Construction Archives - Page 2 of 53

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank issued its 2018 annual Corporate Green Report in recognition of Earth Day 2018. Through its green values and actions to support environmental sustainability, PeoplesBank believes it can help make the region a healthier place to live, work, and raise a family, and puts these values to work throughout the year through its charitable donations and volunteerism. PeoplesBank is also recognized for its support of green-energy projects and its construction of LEED-certified offices.

“Our green values date back to when we helped Holyoke Gas & Electric replace hydroelectric generators years ago,” said Thomas Senecal, president and CEO of PeoplesBank. “That sustainable-energy source still provides electric power for four of our offices, including our headquarters in Holyoke.”

During the past year, the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) of Massachusetts named PeoplesBank a winner of the Sustainable Business of the Year award. For the fourth year in a row, voters throughout Hampshire County named PeoplesBank the Best Local Green Business in the 2017 Daily Hampshire Gazette Readers’ Choice poll.

The bank also continued a multi-year commitment of more than $65,000 in funding for green initiatives in Western Mass. Those initiatives include support for an existing mobile farmers market in Springfield and the launch of a new one in Holyoke, the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) Food for All campaign, the Center for EcoTechnology, Grow Food Northampton’s community garden, the Source to Sea Cleanup of the Connecticut River (support of this effort will also include hands-on participation by a team of volunteers from the bank), the Mount Holyoke Wetlands Restoration project, and scientific environmental education at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment.

PeoplesBank is also a longtime leader in sustainable-energy financing, and the bank’s commercial lenders are recognized for their expertise in creating financing packages for green-energy power generation. To date, the bank has financed more than $166 million in wind, solar, and hydroelectric power-generation projects, an increase of $40 million in just one year.

PeoplesBank also has a LEED Gold-certified office in Northampton, a LEED Gold-certified office in West Springfield, and a LEED Silver-certified office in Springfield. The LEED-certified office in Springfield, the first of its kind in the city, won a GreenSeal from the city of Springfield. PeoplesBank has also installed electric-vehicle charging stations at three offices, in Northampton, West Springfield, and Holyoke. In addition, the bank is a past winner of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts Sustainability Award, which recognizes excellence in environmental stewardship, promotion of social well-being, and contributions to economic prosperity.

Sonya Stephens Appointed President of Mount Holyoke College

By BusinessWest Staff April 24, 2018

SOUTH HADLEY — Sonya Stephens, the acting president of Mount Holyoke College, has been named the college’s 19th president, effective July 1. The Mount Holyoke College board of trustees announced its decision to appoint Stephens on April 23 after an extensive presidential selection process that began in January. A formal inauguration will be held in September. The decision was unanimous.

Stephens was made acting president in July 2016. During her tenure, she has overseen the implementation of the Plan for Mount Holyoke 2021 and been focused on ensuring the college’s long-term financial stability. Other key efforts include the creation of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative, which led to the annual BOOM! (Building on Our Momentum) learning conference and to the hiring of the college’s first chief diversity officer.

Stephens led the development of the college’s comprehensive self-study for re-accreditation by the New England Assoc. of Schools and Colleges, and launched the Community Center construction and the opening of the Dining Commons. She is also overseeing the college’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality by its bicentennial in 2037.

“I am truly honored by the board’s decision, by the confidence that they and the broader community have placed in me, and by this opportunity to lead Mount Holyoke College,” Stephens said. “The shared commitment to the success of our students; the intellectual vibrancy of this community; the freedom to think, speak, and engage in ways that are always candid, challenging, and fulfilling; and the traditions and connections across generations all make this an exceptional place to live and to learn. Our mission and purpose are more relevant than ever. I could not be more excited about the next chapter in Mount Holyoke’s long history of excellence.”

United Financial Bancorp Announces First-quarter Earnings

By BusinessWest Staff April 18, 2018

HARTFORD, Conn. — United Financial Bancorp Inc., the holding company for United Bank, announced results for the quarter ended March 31, 2018.

The company reported net income of $15.8 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, compared to net income for the linked quarter of $9.5 million, or $0.19 per diluted share. The company reported net income of $13.7 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2017.

“I am pleased to report 15% year-over-year earnings per diluted share (EPS) growth, along with 10% growth in total deposits, and 9% growth in non-interest bearing deposits, total tangible book value plus dividend returns, and loans year over year. Asset quality, capital, and liquidity remain strong and stable,” said William H.W. Crawford IV, CEO and president of the company and the bank. “I would like to thank our United Bank teammates and directors for their continued, steadfast focus on servicing our customers and communities.”

Assets totaled $7.07 billion at March 31, 2018 and decreased $45.5 million, or 0.6%, from $7.11 billion at December 31, 2017. At March 31, 2018, total loans were $5.38 billion, representing an increase of $42.3 million, or 0.8%, from the linked quarter. Changes to loan balances during the first quarter of 2018 were highlighted by a $30.8 million, or 2.6, increase in residential real-estate loans; a $17.7 million, or 6.0%, increase in other consumer loans; a $6.6 million, or 8.5%, increase in commercial construction loans; and a $5.9 million, or 0.7%, increase in commercial business loans.

The company observed an $11.6 million, or 0.6%, decrease in investor non-owner-occupied commercial real-estate loans; and a $2.9 million, or 0.6%, decrease in owner-occupied commercial real-estate loans, which were attributable to higher payoffs in the existing loan portfolio. Loans held for sale decreased $50.7 million, or 44.4%, from the linked quarter, as the company delivered a significant level of loans held for sale to third-party investors during the first quarter of 2018. Total cash and cash equivalents decreased $19.4 million, or 21.9%, from the linked quarter.

Deposits totaled $5.28 billion at March 31, 2018 and increased by $84.3 million, or 1.6%, from $5.20 billion at December 31, 2017. Increases in deposit balances during the first quarter of 2018 were highlighted by a $72.1 million, or 5.4%, increase in money market account balances; a $23.9 million, or 3.0%, increase in NOW checking balances; and a $9.5 million, or 1.9%, increase in savings account balances. Offsetting these increases was a $25.0 million, or 3.2%, decline in non-interest-bearing checking deposits, largely due to seasonal outflows that are typical of commercial DDA accounts in the first quarter.

PeoplesBank Issues 2018 Corporate Green Report

By BusinessWest Staff April 18, 2018

PeoplesBank also has a LEED Gold-certified office in Northampton, a LEED Gold-certified office in West Springfield, and a LEED Silver-certified office in Springfield. The LEED-certified office in Springfield, the first of its kind in the city, won a GreenSeal from the city of Springfield. PeoplesBank has also installed electric-vehicle charging stations at three offices, in Northampton, West Springfield, and Holyoke. The bank is also a past winner of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts Sustainability Award, which recognizes excellence in environmental stewardship, promotion of social well-being, and contributions to economic prosperity.

In celebration of Earth Day, PeoplesBank will give away tomato plants and garden seeds to the public on Friday, April 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. at three locations: 300 King St. in Northampton, 1240 Sumner Ave. in Springfield, and 546 Memorial Ave. in West Springfield. PeoplesBank is also holding a free e-cycling event on Saturday, April 21 from 2 to 5 p.m. at its Hadley office, 5 South Maple St.

Myopia Is on the Rise, and Screens May Be to Blame

Health Care Sections

Seeing the Light

Dr. David Momnie tests a young patient’s vision.

Dr. David Momnie was on a plane recently, sitting near a woman who dialed up a movie on her phone and stared at the screen for two hours. He doesn’t recall her looking up until it was over.

“That’s not good,” he said, but it’s far from rare. In fact, close-up viewing of electronic screens, whether to examine data on a computer at work or to watch YouTube videos or play mobile games on a smartphone, has become such common practice that the eye-care community is increasingly citing the trend to explain a troubling rise in myopia.

About 40% of the population is nearsighted, a problem that often develops in adulthood, but for children and teenagers, the number in the U.S. is more than 30% and increasing, while in Singapore, South Korea, and China, the myopia rate across all age groups is approaching 90% in some urban areas.

“It’s a huge problem, and in Asian countries, it’s a growing concern,” said Momnie, president of Chicopee Eye Care. “It’s a global phenomenon. But where is it coming from?”

Part of the issue is, and always has been, genetic, he explained — nearsighted parents pass on a predisposition to the condition to their children. “But that doesn’t explain the rapid increase in the past 30 years. It’s increased so rapidly that it’s got to be about more than genetics.”

Increasingly, doctors are saying the screen culture bears some blame.

“Kids are looking at computers at a very early age — iPhones, iPads, and computers — more and more,” he told BusinessWest. “When I was a kid, when we were in the car, we played the license-plate game. Now, kids are on their phones or watching a movie on long trips. They’re getting three, four, five hours a day, or even more, of intense, concentrated near-point work, staring at a small screen eight inches away.”

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a vision condition in which people can see close objects clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred. For example, people with myopia can have difficulty clearly seeing a movie or TV screen across a room, or the whiteboard in school.

According to the American Optometric Assoc. (AOA), people who have jobs or frequently engage in activities that require looking at something close up for long periods of time are at more of a risk of developing myopia. One such activity is screen time. Some people have even reported experiencing what is called ‘pseudo-myopia’ from staring at a computer or phone screen for too long. In short, they will develop all the effects of myopia, but for a short amount of time. As for permanent myopia, the only way to correct it is with glasses, contacts, or eye surgery.

A team from the University of Utah recently examined myopia’s rising tide and also pointed a finger at screens. They noted that, in 1984, 15% of children had access to a computer at home. Now, more than 80% of households in the U.S. have one, and most families have smartphones as well. While these technologies have various uses, from entertainment to education, they note, they also raise questions regarding proper usage and boundaries for children.

“There’s a lot more to this — pardon the pun — than meets the eye,” said Dr. Steven Squillace, an optometrist who practices at Somers Vision Clinic. He specializes in children and adults with eye-muscle and focusing problems, and has studied at length the effects of computers on the eyes.

“One of the hardest things in medicine is to make people make lifestyle changes, whether it’s smoking or high blood pressure or weight loss — or the amount of time they spend on devices like cell phones, tablets, or even laptop or desktop computers,” Squillace said. “With the evolution of the work world, more people have jobs that require employees to be on these devices, and the blue light emitted from the devices can be harmful.”

Doctors can do only so much, he added. Bifocals with blue filters and anti-glare properties filter off some of the blue light, “but it can still potentially damage the anatomy in the eye lens and macula over time.”

Close View of the Facts

While the exact cause of myopia is unknown, the genetic component is well-known. In fact, Momnie said, nearsightedness is the result of a complicated interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental exposures.

But those exposures can be significant. He cited a 1983 study on military recruits in Holland — well before computers and other devices were a ubiquitous part of life. But this study suggested the potential damage of long-term, close-up viewing of, well, anything. Specifically, 2% of recruits who came from a farming background were nearsighted, 15% with a merchant background had myopia, and 32% of those with advanced education suffered from the condition.

“So we know that people who do a lot of near-point work have a higher incidence of nearsightedness than people who work outdoors in construction, farming, and other activities,” he added.

In a more recent study, researchers in Italy recruited 320 3- to 10-year-olds and tracked how long the children spent in front of screens each day. They found that kids who spent more than 30 minutes a day playing video games were more likely than the others to suffer from headaches, eyelid tics, double vision, and dizziness, while 90% of the frequent video-game players had refractive vision problems such as myopia or farsightedness, particularly in their dominant eyes, compared with only half of the less-frequent players.

The World Health Organization predicts that, if current trends continue, half the world’s population will be myopic by 2050, and one-fifth of those will be at a significantly increased risk of blindness. And the WHO isn’t alone in its worry. “The AOA has long been concerned about the increased incidence of myopia and the impact of the increased visual stress caused by digital eye strain,” said Andrea Thau, the AOA’s immediate past president.

Dr. Steven Squillace has long been concerned about the effects of close viewing and ‘blue light’ from electronic devices.

The AOA strongly encourages children to participate in outdoor activities and to follow the 20-20-20 rule: for every 20 minutes of reading, computer, or close work, take a 20-second rest break by looking at things at least 20 feet away. Thau, who has a primary-care practice with special emphasis on children’s vision and vision therapy in Manhattan, advises that doctors of optometry encourage young patients to engage in eye-hand coordination activities and to play sports and other outdoor activities.

Momnie agrees with the 20-20-20 philosophy. “It just refocuses the eyes, and it’s a reminder that prolonged staring at a short distance is a strain on the eyes.”

The AOA issued several other tips on screen use to protect eyesight. First, the user should be in a comfortable position when using a computer or any digital screen, sitting up straight with a flat back and forearms resting comfortably on the desk or table. The screen should be held away from the face and viewed at a slight downward angle. Other light sources should be minimized, to avoid glare on the computer screen, which can cause extra strain on the eyes. And users should consciously blink often, because staring at any light source can cause eyes to dry up faster and actually inhibit the urge to blink. If dry eyes are a particular problem, eye drops may be used periodically.

Another area of concern for the ADA is addictive screen use. The organization advises parents to establish clear rules when it comes to video-game use in particular, including both time limits and conditions such as being able to play only after all homework is completed. And it’s not just eyesight at risk; a recent German study suggests that overuse of electronic media by children is reducing their overall sleep quality.

“So, how do we stop it?” Momnie asked, before suggesting that a lifestyle that gets kids back outside could be a good start. “Studies have shown that being outdoors two hours a day causes a significant reduction in nearsightedness. In Singapore, they’re redesigning classrooms to let more light in, and making more time for outdoor recess.”

However, many American school districts, especially in the middle- and high-school years, are now requiring students to complete and submit their homework digitally, perhaps increasing their susceptibility to early-onset myopia.

Whatever the reason, the condition’s increasing prevalence among children could contribute to learning deficiencies as they struggle in school but don’t know why. “Eighty percent of learning is visual,” he said, “and they may not know they’re nearsighted.”

Digital Breaks

As for adults, Momnie went on, two decades ago, most people staring at a computer screen for eight hours were in financial services — such as banking and accounting — and perhaps customer service. Today, more and more jobs have fallen under the umbrella of heavy screen time.

Squillace said many employers, as an ergonomic measure, are encouraging employees to take ‘digital breaks’ by simply looking away from the screen for a half-hour, perhaps getting up to grab a cup of water and look out the window.

“There’s some value in that, not having the eye engaged for hours on end. You really need to take those visual breaks,” he told BusinessWest. “When we talk about limiting activity, it’s more managing it, taking those breaks, and mixing it up. Get off the screen and do some pencil-and-paper tasks. Do some math homework on traditional paper instead of working on a computer.”

At the very least, adults can set an example for their children in the way they handle their own screen time, Momnie said. And it’s OK to be firm.

“Parents can say, ‘you’re allowed one hour a day, and then you have to spend an hour or two outdoors.’ Kick them outdoors during the weekends, and they probably shouldn’t play on their devices during the evening. And for kids under 2, don’t even let them near one of these things. Even a video game on TV is better than looking at an iPhone or iPad.”

After all, he said, parenthood is a benevolent dictatorship, not a democracy.

“Computers aren’t going away, and trying to keep kids off computers isn’t easy to do,” he said. But preventing myopia — or at least pushing it well into the distance — makes the effort worthwhile.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Real Estate Transactions

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

BERNARDSTON

155 Bald Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: James R. Ballard
Seller: Robert R. Raymond
Date: 03/23/18

BUCKLAND

44 Ashfield Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Robert G. Bartlett RET
Seller: Mary M. Bartlett TR
Date: 03/23/18

CONWAY

370 South Shirkshire Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Raymond R. Atherton
Seller: Kurkulonis, Florence R., (Estate)
Date: 03/23/18

13 West Parsons Dr.
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: DKMA Consulting LLC
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 03/16/18

DEERFIELD

27 Stillwater Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Nancy I. King
Seller: Douglas G. Thacker
Date: 03/16/18

ERVING

17 Forest St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Petrowicz
Seller: Dale J. Mathey
Date: 03/16/18

GILL

23 Oak St.
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $131,200
Buyer: Citimortgage Inc.
Seller: Jeremy R. Wolfram
Date: 03/23/18

147 West Gill Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Lapointe
Seller: Eleanor E. Underwood INT
Date: 03/23/18

GREENFIELD

224 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Paul Weeden
Date: 03/20/18

30 Grinnell St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: James Delorenzo
Seller: Melodie L. Goodwin
Date: 03/19/18

14 Haywood St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Ellis F. Taylor
Seller: Jerry C. Burgess
Date: 03/15/18

4 Plantation Circle
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Haley Connelley
Seller: Kimberly N. Nelson
Date: 03/14/18

119 Shelburne Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Matthew McCarthy
Seller: Matthew D. Parody
Date: 03/14/18

NORTHFIELD

136 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Martin Witte
Seller: Greenfield Pilgrim 2 LLC
Date: 03/14/18

33 Strowbridge Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Charlene James
Seller: Donald R. Morin
Date: 03/12/18

ORANGE

80 East Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Jason P. Vautour
Seller: Andrei Agapov
Date: 03/16/18

237 Magoon Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Teto
Seller: Peter D. Whitmore
Date: 03/16/18

46 New Athol Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Jason Farinoli
Seller: Claire A. Marcoux
Date: 03/15/18

726 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $263,348
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Robert O. Hager
Date: 03/19/18

ROWE

122 Davenport Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Jessica C. Albrecht
Seller: Wendy A. Van-Kn
Date: 03/23/18

SHUTESBURY

508 Pratt Corner Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Nathan A. Schnarr
Seller: Carolyn C. Peelle
Date: 03/16/18

WARWICK

11 Orange Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Connor Anthony
Seller: Christopher E. Ryan
Date: 03/23/18

WHATELY

36 Poplar Hill Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Nathaniel F. Anable RET
Seller: Allen Warner
Date: 03/19/18

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

52 Clematis Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Rositsa S. Botusheva
Seller: Jaime M. O’Connor
Date: 03/19/18

54 Dartmouth St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $146,780
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Craig S. Skorupski
Date: 03/21/18

34 Day St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Venhar Nuhiu
Seller: Vignato, Carla E., (Estate)
Date: 03/12/18

252 Line St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Campagnari Construction
Seller: Provost, Lillian L., (Estate)
Date: 03/23/18

263 Meadow St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Michael Longhi
Seller: Mark C. Modzeleski
Date: 03/21/18

13 Parkview Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $128,166
Buyer: Michael W. Briggs
Seller: Deborah J. Briggs
Date: 03/22/18

143 Red Fox Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Philip J. Dubois
Seller: Jennifer L. Dubois
Date: 03/23/18

259 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $268,700
Buyer: Alan B. Lockery
Seller: James A. Argiro
Date: 03/21/18

215 Valley Brook Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Ahmet Cayan
Seller: Gayle A. Lombardini
Date: 03/15/18

BRIMFIELD

17 Old East Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Austin J. McIlveen
Seller: Jean M. Sullivan
Date: 03/15/18

183 Old Sturbridge Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: Frederick A. Potenti
Seller: Shawn E. Ryan
Date: 03/19/18

120 Tower Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Genise Jackson
Seller: Joanne M. Stuart
Date: 03/19/18

71 Tower Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Margaret Bresnahan
Seller: Erika Matos
Date: 03/23/18

138 Warren Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Kristen M. Tirado
Seller: Jeremy J. Beu
Date: 03/16/18

CHESTER

475 Route 20
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: 475 Huntington Road Land TR
Seller: Joseph A. Kurtz
Date: 03/19/18

CHICOPEE

17 Artisan St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $132,020
Buyer: Pennymac Loan Services
Seller: Fabiana Joseph
Date: 03/21/18

41 Beaumont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Kimberly Nogueras
Seller: Catherine M. Scribner
Date: 03/14/18

665 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Mathew R. Burke
Seller: Viktor Moshkovskiy
Date: 03/22/18

250 Casey Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Brandon O. Smith
Seller: April Y. Cloutier
Date: 03/14/18

14 Como Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Raymond P. Arsenault
Seller: Candice S. Stefanelli
Date: 03/16/18

25 Fanwood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Travis R. Lelievre
Seller: Charmian M. Gibbs
Date: 03/21/18

11 Garrity St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $167,900
Buyer: Charlene Anderson
Seller: Steven A. Masse
Date: 03/20/18

133 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Zachary R. Snyder
Seller: Margaret B. Hamel
Date: 03/23/18

113 Joy St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Kevin T. Cabral
Seller: Michael L. Belisle
Date: 03/23/18

248 McCarthy Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Kathleen M. Ludwig
Seller: Barbara A. Pare
Date: 03/22/18

904 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $232,200
Buyer: 904 Meadow Street LLC
Seller: Gail A. Collins
Date: 03/20/18

137 Muzzy St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Eduard A. Yanyuk
Seller: Rudolph Martinez
Date: 03/16/18

47 Oakridge St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Marilyn Harris
Seller: Maria Lee
Date: 03/14/18

61 Simonich Circle
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $153,190
Buyer: Hector J. Centeno
Seller: FNMA
Date: 03/12/18

68 Wheatland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Jan Poplawski
Seller: Elena Filatov
Date: 03/14/18

14 Wiley Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $132,500
Buyer: Timothy D. Zantrofski
Seller: Warren C. Marriott
Date: 03/15/18

53 William St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: James Clark
Seller: Richard G. Brisebois
Date: 03/22/18

21 Woodland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Gnobo Gnopo
Seller: Daniel M. Laduke
Date: 03/16/18

EAST LONGMEADOW

12 Cross Meadow Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Wallace A. Hurd
Seller: Steven N. Kravitz
Date: 03/15/18

17 Ericka Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Jeremy J. Sullivan
Seller: Senecal, Barbara J., (Estate)
Date: 03/22/18

7 Taylor St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Gregory A. Vatrano
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 03/12/18

GRANVILLE

154 South Lane
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Lloyd R. Adkins
Seller: Printice Roberts-Toler
Date: 03/20/18

HAMPDEN

54 Ames Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Sawx Holdings LLC
Seller: Marth-E LLC
Date: 03/16/18

270 Wilbraham Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $177,500
Buyer: Martin Nachtigal
Seller: David W. Rackliffe
Date: 03/22/18

HOLLAND

9-11 Brimfield Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Evelyn Bernier
Seller: Margaret L. Bresnahan
Date: 03/23/18

2 Collette Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $448,000
Buyer: Jason J. Maccione
Seller: David Hemsworth
Date: 03/15/18

28 Craig Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Jean M. Sullivan
Seller: Mark R. Allen
Date: 03/21/18

6 Park Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Richard G. Johnson
Seller: Cheryl A. Farraher
Date: 03/12/18

HOLYOKE

94 Apremont Hwy.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: River Valley Renovations
Seller: Mildred E. Odabashian
Date: 03/14/18

20-22 Gates St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Sasha M. Rodriguez
Seller: Jose M. Reyes
Date: 03/12/18

480 Hampden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Allyn Enterprises LLC
Seller: O’Connell Properties Inc.
Date: 03/23/18

86 Knollwood Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Andrey V. Okhrimenko
Seller: Martin W. Flynn
Date: 03/15/18

60 Longwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $167,900
Buyer: Kelvin Lugo
Seller: Carey, Joanne M., (Estate)
Date: 03/16/18

74-76 Newton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Boston Home Invest LLC
Seller: Yvon L. Leduc
Date: 03/15/18

473-489 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Quabbin ACM LLC
Seller: Holyoke Economic Development
Date: 03/15/18

489 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Salmar Realty LLC
Seller: Quabbin ACM LLC
Date: 03/15/18

495 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Quabbin ACM LLC
Seller: Holyoke Economic Development
Date: 03/15/18

145 West Meadowview Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Marcianna M. Caplis
Seller: Grace, Mollie J., (Estate)
Date: 03/20/18

LONGMEADOW

77 Colton Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Richard J. Corsi
Seller: Tracy J. Shanahan
Date: 03/12/18

128 Converse St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $167,310
Buyer: Moustafa I. Tahoun
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 03/23/18

756 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $331,500
Buyer: Jonathan Jordan
Seller: Gregory E. Blackman
Date: 03/16/18

LUDLOW

264 Alden St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $123,500
Buyer: Gina Mawyer
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 03/20/18

27 Chapin Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Dylan J. Sawabi
Seller: Michael F. Housden
Date: 03/23/18

794 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Gary E. Zukowski
Seller: FNMA
Date: 03/16/18

43 Hampden St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Garrett J. Davis
Seller: Nicholas S. Bennet
Date: 03/16/18

42 Oak Knoll Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Rosalee J. Peterson
Seller: Raymond M. Lynch
Date: 03/22/18

120 Piney Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $281,500
Buyer: Robert M. Pafumi
Seller: Granger, Joseph R., (Estate)
Date: 03/19/18

116 River St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Steven J. McDaniel
Seller: Marie A. Bellisario
Date: 03/19/18

49 Warwick Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Daniel Marinello
Seller: Ambrose, Sophie C., (Estate)
Date: 03/20/18

MONSON

23 Country Club Hts.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Rita M. Schneider
Date: 03/21/18

57 High St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: William R. Bozenhard
Seller: Edward Coloske
Date: 03/16/18

374 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Michael D. Menard
Seller: Sandra F. Adams
Date: 03/15/18

20 Old Stagecoach Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Gerardo Zayas
Seller: Jeffrey D. Walsh
Date: 03/12/18

PALMER

10 Christine St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Edward W. Stachowicz
Seller: Rainelle R. Chaisson
Date: 03/22/18

124 Flynt St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Daniel P. Belanger
Seller: Wendy R. Johnson
Date: 03/20/18

373 Rondeau St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Louis G. Beaudoin
Seller: Mark Godin
Date: 03/20/18

9 Sasur St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: North Brookfield Savings Bank
Seller: Debra A. Geoffrion
Date: 03/23/18

SPRINGFIELD

77 Alwin Place
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Antonio A. Lewis
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 03/14/18

85 Amos Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Patrick P. Rodgers
Seller: Meera Adhikari
Date: 03/16/18

298-302 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Aquarius Real Estate LLC
Seller: Michael Zheng
Date: 03/16/18

59 Belvidere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Lisandra Zeno
Seller: Lisa Santaniello
Date: 03/15/18

142 Bridle Path Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $155,321
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Peter J. Brady
Date: 03/20/18

60 Burton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $148,572
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Hazel Harvey
Date: 03/19/18

29 Carlton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $153,500
Buyer: Alejandro Ruiz
Seller: Marilyn Harris
Date: 03/14/18

120 Central St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $1,610,000
Buyer: Central St. Holdings LLC
Seller: Masswest FTP LLC
Date: 03/16/18

28-30 Cherrelyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Denny Arroyo
Date: 03/19/18

64 Coleman St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Chansamone K. Keoveunexay
Seller: Kathleen Strader
Date: 03/16/18

602-604 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Maria Rosario-Torres
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 03/16/18

71 Dorset St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Victoria Sheppard
Seller: Amanda R. Trelease
Date: 03/23/18

98-100 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $116,500
Buyer: Junior Properties LLC
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 03/22/18

733 East Columbus Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Bar South Land Holdings
Seller: Leonard E. Belcher Inc.
Date: 03/14/18

167 Ellsworth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Dave Biswa
Seller: Kristen M. Tirado
Date: 03/16/18

103 Federal St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $1,250,000
Buyer: Federal St. Holdings LLC
Seller: Masswest Trust Inc.
Date: 03/16/18

66-68 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $1,610,000
Buyer: Central St. Holdings LLC
Seller: Masswest FTP LLC
Date: 03/16/18

59 Garcia St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $162,900
Buyer: Kamari Williams
Seller: Adib Sayegh
Date: 03/23/18

90 Gardens Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $255,104
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Francis Doyle
Date: 03/15/18

36 Graham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Roger A. Lasky
Seller: Paul T. Sawyer
Date: 03/23/18

114 Huron St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Marie I. Colon
Seller: Vivian Pabon
Date: 03/23/18

50-52 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $169,050
Buyer: V&A Realty LLC
Seller: Springfield City Code
Date: 03/16/18

166 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Stephanie Rougellis
Seller: David W. Edwards
Date: 03/14/18

