Home Posts tagged Construction (Page 39)

Building Permits

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Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of November 2010.

AGAWAM

Six Flags New England
1623 Main St.
$1,000,000 — Erect new Wild Mouse Roller Coaster

Six Flags New England
1623 Main St.
$187,000 — Form and pour concrete footings for Blitz ride

AMHERST

Amherst Court Trust
26 South Prospect St.
$14,000 — Renovation

Sandra M. Southwick
7 North Pleasant St.
$10,000 — Office space renovation on second floor

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Public Schools
125 Montgomery St.
$54,000 — Install modular classrooms

Chicopee Public Schools
125 Montgomery St.
$219,000 — Install new fire-protection system

Hampden Charter School of Science
20 Johnson Road
$100,000 — Remove wall to enlarge gym and replace flooring

Oxford Valley estates
283 Fuller Road
$58,000 — Strip and re-roof

United Brothers, LLC
872 Meadow St.
$20,000 — Interior and exterior renovations

GREENFIELD

Francis McDonald
377 Main St.
$3,800 — Office renovations

George Balis
34 Bank Row
$16,500 — Replace siding, glass, and aluminum framework

Sarah E. Brown
20 Church St.
$13,000 — Replace windows

HADLEY

Jeremy Ober
12 Russell St.
$4,600 — Window repair

Pyramid Management Group
367 Russell St.
$9,400 — Exterior renovations at JC Penney mall entrance

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$238,000 — Remodel existing Bath & Body store

NORTHAMPTON

City of Northampton
221 Riverside Dr.
$12,600 — Install attic insulation at the Feiker School

Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$36,000 — Replace broken bricks to west wing

DAS Property Group, LLC
108 Main St.
$88,000 — Renovate third floor

J W Inc.
13 Old South St.
$10,000 — Strip and shingle roof

Northampton Terminal Associate
1 Old South St.
$8,000 — Create new space

Smith College
53 College Lane
$350,000 — Renovate college club

SOUTH HADLEY

Loomis Community
5 Spruce Run
$3,500 — Install insulation

SPRINGFIELD

Appleton Corporation
837 State St.
$180,000 — Renovations in six apartments

Ivette Cruz
34 Mulberry St.
$45,000 — Change existing rooms to offices

Maple Springfield Associates
125 Maple St.
$98,000 — Re-roof

WESTFIELD

Human Resources Unlimited Inc.
55 Broad St.
$10,000 — Renovations

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Central Chevrolet, Inc.
675 Memorial Ave.
$270,000 — Renovate 7,000 square feet of existing space for a car dealership

Fountain Prospect Realty Corp.
492 Prospect Ave.
$1,577,600 – Construction of a 21,000-square-feet addition to existing building

Karen McMahon
315 Main St.
$16,000 – Renovate 1,962 square feet of space for a dance studio

Oleg Abramchuck
553 Main St.
$6,000 – Re-roof commercial portion of mixed-use structure

Sunil Patel Gokul, LLC
2260 Westfield St.
$10,000 – Renovate existing space for a yoga studio

Bankruptcies

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Bankruptcies Departments

BANKRUPTCIES

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

Almeida, Christine M.
69 Wealthy Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/10

Asselin, Shirley M.
33 Sargeant Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/10

Auger, Raymond R.
971 Reed St.
West Warren, MA 01092
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Baribeau, Steven G.
100 Byers St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Bauman, John Allen
43 Charpentier Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/27/10

Bennett, Daniel E.
102 Parallel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Benson, Patricia Mary
10 Roberts Pond Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/20/10

Bernardo, Alfred J.
Bernardo, Susan E.
PO Box 723
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Betournay, Norman Robert
28 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/20/10

Bilodeau, Joan I.
104 Ashley St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Biron, Kevin B.
1091 Park St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/27/10

Blount, Alfred C.
265 Fern Bank Road #21
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Boonnag, Kanit S.
Boonag, Torpong
19 Glendale St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/27/10

Bowler, John Joseph
949 Hampden St., Apt 2
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Brennan, John S.
Brennan, Janet R.
43 Demont Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Brida, James R.
60 Pencasal Dr.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Briggs, Jeffrey D.
244 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Brown, Virginia M.
172 Summer St. #4
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Bruno-Buonomo, Carmen
PO Box 70299
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Burns, Lauren E.
Bouvier, Lauren E.
17 Homestead Blvd.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/20/10

Burt, Daryl J.
1189 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Cardinal, Sandra J.
34 Chartier Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Carr, Tamara L.
36 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Carroll, Daniel R.
Carroll, Debora R.
73 Wilder Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/10

Clark, David B.
108 Langevin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Clark, Marshall G.
Clark, Antoinette
351 West Housatonic St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/10

Clark-Cardinal, Tami A.
135 Moore St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Collins, Paul J.
170 East Hadley Road #50
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Colon, Francisco
Colon, Blanca
43 Webster St., #2
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Connors, Diane
263 Center St.
1st Floor, Apt. A
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Cornelius, Grace E.
104 White St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Craig Sound
Craig Aquatic Specialties
Craig, Scott N.
1012 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

DePriest, Carlton T.
41 Rosedale Ave.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/10

Destromp, Roland L.
Destromp, Ruth J.
423 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Don’s Carpet Care
Beaupre, Donald H.
Beaupre, Linda M.
90 Kanawha Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Dubour, Kathleen M.
68 Blanchwood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Dunlap, N. Leigh
19 View St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/28/10

Dusseault, Matthew F.
20 Mount Carmel Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Ear 2 Track
Kometani, James K.
1 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/27/10

E-Force Protective Coating
Wrigley, Roger M.
Wrigley, Karen L.
a/k/a Branch, Karen L.
a/k/a Hanson, Karen L.
40 School House Road
Phillipston, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Engle, Brenda J.
Engle, Brenda H.
P.O.Box 103
Sheffield, MA 01257
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/27/10

Espinosa, Ann Marie
47 Mohawk Dr.
Springfield, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/20/10

Fennyery, James R.
163 Mountainview St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Freeman, Ernestine
204 Pearl St., 2L
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Gonzalez, Omaris
54 Bradford Dr. #A2
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/20/10

Grady, Shaun P.
Grady, Tami J.
106 Windsor Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Harris-Poyser, Majester L.
7 Clayton St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Hayes, Jennifer A.
116 Pleasant St., #414
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Hogan, Thomas M.
137 Hendrick St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Holden, Melissa M.
95 Cheshire Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Hotaling, William J.
Hotaling, Katherine E.
30 Massachusetts Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Independent Administrative and Technical Support
Calderwood, Maryelen
a/k/a Brown, Maryelen C.
82 Sanderson St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/10

Johnson, Kristen Elizabeth
52 Cold Hill
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Jones, Brian W.
Jones, Tiffany B.
4 Lathrop Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/27/10

Keough, Renee
312 Amherst St. #2
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Khodadadian, Siranoosh
19 South Shore Dr.
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/27/10

Kida, Lawrence R.
38 Robinson Road
W. Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Labonte, Leo J.
28 Simard Drive, Apt. 1
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Lambert, Todd C.
136 Pontoosic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/10

Laporte, Jessica Walker
6 Daniel Square Ext.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/10

Leavitt, Joseph R.
Leavitt, Donna L.
72 Paige St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/18/10

LeBlanc, Deborah
43 Craig Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Lee, Linda
Smith, John A.
55 A Danek Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Lefebvre, Richard A.
Lefebvre, Nancy E.
400 Britton St. #223
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Lemon, Donna Rae
633 Sisson Hill Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Loglisci, Lynne A.
a/k/a Blais, Lynne Ann
13A Oak St.
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Long, Maureen P.
6 Pearl Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Lopez, Osvaldo E.
51 Atwater Road
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Lyman, Janet Ann
a/k/a Cook, Janet Ann
75 Mechanic St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Magill, Kori K.
Kielbania, Kori K.
34 Kazbeck St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Malave, Cristobal
433 Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Malone, Michael T.
Malone, Frances Ellen
71 Morningside Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Mark A. Ogoley Construction
Ogoley, Mark A.
31 Scantic Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/28/10

Martel, Steven M.
105 Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Martelli, Nicholas
200 Baldwinville Road
Phillipston, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/10

Martin, Robert F.
Martin, Kelly D.
71 Tulsa St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Martinez, Alba N.
74 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/10

Matos, Lydia E.
61 Wentworth St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/18/10

Matte, Rene O.
163 Sunnymeade Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Mawaka, Laura Ann
26 Mechanic St.
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Maynard, Kathleen
a/k/a Hullette, Kathleen
111 Brickyard Road, Apt. 2G
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/10

McKenzie, David Jeremiah
40 Bartels St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/10

McLain, Thomas S.
McLain, Patricia B.
16 Richmond St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

McQuade, Daniel P.
McQuade, Kristen A.
396 Frank Smith Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/27/10

Medina, Jose A.
265 Mill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Mendez, Hipolito
Mendez, Mayra
37 Mercury Court, 2-L
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/10

Moncrieffe, Ivan
28 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Morgan, Travis Levar
Morgan, Myra Marintha
37 Emily St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Moses, Ola M.
70 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Mosher, David
131 Main St.
Russell, MA 01071
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Mosher, Theresa F.
c/o Eric Kornblum
94 North Elm St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Odiorne, Sharon M.
4 Ross Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Ortiz, Evelyn
Ortiz-Pacheco, Evelyn
101 Lowell St., Apt. 601
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Pacheco, Jose A.
43 Hebron St., 2nd Fl.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Park Street Foundry Inc.
P.O. Box 327
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 11
Filing Date: 10/24/10

Partlow, Stacy L.
74 A James St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Ponce, Efrain
74 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/10

Prentice, Stanley
Prentice, Dawn M.
28 Cole Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/10

Provost, Linda A.
657 Poole St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Richardson, Keith W.
Richardson, Heather E.
a/k/a Lusco, Heather E.
PO Box 81
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Rivas, Michelle M.
a/k/a Demers, Michelle M.
59 Aldo Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/20/10

Rodriguez, Bethzaida
22 Brookline Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Rodriguez, Milagros
68 Farnum Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/10

Rossetti, George L.
91 Lantern Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/17/10

Rossi, Diana M.
477 Kings Hgwy.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/20/10

Rossi, Richard S.
Rossi, Kaija
114 Mashapaug Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Saez, Wilberto M.
25 Collins St., Apt. A
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Samek, Sandra Mary
71 Doverbrook Road
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Serafino, David S.
43 Vienna Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Serafino, Donna M.
43 Vienna Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Sergeychik, Mikhail
38 Lower Mass Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Sheldon, Patricia A.
15 Beaufort Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Small, Rose M.
219 Seymore Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Smith, Eric J.
Smith, Tammy L.
25 White St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Sullivan, Jennifer A.
Deming, Jennifer A.
65A South St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/10

Swett, Howard H.
221 New Boston Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Swiss, Kirk P.
17 Constitution Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Taillefer, Jean R.
48 Riverview Ter.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Thomas, Rachelle Rutkowski
53 King St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Trott, Margaret Evelyn
400 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Trudel, Gary S.
38 Maynard St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/28/10

Villafane, Mirta Luz
a/k/a Martinez, Mirta L.
54 Bradford Dr., Unit A
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/20/10

Voytko, Christine E.
12 Cypress St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/10

Warchut, Walter W.
81 Autumn Dr.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Weeks, Almont E.
93 South Maple St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

Weeks, Carol A.
PO Box 42
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/10

White, Michael
White, Jennifer
51 Hillside Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/29/10

Whitney, Blair P.
33 Brickhouse Mountain Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/10

Yanbul, Ibrahim
Yanbul, Hulya
a/k/a Topcu, Hulya
23 Cypress St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/10

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AMHERST

Uppermark Inc., 20 Gatehouse Road, Amherst, MA 01002. Paddieh Jalali, same. Educational materials and services.

BELCHERTOWN

LKB Realty Inc., 93 Canal Dr., Belchertown, MA 01007. Lloyd Butler Jr., same. Invest, acquire, and maintain real estate.

Quadcom Carting Inc., 260 Turkey Hill Road, Belchertown, MA 01007. Eric Duseau, same. Residential and commercial waste removal and recycling.

CHICOPEE

Samlep Inc., 74 Roosevelt Ave., Chicopee, MA 01013. John Pelmas, same. Package delivery.

SMEB Corp., 386 Irene St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Suzanne Marotta, 69 Sherwood Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Provides physical, emotional and spiritual health through varied types of yoga instruction.

Ten-90 Inc., 44 Dwight Street, Apt. #2R, Chicopee, MA 01013. Aristides Nunes, same. Bar and restaurant.

EAST LONGMEADOW

The Jos Salvon Memorial Scholarship Inc., 75 Canterbury Circle, East Longmeadow, MA 01028.

Tickets for Groups Inc., 337 Pinehurst Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Deborah Axtell, same. Group ticket sales.

EASTHAMPTON

Up From the ground Inc., 6 Laura Ave., Unit 1, Easthampton, MA 01027. Brian Farr, same. Delivery business.

HOLYOKE

Larochelle Construction Inc., 7 Westernview Road, Holyoke, MA 01040. Daniel Larochelle, same. Construction services.

Mrs. Mitchell’s Kitchen Inc., 514 Westfield Road, Holyoke, MA 01040. John Mitchell, 18 Cass Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Restaurant.
 
LEE

Lynchristopher Homes Inc., 170 Orchard St., Lee, MA 01238. Cindy Giovine, same. General building construction.

NORTHAMPTON

National Alliance of Concerned American’s for the Wellbeing of All People and Earth Inc., 101 Washington St., Northampton, MA 01060. Doug Wight, same. Non-profit organization designed to educate and inform Americans on capitalism, consumption, waste, and pollution and their effects on our environment.

PITTSFIELD

Taconic Conservation Foundation Inc., 59 Oak Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Francis Tremblay, Route 44 Orchard Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Non-profit organization designed to provide educational programs to the public.

SOUTH HADLEY

Wicked Willows Inc., 37 Prospect Street, Apt. A, South Hadley, MA 01075. Nancy Cote, same. Sales of Halloween costumes.

SPRINGFIELD

Minority Business Workforce & Technology Council Inc., 1655 Main St., Suite 403, Springfield, MA 01103. Carlos Gonzalez, 44 Dover St., Suite 403 Springfield, MA 01107. Non-profit organization aimed at training and workforce development.

Murphy’s Law Sports Bar & Pub Inc., 1019 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103. Yasser Hussain, 10 Button Road, Easthampton, MA 01027. Sport bar.

New Leadership Charter School, 37 Alderman St., Springfield, MA 01108. Peter Daboul, 1242 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Charter school.

Premier Accounting Inc., 1127 Main St., 4th Floor, Springfield, MA 01103. Felix Morales, 10 Magnolia Ave., Holyoke, MA 01040. Accounting, payroll, tax, and consulting services.

Ridgewood Neighborhood Improvement Initiative Corporation, 101 Mulberry St., PH 605, Springfield, MA 01105. Michael Thomes, same. Organization dedicated to improving the amenities and historical significance of the greater Ridgewood neighborhood.

State Street Laundromat Inc., 555 State St., Springfield, MA 01109. Mario Tedeschi, same. Laundromat.
 
WEST SPRINGFIELD

Synergy It Inc., 635 Piper Road, West Springfield, MA 01089. Mark Lilly, 6 Old Rochester Road, Suite 302, Silver, NH 03830. Computer networking, software and hardware.

WESTFIELD

Magic Printing USA Inc., 14 Lisa Lane, Westfield, MA 01085. Emily Wechter, same. Graphic design sales and service.

New England Lawn Care Inc., 491 West Road, Westfield, MA 01085. James Yarasavych, same. Landscaping.

Westfield Historic Industries Preservation Project Inc., 360 Elm St., Westfield, MA 01085. Peter Martin, 110 Western Circle, Westfield, MA 01085. Non-profit organization designed to develop and maintain a museum to display and preserve artifacts relating to Westfield’s industrial revolution.

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT
Capital One Bank, N.A. v. ABM Clothing and Beverley Thorington
Allegation: Monies owed for credit advanced: $3,117.19
Filed: 10/8/10

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT
Alyssa Alger v. The Yankee Candle Co. Inc.
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of business property, causing injury: $41,392.18
Filed: 10/7/10

Christopher and Bethany Maselli v. Eric Freeman, D.O. and Ravi Kumar, M.D.
Allegation: Medical malpractice: $1,025,000
Filed: 9/20/10

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT
David A. Perok v. Rice Oil Co. Inc.
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of a worksite, causing injury: $6,151.30
Filed: 9/30/10

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Dave Sakowski v. Baystate Contracting Services Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay wages: $30,000
Filed: 9/30/10

Nellum Realty Trust v. Gliptone of Mass. & Lyons Home Improvement
Allegation: Non-payment for rent of commercial building: $81,000
Filed: 10/4/10

Superior Products Distributors Inc. v. Shawn’s Lawns, Inc., RIV Construction Group, and HD Westfield, MA Landlord, LLC
Allegation: Failure to pay under the terms of a construction contract: $297,361.45
Filed: 10/4/10

Western Mass. Environmental, LLC v. Dapri Rentals, LLC and Mary & Chris Clark
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $36,816
Filed: 10/13/10

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Roger Harrington v. C.H Nickelson & Co. Inc.
Allegation: Plaintiff was working on a roof at a construction site where the defendant was a general contractor, when he slipped and fell: $164,817.88
Filed: 9/20/10

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Arrow Concrete Products Inc. v. W.A.L. Development, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $10,413.92
Filed: 8/27/10

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Direct Finance Corp.
Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services: $4,215.44
Filed: 8/26/10

Margaret N. Broughton v. Fifth Third Bank, et al.
Allegation: Breach of agreement for payment of car loan: $10,000
Filed: 9/7/10

Slope Properties, LLC v. J.K.A. Contracting
Allegation: Breach of home-improvement contract. Monies received and work not performed: $3,301.95
Filed: 8/23/10

United Rentals Inc. v. Tetreault Masonry Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment for materials, equipment, and services provided: $5,485
Filed: 9/9/10

Western Mass Electric v. Dog Days & Nights, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of utility services provided: $6,584.04
Filed: 8/27/10

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Capital One Bank, N.A. v. TRM Consultants, LLC & Thomas R. Mihalek
Allegation: Breach of credit agreement and monies owed: $16,031.67
Filed: 9/3/10

Carole Fabrics Inc. v. King Brothers Painting & Staining
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $2,738.98
Filed: 10/8/10

Opinion

By
Opinion
Putting the Pioneer Valley Back on Track

A $70 million federal grant to rebuild the Pioneer Valley’s main, north-south rail line has generated excitement and anticipation across the region. Another $210 million of committed rail-corridor grants in neighboring Connecticut and Vermont underscores the strategic importance of this critical Northeast rail link connecting New York City with Montreal.
Next year, this $70 million award will begin funding the wholesale rebuilding of the rail line from Springfield north to Vermont — construction work that will take 24 months to complete. Thus, by 2013, we can look forward to rail passenger service being reintroduced and expanded to Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield, which all lost service in 1989 due to poor, unsafe track conditions. Rail revitalization constitutes a game changer, enabling the Valley to regain an asset that’s crucial to a prosperous and sustainable future.
The opportunity for the Valley’s 700,000 residents to access metro centers including New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield, plus major Northeast Corridor mega-regions like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, is a rail benefit most area residents understand and are eager to take advantage of. Less known are the ways new and improved rail service constitutes an economic engine providing a powerful catalyst that spurs development and employment opportunities, especially around the stations that will serve thousands of train riders.
As has been demonstrated in the U.S. and around the globe, the introduction of intercity and/or commuter rail service stimulates new economic-development opportunities, which, locally, are projected to exceed $240 million in value. In the specific case of the Knowledge Corridor, a variety of economic opportunities are anticipated:
• Fostering transit-oriented developments in and around rail stations along the rail corridor that grow residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments by taking advantage of their proximity to rail; think of Springfield’s $70 million redevelopment of Union Station or Greenfield’s new Intermodal Center.
• Connecting rail-passenger services to transportation providers such as PVTA’s regional system and intercity carriers like Peter Pan Bus Lines; think PVTA and Peter Pan bus services feeding Five College students to new rail stations in Northampton and Holyoke.
• Reducing the Pioneer Valley’s overreliance on single-occupant automobile trips at a time of intensifying concerns about the cost and reliability of worldwide energy supplies and stark warnings about the urgent need to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
• Linking rail service to Bradley Airport and, by so doing, boosting transit ridership while gaining air travelers from both Connecticut and Massachusetts; think affordable and congestion-free rail access to Bradley.
As we await the start of reconstruction on the region’s north-south rail corridor, no one should overlook the importance of reinvigorating the east-west rail line connecting Springfield to Palmer, Worcester, and Boston. The Mass. Department of Transportation will soon launch a long-awaited, $1.9 million planning study to address this designated high-speed rail corridor.
Passenger trains are capable of moving people quickly, efficiently, comfortably, and safely. In addition, they are environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and positively contribute to enhanced levels of national security by reducing our reliance on scarce natural resources. These benefits, coupled with the ancillary economic-development and job gains, add up to a significant and impressive return on investment that’s bolstered by a highly favorable 3-to-1 benefit-cost ratio. Given these favorable metrics, we can’t afford to forfeit these benefits nor the increased property-tax revenues generated from transit-oriented developments.
More than a century ago, as railroads emerged as a major force in growing and connecting a young nation, it was a small clique of local, private investors who used their funds to ensure that Springfield would be located adjacent to the rail lines that would connect the Commonwealth to a rapid westward expansion. These investments spurred Springfield’s growth into the region’s largest urban center.
Now, 170 years later, Pioneer Valley residents are once again confronted with the question of whether to invest in rebuilding a rail network capable of transporting the Valley into the 21st century and thereby achieve the sustainable success that will keep the Valley connected, competitive, compact … and special. v

Timothy Brennan is executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission; (413) 787-1547.

Profiles in Business

By
David Fontaine, president of Fontaine Bros. Inc.
Features
Building on the Foundation of a Family Business

David Fontaine, president of Fontaine Bros. Inc.

David Fontaine, president of Fontaine Bros. Inc.

Dave Fontaine was in his conference room, referencing the pictures on the walls, all representing projects this family business had undertaken — from perhaps its biggest initiative, the complex at UMass Medical School, to one of the most visible in this region, Scibelli Hall on the campus of Springfield Technical Community College.
But it was one not spotlighted within this collection — there are many pictures elsewhere — that soon captured his attention as he attempted to place the history and longevity of Fontaine Bros. Inc. in perspective.
“Chicopee Comp High School … we built the new one, but as part of the project, we also had to raze the old one — which we also built, in 1962,” he said. “In this business, you never think about being around long enough to tear down your own work.”
Fontaine Bros. has been part of the construction landscape in this region for nearly 80 years. Dave Fontaine, its president since 1995, has been involved essentially since his father took a more prominent leadership role with the company in the late ’70s (more on that later). That means he’s been around long enough to experience at least five or six serious swings in the economy, both up and down.
But there’s been nothing that can compare with the current downturn, he said, adding that it is unlike those that have preceded it in many respects, but not all ways.
“We can always see them coming,” said Fontaine of dips in the economy large and small, noting that construction work is traditionally a lagging indicator, but those in the sector can easily see the dark clouds forming on the horizon. “And we can usually guess how long they’re going to last. With this one, no one knows, and I mean no one.”
There are other aspects to this downturn that are equally mystifying and compelling, he continued, citing the lack of method and what appears to be some madness when it comes to how companies are bidding on projects.
Indeed, Fontaine has come in as the runner-up in no less than 25 projects over the past 18 months or so — initiatives ranging from the new Putnam Vocational High School in Springfield to the new Longmeadow High School, to perhaps a half-dozen police and fire stations across the Commonwealth. The winning bids have been so low, he continued, that in at least 20 of the 25 cases, Fontaine Bros. simply wouldn’t take the job at the price it was awarded at.
When asked what it’s like to come that close, but apparently not that close, two dozen times, Fontaine simply shook his head repeatedly, as if to say he didn’t know how to put it into words and also didn’t need to.
In retrospect, Fontaine says this historically slow period for the company should have been a time to perhaps play a little more golf — he’s a 14-handicapper at Longmeadow Country Club and the incoming president of that institution. “But I always thought that the call that would turn things around for us would come in … and I’d be out on the course,” he laughed.
So like most in this business, he’s been in the office, doing some muttering and stewing about the economic conditions, while also welcoming the fourth generation of the family to the business (his son David), as well as his energy and imagination.
“He went to Bentley, and he’s bringing a lot of that business education to the company,” said Fontaine. “He has a lot of good ideas on how to generate new business.”
For this, the latest installment of its Profile in Business series, BusinessWest talks at length with Fontaine about his business, construction, overcoming shyness (a lifelong challenge for him), and cutting the grass.

