. Laroche
Date: 07/23/19

GRANBY

258 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $329,200
Buyer: Jaroslaw Laskarzewski
Seller: James R. Maes
Date: 07/22/19

183 Chicopee St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Potts
Seller: Daniel J. Watkins
Date: 07/25/19

4 Greystone Ave.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Thomas E. Venema
Seller: Tammi J. Adair
Date: 07/18/19

234 Taylor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Philip D. Stachura
Seller: Michael R. Goff
Date: 07/17/19

HADLEY

11 Aloha Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Kristie M. Laflamme
Seller: Valorie L. Leonard
Date: 07/24/19

141 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $326,000
Buyer: Mark R. Hamel
Seller: Stephen J. Cummings
Date: 07/29/19

HATFIELD

155 Depot Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Niocholas A. Del-Castillo
Seller: Edward F. Shaw LT
Date: 07/30/19

55 Linseed Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Grace M. Lalor
Seller: Joseph J. Strycharz
Date: 07/26/19

North Hatfield Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Mieke LLC
Seller: Kestrel Land TR
Date: 07/19/19

32 North Hatfield Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: William Leroy
Seller: Stanley S. Sadowski
Date: 07/30/19

154 Prospect St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $464,200
Buyer: Matthew Chandler
Seller: Kathleen M. Dion
Date: 07/23/19

HUNTINGTON

89 Pisgah Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Bradley Kreger
Seller: Michael A. King
Date: 07/26/19

6 Pleasant St.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $149,500
Buyer: Eric D. Little
Seller: James R. Gobeille
Date: 07/19/19

MIDDLEFIELD

143 Chipman Road
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Emmitt D. McIntyre
Seller: Michael R. Butchen
Date: 07/29/19

NORTHAMPTON

93 Bliss St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: David Clooney
Seller: Stephanie Schamess
Date: 07/17/19

191 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Rubina Husain
Seller: David J. Carpenter
Date: 07/22/19

41 Cross Path Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Maureen O’Toole
Seller: Lyle E. Haggerty
Date: 07/17/19

435 Florence Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Roland Barbeito
Seller: Maureen Kiely
Date: 07/26/19

139 Greenleaf Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: David J. Carpenter
Seller: Stephen W. Alport
Date: 07/17/19

29 Howes St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $351,500
Buyer: Nancy E. Cohen
Seller: Valerie Nelson-Taylor
Date: 07/22/19

55 Linseed Road
Northampton, MA 01088
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Grace M. Lalor
Seller: Joseph J. Strycharz
Date: 07/26/19

30 Murphy Ter.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $291,500
Buyer: Lynn Asch
Seller: Matthew S. Braddak
Date: 07/23/19

327 North Farms Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Avy A. Skolnik
Seller: Meredith R. Bertrand
Date: 07/19/19

188 Rocky Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Yakov Kronrod
Seller: Kyle R. Alamed
Date: 07/29/19

16 Sherman Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Gregory J. Campbell
Seller: James A. Quinn
Date: 07/26/19

PELHAM

11 Enfield Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Nancy B. Couper
Seller: Grace E. Prime
Date: 07/26/19

8-B Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Chandler
Seller: Christian D. Santangelo
Date: 07/30/19

222 North Valley Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Z. McDonnell
Seller: Eli Kwartler
Date: 07/26/19

41 South Valley Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Jerome J. Maczka
Seller: Abraham I. Gladstone
Date: 07/24/19

SOUTH HADLEY

14 Dale St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Shawn F. Langlois
Seller: Louis Langlois
Date: 07/19/19

2 Dayton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $1,400,000
Buyer: Peoples Bank
Seller: Joseph A. Marois
Date: 07/24/19

9 Doane Ter.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Matthew Bosowicz
Seller: Cavanaugh, Karen B., (Estate)
Date: 07/17/19

340 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Andrew Mankus
Seller: Nicholas Carra
Date: 07/19/19

81 Hildreth Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Michael O’Neill
Seller: Haig K. Babikyan
Date: 07/26/19

7 Hillside Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Kristal R. Tolpa-Cote
Seller: Stella L. Warzenski
Date: 07/26/19

8 Karen Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Gary T. White
Seller: Helen C. Desjarlais
Date: 07/29/19

10 Lakeview Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Walter C. Braley
Seller: Neil L. Desroches
Date: 07/24/19

468 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $1,400,000
Buyer: Peoples Bank
Seller: Joseph A. Marois
Date: 07/24/19

470 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $1,400,000
Buyer: Peoples Bank
Seller: Joseph A. Marois
Date: 07/24/19

480 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $1,400,000
Buyer: Peoples Bank
Seller: Joseph A. Marois
Date: 07/24/19

160 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Altagracia Ramirez
Seller: Tiffany Trzebiatowski
Date: 07/29/19

17 Red Bridge Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Richard F. Cox
Seller: Katherine B. Jacobson
Date: 07/25/19

46 South St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $196,600
Buyer: Anthony Dejura
Seller: Rachael K. Perkins
Date: 07/22/19

42 Washington Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Patricia A. Keohan
Seller: Marion F. Delimat
Date: 07/26/19

40 Westbrook Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Katherine Schark
Seller: Mclaughlin, Elva J., (Estate)
Date: 07/30/19

71 Woodbridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Sara Harper RET
Seller: Sutton, Christopher S., (Estate)
Date: 07/19/19

SOUTHAMPTON

5 Bissonnette Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Lisa A. Gawle
Seller: Jeffrey E. Schwenk
Date: 07/22/19

165 Brickyard Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Zachary A. Ribeiro
Seller: Jocelyn H. Kinlock
Date: 07/30/19

89 Clark St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Ryan L. Geeleher
Seller: Bruce A. Coombs
Date: 07/24/19

134 College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $4,250,000
Buyer: Longhill Gardens LLC
Seller: Hampton Realty Apartments LLP
Date: 07/19/19

16 Hillside Meadows Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Joseph P. Arduino
Seller: Daniel Pedersen
Date: 07/29/19

White Loaf Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Kristian C. Kasa
Seller: Ryan L. Geeleher
Date: 07/26/19

8 Woodmar Lane
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Amanda K. Duffy
Seller: Lisa A. Gawle
Date: 07/22/19

WARE

36 Cummings Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $222,500
Buyer: Tammy L. Baumier
Seller: Joann P. Champagne
Date: 07/23/19

130 Eagle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Edward Voiland
Seller: Michael L. Boronski
Date: 07/25/19

59 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Glen A. Larue
Seller: King, Irene B., (Estate)
Date: 07/29/19

10 Lower Cove Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Deborah J. Ernest
Seller: Winslow A. Wildes
Date: 07/23/19

8 Lower Cove Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Deborah J. Ernest
Seller: Winslow A. Wildes
Date: 07/23/19

6 Murphy Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Charles R. Kiablick
Seller: Kusek, Louise A., (Estate)
Date: 07/19/19

WILLIAMSBURG

122 Petticoat Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $635,000
Buyer: Eli McKenna-Weiss
Seller: Brad H. Wolansky
Date: 07/19/19

WESTHAMPTON

295 Main Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: James A. Westwell
Seller: Anderson, Mark J., (Estate)
Date: 07/23/19

83 Montague Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: George Eager
Seller: Dawn M. Levay
Date: 07/26/19

Northwest Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Michael G. Proulx
Seller: Marina Nelson
Date: 07/17/19

WORTHINGTON

15 Sam Hill Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Vincent P. Dondiego
Seller: Alice B. Fritz
Date: 07/19/19

Building Permits Uncategorized

The following building permits were issued during the month of July 2019.