26 Kittrell St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: David Sherman
Seller: Ziohomz & Properties Inc.
Date: 03/16/18

21 Laurence St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Anderson Marti
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 03/23/18

695-697 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Salmar Realty LLC
Seller: Marc R. Lamoureux
Date: 03/20/18

705 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Salmar Realty LLC
Seller: Marc R. Lamoureux
Date: 03/20/18

221 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Greater New Life Christ
Seller: Roman Catholic Bishop Of Springfield
Date: 03/22/18

43 Mandalay Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Sabrina N. Darby-Hayes
Seller: Judy Bergdoll
Date: 03/16/18

35 Matthew St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Priscilla Lopez
Seller: Lorna M. Lewis
Date: 03/14/18

5 Mattoon St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: SASA LLC
Seller: Steven C. Miller
Date: 03/14/18

56-58 Maynard St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Annakay S. Smith
Seller: AAD LLC
Date: 03/14/18

52 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Bryce Y. Lupien
Seller: Reginald Green
Date: 03/23/18

28 Moore St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Yelitza M. Fernandez
Seller: Cruz Rosario
Date: 03/15/18

160 Moss Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Tamara Carr
Seller: Ward Benson
Date: 03/15/18

324 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Linda N. Clemons
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 03/23/18

77 Parkside St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Ana Jalowski
Seller: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Date: 03/14/18

90 Pheasant Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Adib J. Sayegh
Seller: Florentino Colon
Date: 03/23/18

85-91 Putnam Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Seller: Antonio M. Francisco
Date: 03/21/18

159-161 Quincy St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Seyedmohammad Mavadati
Seller: Cesario M. Ferreira
Date: 03/20/18

109 Ravenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $149,500
Buyer: Fernando S. Alves
Seller: Rosa R. Santos
Date: 03/16/18

78-80 Rittenhouse Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $186,225
Buyer: Michael Santos-Lopez
Seller: Carlos J. Aguasvivas
Date: 03/14/18

406 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Kedean K. Hines
Seller: JJS Capital Investment
Date: 03/20/18

50 Saint Lawrence Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Nehal Parekh
Seller: S&C Homebuyers LLC
Date: 03/21/18

49 School St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $2,100,000
Buyer: School St Holdings LLC
Seller: Masswest Properties Inc.
Date: 03/16/18

17 Spruceland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Hector M. Cruz
Seller: Michael J. Fleming
Date: 03/23/18

27 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Hamid Boutouil
Seller: Stephanie L. Sule
Date: 03/21/18

76 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Patrick J. Sullivan
Seller: Samantha E. Stevens
Date: 03/19/18

88 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Jeffrey S. Darragh
Seller: Luz Lazala
Date: 03/23/18

14 Van Horn Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Faustino B. Garcia
Seller: Ana Z. Jerez
Date: 03/16/18

26 Warner St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Greenfield Development
Seller: Zhengs 168 Group LLC
Date: 03/16/18

46 Wellesley St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Tanya M. Morales
Seller: Joseph Wanyama
Date: 03/22/18

173 Westminster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $184,250
Buyer: AAD LLC
Seller: AAD LLC
Date: 03/15/18

164 Winton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Tuan Dao
Seller: Christopher E. Rosso
Date: 03/15/18

SOUTHWICK

Gableview #15
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Anthony Wheeler
Seller: Laplante Construction Inc.
Date: 03/22/18

5 Gillette Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Danielle B. Sullivan
Seller: Albert C. Distefano
Date: 03/15/18

Hudson Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Local 98 Engineers TR
Seller: Lane Construction Corp.
Date: 03/16/18

8 Junction Station Road #8
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Gayle A. Lombardini
Seller: 20 Depot Square LLC
Date: 03/15/18

85 North Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: William A. Brown
Seller: Cheryl B. Taylor
Date: 03/16/18

23 Pine Knoll
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $369,900
Buyer: Brian R. Pray
Seller: Lilia Mereshko
Date: 03/16/18

282 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Vanessa Filiault
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 03/16/18

WEST SPRINGFIELD

27-33 Bradford Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $2,600,000
Buyer: Homelike Management LLC
Seller: Home-Like Apartments Inc.
Date: 03/15/18

27 Brookside Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: CIG 2 LLC
Seller: Slowick, John R., (Estate)
Date: 03/23/18

71 Cayenne St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Murad Drifish
Seller: Bayview Loan Servicing
Date: 03/12/18

24 Craig Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $5,400,000
Buyer: Homelike Management LLC
Seller: Home-Like Apartments Inc.
Date: 03/15/18

1126 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: 1126 LLC
Seller: Morgan Group LLC
Date: 03/15/18

22 Garden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Chap & Lane LLC
Seller: Laura A. Martin
Date: 03/15/18

79 Grove St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Natasha Rodriguez
Seller: Justin M. Grenon
Date: 03/22/18

29 Monastery Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Daniel Barci
Seller: Alan J. Hitchcock
Date: 03/15/18

41 Old Westfield Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $357,500
Buyer: Tony Vo
Seller: Valery Shvetsov
Date: 03/23/18

127 Pine St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Junior Properties LLC
Seller: Patrice A. Curtis
Date: 03/16/18

1285 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: 1285 Riverdale Street LLC
Seller: Richard Gorecki
Date: 03/12/18

WESTFIELD

65 Butternut Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Andrey Krasun
Seller: Joseph J. Zelez
Date: 03/12/18

14 Day Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Michael F. Tierney
Seller: Joseph G. Flahive
Date: 03/22/18

63 Gloria Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $419,900
Buyer: Corey J. Mackey
Seller: Jason S. Steele
Date: 03/23/18

24 Joyce Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Garett Parker
Seller: Ruben Gomez
Date: 03/23/18

18 King St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Leonid V. Semenov
Seller: Oleg Rebenko
Date: 03/15/18

4 Linda Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $296,000
Buyer: Justin M. Grenon
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 03/22/18

362 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: James T. Antil
Seller: Eileen M. Scully
Date: 03/21/18

130 Park Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Kathryn M. Chicorka
Seller: Edwin S. Pemberton
Date: 03/14/18

229 Pontoosic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Richard Mahan
Seller: Mark G. Mastroianni
Date: 03/23/18

120 Sandy Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: Joseph Lemay
Seller: Andrew T. Mcalary
Date: 03/22/18

157 Shaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Edward B. Lenza
Seller: Cincotta, Florence, (Estate)
Date: 03/16/18

16 Victoria Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $481,408
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: James F. Boudreau
Date: 03/14/18

254 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Michele Miller
Seller: Frederick J. Wilkins
Date: 03/16/18

154 Yeoman Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Michael A. Hotham
Seller: Michael P. O’Connell
Date: 03/12/18

WILBRAHAM

7 Lance Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Vincent L. Michaud
Seller: Gloria B. Pires
Date: 03/16/18

8 Southwood Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Timothy P. Alben
Seller: William R. Withington
Date: 03/12/18

652 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Nancy Chapdelaine
Seller: Alan K. Karplus
Date: 03/12/18

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

197 Amity St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $645,000
Buyer: Noah C. Elkin
Seller: John Steven Judge TR
Date: 03/16/18

16 Eames Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Thomas R. Dunlap
Seller: 220 North East Street LLC
Date: 03/19/18

92-94 High St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $368,000
Buyer: Nathan K. Salwen
Seller: Ciba LLC
Date: 03/20/18

1174 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $308,500
Buyer: Nora Grais-Clements
Seller: Lucas F. Chaufournier
Date: 03/15/18

44 Hitching Post Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Rose
Seller: Bettina K. Maki
Date: 03/15/18

487 Main St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Historic Renovations
Seller: Abramson, Charles E., (Estate)
Date: 03/20/18

427 Old Farm Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $386,500
Buyer: Anna Liu
Seller: Olmedo A. Gomez
Date: 03/22/18

26 Valley Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $206,500
Buyer: KTS Partners LLC
Seller: Killan, Eleanor, (Estate)
Date: 03/16/18

BELCHERTOWN

21 Catherine Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Center For Human Development
Seller: Shelterwood Management
Date: 03/20/18

570 Franklin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Btown Project LLC
Seller: Raymond P. Lagrant
Date: 03/14/18

211 Michael Sears Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Roger Crochetiere
Seller: Mark P. Brownell
Date: 03/12/18

188 North St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Sean Hayward
Seller: David S. Scott
Date: 03/23/18

EASTHAMPTON

5 Ely Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Judith H. March
Seller: Charles A. Elfman
Date: 03/22/18

9 Florence Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Nicholas D. Duprey
Seller: Peters, Gus, (Estate)
Date: 03/20/18

11 Knight Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $208,780
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Kristen L. Shrout
Date: 03/12/18

20 Melinda Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: New England Remodeling
Seller: FNMA
Date: 03/21/18

11 Stone Path Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Barbara A. Yanke
Seller: Gary R. Campbell
Date: 03/16/18

GRANBY

274 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $369,900
Buyer: Matthew Johnson
Seller: Daniel M. Kane
Date: 03/23/18

251 Carver St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Michael L. Belisle
Seller: Richard J. Mahan
Date: 03/23/18

26 Cold Hill Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Ralph H. Hedrick
Seller: Christine D. Anop
Date: 03/19/18

HADLEY

51 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Khursheed Karim
Seller: David Lavalle
Date: 03/15/18

HATFIELD

68 Linseed Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Curtis T. Panlilio
Seller: John A. Jackowski
Date: 03/16/18

NORTHAMPTON

9 Beaver Brook Loop #9
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Constantine Y. Voyevidka
Seller: Beaver Brook NT
Date: 03/12/18

157 Bridge St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $343,750
Buyer: Louise J. Caputo
Seller: Vincent L. Michaud
Date: 03/14/18

15 Cedar St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $383,500
Buyer: Jane G. Rothberg
Seller: Micala Sidore
Date: 03/12/18

26 Golden Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Elle VanCott
Seller: Kolodzinski, Edwin A., (Estate)
Date: 03/16/18

534 North King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Richard Rodriguez
Seller: Anthony G. Nardone
Date: 03/21/18

Rocky Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Rene Theberge
Seller: Kyle J. Scott
Date: 03/15/18

508 Sylvester Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $350,750
Buyer: Zachary J. Swan
Seller: Christine Barbuto
Date: 03/20/18

211 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $239,150
Buyer: Katherine M. Downs 2016 TR
Seller: Sharon E. Fagan
Date: 03/16/18

PELHAM

7 Country Lane
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Mary Moore-Cathcart
Seller: Sally F. Goldin
Date: 03/15/18

SOUTH HADLEY

19 Bunker Hill
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: David L. Brunelle
Seller: Barbara D. Schwartz
Date: 03/15/18

49 Noel St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Olmedo A. Gomez
Seller: Gilroy Property Renewal
Date: 03/22/18

7 Warner St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Garrett J. Moulton
Seller: Steven K. Eckman
Date: 03/22/18

5 Wellesley Circle
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $257,500
Buyer: Joel J. Marchand
Seller: Pearl A. Rogers
Date: 03/12/18

SOUTHAMPTON

66 Line St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Brandon R. Laliberte
Seller: Amanda M. St.Laurence
Date: 03/23/18

WARE

Berkshire Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Brian P. Abrams
Seller: Harold O. Graves 2000 RET
Date: 03/16/18

122 Greenwich Plains Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Stephen R. Krupa
Seller: Krupa, Colleen M., (Estate)
Date: 03/19/18

60-62 Pleasant St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Melanie C. Dodge
Seller: Shane E. Ryan
Date: 03/15/18

14 Shady Path
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Dale W. Schleis
Seller: A. Joseph Harnois
Date: 03/15/18

Doing Business as Certificates

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the months of March 2018.

AMHERST

Amherst Auto Express
118 South East St.
Amher Mikhchi

Amherst Martial Arts
48 North Pleasant St.
Annie Schwarz

The Athena Initiative
226 Pine St.
Julia Khan

Custom Events
330 Pine St.
Koren Berrio

Ichiban Asian Bistro
104-106 North Pleasant St.
Zhao Liu Wang

Jake’s at the Mill
68 Cowls Road
Jake’s Eggs Inc.

Merchants Bancard Services, LLC
20 Arbor Way
Ronald Cooper

Ray Radigan Illustration
495 West St., Unit 2A
Ray Radigan

BELCHERTOWN

A.W.S. Designs
8 Diane Dr., #3
Andrew Serra

Chet and Son Painting
99B Hamilton St.
Robb Kapinos

Guest House Educational Services
7 Ledgewood Circle
Saki Santorelli

Heavenshopeunveiled.com
281 Chauncey Walker St., #540L
Kerry Lebrun

CHICOPEE

FitChics Unleashed
711 James St.
Jessalyn Franceschina

Hashbury Headshop East Street
151 East St.
Frank Cincotta

J.L. Bruso Electrical Services
135 Davenport St.
Jerome Bruso

Purpose Built Motorcycles, LLC
63 Britton St.
John Freeman Jr.

Ripple Innovation
39 Bell St.
Robert Fitzgerald III

Surf-n-Degs
345 Chicopee St.
Keith Czeswiec

Wink Lash Boutique
51 Cabot St.
Xiomara Marrero, Luis Marrero

DEERFIELD

Bittersweet Bakery & Café, LLC
470 Greenfield Road
Laura Newton

EASTHAMPTON

Al Sanchez Construction
286 Main St.
Albert Sanchez

Dinner by Kids
11 Fairfield Ave.
Shelly Greenstein

Ora Care
116 Pleasant St.
Violet Hall, Mark Hall

Shift Healing Arts
152 Northampton St.
Samantha Tanguay

EAST LONGMEADOW

Hit Harder Fitness, LLC
632 North Main St.
Kimberly Ewing

Kloee, LLC
270 Benton Dr.
David Thor

Making Waves
143 Shaker St.
Maureen Dempsey

Maureen’s Sweet Shoppe
6 Center Square
Maureen Dempsey

HADLEY

Bottom-Line Body Work
8 River Dr.
Saskia Cote

Hadley Design Works
15 Sunrise Dr.
Patrick Hayes

Hill Resource and Design
15 Cold Spring Lane
Christopher Hill

T. Kicza Plumbing & Heating
7 Mount Warner Road
Timothy Kicza

HOLYOKE

Bourque Landscape Construction
1280 Dwight St.
Christopher Bourque

City Shoes Plus
347 High St.
Roberto Rivera

Coamo Fashion
343 High St.
Alberto Berrios

Friends of the Holyoke Council on Aging
291 Pine St.
Mary Contois

Julio Auto Repair
775 High St.
Julio Quinones, Luis Ruiz

The Parlorfaded Co., LLC
230 Sargeant St.
Jose Dones, Antonia Santiago

Rachel Chaput Photography
496 Whitney Ave.
Rachel Chaput-Merriam

R.M. Painting
97 Martin St.
Laura Matta

Shake Shake Cup
50 Holyoke St.
Jennifermae Chui, Hoi Kwan Chui-Zhao

Sol Caribe Restaurant
351 High St.
Jacqueline Sanchez

Union Property Management Co.
64 West Glen St.
Cliff Laraway

LUDLOW

CTS Citywide Towing
125 Carmelinas Circle
Charles Thans III

Deb’s
300 West Ave.
Deborah Peterson

Iron Duke Brewing, LLC
100 State St., Suite 122
Michael Marcoux, Nicholas Morin

Moonlight Café
7-389 East St.
Ten-90 Inc.

O’Keefe’s Farm and Nursery
1084 Center St.
Ryan O’Keefe

Salon Accents
247 East St.
Leslie Morrow, Lisa Taylor

NORTHAMPTON

Angelo’s Barber Shop
2 Conz St.
AnnMarie LaBonte

Ann Xtra Hand
33 Roe Ave.
Patricia Rick

Belcher Woodworking
625 Spring St., Apt. 2
Adam Belcher

Bidwell Advisors
19 Forbes Ave.
Dennis Bidwell

Clea L. Paz-Rivera
261b Riverside Dr.
Clea L. Paz-Rivera

East Coast Closing
90 Conz St.
Gary Bowen

Leading the Way Doggie Daycare
18 Chestnut St.
Melissa Mehlman

Northampton Concrete
400 Westhampton Road
Stephen Calcagnino

Northampton Pottery
102 Main St.
Kristin O’Neill

Port
202 Main St.
Benjamin Glushien

S & S Infinite Mobile Inc.
90 King St., Unit 1
Zainab Mirzale

To the Moon and Back
50 Williams St.
Jordan Reed

PALMER

Marlene’s Beauty Salon
1461 North Main St.
Jean Ciukaj

Pioneer Valley Weddings
3205 Main St.
Abaigeal Duda

Wintergreen Inc.
3014 Pine St.
Anne Bernardin

SPRINGFIELD

Alex Drywall
100 Champlain Ave.
Barbara Lewko

Allgreen Pest Control
26 Lockwood Ave.
Daniel Morin

B.E. Corp.
358 Page Blvd.
Judit Duran

Batteries Plus Bulbs
1300B Boston Road
Batteries Plus, LLC

Beyond Glamorous
524 Main St.
Latisha Smith

City Jake’s Café
1573 Main St.
Ronald Crochetiere

D & E Painting
295 Main St.
Daniel Black

De Jeri
1655 Boston Road
Desiree Parker

Dragun League Inc.
194 Overlook Dr.
Michael Jones

Family Home Improvement
11 Brigham St.
Kevin Torres

Italiapino Property Management
12 Filmer St.
Hazzel Di’Dio

J.E. Construction
54 Montgomery St.
Jason Enos

Jenna Lynn Photography
45 Lyndale St.
Jenna Whalen

Lulu’s Transport
47 Brittery St.
Luz Morales

Merrill’s Superette
60-62 High St.
Shazia Nizam

Midas
1160 Boston Road
Paulina Anderson

McClain Trucking
244 Sumner Ave.
Tyrone McClain

New Day Spa
803 Belmont Ave.
Li Ma

Nine Iron Auto Transport
35 Bryant St.
James Smith

Santiago Towing
193 Taylor St.
Jose Santiago

Smoke n Vape Shop
117 State St.
Riswan Raufdeen

Starbucks Monarch Place
1 Monarch Place
Columbus Hotel Management

Tejada Diaz Market
693 State St.
Martin Tejada

True Clean Express
72 Melha Ave.
Edgardo Garcia

Unique Property Services
93 Hancock St.
Ivonnett Guzman

WESTFIELD

Broadbrook Landscap & Irrigation
546 Southampton Road
John Muller

Holly’s Hair
45 Meadow St.
Holly Curtiss

Instrument Technology Inc.
33 Airport Road
Transom Scopes Inc.

Players Edge
99 Springfield Road
Brian Alves

Roy’s Custom Carpentry
15 Victoria Circle
Roy Ripley

Whip City Tai Chi
102 Putnam Dr.
Leonard Burlingame Jr.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Hearing Aids
425 Union St.
Jeffrey Halls

Beauty Nail Care & Nail Supply
366 Memorial Ave.
Long Hai Ly

C.JO.ART
324 Lancaster Ave.
Carly Haaga

Fireside Designs
1769 Riverdale St.
P & P Marketing Inc.

First & Last Impressions
110 High Meadow Dr.
Irene Dejackome

Hydrodog
640 Elm St.
Joseph Maple Jr.

Marilyn’s Sweet Delights
46 Lotus St.
Marilyn’s Sweet Delights

Nailtique Spa
1817 Riverdale St.
Nghia Nguyen

On the Level Floor Covering & Home Improvements
142 Nelson St.
Mike Blanchard

Quality Aesthetics Dental
203 Circuit Ave.
Sardor Usmonov

Real Estate Careers Institute
776 Westfield St.
Patrick Nolan

Siciliano Salon
1362 Westfield St.
Michael Siciliano, Brenda Siciliano

T.W. Ross Property Services, LLC
368 Hillcrest Ave.
Terry Ross

WILBRAHAM

Cleanicity Housekeeping
4 Evengeline Dr.
Lisa Payson

Ruth’s Pie
31 Ruth Dr.
April Beston

Threaded Genes
463 Springfield St.
Amanda Stawas, Sandra Sweeney, Deborah Burke, Marissa Burke

People on the Move

Departments People on the Move

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. announced the promotions of Chelsea Cox, Lyudmila Renkas, Joseph LeMay, Dan Eger, and Francine Murphy.

Chelsea Cox

Cox began as an intern at MBK in 2015 and became a full-time associate the following year. In her new position as senior associate in the Accounting and Audit Department, her primary focus is on nonprofit and commercial audits and employee-benefit plans. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Lyudmila Renkas

Over the past two years at MBK, Renkas has served as an associate accountant in the Audit and Accounting department at MBK. Having recently completed her MSA, she will turn her attention to new responsibilities as a senior associate. In her new role, she will be responsible for planning and leading client audit engagements, internal control evaluations, and pension audits. In addition, she prepares individual, partnership, and corporate tax returns for clients in the real-estate, construction, healthcare, and nonprofit industries.

Joseph LeMay

Lemay joined MBK in January of 2015 as an associate. In his new role as senior associate, his responsibilities consist of being the lead accountant on review and compilation-level engagements, staff training, and tax-planning strategy for clients in the manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, and distribution industries. He obtained his CPA license in 2017 and is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Dan Eger

Eger, who has been with MBK since 2005, has been promoted to senior associate. He focuses on preparing federal and state income-tax forms for corporations, individuals, and nonprofits. He has more than 12 years of tax experience and brings a wealth of knowledge to his role. In addition to serving as a tax preparer, he has developed an expertise in the firm’s specialized tax software, servicing as a resource to the entire Tax Department.

Francine Murphy

Murphy, who has served as a paraprofessional in MBK’s Accounting Department since 2013, has been promoted to tax associate. In that new role, her responsibilities include preparing federal and state income-tax forms for corporations, individuals, and nonprofits; preparing city and town tax filings; preparing annual reports; and responding to IRS notices.

•••••

Sofia Nardi

CLICK Workspace, a co-working space located in downtown Northampton, announced the hiring of Sofia Nardi as a new member advocate. Nardi is a recent graduate of Bay Path University, where she double-majored in small business development and marketing, graduating summa cum laude. At CLICK, she manages all administrative functions, including financial accounting, office operations, purchasing, and troubleshooting routine problems with equipment and maintenance. Serving as the first point of contact for all inquiries and visitors, she aims to ensure a welcoming environment. As the member advocate, Nardi manages all communications within the organization and beyond. This includes maintaining website infrastructure, curating monthly e-mail newsletter content, managing the social-media presence of the organization, and actively marketing the firm in the immediate community and beyond.

•••••

Geraldine de Berly

Geraldine de Berly has been named vice president of Academic Affairs and chief academic officer at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), President John Cook announced. De Berly’s hiring comes after an extensive search and comprehensive vetting process. Currently vice provost for Continuing and Professional Education at UMass Amherst, de Berly begins her new position at STCC on May 1. De Berly, who holds a Ph.D. in education administration, has worked in higher education for more than three decades, in both faculty and administrative roles. At New Mexico State University, she was an associate English as a second language professor, as well as director of the Center for Intensive Training in English. She also worked for 18 years at Syracuse University, University College, including serving as associate dean for Academic Affairs and senior associate dean. University College offers degree, certificate, and non-credit courses and serves as the gateway across Syracuse University for part-time students. As vice provost at UMass Amherst, de Berly managed a budget with more than $50 million in revenue. During her time, enrollment expanded 6% to exceed 31,000 students. Since 2016, six new programs were launched under her leadership. Born in Cuba, de Berly is fluent in four languages. She began her higher-education journey at Miami Dade Junior College. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a master’s from the University of Essex (England), and her Ph.D. in education administration from New Mexico State University.

•••••

Jesus “Laz” Montano

Underscoring the importance it places on comprehensive, robust information security and risk-management capabilities, MassMutual named long-time information-technology executive Jesus “Laz” Montano its new head of Enterprise Information Risk Management (EIRM) and chief information security officer. In his new role, Montano will work closely with the company’s executive leadership team, directing a holistic risk-management approach across the company, including managing operational and cybersecurity risks, ensuring all regulatory and compliance requirements are met, and overseeing the safeguarding of MassMutual’s information assets. Montano joins MassMutual from Voya Financial, where he served as chief information security officer for the past four years, responsible for providing leadership, management, and strategy for all aspects of the company’s technology risk and information security. He has also held technology security leadership roles at OpenSky, MetLife, the Travelers Companies, and Lucent Technologies. A graduate of Charter Oak College, Montano earned his MBA in business and technology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is also a certified information security manager, certified in the governance of enterprise IT, and serves as a National Technology Security Council board member.

•••••

Elyssa Morgan

Julie Duffé

Florence Bank announced that Elyssa Morgan and Julie Duffé were recently selected as recipients of its President’s Award for 2018. The President’s Award was established by the bank in 1995, affording employees the annual opportunity to nominate their peers for an honor that recognizes outstanding performance, customer service, and overall contribution to Florence Bank. Both Morgan and Duffé were nominated by numerous colleagues. Morgan is the deposit operations manager at the main headquarters in Florence and has worked at the bank for seven years. She holds an associate’s degree in business administration from Bay Path University. Duffé, a customer service representative in Florence Bank’s main office, has been with the bank for seven years. She is a Springfield Technical Community College graduate and holds an associate’s degree in business administration and finance. In addition, she is also certified as an individual retirement account specialist through Ascensus.

•••••

Karrah Smith, owner of Something to Talk About Boutique, was recently named Business Owner of the Year by the Assoc. of Black Business Professionals, and was awarded a certificate by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Boston last month. Smith, a 24-year-old Springfield native, received her associates degree in criminal justice from Holyoke Community College. However, her passion for fashion took center stage in 2015 when her beloved older cousin, Diane Evans, original owner and founder of Something to Talk About Boutique, passed away from pancreatic cancer, leaving the store, located on the street level of Tower Square, to Smith and her mother, Stephanie. Smith has given back to the community in multiple ways, including donating proceeds from fashion shows to local charities. She also works with other young women, giving them pointers on how to run a business.

•••••

Chris Hakala

Springfield College named Chris Hakala director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship. The newly created academic-affairs position was developed through the college’s strategic planning process, and the center strives to foster intellectual engagement across the curriculum through evidence-based programs and services that increases collaboration, communication, and community to promote the enhancement of student learning. Hakala brings more than 20 years of experience as a faculty member at various institutions in higher education. Most recently, he served as executive director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at Quinnipiac University. Before joining Quinnipiac, he taught psychology at the University of New Hampshire, Gettysburg College, Lycoming College, American International College, and Western New England University, where he served as director of the Center for Teaching and Learning from 2009 to 2014. Hakala earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Castleton State College, and his master’s degree and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of New Hampshire.

•••••

Nicholas Grimaldi

Nicholas Grimaldi has become a partner at Fierst, Kane & Bloomberg, LLP, while Peter Lane has been named of counsel in the law firm. Grimaldi joined the firm in 2014 and has more than 18 years of experience as a lawyer. His practice will continue to focus on representing individuals, businesses, and financial institutions in corporate transactions, real estate and secured lending, entertainment and interactive media law, creditor’s rights, and commercial matters. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the Boston University School of Law. Lane has 10 years of experience representing individuals and businesses in civil and criminal litigation, including commercial litigation, landlord-tenant law, criminal defense, and civil rights. He is a graduate of Fordham University and Brooklyn Law School.

•••••

Kayla Drinkwine

Kayla Drinkwine has rejoined Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. as a commercial lines account manager. She started in 2012 with Phillips Insurance and left earlier this year for an opportunity at another agency. She will be responsible for managing the insurance programs of businesses throughout New England. Drinkwine has her CRIS (construction risk and insurance specialist) and CISR (certified insurance service representative) designations and is a licensed Massachusetts insurance broker.

