Company Notebook

Adam Quenneville Replaces Roof for Boy Scouts of America

SOUTH HADLEY — Adam Quenneville Roofing, Siding and Windows had the honor of replacing a roof for the Boy Scouts of America at the Moses Scout Reservation in Russell. Once the summer home of Horace Moses, the Manor House and the 1,200 acres of property were donated to the Boy Scouts of America Western Massachusetts Council in 1945, after its previous campsite was destroyed by a hurricane. The building is about 100 years old and is one of many buildings on the property. “The Manor House has not been used in about eight years,” said David Kruse, scout executive and CEO. “Thanks to Adam Quenneville and his team, we are excited to get it back up and running for this year’s summer camp.” The Manor House is just one of the many buildings on the Boy Scout property in need of repairs. With the help of community and volunteer donations for supplies, Quenneville — owner of Adam Quenneville Roofing, Siding, and Windows — was able to do his part by donating the labor to replace the roof. “As a father of three, two of which are young boys, this project was very important to me,” he said. “The Boy Scouts teach boys self-confidence, ethics, and leadership skills, which I believe are the foundation for great leaders.”

Elms College Athletics to Add Men’s, Women’s Outdoor Track Teams

CHICOPEE — The Athletics Department at Elms College will add men’s and women’s outdoor track teams in 2017. “I’m excited about the prospect of adding this new sport to the 15 other men’s and women’s sports we already sponsor,” said Ellen McEwen, director of Athletics at Elms. “This addition to our Athletics Department can be very successful in this geographical area, especially under the leadership of our cross-country coach, Matt Dyer, who has a very strong background in the area of track. He put together the program proposal for us, and will be coaching both the men’s and women’s teams.” The team will be about more than sport, according to Dyer. “We really care about giving back and carrying out the mission of Elms College and the Sisters of St. Joseph,” he said. “Our cross-country team does a multi-day, overnight service trip each fall, and I’m sure we will continue some similar mission and service work with our track programs. We really love and enjoy the process of working hard and growing together not only as students and athletes, but as people trying to serve a higher cause.” Dyer has just completed his fourth season as head coach of the men’s and women’s cross-country programs at Elms. Hired in August 2012, he has helped direct both teams to successful finishes in the New England Collegiate Conference; the women’s team came in second in 2013 and 2014, and the men’s team was third in 2015. He was named NECC Women’s Coach of the Year in 2013.

WNEU Engineering Students Finish Strong in Solar Decathlon

SPRINGFIELD — Engineering students from Western New England University (WNEU) traveled to the campus of the University del Valle in Cali, Colombia, in late November to complete construction of team PANAMASS’ 800-square-foot, fully solar-powered home, as part of the inaugural Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean 2015 competition. Team PANAMASS’ entry is called the SMART house, which is based on five characteristics in its design: sustainable, modular, recyclable, aesthetic, and tropical. After 10 days of intense evaluation by a several panels of judges, the SMART house was awarded first place in Energy Efficiency and third place in Energy Balance. This competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Colombian government, challenges university student teams around the world to design and build sustainable houses based on innovation and clean-energy technologies. Team PANAMASS is a partnership made up of students and faculty from Western New England University and Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá. There were 15 teams representing nine countries, including Panama, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Spain, Germany, England, and the U.S. WNEU was the only participant representing the U.S. Five Western New England University students and Engineering Professor Kenneth Lee were in Colombia for the construction phase of the house. Students include civil engineering senior Andres Otero and juniors Brian Wodecki, Jhonatan Escobar, Gabby Fosdick, and Katrina DiGloria. This competition provided the students with a unique international experience to work alongside with faculty and students from Tecnológica de Panamá and to experience Colombian culture for two weeks. This solar decathlon embraced a theme of social-justice housing and encouraged designs built for tropical climates in high-density urban locations, and the use of recycled materials, affordability, optimal energy production, and maximum efficiency. The SMART house is built with recycled shipping containers and includes three bedrooms and one bathroom.

DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology Honored by Modern Salon

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Modern Salon has named the 2015 class of Excellence in Education honorees in its sixth annual program recognizing leadership and best practices among cosmetology schools. DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology was chosen to represent excellence in the category of Community Involvement, Marketing Innovation, School Culture. “We received applications from cosmetology schools across the country and look forward to celebrating all the 2015 Excellence in Education honorees and sharing their stories. It is truly a great time to pursue a beauty education and career, and the program at DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology exemplifies that fact,” said Modern Salon Editorial Director Michele Musgrove. Paul DiGrigoli, president and CEO of the DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology, added, “I’m so grateful to have such a stellar faculty and team. They have supported and created an environment of positivity and energy that constantly and continuously helps take our students’ minds and careers to another altitude. I am proud to say that the future professionals who graduate from the DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology have received jobs from some of the best salons in our area. We will continue to reach for greater heights to provide all of our students with higher education, and we are so honored to be receiving this prestigious award for the fourth year in a row.”