CHICOPEE

Elms College
291 Springfield St.
$14,000 — Remove three fire-escape sections from O’Leary Hall

Meadow Street Partners, LLP
307 Meadow St.
$8,975 — Alter existing fire sprinkler system

EASTHAMPTON

Denmark Property Group, LLC
126-128 Northampton St.
$111,000 — Build infrastructure for new bank walk-up ATM kiosk

Easthampton Rod & Gun Club
23 River St.
$1,500 — Remove and replace existing deck and ramp

Eastworks, LLP
116 Pleasant St.
$10,000 — Interior renovations to Suite 155

Riverside Industries Inc.
1 Cottage St.
$30,000 — Build handicap-accessible ramp to rear of building

EAST LONGMEADOW

Pride Plaza
618 North Main St.
$17,000 — Remove non-bearing wall

GREENFIELD

Alliance Church
385 Chapman St.
$21,500 — Install 22 double-hung windows, four basement hopper windows, and five sliders to front and porch area

Alliance Church
385 Chapman St.
$2,912 — Replace exterior door at back of gym

CHD Watershed Project
148 Montague City Road
$28,782 — Install siding

James Renaud, Theresa Renaud
267 Federal St.
$3,500 — Roofing

Stop & Shop
89 French King Highway
$100,000 — Relocate customer service and modify that space to build out online pickup area

HADLEY

Pyramid Mall of Hadley Newco, LLC
367 Russell St.
$285,440 — Remove and replace rooftop HVAC units at Cinemark Theater and add in ice bear units with gas piping

W/S Hadley Properties II, LLC
7 South Maple St.
$420,000 — Redemise existing building into two tenant spaces, install new storefront glazing, reposition utilities into one common room, revise sprinklers, HVAC, replace trim boards, repaint exterior

LENOX

CR Resorts, LLC
165 Kemble St.
$22,000 — Modify existing offices

MRG CRW Holdings, LLC
55 Lee Road
$69,500 — Install fire-protection sprinklers in Mind and Wellness Center

LONGMEADOW

VK Heritage, LLC
753 Maple Road
$21,800 — Bathroom renovations

NORTHAMPTON

Aster Associates
80 Barrett St.
$44,714 — Install fire-alarm system

Aster Associates
80 Barrett St.
$29,400 — Roofing

GGB Massachusetts Land, LLC
1010 Ryan Road
$64,000 — Demolish and remove all structures

Smith College
5 Chapin Dr.
$11,850 — Install new doors in student lounge in Wright Hall, build partition wall in team room

Smith College
16 College Lane
$50,750 — Reconfigure existing office in Lyman Plant House to include new vestibule offices

SPRINGFIELD

Albany Road Springfield Plaza, LLC
1227 Liberty St.
$643,852 — Interior fit-out for new retail tenant, Citi Trends

Albany Road Springfield Plaza, LLC
1227 Liberty St.
$96,322 — Interior demolition of former retail tenant space for future buildout for Citi Trends

Albany Road – St. James Avenue, LLC
1252 St. James Ave.
$70,250 — Alter interior to fit out shell space for future tenant

ATRQ Realty, LLC
1795 Main St.
$401,240 — Alter tenant space in Suite 210 for Dental Care Alliance

Breckwood Realty, LLC
455 Breckwood Blvd.
$206,500 — Alter retail tenant space for new Family Dollar at Breckwood Shoppes

City of Springfield
180 Cooley St.
$33,000 — Install additional roof framing support for new kitchen hood rooftop unit at Kiley Middle School

City of Springfield
36 Court St.
$5,000 — Alter space for conference room and two office spaces in Law Department at City Hall

Multicultural Community Services of the Pioneer Valley Inc.
1000 Wilbraham Road
$149,830 — Replace 39 windows

Pearson-Liberty Development Co., LP
95 Liberty St.
$412,350 — Alter interior tenant space on third floor for MassHire Springfield Career Center

Pioneer Valley Federal Credit Union
1954 Wilbraham Road
$328,000 — Interior demolition and alterations for future buildout

Rivers Landing, LLC
1150 West Columbus Ave.
$450,000 — Alterations for new office space

WARE

1 Mechanic, LLC
1 Mechanic St.
$14,000 — New finishes, front doors, floor finishes, and counter surfaces

Colonial Ware Partnership
181 West St.
$100,000 — Roofing

Kanzaki Specialty Paper Inc.
20 Cummings St.
$54,627 — Roofing

Joel Pentlarge
31-37 Church St.
$23,000 — Roofing

WEST SPRINGFIELD

C Jack Realty Associates
1123 Riverdale St.
$210,000 — Rework existing Verizon location to new location

Route 20 Realty Associates
1399 Westfield St.
$10,000 — Partition to separate tenant space, new storefront system, new HVAC unit, interior finishes

State of Maine
1305 Memorial Dr.
$72,280 — Additional kitchen ventilation and electrical room ventilation, add power outlets

West River, LP
152 Elm St.
$83,700 — Interior remodel, including finish, fixture, millwork, and equipment upgrades; lighting and receptacle relocation and upgrades; upgrades to a few plumbing fixtures; accessibility upgrades

WILLIAMSBURG

Brewmasters Brewing Services
4 Main St.
$3,300 — Replace existing chillers

Cover Story Uncategorized

Cannabis Ink.

Michael Kusek

Suffice it to say the cannabis industry in Massachusetts is growing and changing at a torrid pace, and it will continue at this speed for some time to come. There are myriad aspects to this sector, from the many different kinds of businesses within it to the dizzying number of products now on the shelves. Michael Kusek, a veteran journalist, has now made it his business — literally and figuratively — to help the public understand all it needs to know.

$20 billion.

That’s the number Michael Kusek offered — somewhat reluctantly and after some hemming and hawing — when he was asked to try to guesstimate how big the still-fledgling cannabis industry might become in the Bay State.

He was reluctant because no one really knows the answer to that question at this point, and they may not for some time. And Kusek knows that better than anyone, which is why he was asked in the first place.

Indeed, Kusek has established himself as the pre-eminent journalist in these parts when it comes to the broad, as in very broad, subject of cannabis, status earned by starting a publication devoted entirely to that subject.

It’s called A Different Leaf, with the subtitle A Journal of Cannabis Culture, and it hit the streets — that’s an industry term — just a few weeks ago. This will be a quarterly publication, sticker price $7 ($10 in Canada), and it now carries the tagline “Bringing You the Best of Cannabis in Massachusetts.”

It is, as Kusek will tell you himself, just the latest of many entrepreneurial endeavors rooted in (yes, that will be the first of many puns you’ll read) the cannabis industry. And he obviously believes it will be a success.

The first issue provides ample evidence of the fact that this subject matter, and this industry, are now quite broad, and Kusek and his team will have plenty to write about. Story headlines include these:

• “Tale of Two Cities: Cannabis may be legal statewide, but what gives with certain cities?”;

• The Grandfather of Cannabis: If you want to learn Massachusetts cannabis history, start with Lester Grinspoon”;

• “And Justice for All: The cannabis industry holds huge promise for new jobs, but who is getting to start companies?”;

• “The Women of Cannabis: These women are shaping the industry”;

• “Going Gourmet with Cannabis: Chef David Yusefzadah’s gourmet take on cannabis edibles and fine dining”; and even

• “Sex & Cannabis: Strategies for combining sex and cannabis.”

To put out such a publication credibly, Kusek has obviously had to set himself up as an authority on this subject, something few other individuals can claim. And as BusinessWest talked with him, he certainly spoke the part.

The cover of the first issue of A Different Leaf, featuring a piggy bank with the word ‘weed’ on it, sends a strong message about the industry and its potential impact in and on the Bay State.

When asked about the pace of businesses opening and some of the latest additions to the landscape, he rattled off the names of new dispensaries in far corners of the state. He knows which communities have voted to ban such enterprises, and he’s even put together a color-coded map to show people the breakdown, a map he says is quite revealing and shows a different twist on business in the Bay State when it comes to east-west dynamics.

“Start on the Cape, and at Provincetown and work your way west — from Provincetown to the elbow, all legal; from the elbow to the armpit, all banned,” he explained. “You get to the South Coast, there’s a smattering, a few banned, and then you get to the suburbs of Boston: the majority of ‘banneds’ in the state form a giant red ‘C’ around the city of Boston, which is this green dot right in the middle.

“That ‘C’ ends at Route 495,” he went on. “And from there to the Berkshires and the New York border, it’s all green with the exception of a handful of towns. So in a state where the gravitational pull of Boston for industry is so strong, the cannabis industry is 495 west.”

As for that question about how big the industry might get in the Bay State, Kusek offered that number, $20 billion — the high end, he acknowledged — but quickly added a caveat.

“In a state where the gravitational pull of Boston for industry is so strong, the cannabis industry is 495 west.”

“It all depends on what our neighbors do,” he explained, noting that, while Massachusetts is alone in the Northeast when it comes to states that have legalized cannabis and also have mechanisms in place for selling it, this probably won’t be the case for long.

As for how big the playing field might get in terms of locations and how many might eventually become too many, Kusek said the market will essentially determine this.

“Right now, there are only 20 businesses in the state, and they’re all pretty much opening their doors to a reasonably healthy amount of traffic,” he said. “That’s going to change over time.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with Kusek about his new publication, but mostly about the business of cannabis what dimensions in might take in the years to come and how this ultra-intriguing development will change life in the Bay State.

Stirring the Pot

“I didn’t smoke pot until college, when one night my freshman roommate and a friend sparked up my first joint. Two things happened: I didn’t get high, but my fear of cannabis evaporated. This thing I had been taught would ruin my life didn’t seem frightening — and from there it became part of my social life.”