Mow Town
That’s right, cutting the grass.
Fontaine says he’s always loved doing it and still does — and that’s good, because he and his wife, Beth, recently moved from East Longmeadow to a six-acre farm in nearby Somers, where she tends to a few horses and copes with a considerably larger lawn and a 200-year-old home that is decidedly high-maintenance.
Looking back, Fontaine said his first entrepreneurial venture was a neighborhood grass-cutting operation that lasted from the fifth grade well into high school. And he might have wound up pursuing a career in landscaping had not the family business started suffering through another of those pronounced downturns he described earlier.
Before telling that story, Fontaine ventured back to the 1930s, when his grandfather and one of his great uncles left their family farm in Canada at the ages of 12 and 13, respectively, to come to this country and seek their fortune. They landed in Chicopee Falls and eventually started building porches. They shaped this specialty into a residential construction company that would later be led by first cousins George and Ray Fontaine, who would transform it into a commercial builder.
Starting with some buildings at what was then Westover Air Force Base, the Fontaine company quickly evolved into one of the region’s largest construction companies, handling mostly public work that included everything from dormitories, academic buildings, and the Fine Arts Center at the rapidly expanding UMass Amherst campus to dozens of schools across the region and far outside it, to a host of municipal buildings.
The biggest project in the portfolio was the UMass Medical Center complex in Worcester, a $50 million project when built in 1970s, but perhaps a $500 million venture today, when adjusted for inflation.
But then, the bottom fell out — and in a big way.
“Overnight, the construction market just stopped,” he said. “It went from being the busiest time in the company’s history to a period when it had zero work.”
Things looked so bleak that Ray Fontaine, who was now alone at the top following George’s passing in 1972, was thinking about shutting things down. Before he did, he asked Dave’s father, Lester, a long-time field supervisor for the company, if he wanted to take a more active role in overseeing the business, its construction work (what little there was), and its many commercial real-estate properties, especially apartment complexes.
“It wasn’t a hard choice for my father,” Dave recalled. “It was essentially be out of work or give this a try; he gave it a try.”
The younger Fontaine started working at the family business part-time almost immediately upon graduation from high school, but he said his father informed him that, if he ever wanted to take a leadership role in the business, he would need more education.
So he enrolled in STCC’s Civil Engineering Technology department and graduated in 1982. He credits that experience with giving him not only the necessary skills for his eventual career path, but also some needed self-confidence. Today, he sits on the school’s board of trustees.

Nerves of Steel
Fontaine now manages the business with his first cousin, Chris, who handles the estimating work — all those bids — while Dave tackles the day-to-day operations.
In recent years, the portfolio and, in some cases, the office walls have been bolstered by work that includes the MassMutual Center, the new Chicopee Comp (perhaps its largest public-school project), and, more recently, the new Minnechaug Regional High School and soon-to-open Center for the Sciences and Pharmacy at Western New England College.
There are currently six projects on the company’s books — roughly half the number during what would be considered a typical year, if there is such a thing. Business has picked up slightly, said Fontaine, but there is still a ways to go before this sector can approach what can be considered normalcy.
Waiting for that time to arrive is more than a little nervewracking, he told BusinessWest, adding quickly that some of the anxiety is self-inflicted.
“After all this time and all these cycles, I should know better,” he said of the hand-wringing he’s been doing. “Eventually, things are going to pick up — I know that.”
He said those who remain cautious about the economy and moving ahead with building projects should understand that, while there are risks to doing so, the conditions, especially in terms of prices, won’t be better for a long, long time.
“We’re doing a four-story building at Holy Cross College,” he said. “The way the bids came in, they’re getting the fourth floor for free. There’s a lot of that going on.”
While waiting impatiently for conditions to improve, Fontaine is enjoying having the next generation of the Fontaine family come to the Cottage Street offices for work every day — a decision that wasn’t the foregone conclusion it was for the third generation.
“We had some discussions before he went to college,” he recalled. “I had always indicated that we’d love to have him and that there would always be a place for him, but it really needed to be his decision because there are certainly other ways to make a living, and if it was his idea, that would be terrific, but it had to be his idea.”
And Fontaine is happy that the younger David did choose this way to make a living.
“He’s been spending some time learning the estimating side of the business,” Fontaine continued. “And he’s become very proactive with getting our name out to the private-sector client base.”
Meanwhile, Fontaine has officially taken over as president of Longmeadow Country Club after working his way up the leadership positions. He’s expecting that his tenure, which could last anywhere from one to three years, will help in his seemingly lifelong battle against shyness and putting himself before large groups.
“I’m incredibly shy, and I fight that virtually every day of the week,” he explained. “From college on, it’s been one of my goals to get over that, and I’ve done a pretty good job of that. But every time I have to go speak or say something or meet new people, I think about it for a couple of days in advance; I’m still not comfortable with it.
“I am getting better — I think,” he continued, “and being president of the club will force me to get better still. I keep telling myself that I’m better than I think I am.”

Building Blocks
Looking ahead to 2011 and the plight of the construction sector, Fontaine said there is evidence that the skies are brightening somewhat.
Just when a pronounced turnaround will begin is anyone’s guess, though, he said, adding that it’s likely there will be more of those maddening runner-up finishes in project biddings in the months to come.
But there are some things to distract him — bringing his son along in the business, taking the country club through the process of installing a new irrigation system, and, starting in the spring, anyway, more chances to mow the grass.
At least that activity isn’t impacted by those wild swings in the economy.

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

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of October 2010.

AGAWAM

Southworth Company
265 Main St.
$37,000 — Re-roof five flat roof areas

AMHERST

South Congregational Church
1066 South East St.
$9,500 — Renovate existing second floor

Yosrex, L.P.
266 East Hadley Road
$7,000 — New roof

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Neighborhood Development
24 Billings St.
$175,000 — Interior renovations

Leclerc Properties
34 Crawford St.
$40,000 — Install new roof and interior remodel

Padgette Street Partners
150 Padgette St.
$95,000 — Interior office fit-up

Teddy Bear Pools
41 East St.
$4,000 — Install temporary containers on site

GREENFIELD

Franklin Medical Center
164 High St.
$205,000 — Renovations for pharmacy relocation

Servicenet Inc.
26 Raymond Road
$18,000 — Remodel bathroom

Sphere STP, LLC
1 Newton St.
$900,000 — Construction of a retail commercial building

HADLEY

Mark Klepacki
190 Russell St.
$9,000 — Create new exam room

HOLYOKE

Hazen Paper Company
717 Main St.
$92,500 — Install two new rubber roofs

NORTHAMPTON

Clinical and Support Options Inc.
29 North Main St.
$17,000 — Construct handicap ramp

Edward Olender Jr.
355 Bridge St.
$7,900 — Replace roof

Forty Main Street Inc.
40 Main St.
$22,000 — Frame new wall for Suite 206

Nonotuck Mill, LLC
296 Nonotuck St.
$10,500 — Construct partition wall at elevator lobby

The Northampton Historical Society
66 Bridge St.
$3,500 — Exterior renovations

Smith College
50 West St.
$3,500 — Add wind screen to stairway

SPRINGFIELD

East Coast Development
365 Cadwell Dr.
$18,000 — Construction of a masonry wall with metal studs

Jart Realty Trust
977 Boston Road
$300,000 — Construction of a new bank branch building with a drive-thru

Nomaira Naseem
806 Main St.
$8,100 — Renovation of tenant space

Pynchon I Apartments
3 Clyde St.
$16,000 — Strip and re-roof

WESTFIELD

Westfield Property Associates, LLC
1014 Southampton Road
$22,000 — Build 25-by-12-foot wall

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Brightside Inc.
229 City View St.
$8,000 — Finish basement

Cohen, Gilbert, & Andrew Trust
241 Memorial Ave.
$15,000 — Renovate checkout area

171 Baldwin St. Land Trust
171 Baldwin St.
$9,000 — Repair damaged roof

Ed Squires
2223 Westfield St.
$8,000 — Strip and re-roof

Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini/Catholic Diocese
475 Main St.
$10,000 — Upgrade front entrance doors

Triad, LLC
83 Verdugo St.
$10,000 — Repair foundation

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of October 2010.

AMHERST

Crestview Farming
340 North East St.
Patricia Wagner

Digital Assets
305 Strong St.
Thomas Prutisto

Homestead Community Farm
39 Autumn Lane
Naomi Dratfield

CHICOPEE

Athena’s by Natasha
83 Edgewood Ave.
Natasha Gauthier

Fountain of Life Outreach Ministries Inc.
37 John St.
Ellery Brevard

J. Max Home Improvement
248 Sletele Dr.
John Makselon

Kaeble Oil Inc.
11 Casey Dr.
Michael Kaeble

GREENFIELD

Art’s Tire Inc.
10 Silver St.
James Lafleur

Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream
80 School St.
Gary L. Schaefer

Baystate Home Infusion of Respiratory Services
489 Bernardston Road
Brian Simonds

Terry’s Heating & Cooling
51 Pierce St.
Terry Sinclair

Tranquility Hair Salon
118 Federal St.
Jamie Potter

HADLEY

Pioneer Tax & Business Services LLC
41 Russell St.
Helen McGuire

Realty Rate
8 Bayberry Lane
Peter Gelinas

Riverbend Animal Hospital
43 Russell St.
David Thomson

HOLYOKE

Day by Day Calendar
50 Holyoke St.
Edward J. Jackson

Fashion Nails
293 High St.
Tai Do

Fru Veg Farm
1500 Northampton St.
Syed R. Mobeen

Knoxworx Multimedia
36 Maplecrest Cir.
Mark Knox

Verizon Wireless
50 Holyoke St.
Karen M. Shipman

LUDLOW

AJ Electric
109 Lavoie Ave.
Nidal Abeid

Ellison Farms
555 Miller St.
William Ellison

Po-Folks Farm
93 Cady St.
Alan Gregoire

Upper 90
987-389 East St.
Aristides Nunes

Your Project Consultant
85 Moody St.
Chris Rust

NORTHAMPTON

Chestnut Mountain Tree
383 Westhampton Road
Jacob Schrader

Grassroots Connection
50 Straw Ave.
Richard Puchalsky

Molly’s Mani’s
166 North Main St.
Molly Dissinger

NewKind Marketing
44 Cherry St.
Margot Zalkind

Raw Artifacts
351 Pleasant St.
Robert Whitcoms

Red Barn Honey Company
43 Fort Hill Terr.
Richard H. Conner

Slate Roof Studio LLC
28 North Maple St.
Cheryl Cross

Strong & Healthy Smiles
40 Main St.
Suzanne Keller

Sugarplum Originals
133 Crescent St.
Jean Gauger

Valley Stress Reduction
30 Locust St.
Ellen Kaufman

PALMER

Ravenwood Vapors
50 Lariviere St.
John P. Taylor

TheDiaperHut.com
12 Paul St.
Donna M. Madigan

The Hock Shop
1364 Main St.
James Heney

SPRINGFIELD

AAA Pioneer Valley Driver
270 Cooley St.
Chris Mensing

African Basket Culture
5 Harbour Road
Modesto Biney

AMJ Construction & Home Repair
56 Newport St.
Joseph R. Lopez Jr.

Andy’s Barber Shop
727 Sumner Ave.
Andres Ortiz

Auto Imports
62 Winter St.
Raymond Tirado

Barranco Construction
99 Johnson St.
Santos J. Miguel

Burke Restorations
44 Eleanor Road
John Burke

C & J Beauty Boutique
135 Wilber St.
Carleen Virginia

Car Credit Funding Corporation
603 Sumner Ave.
Alex J. Friedman

CSRWIRE LLC
250 Albany St.
Emilio J. Sibilia

Divine Greeting Card Service
33 Joan St.
Ricky R. Morris

DJ Xtreme Production
122 Oak Grove Ave.
Xavier Figueroa

Dorset Mini Mart
11 Dorset St.
Miguel M. Soto

DTF Enterprises Inc.
53 State St.
Kenardo Herbert

EM Construction Services
385 Worthington St.
Egidio Morales

Eldorado
817 State St.
Suk H. Forrester

Elements
194 Chestnut St.
Jose A. Baez

Empire Games
133 State St.
D.J. Almodovar

Fabulous Cuts Barber Shop
363 Boston Road
Joe C. Long Jr.

Family Storage and Moving
34 Front St.
George W. Sidor Jr.

First Student Inc.
767 Cottage St.
Brian J. Beechem

Fufu’s Beauty Supply
605 Dickinson St.
Dine Amadou

Gordon-Tana Realty
133 Pine Grove St.
Mauricio H. Gordon

Grimaldi Inc.
1121 East Columbus Ave.
Luciano J. Grimaldi

H & E Affordable Kitchen
87A Mill St.
Horace John

WESTFIELD

Edgewood Apartments
134 Union St.
Sam Ross

Happiness Through Choice
475 Granville Road
Robin Reed

Help of Angels
21 Prospect St.
Lisa A. Smith

413 Lacrosse
276 North West Road
Louis Scarfo

Olexandr Mayloroda Home Improvement
90 Putnam Dr.
Olexandr Mayloroda

Scavotto’s Property Preservation Services
77 Mill St.
David Scavotto

Union Mart
420 Union St.
Amir M. Paracha

White Hat Affiliates
362 Granville Road
James P. Gavioli

WEST SPRINGFIELD

All in One Home Improvement LLC
127 Warren St.
Sandro Scirocco

Common Ground
25 Park Ave.
The Cup Incorporated

Costco Wholesale
119 Daggett Dr.
Costco Wholesale Corporation

Fitzgerald & Company Inc.
88 Elm St.
Brian J. Fitzgerald

Igor’s Painting
19 East School St.
Igor Iglov

Ron’s Flooring
18 Ferry Ave.
Ronald J. Charbonneau

Super Petro Inc.
75 Union St.
David J. Vickers

T-Mobile
935 Riverdale St.
T-Mobile Northeast LLC

West Side Design
33 Clayton Dr.
Aldo L. Paier

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

DW Holdings Inc., 835 Suffield St., Agawam, MA 01001.Wladimyr Duarte, 3 Hale Road, Enfield, CT 06082. Restaurant ownership and operation.

Family Ford of Northampton Inc., 245 Springfield St., Agawam, MA 01001. John Sarat Jr., 3 Pineridge Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Auto dealership

AMHERST

Foundation for Holocaust, Genocide and Memory Studies Inc., 758 Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002. Joseph Bohan, 123 Blackberry Lane, Amherst, MA 01002. Charitable corporation, organized to aid, support and raise funds.

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Electronics Company, 277 Grattan St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Sandy Averill, same. Sales and installation of electrical equipment.

FDAS Corp., 536 East St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Anthony Scibelli, same. Automotive transportation and used car sales.

EASTHAMPTON

J. Newsome and Sons Construction Inc., 12 Ballard St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Jeffrey Newsome, same. General Contractor

FEEDING HILLS

Anderson Family Enterprise Inc., 154 Cambridge Street, Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Edwin Anderson, Jr. same. Convenience and liquor store.

HAMPDEN

It’s All About Me Inc., 2 Somers Road, Hampden, MA 01036. Diane Merrick, 2 Somers Road, Hampden, MA 01036. Retail sales.

HOLYOKE

G & J Management Inc., 5 Whittier Circle, Holyoke, MA 01040. Ronald Munroe, same. Mail, package, and parcel delivery.

Kennedy Foods Inc., 333 High St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Yasser Hussian, same. Fast-food restaurant.

LUDLOW

K Benefit Group Inc., 60 Clearwater Circle, Ludlow, MA 01056. Jeannie Kwatowski, same. Insurance broker.

MONSON

EMC Trucking Inc., 7 Woodridge Road, Monson, MA 01057. Edward Bernat, same. Trucking and package delivery services.

Kelley Building Group Inc., 129 Palmer Road, Monson, MA 01057. Kimberly Kelley, same. Construction.

PALMER

Clyvanor Corp., 16 2nd St., Palmer, MA 01069. Stephane Blanchette, 2125 951EME Rue St., Georges QC, FF G5Y8J1. Manufacturer of roof and floor trusses.

Easrshot Technologies Inc., 493 Newton St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Edward Wall, 80 Searle Road, South Hadley, MA 01075.

SPRINGFIELD

AutoService Inc., 867 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01119. Moshe Ronen, 24 Churchill Dr., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Auto repair.

Business Solutions Inc., 32 Dickinson St., 1L, Springfield, MA, 01108. Darnel Ali, same. Voice-over-Internet protocol and connectivity.

Capital One Building Services Inc., 47 Grand St., Springfield, MA 01108. Gideon Innis, same.

Care for our Troops Inc., 733 Memorial Ave., Springfield, MA 01089. Michele Cabral, 314 Edgewood Road, West Springfield, MA 01089. To raise funds and advocate for United State service members. Non-profit organization designed to raise funds and advocate for United States service members.

Community & Employee Benefits Group Inc., One Monarch Place, Suite 2510, Springfield, MA 01144. Lance Letourneau, same.

Entrepreneurship Institute Inc., 1500 Main St., Springfield, MA 01115. Scott Foster, 1587 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Organization designed to work cooperatively and collaboratively with UMass Amherst to develop and implement a cutting-edge academic based experience.

Global Partners PC Inc., 125 Frank B. Murray St., Springfield, MA 01103. Ronald Eckman, 4 Squire Dr., Wilbraham, MA 01095.

Hampden County Employable Garments Inc., 41 Pomona St., Springfield, MA 01108. Gymmetta Brantley, 154 Orange St., Springfield, MA 01108. Charitable organization.

Jay’s Communications Inc., 56 West Alvord St., Springfield, MA 01108. Educate consumers and business on computer design and wireless technologies on how to save money and promote growth in the Commonwealth.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Beech Hill Construction Inc., 88 Cedar Woods Glen, West Springfield, MA 01089. Construction services.

Common Ground Holding Inc., 25 Park Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Michael Sullivan, 174 Edgewater Road, Agawam, MA 01001. Real estate holdings.

Fuel First Elm Op Inc., 592 Birnie Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Ami Patel, same. Gasoline service station and convenience store.

KD Orthodontics, P.C., 232 Park St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Robert Matthews, 35 Bolles Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Orthodontic dentistry.

WESTFIELD

Jai Ganesh Corporation, 49 Sabrinabrook Lane, Westfield, MA 01085. Umangkumar Patel, same. Retail liquor store.

WILBRAHAM

Access to Angels Inc., 27 Brookmont Dr., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Carol Hunt, same. Consulting and communications services.

FloDesign Sonics Inc., 380 Main St., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Arthur Martin, same. Design and manufacture services and equipment sales for water purification.

WORTHINGTON

Cash is King Inc., 129 Old North Road, Worthington, MA 01098. Peter Ricci, same. Entertainment management.

Company to Watch: Lil’ Dogs

By
Pam and Andy Boryea
Features
This Growing Company Puts Its Brand on Business

Pam and Andy Boryea

Pam and Andy Boryea say both corporate clients and individual customers are key to their success.

The term ‘visual branding’ translates roughly to depicting a specific design or logo — corporate, academic, political, personal — on everyday objects. For Andy and Pam Boryea, owners of Lil’ Dogs, the possibilities for what medium that takes knows few bounds.
Clothing, banners, those perforated vehicle wraps that one sees commonly on buses, the ubiquitous political lawn placards, as well as the smaller office objects like pens, travel mugs, and many, many other promotional items, all have passed through the shipping dock of the Ludlow-based company.
“It’s a one-stop shop,” Andy said. But the origins of the company were a bit more specific.
Back in 1997, three friends, all professional soccer players, decided to start a youth soccer camp. Stu MacRury and Glen Jusczyk asked Andy Boryea onboard to provide the goalie for the camp.
When Boryea bought into the business, he found that his partners had purchased some used screen-printing equipment. “They thought they were paying too much for the 60 camp T-shirts they ordered,” he told BusinessWest.
At the time, he knew nothing about that process, but as word-of-mouth spread locally that the trio could make T-shirts, the orders started coming in. “Friends and friends of friends would ask us to do shirts for construction companies, landscapers, you name it,” Boryea said. “My father was one of my first customers.”
Deciding to learn more about the process, he jumped in headfirst and went to school for advanced training. And that, he explained, is how the business got its start.
MacRury sold his share of the company, and Jusczyk and Boryea decided that the screen-printing facet needed its own name. Jusczyk had recently bought his girlfriend a Jack Russell terrier puppy, and after determining that a toll-free number could be acquired to correspond to the words ‘lil’ dogs,’ their own brand became visualized.
“After a while it was just Glen and myself, doing both camps and printing,” Andy continued. “So here we were, working a ‘real job’ during the day, landscaping or whatever soccer players do to make a living — roofing, siding, landscaping, you name it — then we would do the soccer practices after that, and then late at night, we’d be printing T-shirts.”
Around 2000, the state regulated athletic camps more stringently, requiring medical doctors to sign off on their health plans. Boryea said the cost to do so was prohibitive, and in 2001, they sold the soccer camp and became a full-time print shop. Pam joined the team in 2007, and a year later, husband and wife bought the company outright.
What started out as approximately $15,000 in sales in 1998 has grown exponentially each year.
Pam said that the year she joined the company, Lil’ Dogs was posting $2.5 million in total sales. There were some acquisitions along the way, she said, citing the purchase that year of Advantage Athletics in Palmer. But the pair credits a good part of the growth to both word-of-mouth and the aggressive sales techniques of their former partner.
“We were doing no advertising,” Andy said. “But the miles that Glen would rack up … 100,000 a year, easily. He was all over, pushing the company. He’d go play a match and come back with orders from the other team.”
But as sole owners, the Boryeas said that one doesn’t become a multi-million dollar company as a local screenprinter, so they made the shift toward corporate and academic clients, often doing subcontracted work for some of the most recognizable athletic brands.
But the individual customer is just as important, Andy emphasized. “We’re a one-stop shop for all visual branding because I don’t want my clients to need to go to someone else for different products. Because if I don’t have the ability to do it all, someone else will.”
And to keep that one stop always on the cusp of unfolding technology, Andy belongs to trade organizations and consults within the industry. “I’ve seen a lot, I know a lot, and we can offer more than our competition before they even hear about unfolding innovations,” he said, noting that a recent acquisition represents the latest word in specialized printing: wide-format digital. “Take your home printer and multiply its dimensions by 20. That printer can work on a multitude of rolled materials.”
Pushing their industry further, Pam said that she’s at work launching a Web-based self-created clothing program for customers, offering the ability to design online one T-shirt or many. But still, the pair said that their attention will always be on the customer’s immediate needs.
Andy related the story of how Nike contracted Lil’ Dogs to manufacture some transfer designs for the New York Yankees this past season, to be sold and custom processed at their home in the Bronx.
“They told me on a Monday night that they ‘might’ want me to print some transfers for sale at the stadium,” he said, pausing a beat for effect before adding, “for Wednesday morning.”
“So, I said, ‘OK … well, you have to let me know if you do want them,’” he continued. “They said, ‘we’ll let you know.’ I had to report back to the stadium on Tuesday, and at that time they said, ‘OK, but we don’t have any art for you.’
“So it’s Tuesday at 3:30, and I finally got the art,” he continued. “Given the technology we use, I was able to log into the office from my hotel room in New York and send it to Ludlow. By 5 that night we printed them all out, and they were in a box by the time I showed up for duty the next day.”
Of course, if the Yankees’ postseason was as successful as the work done by Lil’ Dogs, Red Sox fans would be a little less cheerful these days.