•••••

River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC) promoted Michael Chunyk to the position of site manager at its newest location at Liberty Commons on 2 Mechanic St. in Easthampton. Chunyk obtained his master of social work degree from Springfield College School of Social Work. He has been practicing at RVCC for the last three years as a licensed therapist specializing in working with men who have experienced emotional trauma and addressing symptoms that arise from post-traumatic stress disorder, such as anger issues, depression, and relationship difficulties. He is also a 2018 recipient of the UMass Community Salute Plaque for his dedicated commitment and humanitarian spirit, which has made a positive impact in Western Mass. communities. As the former executive director of Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry in Chicopee, he brings many years of organizational leadership to River Valley’s Easthampton team. Alexa Mignano has also joined the RVCC team in Easthampton as coordinator of School-Based Mental Health Counseling and works as a child-focused therapist. She received her master’s degree from from Springfield College and has been working at RVCC as a therapist in the Holyoke Public Schools for more than seven years. She specializes in treating trauma, adjustment problems, anxiety, self-regulation difficulties, disruptive behavior, and other challenges. Her goal is to help children engage their mind and body throughout the therapeutic process as they work towards healing; this includes play therapy, movement-based interventions, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and parenting support. She also provides training and consultation to schools in implementing trauma-informed practices.

Developments Worth Watching

Opinion

Editorial

There’s a new pastime in the City of Homes these days — watching the South End of the city become transformed before our eyes as the $950 million MGM Springfield takes shape.

It’s hard to take your eyes off it, really, and the scene changes almost every week and certainly every month. Those working in the office towers with windows facing south — especially those in the upper floors — have it better than the rest of us, obviously, but even the views from ground level are captivating.

As intriguing as this development is to watch, there’s another one to keep your eye on, at least figuratively, because it’s happening roughly 100 miles away in the city of Everett.

This would be Wynn Development’s $2.5 billion casino also starting to take shape. The story there, though, is whether that ‘Wynn’ name will actually appear on the tinted glass hotel tower (odds are it certainly won’t), and if not, what name will.

In case you missed it, Steve Wynn is the now former CEO of Wynn Resorts. He stepped down amid sexual harassment allegations and sold all his stock in the company. That development is bad enough for the company, but it seems that there may be other shoes still to drop — including speculation that such claims of harassment were dismissed or ignored by leaders at the company.

A state investigation is pending, and there is already speculation that Wynn Resorts may not wait for that probe to play itself out before attempting to sell the Everett casino to another player within the industry.

And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what the most logical candidate would be — MGM Resorts. In fact, the Boston Globe reported recently that MGM has approached Wynn officials about buying not only the Everett casino but the entire company.

Like we said, this is a development worth watching, and for many reasons.

The most obvious is that state law does not allow a casino company to own two licenses in the Commonwealth. So that might put MGM in a position where it may be deciding between a Springfield casino and a Boston casino.

Logic dictates that the one in Boston, further from the Connecticut casinos and closer to larger population centers, would be the more lucrative option for the casino giant.

Mayor Domenic Sarno told the Boston Globe that he is confident that the city has “protections” in its agreement with MGM, but that he didn’t want to speculate on what the company might do.

Let’s hope these protections are real and substantial, because while what’s being built in Springfield’s South End is impressive it’s the name behind it that is far more so.

Yes, another casino operator could acquire the Springfield property and operate it in an effective profitable fashion. But the city would likely lose something real and substantial if there was another name over the door to the property.

All of this is speculation, of course, but ever since Steve Wynn got caught up in the #MeToo movement, there has been no shortage of that in the Bay State. And there will be more of it in the weeks and months to come.

Like we said, this development, like the construction in the South End, bears watching.

Columbia Gas of Massachusetts Files New Rates with DPU

By BusinessWest Staff April 16, 2018

WESTBOROUGH — Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., last week filed a petition with the Mass. Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to increase annual revenues by $24.1 million, representing a 3.9% increase in current operating revenues.

If approved by the DPU, the change would impact the annual gas bill for a typical residential heating customer by an average of $4.95 per month, or 3.6%. The revised rates take effect March 1, 2019. In the first year after the rates take effect, the $9.1 million refund due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will reduce the customer bill impact to an average of $2.80 per month, or 2%.

The request addresses increases in operating and maintenance costs incurred to comply with increasingly stringent federal and state regulatory mandates and capital costs incurred to upgrade gas infrastructure since the last time Columbia Gas changed its rates in 2016. The DPU decision is expected by Feb. 28, 2019, with rates taking effect March 1, 2019.

The Columbia Gas request is reduced by the impact of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which became effective on Jan. 1, 2018. The request includes a proposal for a refund to customers of $9.1 million, beginning on the effective date of the revised rates, related to the benefit of the tax cut as of Jan. 1, 2018. This $9.1 million refund will partially offset the $24.1 million increase in the first year the revised rates are in effect.

The Columbia Gas request for additional revenues conforms to the standard process through which a regulated utility seeks upgrades to its operating platform for the long-term benefit of customers, the company said in a prepared statement announcing the request. The Columbia Gas modernization efforts focus on eliminating the greatest areas of risk on its distribution system, including continuing efforts to build an organization to oversee the replacement of aging infrastructure. These efforts are designed to optimize the efficient distribution of gas and enhance quality assurance.

Replacing leak-prone infrastructure is a leading priority. However, it will take a number of years to eliminate the aging pipe from the gas distribution system, the company said. In view of this, the regulatory landscape is moving to a period of more stringent regulation, operations and maintenance activities, and active enforcement to assure the integrity of the distribution system through continuous improvement activities. “Our core business is to build and maintain the infrastructure necessary to deliver natural gas in a safe, reliable and cost-efficient manner to our 321,000 customers in the 65 cities and towns we serve,” said Steve Bryant, President and Chief Operating Officer of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts. “Columbia Gas has responded diligently to directives from the Mass. Department of Public Utilities Pipeline Engineering and Safety Division and lessons learned from historical operations. We have made organizational and work practice changes to meet this important public safety challenge and our continuous improvement efforts have involved every aspect of the Company’s operations.

“These changes involve more work, and therefore, more labor and labor-related costs, including ongoing comprehensive employee training,” he went on. “A new state-of-the-art training facility built in Shrewsbury ensures that our workforce is obtaining the skills and capabilities necessary to achieve full compliance with pipeline safety regulations while executing best practices. To accommodate the resources needed to carry out the increasing volumes of construction activity, we are positioning a new Construction facility in Wrentham to house construction resources, designed with features that optimize operating safety for employees and outside service contractors.”

The filing marks the beginning of the public process of rate setting for a utility, as required by the DPU. Evidentiary hearings on the filing will be held within the next several months.

Christopher Omasta Launches Yellow Ribbon Trucking Inc.

By BusinessWest Staff April 11, 2018

HADLEY — Christopher Omasta, vice president of Omasta Landscaping Inc., recently started Yellow Ribbon Trucking Inc. of Hadley.

After an injury, following a deployment to Qatar 2012 in 2013, forced a service-related retirement from the Army National Guard, Omasta worked as second in command to his father, Greg Omasta, in his company, Omasta Landscaping. Seeing a need in the local trucking industry, Chris, with the help of Greenfield Savings Bank, was able to purchase his first truck in 2017. Since then, he acquired another truck, which predominantly works large construction sites and highway paving jobs.

Chris, a Hadley native and graduate of UMass Amherst, has long been committed to his community and has worked with organizations like Valley CDC developing business strategies and target sales and analytics, and is involved with the Northampton Chamber of Commerce. As a veteran, he has also been involved with the Amherst VFW and has provided his time and services to helping support local veterans and veteran-related issues in the Valley. He is also a board member for Alpha Tau Gamma, a fraternity in which members are enrolled at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture.

As a service-disabled veteran, Chris went through a nearly 10-month process to get his company, Yellow Ribbon Trucking Inc., certified as an SDVOSB, or service-disabled-veteran-owned small business. This classification allows him to bid and work on jobs other organizations may not be allowed to, helping him to further broaden his businesses reach throughout New England and beyond.

Kayla Drinkwine Rejoins Phillips Insurance Agency

By BusinessWest Staff April 5, 2018

CHICOPEE — Kayla Drinkwine has rejoined Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. as a commercial lines account manager. She started in 2012 with Phillips Insurance and left earlier this year for an opportunity at another agency. She will be responsible for managing the insurance programs of businesses throughout New England.

Drinkwine has her CRIS (construction risk and insurance specialist) and CISR (certified insurance service representative) designations and is a licensed Massachusetts insurance broker.

Phillips Insurance Agency is a full-service risk-management firm with a staff of 25 professionals, handling the personal and commercial insurance needs for thousands of individuals and businesses throughout New England.

Home Values Drive Economy in Longmeadow

Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

Stephen Crane says keeping Longmeadow’s residential property values up is key — moreso than in most towns — to generating the revenue to fund municipal projects.

In a town where more than 95% of all property is residential, economic development isn’t about attracting a flood of new businesses to town — if only because there’s nowhere to put them. So Longmeadow takes a different tack.

“Our single biggest economic-development activity is the sale of single-family homes,” Town Manager Stephen Crane told BusinessWest. “So what actions can we take in the town government to sustain those sales and make Longmeadow a desirable community to live in? Foremost among those activities is maintaining our world-class school district, but there are other quality-of-life areas that demand and receive our attention.”

In simple terms, he explained, in a community so heavily weighted toward housing, the ability to provide a high level of services depends on property values.

“If property values go up, it relieves a lot of pressure. So, how do we keep property values going up?” he said, noting that, for starters, Longmeadow officials are looking to coordinate a “real-estate summit” with local agents to talk about quality-of-life matters, school issues, and anything else they see driving — or holding back — home sales.

“There are different things we can do,” he continued. “We can’t roll out large-scale economic projects, so our efforts are really micro-efforts, and there are many of them. Combined, they make a difference, though, individually, they look like pretty small things. If we do as many of them as we can, they can have a meaningful impact on the community.”

One example of that deals with foreclosed and vacant property registrations, Crane explained. “We had noticed an uptick in foreclosed and vacant homes that were causing blighting conditions on some of our residential streets, so a few years ago, we instituted a requirement that foreclosed properties be registered with the Building Department — and then we subsequently added vacant properties to the bylaw because certain homes were vacant but not yet foreclosed.”

This gave the Building Department a point of contact to ensure that such properties are being maintained, rather than having to chase down banks and management companies, he noted. “That has greatly accelerated our ability to get in touch with someone to get the blighting condition cured.”

In addition, the modest registration fee has generated revenue for the town. “It’s not a huge deal,” he said, “but if you have one of those properties next to you, it’s a big deal to you. That’s one example of how we try to sustain quality of life and the aesthetics of the community with the limited resources we have.”

Healthy Activity

That’s not to say the commercial market hasn’t been active. Fresh on the heels of a 21,000-square-foot expansion of the Longmeadow Shops last year, a memory-care facility is planned on the site of a former synagogue on Williams Street, and the former Brewer-Young Mansion is being converted to professional offices.

The Baystate Health & Wellness Center will open on Dwight Street, at the East Longmeadow line, this summer.

“They’re in the planning and design phase that will turn a single-family home into a non-residential asset,” Crane said, noting that such projects are taxable, easing the tax burden on homeowners.

Perhaps most significantly, the $11 million, 54,000-square-foot Baystate Health & Wellness Center — which will share a campus on the East Longmeadow line with a rebuilt nursing home on the site of the East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center — is starting to go up.

The Baystate project’s impact is twofold, Crane said, the first being convenience for town residents. “My guess is, if they’re able to go to that office for an appointment instead of going to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, that’s a significant savings of time.”

For the municipal government, however, it will result in significant infrastructure upgrades along the Dwight Street corridor, including street and sewer upgrades, new sidewalks and bike lanes, and improved traffic-light coordination across the town line.

“Dwight Road is a regionally significant traffic corridor,” he noted, “and when this project came up, the towns of Longmeadow and East Longmeadow worked together, with both the developer of the medical office building and the current owner of the nursing home, so the two separate projects were approached as a campus, like no town line existed.”

The project encompasses three intersections on Dwight Road — two in Longmeadow and one in East Longmeadow. Through an intermunicipal agreement, Longmeadow is managing the entire project, and East Longmeadow is receiving contributions from the nursing-home developer, which will pass through to Longmeadow to offset the cost of the street improvements.

“We get efficiencies of scale in both towns, and the traffic signal upgrades can be integrated so the corridor can have much better synchronization of signals and traffic flow,” Crane explained. “The quality-of-life amenity will be the installation of both sidewalks and bike lanes that currently do not exist.

“It’s going to be a busy summer of construction,” he added, “which is good.”

On the municipal side, the Longmeadow Department of Public Works is breaking ground this summer on a new, $20 million facility on the site of a former tennis club on Dwight Road. The town has also been investigating the possibility of building a new, combined middle school.

Longmeadow at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1783
Population: 15,784
Area: 9.7 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $24.34
Commercial Tax Rate: $24.34
Median Household Income: $109,586
Median Family Income: $115,578
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting; Town Manager; Board of Selectmen
Largest Employers: Bay Path University; JGS Lifecare; Glenmeadow
* Latest information available

Meanwhile, the town has been working for several years on a solution to the outdated senior center currently housed in a former elementary school at Greenwood Park. At the May 8 town meeting, residents will vote on whether to authorize a debt-exclusion vote for a new senior center in the amount of $14 million. If approved, the project would be voted on at the annual town election on June 12.

Better Together

Another way Longmeadow seeks to fund services is through regionalization, Crane told BusinessWest. One example is the two-town regional emergency communications center, or RCC, that Longmeadow is establishing with Chicopee, housed in that city’s Police Department and operated by an independent district called WESTCOMM.

“That regional RCC will enable communities that participate in the district to offer residents a higher level of service for the same or less cost,” he explained.

Town leaders are also working on establishing or joining a regional health district, of which there are currently 16 across Massachusetts. The Board of Health now provides all services required by statute, but Crane believes those services could be regionalized to create an economy of scale for the communities. “We are going to analyze existing districts to see if forming our own or joining an existing one will allow us to provide the same high level of service, but at a reduced cost.”

Atop all these ideas, however, lingers the all-important reality that home values are critical to keeping Longmeadow running, so every decision is made at least partly with an eye toward making sure, when a family moves out of town, there is demand from families who want to move in.

At least the town won’t be dealing with unexpected rising costs from the school system, Crane noted, as the children-per-household rate has been on the decline.

“When looking at projected enrollment — which the school department looks at regularly — it’s either flat or a downward trend,” he said. “Maintaining class sizes the way they are is sustainable, so I personally don’t fear skyrocketing education costs as a result of an influx of new schoolchildren. The data in that regard is pretty solid and has been for a number of years.”

There are two sides to that coin, however. The town’s buildout rate is above 90%, and close to 95% for housing, he noted, “so when we want to do a project like a new DPW or a new middle school or a new senior center, that burden is going to be shared by a finite number of properties.

“We have about 5,800 households, and it’s unlikely we’ll ever be in a place where we have 7,800 households,” he went on. “So that 5,800 properties, plus the commercial properties, have to support the town, which is why we work every day to make sure our tax dollars go as far as they possibly can. For us, it’s a simple question of balancing the efficiency and quality of services.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Longmeadow Country Club Undertakes a Multi-faceted Makeover

Golf Preview Sections

Course of Action

This rendering shows the new pool and addition to LCC’s stately clubhouse.

Longmeadow Country Club will turn 100 in a few years (the easy-to-remember 2022, to be more specific).

It is a venerable institution with considerable history, much of it focused on two of the most famous names in the history of golf: Donald Ross and Bobby Jones.

The former designed the course, and it is considered one of his best — in this region if not the country (he designed more than 400 courses worldwide). The latter is considered the greatest amateur in the history of the game. The winner of seven major championships, he played Spalding clubs, and the Chicopee-based company put his name on some of its equipment. When he visited the plant, he would often play Longmeadow Country Club and became a member there.

The club has hosted a number of tournaments over the years, including several Massachusetts Amateurs and the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur, won by current PGA Tour pro Kevin Tway. Popular current players Rickie Fowler and Sam Saunders (Arnold Palmer’s grandson) also competed that year.

Meanwhile, the club has long been the only one in the region to have caddies, and its program has involved young people who would become captains of industry — and even captains in the military (an admiral, actually) — who would proudly recall their time at LCC.

There’s so much tradition and lore here that you often see adjectives placed before the club, like historic, fabled, and storied. And while those still apply, all that doesn’t make LLC immune from the powerful forces impacting the game — and business — of golf and private clubs everywhere, said current President Patrick O’Shea, a lawyer by trade and avid golfer.

“We no longer have a situation where the younger generation aspires, as a sign of success, to join a country club,” he said, summing up a complex matter rather simply. “The family money is going to a lot of places other than a country club.”

The need to respond to this sea change was the catalyst for a nearly $5 million renovation at the club. There is some work taking place on the course itself, O’Shea noted, adding that several hundred trees have been taken down, mostly in an effort to bring sunlight into areas of the course that sorely need it. But the most sweeping changes will be in and around the stately clubhouse.

Indeed, the facility is being made more casual and more family-friendly, he said, citing everything from a completely new look and feel inside the clubhouse to a new pool and patio area outside.

The plans call for demolishing the old tap room and nearby patio area and replacing that with a new 19th-hole/bar area with seating for about 50 people, with an adjacent casual dining space for nearly 100 people, with an open, family-friendly design.

Those we spoke with would wear out those words ‘open’ and ‘casual,’ in large part because these are things the old clubhouse wasn’t, but needs to be moving forward, because this is the environment members want.

“The focus is on the casual, fun social-gathering spaces,” said Rod Clement, LCC’s general manager, adding that the club is moving away away from the ‘white linen’ look and feel — although there will still be some of that if it’s appropriate. “People want spaces where they can see each and other and interact; they don’t have to be segregated in different venues of the club. People want to be part of a community and see people coming in and out.”

The Donald Ross-designed course at LCC is among the region’s finest. This view is from the back of the par-3 16th hole.

The extensive renovations bring with them a discernable level of risk for the club — it has lost some members as a result of the assessment levied to help pay for it, and replacing them is challenging in this environment, even for LCC.

But all those we spoke with said it was something the club needed to do as it strives to thrive not only in its second century, but in a new environment for private country clubs.

For this issue and its focus on sports and leisure, BusinessWest toured the new clubhouse and talked with several of those involved with this ambitious project to gain some insight into the latest chapter in the club’s long history.

Reshaping History

That tour took place on St. Patrick’s Day, when the club scheduled an open house at which members could see the work in progress.

More than 100 people would come through the new front door at the course that day, said Jim Kennedy, the club’s vice president, adding that this number reflects the size and scope of this project, as well as the level of investment on the part of the membership.

This rendering shows the renovated clubhouse at LCC. The two words used most to describe it are ‘open’ and ‘casual,’ qualities it did not possess before the makeover.

Longmeadow is one of only two member-owned clubs left in this region (Ludlow is the other), and every aspect of this project had to be approved by committee — actually, two of them. First, the long-range planning committee, which took ownership of the project, and then the membership as a whole.

“I think it went quite smoothly,” said O’Shea, tongue firmly planted in cheek as he talked about what became several years of planning, revising plans, and revising them some more.

He said talks concerning a serious makeover at the club actually began about five or six years ago, and escalated over time. The talks commenced because the scene was changing at private clubs regionally and across the country.

“We had different national consultants come in and talk with the members and let them know that there are changes on the horizon in the country-club scene,” he told BusinessWest. “They said that it’s more family-centric, with women making more of the decisions about joining clubs, where before it was men.

“We have a spectacular golf course here — everyone knows that, we know that, we love it, we appreciate it, we’re stewards of it,” he went on. “But we realized that we need more than that; we recognized that we need to enhance the family and social gathering places. Some of the spaces we had were more set up for the 1950s dining and dancing culture than the culture of today.”

By late 2015, a plan emerged — and was actually approved by the members — for a $7.4 million renovation focused entirely on the clubhouse, with nothing slated for the course or pool and related facilities.

After much consideration, and despite approval from the membership, the panel created for this initiative decided to “tap the brakes,” as O’Shea put it, and consider something on a smaller yet broader scale. What eventually emerged is what members toured on St. Patrick’s Day.

As they drove in, they could probably see some of the changes on the course itself, undertaken in accordance with a 54-page golf-course master plan prepared by golf architect Ron Prichard, a well-known Donald Ross restoration specialist (changes to Ross-designed courses are not undertaken lightly).

While there will be repair work to the cart paths and installation of improved drainage on holes 9,12, and 17, the biggest change involves the removal of trees.

This is a movement taking place across the golf landscape, literally and figuratively, said Tim Quirk, head pro at LCC, noting that, while trees can define a golf hole, some trees don’t contribute to a course’s design or degree of difficulty but do keep areas in almost constant shade, thus impacting turf condition.

It is trees of this latter variety (more than 300 of them by the latest count) that the club has taken down since late last fall. A good number of trees have come down on the right side of the 10th fairway, but the biggest change is the removal of a large stand of trees between the 3rd and 6th holes.

Indeed, as they walked BusinessWest out for a look, Kennedy and Quirk stopped at the tee of the par-3 7th and gestured out to something that could never be seen from that spot before — the 3rd green.

But as dramatic as the on-course changes are, those inside and around the clubhouse are even more so. Overall, though, they were blueprinted in a way that would change the look and feel of the interior of the clubhouse, but yield what O’Shea called “minimal exterior transformation to make sure it looks like it’s been here for 100 years.”

Bill Laplante and his father, Ray, principals with East Longmeadow-based Laplante Construction, were assigned the task of designing and undertaking the renovations. But as long-time members, they were already heavily invested in it — in every way.

As he walked BusinessWest through the new clubhouse-in-progress, Bill Laplante also used the words ‘open,’ ‘casual,’ and ‘family-friendly,’ but he added some others that hadn’t been used to reference to the LCC facilities historically — like ‘modern,’ ‘flexible,’ and ‘energy-efficient.’

“We tried to marry the new with the old to make sure that it’s consistent with regard to the original design of the building,” he explained. “But at the same time, we’re trying to modernize the space.”

By modernize, he meant amenities like an elevator for handicap accessibility between the main level, pool-deck level, and the pool locker-room level below it. But he was also referring to foam insulation, new windows, and new roofing in some sections for increased efficiency.

And also to how everything has been designed — with the goal of creating an environment that is open, bright (there’s much more natural light), and easy to navigate.

The Next Chapter

Overall, this is an extensive makeover that includes everything from that new front door to a new private dining room; from a new and expanded kitchen with energy-efficient equipment to a new audio-visual system. As LaPlante said, it’s a marriage of the old and the new, which is important here.

Indeed, from the road, the clubhouse still says ‘1922,’ which is what the members want and demand.

But inside, it says ‘2018,’ and in all the important ways, that is also what is wanted and needed.

Thus, a course and a club steeped in tradition and lore is writing an important new chapter in its history.

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

Real Estate Transactions

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

CHARLEMONT

336 Legate Hill Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $177,500
Buyer: Tucker J. Mientka
Seller: Rockwell J. Lively
Date: 03/01/18

COLRAIN

261 Greenfield Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Lisa M. Bottego
Seller: Suzanne R. Warsaw
Date: 03/05/18

DEERFIELD

23 Lee Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $260,336
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Nancy J. Hayes
Date: 03/09/18

5 Memorial St.
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Andrew Shilling
Seller: Robert Hale
Date: 03/02/18

73 Sugarloaf St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Carol J. Gritz
Seller: Carol J. Gritz
Date: 03/02/18

Sugarloaf St. (off)
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Ragus LLC
Seller: Carol J. Gritz
Date: 03/02/18

GREENFIELD

109-113 School St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $352,000
Buyer: Noyes Properties LLC
Seller: DCTL LLC
Date: 03/01/18

LEVERETT

91 Long Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $359,900
Buyer: Gordon Kramer
Seller: Christopher J. Kusek
Date: 02/28/18

15 Number 6 Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jeremiah R. Berlin
Seller: Melanie Fletcher-Howell
Date: 03/08/18

7 Old Long Plain Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Ashley Winn
Seller: Diane E. Bella
Date: 02/28/18

LEYDEN

161 Eden Trail
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Peter B. Koppenheffer
Seller: Frederick D. Mesloh
Date: 03/02/18

MONTAGUE

7 Coolidge Ave.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $170,500
Buyer: Tracy M. Warner
Seller: Belinda Poirier
Date: 03/09/18

22 G St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Jade Gonzales
Seller: William Perry
Date: 03/09/18

34 Park St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Mary Siano
Seller: William R. Travis
Date: 02/28/18

2 Prospect St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Pamela B. Kennedy
Seller: Epis Missions Of Western Mass.
Date: 02/28/18

NEW SALEM

264 Wendell Road
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $326,000
Buyer: Elizabeth R. Goddard
Seller: Byron C. Masi
Date: 02/28/18

NORTHFIELD

198 Birnam Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Guy E. Gilbert
Seller: Paul W. Prest
Date: 03/09/18

61 East St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $237,500
Buyer: Denise A. Paquin
Seller: Lippack, S. Hope, (Estate)
Date: 02/26/18

638 South Mountain Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Emory K. Kristof
Seller: Stephen M. Cordery
Date: 03/01/18

ORANGE

131 Mechanic St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $167,900
Buyer: Thomas M. Boudreau
Seller: Kathleen J. Johnson
Date: 03/02/18

310 Walnut Hill Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: KDMK LLC
Seller: North Quabbin Brook RT
Date: 03/02/18

SHUTESBURY

309 Locks Pond Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Amanda D. Shaulis
Seller: Cabral RT
Date: 03/02/18

SUNDERLAND

500 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Dale Brown
Seller: Baoshan Xing
Date: 03/02/18

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

106 Channell Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Brian J. Perreault
Seller: Jamie N Mercadante
Date: 03/01/18

37 Charter Oak Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Joshua Merritt
Seller: Vitaliy V. Gladysh
Date: 02/28/18

30 Deering St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Sean Collins
Seller: Christine R. Morris
Date: 02/28/18

7 Jasmine Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Joseph Cardaropoli
Seller: Kot, Vadim, (Estate)
Date: 03/09/18

26 Jasmine Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $398,000
Buyer: Richard W. Fearn
Seller: Joseph Kot
Date: 02/28/18

15 King St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Michael Delaney
Seller: Linda S. Carestia
Date: 03/07/18

12 Lenox St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: NSP Residential LLC
Seller: James M. Lewis
Date: 02/27/18

803 North Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Vladimir Sidorovnin
Seller: John D. West
Date: 03/09/18

16 Norris St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $208,900
Buyer: Melissa Noonan
Seller: MS Homes LLC
Date: 02/26/18

79 Poinsetta St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Daniel Geiger
Seller: Denise A. Browne
Date: 03/09/18

89 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Don Donahue
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 03/08/18

117 Reed St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Joshua Meskill
Seller: William A. Garvin
Date: 02/26/18

639 Shoemaker Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Vitale Braxtanov
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/26/18

479 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $222,588
Buyer: V. Mortgage REO 3 LLC
Seller: Lucia Liquori
Date: 03/08/18

18-20 Summer St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: 716 Spring Valley LLC
Seller: Barbara Wojciechowski
Date: 03/01/18

BLANDFORD

5 Glasgow Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Jose O. Deleon-Gonzalez
Seller: Daniel J. Gelina
Date: 03/05/18

4 Huntington Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Dale M. Weaver
Seller: Citizens Bank
Date: 02/28/18

BRIMFIELD

91 Oakwood Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Vilandre
Seller: Michael R. Partlow
Date: 02/28/18

128 Old Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Christopher S. Elmore
Seller: Lester A. Barton
Date: 03/05/18

155 Old Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Kristy L. Kearns
Seller: Shaun T. Cadoret
Date: 02/26/18

CHICOPEE

145 Beauregard Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Erudite RT
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 02/28/18

4 Burton St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $388,000
Buyer: PPK LLC
Seller: Legacy Realty Associates
Date: 03/01/18

50 Carlton Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,400
Buyer: Anna S. Vlas
Seller: Edward S. Bury
Date: 02/28/18

5 Cox St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Luis A. Valdez
Seller: Margaret E. Beaupre
Date: 03/09/18

19 Czepiel St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Emily V. Trigilio
Seller: Frank Niemiec
Date: 03/02/18

62 Davenport St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Jessica Sanabria
Seller: Daniel E. Sliwa
Date: 02/28/18