That’s how Kusek began his “From the Editor” piece that introduced his magazine to the reader on page 3 of the first edition. He would go on to talk about how he found that cannabis helped him sleep better, and a few sentences later, he hit at the heart of what this venture is all about.

“Much of the cannabis media is aimed at people who are knowledgeable about cannabis, work in the industry, and/or are in their 20s. Where was the magazine for the older occasional user looking to expand their horizon now that legalization is real?” he wrote, adding that A Different Leaf is the answer to that question.

This map, indicating which communities have banned cannabis businesses (red) and which ones haven’t (green), shows how Western and Central Mass. are the big players in this emerging industry.

It is, indeed, intended for those who, like Kusek in his freshman dorm room, may have overcome their fear of cannabis (that’s may) but still have questions about this product that until very recently was illegal in this state. And Kusek backed up his assumptions that there are many, many people in this category with some anecdotes.

He mentioned a woman in her 70s who was wondering, as he did, if cannabis might help her sleep better without having to resort to sleeping pills, while a younger man asked him if cannabis might provide some relief for his aching knees.

These are the kinds of questions, coupled with growing certainty that a publication targeted to the people who were asking them would be viable and profitable, that prompted Kusek to greenlight his media venture.

Actually, it’s his latest media venture.

Indeed, Kusek, who told BusinessWest he has ink in his veins, has an extensive background in journalism, a second career launched after years of working as a development professional left him looking for something new and different.

“People started running in the other direction when they saw me,” he joked, referring to the latter stages of work raising money for various institutions, including the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

He changed course and went into public relations and communications work for several years, and while doing that was recruited to handle marketing for the Valley Advocate.

“I had been on the outside of media for a number of years, but this was my first professional stint inside the media, and I really liked it,” he said. “I thought I liked the journalism side of it, which I do; I’m fascinated by it. But what I really began to get interested in was the business side of media.”

He left the Advocate in 2008 with designs to start an arts magazine for New England, but quickly surmised that 2008, the climax of the Great Recession, wasn’t a good time to start any business, so he put those plans on ice and went back into communications.

When times were better, the start of 2014, he launched Take, an arts and culture magazine that, while well-received by readers and crtitics, “never found its niche with advertisers,” said Kusek.

By 2017, Take was winding down, and Kusek was again looking for another challenge. He found one, eventually, in cannabis and a need he identified to create something for older, as in over 50, audiences.

There is a need to stress eventually, because he Kusek certainly didn’t rush into this. He said he did his homework, in the form of extensive research concerning both the emerging industry and the press devoted to it.

“I went to the Barnes & Noble in Hadley and purchased every cannabis magazine they had on the stands, and then I drove to the one in the Northampton and did the same thing,” he recalled, adding that, by the time he was done, he had quite a pile.

He would break these publications down into three categories — the ‘legacy’ magazines such as the well-known High Times, a huge number of business-to-business magazines, and a smaller number of titles he labeled ‘bro’ magazines, aimed at a decidedly younger audience.

What was missing from this pile, he determined, was something devoted to those 50 and over and not exactly experts on this subject.

Growing Like Weed

He describes what he came up with to fill that void this way: “Wine Spectator meets High Times for the 45-to-50-plus crowd,” an intriguing combination editorially that he was reasonably certain would be well-received.

But he knew that solid content without advertising support wasn’t going to get him very far. So he said his next step was to Google ‘cannabis and advertising,’ and the first thing that came up was a Boston Globe article quoting sources talking about how businesses within the cannabis industry were struggling to find media outlets to take their advertising dollars.

“I said, ‘I can take their advertising dollars,’” he told BusinessWest, adding that laws prohibit such companies from advertising on the Google Display Network, Facebook, and other platforms. “I thought there was some space there from a revenue standpoint.”

The first issue gives some evidence of this space, with ads from a number of recreational and medical dispensaries, agencies such as the Mass. Recreational Consumer Council, a hydroponics outfit, and businesses that support the industry, such as Brigade, a Hadley-based company that has helped a number of cannabis-related businesses with branding.

“I think the biggest threat to what could be a really interesting and dynamic industry is if big money rolls over the small businesses. You have some large multi-state operators that could, with their capital, become like Dunkin, with locations on every corner; they have enough capital to make that happen.”

With enough of these advertisers secured — and it took some time to secure them — Kusek decided to let the presses roll. He’s optimistic about the venture and predicts that, as the industry grows and more businesses across the sector open their doors and then desire to market their goods and services, he will have a sustainable business model. And looking down the road, he said the venture could certainly be expanded into other states and parts of the country as legalization continues to spread.

While watching for business opportunities, Kusek is also watching the industry as it grows and evolves in the Bay State. And while watching, he noted that things are certainly happening quickly and the picture is changing almost every day, something he finds both intriguing and challenging as a journalist.

“What’s interesting about being in the industry as a relative newcomer is how dynamic it is and how it changes week to week and month to month,” he noted. “There are always new businesses coming into the pipeline, and there’s new people coming on to the scene. As a journalist sort of keeping an eye on that industry, it’s a lot — there’s a lot of info coming in.

“In this business, a week feels like a month, and a month feels like a year because things move so quickly,” he went on. “We’re in a state where highway improvements are measured in 20- or 30-year increments, so the idea that we have a state agency that got an industry up and running in two years is pretty amazing.”

Also intriguing is the high level of transparency in this new industry, something Kusek said is unique within state government — “you don’t see the head of the DMV writing any open letters right now” — which he believes is a byproduct of expectations.

“This is an industry that grew out of a political movement,” he explained. “Legalization was a political movement, so you have activists, even though it’s legal, continue to pay attention. You have patient activists continue to pay attention to the medical program to make sure it’s serving people really, really well.

“And that’s very different from saying, ‘we’re going to expand the alcohol program, and there are a bunch of activists making sure it’s done right,’” he continued. “Lobbyists, yes, but activists? That’s a different story, and that’s been the genesis for the openness you get from the cannabis commission. If you want to follow how this industry grows, you can look in and see how the sausage is made.”

Stirring the Pot

Kusek said he has been struck by, and quite impressed by, the entrepreneurs now doing business across this broad sector.

They are pioneers of sorts, he said, charting new territory in a fledgling industry, and they’re also survivors in what has become a rugged contest to gain a license and open the doors to a business, an assignment far more difficult than it might look to the casual observer.

“I spend a lot of time with people in this industry, and I have rarely met harder-working people,” he told BusinessWest. “The idea of these people being lazy stoners is far from the truth. These people work around the clock to make their businesses work, and you have to give them credit for that, because it’s not easy.

“They got a lot of curveballs thrown at them,” he added, referring to, among other things, the often complex and taxing host-community agreements and the many hurdles that must be cleared on the way to getting a license. “These people just keep slogging forward, and it’s pretty impressive.”

Elaborating, he said it takes at least a year to attain a license, and there are significant upfront costs and expenses to be incurred before one can earn a nickel.

“One of the challenges with opening a cannabis business is that the license is attached to an address,” he explained. “So once you get your host-community agreement and start the application process, you have to buy or rent a building. And it can take months before you get that license; there’s a pretty good burn rate on your capital before you earn any money.”

This hard reality was one of the factors that delayed the first issue of A Different Leaf, he said, adding that many of the businesses he was counting on to support that venture were still waiting to secure a license.

When asked to look down the road and project what the scene might look like in a year or two — or 10 — Kusek reiterated that this is difficult because Massachusetts certainly won’t be the only state in the Northeast doing this for much longer.

At present, large numbers of people are crossing over the borders to the Bay State to buy cannabis products, he said, adding that soon, a relative term to be sure, they may not have to.

When asked about what might go wrong as the industry expands and broadens its influence, Kusek this, too, is difficult to project.

“I think the biggest threat to what could be a really interesting and dynamic industry is if big money rolls over the small businesses,” he explained. “You have some large, multi-state operators that could, with their capital, become like Dunkin’, with locations on every corner; they have enough capital to make that happen.”

At present, the Cannabis Control Commission has governors in place to limit such a threat, he added quickly, noting that entities are currently limited to three stores. But moving forward, the state needs to keep such measures in place to prevent monopolies from developing.

Meanwhile, there is the state’s Social Equity Program, designed to provide a pathway for individuals and businesses in communities of “disproportionate impact” to enter the adult-use cannabis marketplace. That program is laudable, said Kusek, and it provides opportunities for certain demographic populations, but these individuals face stern challenges to enter the growing cannabis marketplace.

