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United Financial Announces Q1 Earnings, Dividend

GLASTONBURY, Conn. — United Financial Bancorp Inc., the holding company for United Bank, announced results for the quarter ended March 31.
The company had net income of $11.9 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, compared to net income for the linked quarter of $9.9 million, or $0.20 per diluted share. Operating net income (non-GAAP) for the first quarter of 2016 was $10.9 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, compared to $11.3 million, or $0.23 per diluted share for the linked quarter. Operating net income is adjusted for purchase accounting impacts and net gain on sale of securities.
Additionally, in the first quarter of 2016, operating income was also adjusted for Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston pre-payment penalties. The company reported net income of $13.0 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2015.
“In the first quarter of 2016, linked quarter annualized growth included a 13% increase in demand deposits, 9% growth in total deposits, and a seven-basis-point expansion in the net interest margin. Non-interest expense to average assets declined to 2.03% on an operating basis, and asset quality remained excellent. Tangible book value increased by 5% compared to the linked quarter (annualized) as we announced our 40th consecutive dividend payment,” said William Crawford IV, CEO of the company and the bank. “Given the interest-rate environment, we believe execution on the aforementioned key variables gives us the best opportunity to continue building long-term shareholder value.
“While volatile interest rates reduced mortgage-banking income and headline company profitability in the first quarter of 2016, management is focused on growing revenue centered in net interest income and core fee income,” he went on. “I remain bullish on United Financial Bancorp Inc.’s outlook for 2016 earnings and tangible book value growth.”
The report’s financial highlights include return on average assets of 0.76%, return on average equity of 7.59%, a net interest margin increase to 3.09% from 3.02% in the linked quarter, and operating non-interest expense/average assets of 2.03% for the quarter (annualized) balance sheet. Total assets at March 31, 2016 increased by $90.7 million to $6.3 billion from $6.2 billion at Dec. 31, 2015.
At March 31, 2016, total loans were $4.6 billion, representing an increase of $34.9 million from the linked quarter. Despite the typical softness experienced in the first quarter in general, total commercial loans increased by $38.5 million, or 6% annualized. Residential mortgages declined during the first quarter of 2016 by $3.6 million, reflecting the company’s strategy to reduce on-balance sheet exposure to residential mortgage loans.

Balise Kia Dealership Opens in West Springfield

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The new Balise Kia in West Springfield, located on Riverdale Street next to Balise Mazda, opened on April 14. The completely renovated, 15,000-square-foot dealership replaces the Balise-owned Mighty Auto Parts warehouse, which has been relocated to a nearby facility. The new Kia building features a customer-friendly showroom and comfortable waiting area with free WiFi. The dealership also offers a covered service drive-up for customer convenience. Bill Peffer, president and COO of Balise Motor Sales, said he’s excited to welcome a rapidly growing brand to the Balise family. “The addition of Kia, one of the fastest-growing brands in the United States, aligns perfectly with the Balise philosophy of putting the customer first,” he said. “With numerous accolades in the areas of quality, safety, and sustainability, we’re thrilled to continue serving Kia customers throughout Western Massachusetts with a high-quality product.” Construction and renovation of the facility was completed by Associated Builders of South Hadley. This is the first Kia dealership for the Balise group and will be the only Kia Motors America franchise in the Springfield Metro area.

W.D. Cowls, Beacon Communities to Partner on Third Phase of Mill District

NORTH AMHERST — W.D. Cowls Inc. announced the start of phase three of its Mill District development, with a preliminarily agreement with Beacon Communities, a multi-family housing development, management, and investment company based in Boston.
Mollye Lockwood, W.D. Cowls’ vice president for Real Estate and Community Development, initiated a relationship with Beacon Communities for what she expects will be the next phase of the Mill District.
Beacon envisions a development that will feature mixed-income rental housing and first-floor commercial/retail space for lease, all to be located on the south side of Cowls Road, across the street from the Trolley Barn, between Atkins Farms and Cowls Building Supply. The project is still in its initial stages of site due diligence, community engagement, and concept brainstorming.
With the redevelopment of the Mill District, Cowls seeks to bring back community in this less-personally connected Internet age. “So many people today don’t belong to sporting clubs, fraternal organizations, or churches like they used to. Shopping malls and huge grocery emporiums on highways have taken away community interactions that were once naturally organic,” said Lockwood. “The Mill District seeks to bring back community by creating a sense of place through a mixed-use destination, where people live, dine, recreate, buy things better bought at a store rather than on the Internet, and enjoy services such as salons and health clubs.”
For several years, Cowls has been looking for the opportunity to create a mixed-income rental community in the Mill District and has heard from its neighbors and the Amherst community that this much-needed housing would be welcomed.
“I’ve worked with the impressive principals of Beacon Communities in the past,” Lockwood said, “and the town of Amherst has admired this Massachusetts company for stepping forward to protect the town’s affordable-housing inventory by purchasing and soundly managing Rolling Green Apartments.
“We have heard and responded to the wishes of our neighbors,” she added. “Our goal is to create a high-quality community that serves a diverse income range and offers housing options that will appeal to young professionals, young families, and those who are downsizing their homes.”
While Beacon will own and professionally manage all apartments, as it does with all of its properties, the first-floor commercial/retail space will be controlled by Cowls in order to provide and ensure a diverse community gathering space with a balanced mix of restaurants, shops, and services.

Collaboration, Shared Goals Spur Redevelopment in Springfield

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Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

Kevin Kennedy

Kevin Kennedy says MGM’s casino is just one of the many positive stories unfolding in Springfield.

Springfield is undergoing a $2.7 billion transformation, and although that number — and the current spate of progress — is dominated by MGM’s $900 million casino, a plethora of other exciting projects are underway.

Chief Development Officer Kevin Kennedy said the city initiated a team effort four years ago with city officials and groups that include DevelopSpringfield, the Springfield Regional Chamber, the Business Improvement District (BID), and the Parking Authority, who convene on a regular basis to collaborate on projects and areas of focus that are proposed or underway.

Each group does its part, and an annual city report is designed to show the public the substantial investments being made.

They include the $88.5 million renovation of Union Station, which is 55% complete and slated to open at the end of the year.

“We all share the same vision,” said Jeffrery Ciuffreda, president of the Springfield Regional Chamber, adding that the chamber wrote numerous letters of support to help secure the funding to revitalize Union Station.

DevelopSpringfield has a number of projects taking place (more about that later), and a groundbreaking ceremony will be staged in the upcoming weeks for the new Innovation Center, which will serve as the cornerstone for the city’s newly designated Innovation District.

DevelopSpringfield President and CEO Jay Minkarah told BusinessWest the center will comprise about 18,000 square feet of space in two formerly vacant adjacent buildings at 270 and 276 Bridge St. and will become the new home of Valley Venture Mentors (VVM), which provides collaborative work space and services to help fledging businesses.

The center, which will be bordered downtown on the south by the MGM casino and on the north by Union Station, will include a café and rental space for young companies as they outgrow shared space at VVM.

The city partnered with DevelopSpringfield on the project, and the Commonwealth awarded a $2 million MassWorks grant to MassDevelopment to support development of the Innovation Center. The agency then sub-granted the funds to DevelopSpringfield. MassMutual also contributed $500,000 to the project, and generous contributions were received from the Beveridge Family Foundation and the Berkshire Bank Foundation.

In addition, the city will soon announce plans to redevelop and refurbish Stearns Square and Duryea Way, which connects to Union Station.

“We’ve developed a collective strategy and vision, and have had a great deal of good fortune,” Kennedy told BusinessWest, referring to winning the bid for the casino and securing funding for Union Station, which was accomplished with help from legislators. However, he and other key figures credit the city’s successful tornado recovery and rebuild efforts that began in the wake of the 2011 catastrophe with their recent success in obtaining funding for downtown projects.

And the plans continue to expand. “We would also like to create a dining district, and are actively working with the BID to create a loan program to encourage new restaurants,” Kennedy noted. “Our future revolves around culture, entertainment, innovation, and dining. MGM is an entertainment giant, and their offerings will be very attractive, but we need to couple them with innovation because that is where the economy is moving.”

Sizeable Investments

Successfully revitalized downtowns feature housing options as well as retail establishments, said Ciuffreda, and the chamber is excited about SilverBrick Lofts, a 200-unit complex with one- and two-bedroom apartments that are slowly being converted from subsidized housing into market-rate rentals. Renovations have been going on for about 18 months as leases expire, and many of the revamped units are already rented and feature exposed brick, reclaimed wood beams, arched windows, and high ceilings.

Union Station

The redevelopment of Union Station is being hailed as one of the keys to revitalization in Springfield’s downtown.

“They’re in an old mill that is actually three buildings in one, and runs from Worthington Street to Taylor Street; SilverBrick sits behind the new Innovation Center and is right across from the open tunnel that leads into Union Station,” Ciuffreda noted, adding that, in addition to housing, there are also a dozen retail spaces in the complex, mostly along Worthington and Main streets. One of them has been rented, and a new chocolate and coffee shop is expected to open there soon.

In addition, MGM’s contract includes establishing 54 new units of market-rate housing within a mile of the casino, and the (now-vacant) former Springfield School Department building on 195 State St. has been identified as a potential site.

“We’re starting to see the rebirth of the downtown with the Innovation District, the new market-rate housing, and Union Station opening in the fall,” Ciuffreda said. “The combination is resulting in a big change while MGM is being built.”

In addition, the Mass. Convention Center Authority has been working closely with the Springfield Parking Authority, and the Convention Center Authority will soon be issuing requests for proposals for a feasibility study to determine the future of the Civic Center Garage.

The Parking Authority has undertaken about $900,000 in structural repair work to the facility, but that patch is expected to be effective for only five years, so the study will show whether the garage should undergo more repairs or be replaced, given that MGM will build a garage to house 3,300 vehicles a few blocks away.

The city, Parking Authority, and Springfield Technical Community College also plan to conduct a study of the upper State Street area to determine the need and feasibility for developing a parking structure there to serve the growing needs of the neighborhood.

In addition, the city recently finished a $6 million reconstruction of Boston Road and has undertaken major work along the State Street corridor that serves as a major east-west connector with the downtown area.

Ciuffreda said real opportunity exists at Eastfield Mall on Boston Road, which has lost its anchor tenants in recent years, but continues to be a popular destination for area residents.

To serve their needs, the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority has a bus service that runs along the corridor. A recent study identified it as a prime route to introduce Bus Rapid Transit to the region, which would originate at Union Station and run to Eastfield Mall — a 7.1-mile corridor that’s one of the most heavily traveled bus routes in the PVTA system, with more than 5,000 riders a day.

Over the coming months, PVTA will host neighborhood and public forums to share information on the system and get input about the service, which would include faster service and fare collection, exclusive bus lanes, and stations as opposed to bus stops.

Work is also going on in other parts of the city. The intersection at Sumner and Harkness avenues was completely reconfigured within the last year, and reconstruction of North Main Street to the Chicopee line has taken place.

A ribbon cutting will be staged next month in Forest Park for the new Eco Center, which is part of the tornado rebuild; construction on the senior center at Blunt Park is about to begin; and work to rebuild the South End Community Center will commence this summer.

Kennedy added that financing is being lined up to redevelop the Indian Motorcycle building in Mason Square, which is partially occupied, and construction should start by the end of the year. In addition, the North End Citizens Council also received a $50,000 state grant to create a master plan for the area.

Preserving History

Minkarah said one of DevelopSpringfield’s exciting projects is the creation of the $1.8 million Lower Maple Business Park, which includes the renovation of the historic Ansel Phelps-Solymon Merrick House and the former Female Seminary on adjoining parcels along Maple Street.

Jay Minkarah

Jay Minkarah says DevelopSpringfield is creating a new business park on lower Maple Street.

The site also includes six commercial garages and a two-story carriage house with a double-bay garage that is ideal for a contractor or other business that needs attached indoor parking. In addition, there is plenty of space for parking on the grounds.

The $1.8 million renovation of the property is almost complete, and is within walking distance of downtown Main Street. A number of offices and suites have been thoughtfully designed, while other space will be outfitted to suit tenants’ needs, and space in the Merrick House at 83 Maple St. will become DevelopSpringfield’s permanent home.

The majority of funding for the project has been provided by the organization, which was founded in 2008 and initially composed of volunteers in the wake of the State Street redevelopment program. Its focus is extremely challenging projects — restoring blighted but highly visible buildings with cultural and historic value that have deteriorated to the point where it is cost-prohibitive for the city or developers to rehabilitate them.

“We’re seeking to meet multiple goals, which include stimulating revitalization and economic development by saving buildings that show decay, decline, and disinvestment,” Minkarah said. “They give the wrong message when people drive by, but if they are restored, it has the opposite effect and helps to bring up property values, which contributes to the economy. We see ourselves as the city’s private, nonprofit development partner.”

He added that the Innovation Center was conceptualized at the end of 2014 when it became apparent that a new vision was needed for the city’s entertainment district.

“We’re hoping not only to create an exciting center for entrepreneurship and innovation, but a place where jobs are created,” Minkarah said, referring to VVM’s programs for startup businesses. “It’s always exciting when new businesses come to a city, but our core strategy needs to be growing new companies here to fulfill dreams and create jobs. We want to stimulate innovation, which needs to be one of the pillars of our economy.

“This project is also about revitalizing buildings that really need renovation and making a very visible investment in an area suffering from a high vacancy rate,” he continued, noting that the total cost, including acquisition and rehabilitation of the buildings, will total $3.5 million.

Other DevelopSpringfield projects include a historic renovation of the Gunn Block on the corner of State and Walnut streets. The organization is also working to bring a full-line grocery store to Mason Square, where it owns about 4.5 acres and is willing to develop the site.

Last August, it purchased a vacant church on the corner of Carew and Dwight streets in the North End and is in the process of acquiring six vacant lots from the city for parking.

Along the Central Street corridor, which was heavily impacted by the 2011 tornado, DevelopSpringfield acquired several vacant lots for redevelopment. New homes have been built on three of them by Viva Development for qualifying, working low-income families, and additional homes are planned.

“Sometimes we are the developer, sometimes we take a lead role in planning issues, and other times we provide support to the city and other nonprofits by serving as part of a project team or by writing grants to secure funding that can lead to revitalization,” Minkarah said.

Bright Future

A city’s reputation centers around its central business district, said Kennedy, noting that, while Springfield has had some problems in recent years, work by multiple stakeholders who share a vision is aimed at changing that perception.

“Our future is much brighter than it was five years ago, and there is a lot of activity going on downtown, coupled with increased lighting and a new police program,” he said. “All of the projects fit together, and we have the highest bond rating in our history, which really adds confidence to everything as we move forward.”

In short, the city is seeing considerable movement, he said in conclusion, noting that, through a concerted team effort, Springfield is enjoying real progress in its efforts to grow, thrive, and attract entrepreneurs, new residents, and visitors in the years to come.

Springfield at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1852
Population: 153,278
Area: 33.2 square miles
County: Hampden
Tax Rate: Residential: $19.66; Commercial: $38.60
Median Household Income: $50,916 (2014)
Family Household Income: $64,576 (2014)
Type of government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Baystate Health; MassMutual Financial Group; Big Y; Sisters of Providence Health System; Smith & Wesson; Center for Human Development
* Latest information available

MGM Springfield Employs Local Businesses to Help Build Casino

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MGM 0516a
Construction Sections

Work in Progress

American Environmental’s Tom MacQueen

American Environmental’s Tom MacQueen says employees of construction-related companies appreciate having steady work close to home.

With construction on the MGM Springfield casino underway, plenty of local businesses — 40 to 50 over the next six to nine months — will have worked on the project in its first phase. But that’s just the beginning, say city and regional business leaders, who say MGM has forged a number of strategic partnerships to ensure that even more area companies — those in construction, but also providers of myriad other services — benefit from this $900 million effort.

Construction is moving forward on the 14.5-acre MGM Springfield site between Union and State streets and Columbus Avenue and Main Street.

About 70% of the footprint for the garage, casino, hotel, and outdoor space has been cleared, and about 45 local and non-regional companies have been employed during the process.

Work to compact the ground and get it ready for the garage, which will be the first structure built, is taking place now. Demolition is also still occurring in the area where the casino and hotel will be built, and on April 19 the First Spiritualist Church was moved 600 feet from its former home on 33-37 Bliss St. in preparation for placing it on a new foundation.

Brian Packer, MGM’s vice president of construction, told BusinessWest that one building and the rear portion of the State Armory still need to be knocked down. In addition, the rear of two structures, 73 State St. and the Union Chandler Hotel, whose historic front facades will be preserved, also still need to be demolished once the facades are secured and braced.

“We are encouraged by the tremendous progress MGM Springfield has made over the last several months. As we begin the next phase of construction, our outreach efforts will focus on electrical, mechanical, and drywall,” he said. “We anticipate announcing dates for information sessions soon for union companies interested in these jobs. MGM Springfield continues to support the involvement of local businesses — and minority-, woman-, and veteran-owned businesses — and we encourage these companies to participate in the process.”

Eric Nelson, vice president and project executive for Tishman Construction Corp., the general contractor overseeing the MGM build, said a concerted effort has been made to hire as many local subcontractors as possible in keeping with the project labor agreement, and they will continue to hire firms over the next 12 months.

“A significant amount of the work has gone to firms in Springfield and the surrounding communities,” he said.

Local businesses benefiting from the trickle-down effect include American Environmental Inc., a minority-owned Holyoke business which did a significant amount of abatement and some demolition; Ultimate Abatement, a woman-owned firm in Springfield, which received a large contract to do abatement on the former YWCA building; Gagliarducci Construction Inc., which handled site work; and New England Blue Print Paper in Springfield, which has contributed printing and copying services.

Within the next six to nine months, Packer said, 40 to 50 local companies will have worked on the project, and the majority are in Springfield.

Gerry Gagliarducci, owner of Gagliarducci Construction Inc., said he has had a crew on site since last year. The company has done exploratory work for underground utilities, screened excavated materials for reuse on the site, and, most recently, conducted preparations needed to move the church.

“We’ve enjoyed our relationship with MGM and Tishman Construction. This project is a big boost to the local economy and carries down to all areas of business, including fuel for vehicles, lunches, and major expenditures,” he noted, adding that workers with good-paying jobs may buy new automobiles or make other major purchases.

Work for local firms has come about in part because MGM has been reaching out to the business community for several years to initiate strategic partnerships and discussions. They also participate in events such as the annual Western Mass. Business Expo, staged by BusinessWest, and have held informational sessions for contractors, which will continue before substantial work comes up for bid.

Brian Packer

Brian Packer, pictured in front of the First Spiritualist Church during its 600-foot relocation, says MGM expects to reach out soon to local firms for electrical, mechanical, drywall, and other types of work.

Local providers have also benefited. They include Caring Health in Springfield, which won the bid for the drug-testing portion of the contract and has tested every construction employee on the site, as well as Arrow Security Co. Inc., which has provided security services for the property since the construction began.

“The project has definitely been beneficial to us,” said Arrow CEO John DeBarge. “Prior to the recession, 10% of our business was new construction. It went to 0%, and MGM is the first substantial project we’ve obtained, which helps our business and our employees. We’ve hired a number of new employees who are Springfield residents.”

At this point, the abatement and demolition is almost complete, site work is starting, and construction of the framework is expected to begin in the fall.

Outreach Efforts

Jeffrey Ciuffreda, president of the Springfield Regional Chamber, said his organization has an excellent relationship with MGM, and is working closely with the company to make sure local businesses benefit not only during the building process, but once the casino is operational.

He noted that MGM’s agreement with the city of Springfield includes spending $50 million annually on local goods and services after it opens, but said the word ‘local’ is relative, and includes Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties.

So far, MGM has carried out its end of the contract and joined with the Springfield Regional Chamber to host two supplier and vendor fairs attended by its former vice president of global procurement, who came from Las Vegas to highlight opportunities for local businesses and provide strategies and insights for doing business with the casino. A vendor fair was also staged in Holyoke in conjunction with the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce.

Businesses doing construction work have to be unionized, but suppliers and service providers do not when the project opens. However, they do have to be registered with the Mass. Gaming Commission.

Click HERE to download a chart of the region’s General Contractors

Companies hired so far tout the benefits of the project to the regional economy. They include American Environmental Inc., which has done a significant amount of work on the project. It won the first abatement contract, has been working for MGM since last March, and since that time has been awarded a half-dozen additional abatement contracts and an equal number of structural take-down contracts that have included demolishing the former YWCA on Howard Street, which dated back to the 1900s and most recently housed the Western Massachusetts Alcohol Treatment Center; the former St. Joseph Rectory on Howard Street; and the Springfield Rescue Mission on Bliss Street, which relocated to the former Orr Cadillac building on Mill Street, which the casino resort provided in exchange for the mission’s former property.

“It’s been a wonderful foundation project for the entire calendar year,” said Tom MacQueen, American Environmental’s general manager, adding that area employees appreciate having steady work close to home and MGM has done a great job identifying qualified, local contractors.

In addition, American Environmental has been introduced to new contractors on the site and made arrangements to work with them in the future, which is an extra benefit of working on the project.

T&M Equipment Corp. in Springfield is another local company benefiting from the ripple effect. The union-affiliated contractor was hired to do excavation work for the garage and hotel and has been on site for about a month.

“This is great for local companies, and we are excited to work with MGM and be part of history in Springfield,” said Project Manager Taylor Wright. “This site is really large and will not only bring more work to area companies, but will allow more people to be employed from local unions.”

MGM is working to increase union construction workforce opportunities, and has convened a Community Partners Network, which has grown from nine to 21 members. The network holds biweekly meetings to identify ways to recruit diverse populations that meet union requirements and are ready to join a union or a union joint apprenticeship and training committee, and also recruit people who may not meet union requirements and need supportive services and soft-skills training.

MGM has also met with a number of trade unions to share construction timelines, potential partnerships, and other issues pertinent to hiring. They include the Carpenters Union #108; the Painters & Allied Traders Council #35; Ironworkers Local #7; and a bevy of other groups. In addition, a construction diversity task force has been formed.

Outreach continues, and MGM Springfield and Tishman are exploring the possibility of developing an ongoing partnership with Putnam Vocational Academy students interested in joining unions and working on the Springfield job site.

The Springfield Regional Chamber created a list of members for MGM that could do construction-related work, and goals have been established by the Mass. Gaming Commission for doing business with certified minority-, woman-, and veteran-owned companies.

Ciuffreda has also told MGM about local companies that manufacture windows and other supplies that will be needed during construction, and said officials have expressed real interest in them.

900 million project

With the $900 million project only in its early stages, MGM expects to involve many more local workers.

“The door was open early on, and although we can’t offer our members any guarantees, as the construction unfolds we will make sure that MGM’s list continues to be updated,” he told BusinessWest, adding that MGM has divided chamber members into categories and given the list to contractors, who are encouraged to use local suppliers.

“We’ve told our members that MGM is a world-class organization and is big on quality, quantity, and cost,” Ciuffreda noted, adding that some local firms may be too small to be competitive in terms of pricing or unable to produce the large number of items needed.

However, the chamber has filed a grant request with the Gaming Commission that would allow it to provide technical assistance to businesses. Funds will be targeted toward minority-, woman-, and veteran-owned firms that wish to do business with the casino.

MGM’s future needs will be seemingly endless, and goods and services needed will range from security to special hardware, signage, exterminators, alcoholic beverages — the casino has already agreed to work with local craft-beer producers — to food, which Ciuffreda said could be supplied by farmers in the Pioneer Valley. Other non-gaming vendors will include linen suppliers, garbage handlers, and limousine service companies. However, the majority of those firms won’t be hired for more than a year from now, when advertisements and meetings will provide interested businesses with the information they need.

“We are on track for the September 2018 opening and are excited to share in the economic growth,” said Seth Stratton, vice president and general counsel for MGM Springfield. “The silver lining is that there is still plenty of time for businesses to ramp up or start with us, and as we get closer to the opening, we will step up our own processes and procedures to formally do outreach with the business community so we can spend the amount of money we have agreed to in our contract.”

Keeping Pace

Ciuffreda said MGM will do well because it is a behemoth with an established history, but its future success will be measured by the impact it has on local companies. At this point, MGM is doing everything it promised, he noted, but the chamber will continue its quest to make sure its members benefit from the spinoff.

For example, the chamber has a 100-page document listing items that MGM Detroit purchases, and Ciuffreda intends to sit down with officials and find out what is procured from national companies and what could be supplied locally to fulfill the $50 million annual agreement as things move forward.

“We won’t leave any rocks unturned,” he told BusinessWest. “The trickle-down effect is not only going to happen, it’s happening right now and will continue to grow.”

Laura Walsh

By
40 Under 40 The Class of 2016

Project Manager, Springfield Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management; Age 37

Laura Walsh

Laura Walsh


“Recreation is such a huge part of our lives,” said Laura Walsh, “but sometimes we overlook how important it is.”

Walsh, on the other hand, appreciates the value of recreation more than most. As a project manager with the Springfield Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management, she oversees park renovations from the grant-application process through final construction. Her career is also a striking example of coming full circle in life.

Born and raised in the Forest Park neighborhood, Walsh studied recreation administration and outdoor therapeutic recreation at Aurora University in Illinois, then brought those skills to camp programs throughout the U.S. and Ireland. But she had an itch to come home — right around the time Springfield was looking to hire someone to oversee the renovation of Forest Park’s Camp STAR Angelina into an accessible park for people of all abilities.

“That’s the reason I came to the Parks Department,” she said. “I fell in love with the campground and what it does for kids with disabilities; it gives them an outlet to be a kid and play and have fun in a world that’s inclusive and meets their needs. That really is a passion of mine — to make our parks and open spaces more accessible to everyone.”

The new Camp STAR Angelina was dedicated last June, but is only one of a growing number of projects Walsh has overseen, including redevelopment efforts at North Riverfront Park, Nathan Bill Park, Mary Troy Park, and Balliet Park. Her next construction-management job will be the development of South Branch Park — to be renamed Sgt. Thomas Sullivan Park — which will include an accessible kayak launch, reflecting yet another of her passions.

“I love kayaking,” she said. “You’re on the water, surrounded by nature. It’s a great way to escape the business of life.”

More often, though, Walsh is fully engaged with her community, as a Forest Park Civic Assoc. board member and a volunteer with the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut, the Read-a-Loud program in Forest Park schools, the Red Cross, and several other organizations. She said her civic involvement comes naturally, having grown up with two parents on Springfield’s City Council (her mother, Kateri Walsh, still serves).

“It’s something ingrained in us,” she said. “If you want to see positive change, you should take an active part in your community and try to make things better.”

— Joseph Bednar


Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Landscape Designers Ride Momentum from Early Spring

By
Landscape
Landscape Design Sections

Going Yard

Amherst Landscape & Design Associates

One of Amherst Landscape & Design Associates’ many hardscape projects.

After several lean years during the recession, followed by the slow revival of the home-building and commercial-construction sectors, landscape designers are finally feeling like their industry is surging, with customers jumping on trends ranging from outdoor kitchens to landscape lighting to sustainable elements. A mild winter meant an early start for these professionals, who are optimistic the brisk business will continue throughout 2016.

It’s a simple question, just four words. But it speaks volumes about the optimism area landscape designers feel about the 2016 season.

“The golden question we’re hearing is, ‘when can you start?’ Not ‘let me get back to you,’ but ‘when can you start?’” said Stephen Roberts, president of Stephen A. Roberts Landscape Architecture & Construction in Springfield. “We haven’t heard those words much the last eight years, but we’re starting to hear them. People want to pull the trigger and go.”

That’s not to say the last few years haven’t been positive. Since the lean times caused by the Great Recession, the landscape-design business, like other construction trades, has been on an upward arc. But something seems different — even more positive — this year, Roberts said.

“We’ve seen an uptick in calls coming in, contracts have been signed already, and the backlog is stacking up,” he noted. “It seems stronger than the past few years.”

He admits the unseasonable winter — one in which the Pioneer Valley totaled well under two feet of snow and bare lawns, not mounds of snow, dotted the landscape throughout much of January and February — had something to do with that.

“Of course, we had the mild winter; last year, there was still plenty of snow on the ground at this time, and people weren’t thinking about landscaping,” he said when he spoke with BusinessWest at the start of April. “This year, with hardly any snow, people have been looking at their dreary landscape all winter and thinking about what to do.”

The warm weather also allowed for an early start to work, Roberts said. “We were able to get out much earlier because the ground wasn’t frozen; we could start excavating and preparing for construction. And because we got out into the community earlier, people saw the trucks, and that generated even more action.”

Steve Prothers, president of Amherst Landscape & Design Associates, senses similar optimism in the air.

“It’s exciting. There’s a lot of energy out there, a lot of excitement for the new season,” he said. “Of course, that’s true after every winter, regardless of the severity; come spring, people are excited to be outdoors, and they look to landscaping to make their property a beautiful and desirable place to hang out.”