23 Edward St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Catherine Lafortune
Seller: PP&R Properties LLC
Date: 03/01/18

70 Fletcher Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Desmond Farrell
Seller: Paul D. Menard
Date: 03/02/18

40 Fuller St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Donald J. Ruscoe
Seller: M&G Property Group LLC
Date: 02/28/18

27 Grant St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Lori Beaudry
Seller: Rivest, Marguerite M., (Estate)
Date: 02/27/18

88 Marcelle St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Elias R. Navarro
Seller: Gene A. Stelzer
Date: 03/01/18

19 Marlborough St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Nicole Ladeau
Seller: Phyllis J. Settembro
Date: 02/28/18

107 South St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Lori A. Germain
Seller: G&D Property Management
Date: 02/26/18

23 Nora St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Kellie M. McLaughlin
Seller: Christian Kosinski
Date: 03/06/18

25 Ohio Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jessica L. Braman
Seller: James A. Maynard
Date: 03/09/18

135 Stebbins St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,400
Buyer: Adam J. Chapdelaine
Seller: Donald R. Chapdelaine
Date: 03/05/18

75 Valier Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Paul R. Turgeon
Seller: Mary Gay
Date: 03/06/18

1640 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Anthony R. Witman
Seller: Witman Properties Inc.
Date: 03/01/18

EAST LONGMEADOW

61 Colony Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $422,500
Buyer: Talal Mhanna
Seller: Oak Ridge Custom Home Builders
Date: 02/28/18

Peachtree Road #13
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Cumberland Blues RT
Seller: Donna M. Cabot
Date: 03/05/18

353 Pease Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $319,900
Buyer: Bryant Biccum
Seller: Donna V. Wheeler
Date: 03/08/18

29 Rural Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: 88 Casino Terrace LLC
Seller: Worthington, Martha E., (Estate)
Date: 03/08/18

54 Rural Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Adam M. Overlock
Seller: Ross W. Overlock
Date: 02/27/18

84 South Brook Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Spurgeon Wamala
Seller: Constant Ogutt
Date: 03/01/18

20 Speight Arden
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Leanna C. Daniele
Seller: Old Coach Properties LLC
Date: 03/08/18

HAMPDEN

342 Allen St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Eric J. Morin
Seller: Donna Ainsworth
Date: 03/08/18

36 Hickory Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Lauren N Brodeur
Seller: Jodi A. Brodeur
Date: 03/05/18

413 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: James C. Stephens
Seller: Bradley S. Culhane
Date: 03/07/18

27 Meadow Brook Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Lynch
Seller: Mars Real Properties Inc.
Date: 02/27/18

HOLLAND

184 Mashapaug Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Scott M. Jacobs
Seller: Edwin H. Bartolomei
Date: 02/28/18

HOLYOKE

1 Court Plaza
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Holyoke Community Media
Seller: Holyoke Economic Development
Date: 03/06/18

834 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Clara S. Shoemaker
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 03/01/18

29 Joanne Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $239,100
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Michelle A. Beswick
Date: 03/06/18

254-256 Maple St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Bex LLC
Seller: Michael F. Tierney
Date: 03/05/18

1212 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Martha L. Brown
Seller: Mikhail Korolev
Date: 03/01/18

37 Sherwood Terrace
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Danielle T. Belliveau
Seller: Michael J. Goss
Date: 02/28/18

35 Valley Heights
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Keyla G. Centeno
Seller: Michael J. Hearn
Date: 03/09/18

80-82 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Jeffrey C. Stone
Seller: Michael J. Murray
Date: 03/09/18

LONGMEADOW

128 Blueberry Hill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Joel A. Arnold
Seller: Allan W. Blair
Date: 02/27/18

33 Crest Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Shyel RT
Seller: Wendell W. Ritchie
Date: 03/02/18

29 Dartmouth Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Peter Olesen
Seller: Sasi Penukonda
Date: 03/02/18

67 Elmwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Elizabeth Vasiliades
Seller: Donald T. Ferris
Date: 03/01/18

493 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Tiara L. Warren
Seller: Eugene Adamz
Date: 02/26/18

112 Pinewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Alan Caplan
Seller: Muriel Dane
Date: 02/27/18

LUDLOW

1062 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $244,900
Buyer: Kevin J. Moyer-Wilkes
Seller: Kristen N Deslauriers
Date: 02/28/18

31 Colonial Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Daniel R. Kinne
Seller: Desforges, Sylvia, (Estate)
Date: 02/28/18

44 Crest St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $157,600
Buyer: Gina M. Marsan
Seller: Dean A. Moorhouse
Date: 02/26/18

257 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jorge S. Laires
Seller: Jack Nuno
Date: 03/09/18

54 Elm St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Hilario
Seller: MYA Realty LLC
Date: 02/26/18

55 Haviland St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $197,500
Buyer: Minh H. Nguyen
Seller: Joanne Mei
Date: 03/09/18

15 Paulding Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Martin J. Gray
Seller: Marie A. Marx
Date: 02/28/18

15 Philip St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $211,500
Buyer: Sandra Auld
Seller: Michael E. Pietras
Date: 02/28/18

25 Simonds St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Lynsey A. Burns
Seller: Robert B. Roccanti
Date: 03/07/18

99 Skyridge St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $147,400
Buyer: Joshua Duquette
Seller: Maria E. DosSantos
Date: 02/27/18

7 Ventura St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: David A. Lord
Seller: Donn A. Lord
Date: 03/06/18

MONSON

3 Highland Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Timothy Lomme
Seller: Ross Pelletier
Date: 02/28/18

257 Hovey Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: John C. Durham
Seller: Jeremy D. Durham
Date: 02/27/18

269 Wales Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jeremy D. Durham
Seller: Cynthia D. Durham
Date: 02/27/18

PALMER

143 Breckenridge St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Eleanor C. Karbon
Seller: Jeffrey D. Staiti
Date: 03/02/18

3109-3111 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $176,505
Buyer: First Guaranty Mortgage
Seller: Curtiss A. Brouthers
Date: 03/05/18

RUSSELL

581 Huntington Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Christopher R. Liberty
Seller: Elizabeth Massa
Date: 02/28/18

SOUTHWICK

445 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Eugene J. Whitehead
Seller: Todd Doiron
Date: 03/08/18

17 Congamond Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $184,600
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Elwyn M. Savage
Date: 03/05/18

139 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Candice D. Ruccio
Date: 03/02/18

11 Meadow Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: David Broderick
Seller: John A. Jeneral
Date: 03/09/18

SPRINGFIELD

384 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Luke M. Hollwedel
Seller: Paul J. Sears
Date: 02/28/18

110 Avocado St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: JVLV Realty LLC
Seller: C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc.
Date: 03/06/18

1122 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Marigold Realty LLC
Seller: Markdon Realty LLC
Date: 03/09/18

1540 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Carmen Rivera
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 03/07/18

1546 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Lina M. Correa
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 03/08/18

97 Bridle Path Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Buckley
Seller: Helen C. Garde
Date: 02/28/18

43 Burton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $170,900
Buyer: Francisco Rodriguez
Seller: Global Homes Properties
Date: 02/26/18

97 Carol Ann St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Ryan J. Wilkie
Seller: Calabrese, Cipriano F., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/18

25 Carlisle St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Frank C. Salas
Seller: Lisa Millett
Date: 03/09/18

672 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: S&C Homebuyers LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 03/01/18

98-100 Clantoy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: William Howell
Seller: David B. Dussault
Date: 02/28/18

48 Clement St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Barry J. Cook
Seller: Hue V. Vu
Date: 03/06/18

78 Coral Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Joshua M. Gibbs
Seller: Melvin Sanchez
Date: 02/27/18

102-104 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $132,500
Buyer: Zen D. Vo
Seller: Tinh Ngo
Date: 02/28/18

150 Drexel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: James L. Hernandez
Seller: Zin Property Solutions
Date: 02/27/18

61 Dwight Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Shronda N Payne
Seller: Stephanie F. Wilson
Date: 02/28/18

35 Glendell Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Sandra I. Velez
Seller: C. Rodriguez-Gonzalez
Date: 03/09/18

37 Homestead Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $184,500
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Albert Frigugliett
Date: 03/05/18

110 Ithaca St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Christina M. Leipchack
Seller: Bynum, Michael J., (Estate)
Date: 03/09/18

67 Kane St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Evelyn Onwona
Seller: Michele A. Labelle
Date: 02/27/18

30 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Smash Brothers RT
Seller: MYA Realty LLC
Date: 03/02/18

25 Laurence St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Leo R. Best
Seller: Nu Way Homes Inc.
Date: 03/01/18

403-405 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Mister Mister LLC
Seller: Eleanor M. Desautels
Date: 02/28/18

409 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Mister Mister LLC
Seller: Eleanor M. Desautels
Date: 02/28/18

29 Mattoon St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Paul Bromwich
Seller: Erica I. Walch
Date: 03/02/18

80 Merrill Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Daniel F. Lantigua
Seller: Gary M. Hullihen
Date: 02/27/18

56-58 Narragansett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Ninoshka Pineda
Seller: Bakr, Huriya M., (Estate)
Date: 03/09/18

763 Newbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,056
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Gerard Lacasse
Date: 03/05/18

114 Newhouse St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $116,500
Buyer: Melissa L. Hamelin
Seller: Robert P. Oyler
Date: 02/26/18

140 Odion St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $144,900
Buyer: Bianca M. Dellacroce
Seller: Linda T. Lafratta
Date: 03/09/18

1847 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Tyeka Robinson
Seller: Richard Chang
Date: 02/27/18

304 Peekskill Ave.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Edward Sawyer
Seller: Jamie Dupell
Date: 02/28/18

9 Pelham St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: NSP Residential LLC
Seller: Alita M. Love
Date: 02/27/18

90 Perkins St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $173,600
Buyer: Keith J. Clark
Seller: Jared T. Larkin
Date: 02/27/18

128 Phoenix Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $123,100
Buyer: Abdulkareem Abdulkareem
Seller: Suellen R. Thornhill
Date: 03/01/18

68 Pine Acre Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Eavon K. Vaughan
Seller: Earl V. Watson
Date: 02/28/18

60 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $126,372
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Jean D. Moore
Date: 03/01/18

16 Prentice St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Elvin A. Rivera-Cardona
Seller: Roland R. Prairie
Date: 02/28/18

222 Prentice St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: April Meunier
Seller: Christopher Petropoulos
Date: 03/02/18

41 Queensbury Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Nicole Milanes
Seller: Josephine Stabilo
Date: 03/09/18

260 Ramblewood Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Shenae Levester
Seller: Melro Associates Inc.
Date: 02/28/18

10-12 Ranney St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Willie Davey
Seller: Aubin, Roland F., (Estate)
Date: 03/08/18

4 Rogers Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Mister Mister LLC
Seller: Eleanor M. Desautels
Date: 02/28/18

6 Rogers Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Mister Mister LLC
Seller: Eleanor M. Desautels
Date: 02/28/18

840 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Ramon Baez
Seller: Della Ripa Real Estate
Date: 03/09/18

120 Savoy Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $115,190
Buyer: Willie L. Gainey
Seller: Ruz M. Martir
Date: 02/26/18

12-14 Standish St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Sharleen Gonzalez
Seller: Michael A. Cotugno
Date: 03/09/18

376-378 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Kerube Farhadi
Seller: Hector R. Rodriguez
Date: 02/28/18

37 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $185,537
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Danilo O. Feliciano
Date: 02/27/18

90-92 West Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Sabrinna C. Marshall
Seller: Tascon Homes LLC
Date: 03/07/18

119-121 Wellington St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: 196-198 Bowdoin St. Realty
Seller: Peter Stathakis
Date: 03/09/18

819 Worthington St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Birhane H. Haile
Seller: Sargoon Hawil
Date: 03/02/18

43 Wrentham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Jesus Sanchez
Seller: Rex Ramos
Date: 02/28/18

WESTFIELD

11 Cherry St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Vadim Plotnikov
Seller: James W. Kaleta
Date: 03/06/18

21 Frederick St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $127,200
Buyer: Park River Properties LLC
Seller: Frank J. Wojtowicz
Date: 03/01/18

35 High Meadow Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Regina Corey
Seller: Karen K. Moriarty
Date: 03/09/18

19 Jefferson St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Angelo Liquori
Seller: John W. Cody
Date: 02/26/18

479 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Viktor Levkha
Seller: Victor Podolyanchuk
Date: 03/01/18

470 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: TNT General Contracting
Seller: Tina Stevens
Date: 03/01/18

468 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: John L. Fisher
Seller: Panagiotis Economopoulos
Date: 02/27/18

WILBRAHAM

902 Glendale Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Nauset Properties LP
Seller: Judith Rickson
Date: 03/01/18

4 Rice Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Heath D. Fortenberry
Seller: Lyle F. Feinberg
Date: 02/27/18

WEST SPRINGFIELD

1228 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Dhan Biswa
Seller: Inna Gargun
Date: 02/28/18

112 Baldwin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Woodcliff Properties LLC
Seller: Ralph E. Dowers
Date: 03/02/18

878 Dewey St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Carlisle
Seller: Deis, Lloyd A., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/18

Saint Andrews Way #2
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $339,900
Buyer: Deborah G. Briancesco
Seller: Country Club Partners LLC
Date: 02/26/18

50 Van Horn St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Nicholas A. Paier
Seller: Timothy W. Riley
Date: 02/28/18

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

80 Columbia Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Maria T. Cruz
Seller: Eduardo Landaverde
Date: 03/08/18

109 Fearing St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Weibin Zhang
Seller: Westort, Young K., (Estate)
Date: 03/09/18

943 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Edgardo J. Rothkegel
Seller: David L. Smith
Date: 02/28/18

87 Stony Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Danielle Kadinoff
Seller: Eric M. Cave
Date: 03/06/18

BELCHERTOWN

103 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: John J. Goodwin
Seller: Richard G. Catellier
Date: 02/28/18

141 Franklin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $159,500
Buyer: Adam G. Orszak
Seller: Jacob I. Wheeler
Date: 02/26/18

36 Magnolia Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Zhijun Wang
Seller: J. N Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 03/02/18

CHESTERFIELD

574 Main Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Cody Rida
Seller: Kevin L. Kukucka
Date: 02/28/18

EASTHAMPTON

110 Everett St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $115,791
Buyer: David J. Ciak
Seller: Margaret A. Papalegis
Date: 02/27/18

45 Cherry St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $327,500
Buyer: Katherine L. Bergren
Seller: Norwich Properties LLC
Date: 03/08/18

60 Line St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Kevin F. Marsh
Seller: Michael A. Splaine
Date: 03/05/18

72 Mount Tom Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Brooke Matuszko
Seller: Patrici Laprade-Pasquini
Date: 02/28/18

GOSHEN

17 South Main St.
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $155,500
Buyer: Michael J. Baines
Seller: Ralmon J. Black
Date: 02/28/18

GRANBY

233 Chicopee St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $291,784
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Susan J. Gilpatrick
Date: 02/28/18

146 Harris St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Kathryn L. Skarbez
Seller: Daniel R. Bernashe
Date: 02/28/18

HADLEY

Grand Oak Farm Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Rosemund LLC
Seller: Deborah M. Mokrzecki
Date: 03/09/18

438 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Gerald T. Devine
Seller: Lyndell D. Nuttelman
Date: 02/28/18

River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: John H. Kokoski
Seller: Niedbala, Julianna, (Estate)
Date: 03/01/18

HATFIELD

138 Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Catherine M. Hebert
Seller: Donald E. Acus
Date: 02/28/18

30 North Hatfield Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Richard Geidel
Seller: Margaret R. Hancock
Date: 03/09/18

4 Primrose Path
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Judith A. Strong
Seller: Christine Y. Doty
Date: 02/27/18

HUNTINGTON

23 Goss Hill Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: John J. Montesi
Seller: Paul T. Laurie
Date: 02/26/18

48 Worthington Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $175,700
Buyer: Andrew B. McCaul
Seller: Jack E. McCaul
Date: 03/09/18

NORTHAMPTON

384 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $237,900
Buyer: Martha A. Pomputius
Seller: Thomas E. Dawson-Greene
Date: 03/09/18

10 Bright St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: 10 Bright LLC
Seller: Ksieniewicz, John W., (Estate)
Date: 02/28/18

227 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Michael W. Miller
Seller: Emerson Way LLC
Date: 03/07/18

237 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Peter S. Fliss
Seller: Rosemund LLC
Date: 03/06/18

19 Ladyslipper Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Michael G. Reagan
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 03/02/18

1 Lovefield St.
Northampton, MA 01027
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Robert G. Barber
Seller: Jesse Camp
Date: 03/09/18

53 Maple Ridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Kelsy Traeger-Sinelnikov
Seller: Mary E. McGuire
Date: 03/01/18

36 Meadow St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Alexandra J. Carlson
Seller: Linda M. Didonna
Date: 02/28/18

159 Pine St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Durai Rajasekar
Seller: Elizabeth Duca
Date: 02/28/18

83 Pomeroy Terrace
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $658,000
Buyer: Deborah M. Henson
Seller: Roger W. Salloom
Date: 02/27/18

21 Reservoir Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Tim Seney Contracting Inc.
Seller: Rocco Lapaire
Date: 03/01/18

36 Ward Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Seth Atkinson
Seller: Harvey M. Lederman
Date: 02/28/18

SOUTH HADLEY

76 Fairview St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Tera E. Bagg
Seller: Kathleen M. Dion
Date: 03/02/18

3 Frederick Place
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $189,500
Buyer: Anthony R. Gomez
Seller: Michael E. Greaney
Date: 03/09/18

47 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Bryan J. Sverchek
Seller: Veronique C. Blanchard
Date: 03/09/18

55 Laurie Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Justin A. Mayotte
Seller: Michael G. Pare
Date: 03/07/18

23 Pine St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Rachel E. Leach
Seller: Paul L. Ribeiro
Date: 02/28/18

10 Sycamore Knolls
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Lori T. Fischetti
Seller: Jennifer L. Lachapelle
Date: 03/02/18

SOUTHAMPTON

College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $1,200,000
Buyer: Eugene R. Labrie
Seller: Denise D. Wayne
Date: 03/01/18

College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $1,200,000
Buyer: Eugene R. Labrie
Seller: Denise D. Wayne
Date: 03/09/18

135 Fomer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Nicholas Shea
Seller: Patrick J. Day
Date: 03/09/18

WARE

9-17 Canal St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jeffrey VonDauber
Seller: Canal Street RT
Date: 02/28/18

138 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $187,549
Buyer: Craig S. Dumont
Seller: Pierre Durand
Date: 02/27/18

4 Coldbrook Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $297,500
Buyer: Christopher S. Romani
Seller: Emmett Rooney
Date: 02/27/18

2 High Meadow Lane
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Michele Moorhouse
Seller: Luwanda M. Cheney
Date: 03/08/18

4 Longview Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Nicorn LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 03/07/18

42 Morse Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Tiffany M. Desrosiers
Seller: Michele L. Moorhouse
Date: 03/06/18

158 North St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Sheila J. Pratt
Seller: Lisa Terry-Jakshtis
Date: 02/28/18

WILLIAMSBURG

52 Hyde Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Caleb Carriere
Seller: Doranda G. Carriere
Date: 03/09/18

Doing Business as Certificates

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the months of March 2018.

AMHERST

DeJong Consulting
81 Pine Grove
Christine DeJong

Ichiban Asian Bistro
106 North Pleasant St.
Chuan Jiao Bistro Inc., Zhao Liu Wang

MyEyeDr.
22 University Dr.
MyEyeDr. Optometry of Massachusetts, P.C.

Yiddish Book Center
1021 West St.
Susan Bronson

BELCHERTOWN

People’s Massage
442 State St.
Mary Hurley

Perfect Arrangements
39 Federal St.
David Paul, Barbara Paul

Seven One Nine
37 Fuller St.
Thomas Cooke

Taubman Tech Consulting
33 Two Ponds Road
Alexander Taubman

ZK Construction
82 South Liberty St.
Zbigbiew Krotki

CHICOPEE

Adams Co.
1033 Chicopee St.
Robert Adams

Alex’s Home Improvement
21 Firest St.
Aleksandr Pereoala

Belladonna Boutique
342 Front St.
Jasmine Santiago

Bruscoe Construction
98 Mount Vernon Road
Jared Bruscoe

D.S. Home Improvements
89 Northwood St.
Dustin Stewart

Gothique
108 Greenpoint Circle
David Collier

J.C. Construction Services
45 Ellerton St.
Juan Carlos Garcia Cortez

Mias y Hermanos
61 Davis Road
Wandy Feliz-Suriel

Peter Boutin Audio Consultants
211 Fuller Road
Peter Boutin

Wil’s Top Quality Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
274 Carew St.
Wilkid Valcinord

DEERFIELD

40 Conway St., LLC
40 Conway St.
Francis Naida

Ciesluk’s Market
55C North Main St.
Nicole Ciesluk

EASTHAMPTON

Aaron’s Paradise Transportation
1 Lovefield St.
Scott Belleniore, Elizabeth Dube

Ana Knil
116 Pleasant St., Suite 055
Sasanqua Link

Go with the Float, LLC
122 Pleasant St.
Stephen Bryla

Jodoin Home Improvement
15 Jones Dr.
Mark Jodoin

To Dye For, LLC
66 Northampton St.
Alicia Duprey

WT Moore Solutions
45 Maple St.
William Moore

EAST LONGMEADOW

Ascent Laser Aesthetics, LLC
250 North Main St.
Kevin Coughlin

Irina’s
100 Shaker Road
Vladimir Kulenok

Johnson Boys Landscaping
2 Peachtree Road
Robert Johnson

Metamotive Product Development
17 Donamore Lane
Hubert Pfabe

S & P Appraisals
40 Villanova St.
Susan Cunningham

GREENFIELD

Aladdin Food Management Services, LLC
1 College Dr.
Divina Grayson

All About the Promo
13 Cedar St.
Susan Brulotte, John Michelson

Baystate Tax Service
14 Miles St.
Richard L. Holbrook III Associates Inc.

Bonnie B’s Country Kitchen
204 Main St.
Bonnie Brown

Carolyn’s Hair
54 School St.
Carolyn Murray

Community911 Training Inc.
38 Haywood St.
Community911 Training Inc.

CSR Painting Services
28 Pond St.
Colby Roche

Deeply Discounted
51 Phyllis Lane
Dan Tutelya, Yauneni Berun

K Salon
18 Miles St.
Kristina Bergeron

Mattress Outlet
142 Main St.
Harry Foster

MyEyeDr.
489 Bernardston Road
MyEyeDr. Optometry of Massachusetts, P.C.

New England Camper Repair
1399 Bernardston Road
Jeffrey Ennis

Pack the Stilettos Travel Agency
178 Fairview St.
Amy Patt

Semaski Financial
58 Highland Ave.
Jason Semaski

Surviving Addiction Group of Narcotics Anonymous
68 Federal St.
Michael Rosa

LUDLOW

Ray Haluch Inc.
1014 Center St.
Raymond Haluch, Joanne Martins

NORTHAMPTON

Cohn Financial
27 Fort St.
Catherine Smith

Curran and Keegan Financial
48 Round Hill Road, Suite 2
Karen Curran, Molly Keegan

Greg Smith Home Repair
134 Crescent St.
Gregory Smith

Ibby & Eric Photography
351 Pleasant St.
Eric Rzegocki

José Bou Catering Service
261 Florence Road
José Bou

Larian Products
16 Market St.
Paul Ricard

Lucky’s Tattoo and Piercing
37 Main St.
Isaac Torrin

Natasha Campbell Multicultural Clinical Services
16 Center St.
Natasha Campbell

Reconnection Wellness
13 Old South St.
Kathryn Barvainis

Top Shelf Bars
13 Rust Ave.
Nicholas Paine

PALMER

Signature Masonry Inc.
1371 Main St.
David Lane, Edward Libera III

SpudSlingers
175 Summer St.
Mary Shirzadi

SOUTHWICK

Pathways to Healing by Aimee
617 College Highway
Aimee Sawyer

Sunset Ridge Farm
108 Coes Hill Road
Joshua Pilling

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Hospice
50 Maple St.
Baystate Visiting Nurse Assoc. & Hospice

C & B Landscaping
54 Fallston St.
C & B Snow Removal

CT Truck
59 Lansing Place
Chuong Truong

D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches
1465 Boston Road
Donald Obitz

Elusive Ryderz
174 Berkshire Ave.
Robert Ruiz

Henry’s Jewelry Store
208 Main St.
Barbara Kamuda

Home Like Management
199 Dickinson St.
Anthony Cardaropoli

Horizon
34 Goodwin St.
Glenroy Bristol

Housemaster
112 Washington Road
Roger Peterson

Innovate413
1350 Main St.
Samalid Hogan

Nails by Tia Lynn
535 Main St.
Tia Fortier

Namco Pools Inc.
1500 Boston Road
William Rauch

New England Motor Cars
720 Berkshire Ave.
Mohammad Burhan

Northgate Dental Center
1985 Main St.
Kavitha Sathya

Parkerview Services Inc.
11 Washington Road
Roger Peterson

The Pocketbookman
618 Belmont Ave.
Byron Brown

Roger’s Electric
11 Perkins St.
Roger Fahringer

Shanndolls Boutique
72 Humbert St.
Shannan Swinton

Sherman Landscaping
111 Alden St.
Devon Sherman

Spiritual Growth Reminder
77 Carver St.
Judith Rady

TTBB & Styles
477 Boston Road
Shawntay Badger

Wallace Trucking
155 Jasper St.
Devon Wallace

Wheeler’s Convenience
597 Dickinson St.
Faiz Rabbani

WARE

Davi Nails & Spa
352 Palmer Road
Linh Le

Needles & Pins
52A Main St.
Joanna Przypek

WESTFIELD

D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches
291 East Main St.
Landd Corp.

GDM Aircraft
111 Airport Road
Michelle Zemba

Greylock Insurance Agency
30 Court St.
Greylock Financial & Insurance

Lecrenski Bros. Inc.
14 Delmont Ave.
Lecrenski Bros. Inc.

McLellan Machine Co.
571 Southampton Road
Jonathan McLellan

Sweet Aleksandr
177 Meadow St.
Aleksandr Chernov

Wise Vapors
30 Main St.
Wise Vapors

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Commercial Truck Tire Center
1264 Union St.
Holyoke Tire & Auto

D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches
1067 Riverdale St.
Landd Corp.

KPC Enterprises
35 Lower Beverly Hills
Pedro Cuello

Scuderi Group Inc.
1111 Elm St.
Salvatore Scuderi

Shangri-La Grocery
753 Union St.
Chitra Rai

Soap by Susan
89 Brookline Ave.
Susan McCarthy

Therafeet
1680 Riverdale St.
Therapeutic Feet Inc.

United Landscaping
96 Southworth St.
Andrei Dobrin

West Side Tire & Auto Service
930 Memorial Ave.
Holyoke Tire & Auto

WILBRAHAM

Bright Wolf
57 High Pine Circle
Joseph Valickus

Caban’s Heating
27 Stony Hill Road
Felix Caban

Grace & Impact
17 Pearl Lane
Lynne Britton

J. Thouin Events
5 Sunset Rock Road
Jessica Thouin

Jones Home Improvement
20 Red Bridge Road
Robert Jones

The Skin Studio
2341 Boston Road, Suite 306
Maegen Arroyo

Total Landscape Construction
9 Hickory Hill Dr.
Marc Bessette

Western Mass Prowash, LLC
1003 Stony Hill Road
Steven Croteau

Incorporations

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

Agawam Dogworks Inc., 860 Suffield St., Agawam, MA 01001. Susan Lamoureux, 76 Tannery Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Dog grooming, care and supplies.

Andy Express Inc., 55 Spring St., Agawam, MA 01001. Andrei Matveev, same. Trucking.

Amherst

WMass Hky Inc., 16 Foxglove Lane, Amherst, MA 01002. Barbara Weinberg, same. Field hockey camps and clinics.