— Dan Chase

Getting Hammered

By
David Fontaine
Sections Supplements
Region’s Construction Sector Remains Sluggish

David Fontaine

David Fontaine says new schools are being funded, but other construction sectors continue to lag.

The continued weakness of the region’s construction industry has become frustrating and stressful for area builders, who have seen not just a drastic reduction in the pace of available jobs, but a significant influx of bidders on each project, some from far outside the Pioneer Valley. Faint indications point to a recovery starting next year, but right now, contractors are just looking for some good news to build on.

Joseph Marois shakes his head when he sees some of the winning bids in the current, hyper-competitive construction marketplace.
“The bids are normally pretty clustered together, with everything within a few dollars,” said Marois, president of Marois Construction in South Hadley. “You look at it now, and the low bidder is substantially lower than everyone else, sometimes by 20%. It’s incredible. It’s hard to understand how they make a profit on the jobs they’re doing.”
David Fontaine, president of Fontaine Brothers in Springfield, has noticed the same phenomenon.
“The price structure right now is incredible,” he told BusinessWest. “With some of the bids you’re getting beat by, you just shake your head and send the plans back. There seem to be eight to 10 bids on everything, at minimum, and it seems like there’s always one guy with a bid you just can’t understand.”
William Crocker, president of Crocker Building in Springfield, said these days were forecast by the collapse of the housing market a few years ago and the ensuing economic downturn. “The slowdown tends to affect us as general contractors late,” he said.
But while some other industries are reporting cautious optimism, construction work is as scarce right now — and competition as fierce — as Crocker has seen it since the recession began. “You see it in the bidding activity,” he said. “When there’s an open bid, every contractor in Western Mass. shows up.
“The margins are tight, and the numbers are tough,” he continued. “There’s some activity out there, but we’re still holding our breath.”
For this issue, BusinessWest examines why the major trends in building — few of them good — are continuing deep into 2010, and what contractors are saying about the road ahead.

Looking for a Silver Lining
Mark Erlich, executive secretary-treasurer of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, recently noted in New England Carpenter magazine that hours worked by union carpenters in New England dropped 38% in the last 24 months, and unemployment in that group has hovered around 30% for much of the same period.
However, he writes, “I believe the worst is over. There are no prospects for a quick or extensive recovery, but I think the bleeding has stopped, and we can begin to think more optimistically about what is next. New England is positioned to rebound sooner than other regions because of the heavy presence of health care, higher education, and life sciences, industries that are more likely to witness future growth.”
That seems to be the case in Massachusetts especially, where the eds-and-meds sectors have been traditional drivers of the economy, and are spurring a significant portion of what activity is occurring right now.
“Look who’s building in Springfield. Look at the North End, and even the work we’ve done in the past few years,” said Crocker, citing projects like a new building for Hampshire Orthopedics in Hatfield. Public works and utilities are relatively active, too; “we’ve got several projects for National Grid substations.”
Others have seen similar trends.
“It seems that a lot of the schools are being funded,” said Fontaine, whose business tends to be about 70% public and 30% private — not a bad ratio in these times. “We recently started the new high school in Wilbraham, and we’re halfway into a new dormitory at the College of the Holy Cross. We’re also just getting ready to start a Transit Authority office in a building up in Greenfield.”
On the other hand, Crocker said, some traditional markets for builders — manufacturing foremost among them — seem to be stagnant. But it pays to be diverse. In addition to the health care and utility projects on his recent slate, Crocker also just completed the framework for Springfield’s Macedonian Church of God in Christ, which burned down a couple of years ago.
It’s good to diversify when things get this slow, he admitted, but even so, there are only so many projects. “We’re not seeing much of the small renovations. Everyone seems to be holding their purse strings rather tightly.”
There’s a little more public work available than private work, Marois said, although neither sector is exactly robust, and some industry watchers fret about the slow pace of infrastructure-investment legislation coming from Washington to help stimulate the pace of progress.
“Some people are busier than others. I think we’ve gotten our fair share of work, although the profit margins are minimal,” Marois said. “We’re just trying to keep our core base of employees. They have families, and they’ve been with us for a long time, so we want to make sure we maintain our relationship with them. I think that’s a common goal you’ll find among my peers.”

Better Days
Marois sees the clouds clearing somewhat, but there’s still a long way to go.
“It seems like there are more projects to bid now than in the past, but that hasn’t eliminated the number of people bidding on each one,” he said. “I’m bidding on a project now with 16 contractors on it. That’s getting to be pretty typical.”
Nationwide, construction employment expanded in 56 out of 337 metropolitan areas between August 2009 and August 2010, according to a recent analysis of federal employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America. More cities added construction jobs during the past year than at any point since September 2008, although Western Mass. has yet to see that sort of rebound.
“With construction employment on the mend in an increasing number of areas, it appears that the worst is finally over,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, on the national picture. “The fact remains, however, that this industry has a long way to go before we see construction employment back to pre–recession levels.”
That’s especially true in the Pioneer Valley and into Northern Conn. The Springfield market ranked 208th on the list of 337 metro areas with a net construction job loss of 6%. The Pittsfield market held steady, ranking it 57th in the study, while the Hartford market lost 9% of its construction jobs in that time, ranking Connecticut’s capital at 269th. Overall, 11 of 12 Massachusetts metro areas lost jobs.
Fontaine has seen no improvement in the overall picture, but expects things to pick up soon. “We had scaled down a few years ago, and we stayed scaled down,” he said. “But we’ve been talking to some architectural firms, and they’re saying maybe one more year to go. There’s some large work out there — $100 million, $200 million work — but in the marketplace we survive in, not much.”
That’s why he, like so many other contractors, has been forced to look outside the Pioneer Valley for opportunities. “We actually picked up three projects in the last year, but we bid on probably 50 — most in the eastern part of the state,” he said. “Most of the things we’ve chased have been probably 75 to 90 miles from here.”
Marois has been surprised, however, not that builders are roaming outside of their usual geographic territory, but how far afield some are willing to travel to find work.
“I bid a job with contractors from Rhode Island, New York State, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the Boston area,” he said. “That job had 18 bidders on it, and the Rhode Island contractor got the job.
“I don’t understand it — they have to mobilize and set up, and that costs, and they have to know the local economy, the local vendors — it’s not necessarily something I would do to land a job.”
Until the industry picks up significantly, each construction company has to make those decisions to keep their business running.
“This is the time to get ready for the recovery that will come,” Erlich notes. “It may not be coming as fast as we would like, and there will be continued hardships.”
And way too many bidders for too few projects.

Joseph Bednar can be reached
at [email protected]

When Green Is Not the Way to Go

By
John Prenosil
Sections Supplements
Invasive Plants Can Be a Growing Problem for You or Your Company

John Prenosil

John Prenosil

Green isn’t always good — at least when referring to invasive plants.
Take a look in your yard when you get home. Do you see a burning bush? Japanese barberry? Norway maple? Yes, you guessed it. These are all invasives, as they’re called, which means they shouldn’t be there.
First off, let’s define what constitutes an invasive plant. These are non-native plants that share these characteristics: they begin growing earlier in the spring and grow longer in the fall than native plants, are typically more tolerant of poor soil conditions, grow vigorously, produce large amounts of seeds, grow well in disturbed environments, and have no natural enemies. Understandably, many invasive plants were historically chosen for landscaping because they required little maintenance, grew well in poor soils, and were disease and pest-resistant.
Burning bush was popular for its brilliant fall color, Japanese barberry for its durability and attractive purple and red leaves, and Norway maple for its summer-long crimson red foliage. These invasive landscape plants and more than 100 other plant species are currently identified by the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources as prohibited for sale.
It is important to control and/or eradicate invasive plants in wetlands and forest environments because they disrupt habitats by outcompeting native plants, thereby decreasing biodiversity.
Try this analogy. A restaurant with two items on the menu is not as appealing to consumers as a restaurant with 50 items on the menu. An environment with only two items on the menu has low biodiversity; numerous items on the menu mean higher biodiversity. Animals like menus with more diversity. An environment comprised of multiple native plant species offers a host of food choices and habitat to a wide variety of wildlife. Fewer food choices results in a decreased mix of wildlife.
Invasive plant seeds are spread through birds, wildlife, and construction equipment. Aquatic invasive plants are inadvertently spread by boaters from plant fragments stuck to the hull or floating in bilge water. Many of the invasive plants found in our waterways, ponds, and lakes are a result of aquarium plants being flushed down the toilet.
Because established populations of invasive plants are difficult, costly, and time-consuming to control, early detection is paramount. Smaller populations are easier to monitor and control. Control of invasive plants requires a thorough knowledge of the target species, its biology, and an understanding of the environment in which invasive plants are found. Each situation is unique and requires a custom approach. Although herbicides are important for control of invasive plants, they are not always the best alternative.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) offers a more comprehensive approach to controlling pests, including invasive plants. In addition to simply spraying invasive plants with herbicides, IPM addresses cultural practices and biological controls. An example of a cultural control would be mowing a section of road right-of-way (adjacent to a pond) instead of applying herbicide, which has the possibility of contaminating the water; mowing provides a non-chemical control method to keep the invasive plant population under control. An example of a biological control would be releasing an insect that has been found to eat a specific invasive plant. The goal of IPM is to use the least amount of herbicide to control a population of invasive plants. Eradication is not always necessary. Further, continual use of herbicides on the same plants may result in those plants developing immunity to the herbicide.
Control and eradication of invasive plants typically requires permitting through local and state agencies and application of any pesticides on property other than one’s own requires licensing and certification through the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources. Licensed and certified professionals should ensure that people are not exposed, groundwater and surface waters are not polluted, wildlife is not be harmed, and damage to non-target plants is minimized.
Resources are available for landowners wishing to improve wildlife habitat on their property. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service offers the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), a voluntary approach to improve wildlife habitat that includes cost sharing up to 75% and technical assistance. Additional online resources related to invasive plants are available through the New England Wildflower Society (www.newfs.org/
protect/invasive-plants) and numerous other organizations.
The reader should keep in mind that this article is meant only for informational purposes. The author does not recommend that the reader apply herbicides or utilize other forms of control on their properties without first consulting an expert. Permits may be required.

John Prenosil is president of JMP Environmental Consulting Inc., which has completed WHIP-funded and other invasive-plant eradication and control projects throughout Massachusetts. Related services also include initial habitat assessments, invasive species management plans, eradication and control, and long-term monitoring; (413) 272-0111; [email protected].

Opinion

By
Opinion
Getting the Nation on Track for Jobs

This appears to be a good season for investment in transportation. In September, President Obama proposed to invest $50 billion in the nation’s transportation infrastructure. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has already committed $776 million to bring buses and bus facilities into a state of good repair. Combined with the $8 billion investment in high-speed rail that was part of the February 2009 stimulus package, it seems that the nation is finally putting a down payment on a 21st-century transit system.
But these sums are a pittance compared with the need. The U.S. has yet to commit the money needed to create a world-class rail system, or to stimulate a transit-vehicle manufacturing industry that today depends mostly on imports. In reports we released this week in cooperation with the Apollo Alliance and Worldwatch Institute, we estimate that a serious investment in public transit could stimulate thousands of sorely needed manufacturing jobs. To appreciate how far we are falling short, consider the example of China.
China recognizes the economic links between developing rail lines and promoting manufacturing. In 2001, it began a $132 billion rail-construction project, which is scheduled for completion in 2012. During roughly the same period, the U.S. appropriated just $19 billion for rail construction, or about one-seventh China’s level.
As part of its recession-recovery package, China committed $88 billion in 2009 to railway infrastructure, doubling its 2008 investment. The goal: to create much-needed transportation links, to generate demand for 20 million tons of domestic steel, and to create 6 million new jobs overall.
To reach the government’s goal of 1.1 million kilometers (about 450,000 miles) of railroad by 2012, China will spend a total of $292.5 billion. Of this, 13,000 kilometers will be for high-speed rail. A key benefit: China’s two leading locomotive and rail-car manufacturers will employ more than 212,000 people combined to meet domestic goals. If transportation policy is to create domestic manufacturers and permanent manufacturing jobs, a steady and predictable level of investment is needed. The U.S. lost its domestic passenger rail-car industry by the late 1980s not because of high labor costs, but because of erratic demand. Most of the countries that dominate the industry today, such as Germany and France, have wages comparable to the U.S., but they have a comprehensive strategy that allows producers to anticipate stable demand for their products.
Annual domestic demand for production of rail cars in the U.S. bounced between a low of 268 units to a high of 1,067 units during the 1970s, according to Thomas Boucher of Rutgers University. And as demand for transit vehicles waned, U.S. companies couldn’t come up with investment dollars to keep up with state-of-the-art technology.
We analyzed the job-creation potential of investment in rail infrastructure and estimate that the U.S. could gain 79,000 jobs in rail and bus manufacturing and related industries under an investment scenario sufficient to double transit ridership in 20 years. An investment at levels similar to China — $24.4 billion per year over six years — would yield 252,213 jobs, including many well-paid blue-collar jobs of the kind that have been devastated over the past decade.
Reclaiming a domestic rail industry is part of a broader need to revive competitive manufacturing. Even in its weakened state, manufacturing accounted for $1.6 trillion (12%) of U.S. GDP in 2008 — more than real estate, finance, and insurance.
Manufacturing accounts for 60% of U.S. exports and 70% of private-sector research and development funding. Yet the U.S. goods deficit with the rest of the world in 2008 exceeded $836 billion. The annual trade deficit with China alone was $266 billion in 2008, with 75% due to the manufactured-goods deficit.
A high-quality passenger-rail system is a trifecta. It would attract more riders and cut dependence on private cars — in turn reducing the carbon emissions that cause global warming. More than that, a commitment to mass transit could promote the resurgence of a major manufacturing sector that we’ve lost, reducing our trade deficit and increasing domestic jobs.

Joan Fitzgerald is professor and director of the graduate program in Law, Policy and Society at Northeastern University. Joseph McLaughlin is a senior research associate at the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of October 2010.

AGAWAM

Dream Catchers Café
360 North Westfield St.
Kristin Wampler

Jondani
61 Oak Hill Ave.
Michael Murray

Lunatek LLC
34 Henry St.
Peter Nunnallee

Malone’s Farm & Garden Center
338 Silver St.
Ernest Malone

AMHERST

Clearwater Seafood & Grille
178 North Pleasant St.
Jason Brown

D.P. Dough
96 North Pleasant St.
William T. Rock

The Option Bookstore
Garman Dormitory
John W. Whitney

CHICOPEE

Mutt Cuts
63 1/2 Main St.
Lori Jerusik

The Living Wood
63 Woodbridge Road
Samantha Lavine

Walk-in-Technology
620 Grattan St.
John W. Cote

EASTHAMPTON

Fran’s Fine Editing
6 Cedarwood Ave.
Frances Fahey

Hair It Is
94 Union St.
Jeannie Thibodeau

Integrity Care Association Agency
2 Holyoke St.
Charles Ackerfi

Lynne’s Hair @ Salon O
163 Northampton St.
Lynn M. Dunn

Pepin Farm
491 East St.
Kenneth Pepin

Pierre J. Bechumeur Energy Consulting
11 Holyoke St.
Pierre J. Bechumeur

EAST LONGMEADOW

Alpha Waves DJ’s
84 Oak Brook Dr.
Dan Chrisis

Architecture Environment Life Inc.
264 North Main St.
Kevin Rothschild-Shea

Douglas White Electrical Services
245 Shaker Road
Mario Cardinal

Gebo’s Glass Creations
23 Hazelhurst Ave.
Brian Gebo

Happy Acres Farm
43 South Bend Lane
Ronald I Goldelein

Sleep Management Solutions, LLC
382 North Main St.
Thomas P. Gaffney Jr.

Splash Belle’s Creations
165 Mountainview Road
Mary Kossick

What’s Cooking, Kids?
41 Maple St.
Dorothy Fleishman

GREENFIELD

Celtic Heels
267 Main St.
Cara Leach

HADLEY

Hadley Dry Cleaners
206 Russell St.
Hyeryong Whang

River Valley Dental
63 East St.
Babak Gojgini

HOLYOKE

Ameerah
50 Holyoke St.
Tarek Farousi

Glamour
119 High St.
Efrain Martinez

Icky Sticky Goo Grueser Enterprises
50 Holyoke St.
William Grueser

International Laser Systems
362 Race St.
Edward Sordillo

Reyes Auto Sales
100 Main St.
Oscar Reyes

LONGMEADOW

Change in Action Inc.
PO Box 60222
Susan Choquette

Interior Inspirations
43 Benedict Terrace
Susan Green

Lisa’s Cottage Cleaning
84 Riverview Ave.
Lissa Stone

Longmeadow Stone & Restoration
115 Dover Road
James Nurse

Maid Tough Cleaning Services
1 Henry Road
Kalee Plasse

Technical-Support-for-Senior-Citizens.com
83 Hopkins Place
Thomas Johnson

NORTHAMPTON

Coffee & Heady
23 Hooker Ave.
Donald P. Coffee

The Green Cab Company
1 Roundhouse Plaza
Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc.

PALMER

Alladin’s Services
9 Charles St.
Raymond Brodeur

C&C Services
8 Crest St.
Marie Skorupski

Maxim Archery
17 Salem St.
Shawn Doran

Voight Energy Saving Technologies LLC
365 River St.
John D. Voight

SOUTHWICK

Cupcake Consignments
272 South Longyard Road
Jodi Nylund

Moments in Time
43 Berkshire Road
Christine Caruso

SPRINGFIELD

Gus Coelho Auto Repair
390 Main St.
Augusto Coelho Jr.

Heavenly Grooming
1648 Carew St.
Norberto Crespo

Howell’s Reupholstering
75 Mulberry St.
Richard Anthony

ICC Inc.
313 1/2 Eastern Ave.
Daniel Tulloch

J Automotive
149 Rocus St.
Timothy A. Cooper

K.A.M. Technology
203 Ellsworth Ave.
Keith A. Millet

Larochelle Construction
79 Lancashire Road
Danny S. Larochelle

Lennox National Account
90 Carando Dr.
Joseph J. Gennari

Mason Square Insurance Co.
886 State St.
Chester-Chester Inc.

Max’s Catering
1000 West Columbus Ave.
Max’s Catering, LLC

Mindscape Technologies
63 California Ave.
Scott A. Dudas

NJ’s Commercial Appliance
1655 Main St.
Jose G. Barbosa

Page Convenience
500 Page Blvd.
Zahdor U. Haq

Pioneer Valley Legal Association
34 Sumner Ave.
Karen J. Murphy

Ruth Family Day Care
44 Lester St.
Ruthnie Alce

Seven Heaven Pest Control
64 Champlain St.
Wilfredo Gonzalez

T-Mobile
774 Boston Road
T-Mobile Northeast

Tax X-Press
921 Worthington St.
Jamal R. Pressley

The Tessier Law Firm
78 Maple St.
Denise R. Tessier

Tom James of Springfield
191 Chestnut St.
Walter Salyer

World Wide Communication
522 Main St.
Othoniel Rosario

WESTFIELD

Got Junk
51 Washington St.
Mark Gilmore

Mundale Farm
1714 Granville Road
William S. Florek

Paul Jandaczek
549 Russell Road
Paul Jandaczek

Pet Rescueville.com
22 Oakcrest Dr.
Barbara Lynch

Pignatare Farms
380 East Mountain Road
Maria J. Pignatare

Preferred Wood Flooring
15 Cranston St.
Chris J. Roit

Tangles
43 Union St.
Cinda Parnagian

The Grape Crusher
20 School St.
Rosanne Bonavita

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Beauty Gate Salon and Spa
1646 Riverdale St.
Konrad Chmiel

Caring Solutions LLC
680 Westfield St.
Patricia L. Baskin

Carter’s
935 Riverdale St.
Carter’s Retail Inc.

Cleanslate Centers LLC
82 Main St.
Total Wellness Centers LLC

Cutting Edge Pro Consulting
42 Chester St.
Stephen M. Sjostrom

D Berry Services
118 Pease Ave.
Donald Berry

Geraldine’s Lounge
1501 Elm St.
Ares Inc.

Jimmy Larochelle’s Finish Carpentry
164 Lower Beverly Hill
Jimmy Larochelle

Just Blaze Barber Shop
409 Main St.
Jose A. Gonzalez

Physician Care West
274 Westfield St.
Reda Ishak

Tatyana’s Hair Salon
1098 Memorial Ave.
Tatyana Yermakov

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

M & J Goncalves Inc., 1192 Suffield St., Agawam, MA 01001. Jose Goncalves, same. Construction services.

Simon’s On Walnut Inc., 46 Suffield St., Agawam, MA 01001. David Ladizki, same. Restaurant.

Vincent Transportation Co. Inc., 100 Royal Lane, Agawam, MA 01001. Frank Petrangelo, 350 North West St., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Transportation services.

AMHERST

Moti 1 Inc., 25 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002. Mohtaram Bakhtiari, 221 Mass Ave., Boston, MA 02115. Bar and restaurant.

Northeast Conference on British Studies Inc., Office of Margaret Hunt, Dept of History, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002-5000.

Chris Waters, 66 Hall St., Williamstown, MA 01267. Non-profit corporation for educational, charitable and scientific purposes.

CHICOPEE

Platinum Choice Staffing Inc., 565 Lafleur Dr., Chicopee, MA 01013. Ronald Desroches, same. Staffing Agency.

The Art of Fine Lines Inc., 96 Chateugay St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Joyce Catherine Crabtree, same.

Trinity Home Care Inc., 41 Sheridan St., Chicopee, MA 01020-2723. Mary Jean Flahive Dickson, 145 Stonehill Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028.
Home nursing care services.

DALTON

Neurology Care in the Berkshires, P.C., 27 Pinecrest Dr., Dalton, MA 01226. Marina Zaratskay-Fuchs M.D., same. Neurology medical care

LONGMEADOW

Longmeadow Education Association Inc., 410 Williams St., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Marcia Harr, 22 Ferrin Dr., Southwick, MA 01077. Organization established to improve the quality of education for all.