“Overall, I think the state is doing a commendable job, from where I sit, trying to balance fostering small businesses, fostering this cadre of businesses that are applying under the Social Equity Program, with the big companies that are coming to Massachusetts,” he said. “It’s a very delicate balancing act.”

What also remains to be seen is how and to what extent the cannabis industry and players within it become part of the business community on a regional and statewide basis, he said.

“Cannabis people are thinking, ‘are we going to be welcome?’” he said. “Traditional industry organizations like AIM [Associated Industries of Massachusetts]… AIM was not in favor of legalization, but now it’s like, ‘we have this multi-billion industry on our hands — how do we make them part of our organization?’ It will be interesting to see how traditional industries embrace this.”

Give and Toke

“One thing I’ve discovered about cannabis in the last year is that it is a topic full of evolution, learning, and change.”

That’s how Kusek chose to essentially wrap up his initial message to his readers.

To some, that might seem like understatement given how the landscape has changed over the past year and how it is destined to continuing changing in the months to come.

But it also a reality.

Kusek now has a front-row seat for one of the most compelling business stories in this state’s history, and he is really enjoying both the view and the challenge of trying to capture it all.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Uncategorized
Cassandra Morrey

Cassandra Morrey

Karen Cartier

Karen Cartier

Christopher Pike

Christopher Pike

Misty Lyons

Misty Lyons

Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) announced that Cassandra Morrey has been promoted to vice president and Residential Lending officer; Karen Cartier has been promored to vice president, Compliance, Fraud Prevention, and Community Reinvestment officer; Christopher Pike has been promoted to assistant vice president and Special Assets officer; and Misty Lyons has been appointed mortgage officer. Morrey will be responsible for daily oversight of the Residential Lending department, including origination, process, closing, quality control, and compliance. She joined Greenfield Savings Bank in 2010 after working in the banking industry for 17 years. She is an active volunteer in the community, serving as a board member and treasurer of Highland Ambulance EMS Inc., and as a fourth- to sixth-grade girls basketball coach. She graduated with honors from the New England School for Financial Studies. Cartier manages the Bank Secrecy & Anti-Money Laundering department, the bank’s compliance-management system, and identity-theft and fraud-prevention programs. Her department monitors transactions and identifies suspicious activity. She joined GSB in 2013 has been working in working in banking and fraud prevention for 28 years. She is a 2008 graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at the Babson Executive School and has earned additional professional designations including Certified Bank Secrecy & Anti-Money Laundering Professional (CBAP) and Certified Community Bank Compliance Officer (CBCCO). She donates some of her personal time volunteering in the community, including serving as a committee member of the annual benefit for Toys for Tots, as a board member of All Out Adventures, and a member of the GSB Relay for Life team. Pike is responsible for loan operations and special-assets management at the bank. Before joining the bank in 2014, he was an associate director and bank consultant at RMPI Consulting. He volunteers his time for a number of local community organizations, including helping at the Stone Soup Kitchen, working at the Franklin County Fair Rotary food booth, and fundraising for the YMCA. He received his MBA from Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. Lyons is responsible for loan origination, underwriting, and approval of residential mortgages and will work directly with loan applicants, assisting them through the application process. She will serve customers throughout Franklin and Hampshire counties. She began her career in the banking industry in 1988 and previously worked in the GSB Loan department from 2003 to 2006. She is returning to her career in banking after a three-year medical leave while recovering from a severe case of Lyme disease. She has been a member of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley for more than 20 years and has served on the committees and boards of a wide range of organizations, including the the Franklin County Rotary Club, the Greenfield Community College Foundation board of directors, the golf committee for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department fundraiser for Warm the Children, and the YMCA sustaining fundraising campaign. She was also an elected member of the Gill-Montague Regional School Committee from 2012 to 2015.

•••••

Meri Clark

Meri Clark

Meri Clark was named the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award at Western New England University (WNEU). Winners of the prestigious award are nominated by students, faculty, and administrators for outstanding contributions as educators and advisors. Clark is a professor of History and coordinator of the Global Scholars program for the College of Arts and Sciences. She has taught Latin American and world history at the university since 2005. Her research specializes in the history of 19th-century Latin America, with particular attention to the themes of education, nationalism, gender, race, and ethnicity in Colombia. After earning her bachelor’s degree in history from Reed College (Phi Beta Kappa), Clark researched in Colombia under a Fulbright scholarship. She then earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in history from Princeton University.

•••••

Colleen Bugbee

Colleen Bugbee

Mary Rawls

Mary Rawls

Jane Trombi

Jane Trombi

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced that the board of directors has approved the promotions of Colleen Bugbee, Mary Rawls, and Jane Trombi. Bugbee was elected senior vice president and treasurer. She is responsible for the bank’s treasury functions, including managing the bank’s investments, asset/liability process, and annual budgeting. She has 40 years of experience in the financial-services industry, having started with the former Monarch Capital. She has been with the bank since 2006. Bugbee received her bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and her master’s degree in accounting from Western New England University. She is a volunteer at Horizon for Homeless Children and is chairman of the finance committee at Trinity United Methodist Church. Rawls was elected senior vice president – Compliance, and co-CRA officer for the bank. She has more than 25 years of experience in banking, joining GCB in 1994. She is responsible for ensuring bank compliance with the numerous banking and consumer laws and regulations. She also coordinates various regulatory and compliance examinations for the bank. Rawls is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College and has held a variety of roles in the branch and operations areas as well throughout her career. She is a long-time volunteer and active with American Cancer Society and 4-H Club. She is also on the board of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Franklin County. Trombi was elected senior vice president – Residential Lending and co-CRA Officer. She joined GCB in 1999 and has more than 21 years of experience in banking and residential lending. She is based in Greenfield and is responsible for the management of the residential and consumer lending department of the bank. Trombi is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She is active in several community causes, including the United Way board, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and the Women’s Way.

•••••

Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, congratulated Lucas Manzi, Accounting Department and Finance manager at Arrha, for receiving a 2019 Credit Union Difference Maker’s Award presented by the Cooperative Credit Union Assoc. at the 2019 Credit Union Marketplace Experience. The show highlighted new technology and featured breakout sessions in many topics, including cybersecurity, the latest trends in digital banking, and ways to enhance the member experience, as well as a salute to employees that have great attitudes, positively impact others, and make a difference at their credit union, in the community, and beyond.

•••••

Harry Dumay

Harry Dumay

Elms College President Harry Dumay has been appointed treasurer of the executive committee for the Assoc. of Colleges of Sisters of St. Joseph. Dumay became the 11th president of Elms College in 2017. He has served in higher-education finance and administration at senior and executive levels for 19 years. Prior to assuming the presidency of Elms College, Dumay was senior vice president for finance and chief financial officer for Saint Anselm College from 2012 to 2017. He formerly served as chief financial officer and associate dean at Harvard University’s Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (2006-12), associate dean at Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work (2002-06), and director of Finance for Boston University’s School of Engineering (1998-2002). In addition, he served as an adjunct faculty member at Boston College for nine years. Dumay currently serves as a commissioner, treasurer, member of the executive committee, and member of the Annual Report on Finance and Enrollment for the New England Commission for Higher Education, a member of the board of directors for the Assoc. of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, a member of the student aid policy committee for the National Assoc. of Independent Colleges and Universities, a board member for Pope Francis Preparatory School and the Boston Foundation’s Haiti Development Institute, and a former member of the board of directors and a current member of the investment committee of the Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H.

•••••

Brad Bedard

Brad Bedard

As part of the continued effort to position the company for stronger growth, Brad Bedard has been promoted to vice president of Supply Chain Management for OMG Inc. As vice president, Bedard is responsible for overall management of the company’s global supply-chain and distribution logistics. In this new role, he will work with his organization to develop and implement short- and long-term strategies that maximize operational efficiencies, improve supply-chain and distribution performance, and manage costs. Bedard has been with OMG since 2007, most recently as director of Supply Chain Management. Earlier, he had been the company’s director of Distribution and Sales Inventory Operations Planning, where he was instrumental in developing and implementing the company’s forecasting and operations planning process. Prior to joining OMG, he held various distribution and logistics roles for Bose Corp. and Timex Corp. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University.

•••••

Jeremy Melton

Jeremy Melton

Robert Raynor

Robert Raynor

Florence Bank promoted Jeremy Melton to the position of senior vice president, director of Operations and Risk Management, and hired Robert Raynor to serve as vice president, Compliance and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) officer. Melton joined Florence Bank in 2012. Prior to his recent promotion, he served as first vice president, Risk Management, Compliance, and CRA officer. He is the board chair and a member of the finance/audit committee at Tapestry. Raynor joined Florence Bank in April 2019 with nine years of banking experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Springfield College. He is a board member and treasurer of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke.