Amherst Family Chiropractic PC, 228 Triangle St., Amherst, MA 01002. Robert Lee Kane, same. Professional chiropractic services.

Chicopee

100 Century Inc., 1057 Montgomery St., Chicopee, MA01013. Amir Paracha, 10 Oakley Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075. Own manage commercial property.

75 Century Inc., 1057 Montgomery St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Amir Paracha, 10 Oakley Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075. Ownership of gas stations, smokeshops and stores.

Dalton

Ace of Seasons Inc., 105 Pine St., Dalton, MA 01226. Adam Demarsh, same. Remodeling and construction.

Feeding Hills

Worldboycotts.Org Inc., 99 Hope Farms Dr., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Jack Elliot Yasgar, same. Helps organize boycotts enabling people to effect change when there are actions which are discouraging our freedoms.

Pelham

Wolaver Inc., 7 South Valley Road, Pelham, MA 01002. Matthew Wolaver, same. Interactive design, the production for commercial and creative appliances.

Springfield

Simply6ix, 51 Merwin St., Springfield, MA 01107. Sheila Marie Barnes, same. Purpose of the organization is to encourage and inspire single mothers to live life to their fullest potential by providing tools and resources including, but not limited to educational, spiritual, financial, emotional and physical components to achieve our goal.

A & R Distributors Inc., 435 Springfield St., Springfield, MA 01107. Rached Elzinji, 78 Cunningham St., Springfield, MA 01107. General merchandise and tobacco.

Briefcase

Briefcase Departments

Local River Advocates Join
National Trend with EPA Lawsuit
GREENFIELD — Last fall, the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) joined the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance and eight other watershed groups from across Massachusetts to file suit against the EPA and Administrator Scott Pruitt in Boston’s federal district court. Their request of the court is simple: reject EPA’s one-year delay in implementing Massachusetts’ new stormwater permit because stormwater is one of the greatest threats to clean water in Massachusetts. This lawsuit is part of a growing national trend in suing the EPA in order to protect the environment. The CRC argues that Pruitt and the EPA have been hastily rolling back environmental regulations, but mistakes have been made in their haste and disregard for legal process, such as failing to hold required public comment periods or provide rationale for a repeal or delay. Now, environmental groups across the nation are going to court and using these mistakes to successfully halt environmental rollbacks. For example, the courts have prevented the suspension of rules to curb methane emissions and the delay of tougher standards on air pollutants and lead in paint. River advocates fear the updated stormwater permit could be delayed much longer than one year. “We think the EPA’s legal case is fundamentally flawed,” said Andrew Fisk, executive director of the Connecticut River Conservancy. “Pruitt and the EPA have asked for this delay while permit appeals are being decided, but then in the same breath also asked the court to delay judicial review of the appeals. It is clear that EPA is looking at every maneuver they can find to stop doing the right thing for the public’s water.” The river groups are represented by Kevin Cassidy of Earthrise Law Center and Access to Justice Fellow Irene Freidel. Of particular concern is the public-health issue of harmful bacteria flowing to rivers when it rains. About one in five water samples collected by CRC and partners in 2017 from the Connecticut River and tributaries in Massachusetts showed bacteria levels too high for recreation (swimming and/or boating). “Delaying the implementation of this updated permit puts our rivers and our water at risk, which also put our citizens and local economies that use and rely on our rivers at risk,” Fisk continued. “The EPA is charged with implementing the Clean Water Act for the benefit of the public, yet it did not weigh the public’s interest when it slammed the brakes on the MS4 Permit.” That permit regulates stormwater pollution under the federal Clean Water Act. The current MS4 permit was issued in 2003 and was set to expire on May 1, 2008. Instead, it has been administratively continued and remains in effect. A multi-year, multi-stakeholder process for updating the expired permit began in 2008. In April 2016, the EPA issued the updated MS4 permit after many rounds of public comment. The updated permit was set to go into effect on July 1, 2017 but was abruptly delayed by Pruitt and the EPA just two days before that date. The delay will cause existing stormwater projects to move forward with outdated stormwater controls, forcing costly upgrades in the future rather than the lower-cost option of adding updated controls at the time of construction, river advocates say. The delay also ignores the time and money invested by cities and towns that have already implemented new stormwater protection measures in preparation for the new permit to take effect last July. Stormwater is generated from rain and snowmelt that does not soak into the ground. Instead, it flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets and driveways, parking lots, and building rooftops into storm drains. During heavy rains, stormwater can flow directly into rivers. Common pollutants in stormwater runoff include antifreeze, detergents, fertilizers, gasoline, household chemicals, oil and grease, paints, pesticides, harmful bacteria, road salt, trash such as plastics and cigarette butts, ammonia, solvents, and fecal matter from pets, farm animals, and wildlife.

Creative Community Fellows
Accepting New England Applications
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — National Arts Strategies (NAS) announced that applications for the Creative Community Fellows program are now open to those living and working in the New England region. NAS is looking for artists, community organizers, administrators, and entrepreneurs who are driving positive change through arts and culture in their communities. Applications are due Sunday, April 22. Creative Community Fellows brings together a group of 25 creative change makers across New England. Fellows will jump-start the program by living and learning together in Vermont for one week in an incubator-like environment, building their skills in strategy, leadership, and design thinking. Over the course of five months, they will take monthly online courses in topic areas such as community development, finding capital and support, budgeting, and more. Together, they will share updates on their projects and meet with leaders in the field who will serve as mentors. Fellows are curious, open, collaborative, and interested in learning new skills and sharing their expertise. They are already doing this work and looking to create and even greater impact. The Barr Foundation has brought this program to New England in order to support creative leaders in the region. Thanks to its support, participation in this program is completely underwritten. “Arts and creativity can play a vital role in engaging communities to spark positive change. It’s our privilege to partner with National Arts Strategies to network and support the development of New England change agents who are artists and leaders across sectors,” said San San Wong, director of Arts & Creativity at the Barr Foundation.

Massachusetts Adds
13,700 Jobs in February
BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained at 3.5% in February, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts added 13,700 jobs in February. Over the month, the private sector added 13,100 jobs as gains occurred in education and health services; construction; trade, transportation, and utilities; professional, scientific, and business services; other services; and financial activities. The jobs level remained unchanged in leisure and hospitality. From February 2017 to February 2018, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 39,100 jobs. The February unemployment rate was six-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta noted that “2017 was the first time since 2000 in which the monthly unemployment rate remained below 4% for the entire year in the Commonwealth. Our low unemployment rate, coupled with over-the-year job and labor-force gains, all point towards the continued strength of the Massachusetts economy.” The labor force increased by 10,000 from 3,659,600 in January, as 9,500 more residents were employed and 500 more residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9% in February 2017. The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — is up one-tenth of a percentage point at 65.4%. The labor-force participation rate over the year has decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point compared to February 2017. The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in construction; leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; and other services. The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development also announced that, compared to February 2017, unemployment rates dropped in 22 labor-market areas, increased in one, and remained the same in one labor-market area. Twelve of the 15 areas for which job estimates are published added jobs from February 2017 to February 2018, with the largest percentage gains in the Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, Leominster-Gardner, and Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead areas.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook Departments

HUB International Acquires Assets of Leitao Insurance

EAST LONGMEADOW — HUB International Limited, a leading global insurance brokerage, announced it has acquired the assets of Leitao Insurance Inc. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Located in Ludlow, Leitao is a multi-line insurance brokerage firm providing products in personal and commercial lines. The Leitao agency will join HUB New England with other local HUB offices in Ludlow (formerly Your Choice), South Hadley, Monson, and East Longmeadow.

CRRC MA Facility Wins Engineering Award

SPRINGFIELD — The CRRC MA rail-car manufacturing facility at the former Westinghouse site was honored as the state’s outstanding engineering achievement of the year by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts. Plaza Construction, which served as the design-build contractor for the property, accepted the award at a ceremony Wednesday. The $95 million project, spanning more than 204,000 square feet — not including the 2,240-foot test track — is the largest industrial investment in Greater Springfield in generations. The Chinese-owned company will start building new cars for the MBTA Orange Line in April, and for the Red Line later this year. In 2014, CRRC received a $566 million contract from the MBTA to build 152 Orange Line cars and 252 Red Line cars at the Page Boulevard site. Two years later, the state ordered an additional 120 Red Line cars at a cost of $277 million, with production set to begin in 2022.

Hofbrauhaus Closing Doors After 83 Years in Business

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Hofbrauhaus owners Joe and Liz Stevens will close its doors for good on April 1, the couple announced on Facebook on Wednesday. “It is official — as of Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018 (and no, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke), the Hofbrauhaus will be closing its doors for good,” they wrote. “We thank everyone for their patronage and support over the years, but we are ready to move on and make some big, wonderful, exciting, and maybe a little scary changes in our lives.’” Hofbrauhaus, the German restaurant that became one of the region’s most iconic eateries, first opened its doors in 1935.

United Bank Joins Connecticut Trolley Museum as Corporate Sponsor

EAST WINDSOR, Conn. — The Connecticut Trolley Museum announced that United Bank has joined the museum as a corporate sponsor. The museum started its corporate sponsor program in 2016, and since then a number of area businesses have joined the museum to support its mission “to provide a historically accurate educational experience of the trolley era through the interpretation, preservation, restoration, and operation of an electric railway.” As its newest corporate sponsor, United Bank joins Sophia’s Restaurant, USA Hauling, Windsor Federal Savings, Collins Pipe and Supply, Simsbury Bank, Connecticut Lighting Centers, Get Listed Realty, and Allstate in support of the museum. The Connecticut Trolley Museum is located off of Route 140 in East Windsor, off exit 45 of Interstate 91. Businesses with an interest in becoming corporate sponsors may contact the museum at (860) 627-6540 or [email protected].

Ohana School of Performing Arts Supports Square One

SPRINGFIELD — The Square One family continues to expand, thanks to its latest partnership with Ohana School of Performing Arts. Ohana owner Ashley Kohl and her team are volunteering monthly to visit preschoolers at the Square One Tommie Johnson Child & Family Center in Springfield. All 150 children will receive lessons in creative movement and dance. “Studies have long pointed to the physical benefits of dance when it comes to keeping children fit and working to combat childhood obesity,” said Kristine Allard, chief development and communications officer for Square One. “More recent research also points to the benefits of dance from the standpoint of emotional, social, and cognitive development, which is a critical component of our work at Square One.” The volunteer support comes in conjunction with Ohana’s recent gift of $1,000 to support Square One’s work with children and families.

Thornes Marketplace to Renovate Front Entrance

NORTHAMPTON — Thornes Marketplace will begin a major renovation of its front entrance on Main Street the first week in April to make practical improvements as well as aesthetic ones that are historically accurate. Richard Madowitz, Thornes owner and property manager, stressed that work on the entryway — one of the last phases of a multi-year capital-improvement project — will be conducted from 9:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. The front entrance will remain open daily during regular business hours. After the project gets underway, Madowitz noted, visitors with questions or concerns can send feedback to [email protected]. Photographs will be available on Thornes’ Facebook page, and news and updates will appear at thornesmarketplace.com. Over the past 10 years, Thornes Marketplace has undertaken a series of major renovations to improve and enhance the eclectic shopping center. Thornes has partnered with Keiter Builders Inc. and Emily Estes of Estes Architecture and Design for the renovations to the entranceway. McGee said the practical goal of the project is to improve accessibility and make the entrance more user-friendly by replacing the 30-year-old wooden doors with wider doors equipped with modern power operators compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Aesthetic improvements will include a raised, coffered ceiling; new, custom-stained oak doors; dramatic chandelier lighting; and new floor tiling. The Florence Bank ATM enclosure will also be renovated to fit the period.

Indian Motorcycle to Open Apparel Store at MGM

SPRINGFIELD — Indian Motorcycle, the Springfield-based pioneer of the American motorcycle industry, will debut the brand’s first-ever apparel store as an anchor tenant of MGM Springfield’s retail collection. The flagship location will open its doors at the MGM property later this year. The Indian Motorcycle store will offer items from the brand’s casual apparel line, the Indian Motorcycle 1901 Fashion Collection. This road-ready collection features graphic tees, sweatshirts, hoodies, and jackets inspired by Indian Motorcycle’s rich heritage. Indian Motorcycle jewelry and accessories also will be available for purchase. Mirroring the aesthetic of the store’s product lines, the space will feature an industrial-yet-modern vibe with exposed, vaulted ceilings and concrete and wood elements. Paying homage to its long-standing roots in the heart of Springfield, the location will open onto to the resort’s plaza.

AIC Joins Hispanic Assoc. of Colleges and Universities

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) joined the Hispanic Assoc. of Colleges and Universities (HACU) as an associate member. HACU was established in 1986 with a founding membership of eighteen institutions. It now represents more than 470 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher-education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, and Spain. While member institutions in the U.S. represent only 13% of all higher-education institutions nationwide, together these colleges and universities are home to two-thirds of all Hispanic college students. HACU’s commitment to Hispanic achievement in education ranges from kindergarten through graduate school and into the work force of tomorrow. Key among the organization’s goals is to improve access to and quality of post-secondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students.

Viridi International Resorts Acquires El Silencio Lodge and Spa in Costa Rica

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Viridi International Resorts SRL, a new upstart in the ultra-luxury boutique hotel and spa space, announced the acquisition of El Silencio Lodge and Spa from Grupo Isilita, San Jose, Costa Rica. El Silencio Lodge is a luxury eco-tourist resort located in the high-altitude cloud forest just one hour from San Jose in Bajos del Toro. El Silencio was recently voted the No. 2 Top Resort in Central America by Condé Nast Reader’s Choice Awards. El Silencio Lodge offers one of the best lodging and dining experiences in Costa Rica. The property’s 16 intimate casitas and six two-bedroom villas offers visitors a one-of-a-kind refuge from a busy world. The resort’s detached suites offer a private viewing deck of the surrounding cloud forest with traditional rocking chairs, and a private heated outdoor Jacuzzi. Viridi plans to add additional rooms and suites in the months and years ahead. The hotel’s Las Ventanas Restaurant offers traditional Costa Rican dishes in addition to an eclectic assortment of entrees and appetizers with organic farm-to-table produce and fresh fish from two on-site fish farms. Guests can actively participate in the culinary experience by fishing for rainbow trout (Costa Rican salmon), picking vegetables, collecting free-range chicken eggs, or venturing out to a community market before enjoying a fun-filled interactive cooking session with the resort’s head chef. A second on-site restaurant, Hierbabuena, is open weekends during high season and offers a more casual menu for family gatherings. Onsite activities at El Silencio include horseback riding, ziplining, waterfall repelling, fishing, yoga, and more than two miles of hiking trails, all located on 500 acres of a pristine Costa Rican cloud forest with three breathtaking waterfalls, including one nearly 200 feet tall, all flanked by two national parks to ensure a quiet and serene experience. The resort’s open space Esencia Spa offers a full array of rejuvenating treatments using indigenous Costa Rican rainforest oils and minerals. Viridi International Resorts SRL was founded by Boston-area media entrepreneur John Gormally with the goal of building a small to medium-sized luxury boutique hotel/spa group with properties throughout Central and South America, the Caribbean, and other highly sought-after destination spots across the globe. Akoya Hospitality LLC, New York, N.Y. acted as advisor to buyer. Resort Capital Partners of Charlotte, N.C. acted as advisor to the seller. The sale price was not disclosed.

MBK Announces Five Promotions

By BusinessWest Staff March 28, 2018

HOLYOKE — Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. announced the promotions of Chelsea Cox, Lyudmila Renkas, Joseph LeMay, Dan Eger, and Francine Murphy.

Cox began as an intern at MBK in 2015 and became a full-time associate the following year. In her new position as senior associate in the Accounting and Audit Department, her primary focus is on nonprofit and commercial audits and employee-benefit plans. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Westfield State University and is currently pursuing her master of accountancy degree at Bay Path University. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Lemay joined MBK in January of 2015 as an associate. In his new role as senior associate, his responsibilities consist of being the lead accountant on review and compilation-level engagements, staff training, and tax-planning strategy for clients in the manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, and distribution industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business, with a concentration in accounting, from Westfield State University, and received his master of accountancy degree there in 2015. He obtained his CPA license in 2017 and is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

“My partners and I are deeply proud of this group,” said MBK Managing Partner James Barrett. “We have a standing commitment to the next generation here at MBK, and to see such a talented and vital group of young accountants develop and thrive in our firm is not only encouraging, but a testament to the future. Chelsea, Mila, Joseph, Francine, and Dan each offer distinct qualities to warrant their individual promotions, but what they have in common as a group is a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, strong leadership qualities, and dedication to adding value to our clients and the firm as a whole.”

Massachusetts Adds 13,700 Jobs in February

By BusinessWest Staff March 26, 2018

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained at 3.5% in February, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts added 13,700 jobs in February. Over the month, the private sector added 13,100 jobs as gains occurred in education and health services; construction; trade, transportation, and utilities; professional, scientific, and business services; other services; and financial activities. The jobs level remained unchanged in leisure and hospitality.

From February 2017 to February 2018, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 39,100 jobs. The February unemployment rate was six-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta noted that “2017 was the first time since 2000 in which the monthly unemployment rate remained below 4% for the entire year in the Commonwealth. Our low unemployment rate, coupled with over-the-year job and labor-force gains, all point towards the continued strength of the Massachusetts economy.”

The labor force increased by 10,000 from 3,659,600 in January, as 9,500 more residents were employed and 500 more residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9% in February 2017.

The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — is up one-tenth of a percentage point at 65.4%. The labor-force participation rate over the year has decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point compared to February 2017.

The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in construction; leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; and other services.

Court Dockets

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.

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT
Andrew Starkweather and Catherine Westcott v. Circle B Inc. d/b/a Circle B Barn Co.
Allegation: Construction dispute: $25,000+
Filed: 1/8/18

Clifford W. Oakes v. Town of Monroe
Allegation: Violation of overtime statute, breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing: $40,000+
Filed: 1/24/18

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT
Gail Sanders v. DC Property Management, LLC
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $24,000
Filed: 2/8/18

Best Tile Distributors of New England Inc. v. Allen & Burke Construction, LLC and John Burke
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $10,339.96
Filed: 2/12/18

Kenneth Malone v. Dunkin’ Donuts
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $8,500
Filed: 2/13/18

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Susan O’Connor v. David Ott, PA; Antone B. Cruz III, MD; and Riverbend Medical Group Inc.
Allegation: Medical malpractice: $82,500
Filed: 2/5/18

Kathleen Schussler v. Home Depot USA Inc.
Allegation: Slip and fall causing injury: $10,868.71
Filed: 2/5/18

Kenneth Hoff v. EP Floors Corp. and Robert Long
Allegation: Misclassification as independent contractor, non-payment of wages, non-payment of overtime wages, failure to maintain proper payroll records, and breach of contract: $25,000
Filed: 2/5/18

Emiddio Botta v. T.J. Welch Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: 106,388.17
Filed: 2/6/18

Jennifer Mauro v. Pride Stores, LLC
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $118,104.46
Filed: 2/13/18

Teresa Cruz v. Baystate Health Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $18,936.88
Filed: 2/14/18

J-K-M Construction Corp. v. Saltmarsh Industries Inc. and JAAN Development Corp.
Allegation: Breach of contract and unjust enrichment: $38,385.60
Filed: 2/15/18

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT
Sera Davidow v. the Transformation Center Inc.
Allegation: Misclassification as independent contractor, non-payment of overtime, violation of payment of wages law, and unjust enrichment: $8,000
Filed: 2/13/18

Marilyn Patton v. Bertucci’s Restaurant Corp.
Allegation: Negligence, breach of warranty, unfair and deceptive acts; injury caused by biting into dinner roll: $7,869
Filed: 2/15/18

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Mary Ingram v. Grill N Chill
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $463,500.26
Filed: 2/12/18

Doing Business as Certificates

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the months of February and March 2018.

AMHERST

Queen’s Greens
245 Meadow St.
Danielle Teitelbaum, Matt Biskup

Roger Mami Cleaning
165 Summer St.
Roger Coy Mami

Smooth Affairs
68 Cowls Road
Jenelle Taylor

BELCHERTOWN

Cognitive Behavioral Techniques
67 Turkey Hill Road
Patricia Bonneau

The Cruise Connection
8 Lawrence Road
Richard Thibodeau

Dynamic Do’s
111 Main St.
Annamarie Deich

Eclipz Salon
3 Stadler St., C4
Carolyn O’Donnell

Looks to Kill
40 Daniel Shays Highway
Jodi Anne Turek

Nelson I. Garrow & Sons Partnership
419 Bay Road
Nelson Garrow III, Joanne Garrow, Francis Garrow, Nelson Garrow IV

CHICOPEE

439 AW Protocol
975 Patriot Ave.
Tammy Vezina

A.K. Enterprises
76 Taylor St.
Alexander Korteskit

A-R Solutions Physicians Billing
29 Lawndale St.
Patricia Fijal

Bull’s Eye Cafe
621 Center St.
KAJ Associates, LLC

Cadrocke Associates
10 Center St.
John Hollywood

Chicopee High School Soccer Booster Club
820 Front St.
Anne-Marie Szmyt, Elizabeth Soja

Destiney’s Closet
706 Chicopee St.
Destiney Hairston

Gallagher’s Auto Sales, LLC
1095 Chicopee St.
Christopher Rivers

Integrity Heating and Cooling
62 Willwood St.
Michael Durgin

Reflections and Impressions
48 Center St.
Michael Kozicki

DEERFIELD

The Educator’s Notebook
P.O. Box 444
Peter Nilsson

Helstowski Tree and Landscaping
35 Sugarloaf St.
Justyn Helstowski, Kevin Helstowski

Taylor Technology Associates
122 Plain Road
William Taylor

EASTHAMPTON

Camp’s Construction
46 East St.
Stephen Camp

Happy Day’s Remodeling
9 Riley St.
Manfred Porth

Limb by Limb Bodywork
22 Princeton Ave.
Rebekah Hanlon

New England Yoga Institute
8 Prospect St., #1R
Audrey Blaisdell

Oak and Anvil Films
106 Cottage St.
Robert Savage

Teaganwells
116 Pleasant St., Apt. 412
Teagan Rosendahl

EAST LONGMEADOW

Attitudes Hairstyles by Tina
128 Shaker Road
Tina Sherwood

Griffin Staffing Network
200 North Main St., Suite 9E
Nicole Griffin

Pearlston Paperwerks
23 Nottingham Dr.
Sarah McAdoo

Peter S. Benton, CPA
65 Maple St.
Peter Benton

Robert G. Smith
64 Woodbridge Dr.
Robert Smith

GREENFIELD

A.B. Edmonds Construction
127 Shelburne Road
Alfred Edmonds

Abundant Home Care
260 Davis St.
Leonard Cocco

Avalon Integrative Wellness
117 Riddell St.
Joanne Rybczyk

Deste Catherine Design
574 Bernardston Road
Deste Roosa

Facey Plumbing and Heating Inc.
305 Wells St., Suite 2
David Facey

Farm Girl Origins
6 Cross St.
Sarah Hiller

Goodwin, Shine and Associates
48 Federal St.
Kathleen Liberatore

Great Clips
249 Mohawk Trail
C. Laraway

Looky Here
28 Chapman St.
Beverly Ketch

Premier Bath Systems, LLC
1175 Bernardston Road
Jason Cusimano

ProsperiTea Planning
3 Grinnell St.
Wendy Marsden

Rebath of Pioneer Valley
6 French King Highway
PV Bathrooms Inc.

The Root Cellar
10 Fiske Ave.
RC Bar, LLC

Synergy Transportation Service
25 Park Ave.
Jason Markwell

Valley Mart
4 Mill St.
Muhammad Yasin

Wemhoener Analytics
4 Spring Terrace
David Wemhoener

LUDLOW

Liz R. Ramos @ the Luxy
200 Center St., Unit 7
Liz Ramos

Ludlow Chiropractic Office
77 Winsor St., Suite 203
Paul Blomerth

NORTHAMPTON

Caminito Steakhouse
7 Old South St.
Brian Doyle

Editintuitive
41 Chestnut Ave.
Ray Sylvester

Grace Paint and Tile
303 Riverside Dr.
Jeffrey Vaughan

neohasid.org
19 Perkins Ave., #6
David Seidenberg

Sheri Roxo Hair Design
241 King St., Suite 114
Sheri Ann Roxo

Skincare by Julie
2 Conz St., #60
Julieanne Ferrara Cronin

Tandem Bagel
306 King St.
Christopher Zawacki

Valley Fabrics
881 North King St.
Francesca Denhartog

Your Sacred Pelvis
71 Bradford St.
Chaya Aronson

PALMER

Bondsville Engineering Co.
48-R Fuller Road
Peter Blake, Ann Marie Blake

SOUTHWICK

Angelo’s Barber Shop
513 College Highway
Daniel Bean

Joshua K. Haughton Catering
405 North Loomis St.
Joshua Haughton

SPRINGFIELD

Affordable Airport Car Service
16 Malcolm Road
Ervin Carelock

Affordable Massachusetts
58 Edwards St., #402
Michael Patrick

B.L. Cleaning Service
93 Duggan Circle
William Lowe

Bay Street Bottles & Cans
836 Bay St.
Khanh Hung Nguyen

Fix It 413
984 Grayson Dr.
Brett Tabor

Food Management Search
235 State St.
Joseph Valentine

G & L Towing
130 Davenport St.
Joel Pacheco

Golden Hero Games
31 Palo Alto Road
Ronald Montgomery

Headline Studio
1350 Main St.
Advance Local Media

J.D. Auto Repair
131 Laconia St.
Jimmy Deleon

A Journey in Jazz
226 Old Farm Road
Traci Gaynor

Luvenzak Computer General
2156 Mazarin St.
Zadok Nwafor

Mastercuts N1977
1655 Boston Road
The Beautiful Group

Media Garden
34 Front St.
Rich Morganstern

The Nail Place, LLC
563 Main St.
Loan Pham

Pinguinos Construction
221 Hancock St.
Sadi Gonzalez

Pioneer Masonry & Chimney
1105 Sumner Ave.
Eric Rankin

R & L Auto Sales & Repair
419 Taylor St.
Reinaldo Torres Jr.

Ramos Accounting and Tax Services
405 Armory St.
Oscar Ramos

Springfield Mass Prodigy
118 Thompson St.
Robert Kelly

SWPC Plastics
2100 Roosevelt Ave.
Smith & Wesson Corp.

WARE

H & H Tree Service, LLC
109 Bondsville Road
David Hamlin

Realistic Evangelistic Active Christian Hearts
58 Main St., 222 Belchertown Road
Errol Estridge, Carol Estridge

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Adam Quality Painting
203 Circuit Ave.
Jacob Fellion

Alnassir International
205 Elm St.
Abdullah Nassir

China Bodywork Center & Spa
2009 Riverdale St.
Guang Ying Guo

Laptop Zone USA
83 River St.
Mohamed Muzammil

Reliable Auto Transport
108 Great Plains Road
Nikita Koshechko

R-Link
524 Cold Spring Ave.
Ruslan Akhmadullin

Sparkle N Shine
110 Ashley St.
Alisa Daniele

T-Shirt Station
1458 Riverdale St.
2P Designs, LLC

The Vape Bar Escape
209 Elm St.
Maria Filippone

WILBRAHAM

Excel Property Services
75 Soule Road
Richard McMahon

Flags Galore
27 McIntosh Dr.
Claire Van Eeghen

Kozy Kreations Boutique
680 Main St.
Kerri-Lynn Tichy

Wilbraham Web Design
8 Lodge Lane
Adam Anderson

World Tae Kwon Do Education Foundation
28 Stony Hill Road
Kyung Won Kim

Wellpoint Health Solutions, LLC
470 Main St.
Stacy Garvey

RN Advocate 4 You
17 Belli Dr.
Maura Lessard

Dale’s Family Hair Salon
2773 Boston Road
Dale Marsden

A Strategy for 21st-century Growth

Opinion

By Sen. Eric Lesser

How should we — here in Massachusetts, and across the U.S. — prepare for autonomous vehicles taking over our roads or for artificial intelligence replacing manufacturing jobs on a massive scale? We may want to look across the pond for some answers.