Still, the mild winter and early onset of warm weather — give or take a couple late-season accumulations that melted quickly — gave landscapers about a four-week start on the time they usually start cranking up, which is typically mid-April.

“From what I can tell, this is going to be a very busy year,” he said. “That shows there’s a lot of construction going on. Landscaping is always the result of a lot of physical building and remodeling, and it’s kind of a snowball effect. We can’t help but benefit. As they go, we go. When they’re down in flow, so are we. I’ve been doing this for 37 years, and maybe we’re a little insulated in this region, but we’re still affected by the ups and downs of the national and local economy.”

Roberts agreed that a strong flow of work among both commercial contractors and home builders over the past few years has definitely trickled down to landscapers.

“A lot of new construction is getting ready for landscaping,” he explained. “When the engineers are first getting busy, we’re usually two years out from them. But you’re seeing contracts being signed now for the landscape phase.”

At Home Outdoors

As a specialist in hardscaping, Prothers is in a good spot these days, as that aspect of landscape design has been on an upward track since the recession began to fade and people began reinvesting in their homes in earnest.

“We’re seeing a lot of landscape construction from people who are remodeling or expanding and want to expand their outdoor living rooms, using walkways, patios, gazebos, pergolas … anything that makes the space more inviting to hang out or entertain.”

Click HERE for a chart of area landscape design companies

He said water features and outdoor firepits have become especially popular with customers, not to mention kitchen areas where families can cook and dine outdoors — in some cases, poolside. Others are hardscaping around hot tubs and better connecting the poolside experience to the overall landscape — in both cases, making pools and hot tubs part of the entire outdoor-living experience, rather than standalone spots to enjoy a dip or a soak. “People want to feel like they’re spending vacation time in their backyard.”

Roberts agreed that demand remains strong for outdoor living rooms, cooking areas, and firepits. “Those are still high up on the want list for a lot of customers. And the trend is more toward gas features, which are easier to operate.”

Beyond the cooking aspects, he added, homeowners have moved well beyond lawn chairs and favor durable and weatherproof outdoor furniture. “They want to create comfortable, casual spaces. They want to gather and relax in a little more upscale environment than what they’ve had in the past.”

Steve Roberts and his dog, Max

Steve Roberts and his dog, Max, enjoy a moment at the firepit on the Elms College quadrangle, which his company gave a significant makeover recently.

They’re also increasingly looking to install artistic landscape lighting, also known as architectural lighting, a niche popular in the South that is coming into its own in the Northeast. As opposed to powerful floodlights, landscape lighting uses a variety of smaller accent lights to highlight the features of a home and yard.

“Outdoor lighting is being requested a lot more, with the LED lights available now,” Roberts said. “Those are more energy-efficient, and more people are gravitating toward them than in the past. They’re coming up earlier in the conversation, instead of something being added on in the future; people are asking for lighting up front.”

All these features reflect national landscaping trends, according to Corinne Gangloff, media relations director for the Freedonia Group, which studies landscaping trends. She writes that, “as part of the outdoor living trend, homeowners create outside kitchens and living rooms, and businesses extend outdoor areas to expand their seating space. Urban communities increasingly create ‘parklets,’ small green spaces that may feature flower beds, container gardens, walking paths, water features, seating, bird-watching opportunities, and statuary. Some communities have used these parks as a way to address the issue of abandoned homes in blighted neighborhoods, tearing down the structures and replacing them with this type of public green space.”

Other trends in this $6.3 billion industry, according to the organization’s 2016 survey, include heating elements, pavers, and environmental concerns, driving the popularity of solar-powered features, water conservation, and recycled materials.

“Sustainability is a growing concern and desire for homeowners,” writes Jill Odom, associate editor of Total Landscape Care. “As houses get renovated to conserve energy, yards will be redesigned to conserve water. There are plenty of design options that can be used to achieve this, but the two main options will be low-water-use plant material and better irrigation systems.”

Practical features are popular too, Roberts noted. “A lot of people want to add gardens and grow vegetables and fruit. I think there’s definitely a trend toward having some type of edible landscape aspects to their properties, even if it’s just an herb garden, just to have something to pick and throw on a salad. We see that as kind of a trend.”

Heating Up

While the hot choices in landscaping features might vary from customer to customer, Prothers told BusinessWest, the professionals working in the field report similar levels of enthusiasm for what the spring and summer of 2016 will bring after that remarkably mild winter.

“If it’s not overwhelming, it’s certainly steady work,” he said, noting that customers are starting to think about their spring plans sooner — as in the previous winter or even fall — and booking their projects instead of waiting, as they might have in past years. “They realize these jobs have a schedule, so they want to lock them in, and they’re thinking in advance.”

There are plenty of reasons for that, he added, but in general, people have a little more money to spend right now, and they want to invest it in their homes — specifically, in extending their homes outside. “There are a lot of larger renovation jobs taking place, which is great, but also a lot of older landscapes that were installed 30, 40 years ago, and are tired and need a little attention. People want something that’ll go the rest of distance they’re in their homes — or help them resell their homes.”

The almost complete lack of snow this year, while a relief for the average Massachusetts homeowner weary of long, harsh winters, did pose some stress to landscapers — Roberts included — who turn to snow removal during the cold months. But he’s not complaining about the flip side.

“We rely on that winter income for our overhead, and to give us a little cash going into the spring, and that money wasn’t there this year,” he said. “But, luckily, things are on the upswing now.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of March 2016.

AGAWAM

Allied Flooring and Paint
350 Main St.
$116,000 — Install rooftop solar voltaic array

Primos Pizza
1623 Main St.
$107,000 — New storefront

Sultan Restaurant
2170 Maple St.
$3,000 — New fire suppression system

AMHERST

One East Pleasant Street, LLC
1 East Pleasant St.
$14,408,000 — Construct new five-story mixed-use building

HADLEY

Berkshire Hills Music
48 Woodbridge St.
$2,624,000 — New 8,000-square-foot building

The Moynihan Realty
548 New Ludlow Road
$4,000 — Install new fire alarm system

LUDLOW

Silvestre Gama
165-167 East St.
$11,000 — Alterations

Starbuck’s Coffee
456 Center St.
$165,000 — New construction

NORTHAMPTON

Coolidge Northampton, LLC
225 King St.
$363,000 — Renovate former restaurant to UMass credit union

Hampshire Hospitality Group
259 Elm St.
$10,000 — Repair to rooms

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
54 Industrial Dr.
$601,650 — New roof

Smith College
8 Paradise Road
$379,500 — Install replacement windows

Smith College
11 Arnold Ave.
$13,000 — Exterior repairs to fire escapes and porches

Smith College
12 Arnold Ave.
$13,000 — Exterior repairs to fire escapes and porches

Smith College
43 West St.
$13,000 — Exterior repairs to fire escapes and porches

PALMER

Converse Middle School
24 Converse St.
$3,000 — Air seal attic and weather stripping

Johnson Home Improvement
2193 Palmer St.
$15,700 — Construct 8’ x 29’ square foot office area

SOUTH HADLEY

Francis Conforti
41 West Summit St.
$47,000 — Re-roof

GG’s Realty, LLC
785 New Ludlow Road
$33,000 — Install new sprinkler system

Town of South Hadley Football Field
Lincoln Ave.
$4,000 — Re-roof

SPRINGFIELD

City of Springfield
474 Armory St.
$14,000 — Repair glass door

City of Springfield
1170 Carew St.
$7,000 — Construct glass storefront

CNR Springfield, LLC
655 Page Blvd.
$2,138,000 — 10,720 square feet of alterations

Garrett Lumsden
1304 Worcester St.
$13,000 — Build new sales office

MGM
95 State St.
$925,000 — Interior alterations

Premier Education
189 Brookdale Ave.
$100,000 — Interior education

Super Worcester, LLC
800 Worcester St.
$1,212,000 — Construct 9,975-square-foot addition

WEST SPRINGFIELD

380 Union Street, LLC
380 Union St.
$16,000 — Interior renovations for new office

Aspen Square Management
1139 Westfield St.
$8,000 — Strip and re-roof

DDR Corporation
935 Riverdale St.
$16,500 — Interior build-out for tenant

Fred Aaron
134D Capital Dr.
$9,000 — Interior renovations

Doing Business As Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of April 2016.

AGAWAM

Brittany Shields Photography
327 North West St.
Bradford Tilden

Feeding Hills Wellness Center
567 Springfield St.
Nancy Griswold

Gallagher A/S
81 Ramah Circle
Gianfranco Scirocco

R & G Remodel
94 Witheridge St.
Roman Gurskil

Titan Trading
15 Plumtree Way
Michael Pelletier

The Garlington House
322 Meadow St.
Larry Garlington

Tobedo
59 South Westfield St.
Wanda Torres

V & G Quality Home Improvement
32 White Fox Road
Vasiliy Grigorchuk

Victor Snacks
19 River St.
Victor Suarez

HOLYOKE

Aeropostale
50 Holyoke St.
Harry Axt

Convenience Plus
225 Whiting Farms Road
Andrw Slifka

Hampden County Cardiovascular Associates
230 Maple St.
James Arcoleo

Merrell
50 Holyoke St.
Ronald Balk

SG Renovations
294 Pleasant St.
SG Renovations

NORTHAMPTON

Antique Corner
5 Market St.
Louis Farrick

Barefoot Gardening
8 Aldrich St.
Courtney Gilligan

CAC Maintenance
65 Reservoir Road
Joseph Murphy

Heartcore Writing
28 North Maple St.
Elizabeth Solomon

Muscular Therapy Center
5 Strong Ave.
Catherine Carija

Northampton Doula
15 Nonotuck St.
Sara Rachlin

PALMER

One Stop Liquors
1458 North Main St.
Jeegar Patel

Roof Maintenance Management & Materials
111 Breckenridge St.
David Giordano

The Barn Cat
2136 Baptist Hill St.
Deborah Kelder

SPRINGFIELD

A Touch of Heaven
770 Carew St.
Tanya Martinez

Abuelita’s Kitchen
17 Rutland St.
Peter RiDubois

Alpha & Omega Construction
132 Croyden Terrace
Stefan Tshihotsky

AMC Childcare
799 Sumner Ave.
Victor Allder

Annette Marie Laroche
156 Jeffrey Road
Annette Laroche

Axiom Insurance
251 Boston Road
Lance Letourneau

Belle
68 James St.
Lynell Gasque-Davis

Beneath the Beauty
567 Carew St.
Stephanie Edwards

Da Li Mo and Company
9 Temple St.
Sandra Cotten

De Todos Market
306 Belmont Ave.
Ana Marte

Gifted Tones
1655 Boston Road
Alberto Navarro

Team Strength
23 Paridon St.
Lauren Corthell

Teo’s Finest T-Print
28 Preston St.
Teifilo Aponte

The Legends Barbershop
2388 Worthington St.
Luis A. Baez

Tripticstar
298 Allen Park Road
Michelle Barnaby

VSJ Productions
15 Barber St.
Veronica Shippy-Josey

WLHZ La Hora Zero
470 Main St.
Evelyn Edwards

Young Urban Engineering
815 State St.
Greg Ellerbee

Youthful Expressions
1 Allen St.
Zena R. Murray

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Lattitude Restaurant
1338 Memorial Ave.
Jeffrey Daigeneau

M.D. Transportation
198 Heywood Ave.
Maria Duducal

Navone News
35 Albert St.
Jennifer Navone

Peak Performance Exterior
103 Upper Beverly Hills
Eric Barkyoumb

Ready Motors
2405 Westfield Road
Victor Meyko

Scattered Seeds Foundations
908 Morgan Road
Maryanne Pacitti

Shawna’s Solutions
26 Duke St.
Shawna McDaniel

Sprint Spectrum
233 Memorial Dr.
Terrence Frederick

The Pawsitive Look
865 Memorial Dr.
Doris Ruiz

The Puppy Place
935 Riverdale St.
Richard Carty

Van Deene Medical Building
75 Van Deene Ave.
Jonathan C. Sudal

Western Mass Hypnosis Centers
201 Westfield St.
Thaddeus Muszynski

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

C & N Renovations Inc. 410 Meadow St., Apt. 30, Agawam, MA 01001. Christopher Guyette, 174 Birnie Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Residential Remodeling.
 
AMHERST

Action Interaction Inc. 145 University Drive, #3612, Amherst, MA 01004. Robert Price, same. Provides assistance with conducting events, workshops and performances, and all other lawful business.
 
CHESTERFIELD

Ajility Chico Corporation, 173 South St., Chesterfield, MA 01012. Gauis Brandt Slosser, same. Health care personnel staffing.
 
EAST LONGMEADOW

Ceramoptec Industries Inc., 515 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Damian Pange. To acquire and dispose of real estate or personal property of any kind; and to purchase, mortgage, rent or lease, real estate or personal property of any kind.
 
GREAT BARRINGTON

Berkshire Community Land Trust Inc., 140 Jug End Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Billie Best, 16 White’s Hill Road, Alford, MA 01230. Education, research, and the promotion of and appreciation for community access to land and other natural resources in Berkshire County and environs for sustainable: 1. Affordable housing, 2. Farming, 3. Economic diversity, and 4. Open space for recreation. B. Enhancement of the community by acquiring by gift or purchase land and interests in land in Berkshire County.
 
Barlow Landscaping, Excavation, Paving and Construction Corp., 77 Davis St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Bryan Barlow, same. Landscaping, excavation, paving and construction and any other lawful business or activity.
 
HAMPDEN

BAF Auto Sales Inc., 482 Main St., Hampden MA 01036. Bilal Mhanna, 48 Agnes St., Springfield MA 01118. Used car dealer.
 
HOLYOKE

Colegio Biblico Camino De Emaus Inc., 349 High St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Juan Fernandez, 210 Mountain View Dr., Holyoke, MA 01040.
 
LEE

Berkshire Hills Youth Soccer Inc., 325 Marble St., Lee, MA 01238. Matthew Naventi, same. Organize and administer youth soccer teams and leagues in Southern Berkshire County of Western Massachusetts.
 
PITTSFIELD

123 Up and Adam Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Manuel Arcangel Martinez. 1123 Rockdale Ave., New Bedford, MA 02740. A nonprofit organization established to assist cross-disability, community-based agency that practices consumer-control. The non-profit corporation shall provide aid and relief services, to homeless disabled persons in Massachusetts.

Carlow and Zepka Construction Inc., 7 Park Dr., Pittsfield, MA 01220. Construction services.
 
WEST SPRINGFIELD

All for Christ Deliverance Outreach Ministries, 73 Hillside Village, Ware, MA 01082-0916. Marineusa Portugal Brown, 204 Pearl Street, Springfield, MA 01108. The ministry will serve its purpose by reaching out to Springfield and other communities throughout Massachusetts. We so endeavor to win souls for the kingdom of God. We desire to edify and to bring about positive change for the lives of many by teaching the Bible and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
 
WILBRAHAM

Confluent Sciences Consulting Inc., 255 Burleigh Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Frederick Haibach, same. Consulting practice and small-scale manufacturing of instrumentation. The services provided are in proof-of-concept chemical measurements, instrumentation development, evaluation and methods for interfacing instruments to the measurement all the way to the supervisory control and data acquisition system and training. Small- scale instrument manufacturing of limited-run prototypes or prototyping instruments.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

Westfield Bank, Chicopee Savings Bank to Merge

WESTFIELD — Westfield Financial Inc., the holding company for Westfield Bank, and Chicopee Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Chicopee Savings Bank, announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement. The merger will create the largest locally managed bank in Hampden County and the second-largest bank in terms of deposit market share in the county. The combined company will have total assets of $2.1 billion, tangible equity of over $215 million, and 21 branch locations serving customers throughout Western Mass. and Northern Conn. “We are excited to combine with such a strong partner as Chicopee,” said James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank. “As we have gotten to know Bill Wagner and his team over time, we have been pleased at the commonality of our cultures, operating models, and the customer-service focus of our two institutions. Although headquartered in the same county, we currently serve two distinct customer bases, which, when combined, will complement each other tremendously. A merger of our two banks will be extremely favorable for the shareholders, customers, employees, and communities of both institutions.” Following completion of the transaction, Hagan will be president and CEO of the combined company, and Donald Williams will be chairman of the Board. William Wagner, chairman, president, and CEO of Chicopee, will join the executive management team of Westfield, and will become vice chairman of the board of directors. Four additional board members of Chicopee will also join the board of Westfield. Following closing, the combined bank will do business under the Westfield Bank name, with the holding company to be renamed Western New England Bancorp. The Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation will remain in place with its original philanthropic mission in the Greater Chicopee area unchanged. “Westfield is the ideal partner for Chicopee,” Wagner said. “This is the first in-market merger our community has seen in over 25 years and, as such, will not result in a significant outflow of resources or shift the focus of our franchise elsewhere, but rather will intensify and strengthen our combined ability to serve our local markets, consumers, and businesses that make both Westfield and Chicopee successful. I look forward to our future together as a combined institution and to the substantial impact our bank will have in Western New England.” The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Westfield and Chicopee. Closing is anticipated to occur during the fourth quarter of 2016, subject to approval by the shareholders of both companies, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions. “Westfield has a strong reputation in commercial business lending to large-scale customers that will enhance our lending platform and ability,” Wagner said. “Moreover, the larger lending limit, breadth of product mix, and deep and sophisticated support functions will allow our bank to be a major competitor in Western New England for years to come.”

UMass Amherst Joins Advanced Fibers Initiative

AMHERST — UMass Amherst is a research partner in Advanced Functional Fibers of America (AFFOA), a new, $317 million public-private partnership announced by U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. UMass Amherst is the only public university in New England participating in the MIT-led partnership, which includes 31 universities, 16 industry partners, 72 manufacturing entities, and 26 startup incubators across 28 states. The partnership won a national competition for federal funding to create the nation’s eighth Manufacturing Innovation Institute. It is designed to accelerate innovation in high-tech, U.S.-based manufacturing involving fibers and textiles. UMass Amherst’s involvement in AFFOA draws on research expertise in its departments of polymer science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and the College of Information and Computer Sciences. “Through the combination of our polymer science, roll-to-roll nano-manufacturing, and electrical-engineering expertise, UMass Amherst is well-equipped to make important contributions to the development of new functional fabrics as part of the AFFOA team,” says Mike Malone, vice chancellor for Research and Engagement. “We expect to conduct research in a range of areas that have important military and commercial applications, including fiber-integrated sensors, energy generation and storage systems, thermal camouflage, optical and photonic components or fibers, fiber-integrated antennas, fiber/fabric surface modifications, and the incorporation of chemical, biological, and physical functionality onto woven fabrics and non-woven and flexible substrates.” As part of the initiative, the university is committing up to $1 million in matching funds to support AFFOA projects, process development, and education and workforce training over the first five years of operation.

Gove Law Office Relocates Northampton Office

NORTHAMPTON — Gove Law Office announced it has moved its Northampton office into larger space at the historic Old School Commons Building located at the corner of New South Street and Main Street in Northampton. “With this move to the Old School Commons, Gove Law gains an office identity that reflects our strong Hampshire County presence and accommodates our recent and future growth plans,” said Michael Gove, founder and owner of Gove Law Office. “Both geographically and architecturally, this stunning new space supports the firm’s leading practice areas.” Gove Law Office, with offices in Northampton and Ludlow, is a bilingual firm with attorneys who provide guidance to clients in the areas of business representation, commercial lending, residential and commercial real estate, estate planning, probate and family law, criminal and civil litigation, personal-injury law, and bankruptcy.  For more information, visit www.govelawoffice.com.

Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Opens at Elms

CHICOPEE — Elms College announced the launch of its new Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) to expand business-education offerings at the college through a hands-on, real-world approach. “In this time of a rapidly emerging entrepreneurial society, we need to create a flexible structure to accommodate not only degree work but also certificate programs, workshops, consulting services, and other assistance needed to make sure that entrepreneurs are equipped not only to start a business but, more importantly, to sustain it over time,” said Elms College President Sr. Mary Reap. The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership was developed with that goal in mind. Reap and Elms faculty have worked closely with focus groups comprised of area businesses and officials to assess the specific needs of the local business community. Amanda Garcia, assistant professor of Accounting, was appointed director of the CEL in January. “We have an opportunity to provide hands-on learning experience,” Garcia said. “That was one of the major things that came out of the focus groups: ‘we need it to be real, and we need it to be hands-on.’” To that end, the CEL will incorporate Lean Launchpad, a startup methodology in which new businesses receive immediate feedback from customers in the marketplace during the business launch. “We know that the majority of businesses fail in the first five years, and a big cause of that is due to not understanding specific core business concepts or the marketplace needs,” Garcia noted. The Lean Launchpad model allows startup owners to learn as they grow their businesses and react to market demands. The CEL’s academic offerings will include an interdisciplinary undergraduate minor in entrepreneurship, which will launch this fall. “We also plan to integrate it into an entrepreneurship track in our MBA,” Garcia said, “and we will explore the needs in the marketplace around business-growth strategies and programming related to business growth and mergers and acquisitions.” The entrepreneurship track will join existing accounting, healthcare leadership, and management tracks in the Elms MBA program. “Elms College also has a mission to give back to the community,” Garcia said. “We know that economic development and entrepreneurship is a big part of making our community better, so we’re planning to offer workshops and Lean Launchpad boot camps on weekends, to help people flesh out their ideas. We are also planning programming to help them learn what to do once they flesh out those ideas.” The CEL will also partner with the college’s nursing and science programs. “I see great opportunity in collaborating with the Elms Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership in the development of an interdisciplinary healthcare leadership program for master’s-prepared and certified nurse practitioners, as well as master’s-prepared clinical nurse leaders who seek the doctor of nursing practice,” said Dr. Kathleen Scoble, dean of the School of Nursing. “We believe that the Lean Launchpad is an excellent methodology, well-matched for nursing and healthcare, and an extraordinary learning opportunity for these advanced nursing students.” Added Garcia, “for our biomedical technology program, we’re looking to incorporate Lean Launchpad in bringing research to commercialization. It’s one thing to have research, and it’s another thing to commercialize it and make money off of it.”

Tighe & Bond Secures Award for Excellence

WESTFIELD — The American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts presented Tighe & Bond and Borrego Solar Systems with a Silver Award for the 3.5-megawatt North Adams E Street solar photovoltaic (PV) system during its 2016 Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala. Held on March 16 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, this annual competition and event recognizes recent engineering achievements that demonstrate the highest degree of merit, ingenuity, complexity, and client satisfaction. Tighe & Bond, a New England leader in civil and environmental engineering, teamed with Borrego Solar Systems to develop a solar PV system on top of the closed E Street landfill in North Adams. Completed last year, the new solar system is one of the largest of its kind in Western Mass. Its output, when combined with power being purchased from two other nearby PV sites, makes the city 100% solar-powered. All of its municipal buildings and facilities are running on clean, renewable energy. Borrego Solar Systems estimates that the array offsets 2,989 tons of carbon annually, the equivalent of removing 630 cars from the road or the amount sequestered by 2,450 acres of U.S. forests in a year. Tighe & Bond provided site design, permitting, and construction administration for this project that sits on approximately 11.7 acres of the 31-acre capped landfill. Additional project features included the construction of access roads and the installation of ballast trays with concrete blocks to support the photovoltaic panel racks and solar panels. It also included equipment pads for the inverters and transformers, as well as a variety of other electrical infrastructure and support features. Borrego Solar Systems was the developer of the solar system, and Syncarpha Capital is the system owner.

Balise Kia Dealership Opens in West Springfield

By
Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The new Balise Kia in West Springfield, located on Riverdale Street next to Balise Mazda, opened on Thursday, April 14.

The completely renovated, 15,000-square-foot dealership replaces the Balise-owned Mighty Auto Parts warehouse, which has been relocated to a nearby facility. The new Kia building features a customer-friendly showroom and comfortable waiting area with free WiFi. The dealership also offers a covered service drive-up for customer convenience.

Bill Peffer, president and COO of Balise Motor Sales, said he’s excited to welcome a rapidly growing brand to the Balise family.

“The addition of Kia, one of the fastest-growing brands in the United States, aligns perfectly with the Balise philosophy of putting the customer first,” he said. “With numerous accolades in the areas of quality, safety, and sustainability, we’re thrilled to continue serving Kia customers throughout Western Massachusetts with a high-quality product.”

Construction and renovation of the facility was completed by Associated Builders of South Hadley. This is the first Kia dealership for the Balise group and will be the only Kia Motors America franchise in the Springfield Metro area.

Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Drops to 4.4% in March

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate dropped to 4.4% in March from the February rate of 4.5%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported. Preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts continues to gain jobs, with 6,900 added in March.

The March gain follows upward revisions for February, with total job gains of 13,900. Preliminary February estimates indicated the state added 13,300 jobs over the month. Massachusetts has added 22,000 jobs year-to-date from March 2015 to March 2016.

In March, over-the-month job gains occurred in the construction; trade, transportation, and utilities; other services; information; education and health services; and government sectors.

“We are very pleased to see the unemployment rate continues to drop and the labor force is increasing,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker said. “We see continued job growth in many of the state’s strongest sectors, including health services and education, and professional, scientific, and business services.”

The March state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 5.0% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Topping-off Event at Sosin Center for Rehabilitation Set for April 13

By
Daily News

LONGMEADOW — JGS Lifecare will hold a topping-off ceremony on Wednesday, April 13 to commemorate the placement of the highest steel beam in the new Sosin Center for Rehabilitation located on the Longmeadow campus of the healthcare system serving seniors and their families.

Construction of the 24,000-square-foot Sosin Center began in June 2015. The center will include two self-contained homes for up to 12 people, designed in the small-house model of care. JGS Lifecare is partnering with the Green House Project to implement the patient-centered model of care that reduces medication use and rehospitalizations, while affording greater socialization and interaction with caregivers. The Sosin Center will be the only Green House-certified facility in Western Mass., and is set to open in September.

The April 13 program runs from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., followed by a reception. The site is located at 770 Converse St., Longmeadow. Among the expected attendees are state Rep. Brian Ashe, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Longmeadow Town Manager Stephen Crane, Longmeadow Select Board Chairman Richard Foster, and Longmeadow Select Board member Marie Angelides.

A topping-off ceremony is a construction-industry tradition marking the moment when the crew puts the highest structural point of a building in place. In addition to signing the beam, it is also customary to put a fir tree on the beam as a sign the building will be everlasting. The American flag that was given to JGS Lifecare as a keepsake of the building’s late benefactor, George Sosin, will also be ceremoniously raised by a Longmeadow Police Department honor guard.

Tighe & Bond Secures Award for Engineering Excellence

By
Daily News

WESTFIELD — The American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts presented Tighe & Bond and Borrego Solar Systems with a Silver Award for the 3.5-megawatt North Adams E Street solar photovoltaic (PV) system during its 2016 Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala.

Held on March 16 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, this annual competition and event recognizes recent engineering achievements that demonstrate the highest degree of merit, ingenuity, complexity, and client satisfaction.

Tighe & Bond, a New England leader in civil and environmental engineering, teamed with Borrego Solar Systems to develop a solar PV system on top of the closed E Street landfill in North Adams. Completed last year, the new solar system is one of the largest of its kind in Western Mass.

Its output, when combined with power being purchased from two other nearby PV sites, makes the city 100% solar-powered. All of its municipal buildings and facilities (schools, state-owned skating rink, and street lights) are running on clean, renewable energy. Borrego Solar Systems estimates that the array offsets 2,989 tons of carbon annually, the equivalent of removing 630 cars from the road or the amount sequestered by 2,450 acres of U.S. forests in a year.

Tighe & Bond provided site design, permitting, and construction administration for this project that sits on approximately 11.7 acres of the 31-acre capped landfill. Additional project features included the construction of access roads and the installation of ballast trays with concrete blocks to support the photovoltaic panel racks and solar panels. It also included equipment pads for the inverters and transformers, as well as a variety of other electrical infrastructure and support features.

Borrego Solar Systems was the developer of the solar system, and Syncarpha Capital is the system owner.