•••••

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) named professors of Physics and Nursing as its 2019 endowed chair award recipients. The college selected Barbara Washburn, department chair and professor of Physics, as the 2019 Anthony M. Scibelli Endowed Chair, and Deborah Jacques, professor of Nursing, as the 2019 Joseph J. Deliso Sr. Endowed Chair. Each year, STCC faculty are nominated by their colleagues and then invited to apply. An award-selection committee, made up of faculty and staff, reviews applications, and the STCC Foundation executive committee selects winners. The pair received monetary awards — $3,000 each — and wooden chairs with plaques inscribed with their names. They can apply $1,500 to professional development and $1,500 to their academic department. Jacques earned a doctor of nursing practice degree from UMass, and a master’s degree in nursing education and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Russell Sage College. She worked as a staff nurse at Baystate Medical Center before joining STCC as a professor in 2007. Washburn holds a master of education degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in electrical engineering, laser optic engineering, from Tufts University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Western New England University. She joined STCC as a professor in 1996.

•••••

Cheryl Hoey

Cheryl Hoey

Community-based financial advising firm PV Financial Group recently welcomed the newest member of its senior leadership team, Cheryl Hoey, CPA. Hoey will serve as PV’s chief financial officer, providing high-level support for the firm, overseeing company finances, creating and managing budgets, as well as forecasting trends. With more than 28 years of experience working within various accounting positions for businesses across Massachusetts, Hoey will help PV’s financial advisors better serve clients with her expertise in tax preparation and auditing. Having worked at several private companies, as well as large firms including Merrill Lynch and the Unum Group, Hoey has honed her skills in the areas of investments, tax preparation, international accounting, and financial risk.

•••••

Michael Koziol

Michael Koziol

Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) Chief Financial Officer Michael Koziol has been named a 2019 recipient of the Healthcare Financial Management Assoc. (HFMA) Founders Medal of Honor for his contribution and support to the HFMA and the healthcare-finance profession. The Founders Medal of Honor is a prestigious award recognizing individuals who have reached the highest level of involvement and volunteer service to the HFMA. Koziol was nominated for the Medal of Honor for his involvement in the organization, which included more than six years on the annual conference planning committee and many years on the physician practice subcommittee. He has been a member of the HFMA since 1982. Koziol joined Holyoke Medical Center in April 2017. His previous experience included executive-level finance positions with Southcoast Physicians Group in Fairhaven; MaineGeneral Health in Augusta, Maine; South County Hospital Healthcare Systems in Wakefield, R.I.; Massachusetts Eye & Ear Associates in Boston; Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, R.I.; and Memorial Hospital of South Bend, Ind. He received his bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and completed his MBA at the University of Illinois.

•••••

John Regan, a Boston native who has directed government-affairs advocacy at Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) for the past 12 years, was selected as the next president and CEO of the commonwealth’s largest business association. Regan succeeds AIM President and CEO Richard Lord, who is retiring after two decades leading the organization. At AIM, Regan’s focus has been administrative and legislative advocacy, regulatory affairs, litigation, and ballot initiatives. He has negotiated favorable outcomes for employers on major issues such as healthcare reform, paid family and medical leave, use of non-compete agreements, pay equity, unemployment-insurance rate freezes, and the 2018 compromise that avoided costly and contentious ballot questions concerning the minimum wage, sales tax, and paid leave. Prior to his tenure at AIM, he served as chief operations officer for MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, overseeing real-estate development and community-revitalization projects including the transformation of the former Fort Devens. Before MassDevelopment, he was executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, leading the commonwealth’s business-retention and recruitment efforts. Regan, a graduate of Boston Latin School, earned his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s Seminary College in Boston and a certificate in organizational management from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

•••••

Vince Jackson

Vince Jackson

As the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce looks forward to its 100th-anniversary celebration in June, the board of directors announced the selection of the chamber’s new executive director, Vincent (Vince) Jackson. He is an entrepreneur and the CEO of Marketing Moves in Hadley, a company he founded. He will begin his role at the chamber on Monday, June 3, succeeding Suzanne Beck, who is retiring at the end of May. In passing the torch to Jackson, Beck hands him the opportunity to lead the chamber and through its new strategic plan. The visionary plan, to be launched over the coming months, reimagines what a 21st-century chamber should be. Prior to founding Marketing Moves in 2000, Jackson worked in Texas for PepsiCo Inc., growing through roles in brand and product management, innovation, and acquisitions. Marketing Moves is a consultancy that specializes in strategy development, brand management, and marketing and communications, working with a diverse national client base of large corporations, small businesses, and government and nonprofit organizations. Jackson has lectured in the Department of Marketing at the UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management. He has served on several nonprofit boards, including time as president of the Lee B. Revels Scholarship and Mentoring Foundation and the Beta Sigma Boulé Foundation in Springfield. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Grambling State University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Jackson’s first public appearance will be at the chamber’s centennial event, “Torch: Our Time to Shine,” on Thursday, June 13 at the Academy of Music in Northampton.

Marketing Tips Uncategorized

Courtesy of Dave Chaffey, Smart Insights

Our review showing examples of the latest innovations in digital media, technology, and data to support digital transformation

We love reviewing innovation in marketing. It’s interesting to see ‘what’s hot’ and ‘what’s cool’, but to keep it practical and actionable as we like, we’re equally interested in which communications and transformation techniques will make the biggest commercial improvement for businesses.

A good example of the commercial impact digital technology and media can have is Dominos. I recently heard about the impact of digitization of Dominos from Dave Wild, their UK CEO at Technology for Marketing / E-commerce Expo. Dominos UK only took its first mobile phone order in 2010 when online sales accounted for less than 30% of revenue. Eight years on, Dominos have a market share of more than 50% with digital transactions accounts for more than 80% of sales and the UK smartphone app accounting for more than two-thirds of those sales.Read more

 

Marketing Tips Uncategorized

Courtesy of jetline.com

Print advertising is a more permanent solution than digital marketing. However, it is not just a case of churning out content. From brochure design to billboard printing, your print campaign needs to be in line with your brand identity and get your message across effectively. You need to have a strong, well thought out strategy behind your print campaign, and there are best practices you should put into place before implementation.

Read more

Uncategorized

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College has been awarded a $247,000 grant to help unemployed and underemployed individuals acquire the job-readiness skills they need to secure — and retain — stable employment. 

Through this grant from the Mass. Dept. of Higher Education’s Training Resources and Internship Networks initiative — TRAIN — HCC will work with a long list of regional partners to develop a three-stage program that includes pre-training in job readiness, industry-specific training in culinary arts or manufacturing, followed by some kind of work experience with a local employer.

Up to 120 individuals from Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties are expected to participate in some way through June 2019.

“We hear from employers all the time, and we hear it from every sector, that many applicants lack basic job readiness skills – things like customer service, communication, conflict resolution, time management,” said Kermit Dunkelberg, HCC assistant vice president of Adult Basic Education and Workforce Development. “They say, we can train them to do the work, but we need them to have these basic things. What we’re trying to do here is develop a regional model.”

HCC’s partners in the TRAIN Pioneer Valley Consortium project include the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board, the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board, the MassHire career centers in Holyoke, Springfield, and Franklin and Hampshire counties, Springfield Technical Community College, and Greenfield Community College. 

In addition, the University of Massachusetts Auxiliary Dining Services in Amherst, the Log Cabin Group in Holyoke, MGM Resorts in Springfield, Peerless Precision Inc. in Springfield, and Bete Fog Nozzle Inc. in Greenfield have agreed to provide internship, apprenticeship, or job shadowing opportunities to program participants. 

“The other piece that all our research in the region shows is that people lack the hands-on experience of working in an industry,” said Dunkelberg. “We’re trying to connect them to those opportunities as well, so they can see what the expectations are on the job and for employers to be able to try somebody out and see what they can do.”

HCC is working with the regional career centers to develop a three-week, 60-hour “essential skills/job-readiness” pre-training course that will be offered at least four times at locations in the three Pioneer Valley counties, said Dunkelberg.

‘That will really focus on professional behavior, punctuality, attire, teamwork,” he said. “Communication is huge – and customer service. Customer service across the Valley is something that employers recognize needs to be improved.”

Uncategorized

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds announced a new staff hire to their front office this week, with the addition of John Jones, Jr. as an Account Executive.