Last fall, the British government published an ‘industrial strategy’ to address these two major challenges and two others: advancing economic growth while curbing pollution, and meeting the needs of an aging population.

The strategy is more a call for proposals than a top-down list of recommendations for cities, towns, and businesses to follow. In a nationwide public-private partnership, Britain is inviting organizations and companies to submit designs for the streets of the future that would pave the way, so to speak, for autonomous vehicles to join its roads. The winner will see their blueprints built, serving as prototypes for the rest of the country.

Instead of fearing tectonic shifts in technology, the U.K. is embracing them as opportunities to position their workers and industries at the forefront of the future economy. Here in America, and specifically in Massachusetts, we could take a page out of Britain’s book.

Training workers for the jobs of the 21st century often makes a good sound bite, but there are already thousands of unfilled high-tech manufacturing jobs in Western Mass. alone.

That is why I have made high-tech job-training a focus of my work at the State House, including a bill to study vocational education across the Commonwealth and establish programs where access to that education is inadequate.

Fortunately, some local companies and schools have stepped in to fill the gap. Tech Foundry trains young people and adults in computer science, and Springfield Technical Community College has formed a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to host one of the premier laser manufacturing programs in the country.

Not only is Britain embracing high-tech development; it is localizing that development in places that have fallen behind. Investing in regional cities is one of the five foundations of the industrial strategy.

Through its Transforming Cities Fund, Britain is funding infrastructure projects — such as high-speed rail — that improve connectivity between cities for the express purpose of driving growth across the country. The construction of HS2, a major high-speed rail project, is expected to support 25,000 jobs.

Here in America, President Trump unveiled his long-promised infrastructure plan in February. But it was essentially a mirage. It claimed to create $1.5 trillion in repairs and upgrades, but actually invests only $200 billion — expecting the states to pick up the rest of the tab. States and major cities have been waiting for injections of federal funds that will help them push their shovel-ready projects across the finish line — projects like railroad upgrades, bridge and school repairs, and other improvements that put people to work and rebuild our forgotten cities and towns.

Meanwhile, places that have fallen behind are, in many ways, the core of Britain’s strategy itself. That strategy has served to focus attention on the challenges the world’s changing economy poses to cities and regions. We need a similar focus here.

In America, former manufacturing towns should be the focus of our redevelopment as well. One solution is giving incentives to those who choose to live there — and the companies that choose to employ them. In the state Senate, we introduced bills offering student-loan-repayment plans to young people who move to former industrial cities after college and to those who invest in high-tech businesses based in those cities.

We can — and should — look to other countries’ efforts at rebuilding industrial areas and maintaining a skilled and educated workforce. Britain is not alone in offering lessons. Germany has long had a vocational education and training system that turns high-school-aged students into apprentices ready to take manufacturing jobs right after graduation. This is one reason why Germany is able to maintain trade surpluses while other western economies have faltered: Each year, workers trained in the latest manufacturing techniques step in to fill the open jobs.

The U.K.’s industrial strategy offers a template for how to spur economic growth and prepare our workforce for the future. It also offers a warning: if we fail to develop our own strategy, we will all be left behind.

State Sen. Eric Lesser is co-chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development. He represents the First Hampden & Hampshire District in Western Mass.

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies Departments

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

Baez, Santia C.
42 Tavistock St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/09/18

Bell, Mae O.
86 Gresham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/18

Bernal, Paula A.
94 Academy Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/08/18

Bulldog Enterprises
Bullock, William F.
57 Amherst St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/06/18

Dennis, Oral W.
1406 Berkshire Ave.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/03/18

Diaz, Celestino
Diaz, Evelyn
122 Drexel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/03/18

Duggan, Carolyn Mary Elizabeth
97 Winsor St., #9
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/18

Erwin, Maurice S.
59 Danek Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/18

Fountain, Chris B.
9 Lee Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/08/18

Goodwin & Goodwin, Inc.
The Humble Baker
New Salem Tea Bread
Sugar Jones Cookies
Goodwin, Brieta Mae
175 Wendell Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/18

Greenberg, Leanna J.
30 Elm St., Apt 1W
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/06/18

Hottin, Arthur J.
28 Barrington Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/06/18

J. Moccio Construction
Moccio, John P.
P.O. Box 381
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/14/18

Kennedy, Brian
Kennedy, Catherine L.
PO Box 404
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/18

Lamagdeleine, Darryl Jason
91 Orange St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/09/18

Latourelle, Barbara A.
107 Pine Acre Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/02/18

Maimes, Natan Bahir
167 Park St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/02/18

Malinowski, Ann Marie
7 Lussier Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/06/18

Meandro, Timothy M.
325 Summer St.
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/18

O’Rourke, William Francis
15 Alice St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/13/18

Phelan, Laura A.
5 Fair Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/09/18

Positronic Design
Caputo, David Anthony
903 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/18

Ramirez, Felix S.
McCarthy, Ashley D.
a/k/a Mahoney, Ashley
335 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/05/18

Ruge, Vadim
145 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/18

Santana, Amanda Y.
20 Duryea St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/18

Sears, Jennifer L.
Chaloux, Jennifer L.
33 Falvey St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/05/18

Shippee, William
184 Taylor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/14/18

St. Martin, Margaret Mary
31 Searle Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/15/18

Tiberii, Todd R.
Tiberii, Heather E.
1017 Southbridge Road
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/18

Tryon, Jay N.
11 Delmor Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 02/08/18

Vatter, Angela M.
303 Fairview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/10/18

Vieu, Sara Jean
71 Oak Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/02/18

Vinelli, John Edward
20 Easthampton Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/02/18

Wasuk, Courtney J.
112 Brookside Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/06/18

Wilson, Evangelyn V.
a/k/a McMakin, Lyn V.
PO Box 411
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 02/12/18

The Benefits and Pitfalls of the Employee Handbook

Modern Office Sections

Playing by the Rules

John Gannon says putting a policy in writing isn’t enough — an employer then needs to follow it — but it’s a first step in showing a company takes workplace law and ethics seriously.

Most companies, especially larger ones, have employee handbooks that detail everything from vacation time to reasons for termination. Yet, too many are content to draft a handbook and shelve it for years, never reviewing it for changes in the regulatory landscape or confusing or contradictory language. In the ever-changing world of employment law, those are mistakes that can prove costly in more ways than one.

An employee handbook isn’t a contract, nor is it a legally binding document. But in a legal proceeding, it helps to have one.

Take, for instance, the case of an employee suing a company for allowing a culture of sexual harassment — a particularly timely example.

“In court, the first thing the judge will ask is to see the company’s policy,” said John Gannon, partner with Skoler, Abbott & Presser. “If your response is ‘we don’t have one,’ that suggests the employer doesn’t care about harassment and discrimination in the workplace. And that’s really getting off on the wrong foot in the event you’re sued for harassment or discrimination.”

The #MeToo revolution has certainly sent HR departments scrambling to make sure their policies on that issue are up-to-date, clear, and enforced. But if they’re smart, said the attorneys BusinessWest spoke with, they’re also regularly reviewing all sorts of policies that govern workplace rules and expectations — from disciplinary procedures to time off — and, hopefully, including them in an employee handbook.

“Every company that has employees should have a handbook,” said Daniel Carr, an associate with Royal, P.C. in Northampton. “But we use the term ‘handbook’ loosely; there’s no requirement that they have to be bound in a single document. It could mean whatever collection of policies you have, as long as it’s applied to all employees.”

Even if the employee signs a statement that he has read and understands the handbook, that doesn’t create contractual rights, Carr explained, noting that Massachusetts is, after all, an at-will state when it comes to hiring and firing, and an employee can be terminated for any reason that is not explicitly illegal, such as discrimination.

“I can’t tell you how many cases we’ve seen where the employee claims his termination was a violation of his contract. When asked, ‘what contract?’ they argue the employee handbook is a contract. It’s not.”

Gannon agreed. “One of the nice thigns about a handbook is that you can reaffirm the principle that everyone is an at-will employee,” he explained. “That’s why it’s really important, if you’re going to have a handbook, it should make it clear this is not a binding contract, your employment is at-will, and we can change the terms of the handbook and your employment relationship at any time with or without notice.”

So, if it’s not a contract, what is a handbook, and why should employers have one — and take it seriously?

“A handbook is a collection of policies, an ever-living document that can be changed at any time by an employer with or without notice,” said Mary Kennedy, partner with Bulkley Richardson in Springfield. “The purpose of a handbook is to give information to employees about expectations at work.”

Employers use the policies in an employee handbook as a sort of roadmap to both the treatment of employees and, conversely, expectations for their behavior. They protect themselves from lawsuits, such as harassment claims, wrongful termination claims, and discrimination claims. Employee handbooks generally contain a code of conduct for employees that sets guidelines around appropriate behavior for the individual workplace.

Mary Kennedy says the first goal of a handbook is to lay out clear expectations for workplace behavior.

Under Massachusetts law, for companies with at least six employees, part of that collection of expectations must be policies reflecting the state’s own guidelines governing sexual harassment, accommodations for pregnant workers, sick leave, and other issues — many of which have changed recently.

Other contents should typically include policies governing discipline, rules of behavior, when and how to take time off, sick-time guidelines, how much vacation and personal time employees get, when they are paid, and what health benefits are available and how to access them.

The contents of any handbook vary from industry to industry, Gannon noted. For instance, the time an employee clocks in may be more important on the manufacturing floor than in an office setting, while safety guidelines for construction workers will be different than those for accountants.

“It’s an inexact science, and obviously no handbook is foolproof, and you can’t account for every possible contingency,” Carr said. “There may be at times you have to deviate from it. Certainly, you don’t want to be hemming yourself in to something you can live up to. As an employer in an at-will state, you have the right to set the policies. The handbook is more about setting expectations than setting hard and fast rules.”

Law and Order

The benefits of having a handbook fall into two buckets, Gannon said: The legal obligations governed by state and federal employment law, and basic HR practices that aren’t necessarily required by the law.

For the latter, written policies must make it clear to the employee what the employer’s expectations are.

“If you do need to discipline an employee, if you need to write them up or suspend them, you never want an employee to turn around and say, ‘wait a minute, I didn’t know I was going to get written up if I was absent more than three times in a month.’ Or, ‘I didn’t know it was a violation of your company policy to raise my voice at a meeting’ — whatever the case may be. A handbook sets expectations.”

It also provides guidelines to managers so they can treat employees fairly and consistently, he added. If the policy is clear, it can be applied to everyone across the board. If not, one supervisor may write someone up for a violation, while another supervisor doesn’t. That leads to inconsistency and, sometimes, hot water in court.

“Inconsistent application of your rules can lead to a lot of legal problems if the employee challenges the reason for his or her reason for separation from employment,” Gannon said, adding that the actual enforcement of the rules is more important than what a handbook says, “but if you don’t have, at minimum, a written policy, you have a big risk of inconsistent enforcement of your work rules.”

Kennedy said having clear policies in the handbook is the first step when defending a claim of wrongful termination in court.

“If you have a no-show policy where, after three violations, the employee is terminated, and it’s in writing and the employee was told it applies to all employees, and the employer can show it was uniformly applied to all employees, then the employer has a better shot at defending itself.

“For example, if a bank teller continually makes mistakes on the line and keeps coming up short, that’s certainly not beneficial for the employer,” she explained, so a written policy outlining the consequences of coming up short multiple times would be reasonable. “Whereas, if the bank said, ‘we don’t like people with red hair,’ well, that’s different.”

Supervisors and managers, Gannon said, typically appreciate a hard-and-fast policy because it’s something they can fall back on. He recalls one client whose employee showed up to work intoxicated, and at first, his supervisor didn’t know what to do. “Fortunately, they had a policy that made it clear, if you detect someone is under the influence, this is what you should do. It helped the supervisor navigate what his options were. Without that, they’re left wondering what to do.”

Communicating the policy to employees is just as important, Kennedy said, whether it’s a physical document passed out, with the employee signing an acknowledgement of receipt, or an electronic document distributed through the company intranet, or, for a larger business, explaining new policies in a meeting and making a list of who attended. “You certainly want to give it out when onboarding people, and then when there are any changes in policy.”

Even progressive discipline can be altered if the employer can prove the action is reasonable, Carr said — again, going back to the at-will concept. “If the handbook says a first violation is a verbal warning, the second is a written warning, third is probation, and fourth is termination, you have the right to revise that if someone commits a terminable offense the first time out.”

Trouble Spots

With all the protections a handbook may provide, Gannon said, some pitfalls do exist. One is trying to put everything in a handbook.

“The more words you have in the handbook, the less likely an employee is going to read it all,” he noted. “Sometimes I’ll see one that’s 120 pages long. I’m not sure any handbook needs to be that long.”

A smarter option, he said, is to include a short, two-paragraph summary of each policy, directing the employers to ask a particular person, maybe someone in human resources, if they need a more detailed explanation.

“Another mistake is not getting it reviewed enough,” he added. “It’s great to have a handbook — most employers do — but sometimes they get stale. You don’t want to have a policy that’s outdated, or you don’t want a handbook that misstates the law, because there are often changes in the law.”

For example, on April 1, Massachusetts employers will be required to have a policy that adheres to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. “You need to review your handbook — it doesn’t necessarily have to be annually, but I would say every two or three years — just to make sure you’re not missing anything and there haven’t been changes in the law that would require rewording a policy.”

In a union shop, Kennedy said, employers want to make sure the handbook gels with the collective bargaining agreement, but even in a non-union shop, certain written policies may run into conflict with rulings from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). A few years ago, several companies made news by terminating workers for complaining about their job on social media — and took their cases to court, where they won.

“Social media has become the equivalent of the so-called water cooler,” Carr said, noting that the NLRB has long protected the rights of employees to discuss the terms and conditions of their employment, even in a public forum. However, the composition of the board has changed under President Trump and may be less willing to side with employees in all such matters.

“A few years ago, handbook provisions that restricted employees’ right to discuss terms and conditions of employment were considered overbroad — that was all the rage for awhile,” Gannon said. “New administration has scaled some of that back. With all the ebbs and flows in the world of employment law, you need to make sure the handbook stays up to date with those changes.”

Kennedy agreed. “Employment law changes on a regular basis, so handbook policies should be reviewed on a regular basis, to make sure they contain up-to-date language.”

Still, amid all the talk of violations and firings, Gannon said, the greatest value of a handbook is in its power to prevent some of those incidents in the first place.

“If an employee knows what can potentially lead to discipline, I think the employee is less likely to engage in that behavior,” he told BusinessWest. “That’s one of the really nice things about a handbook — it sets out what your expectations are. The goal of discipline is not to create a path that justifies termination. The goal of discipline is to correct behavior so that somebody can stay with the company for a long time and be a valued contributor to the group.”

To that end, he continued, “if you do need to discipline, it’s easier to explain why when you can point to handbook and say, ‘look, this is company policy, and you violated it. Sorry, but I have to write you up.’”

Turn the Page

That said, a handbook also helps with a company’s defense is they are sued, Gannon noted.

“If an employee claims they were fired because of a protected characteristic, it’s the employer’s burden to demonstrate to a judge or jury that, no, this is the real reason this person was fired. It’s nice to be able to point to a policy in a handbook that makes it clear this is why the employer took a particular action, that it wasn’t an arbitrary decision one supervisor just came up with. The company considered this particular issue, went to the extent of drafting a handbook putting this policy in place and having the employee sign off on it, and there’s an expectation the policy is going to be followed.”

Carr, who told BusinessWest he has drafted or reviewed “many, many handbooks,” emphasized, however, that a good policy holds up in court only if the employer actually enforces that policy uniformly and consistently.

“Otherwise, it’s just empty rhetoric. Sexual harassment is a perfect example, and a timely one,” he said.

Elaborating, he said virtually every company has an anti-sexual-harassment policy, and one of the tenets of sexual-harassment law is the question of whether an employer knew about, or should have known about, the alleged violations. “If the employee can show the employer was not diligent about enforcing their own policies, it creates the impression they dropped the ball and should have known.”

It’s a lesson many companies continue to learn the hard way.

Simply put, Kennedy said, “what’s bad about having a handbook is if you don’t follow it.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Incorporations

Departments Incorporations

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

East Longmeadow

Western Mass Real Estate Investors Inc., 119 Industrial Dr., Unit 773, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Justin Simmons, 19 Sandford St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Provides networking and industry sharing, updating and educating members on issues pertinent to buying, selling, exchanging, investing, and managing properties.

Indian Orchard

Taino & Taina Warriors Motorcycle Club Ltd., 165 Goodwin St., Indian Orchard, MA 01151. Molses Ruiz, same. Non-profit organized exclusively for support and charitable purposes, in conjunction with supporting our local community in participating in events and contributing and supporting local school, homeless shelters and other charitable organizations.

Ludlow

The Yogurt Mill Inc., 120 East St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Nick Linna, 25 Bristol St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Frozen yogurt shop.

Pittsfield

Synagex Inc., 75 South Church St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. John R. Sinopoli, same. Information technology services.

The Boston Enterprise Management Consulting Company Ltd., 82 Wendell Avenue, Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Weihong Cai, same. Trading.

Southwick

Weathersmart Exteriors Inc., 7 Rising Corner Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Demyan Volkov, same. Construction.

Springfield

Springfield Trampoline Sports Inc., 1250 St. James Ave., Springfield, MA 01104. Robert E. Doty, 42 Willow Road, Queensbury, N.Y. 12804. An indoor trampoline sports entertainment company.

The Beautiful Struggle Inc., 393 Wilbraham Road, Level 2, Springfield, MA 01109. Martin Davis, same. Restaurant.

Warren

Shivraj Corp., 958 Main St., Warren, MA 01083. Jiten Patel, same. Retail package store.

Wilbraham

Stony Hill Real Estate Inc., 1225 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. John Ferrera, Jr., same. Real estate services.

Real Estate Transactions

Departments Real Estate

he 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

BERNARDSTON

764 Brattleboro Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $264,000
Buyer: Jake O. Macleay
Seller: Angela R. Marguet
Date: 02/23/18

CONWAY

603 Hoosac Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Jon E. Storm
Seller: Scott A. Decker
Date: 02/12/18

DEERFIELD

37 South Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: B. Gorey Fabrication LLC
Seller: Lawrence A. Wrisley
Date: 02/16/18

GREENFIELD

10 Garfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Judith Tierney
Seller: Michael L. Madden
Date: 02/16/18

83 Newton St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $147,850
Buyer: Burgundy A. Cournoyer
Seller: Blake A. Grinnell
Date: 02/23/18

22 Sauter Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Petru Cojocaru
Seller: Citizens Bank
Date: 02/16/18

233 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Robert J. Conlin
Seller: 233 Silver St. RT
Date: 02/16/18

7-9 Spring Terrace
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Andrey N. Agapov
Seller: Timofey P. Banar
Date: 02/23/18

43 Walnut St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Jessica Begans
Seller: Richard H. Blais
Date: 02/16/18

NORTHFIELD

20 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Joshua B. Poole
Date: 02/21/18

73 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Abby L. Brockelbank
Seller: William A. Durbin
Date: 02/16/18

ORANGE

123 Sandrah Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Michael Koucoules
Date: 02/20/18

17 Shumway St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Tara Fregeau
Seller: Dirth, Malcom A., (Estate)
Date: 02/16/18

SHELBURNE

124 Bridge St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Marguerite M. Sheehan INT
Seller: Roxanne B. Hamilton
Date: 02/22/18

200 Skinner Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $376,000
Buyer: Erik Praetz
Seller: Joseph A. Poirier
Date: 02/21/18

SUNDERLAND

266 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $298,500
Buyer: Lawrence A. Weaver
Seller: Yinfeng Wang
Date: 02/20/18

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

67 Burlington Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Thomas P. Murphy
Seller: Jason J. Larochelle
Date: 02/14/18

75 Butternut Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Michael S. Rooney
Seller: Katherine M. Garfield
Date: 02/12/18

37 Church St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Valley Building Co. Inc.
Seller: Raymond J. Barbieri
Date: 02/16/18

71 Columbia Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Joseph F. Schebel
Date: 02/12/18

42 Hastings St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Tiffany M. Redmond
Seller: Clifton H. Redmond
Date: 02/21/18

14 Liberty Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Janosik Realty LLC
Seller: HSBC Bank
Date: 02/23/18

1514 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: 1514 Main Street LLC
Seller: Karen L. Connor
Date: 02/13/18

183 Parkedge Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Seneca Leborgne
Seller: Deana M. Casamento
Date: 02/16/18

BRIMFIELD

7 Knollwood Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Jason Almy
Seller: Jan-Michael Demaio
Date: 02/16/18

CHICOPEE

561 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Niedzielski
Seller: Stacey Alvaro
Date: 02/14/18

65 Cabot St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Todd J. Rogosin
Seller: Audrey G. Mascaro
Date: 02/16/18

7 Charbonneau Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,115,000
Buyer: Gladysh Capital LLC
Seller: CDM Properties LLC
Date: 02/15/18

501 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Brendan J. Sayers
Seller: Lywyn Armistead-Shapiro
Date: 02/21/18

924 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,115,000
Buyer: Gladysh Capital LLC
Seller: CDM Properties LLC
Date: 02/15/18

89 Clark St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Cameron J. Wilson
Seller: Joyce C. Castonguay
Date: 02/23/18

322 Dale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: MA Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 02/22/18

86 Garland St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Jose G. Santos
Seller: Wentworth, Anne M., (Estate)
Date: 02/16/18

474 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: DAC Acquisitions LLC
Seller: James D. Calheno
Date: 02/13/18

60 Hillcrest St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Anna B. Drost
Seller: Swiatek, Helen S., (Estate)
Date: 02/14/18

23 Laclede Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Stanley E. Kuchyt
Seller: Mildred A. Laporte
Date: 02/12/18

251 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $2,100,523
Buyer: Harold E. Newton TR
Seller: HRES Meadow LLC
Date: 02/13/18

365 New Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Dianne M. Young
Seller: John J. Murawski
Date: 02/21/18

115 Old Farm Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Jonathan D. Shay
Seller: Kenneth Hughes
Date: 02/15/18

57 Shaw Park Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Brandon J. Malave
Seller: Heidi J. Gosselin
Date: 02/14/18

75 Sheridan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Ashley Figueroa
Seller: Stephanie Shaw
Date: 02/22/18

1045 Sheridan St.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Amount: $3,150,000
Buyer: E&R Realty LLC
Seller: WE 1045 Sheridan LLC
Date: 02/22/18

141 Skeele St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Abrheem Mustafa
Seller: Ruben W. Nunez
Date: 02/22/18

156 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Gods Way Ministries
Seller: Episcopal Missions
Date: 02/23/18

EAST LONGMEADOW

128 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Nathan D. Lynch
Seller: Larry C. Humason
Date: 02/21/18

50 Dawes St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $344,000
Buyer: Cynthia A. Connors
Seller: Donna M. Cabot
Date: 02/21/18

70 Hanward Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Susan Whirty
Seller: Patrick E. Hawley
Date: 02/21/18

79 Hillside Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $279,200
Buyer: Tammy Getchell
Seller: Joseph Rizzari
Date: 02/22/18

461 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Gennaro Ferrentino
Seller: Michael J. Parisi
Date: 02/21/18

94 Ridge Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: William E. Preye
Seller: Alessandra A. Graziani
Date: 02/16/18

11 Sturbridge Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Hayes G. Murray
Seller: Gina E. Flanagan
Date: 02/13/18

23 Thompkins Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Daniel P. Boyle
Seller: Christina L. Milanczuk
Date: 02/15/18

GRANVILLE

734 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Melissa J. Dubois
Seller: Joshua L. Rutola
Date: 02/16/18

HOLLAND

10 Hamilton Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Jordan D. Bird
Seller: Strums Construction Services
Date: 02/16/18

11 Lakeridge Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Scott M. Berg
Seller: Matthew L. Gentile
Date: 02/23/18

HOLYOKE

70 Bemis Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: EDC Real Estate LLC
Seller: Mildred L. Hiersche
Date: 02/20/18

71 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Christina M. King
Seller: Aida L. Villegas
Date: 02/16/18

105-115 Chapin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $120,030
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Gilbert Dejesus
Date: 02/22/18

866 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $261,068
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Patrick M. Reilly
Date: 02/12/18

16 Evergreen Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: AEM Property Investment
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 02/16/18

564 Hampden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Christian A. Rivera
Seller: S&C Homebuyers LLC
Date: 02/20/18

184 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Holyoke Management LLC
Seller: Ignacio Rivera
Date: 02/23/18

LONGMEADOW

78 Farmington Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Joshua Y. Levine
Seller: Neil S. McGrath
Date: 02/22/18

99 Farmington Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01030
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Justin M. Lynch
Seller: Hillside Development Corp.
Date: 02/16/18

91 Hazelwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Kristan Xanders
Seller: Nancy C. Polak
Date: 02/16/18

26 Homestead Blvd.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Cristina Huebner-Torres
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 02/20/18

22 Longview Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: VJM 22 LLC
Seller: William H. Lee
Date: 02/22/18

98 Longview Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Gaffney
Seller: Jeffrey M. Belkin
Date: 02/12/18

21 Roseland Terrace
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Douglas N. Lamont
Seller: Christopher H. Purinton
Date: 02/15/18

86 White Oaks Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $500,500
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass. Inc.
Seller: L. Aaron Mendelson
Date: 02/15/18

LUDLOW

26 Belmont St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Isidoro Fernandes
Seller: Marilyn E. Meleleu
Date: 02/16/18

42 Berkshire St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $140,400
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Kelly Rua
Date: 02/12/18

1352 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $343,000
Buyer: Ashley Rourke
Seller: Heather A. Smart
Date: 02/22/18

137 Kendall St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Antunes
Seller: Donald R. Napolitan
Date: 02/23/18

48 Nash Hill Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: Carole C. Dighello
Seller: Daniel A. Chrzan
Date: 02/14/18

55 Stevens St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Charlene Cavanaugh
Seller: Felipe Nunes-Helder
Date: 02/16/18

MONSON

246 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: James S. Harvey
Seller: Allan M. Coolong
Date: 02/23/18

99 Maxwell Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Thomas B. Gregoire
Seller: Gail M. Nivers
Date: 02/21/18

118 Moulton Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Mark Clink
Seller: Robert E. Ledoux
Date: 02/16/18

MONTGOMERY

Pitcher St.
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Zachary Kandelaki
Seller: David G. Beswick
Date: 02/13/18

PALMER

3182-3184 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $149,350
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: James E. Holbrook
Date: 02/20/18

115 Laurel Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Brandon E. Haberern
Seller: Joseph F. Maiolo
Date: 02/16/18

20 Off Bourne St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $127,920
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Bethany L. Giordano
Date: 02/12/18

SOUTHWICK

739 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $1,900,000
Buyer: Fiore Realty Holdings LLC
Seller: Southwick Golf Course Inc.
Date: 02/22/18

226 Klaus Anderson Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Nicholas A. Saltmarsh
Seller: Peter P. Starses
Date: 02/23/18

82 North Lake Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Jennifer A. Ritter
Seller: Kelley O. Cruickshanks
Date: 02/16/18

282 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Gary A. Prentice
Date: 02/12/18

5 Stagecoach Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Brian M. Leduc
Seller: Olde Farm Golf Club LLC
Date: 02/16/18

SPRINGFIELD

174-176 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Christopher A. Serra
Seller: Elijah Naylor
Date: 02/16/18

41 Capitol Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Blanca I. Colon
Seller: Todd J. Alden
Date: 02/13/18

369-R Central St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Fronti Nulla Fides RT
Seller: Santaniello Oil LLC
Date: 02/20/18

92-94 Cherrelyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Leonard Delarosa-Sanchez
Seller: Leslie E. Torres
Date: 02/15/18