Real Estate Transactions

By
Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

28 Meadow Lane
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Glassman
Seller: Karen S. Kaplan
Date: 03/04/16

BERNARDSTON

65 Deane Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Robert A. Deane
Seller: Drew, Mark E., (Estate)
Date: 02/23/16

128 Fox Hill Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $351,300
Buyer: William E. Savitri
Seller: Dennis M. Shockro
Date: 02/26/16

BUCKLAND

120 State St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Sarah Davenport
Seller: Ruthe W. Jubinville
Date: 02/26/16

DEERFIELD

6 Pocumtuck Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $416,000
Buyer: Jonathan D. Lewis
Seller: David G. Spoolstra
Date: 02/24/16

GILL

67 Dole Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Scott A. Newton
Seller: Brian D. McComb
Date: 02/29/16

GREENFIELD

653 Bernardston Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Patrick Mahoney
Seller: James H. Lunt
Date: 02/29/16

147-151 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: David J. Larue
Seller: Aardvark Apts. LLC
Date: 02/29/16

153 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: David J. Larue
Date: 02/29/16

111-113 Deerfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $131,600
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Leroy H. Stewart
Date: 03/01/16

264-266 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Mark A. Sirum
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/25/16

16 Grove St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: David J. Larue
Seller: Aardvark Apts. LLC
Date: 02/29/16

63 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: James R. Gleason
Seller: William E. Savitri
Date: 02/26/16

35 Lakeview Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $296,250
Buyer: Robert J. Sagor
Seller: Margaret S. Barry
Date: 03/04/16

28 Park Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Jose L. Castillo
Seller: Desiree A. Frank
Date: 02/22/16

56 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Robert Howe
Seller: John J. Mackin RET
Date: 02/26/16

HEATH

1 Bray Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Heather C. Hathwell
Seller: Steven A. Michel
Date: 02/26/16

LEYDEN

140 Alexander Road
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $287,400
Buyer: Robin W. Symonds
Seller: Edward W. Quinlan
Date: 03/01/16

MONTAGUE

23-25 Griswold St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Simon E. Scher
Seller: Ronald F. Bovat
Date: 03/02/16

8 West Chestnut Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Laurie D. Williams
Date: 02/24/16

NEW SALEM

214 Cooleyville Road
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Gary P. Skaza
Seller: Patricia A. Skaza
Date: 02/23/16

NORTHFIELD

821 Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Jeanne K. Moore
Seller: Robert Howe
Date: 02/26/16

96 Mount Hermon Station Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: John A. Jones
Seller: Pamela J. Veith
Date: 03/03/16

ORANGE

20 Burrill Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Morgan A. Sisson
Seller: Edward J. Dornig
Date: 02/23/16

110 Oaklawn Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Thomas P. & K. A. Thompson LT
Seller: Michael H. Barnard
Date: 02/29/16

SHELBURNE

119 Bridge St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Thomas C. Johnson
Seller: Brian F. Clare
Date: 03/03/16

WHATELY

110 Christian Lane
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: Rich & Co. LLC
Seller: Samson Associates LLC
Date: 03/03/16

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

373 Barry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Michael R. Renkawitz
Seller: Richard T. Ward
Date: 02/29/16

262 Colemore St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Andrey K. Domnenko
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/26/16

55 Elm St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Amber Dutton
Seller: Ronald R. Napolitan
Date: 02/29/16

41 Fernwood Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $257,500
Buyer: Jason A. Bassett
Seller: Anthony Depalma
Date: 02/29/16

145 High St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Ryan P. Fitzemeyer
Seller: Christopher J. Bednarzyk
Date: 02/26/16

84 Highland St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $183,850
Buyer: Albert J. Liquori
Seller: 84 Highland LLC
Date: 02/29/16

42 Poinsetta St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Garner
Seller: Maxine J. Bolly
Date: 02/26/16

215 Poplar St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $173,223
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Joseph J. Liquori
Date: 03/02/16

108 Reed St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Benjamin E. Nuzzolilli
Seller: Michael A. Santaniello
Date: 03/03/16

717 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Moustafa I. Tahoun
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/29/16

346 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Sharol A. Menard
Seller: Nancy Gentile
Date: 03/04/16

583 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Edward Quinlan
Seller: David M. Tangredi
Date: 03/01/16

BRIMFIELD

45 Brookfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Courtney M. Williams
Seller: Nathan M. Clairmont
Date: 02/26/16

CHESTER

404 Route 20
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Marie L. Morrissey
Seller: Michael A. Morrissey
Date: 03/02/16

CHICOPEE

2 Access Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Robert Larkin
Seller: USA VA
Date: 02/23/16

22 Bardon St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Edward J. Montemagni
Seller: CRA Holdings Inc.
Date: 02/24/16

245 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,349
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Gayle L. Crochiere
Date: 02/29/16

547 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $117,050
Buyer: Citifinancial Servicing
Seller: Raymond T. Peltier
Date: 03/02/16

455 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $1,888,400
Buyer: Chicopee Gardens Rehab & Care
Seller: Guilford Health Mgmt. Inc.
Date: 03/04/16

198 Carew St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Thomas A. Conroy
Seller: Russell A. Hedges
Date: 03/03/16

247 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $117,560
Buyer: Grzegorz Nowakowski
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 03/03/16

48 Claire St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Bagge
Seller: Keith W. Lemay
Date: 02/26/16

914 Front St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,500
Buyer: Julie Gardner
Date: 02/23/16

117 Gilbert Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Teresa Chadwick
Seller: Godaire, Ernest R., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

255 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: William D. Bouthillette
Seller: Yvette Guyette
Date: 02/22/16

48 Hamilton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Robert Galica
Seller: US Bank
Date: 03/04/16

48 Hamilton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Dorothy Dorobisz
Date: 02/26/16

22 Harrington Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Alexandre C. Holan
Seller: Scott E. Graham
Date: 02/24/16

28 Harrington Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Mayo
Seller: Julian S. Tenczar
Date: 03/03/16

51 Helen St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Pepin
Seller: Thomas W. Connor
Date: 02/29/16

94 Manning St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Joseph R. Ricker
Seller: Cheryl Soucy
Date: 02/25/16

75 Murphy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Diane M. Mercier
Seller: Riverbend 2 Properties
Date: 02/26/16

44 New Lombard Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $1,888,400
Buyer: Chicopee Gardens Rehab & Care
Seller: Guilford Health Mgmt. Inc.
Date: 03/04/16

455 Oldfield Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Andrei Katykhin
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/25/16

54 Pembroke Place
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Paul J. Caban
Seller: Lydia Garcia
Date: 02/26/16

42 Reedstone Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Marissa L. Cloutier
Seller: Susan M. Baez
Date: 02/26/16

63 Silvin Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $158,900
Buyer: Edward A. Rivera
Seller: Kevin Montemagni
Date: 02/26/16

165 Trilby Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Robert J. King
Seller: Robert F. King
Date: 02/26/16

29 Warregan St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Jesus J. Torres
Seller: Micks, Preston L., (Estate)
Date: 03/04/16

EAST LONGMEADOW

389 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Tan D. Nguyen
Seller: Joseph Scalia
Date: 02/29/16

7 Dewey Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Horace Parker
Seller: Tracy A. Lavoie
Date: 02/25/16

21 East Circle Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Tara A. Edson
Seller: Dean C. Edson
Date: 02/25/16

255 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Prudence L. Maloni
Seller: FNMA
Date: 02/26/16

11 Park Place
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Robert H. Caldwell
Seller: John D. Perenick
Date: 02/29/16

188 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $237,500
Buyer: Dennis P. McManus
Seller: Belorusky, Nadia J., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

434 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Dennis M. Goldrick
Seller: Boudrew, Joseph A. V., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

GRANVILLE

734 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Joshua L. Rutola
Seller: James C. Jensen
Date: 02/22/16

15 Old Westfield Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Clark C. Boynton
Seller: Olsen, Peter J., (Estate)
Date: 02/25/16

231 Silver St.
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Eric D. Lane
Seller: Ralph W. Emerson
Date: 03/02/16

HAMPDEN

62 Pondview Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: John D. Moriarty
Seller: Kathleen A. Charest
Date: 03/04/16

Thresher Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Cumberland Blues RT
Seller: Nicholas C. Camerota
Date: 02/29/16

375 Wilbraham Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Seller: Carol A. Andree
Date: 02/22/16

HOLLAND

6 Ardmore Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $137,283
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Michelle M. Damon
Date: 02/26/16

HOLYOKE

184-186 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $163,069
Buyer: Anthony Witman
Seller: Witman Properties Inc.
Date: 02/22/16

1104 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1106 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1124 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1138 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1140 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1154 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1156 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1373 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1375 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

48 Elliot St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Matthew J. McDonough
Seller: Philip M. Rugo
Date: 03/04/16

213 Locust St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: David M. Cowan
Seller: Heather M. Rush
Date: 02/26/16

82 Memorial Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Jason L. Paulo
Seller: Clifford W. Laraway
Date: 03/04/16

40 Moss Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: David Morrissey
Seller: Eleanor M. Morrissey
Date: 02/22/16

7 Ross Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Erich R. Dittrich
Seller: C. L. Callahan-Swindell
Date: 03/03/16

31 Washington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Louis A. Lebron
Seller: Alden Pond Properties LLC
Date: 03/04/16

LONGMEADOW

188 Burbank Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $324,000
Buyer: Christopher P. Rennix
Seller: Thomas J. Haberlin
Date: 02/23/16

159 Edgewood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Thomas G. Conway
Seller: Foundation Investors Inc.
Date: 02/29/16

12 Erskine Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Ian L. Goldsmith
Seller: Douglas W. Taylor
Date: 02/25/16

120 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Gary A. Popovich
Seller: Timothy F. Keane
Date: 02/26/16

112 Kenmore Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $263,500
Buyer: Geoffrey Putnam
Seller: Paul J. Kipetz
Date: 03/01/16

110 Knollwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Michael J. Przyborski
Seller: Catherine M. McCarthy
Date: 02/26/16

21 Lincoln Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Rajendrasinh S. Mahida
Seller: Campagnari Construction
Date: 02/23/16

29 Lincoln Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Kalpanaben S. Desai
Seller: Campagnari Construction LLC
Date: 02/29/16

19 Oak Hollow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Jonh A. Benson
Seller: Michael D. Caban
Date: 02/29/16

101 Osceola Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Sara K. Perry
Seller: Goldstiek, Eleanor, (Estate)
Date: 02/29/16

LUDLOW

1680 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: David J. Chaves
Date: 02/29/16

972 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $218,600
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Diane M. Hernandez
Date: 02/24/16

1275 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $313,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Debra C. Derose
Date: 02/26/16

615 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Lupa Development Co. LLC
Seller: Strycharz FT
Date: 03/04/16

38 Grimard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Cody R. Binette
Seller: David A. Yelle
Date: 02/29/16

30 Jackie Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Simard
Seller: Kevin P. Pycko
Date: 02/26/16

102 Longview Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Brian M. Liberty
Seller: William J. Liberty
Date: 02/26/16

614 Moore St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $185,313
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Frankie J. Albano
Date: 03/01/16

7 Spring St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Joseph Teixeira
Seller: Miguel Goncalves
Date: 03/01/16

129 West Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Higgins
Seller: William A. Nichols
Date: 02/23/16

MONSON

11 Gates St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $138,600
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: James A. Burke
Date: 02/26/16

3 Homer Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $206,912
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Patricia A. Courtemanche
Date: 03/03/16

PALMER

4437 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Mark Baldwin
Seller: Marcia L. Copeland
Date: 03/04/16

3201 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Crystal A. Dennison
Seller: William J. Brown
Date: 02/29/16

3051 Pine St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $133,500
Buyer: Bradley Lord
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 02/26/16

3058 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Mcgrath
Seller: May L. Rooney
Date: 03/03/16

1046 Thorndike St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $163,261
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Michelle L. Bennett
Date: 02/29/16

363 Ware St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $193,450
Buyer: Michael J. Senecal
Seller: Miriam J. Jorge
Date: 02/26/16

SOUTHWICK

14 Bungalow St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Peter G. Sprague
Date: 02/24/16

17 Ed Holcomb Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Timothy G. Gerrish
Seller: Red Oak Investments LLC
Date: 02/26/16

6 Junction Station Road #6
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Goldsmith FT
Seller: 20 Depot Square LLC
Date: 03/04/16

SPRINGFIELD

57 Albee St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Michael Connors
Seller: Gary Forney
Date: 03/04/16

15 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

17 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

18 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

20 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

25 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

28 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

30 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

35 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

37 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

38 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

40 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

5 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

50 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

52 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

7 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

65-67 Ardmore St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: Michael J. Keane
Seller: Jason M. Fitzgerald
Date: 02/26/16

101 Bancroft St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

103 Bancroft St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

112 Bancroft St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

114 Bancroft St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

56 Beaufort Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $158,500
Buyer: Tomasz J. Laskawiec
Seller: Lucid Development Inc.
Date: 02/29/16

53 Belvidere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Tenita M. Smith
Seller: Mary P. White
Date: 02/25/16

248 Bolton St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jenny I. Gonzalez
Seller: Angela Cosenzi
Date: 02/26/16

108 Bulat Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Etulia Faustin
Seller: Griffin, Thomas W., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

75-77 Clantoy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Orange Park Management
Seller: Orange Park Management
Date: 03/01/16

33 Coleman St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $162,700
Buyer: London Realty LLC
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 02/22/16

114-116 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Ricard Martinez-Berdecia
Seller: London Realty LLC
Date: 02/22/16

16 Conklin St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $120,128
Buyer: Hickory Street Dev. LLC
Seller: Hickory Street Dev. LLC
Date: 02/23/16

72 Curve St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Daniel Marti
Seller: Ricard Martinez-Berdecia
Date: 02/22/16

101 Derryfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Luke D. Hands
Seller: Terrie A. Henrich
Date: 02/26/16

88 Ellsworth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Lombardi
Seller: James Niedbala
Date: 02/26/16

34 Emerson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,676
Buyer: USA HUD
Seller: US Bank
Date: 03/04/16

131 Fargo St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Helena M. Monteiro
Seller: Dennis B. Chechile
Date: 02/24/16

17 Gertrude St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Emmanuel Pena
Seller: Misael Ramos
Date: 03/02/16

97 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $154,500
Buyer: Sandra Urbanski
Seller: Layne M. Breton
Date: 02/29/16

55 Glenvale St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Trudy-Ann Wilson
Seller: Stephen D. Foy
Date: 02/25/16

37 Granger St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Brittney L. Twohig
Seller: AMP Real Estate Group LLC
Date: 02/26/16

800 Grayson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Carissa Tryba
Seller: Nelson Garcia
Date: 02/26/16

10 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

15 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

17 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

34 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

36 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

44 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

46 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

5 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

7 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

63 Hope St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,300
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Carmen L. Farrow
Date: 03/01/16

47 Home St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Wilmington Trust
Seller: Angel Soto
Date: 02/25/16

274 Island Pond Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Aztec 425 LLC
Seller: Tran, Michael Q., (Estate)
Date: 02/29/16

73 Kenwood Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Jeannette Blyther
Seller: Vincent R. Siniscalchi
Date: 03/01/16

147 Magnolia Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Enrique Santos
Seller: Arthur H. Helmus
Date: 02/22/16

24 Oxford St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Felicita Saenz
Seller: Michael D. Friedman
Date: 02/23/16

22-24 Palmyra St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Buyer: Lisa W. Cassidy
Seller: Alan M. McMenamin
Date: 03/01/16

42 Perkins St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $148,500
Buyer: Mekhaiel Tahir
Seller: JJJ 17 LLC
Date: 03/04/16

197 Plainfield St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: NRJ Davis LLC
Seller: Michaelson, Edward, (Estate)
Date: 03/01/16

85 Rochelle St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 03/03/16

46 Shumway St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Kimberly Santiago
Seller: Patricia A. Lavallee
Date: 02/26/16

81 Thorndyke St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Furnival A. Nyarko
Seller: Zhong X. Chen
Date: 02/26/16

120 Timothy Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Christine L. Higgins
Seller: Jeffrey M. Higgins
Date: 02/23/16

17-19 Webster St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Pork Meas
Seller: Mirna Gomez
Date: 02/23/16

175 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $118,650
Buyer: Kristyana E. Daitch
Seller: Philip J. Moynihan
Date: 03/03/16

82 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Davin Robinson
Seller: Jason R. Ochotnicky
Date: 02/26/16

64 Whittum Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: William F. Baker
Seller: Edward H. Lynch
Date: 02/26/16

147 Wollaston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Michael Power
Date: 02/29/16

WALES

6 Grove Point Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Joseph Romonosky
Seller: Donna H. Patrie
Date: 02/22/16

WEST SPRINGFIELD

24 Chapin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Henry Pavel
Seller: Susan M. Zemba
Date: 02/29/16

25 George St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Prem L. Gurung
Seller: Sergey Petlyakov
Date: 02/26/16

55 Hillside Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: David An
Seller: MAA Property LLC
Date: 02/26/16

48 Mountain Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $294,000
Buyer: Jamie L. Horton
Seller: Oak Ridge Custom Home Builders
Date: 03/04/16

36 Northwood Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Steven A. Georgeopolus
Seller: John J. O’Hara
Date: 03/02/16

WESTFIELD

98 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Donald J. McClellan
Seller: David F. McClellan
Date: 02/26/16

63 Beverly Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Justin Curran
Seller: Leonard Colson
Date: 02/29/16

64 Big Wood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Christopher E. Pinney
Seller: Mark E. Vasicek
Date: 02/26/16

38 Dartmouth St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Joshua S. Bruso
Seller: Paul K. Backholm
Date: 03/02/16

89 Foch Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Carlos Maldonado
Seller: Ginette S. Senecal
Date: 02/25/16

78 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $357,090
Buyer: Daniel D. Call
Seller: Granville Road LLC
Date: 02/25/16

78 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $367,900
Buyer: Roger L. Ringenbach
Seller: Granville Road LLC
Date: 03/04/16

110 Little River Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Howe
Seller: Christopher E. Pinney
Date: 02/26/16

184 Munger Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Thomas A. Galanis
Seller: Thomas E. McMahon
Date: 02/29/16

60 Scenic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Buyer: Viktor Nikitchuk
Seller: Charles V. Fortin
Date: 02/25/16

81 Springfield Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,400,000
Buyer: 4 MH LLC
Seller: Francis E. Hartnett
Date: 02/25/16

57 Squawfield Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Sherry L. Karnolisz
Seller: Garde, Philip M., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

Union St. (off)
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Westfield Realty LLC
Seller: Claire M. Casey
Date: 03/04/16

WILBRAHAM

9 Cadwell Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Ashley M. Holden
Seller: M. Marcella Sundberg
Date: 02/26/16

3 Duffield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $228,003
Buyer: Marvina M. Lowry-Brook
Seller: Vincent L. Langone
Date: 02/29/16

4 Pearl Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Frank J. Fortune
Seller: Berrett, Keith A., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

32 Pleasant View Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Richard E. Burns
Seller: Ruolin Zhou
Date: 02/25/16

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

635 Main St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Norman D. Brown
Seller: Jeanne Shumway
Date: 02/26/16

35 Pelham Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $348,000
Buyer: Michael Kirschenbaum
Seller: Marie Hess
Date: 03/01/16

47 Shumway St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Chestnut Street Realty
Seller: Richard G. O’Rourke
Date: 02/22/16

BELCHERTOWN

12 Barrett St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Stephanie C. Barthelette
Seller: Harvey A. Sansoucy
Date: 03/04/16

416 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: David A. Cunningham
Seller: Gary S. Moore
Date: 02/26/16

25 Depot St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $200,599
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Andre P. Grenier
Date: 03/03/16

570 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Cynthia A. Czaporowski
Seller: Property Edge LLC
Date: 02/26/16

3 Terry Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $286,500
Buyer: Eric C. Merullo
Seller: Doreen M. Curry
Date: 02/26/16

39 Underwood St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Arthur J. Dybizbanski
Seller: Korman, Thomas P., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

EASTHAMPTON

19 Chapin St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Heather McLean
Seller: Nathan G. Davis
Date: 02/26/16

246 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $139,916
Buyer: Aleta G. Kennedy
Seller: Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity
Date: 03/04/16

248 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $139,916
Buyer: Angelique Baker
Seller: Pioneer Valley Habitat Humanity
Date: 03/02/16

493 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Amber Black
Seller: Kristan A. Lagueux
Date: 02/25/16

12 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $194,500
Buyer: Aurelio Pagan
Seller: Tracy K. Mulvey
Date: 03/04/16

27 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Nathan G. Davis
Seller: J&A Homes LLC
Date: 02/26/16

16 Sterling Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $199,220
Buyer: Brian N Jourdain
Seller: USA VA
Date: 02/26/16

18 Summit Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Heather M. Rush
Seller: Jane A. Nathan
Date: 02/26/16

GOSHEN

59 Aberdeen Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: John Sidney-Webb
Seller: Jennifer A. Webb-Fusaro
Date: 02/23/16

59 South Chesterfield Road
Goshen, MA 01096
Amount: $436,000
Buyer: Catalina Arrubla
Seller: William A. Celatka
Date: 03/04/16

GRANBY

141 Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Glen S. Masiuk
Seller: Eric Merullo
Date: 02/26/16

145 Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Roxanne C. Costigan
Seller: Mary E. Fortier
Date: 03/03/16

HADLEY

River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Szawlowski Realty Inc.
Seller: Lyndell Day-Nuttelman
Date: 02/24/16

190 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Mohammad Moini
Seller: Thomas Witzenberger
Date: 03/01/16

12 Wampanoag Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Ina A. Forman
Seller: James E. Harrison
Date: 02/26/16

HATFIELD

44 Linseed Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $249,999
Buyer: Crystal M. Callahan
Seller: Caroline Hopfenspirger
Date: 03/04/16

HUNTINGTON

68 County Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Casey J. Mitchell
Seller: Arthur D. Medeiros
Date: 03/04/16

MIDDLEFIELD

1 Skyline Trail
Middlefield, MA 01011
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Michael C. Stimpson
Seller: Colleen M. Budness
Date: 02/26/16

NORTHAMPTON

63 Bradford St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Ralph H. Litwin
Seller: John P. Regish
Date: 02/25/16

79 Hawley St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $843,000
Buyer: AE Properties LLC
Seller: Wang FT
Date: 02/25/16

3 James Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Katherine M. Hicks
Seller: Gloria B. Ayvazian FT
Date: 02/24/16

109 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Marah M. Macrostie
Seller: Kate Greenough
Date: 02/26/16

88 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Melanie M. Miller
Seller: Jennifer Snyder
Date: 02/24/16

36 Manhan St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Northeast Ent. Realty
Seller: Soliwoda NT
Date: 03/01/16

25 Market St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: 300 Elm Street LLC
Seller: Robert P. Andrews
Date: 02/25/16

88 Massasoit St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Erin E. Eppsteiner
Seller: Mark A. Casey
Date: 02/29/16

206 North Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: David C. Velez
Seller: Joslad & Associates PC
Date: 02/26/16

SOUTH HADLEY

28 Ashton Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Mark S. Kendall
Seller: Richard L. Bayeur
Date: 03/04/16

20 Ferry St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: CRA Holdings Inc.
Seller: HSBC Bank
Date: 02/24/16

6 Gaylord St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Norwich Properties LLC
Seller: Mount Tom Properties LLC
Date: 02/23/16

5 Lexington Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Kyle R. Brunault
Seller: Robert J. Brown
Date: 02/23/16

54 School St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Lukasz Socha
Seller: Michael J. Pijar
Date: 03/01/16

7 Silver St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $489,900
Buyer: Scott T. Lynch
Seller: Richard L. Lovelace
Date: 02/23/16

18 Susan Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Karl E. Grochowalski
Seller: Arthur J. Dybizbanski
Date: 02/26/16

22 Waite Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Jason P. Pearlman
Seller: Krok, Lillian, (Estate)
Date: 02/23/16

SOUTHAMPTON

9 Cold Spring Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Matthew Stine
Seller: Amber E. Black
Date: 02/25/16

99 Gilbert Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $361,000
Buyer: Troy E. Chilson
Seller: David Garstka Builders
Date: 02/26/16

87 Gunn Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Buyer: F&G LLC
Seller: Carr, Helen G., (Estate)
Date: 02/23/16

22 Katelyn Way
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Thomas Wnetrzak
Seller: Renata U. Robak
Date: 03/01/16

WARE

27 Berkshire Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $197,500
Buyer: Michael J. Harney
Seller: Jennifer Matos
Date: 03/04/16

29 Fisherdick Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $197,798
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Rose M. Bilodeau
Date: 02/26/16

15 Highland St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Edward L. Masse
Seller: Mark F. Kuras
Date: 02/26/16

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Advertising Club Seeks Pynchon Nominations

SPRINGFIELD — The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts is seeking nominations from the four Western Mass. counties for the 101st annual William Pynchon Award, the area’s oldest and most prestigious community-service award. Established in 1915, the award honors individuals from all walks of life who go beyond the call of duty to enhance the quality of life in Western Mass. Past recipients have included social activists, teachers, philanthropists, historians, clergy, housewives, physicians, journalists, and business leaders — a diverse group with one thing in common: a drive to make the region a better place for all who live here. To nominate an individual, submit a one-page letter explaining why the nominee should be considered. Include brief biographical information, outstanding accomplishments, examples of service to the community, organizations he or she is or has been active in, and the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of at least three people who can further attest to the nominee’s eligibility for induction into the Order of William Pynchon. All nominees will be considered and researched by the Pynchon trustees, comprising past and present presidents of the Advertising Club. Nominations must be submitted by April 30 to William Pynchon Trustees, Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts, P.O. Box 1022, West Springfield, MA 01090, or by e-mail to [email protected]. Pynchon medalists for 2016 will be announced in August.

Cultural District Welcomes 15 New Members

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Central Cultural District recently welcomed 15 new organizations to its membership. They include the Armory Quadrangle Civic Assoc., Bay Path University, the Bing Arts Center, Blues to Green, the Drama Studio, Classical Condominiums, Enchanted Circle Theatre, Martin Luther King Family Services, New England Farmworkers Council, Panache Productions, Partners for a Healthier Community, the Performance Project, Springfield Public Forum, Springfield Technical Community College, and SilverBrick Lofts. They will join the ranks of 25 current members, mostly comprised of downtown arts and culture organizations. The Springfield Central Cultural District (SCCD) is an independent nonprofit that attained the designation of cultural district from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in 2014. Its mission is to foster civic engagement and arts education in the city of Springfield by creating and sustaining a vibrant cultural environment that positions the city as the cultural capital of the region. “We are honored to have such amazing members join the fold,” said Morgan Drewniany, executive director of the SCCD. “Increasing the size of our membership only increases the possibility of work we can do in making Springfield more friendly to arts and culture. Having a connected network of not only arts organizations, but businesses and higher ed, helps the district grow stronger together.” For more information about current and new members, how to become a member, or the work the SCCD is doing, visit springfieldculture.org or contact Drewniany at [email protected] or (413) 781-1592.

State Unemployment Drops to 4.5% in February

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate dropped to 4.5% in February from the January rate of 4.7%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported Thursday. The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts continues to gain jobs, with 13,300 added in February. Year to date, Massachusetts has added 14,500 jobs. In February, over-the-month job gains occurred in education and health services; professional, scientific, and business services; financial activities; leisure and hospitality; other services; construction; trade, transportation, and utilities; and government. “Massachusetts continues to add jobs, and the labor force showed positive gains with 14,100 more residents employed and 7,400 fewer residents unemployed over the month,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald L. Walker II said. The February state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 4.9% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped 0.6%  from 5.1% in February 2015. There were 24,600 fewer unemployed people over the year compared to February 2015. Over the year, the largest private-sector percentage job gains were in construction; professional, scientific, and business services; education and health services; and financial activities.

Insurance Survey Finds Coverage Gains, but Access, Affordability Gaps

BOSTON — Results from a survey of Massachusetts residents regarding health insurance released by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation reveal a continued high rate of insured among the state’s population, but also challenges with access and affordability, particularly among those with lower incomes and those with higher healthcare needs. The Massachusetts Health Reform Survey (MHRS), conducted in the fall of 2015 by the Urban Institute, highlights “sustained gains” in health-insurance coverage since the 2006 passage of the state’s healthcare reform law, with 95.7% of non-elderly adults reporting coverage when surveyed last fall. The near-annual survey tracks trends in the state’s healthcare system since the 2006 passage of health reform. This is the first MHRS following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that began in January 2014. The survey revealed that people who are healthier generally have more confidence in their ability to keep their insurance in the future, and have an easier time affording healthcare. Sicker respondents with chronic diseases indicated a higher degree of difficulty obtaining healthcare services and were more likely to be worried about their ability to pay for their medical bills in the future. “The survey’s top-line trend is affirming for Massachusetts residents and policy makers alike, as the rate of adults covered at the time of the survey is very high — in fact, it is the highest ever since we began measuring in 2006,” said Audrey Shelto, president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. “However, the fact that 43% of insured adults report problems with affordability is a significant issue. Furthermore, these continued financial problems are disproportionately affecting our most vulnerable residents, suggesting that simply having health insurance does not guarantee access to affordable care.”