HADLEY

New Links, U.S. Inc., 100 Venture Way, Suite 15, Hadley, MA 01035. Neils Victor Christiansen, 38 Trillium Way, Amherst, MA 01002. Wholesale jewelry distributor.

Summit Peak Electric Inc., 39 Ridge Road, South Hadley, MA 01075. Bryon Grise, 120 Damon Road, Northampton, MA 01060. Electrical contractor.

HOLYOKE

Sabrosura Supermarket Inc., 439 High Street, Holyoke, MA 01040. Fernando Ramirez, same. Grocery retailer.

NORTHAMPTON

La Esperanza/The Hope of the Pioneer Valley Inc., 237 South St., Northampton, MA 01060. Aida Ruiz-Batiste, 63 Peer St., Springfield, MA 01109.

PITTSFIELD

Pittsfield Kiwanis Club Inc., 383 North St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Cathy Finkle, 674 Giberson Road South, Sheffield, MA 01257. Non-profit.

Red Knights Drum & Bugle Corps. Inc., 18 Ensign Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01104. Paul Christopher, same. Civic and educational organization designed to provide music education, to advance the underprivileged and to combat community deterioration and juvenile delinquency.

Silverbac Group Inc., 816 North St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Jie Whiteside, same. Organization established to promote child safety awareness and abduction-prevention.

Yokun Seat Inc., 575 Swamp Road Pittsfield, MA 01201. Richard Bartlett, 8 Yokun Road, Richmond, MA 01254. Apple orchard farm.

RUSSELL

Universal Welding & Mechanical Contractors Inc., 20 Blandford Stage Road, Russell, MA 01071. Matthew Montague, 42 Garfield St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Welding and mechanical contractor.

SOUTH HADLEY

Newton Street Dental, PC., 488 Newton St., Unit 11/12, South Hadley, MA 01075. Douglas Leigh, same. Dental practice.

Pacheco Pizzeria Inc., 2080 Memorial Ave., South Hadley MA 01075. Walter Pacheco, 54 Pondview circle, Belchertown, MA 01007. Pizza restaurant.

Valuemetrics Business Advisors Inc., 9 Spring Meadows, South Hadley, MA 01075. Karl Schuhlen, same. Business consultation services.

SOUTHAMPTON

Western Mass. Public Health Association Inc., 146 Valley Road, Southampton, MA 01073. Barry Searles, 73 Russellville Road, Southampton, MA 01073. Organization designed to provide service to boards of health and related agencies.

SOUTHWICK

Paxis Home Renovations Inc., 151 Granville Road, Southwick, MA 02210. Jose Rivera, same. Hone improvement contractor.

SPRINGFIELD

P.J. R. Enterprises Inc., 10 Chestnut St., Apt. #602, Springfield, MA 01103. Pablo Rios, same.

Real Estate Options Inc., 824 Liberty St., Springfield, MA 01104. Anthony Primo Facchini, 519 Prospect St., Springfield, MA 01104. To engage, establish, construct, purchase, and lease real estate property.

Santana Xpress Inc., 81 Ranney St., Springfield, MA 01108. Wilking Mateo, same. Door-to-door Passenger transportation from Massachusetts to New York.

Sterling Architectural Millwork Inc., 55 Avocado St., Springfield, MA 01104. Fotis Gazis, 120 Pond Circle, Somers CT, 06071. Woodwork.

Straight Line Painting Inc., 128 Saffron Circle, Springfield, MA 01129. Mark Howie, same. Commercial and residential painting services.

T.R.Z. Management Inc., 181 Chestnut St., Springfield, MA 01103. Anthony Zalowski, 14 Madison St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Business-management services.

United Auto Sales Inc, 874 Berkshire Ave, Springfield, MA 01151. Joseph Nigro, 21 Grove St., Southwick, MA 01077. Retail auto sales

WESTFIELD

Smart Restaurant Inc., 487 East Main St., Westfield, MA 01085. Michelle Moon, 148 Anvil St., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Full-service restaurant

Time Savers Laundry Service Inc., 65 Franklin St., Westfield, MA 01085. Eric Meyers, 33 Hawks circle, Westfield, MA 01085. Coin-operated laundromat.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

NSF Laundromat Inc., 49 Appaloosa Lane, West Springfield, MA 01089. Farrah Hena Ahsan, same. Laundromat services.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

Springfield College President Announces Retirement
SPRINGFIELD — Richard B. Flynn, Springfield College’s 12th president, recently announced plans to retire on Aug. 31, 2011. Flynn has served as president since March 1999. He is credited with developing and implementing a strategic plan for the college which led to transforming the campus through new construction and renovations, increasing enrollment, ensuring financial stability, enhancing academic programming, revitalizing the college’s longstanding partnership with the YMCA, expanding recreational programming, strengthening community and international relationships, and leading the most successful fund-raising campaign in the college’s 125-year history. Flynn called his decision to retire “one of the toughest decisions of my professional life.” He added that he is “deeply grateful” to the students, faculty, staff, members of the leadership team, alumni, trustees, and others who have shared their support, commitment, and dedication to the college over the years. A search firm will be selected soon to replace Flynn, and a presidential search committee will be formed, including representation from the board of trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and student body. A new president is expected to be identified in the spring of 2011 and to take office at the opening of the 2011 fall semester, according to Sally Griggs, chair of the college’s board of trustees.

Westfield State Expansion Plans Revealed
WESTFIELD — As part of Westfield State University’s 2010 Homecoming Weekend Oktoberfest activities, the dedication of its newest academic space, the Banacos Academic Center, was staged on Oct. 23. The center honors the memory of Westfield State alum Jimmy Banacos, who was an education major and a well-liked, athletically involved student who suffered an injury on the lacrosse field that left him paralyzed from the neck down in 1970. He continued to be active in the college community after his accident and is known for his efforts connecting alumni to the university. In 1982, Banacos was awarded the college’s first honorary bachelor of arts degree. He passed away in 2005. Banacos’ family members and friends are expected to be in attendance for the dedication. The event is open to the community, as are all related Homecoming activities. The center is the home to three academic resource programs, including Westfield State’s Tutoring Center, Disability Services, and the Learning Disabilities Program. In addition to the center opening, college officials also recently announced plans to invest close to $100 million in growth to facilities and services on campus. Growth areas targeted include additional parking, an addition to the dining hall, a new residence hall, and a new classroom building. Trustees will meet in December to discuss the project in more depth. College officials will also present the recommended expansion plans to the Greater Westfield community at a neighborhood meeting as well as with the City Council in the coming weeks.

Firm Establishes Scholarship Fund
SPRINGFIELD — The law firm of Robinson Donovan, P.C. recently made a leadership gift to Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Inc. (MCLE) in memory of a friend, former partner, and colleague, according to Jeffrey L. McCormick, managing partner of Robinson Donovan. MCLE has established the John C. Sikorski Scholarship Fund in memory of John C. Sikorski, who served Robinson Donovan for 25 years. Sikorski was a senior partner who specialized in labor and employment law. Scholarships from this fund will benefit legal services staff attorneys, private practitioners who accept pro bono cases, and other lawyers who, without financial assistance, would not be able to attend MCLE programs, including those in the areas of labor and employment law and trial advocacy. For more information about MCLE’s scholarships, visit www.mcle.org.

STCC Opens Center
for Veterans and
Service Members
SPRINGFIELD — A new lounge area was recently dedicated at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) for the approximately 250 students who are veterans or service members. The center is furnished with computers and comfortable furniture for studying or relaxing. The furnishings were donated by area businesses, particularly Balise Motor Sales, Hampden Bank, and NewAlliance Bank, as well as faculty and staff. Also available for veterans’ use is an administrative office with additional computers and adaptive technology for use by the visually impaired or hearing-impaired. A counselor is also available to talk with veterans.

Firm Sells Portion of
Wealth-management Arm
FARMINGTON, CT — Kostin, Ruffkess and Co., LLC recently announced the sale of a portion of its wealth-management business to a group of former employees of KR Wealth Management, LLC. KR Wealth Management, LLC is wholly owned by the partners of Kostin, Ruffkess and Co., LLC. Kostin, Ruffkess continues to operate KR Wealth Management, serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses. KR Wealth Management clients will continue to receive the personal attention they are accustomed to and benefit from the CPA-financial advisor team relationship, which is unique to the marketplace, according to Richard Kretz, managing partner of Kostin, Ruffkess & Co.

MassMutual to Be
Honored by BBA
SPRINGFIELD — Highlighting its ongoing commitment to a diverse and inclusive legal profession, the Boston Bar Assoc. (BBA) will honor the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual) with the BBA’s first Beacon Award on Nov. 9 in Boston. The Beacon Award was established to recognize organizations or individuals who have had an exceptional impact in advancing diversity and inclusion in one or more of these areas: legal scholarship, recruitment and retention practices, pro bono representation, community service, legal advocacy, and legislative advocacy. The award recipient must either be located in Massachusetts or have had a significant impact in Massachusetts and/or the Greater Boston community. When the award was established several months ago, an overriding goal was to identify models of excellence to inspire continued innovative programs and initiatives. The award reception is free to members of the legal community.

Berkshire Hills Plans Acquisition
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp. Inc. recently announced plans to acquire Rome Bancorp Inc. for approximately $74 million in cash and stock. Rome has five branches and, as of June 30, about $330 million in assets. Berkshire has 46 locations in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York, and continues to grow its business in the Utica and Syracuse markets, which have a combined population of about 1 million. Acquisition terms include 70% of the stock to be exchanged for Berkshire shares at a rate of 0.5658 share for each Rome share. The other 30% will be bought for $11.25 each.

Normandeau Communications
Moves to New Location
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Normandeau Communications, a telecommunications-solutions provider, has relocated from Florence to larger quarters at 2097 Riverdale St. in West Springfield. Principals Brett Normandeau and Kim Durand said the move was made to give the company needed room to grow and to enable it to better serve customers across Western Mass. and Northern Conn. The company also announced that it will be adding a Technology Training & Demonstration Center to provide informative seminars on ever-evolving telecommunications technology and how to apply it to help businesses operate more efficiently. The company’s phone number, (413) 584-3131, remains the same.

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

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

FRANKLIN
SUPERIOR COURT
Joan Barry v. Franklin County Home Care Corp., Ari Fleet, Cambridge Integrated Services Group Inc., and American Home Insurance
Allegation: Negligence in the operation of a motor vehicle: $5,660,009.55
Filed: 8/24/10

HAMPDEN
SUPERIOR COURT
Barbara Mackenzie-Rodgers and Robert Rodgers v. Pioneer Spine & Sports Physicians and Michael J. Woods, D.O.
Allegation: Six-year delay in treatment of severe hip fracture leading to permanent disability: $115,508.24
Filed: 8/5/10

Dayna Scott v. Commerce Insurance Co.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $107,500
Filed: 8/20/10

Jeffrey Bradley v. The Golf Group Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of wages and overtime pay: $95,000
Filed: 8/20/10

Liam & Kate Reynolds, as administrators of the estate of Liam Reynolds v. Blue Fusion Bar & Grille, Tony M. Miller, Edward Taylor Newton III, and April B. Griffin
Allegation: Incident occurred inside the Blue Fusion in which Conor W. Reynolds, a 17-year-old male, was stabbed and died as a result of his injuries: $5 million
Filed: 8/11/10

Maria G. Luis v. The Seajay Group, LLC
Allegation: Cost of cleanup for previous oil contamination in home: $100,000
Filed: 8/18/10

People’s United Bank v. La Cucina de Pinocchio Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment on promissory notes: $673,140.77
Filed: 8/11/10

Phoenix Development Inc. v. Mass. Property Insurance Underwriting Associates
Allegation: Breach of insurance contract: $96,552.41
Filed: 8/11/10

T.D. Bank N.A. v. Neivar Enterprises, Thomas D. Lesperance, and Carol Balakier
Allegation: Non-payment of promissory note: $491,255.97
Filed: 8/17/10

Wall Construction Co. v. City of Chicopee and Chicopee Housing Authority
Allegation: Breach of construction contract: $10,944.09
Filed: 8/23/10

NORTHAMPTON
DISTRICT COURT
Leo Laporte Jr. v. Mill Valley Golf Links
Allegation: Injuries sustained by plaintiff after losing control of a Segway provided by plaintiff: $336,713.97
Filed: 8/19/10

PALMER
DISTRICT COURT
The Bell/Simons Company v. Al’s Heating & Cooling Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $7,791.87
Filed: 9/6/10

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Bank of Boston, N.A. v. A&T Construction Inc. and John C. Auger
Allegation: Non-payment on a small-business term loan and a line of credit: $72,277.61
Filed: 8/11/10

The McGraw-Hill Companies, LLC v. Leadership Prep Academy for Young Men Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,885.77
Filed: 8/11/10

Western Mass. Electric v. Canta Napoli Pizzeria Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of utility services: $5,832.99
Filed: 8/9/10

O.K. Bakery Supply Co. Inc. v. Abrantes Bakery & Pastry Shop
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $7,428.53

O.K. Bakery Supply Co. Inc. v. Elm Farm Bakery
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $7,316.27
Filed: 8/17/10

O.K. Bakery Supply Co. Inc. v. Gourmet Donuts II
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,210
Filed: 8/17/10

O.K. Bakery Supply Co. Inc. v. Royal Bakery
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $2,242.65
Filed: 8/17/10

All the Right Moves

By
Joe Gaffney, vice president of Sales for BKM Total Office
Sections Supplements
The Occupancy Rate Is Rising at One Financial Plaza

Joe Gaffney, vice president of Sales for BKM Total Office

Joe Gaffney, vice president of Sales for BKM Total Office, says he wanted to be in downtown Springfield, and One Financial Plaza was the best option.

Steve Roy says that he and other managers of GZA GeoEnvironmental probably looked at more than 20 locations across Western Mass., more than a third of them in Springfield, after the company decided it needed to relocate from its long-time home on Main Street in East Longmeadow.
There were several factors that led to that decision, said Roy, office manager for the local office and a principal with this corporation that has sites up and down the East Coast and as far west as Milwaukee. Chief among them was the desire to be much more visible, he told BusinessWest, but the company also needed some room to grow, and wanted an easier, quicker commute for its 20 employees.
And, like most businesses looking at their space options, GZA wanted an attractive lease deal, one that would enable it to upgrade to better quarters.
In the end, the company was able to draw lines through all those stated wants and needs with a decision to move to One Financial Plaza, a.k.a. 1350 Main St., a.k.a. the Sovereign Bank Building. It should be in its new space on the 14th floor sometime next month. “It’s a move that just makes good sense for us,” said Roy.
Thus, GZA joins a number of companies who have said essentially the same thing, and are therefore helping to turn lights on across some floors that have been dark at One Financial Plaza for several years now.
Evan Plotkin, a principal with NAI Plotkin and co-owner of floors 6-17, said a number of new tenants have been added over the past few years, and there could be more in the pipeline for early next year.
With the recent addition of GZA (taking 7,106 square feet) and BMC HealthNet Plan (12,445 square feet), the occupancy rate in the tower will reach 62%, compared to 39% when the upper 12 floors were purchased in 2007. Overall, 138,089 square feet will be occupied, compared to 86,046 square feet two years ago.
A tenant’s market and the resulting attractive lease rates and amenities, coupled with high occupancy rates in most all other Class A buildings, in both downtown Springfield and area suburbs, have certainly contributed to the increasing popularity of One Financial Plaza, but Plotkin would like to believe there are other reasons.
He told BusinessWest that he’s worked hard to create an environment that businesses want to be in. Efforts have included everything from revitalizing the ornamental fountain along the Court Square side of the property to the rotating art exhibits in the front lobby and other common spaces in the building, to the rack of umbrellas available to tenants who find themselves on the wrong end of unpredictable New England weather.
“We’re creating positive experiences for people,” he said, “and I think this is putting our building into a class all its own.”

News Desk
Joe Gaffney told BusinessWest that he’s had a lot of visitors to BKM Total Office’s space on the 11th floor of One Financial Plaza since the company moved in last April. Some had scheduled appointments, but many just dropped in, he said, to look around what isn’t exactly a product showroom, per se, but rather an office equipped with the very latest office furniture and accessories.
“I call it the ‘work area of the 21st century,’” said Gaffney, vice president of Sales for BKM, as he pointed out things such as the latest in work stations — minus the high cubicle walls — and something called the media:scape, a product designed to enable people to more easily share ideas through state-of-the-art technology. Many people working in One Financial Plaza, but also others from neighboring buildings in downtown Springfield, have come to see and hear about these products, he said, adding that this wasn’t exactly predicted, nor was it among the stated reasons for moving to the tower from a site on Interstate Drive in West Springfield.
Among the motivations that were on that list was a desire to upgrade to something more contemporary — “the place we were in was stale” — as well a need for more efficient space (the company actually went from 3,000 square feet to 2,000 and has plenty of room) and a real desire to be downtown, a departure from the trend of recent years.
“I’m in the habit of supporting hubs — I want to be where the hub of business is,” said Gaffney, adding that he finds himself in downtown Springfield often for business and networking meetings, and decided it made good business sense to slash his commute times.
BKM is one of several companies and agencies that have made 1350 Main their new mailing address over the past year or so. Others include MassDevelopment; the law firm Minnoff, Parish, and Greenhut; the U.S. Government; Cannex Financial Exchanges Ltd.; attorney Daniel Szostkiewicz; Milone & MacBroom; a consulting firm providing civil-engineering, planning, landscape-architecture, and land-survey services; and O&G Industries, a construction-services company.
In total, a dozen or so new tenants, including GZA and BMC HealthNet, will absorb 52,043 square feet. That leaves another 82,491 still dark, but Plotkin says he has a strong prospect sheet and sees many reasons for optimism. For starters, there’s the building’s high retention rate among tenants approaching the end of their leases, including Disability Management Services, which occupies 43,000 square feet.
Meanwhile, Plotkin says he’s witnessing companies moving from the suburbs — and even Northern Conn. — into downtown Springfield, something that wasn’t happening a few years ago. And he’s also hearing a number of positive comments from tenants, even about the parking, or perceived lack thereof.
“We’re seeing companies like GZA coming downtown from places like East Longmeadow,” he said. “I think it’s very encouraging when you see things like that happening. And while I think location is certainly part of the reason, what we’ve been able to do with this building is also a big factor.
“I think this building is now in a class of its own by virtue of the service level we offer,” he continued. “One of the things that I said right from the beginning when I invested in this property is that we had to assemble the best management team that we could. And we have, and that’s because I knew that the biggest risk that I had here wasn’t so much whether I could lease up the building — I knew I could do that — but keeping the ones that we had.”
But Plotkin knows there is still considerable work to do to fill vacant space across several floors of the tower. He said he intends to be aggressive in marketing the space, adding new amenities such as valet parking to address that nagging concern among some prospective tenants, and continue to look for ways to add value to the equation.
The umbrellas are a simple example of such value adding, he said, adding that other, more elaborate efforts include plans for what he called a ‘high-tech conference room’ to be made available to tenants as well as businesses across the region, more art exhibits, and additional events, or “happenings,” as Plotkin called them, aimed at bringing tenants together.
Over the past few years such events have ranged from music programs to an appearance from the Zoo at Forest Park’s Zoo on the Go, to a program featuring exotic birds.
“The plaza here is a place where people come together,” he said. “It’s a whole different feel, and people want that. They like seeing other people around; it feels safe, it feels comfortable, it’s enjoyable on a beautiful day.”

Success Stories
There are still a number of dark floors at One Financial Plaza — nearly 40% of the building remains unoccupied.
But little by little, a few thousand square feet at a time, the tower is gaining new tenants and additional vibrancy.
In short, more people are coming to the same conclusion as Steve Roy — that this mailing address simply makes good sense.

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

Incorporations

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

AMHERST
 
Amherst Inn Co., 155 South Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002. Peter Shea, same. Restaurant and Inn.
 
CAIA Foundation Inc., 100 University Dr., Amherst, MA 01002. E. Craig Asche,
36 Laurel Hill Dr., Leverett, MA 01054. Charitable organization established to promote religious, scientific and literary educational purposes.

BELCHERTOWN
 
Auction Shipper Inc., 442 State St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Aytac Camdeviren, same. Shipping and receiving.

EASTHAMPTON
 
Feeding Tube Records Inc., 150 Pleasant St., Suite 235, Easthampton, MA 01027. Edward Lee, same.

EAST LONGMEADOW
 
Auto Glass Replacement Inc., 119 Pleasant St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028.
Ann Bean, same. Auto glass replacement.
 
Gutter Protection Systems Inc., 123 Melwood Ave., East Longmeadow, MA 01028.
Michael Gregory Jr., same. Sales, distribution, and installation of gutter systems.

FLORENCE
 
Bidwell ID Inc., 30 North Maple St., Florence, MA 01062. John Bidwell, same. Strategic marketing and branding design and consultation services.

GREENFIELD
 
Fisher Express Inc., 331 Wells St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Michael Fisher, same. Trucking company.

HATFIELD
 
Data Engines Corp., 450 Main St., Hatfield, MA 01038. Walker Lee, same. Software and computation services.
 
HOLYOKE
 
Arena Realty Inc., 75 Lyman St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Luis Arena, same. Real estate investment and management company.
 
IHEG Inc., 47 Jackson St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Eric Suher, 28 Jefferson St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Organization, promotion and conduction of entertainment at musical venues.

LENOX
 
Guenhwyvar Inc., 55 Pittsfield Lenox Road, Lenox, MA 01240. Michelle Vanallen, 24 Rotermel Lane, Kinderhook, NY 12106. Restaurant and bar.

LUDLOW
 
Appleton Healthcare Franchising Pro Inc., 185 West Ave., Suite 101, Ludlow, MA 01056. Rebecca Pacquette, same. Franchise health care staffing business model.
 
East Baking Co. Inc., 220 West St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Danny Serra, same.
 
Funland Party Rentals Inc., 29 Deerhill Circle, Ludlow, MA 01056. Pedro Almeida, 56 Lillian Ave., Ludlow, MA 01056. Party supply rentals

NORTHAMPTON
 
Intake Advantage Inc., 355 Bridge St., Northampton, MA 01060. Brigitte Freda, same. Web site development, design, hosting consulting, and other Web-related services to businesses.

PITTSFIELD
 
A Mind Full of Life Inc., 133 High St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Randal Williams, same. Mindfullness education and retreats.

SPRINGFIELD
 
Helaman Inc., 109 Vincent St., Springfield, MA 01129. Harold Wilson, same. E-commerce activities.
 
Ianello & Brittain, P.C., 55 State St., Suite 201, Springfield, MA 01103. Richard Ianello, 17 Woodside Dr., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Law practice.
 
JDR Construction Inc., 34 Grant St., Springfield, MA 01105. Jailyn Rosario, same. General contractor.
 
JRL Construction Inc., 1145 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103. James Lessard, 24 Arcadia Blvd., Springfield, MA 01118. General contractor.

WEST SPRINGFIELD
 
Ares Inc., 387 Riverdale St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Richard Harty, same.

WILLIAMSTOWN
 
Afghan Youth Initiative Inc., 18 Mill St., Williamstown, MA 01267. Matiullah Amin, same. Charitable and education organization.