A native of Jupiter, Fla., Jones joins the Thunderbirds after serving as the general manager for Stretch Zone, an athletic and wellness company based in Jupiter, since March of 2017, where Jones oversaw operations and sales/marketing strategies.

Jones graduated with his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Florida State University in May 2012 and December 2013, respectively. During his time at Florida State, Jones was a varsity letter winner as a member of the Seminoles football team, and was named to the FSU Athletic/Academic Wall of Fame.

Springfield Thunderbirds fans are encouraged to visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn more about 2018-19 Thunderbirds Season Ticket Memberships. Packages include a wide range of benefits, including the lowest prices for the 2019 Lexus AHL All-Star Classic presented by MGM Springfield. For more information or to order now, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.

Uncategorized

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Community College’s (BCC) Physical Therapist Assistant program has been approved by its accrediting body, CAPTE, to accept an annual cohort of students instead of the current biannual offering. This means that BCC will admit an annual class of 20 students every year.  Currently, BCC offers seats to 26 every other year.

Overall, this increase in the number of potential students to 40 over a two year span would allow for 14 more students to find seats in the program who would have otherwise been waitlisted.

“We’re thrilled we received this news from our accrediting body for our PTA program,” Michele Darroch, PTA program director at the College, said. “Our program is always very successful at recruiting students, and 100% of those students pass their licensure exams, so the opportunity to include even more PTA professionals in a growing field is nothing short of spectacular for our community.”

Spring classes begin on January 22, but the next PTA cohort will begin in the fall of 2019. For more information, please contact Michele Darroch at [email protected].

Uncategorized

11th Annual Difference Makers

Thursday, March 28, 2019
5 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
The Log Cabin, Holyoke

This program, initiated in 2009, is a celebration of individuals, groups, organizations, and families that are positively impacting the Pioneer Valley and are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region. As previous classes have shown, there are many ways to do this: through work within the community on one or many initiatives to improve quality of life; through success in business, public service, or education; through contributions that inspire others to get involved; through imaginative efforts to help solve one or more societal issues; or through a combination of the above.

To submit a nomination for consideration click here.

 

Sponsored by

DBA Certificates Uncategorized

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

AMHERST

Bang On Creative
182 Pondview Dr.
Michael Lewis-Schuster

Buba Bread
28 Pulpit Hill Road
Malaika Ross

Kaijn
30 Boltwood Walk, Unit 1
Greg Stetsman

Mosquito Joe of Amherst-Charlton
731 South East St.
Lynn Hateh

Sunset Property Management
69 South Pleasant St., Suite 203
David LaMotte

BELCHERTOWN

Black Oak Farm
351 North Washington St.
Carl Pomietlarz, Terry Pomietlarz

Country Acres
134 South Washington St.
Christine Spellman

Danaleri Corp.
732 Daniel Shays Highway
Ross Hartman

GB Restoration
29 Sherwood Dr.
Gregory Burgess

John H. Conkey & Sons Cordwood
621 Daniel Shays Highway
John Conkey Jr.

KMH Engineering
54 Oak Ridge Dr.
John Henry

CHICOPEE

DHI
272 Langevin St.
Andrew Desormier

JR Services
76R Sheridan St.
Nahor Santos de Sonia Jr.

DEERFIELD

Blazing Light Photography
19 Kelleher Dr.
Richard Logan

Church of Healing Light
796 River Road
Russell Canedy

Josh’s Detailing Service Shop
60 North Main St.
Joshua Candelaria

New Golden China
45B South Main St.
Chun Bao Lu

EASTHAMPTON

Artisan Builders and Craftsmen
19 Plain St.
Aaron Scott

Bonnien G & Co.
116 Pleasant St., #410
Bonnie Shew

EAST LONGMEADOW

Be Here Now Therapeutic Massage
280 North Main St.
Virginia Levine

Cyndy’s Stained Glass
104 Gerrard Ave.
Cynthia Ford

The Glowtique
280 North Main St., Suite 7
Natalya Czapienski

New England Termite & Structural Repair
121 Mountainview Road
Eric Lucas

Tiger Web Designs
95 Lasalle St.
William Cole

Wright Choice Heating & Air
130 Smith Ave.
Jessica Wright

GREENFIELD

Blue Moon Healing Center
11 Plum Tree Lane
Jean Conway

Intelligent Spark
115 South Shelburne Road
Frederick Bliss

J. Duke Driving School Inc.
489 Bernardston Road
Kim Williams, Nick Waynelovich

The Salon
278 Main St.
Kristine Mallon

The UPS Store
21 Mohawk Trail
Dennis MacLaughlin

HADLEY

Michael’s
325 Russell St.
Barbara Salter

Rodriques Towing
10 Mill Valley Road
Aldron Rodriques

Stephanie Joerke Massage
8 Goffe St.
Stephanie Joerke

Sunny Brook Farm
6 Mount Warner Road
Joe Boisevert

HOLYOKE

ABC Mini Storage
621 South Canal St.
Robert Celi

Blue Door Gatherings
420 Dwight St.
Laura Bowman

City Pizza
420 High St.
Kemal Cirak

Classic Magic Beauty Salon
594 Dwight St.
Betsie Pagan

Nueva Esperanza
401 Main St.
Nelson Roman

United Tractor Trailer School
50 Holyoke St.
Paul Wanat

LONGMEADOW

Applied Behavior Software, LLC
37 Wimbleton Dr.
Applied Behavior Software, LLC

Mario’s Barber Shop
945 Shaker Road
Anthony Magnani

LUDLOW

Chameleon Painting
58 Chapin Circle
Brian Foster

Magna Roller
119 East Akard St.
Peter Puscema

Max’s Whatnot Shop
6 Chestnut St.
Beth Wallace

Nadia LaMountain Massage
393 East St.
Nadia LaMountain

NORTHAMPTON

Borawski Farm
170 Audubon Road
Robert Borawski

Capoeira Gunga do Vale
25 Main St.
Bruno Trindade

Clay & Dough
296C Nonotuck St.
Lily Fariborz

Digital Mapping Consultants
94 Williams St.
Devin Clark

Mineral Hills Workshop
267 Turkey Hill Road
Eric Fernandez

Test Print Pottery
43 Fern St.
Barbara Chalfonte

PALMER

American Woodworks
4028 Main St.
Roger Barnes

Balicki Auto Body Inc.
92 Bacon Road
Michael Balicki, Peter Balicki, Philip Balicki

Bob’s Small Engine Repair
106 Belchertown St.
Robert Cain

The Canine Cuttery
1407 Main St.
Keri Smith

Central Reflexology Inc.
1026 Central St.
Li Hua Zou

Cricket
1045B Thorndike St.
Matt Sternberger

East Coast Design Services
3 Fieldstone Dr.
Matt Blanchard

Mada Courier
1915 Ware St.
Robert Letasz

Palmer Hobbies, LLC
1428 Main St.
William Lanza

Purple Puppy Dog Grooming
529 Wilbraham St.
Rebecca Bouchard

Success Signal Broadcasting
3 Converse St., Suite 101
Marshall Sanft

Woods Group Realty
16 Wilbraham St.
Debra Woods

SOUTHWICK

Daniels Hockey
36 Deer Run
Lynn Daniels

Glow Spray Tanning, LLC
21 Matthews Road
Lauri Scott-Smith

Living Hope for the Heart
2 Eden Hill
Elicia Roy

My PT
35 Gillette Ave.
Thomas Naro

Reiki
17 Fernwood Road
Robert Ziemba

SPRINGFIELD

A Loving Home Care
1205 Bradley Road
Grizel Colon

A.C. Painting
33 Fresno St.
William Carter

All in Compliance
155 Brookdale D.
Strategic Information

Anaisa Amor
49 Andrew St.
Stacey Hynes

Bertile
54 Princeton St.
Ricky Facey

Boston Road Pizza
1291 Boston Road
Ahmet Tanriverdi

Bouncehouse R Us
66 Norman St.
Jorge Santiago

Bozyk Merchandising
2452 Roosevelt Ave.
Francisca Bozyk

Frostal Studio 73
48 Edgewood St.
Jana Allen

G’s Home and Business Improvement
1124 Berkshire Ave.
Dossie Green

GWS Tool Group
616 Dwight St.
Benchmark Carbide, LLC

Hampshire Hills Inc.
620 Page Blvd.
Jameson Porczlo

KMH Gospel Creations
46 Montgomery St.
Kenyetta Monique

Little Chef
131 Oakland St.
Petra Cappas

Locust Market
261 Locust St.
Felix Antigua

Oldies from the Estate
45 Parker St.
William Wallace Sr.