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretaries Support Hydropower Bill

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker received bipartisan support from three former secretaries of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Maeve Vallely-Bartlett, Rick Sullivan, and Ian Bowles, for the administration’s efforts to diversify the state’s energy portfolio through the procurement of cost-effective hydropower generation. The announcement followed a State House meeting between Baker, current Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton, and his predecessors to discuss the need to stabilize New England’s electricity rates, meet the Commonwealth’s Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) goals, and provide ratepayers with a clean, cost-competitive alternative to coal and oil generation. “I appreciate the support from our state’s former top energy officials as our administration aims to pursue a balanced, diversified energy portfolio through the pursuit of hydroelectric power,” Baker said. “This endorsement is illustrative of the pressing need to address Massachusetts’ rising energy costs, increase electricity-grid reliability, and reduce carbon emissions to meet the Commonwealth’s energy and environmental goals.” Added Beaton, “I thank former Secretaries Bowles, Sullivan, and Vallely-Bartlett for their endorsement of the Baker-Polito administration’s legislation for the procurement of hydroelectric power, which will provide needed generation capacity, while positioning the Commonwealth to achieve our Global Warming Solutions Act goals. As part of the administration’s balanced approach to making the necessary investments in our regional energy infrastructure, this legislation strikes an important balance between climate and environmental awareness and the Commonwealth’s need for clean, reliable, cost-effective generation resources.” In July, the Baker-Polito administration filed Senate Bill 1965, “An Act Relative to Energy Sector Compliance with the Global Warming Solutions Act,” to require Massachusetts utilities to jointly, and competitively, solicit long-term contracts for clean energy-generation resources and associated transmission together with the Department of Energy Resources. In addition to the benefits this legislation aims to bring to the regional electricity market, clean energy generation will position Massachusetts to reach its ambitious greenhouse-gas-reduction targets, Baker said. A recent update to Massachusetts’ “Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020” concluded that the Commonwealth is well-positioned to meet, or exceed, a greenhouse-gas-reduction goal of 25% by 2020 through the full implementation of the Baker-Polito administration’s energy policies, which include hydropower and solar legislation. “The Commonwealth is a national leader in clean energy and has built a world-class clean-energy industry that is increasing homegrown energy and reducing carbon emissions,” said Rick Sullivan, who served as secretary from 2011 to 2014, and currently serves as CEO of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council. “We must build on this success while continuing to work to reduce the high cost of energy for residents and businesses across Massachusetts. Bringing in cost-effective, large-scale hydro and other renewable-energy resources is critical to these efforts.”

Parsons Paper Site to Be Remediated, Redeveloped

HOLYOKE — On March 14, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse was joined by city and state officials to mark the official start of the demolition and cleanup of the former Parsons Paper in preparation for the expansion of Holyoke manufacturer Aegis Energy Services. The announcement capped a multi-year effort to remediate the site and make it ready for development. The expansion of Aegis Energy Services will entail a private investment of approximately $7 million, the retention of 65 jobs and the creation of at least 30 new jobs, as well as the creation of up to 4 megawatts of renewable energy, making it the city’s largest manufacturing expansion in years. “This is a significant milestone in our city’s revitalization that should be celebrated and praised. Redevelopment of the Parsons site has been an extremely difficult challenge, bringing with it significant legal, environmental, and financial constraints that have impeded progress for years,” Morse said. “The staff in the Office of Planning and Economic Development and the Law Department should be applauded for their efforts as they’ve worked diligently with the Redevelopment Authority and a cross-collaboration of public and private partners to make this project a reality. I’d be remiss if I did not offer my sincere appreciation to Lee Vardakas of Aegis Energy for his commitment to Holyoke; we are fortunate to have this innovative company stay and grow in our city, and I thank him for his investments and contributions.” Located at 84 Sargeant St. between the first and second level canals, the 4.7-acre Parsons Paper site has been unused and vacant since 2004. In 2008, a fire significantly destroyed a majority of the structures, and the city officially foreclosed on the property and took ownership in 2012 for failure to pay taxes. In 2014, the Redevelopment Authority engaged Tighe & Bond to undertake environmental assessments, specifications for demolition and cleanup, and project permitting to prepare the site for reuse. Many sources of funds are being used to make the demolition and cleanup phase of the project possible and have been amassed through the HRA, including $250,000 in funds from an agreement with Eversource Energy (formerly Northeast Utilities) as part of a mitigation payment associated with cleanup of contaminants in the Connecticut River; $2 million from the state Brownfield Fund through MassDevelopment; $1 million in capital investment by Holyoke Gas & Electric, which secures an easement on the site for potentially 2.5 MW of hydroelectric generation; and a $400,000 capital loan from the Holyoke Economic Development and Industrial Corp., to be paid from the sale proceeds of the land to Aegis Energy Services. The city also provided its most aggressive tax-incentive schedule in its history: a 100% property-tax exemption for 10 years. “This is an incredibly challenging site and a costly endeavor, one that would have been very difficult for the city to do by itself,” said Marcos Marrero, director of Planning & Economic Development for the city, as well as executive director for the Holyoke Redevelopment Authority. “Consequently, the financing framework for this project is probably the most complex that Holyoke has seen in decades. The implications a year from now will be significant: blight reduction, building reuse, job creation, expansion of manufacturing, more renewable energy, and improved property values in the neighborhood.” The contractor for the work is McConnell Enterprises Inc. Demolition and cleanup is projected to be completed by August, after which the site will be taken over for redevelopment by Aegis Energy Services, rehabilitating one 40,000-square-foot building — a 200% expansion of the company’s square footage — and adding at least 30 new jobs, an approximate 50% growth in the company’s employment.

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move
Michael Schneider

Michael Schneider

Michael Schneider has been named a shareholder at Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, P.C. His practice is focused on corporate law, mergers and acquisitions (including international business transactions), land use, and commercial real estate. He is a member of the Massachusetts and Connecticut bars. Schneider is a past member of the Longmeadow Conservation Commission and past vice president and director of the Children’s Chorus of Springfield Inc. He was also a BusinessWest 40 Under Forty honoree in 2014 and a judge for the 40 Under Forty class of 2015. He earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School in 2007. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College in 1997. Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, P.C. is one of the largest law firms in Western Mass., providing a wide range of legal services including litigation, corporate, probate, real estate, taxation, estate planning, and intellectual property law.

•••••

Monson Savings Bank (MSB) announced the following:

Kevin Hicks

Kevin Hicks

Dina Merwin

Dina Merwin

• Kevin Hicks has been promoted to Vice President, Information Technology Officer. Hicks joined MSB in early 2015 as assistant vice president, information technology officer. He has more than 16 years of experience managing a financial-institution IT department. He is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the bank’s technology infrastructure as well as security. He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering with a minor in psychology from UMass; and

• Dina Merwin has been promoted to Vice President, Compliance and BSA officer. Merwin began her career at MSB in June 2013 as a compliance officer and was quickly promoted to assistant vice president, compliance and BSA officer. She has more than 20 years of experience in community banking. She is responsible for coordinating all regulatory changes throughout the bank, improving processes that enhance efficiency and compliance, as well as ensuring adherence to all rules and regulations. She is a graduate of the ABA National School of Banking at Fairfield University.

•••••

Raj Parikh

Raj Parikh

Raj Parikh has joined American International College (AIC) as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. Prior to joining AIC, he was professor of Accounting and Finance and dean of the Walker College of Business and Management at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa. Parikh has more than 30 years of experience as an academic executive and five years as a financial executive. Prior to joining AIC, he served as a senior-level administrator at several universities, including Mercyhurst, Southern Oregon University, Delaware State University, Wilmington University Delaware, and St. Bonaventure University. He also served as the commissioner for academic accreditation for the government of the United Arab Emirates. In addition to expanding programs and increasing enrollments, he has led or been actively involved in strategic planning, budgeting, and academic prioritization. He has led accreditation efforts at several institutions. Parikh co-authored World Accounting, a three-volume treatise on international accounting which is updated semi-annually. He has presented his research in accounting, finance, and organizational leadership at several regional and national conferences, in addition to being an invited guest speaker. Parikh is passionate about higher education, international education, and improving access to traditional students and working adults. As an academic entrepreneur, he has successfully engaged in a variety of ventures, such as establishing and enhancing branch campuses, increasing enrollments and retention, creating new academic programs, and establishing programs in international locations in partnership with local institutions. “In coming to AIC, I was intrigued by the opportunity to use my experience as a dean to help the college climb to even higher levels of academic excellence,” he said. “I am sincerely honored to join President [Vincent] Maniaci’s leadership team and look forward to this opportunity to make a difference.” A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Parikh completed graduate work in chemical engineering. He received a Ph.D. in accounting and finance at the State University of New York at Buffalo. In addition, he is a certified managerial accountant (CMA), a certified financial manager (CFM), and a chartered financial analyst (CFA). For obtaining the highest score in the nation on the CMA examination, he was awarded the Robert Bayer Gold Medal.

•••••

Robert Harrison, principal architect and founder of Harrison Design Associates, announced that Mark Eichorn and Robert Viel Jr. have joined the firm as both architectural designers and project managers. “I am pleased to welcome Mark and Robert to our team. They each bring a wide range of experience in residential and commercial design and detailing,” said Harrison. “In their new positions, they will enhance and carry forward Harrison Design’s tradition of architectural innovation and our singular focus on creating structures that tell a story and that inspire, delight, and surprise our clients.” Eichorn brings more than 20 years of experience in the design and building industry. His expertise encompasses all phases of work for residential and commercial architectural-design projects, from drafting and code compliance to design and construction administration. His prior experience as an architectural project manager includes eight years with Pamela Sandler AIA in Stockbridge and three years at William Caligari Interiors/Architecture in Great Barrington. He is a 1992 graduate of Vermont Technical College, where he studied architectural and building engineering technology. Viel joins Harrison Design with more than 19 years of experience in the architectural and interior-design professions. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1999 from the Wentworth Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture in Boston. He most recently served for five years as sole designer/draftsman at Kohl Construction in Hadley, while also managing his own architectural-design studio in Springfield. Prior to that, he was employed for 10 years at Pamela Sandler AIA as senior designer, job captain, and draftsman.

•••••

Tighe & Bond recently hired Principal Engineer Wayne Bates to better serve its clients in the Greater Boston area. He will work out of the firm’s Westwood office. Bates specializes in water and wastewater treatment technologies with a focus on industrial wastewater treatment, process improvement, waste minimization, EH&S compliance, and sustainable manufacturing strategies. He has almost 30 years of engineering and environmental, health, and safety consulting experience, and is also a certified Envision sustainability professional. He holds licenses in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Bates is also an adjunct professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and serves on the board of directors for the Center for Business Sustainability at WPI. In addition, he serves on the town of Ashland’s sustainability and water-policy committees, and is a sustainability facilitator for the Associated Industries of Massachusetts. “We are happy to welcome Wayne to our growing team of experts,” said David Pinsky, president and CEO of Tighe & Bond. “His expertise will benefit our Greater Boston-area clients greatly as they seek process improvements, EH&S compliance, and sustainable-manufacturing strategies.” Bates earned his Ph.D in environmental/civil engineering from WPI. He also holds a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Northeastern University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UMass Dartmouth.

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

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

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

West County Equipment Rentals, LLC v. RN Landscaping and Robert Possiel
Allegation: Breach of rental agreement: $3,922.35
Filed: 1/13/16

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

John G. Kudlic d/b/a Bear Realty v. Western Mass Electric Co.
Allegation: Negligence and breach of duties causing electrical fire: $147,346.01
Filed: 1/29/16

Clines Cobham v. Walgreen Eastern Co. Inc.
Allegation: Negligence in preparing and dispensing of prescription causing permanent injury: $47,422
Filed: 2/2/16

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Megan Komosa v. Hulmes Transportation Services
Allegation: Negligent operation of wheelchair-assist lift causing the lift to be lowered onto the plaintiff’s foot: $67,373
Filed: 2/16/16

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Natalie Cowles v. W&I Construction Inc., John Johnson, and John Nadolski
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $3,000+
Filed: 2/18/16

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Alves Fuel Inc. v. Anderson Services Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of fuel-delivery services: $33,798.68
Filed: 2/10/16

Polep Distribution Services v. A.S.H Traders, LLC d/b/a Sav More And Mushtaq Yusuf
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $10,847.10
Filed: 2/26/16

Rubner Enterprises Inc. v. R.A. Morra Construction and Rama Development, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of materials and services rendered: $9,783.95
Filed: 3/1/16

Thurston Foods Inc. v. Elmcrest Inc. d/b/a 19th Hole and John Haberern
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $10,898.48
Filed: 2/23/16

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Charles Kraiza v. Prifti Motors Inc. and Don Prifti
Allegation: Negligence in truck repair causing entire job to have to be redone by another mechanic : $7,000+
Filed: 1/9/16

Jalbert Drywall v. Russo Construction
Allegation: Breach of contract and monies owed for services rendered: $7,200
Filed: 2/10/16

Safe Home Security Inc. v. 1st Stop Cafe Inc.
Allegation: Amount owed resulting from cancellation of service contract: $2,709.60
Filed: 2/10/16

ACT Group Makes a Name in the Realm of 3D Printing

By
Sections Technology

Model Business

3DprintingDPart

3D printing is hardly a new development, but its applications have rapidly expanded over the past decade as companies use it to produce both inexpensive design prototypes and large runs of manufactured parts. Connecticut-based ACT Group has been at the forefront of this revolution regionally, selling and servicing 3D-printing equipment for a wide range of clients in myriad industries. Its success mirrors that of a technology that, clearly, is no longer flying under the radar.

 

When it comes to the capabilities and applications of 3D printing, Nick Gondek said, “the sky’s the limit.” Which is why he’s glad his company, ACT Group, has established a strong presence in that field.

Specifically, the firm — based in Cromwell, Conn. and formerly known as Advanced Copy Technologies — sells and services 3D printing equipment to a wide range of clients in fields as diverse as aerospace, medicine, and shoe manufacturing.

The company’s bread and butter, said Gondek, the company’s director of Additive Manufacturing and applications engineer, is a process called rapid prototyping, by which manufacturers can produce individual 3D models of potential products much more quickly and cost-effectively than previously possible.

Take, for example, ACT’s clients in shoe manufacturing, which include Timberland, New Balance, and Puma. Rapid prototyping using 3D printing — also known as additive manufacturing — can produce full-scale models of new designs, which can be easily modified numerous times at little cost, compared to making changes after manufacturing a large run.

Nick Gondek

Nick Gondek

“The technology has been around for some time, but flew under the radar,” said Gondek, whose parents, Greg and Cindi Gondek, purchased the company in 1999, when it focused solely on office-equipment supply. “Now it’s got everyone’s attention.”

They rebranded as ACT Group a couple of years ago to reflect a broadening in scope, including the company’s rise to prominence in the 3D-printing world.

“Five or six years ago, my father was traveling in Europe and was introduced to 3D printing,” Nick Gondek said. “After doing some research to better understand the clientele, he saw opportunity in this industry, on the service side of things.”

3D-printing technology allows users to create three-dimensional, solid objects using a computer-aided design (CAD) program. With a 3D printer, companies can now print a single part, or even complete product, in a matter of hours, when it used to take months. The technology can be used to create both precise, durable prototypes and final products for businesses of all sizes.

“We have a good customer base,” said Gondek, noting that ACT also services clients of 3D Systems, one of the nation’s premier 3D-printing companies, in the Northeast region.

The testimonials and success stories, as shared by Gondek with BusinessWest, are numerous. Daniel Copley, research and development manager at Parker Hannifin, which engineers products for industrial, hydraulic, and aerospace applications, said the company’s in-house 3D-printing capabilities reduced lead time for its prototypes as well as the number of iterations needed, and are saving some $250,000 a year in the cost of prototype parts.

Other clients have similar stories of efficiency and cost savings. Powermate, USA, a provider of power-supply-converting solutions, reports that prototype models of its products can be created in a half-day, with a 65% cost reduction over traditional production.

Meanwhile, John Reed, master prototype specialist at Black & Decker, noted that, “while a design may look good on the computer screen, there is really no substitute for actually holding something in your hand.”

Toby Ringdahl, computer aided design manager for Timberland, cited a dramatic reduction in prototype costs and turnaround time, resulting in more prototyping, better designs, and increased revenue, noting that 3D printing has succeeded in “compressing our design cycles, lowering our costs, and helping us produce better products for our customers.”

Expanding Scope

The 3D-printing process begins with a concept, which is digitally modeled using CAD software — in effect, creating a virtual blueprint of the object to be printed. The program then divides the object into digital cross-sections so the printer is able to build it layer by layer.

The manufacturer then chooses a material, which is sprayed, squeezed, or otherwise transferred onto a platform. The 3D printer makes passes over the platform, much like an inkjet printer, depositing very thin layers of material (each about one-tenth of a millimeter) atop each other to create the finished product.

ACT Group

ACT Group was formerly known as Advanced Copy Technologies, which focused solely on office equipment before expanding its scope, including its recent success with sales and service of 3D-printing equipment.

ACT first specialized in servicing this equipment for its client companies, but, not long after, saw opportunity in the sales of 3D printers, incorporating that end of the business as well.

Increasing numbers of manufacturers are turning to 3D printing, not only for prototyping, but for design, tooling, and delivery of parts and products. Cindi Gondek told Forbes that jewelers can use it to create new pieces, while museums can use it to reproduce rare items for study or display, just to name two applications that might not seem obvious at first.

3D printers can produce precision parts with impressive accuracy in a variety of materials, Nick Gondek said, including plastics, ceramics, wax, and metals.

Invisalign braces, manufactured by Align Technology, are a good example of a rapid-prototyping application most people have heard of, he went on. They are built using CT scanners and 3D printing techniques to fabricate a product that’s different for each user — to the tune of 17 million sets per year.

“Invisalign has a very unique production capacity. They have mastered customized production; every person’s braces are specific to that patient. They 3D print all the models and basically build a retainer over the custom-made molds,” he noted. Without the rapid prototyping allowed by 3D-printing technology, this process — and product — would be much more expensive and labor-intensive.

In fact, the broad field of medicine provides fertile soil for 3D printing, Gondek said, starting with the education and training of future doctors and other medical professionals.

“We have technologies that mimic the properties of human bone for pre-surgical practice, with students cutting bones, drilling bones … and we now have technology to mimic tissue as well, so we can cover them,” he explained.

The technology is also used for designing patient-specific braces and implants to mend broken bones and aid in surgery, Gondek added. “In the news, there’s a lot of talk about printing human tissue. No machine can print organs today, but that’s something that might become a possibility in five or 10 years.”

One ACT client is Maimonides Bone and Joint Center, which produces a 3D color bone model quickly and accurately from a CT scan. This 50% scale model helps doctors discuss medical issues with patients and assists with surgery practice sessions. “I found the 3D model invaluable in patient education, surgical planning, and physician training,” said the company’s Dr. Howard Goodman.

Meanwhile, Battelle Center for Mathematical Medicine developed a full-color 3D model of the F protein, which aided in the development of new perspectives on how respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) works, which promises to aid in vaccine research. “Even with prior access to stereo-3D monitors and professional graphics cards, nothing compares to a full-color, physical 3D model,” said Dr. William Ray, principal investigator and faculty member.

From the Ground Up

Additive manufacturing is also revolutionizing the architecture, engineering, and construction world, Gondek said, producing scale models of buildings faster and at lower cost than before, and allowing designers to make earlier decisions and reduce time to market.

Andrew Chary of Andrew Chary Architect PLLC, another ACT Group client, characterizes 3D printing as a natural outgrowth of building information modeling (BIM), which generates digital representations of buildings in the design phase. “BIM doesn’t reach its full persuasive potential on a computer screen,” he said. “The model comes to life when you hold a 3D print in your hands.”

The dominant material for prototyping is a liquid plastic that turns into a solid when exposed to UV light, Gondek explained. A ceramic material is typically used to mimic human bone, and any number of metals may be used when manufacturing industrial parts.

The move into 3D printing required some major shifts at ACT. The equipment involved in that realm is so different from the traditional office products the company sells that a dedicated team was established for 3D sales, service, and support. They were sent to MIT for professional education in the latest processes. “We couldn’t have their traditional 2D salespeople sell this equipment,” he explained. “The applications are too diverse.”

Thus, ACT Group continues to keep up with the latest 3D printing technology — a rapidly expanding field.

“We do our homework to a high extent so the customer fully understands the capacities as well as the limitations. We can’t be everything to everyone,” Gondek said. “But this is pushing the boundaries of what is possible.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Old Heritage, New Horizons for Town of Lenox

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Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

By JACLYN C. STEVENSON

John McNinch (left), owner of the Olde Heritage Tavern, and Kameron Spaulding

John McNinch (left), owner of the Olde Heritage Tavern, and Kameron Spaulding, director of the Lenox Chamber of Commerce, take a moment on Housatonic Street, one of the busiest centers for retail and restaurants in Lenox.

John McNinch jokes that his Lenox establishment, the Olde Heritage Tavern, is the “nerve center of the town.”

“That’s why I get all the tough questions,” he joked. “Because the tavern is the heart of any community, including ours.”

Still, it’s true that all walks of Lenox life pass through its doors regularly — members of town government, residents, tourists, and the in-town workforce among them. McNinch himself is a former selectman, current town moderator, and property owner in Lenox — and with his restaurant situated smack in the middle of Lenox Village, the Berkshire County town’s walkable center, he has both a birds-eye view and an ear toward the undercurrent of what’s happening.

Common topics of conversation, according to McNinch, include the overhaul of zoning laws to better accommodate new and diverse businesses. The lack of a vibrant evening and late-night scene in the village is another, and most recently, Lenox has been abuzz about an influx of new hotel developments and renovations, and concurrent discussions about tax incentives for new arrivals in the hospitality sector.

“I think the Planning Board needs to work on revamping our zoning bylaws — and they are — to make it easier to entice businesses to come and do what they need to do, and keep some of our young professionals in the area,” he said. “When we lose them, it’s a big loss to Lenox.”

Indeed, Lenox is a town that is trending older, with a median age of 51, not unlike most of Berkshire County. It’s also not a community that has the infrastructure for big-box stores or office construction for large outfits, said McNinch. But it is primed for small businesses, regional offices, and niche services.

“We need to entice companies here to build small offices, and also continue to offer more to those people and to our visitors and residents,” he said. “I would like to see more shops open later — that’s what we should be offering as a beautiful New England town. Lenox Village is essentially two blocks, but if nothing is open, there is no reason to walk the town past five o’clock. If we could successfully implement things like that, we could change the entire footprint of the town.”

That’s not to say all of the action happens in Lenox Village. Lenox, which abuts Lee, Stockbridge, and Pittsfield, is surrounded by walking and riding trails, most notably those in Kennedy Park — a town-owned network of former carriage roads — and also has a bustling commercial sector along Pittsfield Road (Routes 7 and 20), featuring the Lenox Commons shops and restaurants, outdoor outfitter the Arcadian Shop, and Guido’s Marketplace, a specialty grocer of some acclaim in the region.

Lenox includes two properties often described as ‘spa getaways’ — Cranwell Spa & Golf Resort, which also has an historic, 18-hole golf course built in 1926 and several banquet rooms — and Canyon Ranch, one of five international locations of this high-end resort that often caters to clandestine celebrities. Lenox Dale, a southerly section, represents the town’s small industrial center, and is situated on the banks of the Housatonic River.

Hotels, motels, inns, and bed & breakfasts appear in nearly every section of town, including the Yankee Inn and the adjacent Hampton Inn & Suites owned by Joseph Toole, a Lenox-based developer who is currently heading up construction of a new Courtyard Marriott on the same stretch. The project will add 92 more rooms to the town and represents an $8.3 million private investment. Another Berkshire-based developer, Vijaysinh Mahida, owns the newly opened Hilton Garden Inn on South Street in Pittsfield, just over the border from Lenox, and is planning another Lenox construction project on the site of a recently razed hotel — this time an extended-stay property with an event center. Plans are also afoot near Shakespeare & Co., a popular theater venue, to construct a luxury resort named Spring Lawn on the grounds of an historic mansion.

David Roche, chairman of the Lenox Board of Selectmen, agreed that building on existing strengths — in the tourism sector in particular — is the best course of action for the town in terms of maintaining its residents and business base while at the same time attracting new, younger audiences. He said town government and the Lenox Chamber of Commerce have been working more closely together than ever before to identify areas of opportunity.

“I think we’re in a spot where we recognize what needs to be addressed, so now we can plan,” he said. “We’ve identified several projects, and now we need to fund them — and our primary source of funding are the meals and rooms taxes.”

Tourist Trappings

Roche jokingly refers to these funding sources as the “tourist tax,” underscoring how important that income is to Lenox, and also where the town and its chamber most often converge.

“We recognize that tourism is our business,” he said. “It’s what will ultimately fund the necessary improvements in the community, fill a void in the county, and create new jobs.”

Kameron Spaulding, newly appointed director of the Lenox Chamber of Commerce (as well as a member of the Planning Board), has a similar outlook on the future of Lenox — one that sees many opportunities for growth, starting with the already-strong tourism sector.

It was ‘Reuben Day’ at the Heritage Tavern when he spoke to BusinessWest, and the dining room was packed.

“It’s an exciting time — we’re expanding what we’re doing as a chamber,” he said, noting that, in the past, the Lenox chamber has functioned more as a visitor’s bureau. Now, with Spaulding at the helm along with an influx of new blood on its board of directors, attention is turning to more fiscally minded matters.

“We get calls almost every day from people looking to open a business in downtown Lenox, and there actually isn’t a space for them right now,” he said. “So we’re doing pretty well. We don’t always do the best at communicating that — it’s a classic New England thing in that we tend to talk about what’s wrong, but the sky isn’t falling, and we’re having a massive year.”

Spaulding broke the tourism argument down further, calling attention to the role the restaurant and hotel sectors play.

“The strength of Lenox is always going to be the tourism industry,” he said. “We bring in $2.5 million in taxes alone annually. If you do the simple math off the tax rate, we’re talking about a $100 million industry, which is big for a town of 5,000.”

The warmer months are key for Lenox, which houses one-quarter of all of the hotel rooms in Berkshire County and also plays host to the Boston Symphony Orchestra at its ‘summer home’ at Tanglewood every year. It’s this busy season that Spaulding said the town must capitalize on, and this year marks a jumping-off point into several new endeavors bolstered by some strong numbers.

“Lenox is on track to record the best year in our history for restaurants for fiscal year 2016 that will end in June,” he noted. “That’s a jump of nearly 8%, and we know that from the meals-tax numbers. Protecting these strengths is what we focus on every day, making sure they don’t go anywhere.”

Spaulding said hotel tax numbers are also up, with about 2% growth, and adding to that base to meet the county-wide demand for rooms — which typically reach 90% occupancy or higher in the summer — is one way Lenox can position itself for further development across many different sectors. To this end, the chamber is aiming to become more involved at Town Hall — almost as a lobbying entity — speaking in favor of hotel development as one way Lenox can grow and prosper incrementally.

Still, not everyone is in favor of the move.

“People worry we will have a glut of ‘white elephant’ hotel rooms sitting empty in the off-season,” he said. “But I can say that lending right now for hotels is extremely tight, so if these hotel developers are getting financing — $25 to $30 million per hotel — then the need is out there. Where the chamber has been most involved is helping the town create a general policy for tax-increment financing.”

Having a TIF

Known as TIF, this public financing method is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, or other community-improvement projects around the world, and is not a new concept to many towns and cities. Tax incentives for new construction projects are considered by the Board of Selectmen on a case-by-case basis, and ultimately presented to voters with a recommendation from the board.

McNinch echoed his support of the hotel-based tax incentives, adding that they create a direct stream — in terms of both funding and needs for services — into Lenox as new projects are wooed to the region with attractive offers.

“The reason behind TIF is to entice businesses that are going to be good for Lenox to come here — not to offer tax breaks to businesses already building here,” he said. “Berkshire County has a need for more rooms, and with those rooms in Lenox, we will have a greater need for more things to do — especially more restaurants and more shops.”

McNinch has a keen sense of the balance between the summer months and year-round business, and how a greater balance can be achieved by playing to strengths. He said he notices growing confidence among his own patrons — seeing them more often, and more comfortable with spending some of their disposable income — as well as new activity in Lenox Village, the town’s busiest retail and dining center.

“I’ve seen more people coming into town more often, and while we still see some naked shops, we’re also seeing new businesses coming in and trying things out,” he said. “A good tourist year is a great year, but building local business year-round will only make it better.”

The Spaces Between

Spaulding added that there’s long been a misconception of many empty spaces in Lenox Village, which is largely made up of small retail businesses and restaurants situated on a small network of visible streets.

“There’s this magic number we hear all the time of ‘eight empty spaces,’ while in reality there is one empty retail space and one empty restaurant space now available, with several new operations moving in.”

The chamber itself will be moving into a new space on Main Street, which will provide better visibility, and a Great Barrington staple, Asia Barong, with its massive oriental sculptures, will soon open a new location in Lenox Village.

Speaking to the level of activity during shoulder seasons, Spaulding added that the fall of 2015 was almost as good numbers-wise as the summer season, due in part to the habit among Lenox residents to ‘reverse hibernate’ during those busy warmer months.

In fact, the chamber’s largest fund-raiser of the year and the town’s largest community event, the Apple Squeeze in September, marks the close of the summer season and will be expanding further this year to include an outdoor farm-to-table dinner, 25 more vendor booths (and a waiting list of more than 40), and musicians who will play the streets as well as a capstone Sunday concert.

A traditional fall event in Lenox, the ‘tub parade’ hearkens back to the Gilded Age of the 1800s and the autumn carriage tours made by the wealthy to bid farewell to the region. It, too will be expanded through collaborations with other nonprofits to create a Gilded Age weekend. Meanwhile, the town’s holiday event, Making Spirits Bright, just launched last year and will repeat this year with plans to add more involvement from the town’s restaurants and retail shops.