A Banner Day for the Unions

By
Amy Royal
Sections Supplements
National Labor Relations Board Declares Union ‘Shame’ Banners Lawful

Amy Royal

Amy Royal

In light of the new Democratic majority on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), many businesses have braced themselves for the flurry of pro-union decisions likely to come. In fact, in a decision issued in September, the new NLRB confirmed its suspected pro-union stance by significantly expanding a union’s ability to protest against neutral, secondary employers by displaying large stationary banners at their facilities.
In United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Local Union No. 1506, 355 NLRB No. 159, the union accused several non-unionized construction contractors of paying substandard wages and benefits to their employees. In order to put pressure on the contractors to change their ways, the union began protesting at companies that utilized the services of the contractors (so called neutral businesses). In doing so, the union displayed large banners at the neutral businesses’ worksites that were three to four feet high and 15 to 20 feet long and contained messages, such as “SHAME ON [neutral business]” or “DON’T EAT RA SUSHI” directed at a sushi restaurant that did business with one of the contractors. Each message was flanked on either side with the words “LABOR DISPUTE” and were held as close as 15 feet from the entrance to the neutral company’s worksite.
Benjamin Bristol

Benjamin Bristol

In addition to displaying the banners, union representatives also distributed handbills to the public explaining their underlying labor dispute concerning the contractors who purportedly were not paying their employees enough. The handbills stated that consumers who patronized the neutral customers were “contributing to the undermining of area labor standards.”
The neutral businesses sued the union for unfair labor practices, contending that the union’s conduct by displaying banners at their businesses involved them in the union’s dispute with the contractors and, thus, amounted to a secondary boycott in violation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Section 8 of the NLRA prohibits secondary boycotts. Indeed, under the NLRA, secondary boycotts are defined as a labor union’s conduct that threatens, coerces, or restrains any person with the intention of forcing that person to cease their business dealings with any other person. The purpose behind the secondary boycott provision is to shield neutral businesses from improper pressure to stop them from doing business with a company with which a union has a dispute.
This issue of whether a stationary banner violated the NLRA had never been addressed before. Picketing at neutral companies, however, had previously been declared unlawful under the NLRA because of the confrontations that could occur between the picketers and other individuals who attempt to cross the picket line.
In a 3-2 decision, the NLRB held that the union’s conduct was not threatening or coercive and, therefore, did not violate the secondary-boycott provisions of the NLRA. In reaching this decision, the NLRB ruled that “the banner displays here did not constitute such proscribed picketing because they did not create a confrontation. Banners are not picketing signs … [and] the banner holders did not move, shout, impede access [to], or otherwise interfere with the [neutral customers’] operations.”
Despite the inherent similarities between picket signs and banners, the NLRB majority reasoned that, even though union representatives held the banners, the banners were not threatening or likely to lead to a confrontation like picketing because the banners were held in a stationary position and placed at a sufficient distance away from the neutral businesses’ entrances, and the individuals passing by could simply ignore the banners.
The NLRB’s decision signifies a considerable expansion of a labor union’s rights under the NLRA. By allowing the display of banners at a neutral party’s place of business, unions have increased their protesting power and access to companies and their employees with which they have no contractual relationship. Beyond these immediate implications, the NLRB’s decision also appears to foreshadow the types of decisions that will come out of the new Obama NLRB. Now that the term of Republican Peter Schaumber has expired, the current NLRB is comprised of only four members, three of which are considered to embrace pro-union views because of their lengthy prior careers as labor-side attorneys.
Pro-union decisions are likely to increase even more due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this year voiding nearly 600 NLRB decisions from January 2008 to April 2010 when there were only two members sitting on the board. In response, the NLRB has begun to reconsider those cases. 
Because of the new dynamic of the NLRB and because of unions’ increased efforts to organize, non-union businesses should begin assessing their vulnerabilities to any potential organizing efforts and then create strategies, in consult with their labor and employment counsel, for responding to any such organizing efforts.

Amy B. Royal, Esq. and Benjamin A. Bristol, Esq. specialize exclusively in management-side labor and employment law at Royal & Klimczuk, LLC, a women-owned, boutique, management-side labor- and employment-law firm; (413) 586-2288; [email protected]

Growth Pattern

By
Super Sixty
Sections Supplements
Region’s Top-performing Companies to Be Honored on Oct. 29
Super Sixty

Super Sixty

Formerly called The Fabulous 50, the Super 60 has become a tradition in Western Mass., a celebration of successful businesses. That tradition will continue with this year’s Super 60 lunch on Oct. 29 at Chez Josef. Individual companies will be honored, but the event will be recognizing the bigger picture — the depth and diversity of the region’s business community.

Russ Denver says the annual Super 60 luncheon has become a celebration of business success in Western Massachusetts.
For 22 years now, nearly 1,000 people have been gathering at Chez Josef not merely to honor the 60 winners in the Total Revenue and Revenue Growth categories (there were 10 fewer in the early days when the program was called the Fabulous 50), but to recognize the depth and diversity of the business community, and the number of success stories being written every year.
“We’re honoring individual companies and the people who manage them,” said Denver, “but we’re also celebrating the sum of what the 60 companies mean for this region, and that is a vibrant, diversified economy — a chain with many strong links.”
The 2010 event, slated for Oct. 29, will be more of the same, said Denver, noting that this year’s 60 companies — and both categories of entries — represent virtually every sector of the economy, from financial services to education; from human services to manufacturing; from health care to retail.
Combined, the companies in the Revenue category recorded sales of more than $850 million in 2009, said Denver, Meanwhile, companies in the Growth column averaged revenue increases of at least 35%.
The top finisher in the Revenue category, Whalley Computer Associates in Southwick, has been a regular at the top of that chart for the past several years. Springfield College, one of two area colleges to make the Super 60 (American International College qualified in revenue growth) placed second, while Sarat Ford in Agawam, placed third.
In the Growth category, Convergent Solutions in Wilbraham, a medical-billing-solutions company, finished at the top of the charts, while FIT (Fallon Information Technology) Solutions LLC, an IT placement-services company, finished second, and Universal Mind, a digital-solutions agency, placed third.
Both categories are defined by diversity, as the accompanying business profiles starting on page 27 clearly show.
The Revenue category includes the Center for Human Development, the Log Cabin, Pinsley Railroad Co., Rocky’s Hardware, Tighe & Bond, and W.F. Young, among others. The Growth ledger, meanwhile, includes Consolidated Health Plans, Adam Quenneville Roofing and Siding, Holyoke-Chicopee-Springfield Head Start, United Personnel, Valley Communications, and the YWCA of Western Massachusetts.
The Oct. 29 luncheon will be from 11:30 to 1:30. The keynote speaker will be Steven Little, a business-growth expert who will deliver a talk titled “The Milkshake Moment: Overcoming Stupid Systems, Pointless Policies, and Muddled Management to Realize Real Growth,” which is also the title of one of his books. A former president of three fast-growth companies, Little now advises business owners and managers. He is a former consultant for Inc. magazine, and is the author of several other books, including The 7 Irrefutable Rules of Small Business Growth and Duck and Recover: the Embattled Business Owner’s Guide to Survival and Growth.
For more information on the luncheon or to order seats ($50 for chamber members, $70 for non-members), call (413) 787-1555. n

TOTAL REVENUE
(Top 3, then the remaining listed alphabetically)

Whalley Computer Associates Inc.
One Whalley Way, Southwick, MA 01077
(413) 569-4200
www.wca.com
John Whalley, president
WCA is a locally owned family business that has evolved from a hardware resale and service group in the 1970s and 1980s into a company that now focuses on lowering the total cost of ownership of technology and productivity enhancement for its customers. Whalley carries name-brand computers as well as low-cost performance compatibles.

Springfield College
263 Alden St., Springfield, MA 01109
(413) 748-3000
www.springfieldcollege.edu
Dr. Richard Flynn, president
Founded in 1885, SC is a private, independent, coeducational, four-year college offering undergraduate and graduate-degree programs with its Humanics philosophy — educating students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others.

Sarat Ford Sales Inc.
245 Springfield St., Agawam, MA 01001
(888) 254-2911
saratford.dealerconnection.com
John Sarat Jr., CEO
Founded in 1929, Sarat has grown to become the largest Ford dealership in Western Mass. The third-generation business sells a wide variety of new and used vehicles and boasts a 24-bay service center with a $1 million parts inventory, and has received Ford’s Distinguished Achievement Award for excellent customer service multiple times.

American International College
1000 State St., Springfield, MA 01109
(800) 242-3142
www.aic.edu
Vincent Maniaci, president
Launched in 1885, AIC is a private, coeducational, four-year institution in the geographic center of Springfield. Liberal arts serves as the core in all its academic offerings, and the college is organized into schools of Arts, Education and Sciences; Business Administration; Health Sciences; and Continuing and Extended Studies.

Associated Electro-Mechanics Inc.
185 Rowland St., Springfield, MA 01107
(413) 781-4276
www.aemservices.com
Elayne Lebeau, CEO
Associated Electro-Mechanics Inc. is the largest independent industrial service center in the Northeast, providing industry with services that cover electrical, mechanical, machining, welding, and field services. Its multifaceted field-service crews and a staff of electrical and mechanical engineers complement the departmentalized staff operations.

Center For Human Development
332 Birnie Ave., Springfield, MA 01107
(413) 439-2252
www.chd.org
James Goodwin, CEO
CHD was founded in 1972 on a philosophy of helping people in the community, a major departure from the prevailing system of placing people in institutions. Almost four decades later, CHD is still providing vital support to needy children, people with psychiatric and developmental disabilities, the elderly, and the homeless.

Chez Josef Inc.
176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 786-0257
www.chezjosef.com
Linda Skole, president
Chez Josef has 40 years of experience in culinary and special-event planning, specializing in corporate events, nonprofit fund-raisers, holiday parties, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, and off-premise catering. Executive Chef Marcel Ouimet was recently awarded the “Chef of the Year” honor by the Western Mass. Restaurant Assoc.

CSW Inc.
45 Tyburski Road, Ludlow, MA 01056
(413) 800-9522
www.cswgraphics.com
Laura Wright, president
CSW Inc. has provided integrated services for packaging since 1937, including brand support, brand visualization, creative services, image engineering, flexographic printing plates, steel rule cutting dies, and workflow coordination. CSW has facilities in Ludlow; Rochester, N.Y.; and Toledo, Ohio to service national and international brands.

Delaney Restaurant Inc.
500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 535-5077
www.logcabin-delaney.com
Peter Rosskothen, president
The Delaney House restaurant offers 13 private, themed rooms for any special occasion, with seating for up to 260. It offers two dining options — fine dining and the more casual Mick — and has been voted Best Brunch in the Pioneer Valley.

Dimauro Carpet & Tile Inc.
185 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028
(413) 525-1991
www.dimaurocarpet.com
Vincent Dimauro, president
For more than 30 years, Dimauro has been a provider and installer of carpet, tile, and wood and laminate flooring for residential and business customers in Western Mass. and Northern Conn.

Disability Management Services Inc.
1350 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 523-1126
www.disabilitymanagementservices.com
Robert Bonsall Jr., president
Founded in 1995, DMS is an independent, full-service third-party administrator and consulting firm, specializing in the management of individual and group disability products. DMS is headquartered in Springfield, with an additional office located in Syracuse, N.Y., and employs more than 200 professional associates.

Environmental Compliance Services Inc.
588 Silver St., Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 789-3530
www.ecsconsult.com
Mark Hellstein, CEO
For more than 25 years, ECS has specialized in environmental site assessments; testing for asbestos, lead, indoor air quality, and mold; drilling and subsurface investigations; and emergency-response management.

Insurance Center of New England
246 Park St., West Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 750-7101
www.icnegroup.com
Dean Florian, president
In operation since 1866, Insurance Center of New England Group (ICNE Group) is a locally owned, independent insurance agency, providing full-service insurance solutions for individuals and businesses.

Joseph Freedman Co. Inc.
115 Stevens St., Springfield, MA 01104
(888) 677-7818
www.josephfreedmanco.com
John Freedman, president
Founded in 1891, the company provides industrial scrap-metal recycling, specializing in aluminum, copper, nickel alloys, and aircraft scrap, and has two facilities in Springfield — a 120,000-square-foot indoor ferrous facility, and a 60,000-square-foot chopping operation.

Kittredge Equipment Co.
100 Bowles Road, Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 304-4100
www.kittredgeequipment.com
Wendy Webber, CEO
Serving a variety of establishments and institutions for more than 80 years, Kittredge is a one-stop, full-service equipment and supplies dealership for the food-service industry, with three showroom locations — in Agawam, Natick, and Williston, Vt.

The Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House
500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 535-5077
www.logcabin-delaney.com
Peter Rosskothen, president
Set against the Mount Tom range, the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House offers quality banquet facilities for events including weddings, showers, anniversaries, engagement parties, bar/bat mitzvahs, business meetings, holiday parties, and more.

Marcotte Ford Sales
1025 Main St., Holyoke, MA 01040
(800) 923-9810
www.marcotteford.com
Bryan Marcotte, president
The dealership sells new Ford vehicles as well as pre-owned cars, trucks, and SUVs, and feature a full service department. Marcotte has achieved the President’s Award, one of the most prestigious honors given by Ford Motor Co., for nine years.

Maybury Material Handling
90 Denslow Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028
(413) 525-4216
www.maybury.com
John Maybury, president
Since 1976, Maybury Material Handling has been designing, supplying, and servicing all types of material-handling equipment throughout New England. Maybury provides customers in a wide range of industries with solutions to move, lift, and store their parts and products.

Northeast Treaters Inc.
201 Springfield Road, Belchertown, MA 01007
(413) 323-7811
www.netreaters.com
David Reed, president
Northeast Treaters was founded in 1985 as a manufacturer of pressure-treated lumber. In 1996, an additional facility was added in Athens, N.Y. to produce fire-retardant treated lumber and kiln-dried before- and after-treatment products.

Pinsly Railroad Co. Inc.
53 Southampton Road, Westfield, MA 01085
(413) 568-6426
www.pinsly.com
John Levine, CEO
Pinsly Railroad Co., founded in 1938, is one of the oldest short-line railroad companies in the country. Pinsly focuses on acquiring short-line railroads and revitalizing branch and feeder lines of Class I and regional carriers. It now owns and operates numerous railroads and warehouse/distribution facilities.

Rediker Software Inc.
2 Wilbraham Road, Hampden, MA 01036
(800) 213-9860
www.rediker.com
Richard Rediker, president
Rediker Software is used by school administrators across the U.S. and in more than 100 countries, and is designed to meet the student-information-management needs of all types of schools and districts.

Robert F. Scott Co. Inc.
467 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow, MA 01106
(413) 567-7089
Leonard P. Rising III, president
Robert F. Scott Co. Inc. (known as Longmeadow Garage) is a locally owned and operated, full-service gasoline and automotive service station. Its staff includes ASE-certified technicians well-versed in all makes and models.

Rocky’s Hardware Inc.
40 Island Pond Road, Springfield, MA 01118
(413) 781-1650
www.rockys.com
Rocco Falcone II, president
With locations throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, the family-run business founded in 1926 is a fully stocked, convenient source for not only typical hardware-store items but also a line of goods for the home, yard, and garden.

Specialty Bolt & Screw Inc.
235 Bowles Road, Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 789-6700
www.specialtybolt.com
Alan Crosby, CEO
Founded in 1977, Specialty Bolt & Screw Inc. is a distributor of innovative fastener solutions. The company has engineering resources on staff to help determine the optimum fastener for each application, and utilizes state-of-the-art technology along with more than 30 years of experience to help clients achieve their objectives.

Spectrum Analytical Inc.
11 Almgren Dr., Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 789-9018
www.spectrum-analytical.com
Dr. Hanibal Tayeh, CEO
For more than a decade, Spectrum Analytical Inc. has provided quantitative analysis of soil, water, and, more recently, air samples, as well as petroleum products. Consulting firms, industries, municipalities, universities, and the public sector are among the constituencies that make up the client list.

Sullivan & Associates Inc.
551 East Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01105
(413) 733-6100
www.sullivanandassoc.com
Linda Sullivan, executive director
Sullivan & Associates provides individualized residential and day programs for people with developmental disabilities, interfering behaviors, and mental-health concerns. Its programs are based on a philosophy of unconditional positive regard.

Tighe & Bond Inc.
53 Southampton Road, Westfield, MA 01085
(413) 562-1600
www.tighebond.com
David Pinsky, president
Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2011, Tighe & Bond specializes in environmental engineering, focusing on water, wastewater, solid-waste, and hazardous-waste issues, and provides innovative engineering services to public and private clients around the country and overseas.

Titan USA Enterprises Inc.
140 Baldwin St., West Springfield, MA 01089
(888) 482-6872
www.titanman.com
Ralph Colby, CEO
For almost four decades, Tutan USA Enterprises has served industrial distributors as a manufacturer of premium-quality, solid-carbide, high-speed steel, and cobalt cutting tools.

University Products Inc.
517 Main St., Holyoke, MA 01040
(800) 628-1912
www.universityproducts.com
David Magoon, CEO
University Products is a group of companies run by a family with roots in the archiving business that offers products to restore, preserve, and display collectibles, photographs, paper documents, and heirlooms.

W.F. Young Inc.
302 Benton Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028
(800) 628-9653
www.absorbine.com
Tyler Young, CEO
This family-run business prides itself on offering a variety of high-quality products that can effectively improve the well-being of both people and horses with its Absorbine brands.

GROWTH
(Top 3, then the remaining listed alphabetically)

Convergent Solutions Inc.
95 Post Office Park, Wilbraham, MA 01095
(413) 509-1000
Arlene Kelly, CEO
A health care billing solutions provider founded in 2006, Convergent Solutions provides hardware and software that help eliminate human error in medical billing processes, thus helping bring down the cost of health care.

FIT Solutions, LLC
25 Bremen St., Springfield, MA 01108
(413) 733-6466
www.fitsolutions.us
Jacqueline Fallon, CEO
FIT (Fallon Information Technology) Solutions provides staffing services for local IT positions. Launched in 2004 and serving both Massachusetts and Connecticut, the company doesn’t focus on the quantity of openings in the market, but takes a personal approach to staffing by focusing on quality.

Universal Mind Inc.
94 North Elm St., Suite 306, Westfield, MA 01085
(866) 429-2481
www.universalmind.com
Brett Cortese, CEO
Universal Mind is a digital-solutions agency specializing in custom, enterprise-grade, interactive applications for the Web, desktop, kiosks, and mobile and embedded devices. It creates engaging user experiences for customers on any device they use, strengthening client relationships, reducing operating costs, and opening new revenue streams.

Adam Quenneville Roofing and Siding
160 Old Lyman Road, South Hadley, MA 01075
(413) 525-0025
1800newroof.net
Adam Quenneville, CEO
Adam Quenneville offers a wide range of residential and commercial services, including new roofs, retrofitting, roof repair, roof cleaning, vinyl siding, replacement windows, and the no-clog Gutter Shutter system. The company earned the 2010 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for trust, performance, and integrity.

American International College
1000 State St., Springfield, MA 01109
(800) 242-3142
www.aic.edu
Vincent Maniaci, president
Launched in 1885, AIC is a private, coeducational, four-year institution in the geographic center of Springfield. Liberal arts serves as the core in all its academic offerings, and the college is organized into schools of Arts, Education and Sciences; Business Administration; Health Sciences; and Continuing and Extended Studies.

The Axia Group
73 Market Place, Springfield, MA 01115
(413) 205-2942
www.axiagroup.net
Michael Long, CEO
Professionals in five offices across the Pioneer Valley provide a variety of personal insurance products for automobiles, homes, and watercraft, as well as commercial lines that range from liability insurance, property coverage, and workers’ compensation to employee benefits and fiduciary and surety coverage.

Benchmark Carbide
572 St. James Ave., Springfield MA 01109
(413) 732-7470
www.benchmarkcarbide.com
Paul St. Louis, president
A manufacturer of carbide end mills and reamers, Benchmark (a division of Custom Carbide Corp.) sells its products to distributors throughout the continental U.S. and Canada. Its extensive line of products includes its bestselling aluminum series and its patented variable-helix end mills.

Braman Chemical Enterprises
147 Almgren Dr., Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 732-9009
www.braman.biz
Gerald Lazarus, president
Braman has been serving New England since 1890, using state-of-the-art pest-elimination procedures for commercial and residential customers. The company has offices in Agawam, Worcester, and Lee, as well as Hartford and New Haven, Conn.

Center For Human Development
332 Birnie Ave., Springfield, MA 01107
(413) 439-2252
www.chd.org
James Goodwin, CEO
CHD was founded in 1972 on a philosophy of helping people in the community, a major departure from the prevailing system of placing people in institutions. Almost four decades later, CHD is still providing vital support to needy children, people with psychiatric and developmental disabilities, the elderly, and the homeless.

Communication Solutions Partners Inc.
One Whalley Way, Southwick, MA 01077
(413) 569-4200
www.csp-net.com
Paul Whalley, vice president
Communication Solutions Partners (CSP) is a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) and an affiliated company of Whalley Computer Associates. CSP provides many of the basic services of a telecom company, such as local and long distance, voice over IP, Internet, and data services.

Complete Healthcare Solutions Inc.
1497 North Main St., Palmer, MA 01069
(800) 250-8687
www.completehealthcaresolutions.com
Michael Penna, CEO
Founded in 1994, CHS provides affordable software solutions for small to mid-sized health care practices. The company helps customers with electronic medical records, practice-management software, medical billing, document management, data security, and a host of other services.

Consolidated Health Plans Inc.
2077 Roosevelt Ave., Springfield, MA 01104
(413) 733-4540
www.consolidatedhealthplan.com
Kevin Saremi, president
Established in 1993, Consolidated Health Plans is a leader in providing third-party claims administration of medical, dental, disability, flex, accident, and life insurance programs for employees and college students throughout the country.

The Dennis Group, LLC
1537 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 746-0054
www.dennisgrp.com
Tom Dennis, CEO
The Dennis Group offers complete planning, design, architectural, engineering, and construction-management services. The firm is comprised of experienced engineering and design professionals dedicated to excellence in the implementation of food-manufacturing processes and facilities.

FieldEddy Insurance
96 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028
(413) 233-2100
www.fieldeddy.com
Samuel Hanmer, president
One of the fastest-growing independent insurance providers in Western Mass., FieldEddy offers financial services, commercial insurance, personal insurance, and employee benefits. Its family of agencies offers a complete range of services for personal and business needs.

Footit Surgical Supplies Inc.
340 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 733-7843
www.footit.com
Marc Lucas, president
Footit Health Care Store has been providing the region with medical and health-maintenance products since 1953. It stocks various styles of walkers, wheelchairs, athletic braces, incontinence products, scooters, access ramps, mastectomy forms and bras, lift chairs, stairway elevators, diabetic shoes, wound-care products, and more.

Gandara Center
147 Norman St., West Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 736-8329
www.gandaracenter.org
Dr. Henery East-Trou, CEO
Focusing on the Latino/Hispanic community, Gandara Center provides substance-abuse recovery, mental-health, and housing services for men, women, children, adolescents, and families throughout the Pioneer Valley.

The Gaudreau Group
1984 Boston Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095
(800) 750-3534
www.gaudreaugroup.com
Jules Gaudreau Jr., president
The Gaudreau Group is an insurance and financial-services agency serving neighboring families and businesses since 1921. It offers a consultative approach to assessing needs and risks and then offering a custom solution.

Haluch Water Contracting Inc.
399 Fuller St., Ludlow, MA 01056
(413) 589-1254
Thomas Haluch, president
For 26 years, Haluch has served the region as a water-main construction and excavation contractor specializing in water, sewer, pipeline, and communications and power-line construction.