75-77 Chester St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Rifle Street Partners TR
Seller: Alliance Associates LLC
Date: 02/12/18

15 Colfax St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Noelia Laguerre
Seller: Bally David LLC
Date: 02/23/18

74-76 Duryea St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Marcus A. Wilson
Seller: Luis A. Morales
Date: 02/16/18

226 Dutchess St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Cooper Properties LLC
Seller: Graves, Shirley A., (Estate)
Date: 02/12/18

366 Dwight Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Beverly A. Burns
Seller: Brian R. Hajdamowicz
Date: 02/15/18

367-369 East Columbus Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $156,500
Buyer: Idelmy J. Vasquez
Seller: Scott A. Fearn
Date: 02/23/18

99 East St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Otoniel Ortega
Seller: Morris, Claire A., (Estate)
Date: 02/21/18

80 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,500
Buyer: David Harris
Seller: Soraya Tejada
Date: 02/21/18

31 Emily St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Ana M. Rodriguez-Santiago
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 02/12/18

264 Fountain St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Floyd S. Wedderburn
Date: 02/15/18

72 Garland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Michelle L. Peloquin
Seller: Mae P. Goldstein
Date: 02/21/18

17 Garfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Joel T. Senez
Seller: Ronald G. Senez
Date: 02/12/18

204 Garvey Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $164,650
Buyer: Western Mass Prop. Developers
Seller: AJN Rentals LLC
Date: 02/16/18

445 Gifford St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Julio E. Gonzalez-Urena
Seller: Dennis Winot
Date: 02/16/18

Greene St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $2,270,000
Buyer: Greenberg Blatt Children
Seller: HRES Hancock LLC
Date: 02/12/18

247 Hancock St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $2,270,000
Buyer: Greenberg Blatt Children
Seller: HRES Hancock LLC
Date: 02/12/18

253 Hancock St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $2,270,000
Buyer: Greenberg Blatt Children
Seller: HRES Hancock LLC
Date: 02/12/18

259 Hancock St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $2,270,000
Buyer: Greenberg Blatt Children
Seller: HRES Hancock LLC
Date: 02/12/18

19 Humbert St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Keenan Comer
Seller: Rolando Santos
Date: 02/13/18

24 Jasper St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Alicia V. Salmon-Plummer
Seller: David Moore
Date: 02/23/18

114 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Francisco Pichardo
Seller: Patricia A. Staples
Date: 02/16/18

80 Lancashire Road
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jason Caldwell
Seller: Gabriel Ocampo
Date: 02/23/18

27 Lancaster St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $166,500
Buyer: Kevin McCormick
Seller: Jean Doyle
Date: 02/21/18

40 Lawndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Sir Parrish
Seller: Luz E. Rivera
Date: 02/20/18

1163-1165 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Ilia I. Torres
Seller: HSB Investments LLC
Date: 02/23/18

64 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Candice M. Garner-Higgins
Seller: Maria Aquino
Date: 02/23/18

25-27 Lyndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $137,550
Buyer: Aguasvivas Realty LLC
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 02/12/18

14 Mansfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Jermaine Rodriguez-Smith
Seller: Global Homes Properties
Date: 02/16/18

57 Middlebrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $133,354
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Marialyse L. Rivers
Date: 02/23/18

86 Milford St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Omar A. Elkadri
Seller: Marshal A. Walden
Date: 02/16/18

15 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Leslie E. Torres
Seller: Ana I. Rivera
Date: 02/15/18

204 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Jose R. Abreu
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 02/23/18

100-102 Odion St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $172,565
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Leon G. Szafran
Date: 02/12/18

416 Orange St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Rosa L. Rivera
Seller: Trinh Pham
Date: 02/22/18

271 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: 271 Page Blvd. LLC
Seller: Hendee LLC
Date: 02/22/18

38-40 Rifle St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Rifle Street Partners TR
Seller: Alliance Associates LLC
Date: 02/12/18

70 Ruthven St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Winsted REO 2 LLC
Seller: James Butler
Date: 02/20/18

227 Saint James Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jahana T. Duke
Seller: Patrick R. Guay
Date: 02/23/18

26 Sargon St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $142,900
Buyer: Amber L. Terrasi
Seller: Adam G. Orszak
Date: 02/23/18

145 Springfield St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Thornton
Seller: Sondra L. Roy
Date: 02/23/18

369 Stapleton Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Victor Velez
Seller: James Niedbala
Date: 02/14/18

15 Strong St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Lynn Gokey
Seller: Jessica McDonald-Rivera
Date: 02/16/18

947 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $124,120
Buyer: James Rocha
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 02/21/18

26 Talbot Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $155,128
Buyer: Mary Ethier
Seller: Christopher M. Eldridge
Date: 02/14/18

93 Thompson St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Alexander Rivera
Seller: Grace Mejia
Date: 02/20/18

85 Thornfell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Candace L. Beauregard
Seller: Mary B. Wroblewski
Date: 02/21/18

48 Thorndyke St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Marcus N. Pitts
Seller: Home Equity Assets Realty
Date: 02/14/18

100 Thornfell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Lisa L. Rizzo
Seller: Vanessa Cestero
Date: 02/14/18

45 Trinity Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: George G. Negron
Seller: Matthew E. Peck
Date: 02/16/18

735 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: River Rock Realty LLC
Seller: London Realty LLC
Date: 02/15/18

183 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Lynann M. Roswess
Seller: Melinda J. Grono
Date: 02/23/18

256 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $227,870
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Tri Tran
Date: 02/12/18

119-121 Woodmont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: E. A. Pichardo-Ramirez
Seller: Mary T. Tzambazakis
Date: 02/14/18

WEST SPRINGFIELD

1210 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Vanderbilt Mtg. & Finance
Seller: Serena M. Mariani
Date: 02/16/18

49 Appaloosa Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Sofia Ahsan
Seller: Syed S. Ahsan
Date: 02/21/18

93 Forest Glen
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $297,000
Buyer: Timothy E. Elliott
Seller: Adam Drollett
Date: 02/16/18

111 Janet St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Lisa S. Bagian
Seller: Patricia E. Bigelow
Date: 02/23/18

66 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Ccbhkk LLC
Seller: 66 Morgan Road Realty LLC
Date: 02/16/18

45 Rochelle St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $204,240
Buyer: Joel C. Olko
Seller: Regina R. Ranstrom
Date: 02/23/18

2476 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Daniel E. Rosso
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 02/23/18

WESTFIELD

109 Apremont Way
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,750,000
Buyer: DMA Associates LLC
Seller: Berkshire Industries Inc.
Date: 02/16/18

47 Bailey Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Ruvim A. Mosijchuk
Seller: John White
Date: 02/23/18

14 Cherry St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: John West
Seller: William Watras
Date: 02/22/18

98 Dartmouth St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Krystal S. Guilmette
Seller: Anthony Gamelli
Date: 02/14/18

Day Lily Lane #6F
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Julia Minchuk
Seller: Bent Tree Development LLC
Date: 02/22/18

41 Franklin St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: MXY Corp.
Seller: Franklin Syed Sons Inc.
Date: 02/13/18

9 Hunters Slope
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Lynnette L. Tabin
Seller: Edwin Sustache
Date: 02/15/18

10 Maria Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Shawn Baker
Seller: Frank A. McCartney
Date: 02/22/18

30 Noble St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $205,900
Buyer: Eliezer Garcia
Seller: James S. Hockenberry
Date: 02/16/18

19 Rider Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Jose A. Figueroa
Seller: Jordan T. Figueroa
Date: 02/23/18

253 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Nancy P. Maxim
Seller: Feustel, Jessie T., (Estate)
Date: 02/16/18

361 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Ginger L. Kairys
Seller: Arthur W. Madrid
Date: 02/13/18

627 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Westfield DG LLC
Seller: Margaret A. Kurtz
Date: 02/21/18

22 Woodland Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Lisa Hockenberry
Seller: Earl W. Lafreniere
Date: 02/16/18

WILBRAHAM

238 3 Rivers Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Joanne Merriam
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 02/23/18

8 Broadview Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $329,000
Buyer: Robert W. Mantler
Seller: Walter H. Damon
Date: 02/20/18

10 Highmoor Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Matthew Bahosh
Seller: Zachary I. Goodman
Date: 02/16/18

309 Monson Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jessica McDonald-Rivera
Seller: Paula C. Squires
Date: 02/16/18

24 Sunnyside Terrace
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Brandon M. Quiterio
Seller: Antonio M. Palermo
Date: 02/23/18

997 Tinkham Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Michelle J. Lucas
Seller: Mark Graziano
Date: 02/12/18

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

660 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Michael Ferraro
Seller: FHLM
Date: 02/16/18

Concord Way #11
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Bercume Construction LLC
Seller: Tofino Associates LLC
Date: 02/21/18

Lindenridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Bercume Construction LLC
Seller: Tofino Associates LLC
Date: 02/21/18

217 Shutesbury Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Paul T. Robinson
Seller: Debra Edelman
Date: 02/20/18

61 Tanglewood Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $648,525
Buyer: Yecheng Yang
Seller: James W. Sheppard
Date: 02/16/18

BELCHERTOWN

25 Brandywine Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Sharon L. Mendyk
Seller: Larry R. Severance
Date: 02/16/18

33 Depot St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $164,500
Buyer: Michael W. Berg
Seller: Plumtree Real Estate LLC
Date: 02/16/18

220 Old Enfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $382,000
Buyer: Jill N. Houle-Adamczyk
Seller: Laliberte Home Builders
Date: 02/12/18

27 Old Pelham Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $449,500
Buyer: Matthew J. Rivest
Seller: Jeffrey Gnatek
Date: 02/23/18

26 Sarah Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: David M. Placzek
Seller: Brian M. Adamczyk
Date: 02/12/18

700 South Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: James Pirog
Seller: Whisperwood LLC
Date: 02/21/18

17 Trillium Way
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Mark J. Stavropulos
Seller: Mark G. Jackson
Date: 02/16/18

CHESTERFIELD

63 North Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Anika N. Gaskins
Seller: Alyson Rhoades-Fortier
Date: 02/22/18

EASTHAMPTON

12 Button Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Ross J. Krause
Seller: Kelly M. Machado
Date: 02/16/18

78 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $237,500
Buyer: Thomas J. Benson
Seller: Peter Karparis
Date: 02/16/18

6 Prospect St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: David Arbeitman
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 02/22/18

13 Ranch Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Roger W. Salloom
Seller: Shawna M. Biscone
Date: 02/20/18

GRANBY

7 Ferry Hill Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Alexander F. Ross
Seller: Margaret A. Nugent
Date: 02/14/18

114 North St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Brian R. Hajdamowicz
Seller: Eagle Home Buyers LLC
Date: 02/15/18

HATFIELD

54 West St.
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Frederick A. Bushey
Seller: Sandra M. Weinberg
Date: 02/20/18

NORTHAMPTON

31 Higgins Way
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $580,241
Buyer: Stuart R. Chipkin
Seller: Stubridge Development LLC
Date: 02/23/18

88 High St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $455,720
Buyer: Dina R. Levi
Seller: Sarah B. Halper
Date: 02/21/18

81 Maple St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Om Shiv Gauri Inc.
Seller: Longmeadow Medical Arts
Date: 02/21/18

31 Ridgewood Terrace
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $419,000
Buyer: Adam Duso
Seller: Sheila M. Coy RET
Date: 02/20/18

41 Warner St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Debra T. Bercuvitz
Seller: William J. Evans
Date: 02/21/18

SOUTH HADLEY

22 Bunker Hill
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $214,300
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Roberto Mancini
Date: 02/13/18

3 Burnett Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Paul Cooney
Seller: Jenny Scobel
Date: 02/12/18

10 Haig Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Michael E. Aiken
Seller: Laurels RT
Date: 02/20/18

52 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $122,057
Buyer: Lindsey M. Crotty
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 02/20/18

7 Misty Court
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $352,500
Buyer: Anthony R. Witman
Seller: Manufacturers & Traders Trust Co.
Date: 02/14/18

7 Norwottuck Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Gregory M. Simmons
Seller: Jaime A. Lavallee
Date: 02/22/18

4 Riverlodge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $432,000
Buyer: William L. Phillips TR
Seller: Patrick J. Spring
Date: 02/15/18

52 Summit St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $168,900
Buyer: Daniel J. Chagnon
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 02/16/18

SOUTHAMPTON

10 Eastwood Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $396,000
Buyer: Yinfeng Wang
Seller: Jeffrey M. Paradis
Date: 02/20/18

1 Halons Way
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $122,800
Buyer: Bellinger Construction
Seller: RGB Industries Inc.
Date: 02/16/18

75 Pequot Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $428,000
Buyer: Mario A. Grosso
Seller: Petra A. Lackner
Date: 02/20/18

Woodmar Lane
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: David Garstka Builders
Seller: Chester J. Kellogg
Date: 02/16/18

WARE

355 Monson Turnpike Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Thomas Giguere
Seller: Gregory A. Metcalf
Date: 02/23/18

WESTHAMPTON

29 Loudville Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Revampit LLC
Seller: Todd L. Fondakowski
Date: 02/12/18

WORTHINGTON

241 West St.
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Tracy S. McManmon
Seller: Claydon RT
Date: 02/16/18

Briefcase

Briefcase Departments

Employer Confidence
Strengthens in February

BOSTON — Massachusetts employer confidence strengthened during February as optimism about long-term economic growth outweighed a volatile month in the financial markets. The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index rose 0.4 points to 64.5, setting another 17-year high. The Index has gained 2.4 points during the past 12 months as confidence levels have remained comfortably within the optimistic range. Enthusiasm about the U.S. and Massachusetts economies, along with a bullish outlook on the part of manufacturers, fueled the February increase. At the same time, hiring remained a red flag as the BCI Employment Index fell 4 points between February 2017 and February 2018. Almost 90% of employers who responded to the February confidence survey indicated that the inability to find skilled employees is either a modest, large, or huge problem. “Fourteen percent of respondents said finding employees represents a huge problem that is hampering their company’s growth. One-third of employers see employee recruitment as a big problem, while 29% see it as a modest issue,” said Raymond Torto, chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design. “For the short-term, however, the state and national economies remain strong, and the recent announcement by Amazon of a major expansion in Boston indicates that the trend should continue.” The survey was taken before President Donald Trump roiled the financial markets by pledging to impose stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. 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. It has remained above 50 since October 2013. The constituent indicators that make up the overall Business Confidence Index were mixed during February. The most significant gains came in the Manufacturing Index, which surged 3.9 points to 66.2, and the U.S. Index, which rose 2.1 points for the month to 66.9 and 8.0 points for the year. The Massachusetts Index fell 0.4 points to 68.5, but was up 5.3 points for the year and still higher than the national outlook for the 96th consecutive month. The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, rose 2.4 points to 64.1. The Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, declined 1.6 points to 65. The Current Index has risen 4.2 points and the Future Index 0.6 points during the past 12 months. The Company Index, reflecting employer views of their own operations and prospects, was essentially flat, gaining 0.1 points to 62.4. The Employment Index also rose 0.1 points, to 56.4, versus 60.4 in February 2017. Manufacturing companies (66.2) were more optimistic than non-manufacturers (61.9). Large employers (69.8) were more bullish than medium-sized (62.0) or small businesses (62.7).

Single-family Home Sales
in Pioneer Valley Up in January

SPRINGFIELD — Single-family home sales rose by 17.2% in the Pioneer Valley in January compared to the same time last year, while the median price rose 1.0% to $197,000, according to the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley. In Franklin County, sales were up 27.0%, while the median price fell 2.1% from a year earlier. In Hampden County, sales were up 26.2%, while the median price was up 8.8%. In Hampshire County, sales fell by 5.6% from January 2017, while the median price was up 1.2%.

Advertising Club Seeks
Nominations for Pynchon Award

SPRINGFIELD — The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts is seeking nominations from throughout Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties for the Pynchon Award, which recognizes citizens of the region who have rendered distinguished service to the community. The Order of William Pynchon was established by the Advertising Club in 1915 to recognize and encourage individuals whose lives and achievements typified the ideals of promoting citizenship and the building of a better community in Western Mass. Past recipients include war heroes, social activists, teachers, volunteers, philanthropists, historians, clergy, physicians, journalists, public servants, and business leaders — a diverse group, each with a passion for the region and a selfless streak. A complete list of recipients since 1915 can be found at www.adclubwm.org/events/pynchonaward. To nominate an individual, submit a one-page letter explaining why the nominee should be considered. Include 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, comprised of the current and five past presidents of the Advertising Club. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, March 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 are chosen by unanimous decision of the Pynchon Trustees. 2018 recipients will be announced in June 2018, with an awards ceremony scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 18 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

Unemployment Rate Holds
at 3.5% in Massachusetts

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained at 3.5% in January, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts lost 6,100 jobs in January. Over the month, the private sector lost 4,200 jobs; although gains occurred in professional, scientific, and business services; information; and other services. From January 2017 to January 2018, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 29,000 jobs. The January unemployment rate was six-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Massachusetts continues to experience a low unemployment rate and labor force expansions,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said. “While the overall health of our economy remains strong, and 2017 marked the eighth consecutive year of job growth, persistent skills gaps remain. That is why our workforce-development partners remain committed to ensuring that those who are still unemployed or underemployed have access to the training resources they need to access high-demand jobs.” The labor force increased by 2,200 from 3,657,300 in December, as 3,900 more residents were employed and 1,700 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9% in January 2017. The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — remained at 65.3%. The labor force participation rate over the year has decreased by 0.2% compared to January 2017. The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in construction; leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; and other services.

Hampden County Bar Assoc.
Offers Two Law-school Scholarships

SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden County Bar Assoc. is now accepting applications for the John F. Moriarty Scholarship and the Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship. The John F. Moriarty Scholarship is available to any Hampden County resident who has been admitted to or is attending a certified law school for the 2018-19 academic year. Applicants must have been residents of Hampden County for at least five years. The application deadline is May 25. The Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship is available to any veteran with an honorable discharge or a current member of the U.S. military who has been admitted to or is attending a certified law school in New England for the 2018-19 year. The application deadline is May 15, 2018. Both scholarships are based on merit and financial need. Both applications and additional information are available by contacting the Caitlin Glenn at the Hampden County Bar Assoc. at (413) 732-4660 or [email protected], or by visiting www.hcbar.org/news/scholarships.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook Departments

Baystate Academy Charter Public School Wins Grant

SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Academy Charter Public School received a grant to offer high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs from Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. More than 10,500 schools across the country offer PLTW programs to millions of students. According to Tim Sneed, executive director of Baystate Academy, “these funds will allow us to expand our biomedical sciences programs as we prepare students to enter the field of healthcare.” Baystate Academy is just one of 73 schools across the Commonwealth to receive the grant, which is supported by the Baker-Polito administration, the One8 Foundation, and Mass STEM Hub. “It is essential that we engage our students throughout their K-12 school years with hands-on lessons in science, engineering, computer science, technology, and math,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Baystate Academy will use grant funds to strengthen its PLTW program with biomedical science. Funds from the grant will also support teacher professional development and the purchase of materials and equipment that will be used in the hands-on, activity-, project-, and problem-based courses. “We are proud to partner with Baystate Academy to empower students to develop the in-demand knowledge and transportable skills to thrive in our evolving world,” said Vince Bertram, PLTW president and CEO.

Molding Business Services Announces Acquisition of Gros Executive Recruiters

FLORENCE — Molding Business Services of Florence has acquired Gros Executive Recruiters of Franklin, Tenn. Both firms provide recruiting and executive search services to the plastics industry. Molding Business Services (MBS) was founded in 1998, and during those 20 years, its recruiting division has focused almost exclusively on the injection-molding segment of the plastics industry. Gros Executive Recruiters was founded in 1989 and serves the packaging, plastics-processing, and plastics-machinery markets. MBS brings a deeper injection-molding network to Gros, while Gros provides MBS with penetration into the packaging and plastics machinery markets. Additionally, merging the two already-extensive industry databases produces a network of talent that will benefit the combined firms’ clients. Together, MBS and Gros have recruiting staff located across the U.S., in Massachusetts, Illinois, Tennessee, Vermont, and California. “The synergies between the two firms are numerous, and our visions and goals couldn’t be better aligned,” said MBS President Jonathan Soucy. “We are excited about enhancing our reach and capabilities for our clients, especially at a time when the demand for talented individuals in our industry has reached critical levels.” Former Gros Executive Recruiters owner and industry veteran Dennis Gros has been appointed president of the combined recruiting business. “The combination of MBS’s recruiting division and Gros Executive Recruiters is great news for hiring managers and for professionals who seek a career change,” he said. “In combining our resources, we will offer new programs designed to energize hiring in the plastics industry.” Gros Executive Recruiters will become the sole recruiting brand of the combined entity and will operate as a molding business services company.

Radiothon Raises $245,367 for Children’s Hospital

SPRINGFIELD — Generous donors pledging their support of Baystate Children’s Hospital resulted in a grand total of $245,367 raised during this year’s 17th annual 94.7 WMAS Radiothon, which ran March 6-7. “The tremendous response from listeners to the 94.7 WMAS Radiothon is a testimonial to our talented staff of caregivers who are dedicated to improving the lives of children throughout the region,” said Dr. Charlotte Boney, chair, Pediatrics, Baystate Children’s Hospital. “It takes a team effort to hold a successful Radiothon even before the first telephone rings. We couldn’t do it without the many listeners who called in to pledge their support to our Children’s Hospital, or without the assistance of the volunteers, corporate sponsors, Baystate staff, and the Kellog Krew at 94.7 WMAS who all gave so generously of their time.” There is still time to make a donation to Baystate Children’s Hospital by visiting the Radiothon webpage at www.helpmakemiracles.org/event/wmas or texting WMASkids to 51555.

AIC Named to Military Friendly Schools List

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has been named to the list of “Better for Veterans” organizations across the country, earning the 2018 Military Friendly School designation by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs. Now in its 16th year, the Military Friendly Schools list provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families using data sources from federal agencies, veteran students, and proprietary survey information from participating organizations in order to help them select the best college, university, or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career. Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by the school. For the first time, student survey data was taken into consideration for the designation. More than 1,300 schools participated in the 2017-18 survey, with 849 earning the designation. “American International College is proud to assist those men and women who serve our country,” said AIC President Vince Maniaci. “The college recognizes the value of the many educational and leadership experiences that occur in the Armed Forces, and the excellent foundation that military experience provides. In turn, we give veteran students transfer credits for service in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard, helping service members and veterans get a head start on earning their degrees.”

New Prosthetic Center Serves Amputees with Innovative Technology

SPRINGFIELD — O & P Labs recently opened the doors to the Prosthetic Center at 3500 Main St. in Springfield. The local prosthetic company has been serving Western and Central Mass., Northern Conn., and Southern Vermont for more than 30 years. Co-owners Jim Haas and Blaine Drysdale hosted Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and state Rep. Carlos González, along with team members, patients, medical care providers, friends, and family for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 15. González presented a citation to recognize O & P Labs’ “30 years of healthcare service to the people of Springfield, Mass. and your innovative assistance for patients to enjoy productive lives.” The grand-opening event honored the 700 patients with limb loss who have been served over the last ten years since Haas and Drysdale have owned the company. The decision to create this full-service practice space was in direct response to the needs of these patients. “I used to ride a bike [before my amputation], and I still do,” said Drysdale, a certified prosthetist. “We are dedicated to helping every patient through their individual process. That includes before, during, and after an amputation.” The state-of-the-art Prosthetic Center features real-life experiences including a bike trainer, ramp, solo step track system, parallel bars, private rooms, and more. “Our facility does not feel like a white-coat clinic,” Haas added. “We’re here to help people get on with their lives. We strive to empower our patients to reach their similar activity level as prior to limb loss and feel part of a community while doing it.”

Report: HCC Benefits Economy Significantly

HOLYOKE — Students who graduate from Holyoke Community College (HCC) with an associate degree will see an average increase in annual earnings of about $10,000 a year compared to those with only a high-school diploma, according to a new report that calculates the total economic impact of HCC on the Pioneer Valley at nearly $215 million annually. “By comparison,” the report says, “this contribution that the college provides on its own is almost as large as the entire arts, entertainment, and recreation industry in this area.” The analysis of HCC’s economic value was conducted by Emsi, an economic modeling firm whose clients include colleges and universities as well as some of the largest for-profit corporations in the U.S., such as Amazon and Coca-Cola. For this, Emsi based its conclusions on academic and financial reports from HCC, industry and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, and other surveys related to education and social behavior. The study, commissioned by the college, looked at data from 2015-16. For fiscal year 2016, which ended June 30, 2016, the study found that the total economic impact of the college on the economy in the three counties of the Pioneer Valley (Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin) was $214.6 million, or about 0.7% of the region’s gross regional product. That number includes direct spending by the college’s 991 full-time and part-time employees as well as operational spending by the college itself, and accounts for a multiplier effect, which measures how that money works its way through the regional economy. The total also includes short-term construction projects and spending by students who relocate to the Pioneer Valley as well as spending by students who choose to remain in the area for college rather than go elsewhere. In FY 2015-16, HCC served 8,243 credit students and 3,024 non-credit students. The largest impact, though, comes from alumni — former students who continue to live and work in the region: $155.1 million, or enough to support 2,642 jobs, the report notes. The study also examined the economic benefits of HCC from a student’s perspective, noting that those who complete their associate degree could expect to earn an average of $9,600 more per year than those with only a high-school diploma. Put another way, for every $1 students invest in their education (out-of-pocket expenses, interest on loans, foregone income while in school), they will earn $3.2, an average return of 12.7%. The study also concludes that HCC represents a “a solid investment” for taxpayers, generating more in tax revenue than it takes in through state and local funding — $54.6 million compared to $31.6 million, or a benefit-cost ratio of 1.8, an average rate of return of 4.5%. Massachusetts also benefits as a whole from the presence of HCC in two major ways: increased prosperity from an expanding economic base and savings generated by the improved lifestyles of students, most notably in a reduction in medical costs through improved health, reduced crime, and lower employer contributions toward unemployment.

Country Bank Donates $656,000 to Area Organizations in 2017

WARE — Country Bank reported that it donated $656,000 to more than 400 organizations in 2017 through its Charitable Giving Program. Some of the recipients include the Ronald McDonald House, which received $30,000 to support its ‘home away from home’ for children and their families being treated at the Springfield area medical facilities, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, which received $10,000 to help continue its mission of providing food to those in need. “Our mission is to grow mutually beneficial relationships with our customers, community, and staff. This is evidenced not only by our commitment to support these organizations with charitable contributions, but also with staff volunteer hours,” said Paul Scully, president and CEO. “In 2017, nearly 800 hours of personal time was given back by members of the Country Bank staff to their local communities. In addition to their volunteer hours, employees also raised more than $33,000 through their own charitable-giving events such as jean days, bake sales, and raffles.

The United Arc Hosts Annual Coffee & Conversation Event

TURNERS FALLS — On Feb. 23, the United Arc held its annual Coffee & Conversation event, an opportunity for legislators in Western Mass. to hear the stories of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. This year, the Coffee & Conversation event brought together experiences in seeking full community inclusion, from the joys of work to struggles against bullying and for full access to education, to the process of gaining acceptance at school and extracurricular activities. One of the speakers was Tonya Lanpher, parent of a child with autism and a family support specialist at the United Arc. “I think the hardest thing is that people just don’t understand,” she said. “If we can help people understand, then we can create full community inclusion. People don’t understand each other if they don’t spend time together. That’s why full community inclusion is so important.” Event attendees included U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern; state Sen. Stan Rosenberg; state Reps. Steve Kulik and Solomon Goldstein-Rose; Jon Gould, aide to state Sen. Adam Hinds, and Chris Cappucci, research director for state Rep. Paul Mark. They shared their thoughts on full community inclusion and the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The event was co-sponsored by the Greater Athol Area Advocates for Families with Special Needs, and First Light Power Resources was a supporting sponsor. Other sponsors included 2nd Street Baking Co., Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters, and Greenfield Savings Bank. John Howland, CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank, and Linda Ackerman, assistant vice president and branch manager of the Greenfield Savings Bank Turners Falls branch, were also in attendance. Founded in 1951, the United Arc provides services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, helping them achieve the universal goals of inclusion, choice, and independence.