So, when people ask Spaulding — or McNinch, Roche, and their fellow Lenox leaders — what’s new, they’ll often settle into a seat at the Olde Heritage Tavern to tell tales of upcoming excitement.

“People need options,” said McNinch. “We have a lot, and whatever we can do to build on those colder months in the year, that’s what I’m hoping we continue to do. It’s our job to attract people to Lenox, but it’s also our job to make them want to stay here.”

 

Lenox at a glance*

Year Incorporated: 1767
Population: 5,025 (2010)
Area: 21.7 square miles
County: Berkshire
Residential Tax Rate: $12.16
Commercial Tax Rate: $14.95
Median Household Income: $51,089 (2013)
Family Household Income: $74,531 (2013)
Type of government: Open Town Meeting
Largest employers: Canyon Ranch, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cranwell Resort and Spa

* Latest information available

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of March 2016.

AMHERST

150 Fearing Street, LLC
150 Fearing St.
$3,000 — Roof over exterior stairs

Amherst Pelham Regional School
170 Chestnut St.
$25,000 — Interior renovations

Town of Amherst
70 Boltwood Walk
$102,500 — Bathroom renovation on first floor

GREENFIELD

Alliance Church
385 Chapman St.
$13,000 — Install suspended ceiling

Baystate Franklin Medical Center
164 High St.
$4,000 — Install new ceiling

Lisa Alber
33 Riddell St.
$12,000 — Remodel doctor’s office

Stop & Shop
89 French King Highway
$6,000 — Replace outdated fire alarm system

LUDLOW

American Tower Corporation
31 Ravenwood Dr.
$9,000 — Cell tower alterations

SPRINGFIELD

1350 Main Street, LLC
1350 Main St.
$55,000 — Renovations on the 16th floor

City of Springfield
1385 Berkshire Ave.
$3,732,000 — School renovations

City of Springfield
1476 Roosevelt Ave.
$8,814,000 — 11,282 square feet of new construction

Verizon Wireless
1100 Dickinson St.
$181,000 — Construct 80-foot monopole with related equipment and shelter

WESTFIELD

Lynn Wolak
555 Russell Road
$45,000 — Exterior renovations

Ohima, Inc.
60 East Silver St.
$75,000 — Conversion of conference room and office to gym

WEST SPRINGFIELD

1st Niagara Bank
225 Park Ave.
$3,000 — Install shed

73 State Street, LLC
73 State St.
$358,000 — Interior alterations in existing building

McClure Insurance
103 Van Deene St.
$26,000 — New roof

Sunnyside Corporation
177 Norman St.
$85,000 — Erect 3,420-square-foot storage building

Five Colleges to Pursue Construction of Library Annex in Hatfield

By
Daily News

HATFIELD — Five Colleges Inc. announced it is pursuing siting its library annex at a location in Hatfield. It has ended its efforts to gain approval of building the annex on a site on North Maple Street in Hadley.

“Although we are confident of our legal right to build on the Hadley site under the Dover Amendment, we have decided that, in order to meet our needs for a completed annex, it would be best to devote our efforts at a different site,” said Neal Abraham, consortium executive director.

The new site is located near exit 22 of Interstate 91. “We’re pleased to be working with the town of Hatfield to construct what will be an essential component in the Five College library system, with a goal of completing it by late spring 2017,” Abraham said.

The Five College Consortium, based in Amherst, is celebrating its 50th year advancing the extensive educational and cultural objectives of its member institutions — Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges and UMass Amherst.

State Unemployment Rate Drops to 4.5% in February

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate dropped to 4.5% in February from the January rate of 4.7%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported Thursday. The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts continues to gain jobs, with 13,300 added in February. Year to date, Massachusetts has added 14,500 jobs.

In February, over-the-month job gains occurred in education and health services; professional, scientific, and business services; financial activities; leisure and hospitality; other services; construction; trade, transportation, and utilities; and government.

“Massachusetts continues to add jobs, and the labor force showed positive gains with 14,100 more residents employed and 7,400 fewer residents unemployed over the month,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald L. Walker II said.

The February state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 4.9% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped 0.6% from 5.1% in February 2015. There were 24,600 fewer unemployed people over the year compared to February 2015. Over the year, the largest private-sector percentage job gains were in construction; professional, scientific, and business services; education and health services; and financial activities.

Hydro Bill Is a Bad Bet for Consumers

By
Opinion

Opinion

By DAN DOLAN

When the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant closed in 2014, 620 megawatts of power generation went offline. Over the next few years, that closure will be followed by Somerset’s Brayton Point Power Station and Plymouth’s Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, taking more than 2,100 megawatts with them.

At first, it might seem concerning for the region’s power grid to lose three major power plants. But the responses to the retirements are signs of a strong energy future for Massachusetts — a path that should be allowed to continue without the intrusion of subsidized Canadian hydro power.

Just a few weeks ago, an auction to commit to be online three years from now saw a record amount of competition. Billions of dollars in new, local investments are being made today to develop the next wave of plants and hire workers to provide reliable and competitively priced electricity supplies. By mid-2019, three new plants are slated to open in Massachusetts alone. New plants being developed in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island will be some of the most efficient in the country, helping us continue to serve as leaders on environmental responsibility.

And this isn’t the beginning, either. The electricity sector has outpaced every other sector of our state’s economy in reducing carbon emissions over the past 25 years. Between 1990 and 2013, carbon-dioxide emissions from power plants dropped 51%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Because of that, Massachusetts today has one of the cleanest and lowest-carbon-producing power-generation systems in the nation. In fact, electricity is the primary reason Massachusetts is on pace to meet its economy-wide mandate for a 25% reduction in emissions by 2020.

Unfortunately, relatively little has been done to curtail carbon emissions from the largest source — transportation. The transportation industry in New England has actually increased its carbon emissions and now emits more than double that of power plants. The next step toward a cleaner environment must be a comprehensive plan to address transportation as the main hurdle to meeting long-term Global Warming Solutions Act mandates.

The great progress made on electricity in Massachusetts should be allowed to continue, ensuring a strong energy future. Power plants are being retired and replaced without the need for state government to step in to subsidize new, cleaner investments. Canadian hydro is already part of our system, competing with all other power-generation sources to deliver the lowest price possible to consumers. But the radical plan to enter into expensive, decades-long contracts with Eversource and Hydro-Quebec will jeopardize that future.

If the Massachusetts hydro power plan is approved, energy bills are estimated to increase by up to $777 million each year for Massachusetts residents and businesses, according to a recent study by the Analysis Group, one of the most respected economics consulting firms in North America. That’s more than $20 billion over the life of the contract.

These costs are primarily driven by two factors. First, Commonwealth ratepayers would be on the hook for the construction of expensive, controversial high-voltage transmission lines, currently proposed through places like the White Mountain National Forest. Second, government-owned Hydro-Quebec, which has its own interests to consider, will not sell power to Massachusetts at a below-market price.

So why make this risky bet? A major concern for this plan is that it will enrich two utilities without a clear analysis of how Massachusetts ratepayers stand to benefit. Eversource is partnering with Hydro-Quebec in pushing to build the hundreds of miles of transmission lines, and the two are the strongest proponents of the subsidies proposal. They stand to earn hundreds of millions of dollars in profits for building these lines if they receive the subsidy from Massachusetts consumers. However, they have yet to produce an economic analysis of the cost of the proposed decades-long contracts. The Analysis Group report, which shows shocking rate increases for consumers, is publicly available and was presented at the legislative hearing on the bill.

Massachusetts is on the right path for a strong energy future. But, while new power plants are being built here through market demand, supporting jobs and contributing much-needed tax revenue to cities and towns, Eversource and Hydro-Quebec want to avoid having to compete. They shouldn’t be allowed to receive a carve-out worth billions of dollars.

This hydro bill is a bad bet for Massachusetts consumers. The Legislature should reject the bill and focus on better ways to reduce carbon emissions. The utilities don’t deserve the subsidy.

Dan Dolan is president of the New England Power Generators Assoc.

Doing Business As Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of March 2016.

AGAWAM

Elayne Gumlaw
99 Perry Lane
Elayne Gumlaw

Pete’s Auto
130 Senator Ave.
Ellen Rendick

The Style Cottage
647 Springfield St.
Mina Valego

CHICOPEE

All in 1 Solutions
15 Leonard St.
Michael Candelaria

New England Restorations, LLC
36 Hunt Seat Dr.
Gina Impagnatiello

Nunez Tax Services
28 Montgomery St.
Sonia Torres

Svetiana Express Courier
15 Tremont St.
Svetlana Payne

Victory Voices
82 Donlyn Dr.
Stephen Curyto

GREENFIELD

ACG Woodwork
181 Deerfield St.
Alexander Giguere

Cowan’s Garage
93 Vernon St.
Alice Cowan

Exquisite Erin’s Jewelry
44 Church St.
Erin Ostrowski

Hawks & Reed
289 Main St.
Gabe, LLC

Mimosa
223 Main St.
Judith Fernandes

Safeguard, Inc.
16 Butternut St.
Jeffrey Ethier

HOLYOKE

Chocolate Dream
50 Holyoke St.
Adam Kaplan

DM Roofing
23 Hadley Mills Road
Dicky Matos

Genesis Gifts
75 King St.
Cathy Andrade

Mr. Mold Folder
12 Arbor Way
Arthur Marshall

Rusty’s Place
930 Hampden St.
Caro L. Beal

Software Logic
4 Open Square Way
Gregory Pollerin

PALMER

CT Enterprises
11 Old Farm Road
Craig Tompkins

M-Power Equipment
21 Wilbraham St.
John C. Decker

Tranquility Central Hair
1384 Main St.
Charlene Cavanaugh

SPRINGFIELD

Northeast Auto Group
145 Armory St.
Patrick Asselin

Page Blvd Bottle
233 Page Blvd.
Long Tran

Pioneer Valley Softwash
338 Parkerview St.
Jack Barnes

Price Rite
633 Boston Road
PRRC Inc.

Robbin Jones
21 Deveau St.
Robbin D. Jones

Ryder Transportation
220 Tapley St.
Ryder Truck Rental

Shine Bright Cleaning
407 Bay St.
Nelson Mendoza

Sol Karibe
1244 Main St.
Jacqueline Sanchez

Springfield Football Club
78 Bloomfield St.
Kenrick Antonio

Stacks Towing
1909 Page Blvd.
William Negron

Stanley Rose Building
219 Gilbert Ave.
Stanley Rose

Steele, Inc.
272 Longhill St.
Shannon Steele

Tienda Guatemalteca
181 Chestnut St.
Amado Vasquez

Unearth
450 Main St.
Tia M. Gladu

USA Real Estate Sales
32 Ruby Road
Thomas W. Lewis

Vazquez Cleanouts
403 Carew St.
Jesus M. Vazquez

WESTFIELD

Lemonade Estate Sales
80 Plantation Circle
Lorna Merrill

Little River Agency
88 Knollwood Dr.
David Dubois

Lularoe with Cate
35 Fairview Ave.
Catherine Odell

MD Interpreting Services
21 Hancock St.
Mikaela Daley

P & E Construction
476 Loomis St.
Petr Kiforishin

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Aardvark Property Holding
1457 Riverdale St.
Arthur Doty

Advanced New England Construction
203 Circuit Ave.
Valentin Katalnikov

Alienation
12 Pleasant St.
Lance L. Jackson

Brodsky Heating & Air Conditioning
37 Hewitt St.
Paul Brodsky

Convenience Plus
2044 Riverdale St.
Andrew Slifka

Educational Solutions
314 Morton St.
Lori Charter

Encompass Home Health
123 Park Ave.
Excella Home Health

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Employer Confidence Weakens in February

BOSTON — Confidence among Massachusetts employers weakened for the fifth time in seven months during February, but businesses remain optimistic overall about the ability of the Massachusetts economy to ride out uncertainty abroad and an increasingly curious election season in the U.S. The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index shed 0.7 points to 55.1 last month, still comfortably above the 50 mark that denotes a positive economic outlook. However, the reading was 4.7 points below its level of a year earlier, weighed down by growing concern about the slowing U.S. economy. That concern was confirmed Friday when the government said U.S. economic growth slowed to 1% during the fourth quarter of 2015. “We’re seeing some ambivalence among employers as they look at the economy, especially the turmoil in some overseas markets, but all within the range of general optimism about 2016,” said Raymond Torto, chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design. “Ambivalence indeed seems to define most views of the U.S. economy, as we saw last week when the annual economic report of the president noted the strong rebound since 2008 while acknowledging that economic forces, including the rapid pace of technological change, are weighing on American industry.” The AIM Index, based on a survey of Massachusetts employers, has appeared monthly since July 1991. It is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 50 as neutral; a reading above 50 is positive, while below 50 is negative. The index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997-98, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. The index has remained above 50 since October 2013.

Governor Signs Landmark Opioid Bill into Law

BOSTON — Last week at the State House, Gov. Charlie Baker signed landmark legislation into law to address the deadly opioid and heroin epidemic plaguing the Commonwealth. He was joined by a group including Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders, Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Attorney General Maura Healey, Auditor Suzanne Bump, members of the Legislature, law enforcement, healthcare providers, community leaders, individuals in recovery, and others. The bill, titled “An Act Relative to Substance Use, Treatment, Education, and Prevention,” passed with unanimous votes in both legislative chambers and includes numerous recommendations from the Governor’s Opioid Working Group, including prevention education for students and doctors and a seven-day limit on first-time opioid prescriptions. “Today, the Commonwealth stands in solidarity to fight the opioid and heroin epidemic that continues to plague our state and burden countless families and individuals,” Baker said. “I am proud to sign this legislation marking a remarkable statewide effort to strengthen prescribing laws and increase education for students and doctors. While there is still much work to be done, our administration is thankful for the Legislature’s effort to pass this bill and looks forward to working with the attorney general and our mayors to bend the trend and support those who have fallen victim to this horrific public health epidemic.” Added Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, “today, we take another step forward by passing landmark legislation that will help the individuals and communities affected by the deadly opioid and heroin epidemic. We are grateful for the Legislature’s progress and for the partnership of Attorney General Healey, our mayors, and several others as we continue pursuing aggressive reforms to combat this crisis from the Berkshires to the Cape.” The bill includes the first law in the nation to limit an opioid prescription to a seven-day supply for a first-time adult prescriptions and a seven-day limit on every opiate prescription for minors, with certain exceptions. Other provisions from the governor’s recommendations include a requirement that information on opiate use and misuse be disseminated at annual head-injury safety programs for high-school athletes, requirements for doctors to check the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) database before writing a prescription for a Schedule 2 or Schedule 3 narcotic, and continuing-education requirements for prescribers, ranging from training on effective pain management to the risks of abuse and addiction associated with opioid medications. Several measures were passed to empower individuals and update current prevention efforts. Patients will receive access to non-opiate directive forms and the option of partially filling opioid prescriptions in consultation with doctors and pharmacists. Schools must annually conduct verbal substance-misuse screenings in two grade levels and collaborate with the departments of Elementary and Second Education and Public Health (DPH) around effective addiction-education policies. To reduce the prevalence of unused medication, manufacturers of controlled substances in Massachusetts must participate in either a drug stewardship program or an alternative plan as determined by DPH. This bill strengthens access to insurers and the bed-finder tool website; requires that patients receive information on FDA-approved, medication-assisted therapies after being discharged from a substance-use treatment program; and ensures civil-liability protection for individuals who administer Narcan. The opioid epidemic continues to impact every community in Massachusetts. According to the most recent data, it is estimated that there were nearly 1,200 unintentional and undetermined opioid deaths in 2014. The estimated rate of 17.4 deaths per 100,000 residents for 2014 is the highest ever for unintentional opioid overdoses and represents a 228% increase from the rate of 5.3 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2000. And the trend isn’t slowing. Preliminary data estimations show there were over 1,100 opioid deaths between January and September 2015.

United Way Wins Veteran Financial-literacy Grant

SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg announced that the United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) was one of five recipients of a grant that supports financial education to veterans and military families. Known as the Operation Money Wise: Financial Education Opportunity Grant and funded through the Office of Economic Empowerment, these grants aim to increase the scope of financial education for military families by providing them with the tools they need to achieve financial stability. Many of these workshops will include strategy sessions on managing money, planning for college, preparing for retirement, and monetary decision making. “These financial-literacy grants will further empower our military community to make informed financial decisions,” Goldberg said. “I am honored to support organizations that work to bring economic stability to the men, women, and families who help keep our country safe.” With three Thrive financial-literacy centers up and running in Holyoke and Springfield, and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program flourishing throughout the region, UWPV is already a leader in improving fiscal education and responsibility among those it serve. The Thrive centers have served hundreds of student and seniors, helping them improve their credit ratings and open their first bank accounts. Last year, VITA helped 4,594 working families keep $2,462,549 through the Earned Income Tax Credit.

State Issues $9.3 Million in Workforce Skills Grants

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced $9.3 million in workforce skills equipment grants to 35 high schools, community colleges, and vocational training providers across the Commonwealth for vocational-technical education and training equipment purchases that connect Massachusetts students and residents to economic opportunities in high-demand industries. “Workforce skills education and training plays an enormous role in economic and personal development by helping residents acquire the skills they need to connect with promising careers,” Baker said. “These vocational-technical education equipment grants will help build stronger communities and a more competitive business environment that ensures more residents have the skills they need to succeed in and support the Commonwealth’s economic future.” Added Polito, “these workforce-development grants will build bridges between residents seeking careers to build a future on and the employers who need a skilled workforce to grow the state’s economy. Today, too many good-paying jobs are going unfilled because employers are struggling to find skilled employees. This investment in training equipment will enable high schools and community colleges across the Commonwealth to equip students with the skills they need to secure a bright future.”
The Workforce Skills Capital Grant Program is a new initiative of the Governor’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, which seeks to align education, workforce, and economic-development strategies across the state. Western Mass. recipients of the new round of grants include:
• Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, $465,119 to upgrade and modernize its manufacturing and engineering program, utilizing new hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical controls, materials testing, CNC, and 3-D printing equipment to train students and adult learners for careers in advanced manufacturing, engineering, and biotechnology;
• Dean Technical High School, Holyoke, $393,156 to transform its existing machine technology shop into an advanced-manufacturing shop that aligns with current industry practices and technologies, in order to connect Holyoke students to career opportunities in the Pioneer Valley’s skilled manufacturing workforce;
• Franklin County Technical School, Montague, $52,500 to revamp its computer programming and web-design programs and expand the programs’ capacity to reach adult learners;
• Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, West Springfield, $257,100 to expand the capacity of its recently-founded high school Machine Technology Program, and to extend programming to adult learners, including unemployed and underemployed individuals facing barriers to employment;
• McCann Technical School, North Adams, $121,128 to revamp its welding and metal-fabrication equipment to train students for careers in Berkshire County’s aerospace, defense, commercial, medical-device, and power-generation industries, and enable re-training for unemployed workers;
• Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy, Springfield, $441,500 to launch a new program to equip students with the skills to enter the construction workforce, including training with heavy equipment; and
• Springfield Technical Community College, $499,785 to enhance training in its Laser Electro-Optics and Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Technology programs by creating an advanced-laser-machining laboratory and a one-year Laser Materials Processing Certificate of Completion, in order to meet the needs of the Commonwealth’s rapidly growing laser-manufacturing industry.

Harrison Design Associates Welcomes Mark Eichorn, Robert Viel Jr.

By
Daily News

GREAT BARRINGTON — Robert Harrison, principal architect and founder of Harrison Design Associates, announced that Mark Eichorn and Robert Viel Jr. have joined the firm as both architectural designers and project managers.

“I am pleased to welcome Mark and Robert to our team. They each bring a wide range of experience in residential and commercial design and detailing,” said Harrison. “In their new positions, they will enhance and carry forward Harrison Design’s tradition of architectural innovation and our singular focus on creating structures that tell a story and that inspire, delight, and surprise our clients.”

Eichorn brings more than 20 years of experience in the design and building industry. His expertise encompasses all phases of work for residential and commercial architectural-design projects, from drafting and code compliance to design and construction administration. His prior experience as an architectural project manager includes eight years with Pamela Sandler AIA in Stockbridge and three years at William Caligari Interiors/Architecture in Great Barrington. He is a 1992 graduate of Vermont Technical College, where he studied architectural and building engineering technology.

Viel joins Harrison Design with more than 19 years of experience in the architectural and interior-design professions. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1999 from the Wentworth Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture in Boston. He most recently served for five years as sole designer/draftsman at Kohl Construction in Hadley, while also managing his own architectural-design studio in Springfield. Prior to that, he was employed for 10 years at Pamela Sandler AIA as senior designer, job captain, and draftsman.

Luminance USA Makes Donation to Habitat for Humanity ReStore

By
Daily News

WESTFIELD — Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) and its ReStore in Westfield recently received a donation of lighting products from Luminance USA, headquartered in Commerce, Calif. The product will be used in GSHFH’s construction projects as well as sold at its ReStore retail outlet.

Products received include chandeliers, bathroom vanity lights, lightbulbs, wall sconces, ceiling-fan replacement parts, and table lamps, and are available for purchase at the Habitat ReStore located at 301 East Main St. in Westfield, with prices from 30% to 50% off regular retail prices.

“Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and our ReStore in Westfield rely on the generous support of our partners such as Luminance to provide strength, stability, and self-reliance to our partner families through our home-ownership and home-preservation programs. We have made an investment in ourselves with the opening of our ReStore, and with the support of partners such as Luminance, we know it was worth it,” said Jennifer Schimmel, executive director of Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity.

GSHFH’s ReStore opened last April. Habitat for Humanity ReStores are nonprofit home-improvement stores and donation centers that sell new and gently used furniture, home accessories, building materials, and appliances to the public at a fraction of the retail price.

Franklin Hampshire Career Center Slates Job Fair for March 16

By
Daily News

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Many area businesses are hiring, and that’s good news for job seekers. On Wednesday, March 16, the ninth annual Franklin Hampshire Career Center Spring Fling Job Fair will be held at Frontier Regional High School in South Deerfield from 4 to 6 p.m.

The job fair is free and open to the public. Job seekers are encouraged to bring a résumé and be prepared to interview. A record number of employers — 45 — are scheduled to attend, representing major industry sectors including healthcare, accommodation and food Services, manufacturing, administrative and support services, construction, arts, entertainment and recreation, and transportation and warehousing.

For more information about the fair, call (413) 586-6506 or visit www.fhcc-onestop.com.

‘Cadillac Tax’ Would Have a Deep Impact on Employers

By
Banking and Financial Services Sections

New Rules of the Road

By BOB CUMMINGS

Although many provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have already been implemented, a few major ones are still to come. None are as far-reaching as the proposed ‘Cadillac tax’ on employer-sponsored health benefits.

Originally scheduled to take effect in 2018, the Cadillac-tax implementation was recently pushed off to 2020. If implemented, the IRS will impose a 40%, non-deductible excise tax on certain employer-sponsored health benefits that exceed a dollar threshold of $10,200 for an individual and $25,500 for a family. Health-insurance companies and self-insured plan sponsors will have to pay the tax on excess dollar amounts for benefits provided above this threshold. After 2020, the limits are to be adjusted for future changes in the consumer price index.

The thresholds will be increased in certain situations if the majority of covered employees are engaged in specified high-risk professions such as law enforcement and construction, and for group demographics including age and gender. For pre-65 retirees and individuals in high-risk professions, the threshold amounts are currently $11,850 for individual coverage and $30,950 for family coverage.

The Obama administration has stated that the purpose of the tax is to reduce the tax-preferred treatment of employer-provided healthcare benefits and raise revenue to help finance the expansion of subsidized health coverage under the ACA. Most experts believe that, contrary to what the name might imply, the Cadillac tax is going to directly impact the majority of employer-sponsored plans.

Many union plans and municipal plans could be impacted right out of the gate, and employers in high-healthcare-cost states like Massachusetts are going to be hit hard if the law goes into effect in its current form. If you thought your healthcare benefit plans were just a Chevy or a Buick, you are in for a big surprise.

As written, the tax is 40% of the cost of health coverage that exceeds these predetermined threshold amounts. Cost of coverage includes the total contributions paid by both the employer and employees, but not cost-sharing amounts such as deductibles, co-insurance, and co-pays when care is received.

Unfortunately, it’s not just the premiums for the employer health plans that are counted toward these thresholds, either. Currently, the Cadillac tax would also include contributions under certain pre-tax, account-based plans such as flexible spending accounts and health-savings accounts or health-reimbursement arrangements, as well as most wellness programs.

The calculation includes any contributions made by the employer or employees pre-tax. Employers are going to be responsible for calculating the total dollar value of benefits for each employee on a month-by-month basis and apportioning this among the benefits providers.

Cadillac-tax payments are not deductible for federal tax purposes. Consider what this might mean for an employer offering a health plan with a flexible spending account (FSA) or health-savings account (HSA) with the average total cost of coverage at $12,000 per year for self-only coverage. A $12,000 individual plan would pay an excise tax of $720 per covered employee: $12,000 – $10,200 = $1,800 above the $10,200 threshold; $1,800 x 40% = $720.

The tax on family coverage could be even higher. A $32,000 value of benefits provided to employees with family coverage would pay an excise tax of $1,800 per covered employee: $32,000 – $27,500 = $4,500 above the $27,500 threshold; $4,500 x 40% = $1,800.

On Feb. 23, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service issued a notice covering a number of issues concerning the Cadillac tax and requested comments on possible approaches that could ultimately be incorporated into proposed regulations. No new regulations have been issued to date.

How are employers responding to these looming changes? Many have yet to digest the impact, but the biggest trend is the migration to high-deductible health plans (HDHPS), and health-savings accounts. Recent statistics show that 60% of employers are contemplating or already have moved to implement new high-deductible health plans with companion HSAs. These HDHP plans have upfront deductibles of at least $1,300 single and $2,600 family and out-of-pocket cost sharing of up to $6,550 for a single and $13,100 for a family in 2016. As compared to traditional health-benefits plans, HDHP plans typically have dramatically lower premiums, as much as 40% lower.

Employees covered under a qualified HDHP plan can contribute (as can the employer) to an HSA either through pre-tax payroll or a direct, tax-deductible contribution to an individually owned tax-preferred accumulation account that can be used to pay for any qualified out-of-pocket health expenses during one’s lifetime with tax free dollars.

While downgrading health benefits to higher upfront deductibles is not the most popular solution for all employees, if paired with a health-savings account including some employer contributions into the HSA, it could be more palatable. This next-generation ‘consumer-directed healthcare’ is forcing consumers to assume more risk and responsibility in how they spend money on healthcare decisions.

While there is a growing movement in Congress and among business groups to repeal or significantly amend the Cadillac tax before it takes effect, we can be certain that no action will be taken until well after the 2016 election. However, given the broad-based impact, this is a topic that will likely stay high on the radar for Congress and our next president.

Bob Cummings is president of Northampton-based American Benefits Group; (413) 727-7211.

Backyard Kitchens Reflect a Greater Focus on Outdoor Living

By
Landscape Design Sections

Business Is Heating Up

built-in kitchen appliances

Brian Campedelli says built-in kitchen appliances like these are often just the starting point for a backyard project.

For American families on the go, Brian Campedelli says, home should be an oasis from workplace stress and the general bustle of life.

“I think they’re looking for a general sense of relaxation in their yard. When they get home from work, they tend to be stressed out, and they want to kick their shoes off, throw on some flip-flops, head to their backyard resort, and forget about things for a while,” said the owner of Pioneer Landscapes in Easthampton, explaining why outdoor kitchens and living spaces are becoming more popular, and elaborate, in the Northeast.

“Some people are doing it because they want to entertain,” he added. “Some do pool installs and include an overhang [off the house] and fireplaces … a whole backyard development,” he went on. “They’re looking for a resort lifestyle, where they don’t have to go anywhere except their own backyard to get that feeling. It’s pretty nice.”

Outdoor kitchens — which can include anything from a simple built-in grill to expansive cooking surfaces, refrigeration, plumbing, audio-visual hookups, and more — are at or near the top of most lists of hot landscaping trends, along with firepits, water features, and architectural lighting, even in a region where people don’t want to spend much time outside for several months a year, the current mild winter notwithstanding.

“It’s definitely a growing industry, and it’s more than outdoor kitchens — it’s backyard living,” said Jason Harrington, manager of Ondrick Natural Earth in Chicopee. “Not only are people doing kitchens, they’re doing firepits, fireplaces, pizza ovens … basically a complete package of entertainment in the backyard. We’ve seen a real increase of these things in the past five years.”

He, like others BusinessWest spoke with, agreed the Northeast has lagged somewhat behind other regions of the country, particularly warmer climes, in expansive outdoor living spaces, he added, but that’s changing.

“People are focusing on their backyards in general; they’re creating a getaway in the backyard. Instead of going on vacation, they’re taking that money and putting it into a pool and patio space and creating a vacation feel in the backyard.”

Jason Harrington

Jason Harrington says homeowners are increasingly seeking a resort-type feel in their backyards.