Pagan’s Market
1196 St. James Ave.
Juleiska Pagan-Otero

Rustic Brewing Co., LLC
34 Front St.
Michael Kopiec

Skin Catering
1500 Main St.
Leanne Sedlak

WARE

Ateks Tree
30 Prospect St.
Andrew Hogan

Muddy Brook Remodeling
80 West Main St., #2
Michael Stasiowski

Property Masters
33 Hardwick Pond Road
Joshua Berthiaume

WEST SPRINGFIELD

1105 Main
Joseph Stevens
1105 Main St.

Bob’s Discount Furniture
135 Memorial Ave.
Dean Lotufo

Bourque Real Estate
1233 Westfield St.
Bourque Group Inc.

Cosmetology Hairdresser
446 Main St.
Lidia Afinogenova

Dunkin’ Donuts
11 Pierce St.
Jessica Salema

Golf Tournament Solution
58 Mercury Court
Heather Namakeo

Lynn Property Service
848 East Elm St.
Samuel Lynn

M.H. Ball Pythons
61 Irving St.
Matthew Hanlon

Mavins Stitch & Print, LLC
116 Miami St.
Natalia Shtrom

Quality Inn
1150 Riverdale St.
Shubham, LLC

Steve’s Sports
94 Front St.
Steve Bordeaux

Studio E Fitness
685 Memorial Ave.
Elizabeth Lenart

WILBRAHAM

Falcon Youth Football Assoc.
12 Addison Road
Shannon Melluzzo, Tricia Murphy

On Site Contractors
21 Blacksmith Road
Tanya Carreira

Uncategorized
Moira Maguire

Moira Maguire

Holyoke Community College recently welcomed Moira Maguire as its new dean of Social Sciences. Maguire most recently served as dean of Liberal Arts at Schenectady County Community College in New York. Before that, she spent 12 years as a professor of history at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, where she was a tenured faculty member and served as a department chair and course coordinator. She holds a Ph.D. in history from American University, a master’s degree in history from Northeastern University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from George Washington University. As a teacher and scholar specializing in 20th-century Irish history, Maguire spent more than 10 years at the University of Ireland Maynooth, where her research on infanticide and the Irish government’s care of unwed mothers and their children led to many articles and a book, Cherished Equally? Precarious Childhood in Independent Ireland. She has also worked as a consultant for the BBC on documentaries related to her research. As dean of Social Science, she will oversee six academic departments: Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, Critical Cultural Studies (Economics, Geography, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Women’s Studies), Psychology, and Sociology/Anthropology.

•••••

Sonya Stephens, the acting president of Mount Holyoke College, has been named the college’s 19th president, effective July 1. The Mount Holyoke College board of trustees announced its decision to appoint Stephens on April 23 after an extensive presidential selection process that began in January. A formal inauguration will be held in September. The decision was unanimous. Stephens was made acting president in July 2016. During her tenure, she has overseen the implementation of the Plan for Mount Holyoke 2021 and been focused on ensuring the college’s long-term financial stability. Other key efforts include the creation of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative, which led to the annual BOOM! (Building on Our Momentum) learning conference and to the hiring of the college’s first chief diversity officer. Stephens led the development of the college’s comprehensive self-study for re-accreditation by the New England Assoc. of Schools and Colleges, and launched the Community Center construction and the opening of the Dining Commons. She is also overseeing the college’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality by its bicentennial in 2037.

•••••

Elissa Langevin

Elissa Langevin

Lee McCarthy

Lee McCarthy

Shelley Daughdrill

Shelley Daughdrill

Lori Jarrett

Lori Jarrett

Celia Alvarado

Celia Alvarado

Alicia Pare

Alicia Pare

Florence Bank has promoted three employees to oversee the management of branches within their designated regions. Elissa Langevin has been named vice president and area manager for the bank’s main office in Florence, Lee McCarthy will serve as vice president and area manager for the King Street office in Northampton, Shelley Daughdrill and will hold the role of vice president and area manager for the Belchertown branch. Langevin is a 10-year employee of Florence Bank. Formerly, she was vice president and branch manager of the main office in Florence. During her tenure at the bank, Langevin has been the recipient of Florence Bank’s Community Service Award, which provides recognition to employees who are actively involved in community organizations. She serves as the current treasurer of the Belchertown Day School and has served as a board member for Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts. She has also served as board member and president of the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce. McCarthy is a 15-year employee of Florence Bank. Formerly, she was vice president and branch manager of the King Street office. During her tenure at the bank, McCarthy has served as consumer lending officer and branch manager. She is a volunteer for the United Way of Hampshire County and serves on its Community Allocation Committee. In 2015, she was recognized by the United Way as an honoree for the Community Champion Award, presented to a community member who has made a significant contribution to the organization’s mission of creating positive and lasting change in Hampshire County. Daughdrill is a 12-year employee of Florence Bank. Formerly, she served as vice president and branch manager of the Amherst and Belchertown offices. She has been the recipient of the bank’s President’s Award and Community Service Award. She is a board member, attendance chair, and auction committee member for the Amherst Rotary Club, and she also serves on the development committee for the Amherst Survival Center. Meanwhile, Florence Bank has also hired three new employees to serve in various positions. Lori Jarrett will serve as assistant controller in the Finance Department in the main office in Florence, Celia Alvarado was named portfolio officer/commercial loan origination, and Alicia Pare was named to the position of cash management relationship officer. Jarrett holds a master’s degree in accounting from Western New England University. She volunteers for area nonprofits, including Riverside Industries, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, and Safe Passage, and she runs in the Apple-a-Day 5K, which benefits the elementary schools of Easthampton. Alvarado joined Florence Bank in February with nearly 10 years of banking experience. She currently studies at the New England College of Business, where she’s working on a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. She volunteers for Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts and has served on its board in the past. Pare earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Assumption College in Worcester. In 2014, she received Florence Bank’s prestigious President’s Club Award, an annual tradition that recognizes outstanding performance, customer service, and overall contribution to Florence Bank.

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Mark Fuller, current dean and Thomas O’Brien Endowed Chair at Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, has been appointed the new vice chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations by UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. Fuller will succeed Michael Leto, who announced his upcoming retirement last fall. As the university’s chief advancement officer, Fuller will serve on the chancellor’s leadership team and be responsible for short- and long-term plans to improve private support as well as cultivate strong relationships with UMass alumni and supporters. UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth’s flagship campus, has more than 200,000 living alumni. Fuller has led UMass’s Isenberg School of Management since 2009. Under Fuller’s leadership, Isenberg has generated a four-fold increase in annual gift performance since 2010; received a $10 million endowment to create the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship; increased student giving ten-fold; secured private support for the new, $62 million Business Innovation Wing; and created 12 new endowed faculty positions. Prior to coming to UMass Amherst, Fuller was a professor and chair of the Department of Information Systems and holder of the Philip L. Kays Distinguished Professorship in Management Information Systems at Washington State University. He received his master’s degree in management and his Ph.D. in management information systems from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management. His research focuses on virtual teamwork, technology-supported learning, and trust and efficacy in technology-mediated environments. Prior to Washington State, Fuller was an associate professor at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University.

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Maureen “Maura” Guzik

Maureen “Maura” Guzik

Casey Cusson

Casey Cusson

Erin Tautznik

Erin Tautznik

Janet Rosenkranz

Janet Rosenkranz

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced one new hire as well as three promotions. Maureen “Maura” Guzik joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank as vice president, Commercial Loans. She will be responsible for developing new commercial business in Hampshire County with the Northampton Cooperative division of the bank. She will be based in the bank’s Triangle Street branch in Amherst. She has more than 34 years of commercial banking experience. Guzik is a board member of the Northwestern District Attorney’s Children Advocacy Center and chairperson of the Belchertown Council on Aging. She is also active with the Amherst Area and Greater Northampton chambers of commerce. She earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Anselm’s College and her MBA from American International College. Casey Cusson has been promoted to assistant vice president and branch manager of the bank’s Shelburne Falls location. He has more than 15 years of management experience and joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank in June 2017. He is a board member on the Shelburne Falls Area Business Assoc. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from UMass Amherst and will attend the New England School of Banking at Babson College beginning in May. Erin Tautznik was promoted to branch officer. With more than 13 years of banking experience, she is responsible for managing the bank’s 67 King St., Northampton office. She joined Northampton Cooperative Bank in 2004 and has attended Holyoke Community College and numerous banking seminars and courses. She is also a volunteer with the JFK Middle School’s after-school program. Janet Rosenkranz, credit officer, has additionally been named the Credit Department manager, and is now responsible for the bank’s Credit Department staff and coordinating its activities. She joined the bank in 2016 and has more than 18 years of experience in banking. She is a volunteer with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. She received her bachelor’s degree at UMass Amherst and will attend the National School of Banking at the Wharton School beginning in June.