Holyoke-Chicopee-Springfield Head Start Inc.
30 Madison Ave., Springfield, MA 01105
(413) 788-6522
www.hcsheadstart.org
Janis Santos, executive director
Holyoke-Chicopee-Springfield Head Start is committed to providing low-income children and their families with a source of support for a brighter future. It does so by providing high-quality, comprehensive child-development services to enrolled children and empowering families to achieve stability in their home environment.

Jet Industries Inc.
307 Silver St., Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 781-2010
Michael Turrini, president
Jet Industries manufactures aircraft engines, parts, and equipment, as well as turbines and turbine-generator sets and parts, aircraft power systems, flight instrumentation, and aircraft landing and braking systems.

The Markens Group
1350 Main St., Suite 1508, Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 686-9199
www.markens.com
Ben Markens, president
Markens has guided hundreds of businesses toward excellence since 1988. It provides services in strategic management, profit planning, sales and marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and more.

Mental Health Association Inc.
995 Worthington St., Springfield, MA 01109
(413) 734-5376
www.mhainc.org
Linda Williams, executive director
The Mental Health Assoc. Inc. provides residential and support services to enhance the quality of life for individuals challenged with mental impairments. Affordable quality housing, advocacy, and public education are part of the agency’s dedication to empowering individuals to develop their fullest potential.

Moriarty & Primack P.C.
One Monarch Place, Springfield, MA 01144
(413) 739-1800
www.mass-cpa.com
Jay Primack, CEO
While audit and tax services continue to be a dominant aspect of the accounting firm’s business, practice professionals also provide a wide range of services in the areas of tax-planning and tax-compliance services.

Pioneer Spine & Sports Physicians
271 Park St., West Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 785-1153
www.spinesports.com
Dr. Scott Cooper, CEO
The practice specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of neurologic and musculoskeletal disorders. While best known for expertise in sports medicine and spine care, it treats a wide variety of conditions. In addition to routine non-operative care, the practice also provides the latest in minimally invasive and reconstructive surgery of the spine.

Proshred (EOS Approach Inc.)
75 Post Office Park, Suite 7401, Wilbraham, MA 01095
(413) 596-5479
www.proshred.com
Joseph Kelly, CEO
Proshred is a paper-shredding company providing secure on-site document-shredding and recycling services for safeguarding private information, maintaining legislative compliance, and protecting public image.

Spectrum Analytical Inc.
11 Almgren Dr., Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 789-9018
Dr. Hanibal Tayeh, CEO
For more than a decade, Spectrum Analytical Inc. has provided quantitative analysis of soil, water, and air samples, as well as petroleum products. Consulting firms, industries, municipalities, universities, and the public sector are among the constituencies that make up the client list.

Sullivan & Associates Inc.
551 East Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01105
(413) 733-6100
www.sullivanandassoc.com
Linda Sullivan, executive director
Sullivan & Associates provides individualized residential and day programs for people with developmental disabilities, interfering behaviors, and mental-health concerns. Its programs are based on a philosophy of unconditional positive regard.

United Personnel Services Inc.
1331 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 736-0800
www.unitedpersonnel.com
Mary Ellen Scott, president
United provides a full range of staffing services, including temporary staffing and full-time placement, on-site project management, and strategic recruitment in the Springfield, Hartford, and Northampton areas, specializing in administrative, professional, medical, and light-industrial staff.

Valley Communications Systems Inc.
201 First Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 592-4136
www.valleycommunications.com
James Tremble, president
Valley is a diversified communications company serving New England with broadband TV distribution systems, satellite-dish installations, data and voice cabling, computer interactive whiteboards, data/video projection equipment and systems, videoconference room design, telephone systems, sound systems, security systems, and AV equipment.

YWCA Of Western Massachusetts
One Clough St., Springfield, MA 01118
(413) 733-7100
www.springfieldy.org
Mary Riordan, executive director
The YWCA is a worldwide organization seeking to bring women of diverse backgrounds together to work toward a common vision of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people. The YWCA of Western Massachusetts is a private, not-for-profit charitable corporation and a certified woman-owned business.

By
Cover October 11, 2010
Cover Story
Casinos — and a Town — Are in Limbo

Cover October 11, 2010

Cover October 11, 2010

Town Council President Paul Burns says a proposed $1 billion casino casts a big shadow over the town of Palmer, a very big shadow. And this makes the current stalemate on the issue of gaming on Beacon Hill quite frustrating to those who support the initiative and the jobs and tax revenue it will generate. In some respects, the Palmer casino is closer to reality than ever, but in others, resolution of the matter still seems far off amid questions about who will be leading the state come January and whether he can broker a Palmer-friendly casino deal. Ultimately, many believe casinos are simply too big to fail in the Bay State.

“Hopeful frustration.”
That’s the phrase Paul Burns summoned, after a few moments of careful consideration, to describe his mindset these days, a few months after gaming legislation that seemed destined to pass in Boston fell by the wayside instead.
Failure on the part of the governor and Legislature to seal a deal on casinos has left gaming — and the town of Palmer, which Burns serves as town councilor — in a serious state of limbo, one where Mohegan Sun’s plans to build a $1 billion resort casino on a hillside parcel just off the Mass. Turnpike are agonizingly close to becoming reality, yet, in some ways, no closer than they were years ago.
That’s where the frustration comes in.
As for ‘hopeful,’ well, Burns, like many others in this town who support gaming, believes that casinos are essentially too big to fail in the Bay State, and that common sense dictates that if several casinos are approved — or even one — Palmer is the state’s first, best choice.
“It was very frustrating to watch the process — I couldn’t understand why the three groups couldn’t get together on this,” said Burns, noting that he’s become an unofficial spokesperson for supporters of a casino, although he stressed repeatedly that he speaks for himself, not the nine-member Town Council as a whole. “But at the end of the day, I think common sense will prevail and this will get done.”
Whether casinos are indeed too big to fail is still a matter for debate, but there’s no debating that the proposed facility in Palmer is a nearly all-consuming matter there, where the assessor’s office estimates that a casino on the scale being planned could bring the town more than $15 million in total tax revenues annually, nearly double the amount collected now. Meanwhile, there are estimates that the casino will create more than 3,000 jobs (not to mention 1,500 temporary construction jobs) and spur more ancillary economic development, and it will certainly change the landscape of the community in just about every way that word can be defined.
“Let’s just say it casts a very big shadow,” said Burns, noting that, while things haven’t ground to a halt while the gaming issue plays itself out, much of what happens in this town business- and economic-development-wise will be impacted by whether the casino becomes reality. “I want to see a casino project, but everyone wants to see a resolution to this matter.”
These are indeed frustrating, anxious times for Palmer. It has been 14 years, by Burns’ count, since the issue of a casino was first raised here. Over the past few years, gaming bills have come increasingly closer to passage, but have never made it to fruition. In late June, things came apart in an almost maddening way, as Gov. Deval Patrick and leaders of the state House and Senate could not reconcile their differences over how many slot parlors, or ‘racinos,’ as they’re called, the state should license, scuttling legislation that most in Palmer and elsewhere thought would pass — in some form.
Now, there is optimism that a measure can be passed next year or even this fall. But there are also nagging questions, especially about who will be governor come January and what that individual’s mindset will be when it comes to gaming.
Republican candidate Charles Baker has said publicly that he supports one casino to start to see how gaming and the Commonwealth suit one another. If Baker prevails in November, and sticks to that plan, will Palmer be the chosen site?
For this issue, BusinessWest examines the mood in Palmer and the thought processes moving forward as the elephant in the room that is casino gambling grows ever larger in stature.

High-stakes Proposition
It’s called Nostalgia Day.
That’s the name given to the annual community get-together in Palmer that marked its fifth year on Sept. 18. Once staged on Main Street, the event was moved a few years ago to Legion Field behind Converse Middle School. Nostalgia Day pays homage to the community’s past, especially its status as a rail hub; this is known as the ‘Town of Seven Railroads.’ This year, the event included everything from narrated trolley rides to a Wiffle ball tournament to entertainment ranging from polka music to a tribute to Fleetwood Mac.
While taking part in all those things, attendees were also talking about the casino, said Robert Young, president of K.E.Y. Property Services and also president of something called Palmer Businesses for a Palmer Casino. “And they were letting some anger out.”
“The frustration was palpable,” said Young as he described the general mood, at least among casino backers, and they are, according to most all assessments, in the majority in this community. “The issue’s not dead; it’s not moving forward, and it’s not moving backward. It’s in limbo.”
In some ways, it’s always been in that state. Palmer passed a resolution supporting a casino within its borders several years ago, and in 2007, the proposal for Mohegan Sun’s $1 billion facility — complete with a 164,000-square-foot casino, a 600-room hotel, 12 restaurants, and 100,000 square feet of retail space — took shape.
For the past several years, casinos have been the subject of debate on Beacon Hill, with the Palmer facility always taking prominence as one of the lead proposals and essentially the Western Mass. option. Over the past few years, gaming measures have been gaining momentum as the state’s fiscal situation has worsened and the need for additional revenue has risen.
Indeed, in previous years, the players in Boston never really came close to passing a measure, but earlier this past spring, Patrick, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, and Senate President Therese Murray were seemingly united in their support for some form of gaming measure.
They just couldn’t agree on the final details, especially those concerning the number of racinos, and once again, the clock ran out on the legislative session.
There is some speculation that the Legislature may return to session and vote on a casino bill this fall, but most consider it more likely that the issue will play itself out again next spring and summer, when there may be a new governor and several new legislators in office.
So this leaves casino backers watching, reading, assessing, and, well, weighing the odds.
Late last month, they read about the New England Gaming Summit, staged in Mohegan, Conn., where Mohegan Sun officials reaffirmed their commitment to a project in Massachusetts — and Palmer. “When Massachusetts is ready, we will be ready,” said Mitchell Grossinger Etess, the company’s president and CEO.
They’ve also read that, while more casinos are being proposed in the states surrounding Massachusetts, and the sector suffers through the effects of the Great Recession, the gaming industry remains bullish on New England, and Mohegan Sun is still focused on the Town of Seven Railroads.
“Palmer is without question the premier site for a casino resort in the Commonwealth,” Etess told the Gaming News late last month. “More than 11 million adults are within two hours of Palmer throughout New York and New England. Its central location makes it ideal to draw significant out-of-state traffic.”
While these signs look positive for casino backers, so, too do many of the comments from those now in the Legislature — and those who wish to unseat them in the November general election, said Leon Dragone, president of the Northeast Resort Group, which owns the proposed casino property and leases it to Mohegan Sun.
“I’ve been watching the legislative contests, from Cape Cod westward,” he said, “and almost everyone running is for casinos; no one is running away from this issue.”
Meanwhile, area legislators, as well as some from outside this region, seem to favor one of the resort casinos being located in Western Mass., said Dragone, adding that such strong support is a relatively new phenomenon and another reason to remain optimistic about the prospects for a Palmer casino.

A Winning Hand?
But while many signs seems to be pointing in the right direction, there are still a number of hurdles to clear and certainly no assurances that last summer’s close call will translate into triumph when the matter comes to the Legislature again.
And this is where much of the current frustration surfaces in Palmer, said Burns, noting that, to many, the casino has become Palmer’s best hope for economic revival after a prolonged slide during which most of the town’s manufacturing plants have closed down or moved out. And there really isn’t a plan B, or at least one that’s being given any real consideration until the casino mattered is settled — somehow.
“In the back of my mind, and for the sake of the town, I have to at least be prepared to say at some point, ‘if this doesn’t happen, what’s next?’” he told BusinessWest. “If it gets to that point, then I guess we’ve failed, and after two or three years of really hard work, that’ll be tough to deal with. But hopefully, we don’t wind up at that point.
“And if it doesn’t come here, the next steps are a little less clear,” he continued. “This helps to solve a lot of economic issues in one swoop. Without something of this magnitude, you’ve got to build in much smaller pieces; you’re not going to have someone come in and pay $9 million a year in property taxes — it’s going to take an awful lot of smaller entities to make up that difference.”
Young agreed. He said he’s watched a number of manufacturing facilities close or move, and only a fraction of the jobs lost have been replaced. The Monson Developmental Center, which is located in Palmer and employs several hundred people, is slated to be closed by the state in 2013, further reducing the base of jobs in the Quaboag area.
“We have to do something to create jobs here,” he said, “and a casino is easily our best option. People are losing their livelihoods here in Palmer, and that’s why this issue becomes extremely important.”
Moving forward, the main priority for Palmer casino backers is to stay visible, especially with regard to lawmakers, and drive home the point that the town intends to remain a prominent player in this realm.
“We’re trying to keep ourselves in the media so the focus stays on Palmer,” said Burns, “and people don’t assume we’ve given up or gone away.”
Young agreed, and said Palmer Businesses for a Palmer Casino is keeping the town’s name, intentions, and status as what he called “the frontrunner” in the casino race in front of people.
“We’re keeping the word alive,” he said, “that this bill is not dead, that Palmer and the business community are still active in pursuing this, and that most people in this town want this to happen.”
Meanwhile, Burns said he’s watching the governor’s race closely and knows who he’ll be voting for, although he’s not saying. He did say that this race poses some tricky questions for casino backers, and an atmosphere where it will be unlikely if individuals or groups like Palmer Businesses for a Palmer Casino will endorse either of the frontrunners, Patrick or Baker.
The latter is a somewhat unknown quantity on this issue, so he is somewhat of a wild card, said Burns. But Patrick, while he supports more resort casinos and essentially authored the legislation that came so close to passing, also gets most of the blame for the demise of this year’s effort.
“How can you go out and support the governor who killed the casino in Palmer?” asked Burns, referring to this year’s close call. “Still, you don’t want to tick off anyone; we need to be able to communicate with whoever ends up becoming governor in January.”
Sizing up the current state in Palmer, at least among casino backers, Burns again came back to that phrase ‘hopeful frustration,’ and said that mindset will likely remain until there is reason to lose either of those two words.
“There’s a sense in Palmer that this is still coming here,” he said. “We may be deluding ourselves, I don’t know; we understand it’s a process and there’s a lot to this process that still has to happen, but we’re hopeful this will work out for us.”

Still on Track?
Mohegan Sun officials have unveiled a new architect’s rendering of the planned Palmer casino. The new concept pays homage to the Town of Seven Railroads by incorporating what looks like a rail trestle into the design of the complex.
Whether this latest rendering actually moves off the drawing board and onto the hill just off exit 8 of the turnpike remains to be seen. Amid the myriad questions still to be answered, there is optimism among casino backers and that aforementioned hopeful frustration.
It may well be at least another nine or 10 months before they know for sure, but casino backers like Burns believe Palmer can and will eventually come out from under that shadow.

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

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of September 2010.

AGAWAM

Marcell Welton
44 Annable St.
$3,775 — 12’x18’ New England Cape storage building

CHICOPEE

Campanelli Chicopee II, LLC
21 Taxiway Dr.
$1,765,000 — Construct a 31,000-square-foot warehouse

Chicopee Housing Authority
400 Britton St.
$76,000 — Remove old generators and replace with new

GREENFIELD

Gary L. Schaefer
76 School St.
$6,300 — Install new rubber roof

YMCA
451 Main St.
$232,000 — Construction of a spa addition and other renovations

Pushkin, LLC
332 Main St.
$29,000 — Installation of a sprinkler system

United Arc of Franklin & Ham Inc.
111 Summer St.
$2,000 — Install two doors

HADLEY

CBR Realty Corporation
195 Russell St.
$5,000 — Office build out on the second floor

Town of Hadley School Department
131 Russell St.
$11,000 — Replacement of acoustical ceiling tile in cafeteria

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Health Center
230-234 Maple St.
$108,000 — Tenant fit-out of existing space

Holyoke Mall Company, LLP
50 Holyoke St.
$72,000 — Remodel existing Express store

KMART Corporation
2201-2211 Northampton St.
$328,000 — Construction of a new Taco Bell restaurant

O’C Ingleside, LLC
361 Whitney Ave.
$38,000 — Install finishes to existing space

LUDLOW

SMD Properties
90 Center St.
$8,000 — New siding

NORTHAMPTON

Coolidge Northampton, LLC
243 King St.
$9,300 — Construct interior partitions in Suite 239

F. L. Roberts & Company
188 North King St.
$7,500 — New façade

Florence Congregational Church
130 Pine St.
$7,300 — Construct partition wall to create large room

Thornes Marketplace LLC
150 Main St.
$21,000 — Renovate Rao’s Coffee Shop

SOUTH HADLEY

Loomis Community
7 Ivy Lane
$3,500 — Install insulation

SPRINGFIELD

City of Springfield
70 Tapley St.
$96,000 — Renovations on 1st floor

3640 Main St., LLC
3640 Main St.
$188,000 — Office fit up for Valley Medical Associates

3640 Main St., LLC
3640 Main St.
$561,000 — Office fit up for Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition

United House of Prayer
339 Wilbraham Road
$141,000 — Replace roofing and general maintenance

WESTFIELD

Mark Armanti
8 Turnpike Industrial Road
$385,000 – Construct new manufacturing building for cold storage

NEHTS
101 Springdale Road
$26,000 — Renovations

Samaritan Inn
7 Free St.
$18,000 — Re-roof

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Houston Enterprise
91 Riverdale St.
$209,000 — Remodel existing KFC restaurant

Oleg Abramettzer
553 Main St.
$5,000 — Renovate existing office space for hair salon

SBA Communications, Inc.
63 Bridge St.
$20,000 — Install three antennas and two communications cabinets

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies Departments

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

Ali, Hassan R.
115 Bellevue Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Alicea, Patricia
10 Willow St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Arbuzov, Tamara L.
21 Nassau St., 2nd Floor
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Bargalla, Thomas M.
21 Cottonwood Lane
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Barrus, Alan
Barrus, Norma
1467 Barre Road
Gilbertville, MA 01031
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/10

Beaudoin Group Ltd.
Beaudoin, Lawrence A.
Beaudoin, Julie C.
P.O. Box 1473
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Beaulieu, Michael G.
217 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Bednarzyk, William
29 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/10

Berthiaume, Rita C.
95 North Westfield St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Bissonnette, Jon N.
Bissonnette, Tabitha N.
75 Ashgrove St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Boudreau, Edmund A.
Boudreau, Coleen A.
316 White Pond Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/10

Britton, Bruce S.
Britton, Jessica A.
913 Shaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Camilleri, Richard P.
P.O. Box 334
Holyoke, MA 01041
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Carr, Tiffany M.
145 Harvard St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Chandler, Robert L.
372 Crescent St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Chartier, Julie
59 Reed St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Chilson, Phillip E.
P.O.Box 48
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Christopher, Kathryn A.
a/k/a Wilkens, Kathryn A.
P.O.Box 2752
Amherst, MA 01004-2752
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Claffey, Mary R.
20 Cross St. Unit D
Pepperell, MA 01463
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/10

Clapper, Ann M.
7 Grant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/10

Claudio, Dorcas
356 Allenpark Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/10

Cone, Kate A.
a/k/a Flanagan, Kate
a/k/a Guthrie, Kate
3 Newton St.
P. O. Box 84
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Cotto, Jaime
a/k/a Cortez-Cotto, Jaime
42 Thames St.
Springfield, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/10

Coville, Diana M.
100 Stafford Holland Road
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Coyer, Nicole L.
a/k/a Charette, Nicole L.
52 Howard St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/10

Croteau, Linda Y.
30 Higgins Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/10

Davis Construction
Davis, Thomas R.
13 Onondaga St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/23/10

DeJesus, Beverly M.
161 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Dion, Kathy A.
96 St. James Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Dixon, Virginia L.
14 Herbert Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Dominick, Arthur R.
Dominick, Judith
50 Holy Family Road, Apt. 119E
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/10

Dubilo, Adam J.
Dubilo, Jennifer
Gamache Dubilo, Jennifer E.
7 East Circle Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/10

Dubuc, David A.
7 Spring St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/10

Dyer, Samuel R.
P.O. Box 362
Westfield, MA 01086
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/21/10

Enright, Robert D.
Enright, Elaine F.
45 Burke Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Erickson, Thomas A.
1343 Riverdale St. #56
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/10

Fontaine, Gary E.
43 Bray Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

George, Helen S.
1384 Barre Road
Gilbertville, MA 01031
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Gravel, Richard A.
3 North Hampshire St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Grise, Christina A.
391 Main St., Apt. 301
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/10

Hall, John J.
Hall, Linda L.
8 Revere Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/10

Hall, Noel E.
299 Nottingham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Hall-Cotto, Jennifer M.
17 Liswell Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/10

Harris, Margaret I.
15 Buel St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/10

Hebert, Paul D.
Hebert, Angela M.
120 Glendale Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Hegy, Michael D.
29 Baltimore Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Helenek, James J.
Helenek, April M.
124 State St.
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Howard, Dawn I
a/k/a Ford, Dawn I
40 Briarwood Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Hyde, William D.
Hyde, Judith A.
235 Main St.
PO Box 267
Gilbertville, MA 01031
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/10

Karlik, Gregory M.
Karlik, Heather J.
340 Broadway
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/10

Keenan, James M.
Keenan, Nancy E.
6 Hawthorne Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Knowles, Michael T.
226 Pearl St., 2R
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Kuschka, Aaron T.
Carey, Mary Ellen
212 Prospect St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Laboy, Juan A.
a/k/a Flores, Juan L.
a/k/a Laboy, Juan A
Laboy, Isabel E.
a/k/a Laboy, Sanchez Isabel
36 Greenleaves Dr. #46
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/16/10

LaPerle, Donna D.
a/k/a Melhorn, Donna D.
79 Dana St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Latour, Stephanie A.
a/k/a Pooler, Stephanie A.
50 Hazen St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/10

Laverty, Jason M.
20 Woronoco Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Lawrence, Beverly A.
PO Box 406
Barre, MA 01074
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/10

Lewis, George E.
Lewis, Marilyn E
151 West King St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/10

Lopez, Jose J.
Pinto, Julia
a/k/a Pinto-Lopez, Julia
76 Ardmore St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/10

Malvezzi, Gina
20 Hampton Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Manfredi, Theresa H.
a/k/a Goodrow, Theresa
332 Lancaster Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/10

Martinez, Julia
31 Emily St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/10

McNierney, Sandra L.
a/k/a Dupuis, Sandra L.
a/k/a Bushey, Sandra
35 Scenic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/23/10

Mendrala, John M.
Mendrala, Donna
603 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Munro, Stephen P.
Munro, Beverly A.
9 Devils Lane
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Must Love Dogs,
Abbruzzese, Cathy A.
338 Mayo Road
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/20/10

O’Rourke, Shannon L.
83 Bell St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/16/10

Page, Denise M.
30 Higgins Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/10

Parks Enterprise
Parks, Doreen M.
7 Chestnut St.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Pate, Susan M.
43 Bray Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Peterson, Jean M.
PO Box 1214
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/21/10

Petrizzi, Robert Charles
810 Fairway Ave.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Picard, Kevin E.
Picard, Barbara J.
96 McKinley Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Pilon, Donald
144 Cabot St., Apt. 10
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Profio, Richard A.
507 Sunderland Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/10

Ramos, Sue Ellen
323 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/10

Romano, Anthony G.
120 Elizabeth Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Roth, Dorothy W.
15C Highland Village
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Santiago, Maritza
102 Santa Barbara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Scalise, Joseph P.
32 Charlemont Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/10

Schmidt, Mark A.
114 Franklin St
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/10

Schultz, Steven David
1118 St James Ave. G28
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/10

Shattuck, Chester R.
Shattuck, Jean M.
28 Gula Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Sibley, Louis F.
Sibley, Elaine M.
14 Gould Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/25/10

Sierra, Victor Armando
134 Union St. Apt. 49
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Skawski, Thomas P.
Skawski, Kristen M
356 Belmont Ave. Apt. 24
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Skillings, Anne Haskell
84 Cross Brook
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Superior Floor Covering
Wood, Jason P.
2275 Palmer Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Tanguay, Marie A.
172 Colemore St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Threlfall, Robert Jason
28R Fairfield Ave.
Haydenville, MA 01039
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/10

Tobin, Kyle E.
Tobin, Shawna E.
a/k/a Diemand, Shawna
247 Ryan Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/10

Toczko, Gregory P.
162 Nash Rd
Cummington, MA 01026
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Torres, Adilmar E.
136 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Touponce, Carol E.
44A Russell St.
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/10

Tramore Chip Shop
Quaglia, Gabriel
Quaglia, Sara K.
13 Harrison Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/10

Varady, Kathleen
5 Alice St.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Vardakis, Christopher D.
Vardakis, Karen F.
28 School St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Vega, Wanda L.
69 Longhill St., Apt.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Walton, Nelson F.
52 Boucher Circle
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Warzocha, Robert R.
150 Ashland St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/10

Williford, Karen Ann
P.O. Box 103
Huntington, MA 01050
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/10

Witek, Linda J.
27 Meadow Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/10

Woolley, Mason K.
18 Main St., Apt. 3C
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/10

Wright, Richard T.
Wright, Carol A.
17 Shepard St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/10

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

AMHERST

The Sub & Pizza of Amherst Inc., 33 East Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002. Roula Davila, 10 South Maple St., Enfield, CT 06082. Restaurant.