According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Assoc., patios are consistently among the top three features requested by new home buyers, and most aren’t leaving them bare, opting for permanent cooking fixtures, refrigerators, and other amenities. Meanwhile, noted Rick Miller, owner of RJM Landscaping in Southampton, existing homeowners are increasingly itching to bring the indoors outside.

“It’s slowly catching on and moving up people’s to-do list, particularly in the past two to three years,” he said. “Kitchen spaces are more popular now, maybe because people are aware of what’s out there and realize they can do something really simple, or they can get really elaborate. There’s an option for everyone’s budget.”

Soaring Budgets

Indeed, Miller noted, “kitchens tend to be a little on the pricey side because of all the gadgets and such. Typically, a basic one will have a built-in grill and maybe a fireplace tied into either propane tanks or natural gas so you don’t have to deal with filling tanks. More elaborate spaces will have a built-in grill, refrigerator, sink, cabinet space — sometimes they’ll go as far as putting in a pizza oven.”

Justin Pelis, president of North Country Landscapes & Garden Center in Westhampton, said outdoor kitchens can run into serious costs on appliances alone, since they’re typically built into the stonework.

“You can’t take a normal grill and insert it into stone; it’s not meant for that,” he said. “So it can be just as costly as redoing your whole kitchen inside. You can spend easily between $40,000 and $50,000 just for an outdoor kitchen area, including the patio and everything else — the electrical hookups, the water hookups … it can get complicated.”

Those who opt for the higher-end designs tend to be committed to outdoor entertaining to justify the cost, Miller added.

“We’re seeing more people putting in outdoor kitchens, pools, large backyard spaces, because they want to entertain into the evening. That’s where I’m seeing the trend starting to go,” said Rob Larkham, owner of Illumascape Lighting in South Hadley, which benefits from that trend because homeowners then want to light those areas (see story, page 31). “They want well-lit spaces; some install under-counter lights. People are not just entertaining in the home, but trying to bring it into the backyard.”

Harrington said homeowners on a budget shouldn’t be scared off by the sheer range of amenities available for outdoor cooking and living spaces.

“You can actually find a backyard setup to fit a wide range of budgets; it doesn’t have to be on the extreme high end,” he said. “Part of our job as salespeople is to try to help them get as much as they can for their dollar.”

That said, customers who can afford more than a grill and fridge often look to cabinets, trash disposal, bar areas, pizza ovens, and fireplaces, he went on. “And fireplaces don’t even have to use wood; you can hook gas into it. For people who want to spend real money, we can basically custom-design something of any size.”

Campedelli agreed. “We’ve done all sizes, from poolhouses with full kitchens in them to just built-in barbecues. Mostly, around here, what people are doing is nice, built-in barbecues set up for convenience, with a little refrigerator, things like that.”

Some customers intend to start there but expand their plans to larger seating areas, firepits, and patio extensions as they catch the vision of outdoor living, he went on. “We usually do one or two large projects a year like that. Some go as far as adding an overhang off the back of the house or a pool house. For people who don’t want to go that far, most of what we hear is there’s not enough time in the [warm] season to use it, but others don’t have a problem with that at all, and really go to town.”

Feeling at Home

Miller has tracked the same statistics known across his industry, how Americans, over the past 15 to 20 years, have increasingly chosen to forgo travel and invest in their homes and yards.

“People are going away less and less, with what’s been going on with travel costs and such, staying close to home, utilizing their backyards more,” he told BusinessWest. “So kitchens have absolutely become more popular. We call them outdoor living spaces because not everyone does a kitchen, necessarily; some people just want a larger-than-usual patio with seating, walls, and lighting. Two of my more recent projects also had pavilions installed to create a little shade if it’s rainy or too hot.”

fireplace

This Pioneer Landscapes project features a fireplace as the centerpiece.

Harrington added that he’s seeing more business at existing homes than at new construction. “Generally, when someone has been in their home for a while, built up some equity, been there long enough to get their savings back up, they want to invest back in their homes.”

And it’s not just for the adults, he added.

“We’re finding people are building backyards for their kids. I’ve seen it get as elaborate as movie theaters in the backyard with screens coming out of the ground. They’re building areas for their kids to play in and have friends over. They want to make an outdoor area for everyone.”

The bottom line, Pelis said, is that homeowners are increasingly seeing not only the potential aesthetic value of their yards, but the functionality, and kitchens and other outdoor-living features are a big part of that.

“People want to have more experiences in their yards and spend more time there, as opposed to just mowing the lawn and trimming the shrubs,” he added. “They want quality time with their family, and they want to get more use out of their yard.”

Harrington agreed. “It can be as simple as the family wanting a patio and a firepit to sit around at night, or something more complex. Everyone has their own vision.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Real Estate Transactions

By
Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BUCKLAND

66 Ashfield St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Deborah Diamond
Seller: Alexander Z. Nappan
Date: 01/29/16

4 Wares Hill Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Craig Sessions
Seller: Garofalo, John W., (Estate)
Date: 02/01/16

DEERFIELD

42 Captain Lathrop Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Pettinato
Seller: Charles H. Turner
Date: 01/29/16

315 Conway Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Kevin Shepard
Seller: Anthony J. Pettinato
Date: 01/29/16

GREENFIELD

383 Colrain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $133,500
Buyer: John A. Payant
Seller: Raymond Gallo
Date: 01/25/16

212 Davis St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Layne V. Floyd
Seller: Pioneer Coop Of Franklin
Date: 02/01/16

131 High St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,250
Buyer: Marvin I. Surkin
Seller: Shawn M. Kilcommons
Date: 01/29/16

341 Plain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Adam R. Martin
Seller: Robert W. Martin
Date: 01/29/16

12 Saphire Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Army Salvation
Seller: Michael A. Buoniconti
Date: 02/01/16

42 Scout Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Jesse A. Snow
Seller: Susan Murdock-Lutz
Date: 01/29/16

60 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $143,500
Buyer: Ethan A. Jones
Seller: Janet E. Deneault
Date: 02/01/16

NORTHFIELD

26 Birnam Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Kathryn D. White
Seller: Carpenter, Ethel L., (Estate)
Date: 02/03/16

ORANGE

150 Drew Blvd.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Erik J. Rousseau
Seller: Alexander C. Graziano
Date: 01/26/16

16 Dusty Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Eric D. Glatczak
Seller: Beth A. Anderson
Date: 01/26/16

71 Memorial Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Suanne M. Elliott
Seller: John W. Ledoux
Date: 01/29/16

ROWE

33 Old Cyrus Stage Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $121,900
Buyer: Raymond Gallo
Seller: Norman I. Marchegiani FT
Date: 01/25/16

SHELBURNE

84 Mechanic St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Margit L. Walker
Seller: Erik H. Doty
Date: 01/29/16

88 Old Greenfield Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Corey D. Paul
Seller: Christopher J. Ethier
Date: 01/26/16

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

41 Belmont Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Ryan T. Kearney
Seller: Leonard Matz
Date: 02/01/16

51 Belvidere Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Kenneth Modzelesky
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 01/29/16

21 Blairs Hill Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Suhem Soffan
Seller: Sherry S. Molta
Date: 01/29/16

172 Chapel St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $153,900
Buyer: Caira M. Dominguez
Seller: Sherri A. Quinn
Date: 02/03/16

16 Factory Place
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $159,900
Seller: Raymond F. Yarkey
Date: 02/01/16

28 Hendom Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Gallivan
Seller: Robert G. Gordon
Date: 01/29/16

68 Katherine Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: National Transfer Services
Seller: Brian M. Zaniewski
Date: 01/29/16

170 Meadowbrook Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $168,300
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Warren Williams
Date: 01/26/16

788 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Stephen Salem
Seller: Carl Ronca
Date: 01/29/16

43 Ridgeway Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $184,300
Buyer: Lauren A. Mendoza
Seller: Brittany A. McCabe
Date: 01/29/16

680 South West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Kevin T. Pagella
Seller: Thomas P. Pagella
Date: 01/29/16

87 Valentine Terrace
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Clara Scott
Seller: Luanne M. Caron
Date: 01/25/16

102 White Fox Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Kellee A. Grucci
Seller: Frank J. Montagna
Date: 01/29/16

BRIMFIELD

119 Little Alum Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Tobe L. Gerard
Seller: Sawmill Lane LLC
Date: 01/28/16

CHICOPEE

28 Beaumont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $217,000
Seller: Robert Scribner
Date: 01/28/16

23 Bonner St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Gabrielle Bey
Seller: George Vasquez
Date: 01/29/16

641 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Ana L. Artigas
Seller: James A. Robb
Date: 01/29/16

19 Hawthorn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Kendra M. O’Neill
Seller: Wendy W. Fitzgerald
Date: 01/25/16

61 Lemuel Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Harry C. Brandt
Seller: Edward J. Trzepacz
Date: 01/26/16

87 Mount Royal St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Carlos T. Torruella
Seller: Terry L. Vanderwert
Date: 01/29/16

225 Murphy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $149,480
Buyer: Michael E. Fregeau
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 01/25/16

46 Nutmeg Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Larry C. Ball
Seller: Carleen M. Nahorniak
Date: 01/29/16

15 Pleasant St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Michael P. Fitzgerald
Seller: Edna D. Sebor
Date: 01/29/16

37 Reed St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Lisa Letendre
Seller: Bruce A. Leaper
Date: 01/29/16

38 Shepherd St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Marc A. Labrie
Seller: Richard P. Mienkowski
Date: 01/29/16

24 South St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Michelle Doiron
Seller: Cynthia A. Bisner
Date: 01/29/16

67 Wilmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Raymond L. Gagnon
Seller: Larry C. Ball
Date: 01/29/16

EAST LONGMEADOW

71 Bayne St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Frank J. Commisso
Date: 01/26/16

100 Hampden Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Dustin Humphrey
Seller: Douglas F. Blake
Date: 01/27/16

88 Harwich Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Jeremy B. Warren
Seller: Kent D. Anderson
Date: 02/01/16

315 Millbrook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Marullo
Seller: A. Peter Swiderski
Date: 01/28/16

12 Pembroke Terrace
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Jennifer Neal
Seller: Andrew C. Bauer
Date: 01/27/16

217 Pleasant St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Michael A. Rossi
Seller: Steven K. Meher
Date: 01/26/16

HAMPDEN

Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Michael P. Harrigan
Seller: Janice Z. Gallivan
Date: 01/29/16

Mountain Road #3
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Bedrock Financial LLC
Seller: Joseph A. Dolben
Date: 01/25/16

Mountain Road #4
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Bedrock Financial LLC
Seller: Joseph A. Dolben
Date: 01/25/16

Mountain Road #5
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Bedrock Financial LLC
Seller: Joseph A. Dolben
Date: 01/25/16

240 Somers Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Mark Shumway
Seller: Frederick B. Shea
Date: 01/29/16

HOLYOKE

67 Arthur St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $117,313
Buyer: Matthew Peterson
Seller: Maria Padron
Date: 01/29/16

75 Lexington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Aaron G. Earls
Seller: Alice D. Klinge
Date: 01/29/16

378 Linden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Nathan R. Allen
Seller: Nancy Dusek-Gomez
Date: 01/26/16

103-105 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,001
Buyer: International Immobiliare
Seller: 85-105 Lyman Street LLC
Date: 01/29/16

93-95 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,001
Buyer: International Immobiliare
Seller: 85-105 Lyman Street LLC
Date: 01/29/16

239 Madison Ave., West
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Natalia Seng
Seller: Tait, Bruce M., (Estate)
Date: 01/29/16

40 Moss Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: David Morrissey
Seller: Eleanor M. Morrissey
Date: 02/03/16

21 Norwood Terrace
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Louis J. Wesolowski
Date: 01/26/16

427 South Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $720,000
Buyer: TDS Realty LLC
Seller: Windsor Realty LLC
Date: 02/01/16

LONGMEADOW

97 Ashford Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $795,000
Buyer: Adam Kramer
Seller: Richard B. Wait
Date: 01/28/16

61 Longfellow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $283,000
Buyer: Elias Family LP
Seller: Melenkivitz Joseph E., (Estate)
Date: 01/26/16

50 Sunset Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $115,914
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Karen M. Largay
Date: 02/01/16

LUDLOW

218 Cady St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $176,275
Buyer: Adam R. Hawley
Seller: Nathan E. Zajac
Date: 01/28/16

Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: LFP Holdings LLC
Seller: Elizabeth A. Eisold
Date: 01/28/16

59 Fairway Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: David Cambio
Seller: John Pedro
Date: 01/29/16

392 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Buyer: Gary L. Courchesne
Seller: Margaret M. Dovalina
Date: 01/26/16

15 Longview Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Carlos Cortinhas
Seller: Alicinio M. Martins
Date: 01/29/16

38 Valley View Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Marc V. Andre
Seller: Stephen J. Provost
Date: 01/28/16

32 White St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Richard D. Ramsey
Seller: Webster First FCU
Date: 01/29/16

MONSON

36 Harrison Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $122,400
Buyer: Citimortgage Inc.
Seller: Patti Dineen
Date: 01/27/16

25 Lakeshore Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Walter D. Papsedero
Seller: Ian Lawson
Date: 01/29/16

8 Silva St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $161,050
Buyer: William M. Ladue
Seller: Robert F. Arbour
Date: 02/01/16

PALMER

18 Barker St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Billie J. Foskit-Nulph
Seller: Ronald J. Foskit
Date: 01/29/16

18 Memory Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Kenelma D. Rivera
Seller: Laura A. Wolcott
Date: 01/29/16

232 Thompson St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Susan C. Taylor
Seller: Piechota, Shirley A., (Estate)
Date: 02/01/16

SOUTHWICK

22 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Earl J. Murphy
Seller: Mary C. Freeman
Date: 01/25/16

48 Kline Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Dean M. Rankin
Seller: William Z. Derosia
Date: 01/29/16

14 Overlook Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Valiantsin Zhmaidziak
Seller: Pinnacle Estates At Ranch
Date: 01/27/16

87 Powder Mill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Todd M. Crevier
Seller: Xavier Cody
Date: 01/25/16

98 Vining Hill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Charles P. Lippert
Seller: James C. Stellato
Date: 02/01/16

SPRINGFIELD

206 Acrebrook Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Cynthia L. Bailey
Date: 01/25/16

103 Atwater Road
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Glenn E. Lafountain
Seller: Jean A. Omer
Date: 01/28/16

64 Audubon St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $191,184
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Jullian E. Spaulding
Date: 02/01/16

103 Barre St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Raheem D. Ovalles
Seller: Christopher J. Carabine
Date: 01/29/16

102 Bellamy Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: RHL Properties LLC
Seller: Christine M. Gotta
Date: 01/25/16

76 Brittany Road
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $163,900
Buyer: Alma R. Crane
Seller: Joseph R. Sleeper
Date: 02/01/16

52 Bronson Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Kevin M. Lalime
Seller: Marie T. Jablonski
Date: 01/28/16

120 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $182,725
Buyer: Abby L. Evers
Seller: Kelly Vo
Date: 01/27/16

21 Daytona St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Edson J. Navarro
Seller: Rosa N. Bonilla
Date: 01/29/16

30 Eckington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $139,500
Buyer: Frederick Bruce
Seller: Kamari A. Collins
Date: 01/28/16

117 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Iris A. Garcia
Seller: Jose Soto
Date: 01/29/16

161 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $157,400
Buyer: James A. Stotz
Seller: Fawzia M. Curley
Date: 01/29/16

264 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Brianna Santiago
Seller: Michael P. Harrigan
Date: 01/29/16

52 Granby St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Tina M. Ortiz
Seller: R2R LLC
Date: 02/01/16

18 Huron St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Theodore E. Denette
Seller: Patricia A. O’Sullivan
Date: 02/03/16

93 Jeanne Marie St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Karen L. Madden
Seller: Stephen Demorris
Date: 01/28/16

37 Judith St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Israel Maldonado
Seller: Brad Sheehan
Date: 01/29/16

10 Labelle Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: 21st Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Cynthia J. Krautler
Date: 01/25/16

9 Luden St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Giuseppe Leone
Seller: Mark Lepak
Date: 01/26/16

2150 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $2,480,000
Buyer: Memorial Square LLC
Seller: Memorial Square Medical Center Trust
Date: 01/29/16

19 Mattoon St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Ansel C. Erickson-Zinter
Seller: Philip S. Pohlmeyer
Date: 01/29/16

149-165 Mill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $950,000
Buyer: Mill Street Iconic LLC
Seller: Mill St. Innovative Housing
Date: 01/27/16

14-16 Milton St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Neisha Nixon
Seller: Saw Construction LLC
Date: 01/29/16

107 Northampton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Alejandro Rivera-Colon
Seller: All Waste Management LLC
Date: 01/26/16

50-54 Orchard St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Aaron J. Parker
Seller: Sergey Shovgan
Date: 01/29/16

52 Orchard St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Aaron J. Parker
Seller: Sergey Shovgan
Date: 01/29/16

54 Orchard St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Aaron J. Parker
Seller: Sergey Shovgan
Date: 01/29/16

421 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Frank Golfieri
Seller: Colin J. Hetzko
Date: 01/29/16

198 Russell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Joel Quinones
Seller: Equity T Co.
Date: 01/29/16

330 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $138,500
Buyer: TM Properties Inc.
Seller: TM Properties Inc.
Date: 01/25/16

81 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $140,500
Buyer: Justin W. Batchelor
Seller: J. Adams Investments LLC
Date: 01/29/16

265-267 Water St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Bianca A. Bonsu
Seller: Marcia L. Turner
Date: 01/29/16

28 Whitmore Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Kayla Nieves
Seller: Paul J. Zguro
Date: 01/29/16

110 Wilmont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 01/29/16

182 Wrentham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $129,562
Buyer: James W. Fiore
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 02/02/16

WALES

9 Reed Hill Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Anthony R. Ardizzoni
Seller: Robert C. Ardizzoni
Date: 02/02/16

WESTFIELD

101 Birch Bluffs Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Kristen Jemiolo
Seller: Florence R. Godin
Date: 01/29/16

78 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $359,800
Buyer: Joseph F. Neale
Seller: Granville Road LLC
Date: 01/25/16

41 Heritage Lane
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Jason M. Worrell
Seller: David A. Amanti
Date: 01/25/16

110 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Crystal A. Hollister
Seller: Ann M. Polatol
Date: 01/27/16

78 Mountain View St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Edward J. Trzepacz
Seller: Carol R. Witherell
Date: 01/26/16

114 Old Farm Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Susan Joaquin
Seller: Jennifer P. Smidy
Date: 01/29/16

19 Railroad Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Westfield Riverside LLC
Seller: Able Industries Inc.
Date: 01/29/16

53 Scenic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $352,900
Buyer: Marsha J. Del Monte
Seller: Grant K. Moore
Date: 01/28/16

14 Sylvan Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jennifer P. Smidy
Seller: Debra L. Cigal
Date: 01/29/16

259 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Kevin Irujo
Seller: William J. Brown
Date: 01/29/16

87 Western Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Rebecca Knotts
Seller: Kenneth M. Brickett
Date: 01/25/16

43 Willow Brook Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Erin C. Cormier
Seller: Duane P. Desilets
Date: 01/25/16

WILBRAHAM

103 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Steven M. Harper
Seller: Mark W. Gardner
Date: 02/01/16

16 Stirling Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Michael Rust
Seller: David R. Bernstein
Date: 01/28/16

4 Sunset Rock Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Kathleen Demorris
Seller: Thomas E. Lamb
Date: 01/28/16

WEST SPRINGFIELD

14 Brightwater St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $147,900
Buyer: Kimberly A. Paske
Seller: Joshua O. Edwards
Date: 01/28/16

195 Butternut Hollow Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Patrick T. McNulty
Seller: Nancy G. Shields
Date: 01/25/16

136-150 Doty Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $543,750
Buyer: Tariff Realty LLC
Seller: JWS Inc.
Date: 01/29/16

158 Doty Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $181,250
Buyer: Tariff Realty LLC
Seller: JWS Inc.
Date: 01/29/16

604 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Keith J. Lafrance
Seller: Brad A. Whitaker
Date: 01/29/16

112 Wolcott Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Peter Pavalyuk
Seller: Barbara L. Sandman

329 Woodmont St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Bogumil Kazmierczak
Seller: Annette Lancaster
Date: 01/29/16

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

34 Dennis Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $320,500
Buyer: Scott D. Howard
Seller: Joshua Sugiyama
Date: 02/02/16

56 Sheerman Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Lorenzo Sorbo
Seller: Herschel Shohan
Date: 02/03/16

BELCHERTOWN

42 Clark St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Christopher C. Phelps
Seller: David C. Forton
Date: 02/01/16

171 Old Enfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Stephen P. Glaszcz
Seller: Joan F. Geller
Date: 01/29/16

EASTHAMPTON

29 Clark St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $197,950
Buyer: James B. Stillwaggon
Seller: Vanderburgh RET
Date: 02/01/16

3 Lang Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Marie R. Doherty
Seller: Gary F. Golas
Date: 01/29/16

292 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Dar V. Cote-Houghton
Seller: Leah M. Finch
Date: 01/29/16

106 Lovefield St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Brian J. Murphy
Seller: FNMA
Date: 01/29/16

329 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $323,500
Buyer: Amy E. Markham
Seller: Ashtons Acquisitions LLC
Date: 02/01/16

24 Monska Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Ryan A. Hobson
Seller: John Deiling
Date: 01/27/16

52 Williston Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Katie L. Maccallum
Seller: William J. Mohr
Date: 01/29/16

GRANBY

6 Acrebrook Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $202,400
Buyer: Westover Metropolitan Development Corp.
Seller: Daniel J. Carr
Date: 01/28/16

NORTHAMPTON

48 Austin Circle
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $184,500
Buyer: Citimortgage Inc.
Seller: Robert C. Gagne
Date: 02/03/16

88 Front St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Katharine A. Wagner
Seller: Valerie J. Vignaux
Date: 01/29/16

8 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Lyn Cadwell
Seller: Diane Lennox
Date: 01/27/16

66 Loudville Road
Northampton, MA 01027
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Alissa S. Marotto
Seller: Crescione LT
Date: 01/29/16

253 Spring Grove Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $246,670
Buyer: Hanuman E. Goleman
Seller: Gesiorek, Helen P., (Estate)
Date: 01/28/16

383 Spring St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Valerie J. Vignaux
Seller: Dorothy A. Cote-Houghton
Date: 01/29/16

2 Warfield Place
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Ruth Lounsbury
Seller: Kathleen A. McLaughlin TR
Date: 02/01/16

SOUTH HADLEY

81 Searle Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Jeremiah Beaudry
Seller: Richard E. Wojtczak
Date: 01/29/16

73 Woodbridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Joseph T. Lepper
Seller: David E. Turner
Date: 01/25/16

SOUTHAMPTON

9 Eastwood Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $417,000
Buyer: Arkadiusz Jaworski
Seller: William C. Weltlich
Date: 01/27/16

6 Montgomery Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Patrick Schnopp
Seller: Michael R. Wohlers
Date: 01/29/16

Old Harvest Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Dennis J. Aube
Seller: David M. Lepine
Date: 02/01/16

44 Valley Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jonathan P. Labrie
Seller: James R. Labrie
Date: 01/29/16

WARE

6 Hillside Terrace
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: John Chiaravalle
Seller: Valbona Lekani

2 Kingsberry Lane
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Donna Zacharie
Seller: Rachel C. Mace
Date: 01/27/16

WILLIAMSBURG

29 Mountain St.
Williamsburg, MA 01062
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Western New England Lodging
Seller: Karen J. Desalvio
Date: 01/29/16b

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Council Approves Revised MGM Springfield Design

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield City Council approved MGM Springfield’s revised site plan Monday, voting 12-1 in favor of the $950 million casino project and changes that include the elimination of a 25-story hotel tower. Council President Michael Fenton was the sole vote against the altered proposal. MGM will replace the initially planned 25-story hotel tower on State Street with a six-story, 250-room hotel on Main Street. In another change, MGM’s host-community agreement with Springfield allows MGM to move about 54 proposed market-rate apartments from the casino grounds to a location near the casino. MGM Springfield has begun demolition and site preparation for the casino development, which is expected to open in September 2018 and bring thousands of construction and casino jobs to the city.

 

UMass Announces Progress on Renovations

BOSTON — The University of Massachusetts now spends three out of four capital dollars on renovation and repair and has significantly reduced its maintenance backlog in recent years, President Marty Meehan said this week. In a letter submitted to state government leaders, Meehan noted that UMass has gone through a building boom over the past 20 years, largely in response to enrollment and faculty-innovation booms, but said the university over the past decade has placed a significant emphasis on maintenance and renovation. “The building that has taken place across the UMass system has been critical to our ability to step forward and emerge as a great public university. While we have constructed new facilities, we have also recognized the need to repair facilities that aged over the years,” he noted. One of the fastest-growing universities in the nation, the five-campus UMass system experienced a 44% surge in enrollment in the past two decades and built academic buildings and student housing to accommodate the increase of 22,000 students. It also constructed laboratories and other facilities needed as it emerged as a global research university. But UMass also recognized that it had to repair as well as build, Meehan said, and has been guided in its efforts by Sightlines, a company that advises more than 400 colleges and universities across the nation and in Canada on facilities-management issues. In his letter to state government leaders, President Meehan said recent reports from Sightlines show that, between 2009 and 2015, UMass Amherst reduced its project backlog from $2 billion to $1.5 billion, achieving a 25% decrease. UMass Amherst saw deferred maintenance decrease significantly during this period, declining from $869 million to $596 million, for an even larger percentage reduction of 31%. This occurred at a time when backlog at public universities in the U.S. grew by nearly 20%, according to Sightlines. Meanwhile, Sightlines calculates that the UMass system is on course to reduce its current $1.45 billion in deferred maintenance by nearly 40% to $900 million by fiscal year 2019, when the university’s current capital plan concludes. It is also projected that the backlog for the UMass system will decline from $3.2 billion to $2.26 billion over the next three years. Backlog refers to those facilities projects that should be handled over the next decade, and deferred maintenance is the term for projects that need to be addressed within three years. “We are not declaring victory or minimizing the work that lies ahead, but I think it’s important to note that UMass has charted this prudent course,” Meehan said. Added Victor Woolridge, chairman of the UMass board of trustees, “the University of Massachusetts has taken the responsible course in addressing the needs of buildings that in some cases are 40-plus years old. We have taken on issues that we needed to confront in order to be able to provide really good students with the high-quality facilities they need to be able to compete in the contemporary environment.” Among other key points in Meehan’s letter, nearly three-quarters of the current UMass capital program is dedicated to projects that will reduce the five-campus system’s project backlog; since 2008, UMass has included a maintenance reserve for every new building constructed by the university; and enrollment at UMass has increased by 44.5% over the past 20 years, soaring from 51,044 to 73,761 students. Of the 22,717 students UMass has added, 14,673 are in-state students, while out-of-state students increased by slightly more than 8,000.

Mass Insight Education Honors 11 Area Teachers

BOSTON — Eleven teachers in Western Mass. have been honored with Mass Insight Education’s Partners in Excellence Award for helping students take advanced-placement (AP) courses with success as they prepare for college. The winners include Melissa Ferris and Patrice Latrell, Taconic High School, Pittsfield; Carla Comeau and Jennifer Gaudette, Pittsfield High School; Jill Keenan, Jennifer Levesque, and Tawnya Tiskus, Westfield High School; Michelle Fontana, Christopher Rea, and Diana Sands, Ludlow High School; and Marissa Lapointe, Springfield Central High School. The award recognizes 54 Massachusetts AP teachers for their outstanding contributions to student achievement and their dedication to college success during the 2014-15 academic year. The teachers were selected out of a pool of more than 600 AP teachers who participated in Mass Insight Education’s AP STEM and English program. “The teachers Mass Insight supports in AP partnerships across the state are the backbone of the schools’ role preparing students for college success,” said William Guenther, president, CEO, and founder of Mass Insight Education. “We’re very pleased to recognize the AP teacher partners who have produced especially outstanding results with their high-school students.” Mass Insight Education’s content directors selected the teachers based on their ability to increase their students’ access to AP classes, their students’ improved performance on the AP exams, and their students’ resulting college readiness. The award recipients will be honored at Mass Insight Education’s Partners in Excellence Award Celebration on Tuesday, April 5 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Seaport Hotel in Boston. Eric Waldo, executive director of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative, will be the keynote speaker. Each award winner will be recognized for his or her achievement and will receive a check for $1,000. Mass Insight Education (MIE) is a national nonprofit dedicated to improving student achievement and increasing college success through district restructuring and rigorous academic programs. This is particularly important within the urban ‘gateway’ communities in which MIE operates, as youth from economically challenged communities are not as typically afforded the personalized, high-caliber instruction that is provided in the AP environment. Mass Insight Education’s AP STEM and English program encourages more students to take AP classes in an effort to increase their confidence while providing them with the academic skills they need to succeed in post-secondary education. The AP STEM and English program is a key part of MIE’s innovative College Success Campaign. Annually, more than 10,000 students at more than 75 Mass Insight Education partner schools take part in the program. These schools typically double or triple their enrollment in AP classes, and double the number of students earning qualifying scores on the AP exam. To help students prepare for the AP exams, Mass Insight Education supports them in several ways, including hosting a series of weekend classes. The goal is to have students take an AP class as an introduction to the level of work they will need to do in college. The hope is that the experience inspires many to enroll in college who previously thought themselves incapable of that work. Getting a qualifying score earns them college credit, thus allowing them to finish college more quickly and at a lower cost. Statistics show that 78% of Mass Insight Education students who took at least one AP math, science, or English course in high school attended a two- or four-year college after graduating high school. Ninety-three percent continued with two years of college, and 82% either graduated or are still in school four years after graduating from high school. Mass Insight Education also provides extra training for AP instructors to strengthen their teaching skills.

