Picture This
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Supporting Latino-owned Businesses
State Sen. John Velis and state Rep. Pat Duffy recently presented $150,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to Partners for Community Inc. for a grant program that will support Latino-owned businesses in the city of Holyoke. Velis and Duffy filed and secured $100,000 and $50,000, respectively, in the recent ARPA legislation. The presentation was held at Fiesta Café, the first recipient of grant funding from Partners for Community.
Pictured, from left: Veronica Garcia of Partners for Community, Duffy, Velis, Fiesta Café owner Juan Montano, and Jordan Hart, executive director of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
Another Branch on the Giving Tree
bankESB recently made a $5,000 donation to Behavioral Health Network Inc. toward the Katherine B. Wilson Staff Excellence Fund to support the career and professional development of the organization’s workforce. The donation was made as part of the bank’s charitable giving program, the Giving Tree.
Pictured, from left: Sue deVillier, vice president and Agawam branch officer at bankESB; Steve Winn, BHN president and CEO; and Melissa Soto, vice president of Commercial Lending for bankESB.
Joining Forces
Allied Flooring, Paint and Design, located at 350 Main St. in Agawam, announced it has acquired neighboring Budget Cabinet Sales. Budget Cabinet, located at 300 Main St., will keep its name and be managed by Jill Stefanik (pictured at center), who has been promoted from her position as a sales and design associate at Allied. The previous owners of Budget Cabinet Sales, the Lloyd family, will remain part of the business, along with the other store employees. While Jorge Morgado (left) and Mario Tedeschi (right) now own both Allied and Budget Cabinet, they will operate them as separate entities.
Jorge Morgado (left), Jill Stefanik (pictured at center) and Mario Tedeschi (right)
Opening Bell
Representatives of Easthampton Public Schools, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and Caolo & Bieniek Architects were among those on hand to cut the ribbon on Maple Elementary School, a new, modern school serving pre-kindergarten through grade 8.
Pictured, from left: Jack McCarthy, MSBA executive director; Bertram Gardner IV, project architect at Caolo & Bieniek; Allison LeClair, Easthampton superintendent; and James MacDonald, MSBA CEO.