TMD Inc., 1-3 Pray St., Amherst, MA 01002. Thomas Murphy, 109 Wagon Wheel Dr., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Operation of a pub/restaurant.

EASTHAMPTON

Wingspan Woodworking Inc., One Cottage St., Room 105, Easthampton, MA 01027. Gregory Dillard, 34 North Main St., Belchertown, MA 01027. Woodworking shop.

FEEDING HILLS

U.S. Furniture Warehouse Inc., 15 Amherst Ave., Feeding Hills, MA  01030. Lubna Basher, same. Retail furniture sales.

LENOX

Your Color Connection Inc., 36 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, MA 01240. Ann Lebier, 80 Navin Ave., Lee MA 01238. Printer, manufacturer, production, and assembly of marketing materials.

SOUTHAMPTON

Western Mass Public Health Association Inc., 146 Valley Road, Southampton, MA 01073. Barry Searles, 73 Russellville Road, Southampton, MA 01073. Organization designed to foster public health by providing service to board of health and related agencies whether public or private by public education, publicity and publication, by advice and appropriate action on legislation and governmental affairs.

SPRINGFIELD

Travis Best Foundation Inc., 55 Maple St., #7, Springfield, MA 01105. Jasmine Turner, 2029 Century Park East, Suite 3000, Los Angeles, CA 90067. To improve the lives of children by character training through sports.

Two Bits Inc., 271 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. Stephan Vilot Jr, 68 Ridge Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Full-service barber shop.

United Auto Sales Inc., 874 Berkshire Ave., Springfield, MA 01151. Joseph Nigro, 21 Grove St., Southwick, MA 01077. Auto sales.

Universal Windows Direct Inc., 192 Berkshire Ave., Southwick, MA 01077. Sales and installation of windows, siding, and doors as well as other home improvements.

VG Construction Corp., 1159 Westfield St., Apt. B2, West Springfield, MA 01089. Victor Gavriliuc, same. Construction, remodeling, and improvement of personal property and associated services.

Worthington Management Inc., 254 Worthington St., Springfield, MA 01103. Margarita Monsalve, same. Property management.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Western Mass Dental Hygiene Services Inc., 226 Belmont Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Alice Jalal, same. Dental practice.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Six Vie for Project Manager Services for Union Station
SPRINGFIELD — The City of Springfield recently received six responses to the Springfield Redevelopment Authority’s (SRA) request for owners project manager (OPM) services for the Union Station Regional Intermodal Transportation Center. The services requested also will apply to the transfer of funds from the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority for a portion of the project. The SRA owns Union Station, including the former terminal and adjacent baggage building and the site of the former Hotel Charles, and is retaining the services of an OPM to represent its interests in the design and construction of the proposed transportation center. The firms interested in the project are Arcadis US Inc. of Atlanta, Ga., with a Springfield office; HEERY International Inc. of Burlington; the Louis Berger Group Inc. of Needham; SKANSKA USA Building Inc. of Boston; URS Corp.-New York of Boston; and Western Mass. OPM Services, LLC of Holyoke. Those that meet the minimum qualifications stated in the request will be evaluated and ranked by a review committee designated by the SRA governing board. Top-ranking firms may be interviewed by the committee, which then will submit its list of the top three firms to the governing board. The process is expected to take four weeks. The fee for services will be negotiated between the SRA and the selected firm. Plans call for restoring the main terminal building and using the adjacent site of the former baggage-handling building for construction of a 23-bay bus terminal with a 400-space public parking garage located on the upper levels.

August Retail Sales Up
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Census Bureau recently announced that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $363.7 billion, an increase of 0.4% from the previous month, and 3.6% above August 2009. Total sales for the June through August 2010 period were up 4.7% from the same period a year ago. The June to July 2010 percent change was revised from +0.4% to +0.3%. Retail trade sales were up 0.5% from July 2010, and 3.7% above last year. Non-store retailers’ sales were up 10.5% from August 2009, and gasoline stations were up 9.6% from last year. The Advance Monthly Retail Sales for Retail and Food Services for September is scheduled to be released Oct. 15.

Energy-efficiency Training Courses Set
BOSTON — The Mass. Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) recently announced the second round of weatherization workshops under the MassGREEN Initiative, which provides energy-efficiency workforce training for individuals and contracting firms throughout the state. Four state community colleges will host the program’s course for people with little or no background in weatherization concepts or practices, including entry-level workers and residential construction trades seeking to expand their knowledge and services in energy efficiency. Upcoming local training sessions are planned at Springfield Technical Community College, One Armory Square, from Sept. 30 to Dec. 16; and at Greenfield Community College, Franklin County Technical School in Turners Falls, from Sept. 30 to Nov. 20. Successful graduates of the course will be prepared to take the Building Performance Institute Installer exams for air sealing and dense packing, which are up-to-date insulation techniques. For more information on the class schedule, visit the web sites of the local colleges. For more information on MassCEC, visit www.masscec.com

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT
NES Rental Holdings Inc. v. Alpha & Omega Construction
Allegation: Breach of contract for rental equipment: $2,789.35
Filed: 8/23/10

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
CIT Technology Financing Services LLC v. Billups World Entertainment Inc.
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $54,598.34
Filed: 7/16/10

Liberty Mutual Insurance A/S/O Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. v. Kennedy, Gustafson, & Cole Inc.
Allegation: Breach of warranty and property damage caused by fire: $1,982,000
Filed: 7/21/10

People’s United Bank v. La Cucina Di Pinocchio Inc.
Allegation: Breach of several promissory notes: $673,140.77
Filed: 8/11/10

Plaza @ Buckland Hills LLC v. Emanuel Rovithis and Demetia Inc.
Allegation: Enforcement of judgment: $274,582.32
Filed: 7/23/10

Pravin Mathur v. Roy’s Towing Co. and John Burdick
Allegation: Negligence in operation of motor vehicle: $1,600,000
Filed: 8/6/10

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT
Acadia Insurance Co. v. Bishop Burner Services
Allegation: Balance due for insurance premium: $37,042
Filed: 8/11/10

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Bradco Supply v. Henderson Roofing Co.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $3,174.35
Filed: 7/23/10

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Brockton Fair
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $11,025.72
Filed: 7/22/10

Consumer Auto Parts v. Fini’s Auto Sales
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,549.60
Filed: 7/22/10

High Priority Associates Inc. v. Ilmondo Pizza
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $7,298.91
Filed: 7/22/10

Western Massachusetts Electric v. Springfield Bible Institute & Theological Seminary
Allegation: Non-payment of utility services: $10,243.93
Filed: 7/15/10

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
ServiceMaster Assured Cleaning v. Big Family Adventure
Allegation: Failure to pay for cleaning services and breach of contract: $14,270.78
Filed: 7/26/10

It’s Not a ‘Stretch’

By
Dennis G. Egan
Sections Supplements
New ‘Green’ Laws May be Considered a Double-edged Sword

Dennis G. Egan

Dennis G. Egan

As Kermit the Frog so aptly put it: “It’s not easy being green.” While this may be true as it relates to a talking frog, achieving ‘green’ status doesn’t have to be an arduous process so long as you are familiar with the laws and regulations — federal, state, and local — that govern the process of going, and the status of being, green.
As the green movement continues to grow in both depth and breadth, so too do these laws and regulations.
In May, the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards adopted an amendment to the Massachusetts building code, which has become known as the “Stretch Code.” This allows cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth to adopt stricter energy-savings provisions to their respective residential and commercial building codes. In communities that have adopted the Stretch Code, newly constructed single- and multi-family homes must achieve a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) index rating of 60 or less, as certified by a third-party HERS reviewer.
The HERS index is a ratings system introduced by the Residential Energy Services Network in 2006 that is used to calculate a home’s energy efficiency. The index is based on a point scale ranging from 1 to 100. The lower the score, the better. Locally, the Stretch Code has been adopted in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Greenfield, Pittsfield, Palmer, and Easthampton, just to name a few.
As a point of reference, currently a newly constructed home in Massachusetts must achieve a minimum HERS rating of 99 (a rating of 100 represents the American Standard Building.) Consequently, a new single or multi-family home built in a municipality that has adopted the Stretch Code must be almost 40% more energy-efficient than the same home built in a municipality that has not adopted the code. Additionally, major renovations undertaken in cities and towns that have adopted the code must receive a HERS rating of 70 or less. While debate continues regarding the efficacy of the Stretch Code, one thing is certain — the cost of construction and/or major renovation of single- and multi-family homes in Stretch communities has increased, significantly in some cases.
One of the most recognized certifications that can be attained by builders, developers, building owners, and landlords is Leadership in Environment and Energy Design (LEED) standards set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council, which awards points based on building specifications. LEED certification can be achieved in a number of different areas, including but not limited to existing buildings (operations and maintenance), commercial interiors (leases/tenant improvements), core and shell (design for new core and shell construction), schools (construction of K-12 schools), retail (retail design and construction), and health care (planning, design, and construction for health care facilities).
More important is the fact that these certifications are being recognized and adopted as the benchmark in ever-increasing numbers by federal, state, and local governments. As such, many government entities are requiring that government buildings, new and existing, owned and leased, comply with LEED standards.
In Connecticut, a state law passed in 2006 that requires all new buildings costing more than $5 million dollars and financed with state funds to be constructed and designed in conformance with LEED standards. As a result, contractors who bid on applicable public projects must adhere to the LEED standards.
Likewise, in January of this year, California became the first state to implement a statewide green-building code. Some of the mandates of this new building code are the use of plumbing components designed to reduce water consumption, diversion of construction waste from landfills to recycling centers, and the inspection of mechanical systems and components to ensure that certain efficiency standards are being met. Interestingly, the code allows local municipalities to implement standards that are stricter than the state standards. As a result, a great deal of power will rest with local governments in determining their respective green-building requirements.
More and more companies and government entities are now demanding green lease space. For example, in 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) was enacted, which set forth goals and standards for the reduction of energy use in federal buildings. This includes all buildings in which the federal government leases space. The new standards include the use of energy-efficient lighting fixtures and bulbs and a prohibition against federal agencies leasing space in buildings that do not have an Energy Star rating. Additionally, many companies have enacted sustainability statements that, in addition to other provisions, require that leases entered into by the company contain at least some green language. These mandates, along with a growing and continuing trend toward green building and green initiatives in general, are beginning to force landlords and tenants to rethink lease arrangements in order to meet the goals of both parties.
As you can see, the green movement’s momentum continues, and its reach has grown. As such, you would be wise to understand the related laws and regulations, and the effect they can have on your bottom line, both positive and negative. n

Dennis G. Egan Jr. is an associate with Bacon Wilson, P.C, concentrating in business and corporate law; (413) 781-0560; [email protected]

Building Information Modeling

By
Ed Tobin
Sections Supplements
This New Tool Takes Construction to Another Dimension

Stanley Hunter

Stanley Hunter, project executive of Baystate’s Hospital of the Future.

The $230 million Hospital of the Future taking shape at Baystate Medical Center is the largest building project in the region’s history, and it is drawing attention for everything from its size to its projected impact on the health care landscape. The initiative is noteworthy for another reason — it represents one of the first, and largest, implementations of building information modeling, a new and exciting construction tool, or process, that effectively simulates a project’s many phases or individual components, thus minimizing the chances for error and reducing the cost of a project.
By GEORGE O’BRIEN

Ed Tobin was talking about the “good old days.”
They weren’t that long ago, he told BusinessWest, and, well, in retrospect, they weren’t that good, at least when compared to the new way of doing business in the construction industry, made possible by something called building information modeling, or BIM for short.
In those old days, builders and architects would have to pore over thousands of two-dimensional drawings to see how a building is supposed to come together, Tobin, general supervisor for Berry Construction, explained. “Now, through BIM, they can use three-dimensional computer models and advanced GPS [global positioning system] to essentially simulate and coordinate a project well before actual work begins. In so doing, they can see potential problems emerging before they happen, saving time, money, and headaches.”
What’s more, various aspects of a construction project can be handled simultaneously, he continued, where before, things were done on much more of a sequential basis, because one subcontractor would have to see how a phase of work was completed before beginning his assignment.
“This is going to change the whole way we do construction — and construction doesn’t change easily,” said Tobin, who spoke to BusinessWest in one of several Berry trailers now parked at Baystate Medical Center for construction of that facility’s $230 million Hospital of the Future.
BIM is playing a huge role in the Baystate undertaking, said Stanley Hunter, ‘project executive for the BMC Hospital of the Future’ (that’s what it says on his business card). He started by saying that the tool takes construction to another dimension, but quickly amended that to note that BIM takes building well beyond 3-D.
Elaborating, he said the key word in the phrase ‘building information modeling’ is the middle one. In addition to providing 3-D models of what buildings and individual components will look like, BIM provides contractors, subcontractors, and architects with more data sharing than they are used to.

Ed Tobin

Ed Tobin says BIM represents a vast improvement over how projects were coordinated in the “old days.”

“Information is the fourth and fifth dimensions,” he said, adding that, with that information, contractors can do everything from scheduling workers more efficiently to putting in various systems correctly the first time. And while BIM and the information it provides streamlines the construction process, it also makes it easier to maintain buildings long after they’re built.
“Five, 10, 15 years from now, when our staff has to go back and maintain this building, they can just click on that button and know how to replace something,” he explained. “So BIM goes well beyond the drawing phase.”
While Hunter used words to describe how BIM works, Tom Hill, project engineer for Berry, provided a powerful demonstration that more than backed up the commentary.
He called up a three-dimensional image of the Hospital of the Future, and then used his mouse and a few key strokes to turn it in every direction, so that one could even see the footings underneath the massive structure. Through BIM, he peeled off layers of the building, taking it right down to the structural steel. He took BusinessWest down hallways, inside new operating rooms, and then above the ceiling to show, in great detail, what goes where and how it will all come together.
When asked to quantify how much BIM might save Baystate in this massive project, Hunter said that would be very difficult to do, especially at this stage. But he could qualify it. “As they say in construction and every other business, time is money,” he noted. “And BIM will save us all kinds of time.”
For this issue, BusinessWest takes an indepth look at BIM from the perspective of the Baystate project. Those now working with the tool used various superlatives to describe it, but Tobin might have summed it up best when he said, “this reinvents how everybody works.”

Work in Progress
Both Hunter and Tobin stressed repeatedly that BIM is still very much in its infancy — which is just one of many things to get excited about when it comes to this process.
Indeed, as they looked at the images that Hill put up on the screen and talked about how BIM is changing the face of construction, they allowed themselves to ponder what might happen with this technology over the next decade or two.
“Five or 10 years years ago, GPS couldn’t get you within 100 feet of where you needed to be — it wasn’t applicable,” said Tobin. “Now, it can you within an eighth of an inch. And five years from now … who knows?”
But the present tense is certainly exciting enough, said Tobin, who noted that, while Berry first worked with BIM on a recent project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Hospital of the Future is by far the largest of the company’s projects to make use of the tool.
And he doubts there will be any large-scale projects undertaken without it in the future. That’s because BIM essentially changes the dynamic of a building project.
Hunter agreed, and said, in essence, that BIM will let construction and design teams know if something is buildable, or determine what Hunter called “constructability,” and then it will provide what amounts to high-tech, three-dimensional blueprints to be followed.
Elaborating, he said these blueprints are models of the actual parts and pieces being used to build a building. These models effectively ease the transition from the design phase to the construction phase by greatly improving the communication process between the parties involved.
The many benefits from BIM were generally known when the Hospital of the Future began to take shape on the drawing board, said Hunter, noting that, long before construction commenced in late 2008, Baystate officials had become sold on the technology’s capabilities and wanted to put them to the test.
To make a long story short, they have, and in the process, the Baystate project is providing lessons to both the health care industry and the construction sector about how BIM can be applied to not only large-scale projects, but also those on a much smaller level as well.
“We’re testing the boundaries of what we can do with BIM with this project,” he said, adding that he and others have been giving many demonstrations of how the process works. “There are many people in our industry trying to figure out ways that this can applied, so we’re fortunate to have this large project that we can apply it to.”
Tobin concurred, and before explaining how BIM works and why it is such a vast improvement, he returned to those aforementioned old days, meaning maybe a year ago.
When a project was handed off to a company like Berry, he and those representing the subcontractors would have to look over hundreds, if not thousands, of two-dimensional drawings to determine how floors, walls, and various mechanicals, including electrical systems, plumbing, and ductwork would come together.
“We’d have a series of meetings where we’d actually take a light table and lay these mylar drawings on top of one another and look for conflicts, look for two systems that hit each other and have to be moved,” he said. “It took months and months and months and dozens of these meetings to get the point where you were coordinated.”
BIM takes away all that handwork, he continued, adding that the computer software quickly and efficiently identifies potential hits. “It eliminates a lot of the time and solves potential conflicts.”

Model of Efficiency
To show how BIM accomplishes all this, Hill put his mouse to work.
He showed the Hospital of the Future from a number of angles, and then, after selecting one particular view, showed how the software can strip away layers of the building until only the steel remains.
Later, he focused on one of the operating rooms that will soon take shape and the “very coordinated spaghetti,” as Hunter called it, that represents the various mechanical systems, from plumbing to sprinkler systems, that would be installed in the high-tech ORs.
There is little margin for error when it comes to putting these systems in, Hunter continued, adding that, through the use of BIM, a contractor can greatly simplify and quicken the process known as clash modeling, or identifying where systems may collide and then making adjustments so they don’t.
“By using BIM, you’re essentially building something virtually before you build it in the field,” he explained. “So you can coordinate things so they don’t hit one another once you install them. And since you’re then confident that a system is in the right position, you can prefabricate long runs of that pipe instead of just building it all on site. So that makes the prefabrication process simpler, as well as the installation.
“In the first run-though, when you get everything plugged in, you’ll get hundreds of clashes, and then you sequentially go through them and solve them all,” he continued. “BIM tells them very quickly where the problems are; it takes a process that used to take a month down to a few hours and a few phone calls.”
In those old days, blueprints would simply be redrawn until the conflicts were eliminated, said Tobin, but inevitably, hits would be missed, a unction of human error that BIM eliminates.
“You’ll miss some when you’re hand-drawing things,” he explained. “But the computer doesn’t miss much.”
And because it doesn’t, Hunter and Tobin agree that the Baystate project has been a huge success in demonstrating just how beneficial BIM can be in construction projects of all sizes. Quantifying those benefits is difficult, and it may not be until this project is over before those involved with it can even begin to speculate on how much of a cost savings has been achieved because this process was chosen over traditional methods.
But Hunter believes that several months of time could eventually be taken off the construction process, and, as he said, time is certainly money. Meanwhile, Tobin believes use of BIM could easily take a few percentage points off the cost of a building project.
“As it becomes the standard, and as subcontractors become more comfortable with it, they won’t have to count every light switch; they can just push a button and know that there’s 5,000 light switches in the building,” he explained. “Just think about how much that saves over bringing an estimator out. And their prices go down, too, because they don’t have to spend as much time on coordination.
“There’s a lot of savings in terms of time and money,” he continued, adding that BIM will become even more efficient and cost-effective in the future. “This is what computers were invented to do; now we just have to apply it.”

Building Momentum
As he posed for some pictures on the roof of the parking garage across an entranceway from the construction site, Hunter said the project is on schedule for completion in the fall of 2011, and the facility should be open by early in 2012.
BIM has a lot to do with the pace of construction and scarcity of problems that can often hinder progress with such an undertaking, he continued, indicating that, if Baystate is indeed testing the boundaries of BIM with this project, then its potential may not have boundaries.
So while the name of this project is the Hospital of the Future, it has become a fertile testing ground for the building process of the future, one that, as Tobin said, reinvents how everyone works.

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

Profile in Business

By
Elaine Sarsynski
Features
MassMutual Executive Is an Expert in Many Fields

By GEORGE O’BRIEN

Elaine Sarsynski

Elaine Sarsynski, executive vice president of MassMutual’s Retirement Services Division and chairman and CEO of MassMutual International LLC

Elaine Sarsynski says she worked on the family vegetable farm in Hadley until she graduated from college — and she has the biceps to prove it.
She admitted that, more than three decades later, they stay toned through regular and rigorous workouts at the gym, but stressed repeatedly that the foundation was laid from what amounts to bench-pressing 50-pound sacks of potatoes and piling them into pickup trucks, among innumerable other chores.
“I don’t do it anymore, but I used to arm-wrestle boys all the time — and beat them,” joked Sarsynski, executive vice president of MassMutual’s Retirement Services Division and chairman and CEO of MassMutual International LLC. “We had five kids in our family, four girls, and we [girls] had to do whatever our brother did. That’s how it was. Farming is hard work, and I became really strong.”
But Sarsynski’s years on the farm would provide her with much more than rock-hard muscles. There would be many lessons in life and in business, she explained, noting, for starters, that her mother was the real entrepreneur in the family and transplanted some of her considerable business energy, acumen, and instincts to her children.
“She would think beyond picking squash and selling it wholesale, and about what she could do on a more retail level,” said Sarsynski. “She went around to local restaurants and supermarkets and said, ‘if I cut up that butternut squash and put it into half-pound bags, do you think that would sell?’ And they said, ‘yes.’
“Lo and behold, we became one of the first farms to pre-package vegetables,” she continued. “I only wish my mother had taken out a patent on it, because everyone does it today.”
There were many other lessons from those days peeling, slicing, and packaging that squash — “there were always eight to 12 bushels of it waiting for us when we got home from school” — or picking cucumbers, stripping tobacco, and countless other duties. They covered everything from work ethic to effective time management; from pulling one’s own weight to the necessity for diversification in the fields — and business in general.
“We had about 10 crops that we produced from spring through fall, and that was a very important lesson,” she said, “because I remember one season there was a flood, and the majority of our cucumber crop was destroyed. But because of our efforts on the other kinds of crops, we were able to pull through that summer. So I learned very early on that you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
Sarsynski applies this lesson and countless others from the farm to her work at MassMutual — where she manages, to one degree or another, more than 2,500 workers and 15,000 agents in Asia — and often touches on them during the many speeches she delivers, including the one she gave at a meeting of the Women’s Partnership just a few hours before she talked with BusinessWest.
She said she spoke on the subject of the glass ceiling and the extent to which she believes it still exists — “if it does, it’s much more subtle than when I started in business 30 years ago” — but also touched on matters ranging from work/life balance to the importance of financial planning, to the need for all those hoping to succeed in business to hone their public-speaking skills.
“It’s important because we must communicate well, in written form, and while speaking in front of audiences,” she explained, adding that time in front of a microphone is a key part of any individual’s brand-building work. “It’s imporant to be able to articulate your position in a calm, thoughtful way, and speaking in front of an audience is one very good way to build that skill.”
For this, the latest installment of its Profiles in Business series, BusinessWest talked with Sarsynski about everything from diversity and inclusion in the workplace to her management style — and most all things in between. And she had much to say on all those topics.