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

FedEx Techconnect Inc. v. Spectrum Crafts Inc., f/d/b/a the Janlynn Corp.
Allegation: Outstanding fees for shipping services: $11,520.28
Filed: 1/5/16

 

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Barbara A. Greco and Patrick A. Barnett v. East Coast Home Inspections, LLC and Mark Steven Roy
Allegation: Negligent performance of home inspection and failure to observe, discover, and report problems in the home: $180,000
Filed: 1/21/16

Frederick Revaz v. Smith & Nephew Inc.
Allegation: Defective manufacture and design of product: $165,882.16
Filed: 1/21/16

JL Construction Corp. v. Applied Underwriters Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $55,400+
Filed: 1/20/16

Tammy Brown v. the Horace Mann Cos. and the Gomes Co.
Allegation: Breach of insurance policy contract for death benefits: $640,000
Filed: 1/14/16

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Commonwealth of MA v. TC, LLC d/b/a Route 9 Diner, Chris Karabestos, Argiris Sideris, Steven Kwak, and Dimitrios Demos
Allegation: Employment discrimination and sexual harassment: $20,000+
Filed: 2/1/16

Connie Going v. Olde Tyme Stuff and Ronald G. Auteuil
Allegation: Non-payment of services and materials: $30,000
Filed: 12/28/15

Global Tech Talent Inc. v. Ready Electronic Data Exchange and Associates Inc., Charles J. Forest, and Andres J. Juarez
Allegation: Suit to recover amounts owed under a credit agreement: $104,855.25
Filed: 1/8/16

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Cole Cabinets Co. Inc. v. James J. Welch and Co. Inc. and Berkeley Regional Insurance Company
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $12,400
Filed: 1/6/16

Marcia Nickerson v. J.C. Penney Corp.
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing injury: $6,371.54
Filed: 12/8/15

Patrick Presto v. Overlook Industries Inc.
Allegation: Violation of wage-and-hour law: $22,423.13
Filed: 1/20/16

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Matthew Matroni v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.
Allegation: Failure to pay plaintiff’s medical payments coverage: $8,224.12
Filed: 12/17/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Broadcast Music Inc. v. Pearl Street Nightclub
Allegation: Balance owed on music license agreement and arbitration award: $11,250
Filed: 1/8/16

Museums Director Presents a Positive Frame of Mind

By
Cover Feature0316a
Cover Story

The Big Picture

Kay Simpson

Kay Simpson

Kay Simpson started working at the Springfield Museums as an intern from Smith College more than 30 years ago, and has subsequently spent her career at the Quadrangle. She’s had many titles on her business card in that time, most recently ‘president,’ after the Museums board dropped the adjective ‘interim’ earlier this month. Simpson arrives at that position at a critical time in the history of the museum complex, one where it will work to use the global popularity of Dr. Seuss to gain recognition and get to the proverbial next level.

Kay Simpson says she was in her office the last Saturday in February, working energetically to clear some paperwork off her desk, when she was told she had a call.

On the other end was a member of Hillary Clinton’s campaign staff. He informed Simpson, president of Springfield Museums, that the Democratic frontrunner wanted to stage a rally in Springfield on the eve of the March 1 primary, and that team Hillary would like to place the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History in the mix as a possible site.

Upon hearing from Simpson that such an event was doable, the caller informed her that there was still some scouting work to be done, and that someone would get back to her.

Someone did, thus setting in motion a wild 48 hours that would culminate in more than 600 people jamming their way into the museum’s SIS Center to hear from the candidate and then vie to be one of the lucky ones to press some flesh.

For Simpson and the staff at the Museums, the visit provided a rare and “fascinating” — a word she used early and often to describe the process — look at campaign machinations and how such a detail-laden event comes together quickly and seamlessly.

More importantly, though, it became an effective — although how effective can be debated — and completely unexpected component of a broad and ongoing effort to raise the profile of the four-museum (and soon to be five) complex and take it to the proverbial next level.

Indeed, Matt Longhi, director of public relations & marketing for the Museums, who tracks such things, said the list of news outlets that mentioned the institution by name in their reporting of Clinton’s visit was lengthy. It includes the New York Times, the Globe & Mail of Toronto, National Public Radio, the Boston Globe (although the front-page story in that publication mentioned only a “Springfield history museum”), the Boston Herald, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the International Business Times, in addition to all the local outlets.

What do all those mentions mean? Simpson said it’s difficult to measure it all and quantify how much it helps provide visibility, but she stated the obvious by noting, “it certainly doesn’t hurt.”

And, as mentioned, the Clinton visit is only one out-of-the-blue element of the profile-raising effort, the largest component of which involves a name with much more star power in Springfield than Clinton — Ted Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. The museum that will bear his name and house many of his works — not to mention some of his famous bowties — is now under construction and expected to open in roughly 15 months. (That timetable for opening, one that has been pushed back from the original plan, will coincide with the 15th anniversary of the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden).

The Welcome Center at the Quadrangle

The Welcome Center at the Quadrangle is slated for renovation and expansion in anticipation of soaring visitorship to be spawned by the new Dr. Seuss Museum.

The Seuss museum is expected to increase visitorship by a full 25%, to more than a half-million annually, Simpson noted, and attract fans of the children’s author from across the country and around the world.

The Seuss museum represents a key opportunity to introduce, or reintroduce, the Quadrangle to generations of people, she added, and thus she and her staff are ultimately charged with making the very most of that opportunity, a challenge she doesn’t take lightly.

“Marketing is just a constant effort for us,” she noted. “But of all the things you can pull out of your toolbox, Dr. Seuss is something you have to take advantage of, something you need to exploit. This is a really exciting opportunity for us.”

The Seuss museum is obviously the top line on the to-do list for Simpson, who has spent her entire career at the Quadrangle, was named interim president last summer, and was recently told by her board to drop the adjective from her business card, which she has.

She told BusinessWest that her ascendency to president — the latest in a series of career opportunities that have kept her at the Springfield landmark for more than 30 years — coincides with a pivotal moment in the institution’s history.

For this issue, she talked about how that moment is likely to unfold, and what it means for the Museums — and the city of Springfield.

Art and Soul

While it was large in scope and logistically challenging in some ways, Clinton’s visit to the Quadrangle was hardly disruptive, said Simpson.

The rally came on a Monday — the Museums are closed to the public that day — and that meant there were no interruptions to schedules or inconveniences for visitors. And although the Museums’ security staff was quite involved with that aspect of the production, Clinton’s staff brought all its own equipment and handled all aspects of the set-up for the event.

“Everything just came together — it was incredible; once they understood our facility, they really took care of things,” said Simpson, adding that this was fortuitous, because she has enough on her plate already.

A rendering of the new Dr. Seuss museum

A rendering of the new Dr. Seuss museum, slated to open in the summer of 2017.

At the top of that list would be a $7 million capital campaign, now in the so-called ‘quiet phase,’ that will fund not only the Seuss museum (a roughly $3.5 million endeavor) but also improvements to the other museums, especially the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum and the welcome center, which must be expanded to accommodate the projected rise in visitorship.

As for the Seuss museum, it has a number of moving parts, everything from the finalizing of exhibits to the construction of an elevator in the historic, but not handicap-accessible, William Pynchon Memorial Building, to finding a home for those bowties, which were purchased by Dr. Seuss Enterprises and donated to the Museums.

Overseeing all this, on top of a host of other responsibilities, represents a quantum leap from Simpson’s first job description at the Museums, the very informal one handed to her as an unpaid intern from Smith College, where she was majoring in Art History.

“I was a volunteer, and it was a great experience — I loved what I was doing,” she said. “And I never left; I kept getting opportunities that kept me here.”

Elaborating, she said there were times over the years when she was presented with opportunities at other, sometimes larger and more prestigious institutions, but circumstances kept her feet planted in the complex off Edwards Street.

“Every time I had entered into a discussion or was asked if I would be interested in applying for a position at another museum, something happened here,” she went on. “So it was really serendipity, and I never thought I’d stay as long as I have. But I really love these museums.”

While her business address has never changed, the title on the business card has, many times, and those positions have enabled her to be a part of almost every aspect of museum management, from education initiatives, which is where she started, to outreach programming; from grant writing to fund-raising. The list of titles she has held over the years speaks to the depth of her experience. It includes education assistant, assistant curator of education, curator of education, public programs administrator, director of museum education, director of education and institutional advancement, and vice president.

It was in that last position, which she assumed in 2010, that she played a key role in setting institutional priorities and strategic planning, and also coordinating the organization’s successful application for accreditation by the American Alliance for Museums in 2013, a designation bestowed on only 6% of the nation’s museums.

Following the departure of Holly Smith-Bove last June, Simpson was named interim president, and soon thereafter was asked by the board to prepare a 90-day plan, with the goal of initiating a search in the fall.

However, when the calendar turned to September, board members instead asked for another 90-day plan, she went on, and in December, they called off plans for a search altogether and unofficially dropped ‘interim’ from her title. It was formally removed last week.

Simpson said she has seen a great deal of change at the Quadrangle over the past three and half decades, including the opening of the Wood museum and the sculpture garden, the launching of the Seuss museum, the centralization of the Quadrangle museums, and a great deal of progress in that historic area of Springfield. And she’s excited about the prospects of helping to write the next chapter.

Display of Optimism

As she used that term ‘next level’ and described efforts to reach it, Simpson said this was not necessarily something quantitative, such as a list of top museums nationally, or even qualitative.

Rather, it represents simply marked, and continuous, progress in efforts to make the Quadrangle a true destination and a big part of efforts to revitalize the City of Homes.

“The obvious goal is more national recognition,” she said in defining ‘next level.’ “The more that we are known on a national level, the more we’ll be appreciated — not only here, in our own backyard, but across the region and the country.

“Our collections are extraordinary, and we’re definitely first-class in terms of our exhibitions and our facilities,” she went on. “For us, the challenge is to become better-known in terms of marketing, in terms of people knowing that we’re here.”

And the Seuss museum, which will be the only one of its kind in the world, is at the very heart of those efforts.

Simpson said many of those who have come to the sculpture garden over the years have done so with expectations of visiting a Seuss museum, and some voice both surprise and disappointment when they find out there isn’t one.

This anecdotal evidence, coupled with the truly global reach and popularity of the children’s author — an estimated 60 million of his books have been sold worldwide — lead to those projections of a 25% increase in visitorship, said Simpson, who believes those numbers are realistic.

And they’re impactful as well, she said, adding that the additional visitors attracted by the Seuss museum will hopefully find not only some or all of the other museums at the site, but other attractions in Greater Springfield as well.

“Many who come to the sculpture garden will express surprise and say, ‘I didn’t know you had four museums here,’” she told BusinessWest, adding that a good number will explore those facilities and the city that surrounds it.

Kay Simpson, seen here in the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History

Kay Simpson, seen here in the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, says the Museums, and Springfield, are poised to become greater destinations.

Another 100,000 or more visitors to the Museums would increase that already-significant impact, she went on, adding that the Quadrangle is thus positioned to be a significant role player in a city-wide resurgence she says is unfolding, exciting to watch, and rewarding to be part of.

“I think the Museums are already a destination, but we can’t be an island; we need to be part of the fabric of the city,” she said, adding that ongoing efforts to create a stronger, more cohesive fabric are very encouraging.

“It’s been very exciting to see the culturally related organizations and other businesses come together and establish the cultural district and get state designation for it,” she went on, in a reference to what’s known officially as the Springfield Central Cultural District, or SCCD, as it’s known to some. “And also all the work that the city of Springfield is doing, including Union Station, the innovation district, the work of the Business Improvement District, and more.

“This collective energy is what will really transform Springfield,” she said in conclusion. “And it’s exciting to think that the Springfield Museums are a big part of that, and that Springfield is on the verge of being able to revitalize and re-energize the city as a destination.”

Brush with Fame

As she walked with BusinessWest and posed for a few photographs in the history museum, Simpson marveled at how quickly and completely all traces of Clinton’s visit had vanished.

The only remaining evidence was a Channel 40 news crew getting some footage for the upcoming 5 o’clock news near the front entrance — yet another bit of exposure for the Springfield Museums.

Future steps to raise the profile of the institution will be more elaborate, detailed, and, hopefully, far-reaching, she said, adding that her focus is on the big picture, in every sense of that phrase.

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

South Hadley Seeks Growth, Collaboration

By
Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

By JACLYN C. STEVENSON

Mike Sullivan

With many key projects completed last year, Mike Sullivan says, the town is now assessing its next moves.

Town Administrator Mike Sullivan said 2016 is shaping up to be a transitional year for South Hadley, but not necessarily a quiet one.

“A lot of projects finished last year,” he said, listing completion of a new library, high school, elementary school, and two new parks among them. “Things are steady. Now we’re assessing where we’re at and where we need to go.”

Several avenues have already been pointed out for the Hampshire County town of 17,000, guided by an expansive, town-wide renewal plan with a focus on creating healthy environments, giving the overall commercial landscape a boost, and collaborating whenever possible with neighboring communities.

The latter has been a necessity for South Hadley since its incorporation in 1775, largely due to geography. It’s in a unique spot; bordered by Hadley, Amherst, Granby, and Chicopee, and separated from Holyoke and Easthampton by the Connecticut River, South Hadley is insulated by a series of canals, rivers, and reservoirs, and isn’t fed by any interstate highways. It’s long depended on cooperation with its neighbors, particularly Holyoke, but with the town on solid footing with some new, positive developments on the horizon, Sullivan said South Hadley is positioned to offer its neighbors plenty in return.

South Hadley formed an official redevelopment authority last year, which is now working out a plan for revitalization that will begin in the area of South Hadley Center — commonly known as ‘the Falls,’ a former mill village with historic industrial roots — and branching out across town from there.

“It’s been a detailed and aggressive endeavor,” he said, noting that the plan will be presented to town meeting this year and, if approved, must then also be accepted by the state in order to access grant funding and other opportunities.

“Like most mill villages, we’re looking to regenerate the community and adapt it to be a cool place. The attempt is not to gentrify the mill village by any means — the attempt is to make it more habitable, safer, and particularly more pedestrian-friendly.”

As arguably South Hadley’s largest presence, Mount Holyoke College — and the college-owned Village Commons and Orchards Golf Club — is an active presence in the town’s revitalization efforts. Kevin McCaffrey, director of Government and Community Relations in the office of the president at the school, said Mount Holyoke has ramped up its community-support efforts of late, ranging from collaborations with the town’s schools to planning assistance for a new network of recreational trails that extends the walkable-town concept across the community.

“Mount Holyoke has very close ties to South Hadley in terms of economic development and revitalization, and we work every day to strengthen our relationship to the community,” he said, noting that, most recently, the college contributed $300,000 toward the Bachelor Brook Stony Brook Conservation Area and constructed a new boathouse with a community-rowing component, among other projects.

“Mount Holyoke is closely involved with South Hadley in planning efforts around issues such as development of new bike- and hiking-trail opportunities to enhance the quality of life for residents and our students alike,” added McCaffrey. “Our local connections, already strong, have strengthened further under President Lynn Pasquerella, who is very committed to community outreach, and should continue to grow under acting President-elect Sonya Stephens.”

Jeffrey Labrecque, chief operating officer of the Village Commons, has a similarly positive view of South Hadley’s overall business picture and how it’s positioned for the coming years. Today, the town has an opportunity to tackle some key issues surrounding growth in the business sector, he said, including increasing the commercial tax base in hopes of reducing the residential tax burden.

“I see business in South Hadley as being very steady, with a sudden increased interest in commercial and retail opportunities and with restaurant growth exceeding expectations,” he said, noting that conditions at the Village Commons reflect this stability; the mixed-use complex with a focus on retail, restaurants, office, and residential space is currently at 98% occupancy.

“On the office side, interest has calmed down, but business is stable. South Hadley’s ‘big little village’ continues to thrive and brings in business from all over the Valley,” he went on. “Most importantly, we are here to stay, we are invested, and we voluntarily support the community, its events, and its goals on a variety of levels.”

The Commons is eyeing possible expansion opportunities of its own, perhaps in the areas of additional leasable space or parking. Any move on the part of the Commons or South Hadley at large, said Labrecque, should be made to ensure a strong position in the local market, and always with an eye toward what’s happening in adjacent towns.

“There is a lot of growing competition in neighboring communities, and the future may very well lead to shared departments and services with neighboring towns,” he said. “We would be remiss in our position to sit back and watch; we need to always be looking for new ways to improve growth.”

Making Paper Tigers

In that regard, Sullivan said South Hadley has recorded a few wins lately. One of the most heralded developments in the Falls recently was the arrival of Mohawk Paper, the largest family-owned producer of envelopes in the country. Mohawk’s plant moved into a group of buildings formerly known as the U.S. Gaylord properties last year, and makes more than a million envelopes a day.

“It was quite a coup,” said Sullivan. “They were looking at plants not only in this region — in Chicopee, Westfield, Holyoke — but also locations in other states, including New Hampshire and Connecticut. We see having them choose South Hadley as a big success.”

What’s more, the properties still have more than 200,000 additional square feet of space available that the town is now actively looking to fill. Labrecque said Mohawk’s arrival was exactly the kind of boon South Hadley was hoping for, and added that he sees several other hot spots for development, including the now-vacant Newton Shopping Plaza.

The Village Commons

The Village Commons, a mixed-use complex of retail, eateries, offices, and apartments, is 98% occupied.

“We’re seeing some great growth on the commercial-industrial side, and I remain hopeful that will support additional commercial interest,” he said. “While there are many areas of concern, I hope that much of the focus goes to Bridge and Main streets and the corner of Newton and Lyman streets. Route 33 from Newton Street to Chicopee also has prime areas of opportunity.”

Labrecque noted that growth in the commercial sector is the ultimate goal, but he does see development in the housing market as one of the town’s most immediate opportunities.

“I foresee huge opportunities, especially in the area of rental housing,” he said. “For some 26 years, the Village Commons has maintained a residential waiting list that at times could exceed 30 anxious prospective tenants. Whether you add housing on Main Street or College Street, there will continue to be a need.”

Sullivan agreed that South Hadley’s residential base is solid, and improvements to its infrastructure are very much on the town’s to-do list, in order to continue to attract residents, visitors, and businesses alike.

“We need to improve the housing stock,” he said. “We’re hoping this spurs investment in other properties from people around them who haven’t invested in years but might start feeling a new level of confidence. We’ve been very aggressive enforcing codes and health and safety regulations, particularly among absentee landlords.”

Age-old Practices

Two separate condominium projects are now underway in town — six units in the former public library through a $1.8 million investment, and plans for a second condo development near the new library building have just been approved, raising that investment in housing to nearly $3 million.

It’s a move that goes back to the overall redevelopment plan for the town — “those are the kinds of gateways you want to make really inviting to have people see the value of the community right away,” noted Sullivan — but development in the housing sector is also one aspect of a larger effort to continue to cultivate South Hadley’s strong niche in the business of aging.

“South Hadley is not an aging community so much as it is a community that is investing in aging,” he said. “Whether the community recognized it or just through happenstance, they have positioned the town very well to be ready for that industry.”

Sullivan listed elder-care businesses including Loomis Communities, Wingate at South Hadley, and Hubert Place, a federally funded supportive housing development for residents 55 and older, as examples.

“There are also early talks happening now regarding the construction of a new senior center for the town,” he went on, “and of becoming a ‘dementia-friendly community,’ a commitment to working with issues around people with changing abilities due to diseases of the brain.”

To that end, April will be Dementia Awareness Month in South Hadley, and the town is now exploring AARP’s Age-friendly Communities program to develop practices for walking, biking, and other outdoor recreation opportunities that are suitable for users of all ages. If approved, South Hadley would be the first community in Western Mass. to hold the title, and Sullivan hopes the focus on creating walkable areas will resonate with residents of all ages.

One project underway is a shift in operations at the town-owned Ledges Golf Club. The course’s general manager will now serve as the town’s recreation director, with the goal of attracting more South Hadley residents to the property for myriad activities year-round, from walking to snowshoeing. Sullivan said he’s also keenly interested in creating a walking path to Holyoke’s train station, less than a mile away from the center of South Hadley.

“People could walk across a bridge and access transportation to New York or Montreal,” he said. “We think that’s one of those cool features that could be an economic catalyst for South Hadley.”

Stakes and Bonds

All of these endeavors demand collaboration within South Hadley and beyond, but Sullivan, McCaffrey, and Labrecque each told BusinessWest that the climate in town is one more accepting than ever of cooperative ideas aimed at cost savings, efficiency, and economic growth.

“We work with the college quite a bit,” Sullivan said, “and we get a lot of cooperation from many surrounding towns, including Granby, Ludlow, Hadley, Chicopee, and particularly Holyoke. Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse understands the connection that exists between the city and South Hadley.”

McCaffrey said Mount Holyoke also sees that link and many others, and is actively creating programming aimed at the revitalization of South Hadley and economic growth region-wide.

“We’re very interested in discussing further opportunities,” he noted. “South Hadley’s economic health and our health as a college are intertwined, and we are always looking for opportunities to strengthen the bonds of South Hadley.”

 

South Hadley at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1775
Population: 17,514 (2010)
Area: 18.4 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential and commercial Tax Rate:    $19.85 (Fire District 1); $20.49 (Fire District 2)
Median Household Income: $46,678
median family Income: $58,693
Type of government: Town Administrator,      Town Meeting
Largest employers: Mount Holyoke College, Loomis Communities, Mohawk Paper
* Latest information available

Bank Branches Evolve to Meet 21st-century Needs

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BankBranchesFeature0316a
Banking and Financial Services Sections

Not Business as Usual

PeoplesBank’s new Northampton branch

PeoplesBank’s new Northampton branch models some of the latest innovations, from ‘green’ construction to two-way video in the drive-up lanes to iPad stations.

When innovations like online and mobile banking began to emerge, banking leaders pondered how they would impact the role of brick-and-mortar branches. Specifically, would customers simply have no need to stop by? The answer to that question, at least so far, has been a resounding no. However, that doesn’t mean branches should stop evolving, say area bank executives who have seen their institutions alter customer interaction in ways both big and small, aiming to provide a more high-tech, yet still highly personalized, experience.

When customers engage the drive-up tellers at PeoplesBank in Northampton, they’re communicating via a video screen. That in itself may not be innovative, but the bank is intrigued by what it could eventually lead to.

“We still have drive-up like a traditional bank, but we have two-way video,” said Stacy Sutton, senior vice president, retail administration. “It’s almost a stepping stone for a future technology — a remote teller. This would be the first step in that process. The customer is getting the personal touch by seeing a teller, but the teller is not necessarily there — they could be back at corporate headquarters in Holyoke, but serving customers here.”

Matthew Bannister, the bank’s vice president, corporate responsibility, compared the idea to how the NFL runs instant replay from one location in New York, with referees from multiple cities around the country communicating with that site.

“It would allow us to have longer branch hours and, from a staffing point of view, more tellers without having to spread them around the area,” he noted.

That’s just one way the bank is looking to the future, discussing concepts and testing out ideas in its customer innovation lab, ideas that may someday be instituted in the branches.

“Technology is always changing, and we’ve got to stay at the forefront of that,” Sutton said. “Of course, not everything we throw against the wall is going to stick or be the best thing for customers or the bank.”

In recent years, questions have arisen in the banking industry about the need for new branches, given the emergence of online and mobile services for customers. But the way PeoplesBank and others see it, branches may be evolving in how they’re designed and what the customer experience is like, but they’re not going away.

“Every customer survey we do says that branches are important to the customer,” Sutton said. “They feel that the brick-and-mortar presence is important. And we do find that they like to come in and see people, have that conversation. That’s why we’re making these offices more inviting places they’ll want to come and stay.”

For example, newer PeoplesBank branches have eliminated teller lines in favor of smaller teller ‘pods’ for a more personal touch. In addition, a quick look around the Northampton branch on King Street — the bank’s newest — reveals refreshment and coffee stands and iPad stations for customers to use, drawing on the facility’s Wi-Fi.

Berkshire Bank

Berkshire Bank has adopted many modern branch-design elements, including teller pods to eliminate counters and lines.

Berkshire Bank has incorporated similar changes in its new branches, said Tami Gunsch, executive vice president, retail banking.

“We’ve enhanced our branch design over the past five years; the new design includes smaller square footage, which allows for a more-personalized experience, greater site-selection opportunities, and overall lower operating costs,” she noted, adding that kiosk-like pods allow customers and tellers to interact quickly without the physical barrier of a teller line. Also like at PeoplesBank, Berkshire customers take advantage of in-branch cafés for coffee and refreshments.

“We have seen the needs of our customers change, with the desire to bank when and where it is convenient for them,” Gunsch noted, explaining why it’s important to make branches more inviting spaces. “Customers want to take advantage of multiple channels to do their banking inclusive of online, mobile, ATM, and branch visits. Meeting their needs is an important component in driving the relationship.”

Checks and Balance

When Connecticut-based Farmington Bank moved into the Western Mass. market, it incorporated some of the same trends adopted by PeoplesBank and Berkshire Bank, including open floor plans and replacing counters and lines with personal bankers serving customers at pods. Its first two offices in the region opened in the fall in West Springfield and East Longmeadow.

Click HERE to view a PDF listing of Banks in Western Mass.

Ken Burns, executive vice president at Farmington, said it was important to get the branch design right because physical locations are critical to a bank’s growth, particularly one new to a region.

“We find that well over 80% of our customers believe branch location in proximity to their house or their work is important for them,” he told BusinessWest. “It’s well-documented that it is very difficult to compete and grow through a geographic area and get new accounts — unless you’re a national competitor with a huge marketing budget — without some sort of physical location, some physical proximity to where your customers are. A lot of statistics drive that; it’s not just a guess.”

That said, Sutton noted, the customer experience is changing as the industry moves to online banking, mobile banking, mobile check deposit, Apply Pay, and other innovations, and those factors are influencing branch design — for example, with the iPad stations.

“We wanted to do something different, and we did a lot of research and looked at a lot of national companies; Apple was one of them,” she said. “We went to the West Coast to see what they’re doing; we took ideas from everyone and have tried to incorporate them into PeoplesBank. We want to be innovative, to introduce new technology to customers, make it inviting to them; we want them to come visit PeoplesBank.”

One shift that has more to do with training than technology is the concept of ‘universal bankers,’ who are able to help customers with a range of tasks, from deposits to loan applications, as opposed to the traditional model, which separates those roles.

“Any one of the employees can help with anything; it doesn’t matter who the customer sees here,” Sutton said, noting that the new Northampton branch is modeling the idea, and other concepts, that will eventually move to other locations. “We hope to take elements of this building and incorporate them in other buildings, such as teller pods, two-way video, anything we see coming down the pike in the future. That is the plan.”

Berkshire Bank has begun to adopt the universal-banker model as well, Gunsch said, emphasizing the need for 21st-century branches to be both high-tech and high-touch.

“The new branch design has evolved to leverage new technology to enhance the customer’s experience in conjunction with our shift to staffing our branches with more universal-banker roles who can address any needs a customer may have, versus needing to deal with multiple team members,” she noted. “This maximizes teamwork through an efficient floor plan.”

Another shift in branch design is actually one being incorporated in myriad types of business — going ‘green’ to maximize energy efficiency and minimize environmental impact. In recent years, PeoplesBank has opened three offices certified by the national LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program.

Indoor and outdoor LEED elements at the King Street location include large windows allowing plenty of natural light, an energy-efficient HVAC system, carpeting and paint products that emit low levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), drought-resistant plantings, a rain garden directing water runoff back into the ground as opposed to drainage systems, and, car-charging stations free to anyone.

In addition, the bank built on an existing site instead of clearing trees from a new property, recycled 98% of all materials from demolishing the existing building, and brought in new building materials from within 500 miles. Other banks in the region have also targeted existing sites for new branches, such as Farmington Bank, which revitalized a landmark building in West Springfield once occupied by the West Springfield Trust Co.

Stacy Sutton

Stacy Sutton says PeoplesBank’s customer innovation lab is always discussing ways to improve the customer experience.

For Peoples, the LEED efforts are part of its well-known environmentally conscious culture. “That’s a core value of PeoplesBank — to be sustainable and eco-friendly,” Sutton said. “It’s great for staff and customers who come into the building.”