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Brian Kapitulik has accepted the position of dean of Business, Information Technology, Professional Studies, and Social Sciences at Greenfield Community College (GCC). “After a thorough search, we were excited to offer the position of dean to Brian,” said Catherine Seaver, chief Academic Affairs officer. Kapitulik has 18 years of professional experience in the Massachusetts public higher-education system and, in particular, during the last decade, in community college. Before his current role, he was chair of the Department of Social Sciences and professor of Sociology at GCC. He has also taught at UMass Amherst and Quinsigamond Community College. During this time, he evaluated and developed curriculum, assessed and reviewed programs, created new courses, and hired and mentored new faculty, all while teaching students, publishing papers, organizing professional-development workshops in his field, and serving the college in a number of leadership capacities ranging from search committees to faculty mentor for online pedagogy.

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The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ newly launched arts initiative, ValleyCreates, announced the appointment of five community advisors to support the initiative’s core mission to address underserved communities’ access to arts and culture funding and resources. Gina Beavers, Arts and Culture editor for the Valley Advocate, will serve as a liaison to arts and culture organizations in Hampshire and Hampden counties. Vanessa Pabón-Hernandez, director of Community Engagement and Education for WGBY, will serve as the initiative’s liaison to arts organizations in Hampden County. Matthew Glassman, co-artistic director ensemble of Double Edge Theater in Ashfield, will serve as a liaison to rural arts and culture organizations with a focus on Franklin County. Rosemary Tracy Woods, executive director and chief curator of the nonprofit Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield, will serve as the ValleyCreates events curator. Finally, Kent Alexander will serve as the initiative’s diversity, equity, and inclusion facilitator. He brings with him years of experience conducting anti-racism and social-justice-focused workshops for various local organizations. Each community advisor will contribute up to eight hours per month for one year and will receive a stipend. ValleyCreates is supported by the Barr Foundation, through the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ participation in the Creative Commonwealth Initiative.

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Jeanne Hardy, associate professor of Chemistry, whose research focuses on a key protein linked to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, is being recognized with the inaugural Mahoney Life Sciences Prize at UMass Amherst. A panel of expert judges from the life-sciences sector observed that the “biomedical implications are significant” and “this could turn out to be one of ‘the’ pivotal studies in the effort to combat Alzheimer’s.” Hardy will receive the prize and present her research with life-sciences experts and UMass officials and scientists at a breakfast ceremony on Tuesday, June 19 at the UMass Club in Boston. Established by UMass Amherst alumni Richard, Robert, and William Mahoney, the $10,000 prize is intended to recognize scientists from the university’s College of Natural Sciences whose work significantly advances connections between research and industry. The prize will be awarded annually to one faculty member who is the principal author of a peer-reviewed paper about original research. Eligible papers can be on any topic in the life sciences that focuses on new research with translatable applications to industry and society. Hardy’s research paper, “Multiple Proteolytic Events in Caspase-6 Self-activation Impacts Conformations of Discrete Structural Regions,” was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in September 2017.

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Baystate Franklin Medical Center announced that two interim leaders have accepted permanent positions at the community hospital. Ron Bryant has been named president, Baystate Franklin Medical Center/Northern Region, in addition to his continued role as president, Baystate Noble Hospital. Deb Provost has been named chief nursing officer and chief administrative officer, Baystate Franklin Medical Center/Northern Region, in addition to her continued role as chief regulatory officer, Baystate Health. Both have been serving in these roles in an interim capacity. Since Bryant’s interim appointment in January, he has held many open forums focusing on employee engagement and the need for a strong collaborative culture, advancing system integration and re-emphasizing the health system’s mission from a patient and employee perspective. Provost has been serving in the interim role of vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Baystate Franklin since November. Since her appointment, she has worked collaboratively with Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s leaders and team members to help ensure safe, high-quality care to the residents of Franklin County. Provost has been with Baystate Health for 41 years and has served as vice president, Surgery and Anesthesia and as interim chief nursing officer at Baystate Medical Center.

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Alexandra Fach

Alexandra Fach

Meghan Morton

Meghan Morton

Genevieve Brough, president of Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc., recently announced the firm has hired two new employees. Alexandra Fach and Meghan Morton will serve as personal-lines account managers. Fach will work in the firm’s Easthampton office, and Morton at the Florence location. Fach holds a bachelor’s degree in communication technology and visual communication and a master’s degree from Lesley University in Cambridge. She has worked in the industry since 2013 and also holds state insurance licensure. Morton is a certified insurance service representative and a certified insurance counselor. She holds state insurance licensure and has worked in the industry for six years.

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Andrew Caires

Andrew Caires

Pathlight, a provider of services for residential and community services for people with intellectual disabilities, has named Andrew Caires its chief financial officer and vice president of Administration, effective April 9. Caires has significant experience in human services. He was the financial director for Hawthorn Services for 15 years. When Hawthorne merged with the Center for Human Development, he became CHD’s director of Fiscal Services. Most recently, he was the controller for the Williston Northampton School. Caires has a bachelor’s degree in business administration/accounting from Western New England University and an MBA from UMass Amherst. He has maintained his certified public accountant (CPA) designation. Pathlight has been providing programs and services to people with developmental disabilities since 1952. Its programs include residential homes, supports for independent living, family-based living, recreation, enrichment, employment supports, family resources, autism supports, and more.

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Amanda Carpe

Amanda Carpe

The Gove Law Office announced that Amanda Carpe has joined the firm as an associate attorney focused on real-estate transactions, estate planning, and estate administration. Carpe earned her juris doctor from Western New England University in 2016. While in law school, she interned with Gove Law Office and for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, where she appeared on behalf of the Commonwealth in child-endangerment cases. She also clerked for Judge Charles Belsky. She began her career in Worcester, where she worked on complex estate planning, elder-law matters, guardianships and conservatorships petitions, and probate administrations.

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Dean Brown

Dean Brown

Teresa Wurszt

Teresa Wurszt

Florence Bank announced recently that Dean Brown and Teresa Wurszt were named to the President’s Club for 2018. The honor recognizes superior performance, customer service, and overall contribution to Florence Bank. Brown, a card operations specialist in the Operations Department in the main branch in Florence, began work at Florence Bank in 2008. Wurszt, an assistant commercial loan administration manager in the main office in Florence, joined the bank in 2015. With nearly 20 years of banking experience, she was praised by her colleagues for her knowledge, collaboration, and dedicated work ethic.

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Erika Gleason

Erika Gleason

Pathlight, a provider of residential and community services for people with intellectual disabilities and autism, named behavior specialist Erika Gleason as the first recipient of its Donald Fletcher Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship, which will be awarded yearly, is meant to assist an employee in obtaining an undergraduate degree. A committee of Pathlight board members and staff made the selection after receiving applications from employees. The scholarship is named after Pathlight’s former Executive Director Donald Fletcher, who was committed to helping staff pursue their education. This scholarship is in addition to Pathlight’s current tuition-reimbursement program. Gleason started at Pathlight in 2013 as a direct support professional, supporting people with intellectual disabilities and intensive behavioral needs, but quickly moved up the Pathlight career ladder, becoming a behavioral specialist this year. In her new role, she is responsible for checking in with all of Pathlight’s residential homes, as well as conducting safety-training sessions that teach people how to support individuals with special needs. She is currently working toward an associate’s degree in psychology at Holyoke Community College. Her goal is to transfer to Westfield State University, where she hopes to earn her bachelor’s degree.

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Gov. Charlie Baker announced Patrick Carnevale as director of the Governor’s Western Mass. Office in Springfield. Carnevale brings almost 20 years of experience in public service and will be the administration’s primary liaison between Western Mass. constituents and communities. With 18 years of public service in the Commonwealth, Carnevale has spent much of his career in emergency-preparedness response and recovery. He most recently served as regional manager for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), where he was responsible for emergency management in Central and Western Mass. Since 2002, he has held multiple roles in the State Emergency Operations Center, responding to natural disasters, developing and implementing municipal preparedness plans, allocating state and federal funding and grants, and improving emergency management in 161 communities. Carnevale graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and received his MBA from Western New England University. He also attended the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative and the National Preparedness Leadership in Homeland Security at Harvard University. He holds 14 certificates relating to emergency-preparedness disaster management from the Emergency Management Institute, the National Hurricane Center, and MEMA.