Finck & Perras Reports Community Investments

EASTHAMPTON — Genevieve Brough, president of Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc., recently announced that the firm invested roughly $40,000 in the wider community through sponsorships and donations to nonprofits in 2017. Organizations the company supported range from youth sports and recreation programs in Hampshire County to Riverside Industries in Easthampton, Link to Libraries, and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hampshire County. Brough passes on her philanthropic values to employees, encouraging them to take part in community activism and fund-raising. Finck & Perras has supported the United Way of Hampshire County for 19 years, for instance, encouraging employees take part in making regular donations by offering various incentive programs. Other organizations Finck & Perras supported in 2017 include the Academy of Music Theatre, Northampton; the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, Springfield; Pathlight, Springfield; TedXEasthamptonWomen; Safe Passage, Northampton; the Northampton Family Fourth Celebration; Nonotuck Community School Inc., Northampton; Cooley Dickinson Health Care, Northampton; and Look Memorial Park, Florence.

Berkshire Bank Foundation Grants Nearly $2M in 2017

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced that its foundation awarded a total of $1,995,462 in grants to nonprofit organizations operating in the bank’s footprint in 2017. The grants supported a variety of education and community-development initiatives as well as health, human-service, and cultural programs. In all, 556 organizations benefited from the funding. “Our grants impacted more than 5.8 million individuals in 2017 helping to enhance economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for members of our community,” said Lori Gazzillo, senior vice president and foundation director. The foundation offers multiple grant programs, each with their own guidelines, programmatic criteria, and desired outcomes. In 2018, the foundation will again accept proposals for education programs that help individuals become college-, career-, and job-ready. They also plan to accept proposals for economic-development programs that create thriving places to live, work, and raise a family. Applications for these grant programs are due by April 1, July 1, and Oct. 1. In addition to these two programs, the foundation will offer two requests for proposals focusing on nonprofit capacity and basic needs. Additional details about the foundation’s guidelines and application process can be found online at www.berkshirebank.com/giving.

Phillips Insurance Funds Scholarships to American Legion Boys State

CHICOPEE — Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. announced it is funding three scholarships to the 2018 American Legion Boys State at Stonehill College in June. The one-week, overnight program focuses on understanding one’s responsibilities and rights in the democratic process. Participants establish a mock government, complete courses in economics, and participate in elections. Founded in 1935, past participants include some of the most prominent names in the country, including former President Bill Clinton, movie critic Roger Ebert, and basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. Joseph Phillips, president of Phillips Insurance, noted that “my son Connor attended Boys State in 2016 and had a positive experience, so we decided to reach out … and provide the same opportunity to other students so they could benefit from this unique program and help prepare them for college and beyond.”

People on the Move

Departments People on the Move

John Dowd Jr.

Dennis Fitzpatrick

Diane LaCosse

James Wall

John Dowd Jr., Dennis Fitzpatrick, Diane LaCosse, and James Wall were recently named to the board of the Sisters of Providence Ministry Corp. (SPMC). SPMC functions as the holding company for Providence Place Inc., Mary’s Meadow at Providence Place Inc., and Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc., all in Holyoke; and Genesis Spiritual Life and Conference Center in Westfield. The Sisters of Providence executive council serves as the corporation’s members on the SPMC board and as corporation officers; they include Sr. Kathleen Popko, president; Sr. Mary Caritas Geary, vice president; and Sr. Senga Fulton, secretary/treasurer. Dowd is president and CEO of the Dowd Insurance Agencies, and has served on numerous boards, including the Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS) and foundation board, NUVO Bank & Trust, and CityStage and Symphony Hall. Fitzpatrick is president of the O’Connell Companies and former board chair of Brightside for Families and Children, SPHS, and Catholic Health East, of which SPHS was a founding member. LaCosse is senior vice president of United Bank’s commercial banking division in West Springfield and a member of the Providence Place/Mary’s Meadow board and finance committee. She is a volunteer for the WestMass Eldercare Money Manager Program, an associate of the Sisters of Providence, and formerly served on the Brightside for Families and Children Board. Wall retired in 2012 as global managing director of talent and chief diversity officer for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd., U.S. He currently serves on two boards of trustees: as vice chair of American Management Assoc. International, NYC, and chair-elect of Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc. in Holyoke.

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Mark Wysk

Guardair Corp., the largest U.S. manufacturer of OSHA-compliant safety air guns and pneumatic vacuums, announced the hiring of Mark Wysk as the new director of Global Supply Chain. Wysk brings 30 years of industrial purchasing management experience, including international sourcing, tool-industry knowledge, and materials expertise. In his new role at Guardair, he will support manufacturing through innovative sourcing strategies and optimizing cost-saving opportunities in conjunction with annual operating plans. His focus will be on building and strengthening partnerships, providing true strategic relationships. “Mark’s expertise in improving productivity, quality, and efficiency of supply-chain operations is a tremendous asset as we continue to grow,” said Tom Tremblay, president of Guardair Corp. “We are thrilled to have him join our team.” Wysk was most recently the corporate director of Procurement at Simonds International. Prior to that, he held the position of senior manager of Global Sourcing for Lenox. He holds a master’s degree in engineering management and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, both from Western New England College. He currently serves as president of the Institute for Supply Management of Western New England and has published articles in Supply Chain World and Cutting Tool Engineering.

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Tom Schiff

Tom Schiff, the founder and executive director of Phallacies Inc., will receive an Innovative Initiative Award in March for his work with the nonprofit, which helps men create healthy masculinities through dialogue and theatrical performance. Schiff will receive the honor in person from the Men and Masculinities Knowledge Community of the National Assoc. of Student Personnel Administrators at the organization’s 100th annual conference in Philadelphia on March 3-7. The honor comes as Schiff is poised to begin to expand the organization in the region to reach and impact a broader audience of men of all ages. Phallacies Inc. provides leadership development, health education, and violence prevention for men via dialogue and innovative educational theater. It was born four years ago through Schiff’s work as a health educator at UMass, where he also founded the Men and Masculinities Center. Through Phallacies, people who identify as male between the ages of roughly 19 and 35 engage in a dialogue about masculinity and the intersections with other identities, health, violence, and relationships, and then create performance pieces as educational and thought catalysts to encourage changing the cultural scripts about masculinities. Performances take place at colleges, human-service organizations and forums, conferences, and local high schools and middle schools. Men who are involved include teachers, staff from youth and human-service agencies, and medical students. “They’re interested in getting support for themselves about how to be healthier as a man — physically, emotionally, and psychologically — and to find support for that. They are trying to rethink what it means to be a man in the world,” Schiff said. “People also get involved because they’re interested in violence prevention. Men need to speak up and speak out about these issues to help support more men and boys in creating healthy masculinities.” Schiff holds a doctoral degree in organization development from UMass, a master’s degree in therapeutic recreation from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, and a bachelor’s degree in history with certification in secondary social studies from the State University of New York at Cortland.

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The board of directors at Pioneer Cold announced that Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bryan Hedge has been elected president. He joined Pioneer in 2007 as vice president of Operations, and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2012. Hedge will be responsible for all areas of Pioneer, including customer and employee satisfaction. A major part of his job will be to set priorities in strategy, asset utilization, and revenue growth, and to ensure operational excellence across the company. As COO, Hedge was the operations leader and delivered consistent improvement in all areas, including safety, capacity planning and utilization, customer satisfaction, and productivity. As a result, Pioneer achieved industry-best operational metrics as benchmarked against industry standards. Hedge came to Pioneer from Sleepy’s, where he was vice president, Logistics. Prior to that, he was vice president, Business Operations at CIS in Lenox. He also held executive-level supply-chain-management roles at Save-A-Lot Foods, Performance Food Group, and Springfield Foodservice. He spent 20 years with TruServ Corp., where he was consistently promoted to roles with increasing responsibility. Hedge is an active member of the International Assoc. of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW) and serves as a member of that organization’s supply chain operations committee. He also currently serves as treasurer of the North Atlantic Chapter of the IARW. He is also a member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Pioneer Cold also announced two more promotions, with Susanne Gagnon becoming director of Operations and Michael Carr becoming Customer Service manager. Gagnon served most recently as Customer Service and Transportation manager. She came to Pioneer in 2004 as a Warehouse manager and was promoted to Customer Service manager in 2006. Prior to joining Pioneer, she was with C&S for 10 years and was promoted to roles with increasing levels of responsibility, working on the ‘SWAT Team’ setting up and opening new distribution centers for three years, and was promoted to Warehouse supervisor, where she spent her last two years. Carr joined Pioneer in 2003 as a Customer Service representative. In 2007, he was promoted to senior Customer Service representative and has spent the last 11 years in that role. Prior to joining Pioneer, he was a route sales/DSD delivery driver for a magazine and book distributor.

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Dr. Angela Belmont

Cooley Dickinson Health Care President and CEO Joanne Marqusee announced the appointment of Dr. Angela Belmont as vice president, Patient Care Services and chief Nursing officer (CNO). “In her new role, Angela provides leadership, oversight, and support of our leaders in the Patient Care Services division at Cooley Dickinson Health Care,” Marqusee said. “Angela is responsible for advancing our dyad program of nursing and physician collaboration, and partners with our Chief Medical Officer Dr. Estevan Garcia to focus on quality and patient safety. In this regard, Angela will help us to drive improvements in patient satisfaction and nursing practice at Cooley Dickinson.” A successful nurse administrator with more than 30 years of experience, Belmont has held progressively responsible leadership positions in acute-care hospitals throughout her career, including more than 20 years with Faxton-St. Luke’s Hospital, a 370-bed acute-care hospital in Utica, N.Y. Prior to joining Cooley Dickinson, Belmont was assistant vice president of Nursing for Mohawk Valley Health System, a community healthcare system with more than 4,000 employees that serves patients throughout three counties in upstate New York. In this role, she led efforts to significantly improve patient-care services and outcomes across the two hospital campuses. Belmont earned both her bachelor’s degree in Nursing and master’s degree in nursing administration at the State University of New York, and her doctorate in nursing practice in system leadership from Rush University in Chicago.

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Brittany Weiss, associate director of International Admissions at Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, has joined the all-volunteer board of directors for the International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI). “We are very pleased to have Brittany as part of the ILI family,” said Eric Wirth, ILI board president. “Her extensive academic and professional background around the world and here at home will go far in supporting our work, including high-quality language instruction and teacher training, free English classes for immigrants and refugees, and volunteer opportunities throughout the Pioneer Valley.” Weiss has considerable experience abroad in Asia, Latin America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Prior to joining Stoneleigh-Burnham, she was Admissions associate at the American International School of Budapest in Hungary, where she worked with students and families from more than 60 nationalities. Earlier, she served as assistant director of Alumni Engagement at her alma mater, Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, and as a resident faculty member at Emma Willard School in Troy, N.Y. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Siena College and a master’s degree in educational administration and policy studies from the University at Albany.

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The Melha Shriners, a philanthropic organization based on fun, fellowship, and Masonic principles, announced the official election and installation of their potentate (president) and his Divan (executive board). At its annual meeting, the Melha Shriners presented the potentate’s fez to Glenn Surprenant, the 108th top-ranking Shriner in Western Mass. as the organization enters its 120th year. A lifelong resident of Western Mass., Surprenant graduated from Classical High School and later pursued his passion for laboratory sciences. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from American International College in 1976, he became a registered medical technologist in Laboratory Sciences and is currently the director of Radiology at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. In 1976, Surprenant married Diane Ruggeri, an assistant nurse manager, Labor & Delivery for Baystate Medical Center. After many years of observing other members of his family join the Masonic fraternity and then the Shrine, Surprenant was raised a Master Mason in the Indian Orchard Lodge in February 2006 and joined the Melha Shriners in March 2006. He has been an active member and past president of the Hadji Unit in 2014. During parades, he can be seen driving one of the brightly colored Jeepsters. Surprenant’s journey toward becoming the head Shriner in Western Mass. began in 2014 when he was appointed to the Divan line. The fellowship he espouses is seen throughout the Shrine and Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield, as his cousin, Al “Poppy” Surprenant, is a member of the clown unit; his brothers, Joseph and Gary Surprenant, are both board of governors members at the hospital; and his son, Andrew, is president of the Melha Oriental Band Unit. The First Lady’s project, titled “Nursing Education: Making a Difference for the Kids,” will raise funds to provide items not normally allocated in a hospital budget; these educational items will assist the nurses in the transition to acute pediatric rehabilitation care. Said First Lady Diane, “I’d like to add more educational items that will help the staff to do even greater things than they are doing now. My hope is that my project will provide additional tools and the necessary training to expand the high-quality care the children receive here in Springfield.”

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Kayla Drinkwine

Kayla Drinkwine joined Webber & Grinnell Insurance as commercial lines marketing manager. She will be responsible for quoting, negotiating, and placing the agency’s larger commercial accounts with the various insurance carriers represented by the agency. Drinkwine started her career at Phillips Insurance Agency in Chicopee. Starting as the office receptionist, she moved quickly to personal lines customer service representative and then to commercial account manager. She maintains her construction risk and insurance specialist (CRIS) and certified insurance service representative (CISR) designations from the Massachusetts Assoc. of Insurance Agents.

CRRC MA Wins Engineering Achievement Award

By BusinessWest Staff March 15, 2018

SPRINGFIELD — The CRRC MA rail-car manufacturing facility at the former Westinghouse site was honored as the state’s outstanding engineering achievement of the year by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts. Plaza Construction, which served as the design-build contractor for the property, accepted the award at a ceremony Wednesday.

The $95 million project, spanning more than 204,000 square feet — not including the 2,240-foot test track — is the largest industrial investment in Greater Springfield in generations. The Chinese-owned company will start building new cars for the MBTA Orange Line in April, and for the Red Line later this year.

In 2014, CRRC received a $566 million contract from the MBTA to build 152 Orange Line cars and 252 Red Line cars at the Page Boulevard site. Two years later, the state ordered an additional 120 Red Line cars at a cost of $277 million, with production set to begin in 2022.

Local River Advocates Join Growing National Trend with EPA Lawsuit

By BusinessWest Staff March 13, 2018

GREENFIELD — Last fall, the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) joined the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance and eight other watershed groups from across Massachusetts to file suit against the EPA and Administrator Scott Pruitt in Boston’s federal district court. Their request of the court is simple: reject EPA’s one-year delay in implementing Massachusetts’ new stormwater permit because stormwater is one of the greatest threats to clean water in Massachusetts.

This lawsuit is part of a growing national trend in suing the EPA in order to protect the environment. The CRC argues that Pruitt and the EPA have been hastily rolling back environmental regulations, but mistakes have been made in their haste and disregard for legal process, such as failing to hold required public comment periods or provide rationale for a repeal or delay. Now, environmental groups across the nation are going to court and using these mistakes to successfully halt environmental rollbacks. For example, the courts have prevented the suspension of rules to curb methane emissions and the delay of tougher standards on air pollutants and lead in paint.

River advocates fear the updated stormwater permit could be delayed much longer than one year. “We think the EPA’s legal case is fundamentally flawed,” said Andrew Fisk, executive director of the Connecticut River Conservancy. “Pruitt and the EPA have asked for this delay while permit appeals are being decided, but then in the same breath also asked the court to delay judicial review of the appeals. It is clear that EPA is looking at every maneuver they can find to stop doing the right thing for the public’s water.”

The river groups are represented by Kevin Cassidy of Earthrise Law Center and Access to Justice Fellow Irene Freidel.

Of particular concern is the public-health issue of harmful bacteria flowing to rivers when it rains. About one in five water samples collected by CRC and partners in 2017 from the Connecticut River and tributaries in Massachusetts showed bacteria levels too high for recreation (swimming and/or boating).

“Delaying the implementation of this updated permit puts our rivers and our water at risk, which also put our citizens and local economies that use and rely on our rivers at risk,” Fisk continued. “The EPA is charged with implementing the Clean Water Act for the benefit of the public, yet it did not weigh the public’s interest when it slammed the brakes on the MS4 Permit.”

That permit regulates stormwater pollution under the federal Clean Water Act. The current MS4 permit was issued in 2003 and was set to expire on May 1, 2008. Instead, it has been administratively continued and remains in effect. A multi-year, multi-stakeholder process for updating the expired permit began in 2008. In April 2016, the EPA issued the updated MS4 permit after many rounds of public comment. The updated permit was set to go into effect on July 1, 2017 but was abruptly delayed by Pruitt and the EPA just two days before that date.

The delay will cause existing stormwater projects to move forward with outdated stormwater controls, forcing costly upgrades in the future rather than the lower-cost option of adding updated controls at the time of construction, river advocates say. The delay also ignores the time and money invested by cities and towns that have already implemented new stormwater protection measures in preparation for the new permit to take effect last July.

Stormwater is generated from rain and snowmelt that does not soak into the ground. Instead, it flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets and driveways, parking lots, and building rooftops into storm drains. During heavy rains, stormwater can flow directly into rivers. Common pollutants in stormwater runoff include antifreeze, detergents, fertilizers, gasoline, household chemicals, oil and grease, paints, pesticides, harmful bacteria, road salt, trash such as plastics and cigarette butts, ammonia, solvents, and fecal matter from pets, farm animals, and wildlife.

Unemployment Rate Holds at 3.5% in Massachusetts

By BusinessWest Staff March 12, 2018

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained at 3.5% in January, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts lost 6,100 jobs in January. Over the month, the private sector lost 4,200 jobs; although gains occurred in professional, scientific, and business services; information; and other services. From January 2017 to January 2018, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 29,000 jobs.

The January unemployment rate was six-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Massachusetts continues to experience a low unemployment rate and labor force expansions,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said. “While the overall health of our economy remains strong, and 2017 marked the eighth consecutive year of job growth, persistent skills gaps remain. That is why our workforce-development partners remain committed to ensuring that those who are still unemployed or underemployed have access to the training resources they need to access high-demand jobs.”

The labor force increased by 2,200 from 3,657,300 in December, as 3,900 more residents were employed and 1,700 fewer residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9% in January 2017.

The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — remained at 65.3%. The labor force participation rate over the year has decreased by 0.2% compared to January 2017.

The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in construction; leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; and other services.

Kayla Drinkwine Joins Webber & Grinnell Insurance

By BusinessWest Staff March 12, 2018

NORTHAMPTON — Kayla Drinkwine joined Webber & Grinnell Insurance as commercial lines marketing manager. She will be responsible for quoting, negotiating, and placing the agency’s larger commercial accounts with the various insurance carriers represented by the agency.

Drinkwine started her career at Phillips Insurance Agency in Chicopee. Starting as the office receptionist, she moved quickly to personal lines customer service representative and then to commercial account manager. She maintains her construction risk and insurance specialist (CRIS) and certified insurance service representative (CISR) designations from the Massachusetts Assoc. of Insurance Agents.

“We are excited to have Kayla join our team of professionals,” President Bill Grinnell said. “Her strong background, friendly demeanor, and work experience will help Webber & Grinnell continue its trajectory of steady growth and customer-service excellence.”

Kayla Drinkwine Joins Webber & Grinnell Insurance

By BusinessWest Staff March 12, 2018

Community Spotlight Features

‘The Year of the New Springfield’ Is Underway

By BusinessWest Staff March 6, 2018

Community Spotlight

The aerial map of Springfield behind Kevin Kennedy, taken just a few years ago, would look very different today, and that’s a good thing, he says.

To say projects are coming to fruition in Springfield is a bit of an understatement these days, with a $950 million casino opening downtown in September, following right on the heels of the $90 million Union Station renovation and the $95 million CRRC MA plant on the former Westinghouse site, which is expected to begin producing rail cars for the MBTA this year.

Kevin Kennedy, the city’s chief Development officer, cited those projects at the start of a recent conversation with BusinessWest because they have been, in many ways, the most prominent signs of economic momentum in Springfield. But they’re only three among dozens of moving pieces coming together to generate real excitement in the City of Homes.

“We’re calling it ‘the year of the new Springfield,’” he said.

And it needs to be, considering that the casino, if projections are correct, will draw 12,000 to 15,000 visitors per day, perhaps more at the start. Meanwhile, the Hartford rail line into Union Station may bring up to 2,000 people a day, in addition to the usual PVTA and Peter Pan bus traffic.

“A lot of people will be coming through Springfield; it will be a completely different area in terms of foot traffic,” Kennedy said, noting that restaurants, retail, and entertainment options in the area will get a boost — possibly a big one.

“Bruno Mars, who just cleaned up in the Grammys, plays MGM in Las Vegas. Lady Gaga performs at MGM facilities. There’s Cirque de Soleil … these are things that, from an entertainment point of view, Springfield could only wish for,” he said, adding that the sheer possibilities have people excited.

But it’s important, he said, not to simply let the wave of MGM visitors happen, but to pair the casino’s opening with an image campaign to let people know what else Springfield and the surrounding region have to offer. After all, it’s not every day that a business opens with the potential of bringing thousands of people into the city every day who would otherwise not be there.

And, indeed, there’s much more than nightlife afoot downtown; for example, the innovation economy that has taken root with entities like Tech Foundry, TechSpring, and Valley Venture Mentors has created a fertile environment for ideas to turn into cutting-edge companies.

Meanwhile, “I never thought we’d see the day that we were creating market-rate housing in our downtown,” Kennedy said, citing the 265 units in the SilverBrick Lofts and a planned transformation of the old YMCA on Chestnut Street into 114 market-rate units, not to mention the rehabilitation of the Willys-Overland building into 60 market-rate units.

“Developers are telling me there’s room for 300 more units in terms of demand,” he added, noting that such downtown housing tends to attract the younger demographic a city needs to remain vital — and the arrival of MGM Springfield ties into that as well. “Millennials love first-class entertainment. The pieces all fit.”

Those pieces include persuading people who visit Springfield, some for the first time, to explore what else the city has to offer.

For instance, “we have two things nobody else has — the Dr. Seuss museum and the Basketball Hall of Fame,” Kennedy noted. The latter is embarking on a major, $25 million renovation, while the former continues to smash attendance records at the Springfield Museums, drawing visitors from all 50 states and around the world (see story on page 39).

Kennedy drew on an apt analogy for the Hall of Fame when talking about the way Springfield is currently promoting itself. “We do some coaching and try to keep the team together, but the most important part is getting the players to play,” he said. “All the citizens and businesses, they’re the real stars of the show right now. Everyone wants to something — the chamber, the cultural council, the EDC, all these are partnerships, and they’ve taken the ball and run with it. Every major organization has stepped forward.”

Made for Walking

One of those downtown partners, the Springfield Central Cultural District (SCCD), recently signed onto the first cultural compact in the state, an agreement among the city, the district, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and state leaders that solidifies the city’s recognition of the arts as an economic-development activity.

But the SCCD has long been promoting and installing public art as a means of ramping up creative placemaking to boost the walkability and attractiveness of the downtown.

“I think that’s something we’ve focused on since the beginning of the cultural district — increasing walkability, not just to drive visitors to a destination, but for add-ons,” said SCCD Executive Director Morgan Drewniany, before explaining what that means. “Say someone is here for MGM, and they’re walking between the bowling alley there and a restaurant. If the streetscape between those places is attractive and funky and cool, you might take that extra step and keep walking, instead of stopping at the place that’s easiest.”

That’s the goal of turning the streetscape — through public art, bustling storefronts, and increased safety measures — into an attraction in itself, so if someone arrives in the city to visit MGM and maybe the Seuss museum, they might be compelled to stick around and check out more destinations.

SEE: Springfield at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1852
Population: 156,000
Area: 33.1 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $19.68
Commercial Tax Rate: $39.28
Median Household Income: $34,311
Median family Income: $39,535
Type of government: Mayor; City Council
Largest Employers: Baystate Medical Center; MassMutual Financial Group; Big Y; Mercy Medical Center; Center for Human Development; American Outdoor Brands Corp.
Latest information available

The city, meanwhile, has embarked on revitalization projects at Stearns Square, Pynchon Place, and Riverfront Park, and is looking into restaurants installing ‘bumpouts’ onto the sidewalk for outdoor seating. Meanwhile, a pedestrian wayfinding system downtown and a coming bike-share program will further create a sense of vitality for residents and visitors alike, Kennedy said.

Perhaps most important is a city-wide reduction in crime that officials attribute to a number of factors, from an increase in police officers to leadership classes in the department to a computer program on laptops in cruisers that pinpoint where recent crimes have occurred and allows police officers to read reports about them.

One of the most notable changes has been the expansion of C3 (community) policing in vulnerable neighborhoods where high levels of poverty, truancy, and healthcare problems exist. Special police units have been created and put in place in four areas: Mason Square, the South End, the North End, and lower Forest Park.

Downtown, that public-safety momentum will take the form of a new substation and three police kiosks, Kennedy said, adding that Police Commissioner John Barberi understands the connection between safe streets and economic development.

“The things he’s done have been nothing but supportive. The concept of police kiosks and substations will not only make the downtown safer, but will free up police in other neighborhoods when they’re not answering calls downtown. All the neighborhoods benefit.”

The police force, in fact, was one of the earliest adopters of Drewniany’s arts-is-safety philosophy and her belief that more public art can increase foot traffic, which in turn raises the perception of safety, which then actually increases safety. “Criminals aren’t hanging out doing whatever they want to do in a place that’s active with pedestrians,” she said. “It follows the same idea as the police kiosks. If people feel like it’s a safe place, it will actually be a safe place.”

Meanwhile, MGM made a commitment to spend $1.5 million annually for 15 years to create and maintain a public-safety district downtown due to the traffic it will bring to the city. The district runs from the south end of Mill Street to Union Station, and from Riverfront Park up to the Quadrangle.

All the Right Moves

As for the casino, Kennedy said the way the city handled the process of securing MGM made sense.

“We were fortunate to take the right tack in how to approach the gaming question, to not marry any individual suitor. We courted multiple suitors, created competition, and created leverage,” he said. “I don’t think anyone would deny we ended up with a top-flight company in MGM that created a perception outside of Springfield that we were ready to do business in the right way.”

He credited former Gov. Deval Patrick for sowing many of the seeds for some of the city’s recent flagship developments, including a $350,000 planning grant in 2008 to get Union Station renovated. “He was the one who said to those that wanted to provide rail cars for the MBTA, ‘look west.’ And I think we picked the right mix of things, and have been fortunate with major investments like MGM but also making a transition to the innovation economy downtown. All kinds of pieces of the plan worked.”

And it’s not just new entities creating excitement, he added.

“What MassMutual did recently, by bringing 1,500 people into their home office, really solidifies its future here in Springfield,” he noted. “They’re also bringing anywhere from 500 to 1,000 employees into Boston, which is also really good for Springfield because it gives us a footprint in the state capital.”

That, along with Big Y’s just-announced expansion of its distribution center, are two examples of how large, legacy companies remain a vital force, even with all the buzz generated by the startup economy. “Not only are we bringing in outside companies, but our existing companies are expanding. It’s all great news for Springfield.”

Kennedy also credited Mayor Domenic Sarno and other officials for not thinking parochially and understanding the value of regional connections, which include the development of more rail platforms along the north-south line that connects Connecticut and Vermont. “We can’t discount the importance of Union Station for the simple reason that rail transportation is going to become more and more important.”

As for that ‘new Springfield,’ Kennedy traces the recent resurgence in the city, and especially its downtown, to the construction of the federal courthouse on State Street in 2008. In many ways, that project launched a decade of impressive development, culminating in a 2018 that many people probably couldn’t have envisioned back then, when none of these major projects were on the horizon and the national economy was tanking.

“That gave you the confidence that you could really do something,” he told BusinessWest. “And what we’re seeing now isn’t smoke and mirrors; they’re not just feel-good things. These things are real.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Doing Business as Certificates

By BusinessWest Staff March 6, 2018