She expects other banks to make similar efforts as time goes on, if only because building codes are moving toward green design as a baseline.

“We’ve had positive response to doing these offices,” she added. “I’m sure we’ll continue to ramp up, and we’ll see other people incorporate aspects of this type of building going forward.”

Earning and Learning

Finally, Sutton noted, some branch-design elements are aimed simply at making a bank a community meeting place of sorts. Moveable furniture in the Northampton branch allows the staff to conduct customer-education seminars on anything from first-time homebuying to financial strategies to, yes, environmental topics.

Similarly, Berkshire Bank has incorporated community rooms in many branch locations, available to be used for anything from PTA meetings to birthday parties to Little League sign-ups. “The community room is equipped with Wi-Fi, a large presentation monitor, a conference phone, and the newest gaming systems, all at no cost to the group,” Gunsch said. “This has been a differentiator in our local markets.”

It’s all part of efforts to get people into the branches, she noted.

“Customers have shifted away from being solely reliant on the branch to conducting their banking online. However, the majority of customers still visit a branch location at least monthly,” she told BusinessWest. “Person-to-person interaction remains important to the customer and the financial institution. We believe the branch still matters; we just needed to redefine the branch experience.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

State Announces $9.3 Million in Workforce Skills Capital Grants

By
Daily News

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced $9.3 million in workforce skills equipment grants to 35 high schools, community colleges, and vocational training providers across the Commonwealth for vocational-technical education and training equipment purchases that connect Massachusetts students and residents to economic opportunities in high-demand industries.

“Workforce skills education and training plays an enormous role in economic and personal development by helping residents acquire the skills they need to connect with promising careers,” Baker said. “These vocational-technical education equipment grants will help build stronger communities and a more competitive business environment that ensures more residents have the skills they need to succeed in and support the Commonwealth’s economic future.”

Added Polito, “these workforce-development grants will build bridges between residents seeking careers to build a future on and the employers who need a skilled workforce to grow the state’s economy. Today, too many good-paying jobs are going unfilled because employers are struggling to find skilled employees. This investment in training equipment will enable high schools and community colleges across the Commonwealth to equip students with the skills they need to secure a bright future.”

The Workforce Skills Capital Grant Program is a new initiative of the Governor’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, which seeks to align education, workforce, and economic-development strategies across the state.

Western Mass. recipients of the new round of grants include:

• Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, $465,119 to upgrade and modernize its manufacturing and engineering program, utilizing new hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical controls, materials testing, CNC, and 3-D printing equipment to train students and adult learners for careers in advanced manufacturing, engineering, and biotechnology;

• Dean Technical High School, Holyoke, $393,156 to transform its existing machine technology shop into an advanced-manufacturing shop that aligns with current industry practices and technologies, in order to connect Holyoke students to career opportunities in the Pioneer Valley’s skilled manufacturing workforce;

• Franklin County Technical School, Montague, $52,500 to revamp its computer programming and web-design programs and expand the programs’ capacity to reach adult learners;

• Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, West Springfield, $257,100 to expand the capacity of its recently-founded high school Machine Technology Program, and to extend programming to adult learners, including unemployed and underemployed individuals facing barriers to employment;

• McCann Technical School, North Adams, $121,128 to revamp its welding and metal-fabrication equipment to train students for careers in Berkshire County’s aerospace, defense, commercial, medical-device, and power-generation industries, and enable re-training for unemployed workers;

• Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy, Springfield, $441,500 to launch a new program to equip students with the skills to enter the construction workforce, including training with heavy equipment; and

• Springfield Technical Community College, $499,785 to enhance training in its Laser Electro-Optics and Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Technology programs by creating an advanced-laser-machining laboratory and a one-year Laser Materials Processing Certificate of Completion, in order to meet the needs of the Commonwealth’s rapidly growing laser-manufacturing industry.

Commercial Projects Coming to Fruition in Palmer

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Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

From left, Linda Leduc, John Rahkonen, and Charlie Blanchard

From left, Linda Leduc, John Rahkonen, and Charlie Blanchard say Northern Construction’s new, $1 million office building contains cutting-edge technology that will help the company stay competitive.

The scope of economic development in Palmer is so diverse that Charlie Blanchard had to make a list to ensure he didn’t forget any major projects when he spoke about them with BusinessWest.

“We have a lot of commercial activity taking place. There has also been an increase in high-tech manufacturing; new medical office space is being developed, and we have a new recreational motorsports raceway,” said the town manager. “Progress continues in Three Rivers, and we are working to revitalize the Thorndike Mills.”

Linda Leduc, the town’s planner and economic development director, added that projects that were permitted years ago are coming to fruition, and commercial properties that sat on the market for years are finally being purchased.

“I’ve seen a 180-degree turnaround this year, and it has brought a multitude of new jobs to Palmer,” said Leduc, who attributes recent growth to a resurgence in the economy.

And, as she noted, change and progress is taking place in all parts of the community, including the Palmer Industrial Park in Bondsville.

Blanchard said Detector Technology Inc. needed room to expand and purchased a building from Wayne Buxton, who was using it to house his ShedWorks Inc. business.

“Wayne needed to downsize but wanted to stay in Palmer, so he kept half the lot and built a new, smaller structure on it,” Blanchard noted.

The decision reflects a trend he and Leduc are seeing: businesses are choosing to stay in Palmer, whether they are downsizing or expanding, if they can find appropriate space — a pattern town officials believe is based on the town’s location, competitive tax rate, good school system, and excellent municipal services.

“We’re right on the Mass Pike, which is ideal for businesses and for their customers coming from the east and west,” Blanchard said, adding that interviews with owners and executives of 16 companies showcased in a 2014 promotional video titled “Industry Alive in Palmer: An Inside Look at Local Businesses” showed they are happy with the educated workforce in the area and have dedicated, exemplary employees.

Growth is also occurring in the downtown area known as Depot Village, which is the first commercial district travelers encounter after they exit the Turnpike. It’s a prime commercial area and the place where O’Reilly Auto Parts chose to expand their New England presence.

“They purchased a vacant building on 1569 North Main St. that had been an eyesore for years,” Blanchard said. The old structure was demolished, and a new, state-of-the art distribution center has been built on the lot.

In addition, the American Legion building on 1010 Thorndike St. was purchased by Fire Service Group two days after it went on the market last May; the company was located in a smaller building in town but wanted to expand.

Meanwhile, Michael’s Party Rentals is moving from Ludlow into the former home of Baldyga’s Auto and RV Sales Inc. on 1221 South Main St. Company President Michael Linton said he purchased the 20,000-square-foot building in early January, and it is undergoing a substantial renovation.

“We’re building a showroom and design center so that we have a dedicated space where wedding planners, brides and grooms, and corporate clients can see our inventory and design capabilities,” he noted. “We’re also adding office space, as there wasn’t any in the building, and plan to install a $60,000, state-of-the-art tent-washing machine which will allow us to clean the tents we rent with less labor.”

The cost of the building, renovation, and new machine are expected to total about $712,000, and Linton anticipates moving in May or June when it is complete.

“My entire staff is excited. We are extremely cramped in our current location and looked for a building for two years,” he continued. “A combination of factors led to the decision to relocate in Palmer: the price of the building, its access to the Mass Pike, Palmer’s commercial tax rate, and the proximity to my home in Sturbridge.”

For this, the latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest looks at the many reasons why development is occurring in Palmer, and the various forms it is taking.

Progress Report

While Baldyga’s sold its property for the Michael’s relocation, the business didn’t leave Palmer; Blanchard said the owner purchased an empty lot on Park Street and has plans to construct a new, smaller building on the site, which is in the permitting stage.

In addition, a former Knights of Columbus hall was purchased last fall by Joe Kelley of Angelica Properties. It sits on the corner of Route 32 and River Road and had been for sale for more than a year; it is currently in the permitting stage, and the plan is to renovate it and turn it into state-of-the art medical office space.

Meanwhile, Northern Construction Service Inc. is another company that has chosen to expand in Palmer. About three years ago, owner John Rahkonen purchased a lot adjacent to the business that contained a mini-golf course and batting cages. They were demolished, and a new, state-of-the-art, 7,400-square-foot building, which cost about $1 million, opened in early February.

The company has grown from a $2.5 million operation in 1994 to a $45 million to $50 million business today, and although Rahkonen has two other locations, the new office space, which features skylights and advanced technology, was critical to continued success.

Today, the business occupies about 12 acres, but Rahkonen wishes there were more space available in Palmer so he could continue to expand there.

“I could use another 10 acres,” he told BusinessWest, adding that he agrees with town officials that Palmer’s location is ideal due to its access to key roadways. “We’re in the middle of the state, an hour from Boston and the New York border, and 40 minutes from Hartford. Interstate 91 is around the corner, the Mass Pike is here, and I-84 is 20 minutes down the road.” The company’s work requires moving heavy machinery all over New England, up to the Canadian border, and as far away as White Plains, N.Y., as well as to Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard, so access to a multitude of roadways is helpful.

The town also boasts a new recreational facility called Palmer Motorsports Park. It opened last May on a 500-acre tract of land, and since that time, Road & Track magazine has named it as one of the top 10 racetracks to drive on in North America.

However, it was one of the aforementioned projects that didn’t get off the ground for years due to the flagging economy.

“The Sports Car Club of America permitted the site for a sports motorpark in 2007 because they wanted a track in the Northeast,” Blanchard explained. But the land was not developed until 2012 when club member and private investor Fred Ferguson built the multi-million-dollar recreational facility with its 2.3-mile track, which has since brought new people to Palmer and had a beneficial impact on businesses in the north end of town.

As noted earlier, it is just another of a slew of projects that is expanding and diversifying the economy of a community that just three years ago was pinning its hopes on a resort casino.

New Initiatives

Efforts to revitalize the Thorndike Mills, situated north of Depot Village, are another example of continued progress.

The property consists of seven linked mill buildings that contain 90,000 square feet and sit on 15 acres. They were once home to the thriving Diamond Cascade Manufacturing Co. but have been vacant since 2000, although a hydropower turbine operation has been installed at the site.

“The hydro units are under the floors because the canal runs beneath the buildings,” Leduc said, noting that some units are also located near the dams. But, despite the fact that she has worked with the mill owners for more than a decade to find new uses for the property, they couldn’t seem to make any progress.

However, new hope was generated last fall, thanks to state Sen. Anne Gobi, who was instrumental in introducing them to the Central Mass. Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC), whose work includes revitalizing the Warren Mill in West Warren, the Hardwick Knitters Mill in Hardwick, the Holland Road Mill in Sturbridge, and now, Palmer’s Thorndike Mill.

Leduc said a tour of the properties was conducted last fall as part of a larger project that includes the Jefferson Mill in Holden.

“We’re working with the CMRPC, MassDevelopment, and the Mass. Department of Housing and Community Development,” she noted. “It’s an interesting and important collaboration because these mills are significant historic structures. Our mill was once the center of Thorndike Village.”

The Center for Economic Development at UMass Amherst is also involved, and will hold a conference titled “The Future of the Massachusetts Mill Community” on April 12 in the campus center. In addition, UMass Professor of Planning John Mullin and a group of his students are working to identify common themes shared by these mills.

“We were on our own for years, so it’s wonderful to have this support,” Leduc said.

Growth is also occurring in Three Rivers, and collaborative efforts to revitalize Main Street are coming to fruition, thanks to work by the consortium On the Right TRACK (the acronym stands for Three Rivers Arts Community Knowledge).

Partners include North Brookfield Savings Bank, Palmer officials, the Palmer Historical and Cultural Center, the Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce, the Palmer Redevelopment Authority, and the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp., all of which have been working to build a cultural and creative economy that will attract visitors.

Alice Davey, the town’s community development director, noted that the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp. was successful in its bid to win a $13,500 Adams Art Grant for fiscal years 2016 and 2017, and the town completed a market-assessment and business-recruitment tool as well as a feasibility study showing that a building on 2032 Main St. obtained through the tax-title process has potential for redevelopment.

In addition, Davey said, “Palmer also signed a Community Compact agreement with the Commonwealth which will provide us with assistance. We’re taking positive steps forward, and many things are in the planning stages.”

The town also boasts five solar farms, and permits for four new ones have been issued. The newest operations include a five-megawatt farm on the grounds of the former Palmer Metropolitan Airfield that went online last February. It was built by Borrego Solar and is financed, owned, and operated by Syncarpha Capital.

In addition, a 4.8-megawatt operation on Baptist Hill Road, which was developed by Blue Wave Capital and is owned by Sun Edison, went online earlier this month. Blanchard said the town will purchase 2.8 megawatts of the generated electricity, which will meet 100% of its municipal needs and should result in a 20% to 30% savings on its electric bill.

Positive Outlook

Overall, officials expect growth in Palmer to continue. “There is so much going on here, and we are touching so many areas of the economy that are growing,” Blanchard said.

As a result, optimism is running high as new ideas to revitalize the Thorndike Mills are brought forward, and the creative economy in Three Rivers, the new racetrack, and a host of other growing enterprises attract people to “the town of seven railroads” from many different roadways.

 

Palmer at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1775
Population: 11,049 (2015)
Area: 32.14 square miles
County: Hampden
Tax Rate (Residential and Commercial): Palmer, $21.27; Three Rivers, $22.19; Bondsville, $22.13; Thorndike, $22.30
Median Household Income: $50,050
Family Household Income: $58,110
Type of government: Town Manager; Town Council
Largest Employers: Baystate Wing Hospital; Camp Ramah of New England; Big Y World Class Markets

* Latest information available

 

 

The Need for Cyber-liability Insurance Keeps Rising

By
CyberInsurance
Insurance Sections

Everyone’s a Target

HackInsurance

While major data breaches in the world of retail make the splashiest headlines — understandable, when, like the 2013 Target hack, they compromise the records of tens of millions of customers — the truth is, the vast majority of cybercrime incidents are aimed at businesses with fewer than 100 employees. That’s where cyber-liability insurance comes in — products that not only protect companies from the myriad financial effects of a breach, but help them understand where their risks may lie, and how they can close the more dangerous gaps.

Bill Grinnell said he recently spoke with the owner of a construction-related business who was hit with a malicious program that froze his company’s computers and followed up with an extortion demand.

“More hacks are happening every day,” said Grinnell, president of Webber & Grinnell Insurance in Northampton. “You wouldn’t think of him as the type of business that might traditionally need cyber-liability insurance, and now he’s facing all these costs — having a company come in to get the computers up and running, potential lost business income if they can’t perform their jobs without what’s stored on the computers, then the cost of the extortion and potentially notifying people, all the customer-relations issues.

“That was eye-opening to me,” he went on. “Any business out there that has any type of sensitive records critical to the running of the business potentially needs this type of coverage.”

The good news, Grinnell said, is that businesses are more aware than ever about the threats that lurk behind seemingly safe computer screens.

Bill Grinnell

Bill Grinnell says cyber-liability insurance used to be a hot topic only in certain industries, like financial services, healthcare, and retail — but that’s changing.

“It’s a relatively new insurance coverage, and it’s still evolving. We certainly talk a fair amount about it with clients interested in purchasing coverage, and demand is definitely increasing,” he went on, noting that, until recently, cyber liability wasn’t a hot topic outside of the retail, medical, and financial-services industries, but it’s becoming clearer that many other types of enterprise are at risk.

In a recent article on its website, Ross Insurance Agency in Holyoke noted that incidents like the Target breach in 2013 (70 million customer records exposed) and the Neiman Marcus breach around the same time (1 million customers affected) won plenty of headlines, yet a 2012 Verizon study revealed that 71% of breaches occur in businesses with 100 or fewer employees. Meanwhile, according to cybersecurity company McAfee, almost 90% of small and medium-sized U.S. businesses don’t use any form of data protection.

“This is one of the most forefront issues we have, something we talk about all the time,” Kevin Ross, vice president of Ross Insurance, told BusinessWest. “Coverage is becoming more widely available and broader in scope. We have not experienced any losses here with our clients, but we do know it’s a serious threat that can cause serious financial harm. Just because you haven’t had a fire doesn’t mean fire insurance isn’t important. We protect the financial integrity of clients from loss, and those losses could be severe.”

Indeed, cybercrime costs American businesses more than $100 billion per year, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“Lack of an incident can breed complacency. Companies think they’re OK, but lack of an event doesn’t mean they’re OK; it doesn’t mean they’ve done a good job,” said Bill Trudeau, president of the Insurance Center of New England (ICNE) in Agawam, adding that, while certain organizations have more to lose because of their customer exposure, almost all companies save employee data digitally.

Bill Trudeau

Bill Trudeau says hackers are always thinking up new ways to breach systems, and employers have to be prepared.

“Even in a small company, one that makes widgets and gets paid with checks, you could have some data-breach exposure with your employees, so it’s worth reviewing what kind of access you have,” he said. “If it happens to your 200 employees, it’s not going to be a heartwarming experience for you and your employees. You need to take a hard look at your computers and how you transmit information.”

Hefty Cost

According to the Ponemon Institute, which has been reporting on the cost of cybercrimes for the past several years, the cost to a company that falls victim to a data breach is $188 per record breached. Yet, business- and property-insurance policies typically exclude data risks from their terms, which has contributed to the emergence of cybersecurity insurance as a separate, standalone line of coverage.

That coverage typically protects against a wide range of losses that businesses may suffer directly or cause to others, and these come in two forms: first-party and third-party losses. Grinnell explained that third-party losses involve regulatory fines and lawsuits brought by affected customers, while first-party losses are what the business itself incurs up front, such as business-income loss, data-retrieval services, downtime, and notification of customers, to name a few. On average, first-party losses average about one-third of a breached company’s expenses.

“In a lot of small data breaches, say in a small store or a doctors’ office with 10 doctors, most costs are first-party costs,” Trudeau explained. “Then, later, you’re going to have liability claims because maybe someone did get injured, their identify got stolen, you may owe them compensation, or they could end up suing you, despite all your efforts. So a good cyber policy or data-breach policy has both coverage for first-party costs and a liability component that pays for these different injuries that have occurred.”

Some cybersecurity-insurance carriers pose a long series of questions on their application forms about the details of a company’s exposure to data risk, Trudeau said, and if the underwriter isn’t satisfied with the answers, they may not write the policy until certain practices have been changed and safeguards put in place.

Go HERE to download a PDF chart of the region’s Insurance Companies

“When it comes to a data breach which has occurred, a lot of what you do to take action up front can reduce your liability. If you self-report to authorities and if you have a turn-key response to it, that’s good,” he went on, noting that carriers that specialize in this type of coverage, like Beazley and Chubb, have turn-key response operations as part of the policy. “They’ve got forensic computer analysts that get into the system and see what went wrong, public-relations people who understand this issue — it’s not their first time trying to calm customers and the public as to what went wrong with your organization — and they also have third-party notification operations.”

Trudeau recommends that businesses hire a third party to poke around their computer systems and challenge their operations when necessary.

“People get used to their own surroundings and don’t know what they don’t know,” he said. “Just because you think your business isn’t super attractive to hackers doesn’t mean they’re not going to pick you. I think it’s important that people are always challenging their IT department or IT vendor, saying, ‘is this the best form of firewall?’

In fact, he added, ICNE works with a company that will provide an ethical hacker, which is someone not out to steal data, but to break into a system and then show the business what they found and how they got in.

“There has to be a discussion with the client about what they’re doing, how they’re identifying threats,” Ross added. “Everyone needs to be aware of it. Any time you’re dealing with any type of customer information, especially dealing with credit cards, Internet sales, anything that has to do with the web in any form or fashion, you could be exposed to liability should you be hacked and clients’ information be exposed. That’s the threat.”

Knowledge Is Power

The impact on businesses can be severe and long-term, the report noted, citing an Economist Intelligence Unit consumer survey conducted in 2013. It found that 18% of respondents had been a victim of a data breach, and, of those individuals, 38% said they no longer did business with the organization because of the breach. Meanwhile, 46% said they advised friends and family to be careful of sharing data with the breached company.

However, data breaches don’t always have malicious origins. According to the data breaches it serviced in 2013 and 2014, Beazley reported that the two most common sources of breaches are unintended disclosure, such as misdirected e-mails and faxes (31%), and the physical loss of paper records (24%), which is particularly prevalent among healthcare organizations.

Breaches due to malware or spyware represented only 11% of breaches in 2013 and 2014, but they have been increasing, the firm reported, with the total number of breaches in this category growing by 20% between 2013 and 2014. Due to heavy forensics costs — money spent to find out exactly how the breach occurred — these breaches are on average almost five times times more costly than unintended disclosure.

Still, considering the sheer number of cases of accidental data exposure, employers can take steps to prevent data theft, Ross noted. These include protecting every computer connected to the Internet or the internal network with anti-virus and anti-spyware software (including any laptops that connect wirelessly); installing security-software updates promptly to stay ahead of hackers; securing the company’s wi-fi network by requiring passwords or even configuring the wireless access point or router to hide the network name; securing computers and network components and requiring log-on passwords for all employees; and continually educating employees on security guidelines for computer, network, database, e-mail, and Internet usage, as well as penalties for violating those guidelines.

“The bad guys are always thinking up new things. It’s important to stay on top of it,” Trudeau added, noting that data breaches may not be doubling or tripling in frequency year over year, but they are rising slowly. The financial industry alone saw 642 incidents in 2014.

As a result, “the  number of people willing to buy data-breach insurance continues to increase year after year, as more customers start seeing it as something that should be part of their insurance portfolio,” he went on. “You need to be vigilant of the fact that someone may have come up with some way to hurt your organization that you’re not aware of yet.”

Grinnell told BusinessWest that there’s still too many holes out there, due to nothing more complicated than complacency.

“A lot of people think it it’s big businesses getting hacked — ‘they won’t get me.’ I think that’s beginning to change, but there’s a long way to go,” he said. “We need to get the word out and let people know the exposures that lurk out there and help them address them, both through insurance means and making sure they have the proper firewalls in place to prevent attacks as much as possible.”

In other words, anyone can be a Target, and there’s ample evidence that some common-sense precautions — and perhaps a well-written insurance policy — can go a long way.

Joseph Bednar can be reached a  [email protected]

Bounce! Provides a Lift for Old Cinema Complex

By
Commercial Real Estate Sections

Getting a Jump on the Competition

Bill Merrill, center, with fellow managing partners Rob Doty (left) and Greg Morgan

Bill Merrill, center, with fellow managing partners Rob Doty (left) and Greg Morgan, expect things to be hopping at Bounce!

It was property basically slated to go dark. That was the fate awaiting the closed cinema complex at the Springfield Plaza … until a group of entrepreneurs with some imagination commenced a process to make it a part of a new wave in business and recreation — trampoline sports. Early returns suggest the facility known as Bounce! was a leap worth taking.

Bill Merrill couldn’t help himself.

When asked how many young people — and some maybe not so young — he expects to see at his new venture, Bounce! Trampoline Sports, on a given day, week, or month, he started by saying, “well, when the place is hopping…’” in a voice that would indicate that he’s used the pun many times before.

Which he probably has. In fact, Merrill would be considered a veteran in this still very young business of trampoline sports — this is his second franchise with the firm Bounce! — and that experience helps explain why he endeavored to bring this concept to Springfield.

And it certainly helped him answer that earlier question. Indeed, Merrill would go on to do that math a little later — he’s anticipating perhaps 150,000 to 200,000 ‘jumpers,’ as they’re called, on an annual basis. In the meantime, he speculated that this establishment, carved out of roughly half the old cinema complex at the Springfield Plaza, will in fact be hopping.

That’s because there isn’t a facility like it in Western Mass., and there are only a few within a 50-mile radius. Meanwhile, a detailed demographic analysis revealed that the Greater Springfield area has the requisite large population of individuals ages 6-18 to make something like this work.

So the $1.5 million investment Merrill and several partners made was not exactly a huge leap from an entrepreneurial standpoint — pun fully intended.

However, it was, and is, a highly imaginative and rather involved reuse of some underperforming commercial real estate, and a gambit that became reality soon enough to keep the competition from … well, jumping in ahead of him.

Merrill, who is also a franchisee with the third Bounce! location, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., told BusinessWest that trampoline sports — another of those entrepreneurial trends that has moved from the West Coast to the Northeast — had been gaining considerable steam in New York and New England over the past several years. And he certainly wasn’t the only one scouting sites in the Springfield area, which was among the largest metropolitan areas in the Northeast that did have such a facility at the time.

Those searches were essentially called off, though, when Merrill and his partners went public with their plans at the closing on the lease last June.

Go HERE to find a listing of available commercial properties in Western Mass.

That was just as preliminary design work at the site was beginning, to be followed by extensive interior demolition and new construction that commenced in August and took five months to complete. Bounce! opened its doors on Jan. 29 and staged a grand opening a week later.

Early returns have been solid, and when he talked with BusinessWest, Merrill was looking ahead to the February school vacation as an effective barometer when it comes to whether his math — and his instincts — were right.

He thinks they’re on the money — literally and also figuratively — and he believes the Springfield complex has the facilities, location, and demographic footprint to be among the most successful trampoline centers in the country.

“I can say that because I’ve been to a lot of these parks,” he said. “This one is truly exceptional.”

For this issue and its focus on commercial real estate, BusinessWest takes a look at this different kind of business and how it has brought new life to a piece of property that was slated to go dark and sit idle.

Predicting an Early Spring

Bill Low, a broker with the Springfield-based commercial real-estate firm NAI Plotkin, said Merrill first approached him about finding a location for a trampoline-sports facility more than a year ago.

He didn’t appreciate then just how difficult it would be to secure a home for such a business, but it didn’t take him long to grasp the magnitude of the challenge.

It would come in several parts, but center on three main ingredients — location (that’s a priority for any retail business), parking, and finding the requisite open spaces and, especially, high ceilings — at least 20 feet is required.

“You need a specific type of property for this,” he noted. “And we launched an extensive search across this area. But there just weren’t many locations that fit the profile.”

Obstacle course at Bounce!

Obstacle course at Bounce!

In other parts of the country, and even Eastern Mass., warehouses have been successfully transformed into trampoline centers, said Merrill, and a few of those were considered in this region.

But, generally, they either lacked the proper dimensions, were located in out-of-the-way industrial areas, had insufficient parking, or a combination of the above. Other than that, they were ideal.

Other types of facilities were considered, such as the former Circuit City location at the corner of Parker Street and Boston Road in Springfield, as was the prospect of building to suit, said Merrill, adding that none of the apparent options on the table were very attractive, pricewise and otherwise. And that’s when another alternative emerged, seemingly from out of nowhere.

Actually, it emerged in the view out the window of the 99 Restaurant at the Springfield Plaza, where the various players in the bid to bring Bounce! to Springfield were having lunch and discussing various options, including the possibility of building a facility on a pad site at the plaza across the street from the restaurant.

That’s when the subject of the cinema complex came up, with Merrill soon learning it had just been acquired by Cinemark, owner of the theater complex on Riverdale Street in West Springfield and others in the region, with plans to place a deed restriction on it to essentially keep additional competition from entering the market.

“They told me the plan was to have that building go dark, and my jaw dropped,” said Merrill, adding that he was dismayed at the prospect of opening a new business next door to such a dormant hulk.

Fast-forwarding a little, the discussion shifted to perhaps leasing a portion of the former theater complex, which, with this use in mind, was eventually sold back to Springfield Plaza owners the Davenport Companies and Albany Road Real Estate as a site for Bounce!

Working with Shelburne Falls-based architect Joe Mattei, Merrill and fellow managing partners Rob Dory and Greg Morgan soon took their concept from their imaginations to the drawing board, and then to the big screen — well, nine of them, actually, comprising roughly 35,000 square feet of jumping space.

That’s how many of the old theaters were leveled, in every sense of that construction term, to make way for a host of different experiences for those aforementioned jumpers.

There are several party rooms, for example, which, as that name implies, are smaller rooms designed to host birthday parties — a few dozen have already been booked — and other gatherings. There are also larger, general bouncing rooms, carved out of the larger theaters, including one with three basketball hoops set at various heights to test those who can now dunk thanks to a lift from a trampoline.

There is a room for younger children, complete with a bounce house, and two so-called Xtreme rooms. There, visitors can find American Ninja Warrior-style obstacle courses of varying levels of difficulty. There are also spaces for dodgeball games on trampolines, an activity that is growing in popularity, said Merrill.

The Springfield location hopes to draw from a wide area ranging from Northern Connecticut to New Hampshire; from the Berkshires to the western fringes of Worcester County, he went on, adding that, while young people and families comprise the primary target audiences, the facility is also hoping to draw students from the many colleges and universities across the area.

He notes that both geographic location and the quality of the venue are factors that will play into those expectations.

“Bounce! is really the Cadillac of this business,” he said. “There are several people doing this now, but these facilities set the standard.”

Uplifting Experience

Whether that standard will translate into business success remains to be seen, but all signs seem to indicate that this facility will indeed be hopping.

And if that’s the case, then it will mean a much different fate for a location that had seen the lights go out and was looking at a fairly dark future.

George O’Brien can reached at [email protected]