Crop Circles
The Sarsynski farm still exists, but almost all of the 70 acres are now leased out to other parties. There is a large garden at the homestead, however, in which Sarsynski will work during some of her many visits home.
It’s been more than 30 years since she’s actually worked on the farm, but she certainly hasn’t forgotten much from those days. Consider these comments when asked about the crop Hadley is perhaps best known for, asparagus, and why it carries a high price at the grocery store.
“It takes about four years before you can actually start producing a crop,” she explained. “It’s also susceptable to various diseases, so some of it may not make it till the time you harvest it. The thing I like most about asparagus, even though I don’t like picking it, is that in optimal conditions, meaning when it’s warm and moist, it can grow a foot a day. So, frequently, not only would we get up early to pick it, before we went to school, but we would have to pick it again when we came home. I didn’t like days like that.”
But while Sarsynski’s parents contually stressed the importance of meeting one’s responsibilities in the field, they were even more focused on their children’s education. The four girls would all go on to attend Smith College, while their brother would graduate from Amherst College.
“My parents did not have college degrees, but from very early on, they stressed the importance of us going to college,” said Sarsynski, who would also earn an MBA from Columbia University. “They wanted the best for us, and they stressed that a good education was the key to real success.”
Sarsynski has put her education from the farm and the classroom to good use at career stops that include stints with several financial-services giants, work as a consultant to the real-estate industry, and even two elected terms as chief executive officer of the town of Suffield, Conn.
She started out as an analyst at Morgan Stanley Realty in New York, and eventually joined Aetna, where she spent 17 years and held a number of senior management positions, overseeing segments of the company’s Investments Division and leading the Corporate Finance Department. She also served as corporate vice president of real-estate investments, and was responsible for the direction and oversight of Aetna’s $15 billion mortgage-loan and owned-real-estate portfolios.
By 1998 though, Aetna was going through some changes organizationally and philosophically, and Sarsysnki was looking for a new challenge. Actually, upon leaving the company, she took on several.
She taught real-estate finance at Columbia for a semester, for example, and, at about the same time, created the Sun Consulting Group, LLC, offering consulting services to the real-estate industry. The firm was responsible for helping Connecticut Innovations Inc. to develop and implement Connecticut’s multi-million-dollar biotechnology lending and construction-development program.
While these endeavors were demanding, they left her with more time for her family — and her community, Suffield. And during one talk with the town’s first selectman (CEO) about economic-development matters, he convinced her to apply for the soon-to-be-vacated position of economic development director for the community, which she was awarded.
She never intended to stay long, and didn’t, but in her short stint did succeed in advancing a number of projects and helping Suffield win substantial state and federal grant money. Within a year in that post, she was ready to return to the private sector, but was instead talked into running for first selectman by the man who was getting ready to leave that position.
She won the seat handily, and settled in for what would be four years of service that she found fun and rewarding, while also providing more lessons that would help her thrive in a corporate setting.
“I loved it because we had an opportunity to effectuate change,” she explained, noting that, among other things, she led the town through 9/11 and its profound impact on public safety and national security. “And I was able to continually hone my leadership skills.
“In many ways, this was more difficult than being in the corporate sector,” she continued, “because you had to have people endorse your vision, and endorse what you were accomplishing. You can be the best mayor or town selectman in the world, but you still have to be involved in the political process of being elected. So you always had to be sure you could communicate your vision and the vision of the community, articulate the positions you were bringing to town meeting in such a way that people embraced and supported them so you could get re-elected.”

Planting Seeds
Sarsynski would take these and other lessons back to the corporate world and, more specifically, Babson Capital Management LLC, a MassMutual subsidiary, where she was responsible for the Portfolio Consulting Group. In 2005, she joined MassMutual as senior vice president and chief administrative officer, responsible for corporate services, human resource management, corporate communications, community relations, and MassMutual’s strategy implementation.
In 2006, she was appointed chairman, president, and CEO of MassMutual International LLC, and became responsible for the company’s international insurance operations, including subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Luxemborg, Chile, and China. She assumed added responsibility for the company’s retirement-services business in 2008, and under her leadership, the division achieved its second consecutive year of at least 20% sales growth and its highest annual sales volume in history.
To hit those numbers — and lay the track for more like them — Sarsynski says she’s been applying the many lessons acquired through business school, the farm, elected office, and from those she’s worked for and with over the years.
She said that success for MassMutual or any other company begins with leadership — “it drives the performance of the entire team, and especially the direct reports” — and when asked about her style, she noted, repeatedly, that it is to lead by example.
“I set high standards, and I expect those standards to be met,” she continued. “I think I’m fair and reasonable, yet I really do demand excellence from my direct reports because this is a very competitive industry that we work within, and it’s important that we have exceptional customer service, product development, and execution. People enjoy working in retirement services because we set those high standards, and we’ve been able to achieve them over the past couple of years.”
Sarsynski said her basic philosophy with regard to professional development is to continually reach higher and set new career goals. She encourages those she directs to do the same, and to help them reach their full potential she becomes the supervisor’s equivalent of a chameleon.
“I try to see what will motivate a person to become the best he or she can be,” she explained. “So my management style, and anyone’s management style, should change depending on the audience that you have, the person that you’re dealing with, and creating that unique environment to help them excel, to help them learn, to drive them to perform to the height of their ability.
“So the way I approach my head of marketing might be different than how I approach my head of distribution,” she continued. “In every case, I give them enough rope so that they can manage their organizations, and as they excel, I give them even more rope, because my ultimate goal is to have succession plans in place for all my businesses so that I become obsolete and my successors are extraordinarily well-prepared to continue to produce the kinds of results the organizations wants.”
As she searched her memory bank for an example of how her leadership style, not to mention her farm-honed life lessons, manifest themselves, she mentioned a recent suggestion (more like an edict) that her staff members with long commutes get satellite radio in their cars so they can stay better-attuned to business news and national and international commentary on current events.
“I told them they could hear the thought leaders of the industry talking about where the markets are going and where the global world is going, what Congress is doing, and what the president is doing,” she said, adding that she considers this a better use of their time than listening to rock music or sports talk. “It’s interesting, because they all went out and got it. I believe it’s very important to use time wisely, because we only have 24 hours in a day; you have to prioritize time.”

The Root to Success
During one recent trip to Hadley, Sarsynski actually took a moment to thank her mother for stressing education early on — and also for farm lifestyle and all that it gave her.
“It was a terrific way to grow up,” she said. “I was very close to my entire family, and we learned lessons in management, in commerce, wholesale, and retail. We learned work ethic that you can only learn in an environment where you get up early and go to bed late and your livelihood depends on the produce of the farm.
“It was a very wholesome way; there was no question of whether you were going to roll out of bed at 5:30 to pick asparagus — you just did it,” she continued, adding that, while she is three decades removed from those experiences, that ‘way,’ as she called it, is still very much with her.
“It’s there in terms of work ethic, frugality, focusing on the value of a dollar, asking if we are efficiently producing work at MassMutual, and focusing on the value of the individual and achieving the mission of the team.”
In other words, Sarsynski still has the muscles she earned on the farm, but she has many other ways to show how strong — mentally and physically — she’s become.

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

Chamber corners: Upcoming Events

By
Departments

ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

n Sept. 15: ACCGS After 5, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Springfield Marriott. Cost for members is $10, non-members, $20.

n Sept. 23: Feast in the East-ERC, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by: Elmcrest Country Club. Cost: $25 per person. Call the chamber for more information.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com

n Sept. 15: 17th Annual United Way Day of Caring. This event pairs volunteers with agency service providers to accomplish a variety of projects. YPS will again pair up with the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and work on one of the homes currently under construction in Springfield. If interested in joining, e-mail Maureen Picknally at [email protected]

n Sept. 16: Third Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. This event is free for YPS members, and $5 for non-members.

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

Chicopee Chamber of Commerce
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

n Sept. 21: 13th Annual Table Top Showcase and business networking event, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Greater Westfield chambers of commerce. Call the chambers for more information.

Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463

n Sept. 24: Breakfast Series – United Way Program, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Hosted by Franklin County Technical School, Turners Falls. Call the chamber for more information.

n Sept. 25 and 26: Fiber Twist, an Annual Celebration of All Things Fiber in Franklin County,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. No admission charge. For details, visit www.fibertwist.com 

Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

n Sept. 8: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Apollo Grill. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.

n Oct. 1: Casino Night, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m, at One Cottage St., Easthampton. Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org

Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

n Sept. 15: Holyoke Chamber Clambake, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Holyoke Country Club. Tickets are $26. Call the chamber to reserve tickets.

n Sept. 21: The 13th Annual Table Top Showcase, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Hosted by the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Call the chamber for more information or to reserve tickets.

n Sept. 22: 2010 Pacesetter Awards Recognition Breakfast, starting at 7:30 a.m. Hosted by the Delaney House. The Pacesetter Awards go to exceptional small businesses and nonprofit agencies, entrepreneurs, and those advocates who make other businesses successful. Tickets are $18. Please call the chamber for more information or to reserve tickets. 

Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

Northampton Area Young Professional Society
www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900

n Sept. 17: NAYP Dynamics of Fleet Safety Seminar, 8 to 10 a.m., Union Station. Safety supervisors and fleet managers from all industries will benefit from this important presentation, led by Gerry Sousa, executive director of the National Safety Council’s Western New England Chapter. Participants will identify the daily challenges of running an effective fleet and learn the essential elements of a fleet safety program. Best practices for motor-vehicle safety, collision prevention, and asset use will be discussed.

n Sept. 21: Meet & Eat, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. Tickets are $15 for members, $20 for guests.

Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
www.qvcc.biz
(413) 283-2418

South Hadley/Granby Chamber of Commerce
www.shchamber.com
(413) 532-6451

Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce
www.threeriverschamber.org
(413) 283-6425

Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

n Sept. 21: “Rake in The Business” TableTop Expo, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Castle of Knights, Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield chambers of commerce. Call the chambers for more information.

n Sept. 24: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce 104th Air Fighter Annual Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m. Hosted by the 104th Air Fighter, Barnes Airport, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield. Guest Speaker: Ira Bryck, director of UMass Family Business Center. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Call the chamber for more information.

BUILDING PERMITS

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of September 2010.

AGAWAM

Shoemaker Self-Storage
444 Shoemaker Lane
$150,000 — Construction of a new storage facility building

CHICOPEE

Leclerc Properties
603 Grattan St.
$12,000 — New siding

GREENFIELD

Fenwick, LLP
111 Hope St.
$3,500 — Installation of six replacement windows

Girl’s Club of Greenfield, MA
35 Pierce St.
$4,000 — Installation of a kitchen hood

Greenfield Corporate Center, LL
101 Munson St.
$12,000 — Installation of interior partitions

Greenfield Farmer’s Cooperative Exchange
275 High St.
$7,000 — Installation of a metal roof

Northeast Biodiesel Company, LLC
Silvio O Conte Dr.
$75,000 — Foundation for a new industrial building

HADLEY

Pyramid Mall of Hadley, LLC
367 Russell St.
$2,200 — Replace ceiling

Vertical Assets, LLC
165 Russell St.
$902,000 — Pre-engineered metal building and finishes

HOLYOKE

Cabot Mill Realty, LLC
102 Cabot St.
$99,000 — Construction of new offices

Open Square Properties, LLC
110 Lyman St.
$54,000 — Enclose walls at salon and spa

Valley Opportunity Council
300 High St.
$401,000 — Facade renovations

Yvon Laduc
52 Main St.
$33,000 — Install new roof

LUDLOW

Verizon
131 Winsor St.
$133,000 — Alterations

NORTHAMPTON

Blue Sky Real Estate, LLC
269 Main St.
$1,400 — Ceiling repair

Clarke School for the Deaf
45 Round Hill Road
$3,800 — Install electronic security door in egress hallway

Joseph Edward Welch
264 Elm St.
$3,800 — Renovate two rooms in a dentist’s office

Paul E. Brown
1 Market St.
$5,000 — Non-structural interior renovations

PALMER

Robert J. Larose
543-545 Wilbraham St.
$25,000 — Construct addition for new office space

SOUTH HADLEY

Second Baptist Church
589 Granby Road
$2,000 — Renovation

SOUTHWICK

College Associates Inc.
800 College Highway
$300,000 — Construction of a new wing with sleep room

SPRINGFIELD

1350 Main St., LLC
1350 Main St.
$26,500 — Reconfigure office layout on the 11th floor
City of Springfield
1395 Allen St.
$206,000 — Exterior renovations

Springfield College
263 Alden St.
$193,000 — New roof

Titeflex Corporation
603 Hendee St.
$1,489,000 — Construct new offices and restrooms

WESTFIELD

Governor’s Nursing Home
66 Broad St.
$60,000 — Re-roof

Little River Crossing
93 S. Maple St.
$3,400 — Minor renovations

WEST SPRINGFIELD

ATC Audio
89 Myron St.
$22,000 — Re-roof

H&P Realty
246 Main St.
$20,000 — Re-roof

United Bank
95 Elm St.
$15,000 — Renovate 720 square feet of space

Wingate Healthcare
42 Prospect Ave.
$925,000 — Renovate 8,254 square feet of existing nursing home

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of September 2010.

AGAWAM

Shoemaker Self-Storage
444 Shoemaker Lane
$150,000 — Construction of a new storage facility building

CHICOPEE

Leclerc Properties
603 Grattan St.
$12,000 — New siding

GREENFIELD

Fenwick, LLP
111 Hope St.
$3,500 — Installation of six replacement windows

Girl’s Club of Greenfield, MA
35 Pierce St.
$4,000 — Installation of a kitchen hood

Greenfield Corporate Center, LL
101 Munson St.
$12,000 — Installation of interior partitions

Greenfield Farmer’s Cooperative Exchange
275 High St.
$7,000 — Installation of a metal roof

Northeast Biodiesel Company, LLC
Silvio O Conte Dr.
$75,000 — Foundation for a new industrial building

HADLEY

Pyramid Mall of Hadley, LLC
367 Russell St.
$2,200 — Replace ceiling

Vertical Assets, LLC
165 Russell St.
$902,000 — Pre-engineered metal building and finishes

HOLYOKE

Cabot Mill Realty, LLC
102 Cabot St.
$99,000 — Construction of new offices

Open Square Properties, LLC
110 Lyman St.
$54,000 — Enclose walls at salon and spa

Valley Opportunity Council
300 High St.
$401,000 — Facade renovations

Yvon Laduc
52 Main St.
$33,000 — Install new roof

LUDLOW

Verizon
131 Winsor St.
$133,000 — Alterations

NORTHAMPTON

Blue Sky Real Estate, LLC
269 Main St.
$1,400 — Ceiling repair

  

Clarke School for the Deaf
45 Round Hill Road
$3,800 — Install electronic security door in egress hallway

Joseph Edward Welch
264 Elm St.
$3,800 — Renovate two rooms in a dentist’s office

Paul E. Brown
1 Market St.
$5,000 — Non-structural interior renovations

PALMER

Robert J. Larose
543-545 Wilbraham St.
$25,000 — Construct addition for new office space

SOUTH HADLEY

Second Baptist Church
589 Granby Road
$2,000 — Renovation

SOUTHWICK

College Associates Inc.
800 College Highway
$300,000 — Construction of a new wing with sleep room

SPRINGFIELD

1350 Main St., LLC
1350 Main St.
$26,500 — Reconfigure office layout on the 11th floor
City of Springfield
1395 Allen St.
$206,000 — Exterior renovations

Springfield College
263 Alden St.
$193,000 — New roof

Titeflex Corporation
603 Hendee St.
$1,489,000 — Construct new offices and restrooms

WESTFIELD

Governor’s Nursing Home
66 Broad St.
$60,000 — Re-roof

Little River Crossing
93 S. Maple St.
$3,400 — Minor renovations

WEST SPRINGFIELD

ATC Audio
89 Myron St.
$22,000 — Re-roof

H&P Realty
246 Main St.
$20,000 — Re-roof

United Bank
95 Elm St.
$15,000 — Renovate 720 square feet of space

Wingate Healthcare
42 Prospect Ave.
$925,000 — Renovate 8,254 square feet of existing nursing home

By
Departments

ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

Sept. 15: ACCGS After 5, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Springfield Marriott. Cost for members is $10, non-members, $20.

Sept. 23: Feast in the East-ERC, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by: Elmcrest Country Club. Cost: $25 per person. Call the chamber for more information.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com   

Sept. 15: 17th Annual United Way Day of Caring. This event pairs volunteers with agency service providers to accomplish a variety of projects. YPS will again pair up with the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and work on one of the homes currently under construction in Springfield. If interested in joining, e-mail Maureen Picknally at [email protected]

Sept. 16: Third Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. This event is free for YPS members, and $5 for non-members.

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

Chicopee Chamber of Commerce
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

Sept. 21: 13th Annual Table Top Showcase and business networking event, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Greater Westfield chambers of commerce. Call the chambers for more information.

Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463

Sept. 24: Breakfast Series – United Way Program, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Hosted by Franklin County Technical School, Turners Falls. Call the chamber for more information.

Sept. 25 and 26: Fiber Twist, an Annual Celebration of All Things Fiber in Franklin County,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. No admission charge. For details, visit www.fibertwist.com 

Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

Sept. 8: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Apollo Grill. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.

Oct. 1: Casino Night, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m, at One Cottage St., Easthampton. Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org

Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

Sept. 15: Holyoke Chamber Clambake, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Holyoke Country Club. Tickets are $26. Call the chamber to reserve tickets.

Sept.  21: The 13th Annual Table Top Showcase, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Hosted by the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Call the chamber for more information or to reserve tickets.

Sept. 22: 2010 Pacesetter Awards Recognition Breakfast, starting at 7:30 a.m. Hosted by the Delaney House. The Pacesetter Awards go to exceptional small businesses and nonprofit agencies, entrepreneurs, and those advocates who make other businesses successful. Tickets are $18. Please call the chamber for more information or to reserve tickets. 

Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

Northampton Area Young Professional Society
www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900

Sept. 17: NAYP Dynamics of Fleet Safety Seminar, 8 to 10 a.m., Union Station. Safety supervisors and fleet managers from all industries will benefit from this important presentation, led by Gerry Sousa, executive director of the National Safety Council’s Western New England Chapter. Participants will identify the daily challenges of running an effective fleet and learn the essential elements of a fleet safety program. Best practices for motor-vehicle safety, collision prevention, and asset use will be discussed.

Sept. 21: Meet & Eat, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. Tickets are $15 for members, $20 for guests.

Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
www.qvcc.biz
(413) 283-2418

South Hadley/Granby Chamber of Commerce
www.shchamber.com
(413) 532-6451

Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce
www.threeriverschamber.org
(413) 283-6425

Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

Sept. 21: “Rake in The Business” TableTop Expo, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Castle of Knights, Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield chambers of commerce. Call the chambers for more information.

Sept. 24: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce 104th Air Fighter Annual Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m. Hosted by the 104th Air Fighter, Barnes Airport, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield.  Guest Speaker: Ira Bryck, director of UMass Family Business Center. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Call the chamber for more information.

By
Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Debra A. Wajda v. Price Rite
Allegation: Negligence, causing slip and fall: $20,194.55
Filed: 8/25/10

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Mandy Boutell v. The Maple Valley School Inc. and Windwood Meadow Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination by failing to accommodate a disabled person and handicap discrimination: $25,000+
Filed: 8/20/10

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Caroline Dauplaise v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Allegation: Wrongful discharge of employment with Mass Turnpike Authority and breach of contract: $100,000
Filed: 7/27/10

Farm Credit East v. Rocky Mountain Wood Co. Inc.
Allegation: Action to recover on promissory note by sale of collateral: $894,254.26
Filed: 7/26/10

Immi Turbines Inc. v. LDH Inc.
Allegation: Texas court default judgment on underlying claims: $596,918.48
Filed: 7/22/10

John’s Trucking of Agawam v. Shawn’s Lawn Inc., RIV Construction Group Inc., and HD Westfield, MA Landlord Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay under the terms of a construction agreement: $561,827.23
Filed: 7/26/10

Lizbeth Rosario, administratrix of the estate of Carmen Velazquez v. Mercy Hospital
Allegation: Negligence and failure to properly diagnose, causing death: $2 million
Filed: 7/27/10

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Galex Inc. v. Precision Metal Goods
Allegation: Non-payment on aluminum purchased and received: $1,113,286
Filed: 8/20/10

Jack Ernst v. Berkshire Electric Cable Co.
Allegation: Breach of contract and non-payment on two promissory notes: $136,346.07
Filed: 8/16/10

Sona Dolan v. Holyoke Community College
Allegation: Employment discrimination and civil-rights violation based on national origin: $150,000
Filed: 8/2/10

TR’s Excavating and Landscaping Construction v. Landmark Health Solutions, LLC and Northampton Care Center, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $43,700
Filed: 7/23/10

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Bradco Supply v. Edward M. Casti Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,653.97
Filed: 7/22/10

Bradco Supply v. RPE Contracting Corp. Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $12,473.69
Filed: 7/28/10

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Beverly Golf & Tennis Club
Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services rendered: $2,234.45
Filed: 7/28/10

O’Connell & Plumb, P.C. v. Kushner Realty Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of attorney fees and services: $33,598.03
Filed: 7/20/10

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Mountainview Concrete Foundations, LLC v. W & I Construction Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay for services on construction project: $4,942
Filed: 8/23/10

Degrees of Confidence

By
Cindy Supois
Sections Supplements
Adult Education Takes a Different Dimension at the University Without Walls

Cindy Supois

Cindy Supois, former director, now senior lecturer

Now celebrating 40 years in operation, the University Without Walls program at UMass Amherst continues a long tradition of empowering non-traditional students to earn that degree they’ve been coveting but unable to complete because life has gotten in the way. UWW, as it’s called, enables people to take their work and life experiences and translate them into college credits. It’s a unique program that has helped script thousands of success stories over the years.

Deb Savola said that, when she entered University Without Walls as a full-time parent, she started off with only 14 credits, and it didn’t seem like she would ever finish her degree.
“I figured I might graduate right around the time I started collecting Social Security,” she joked.
Savola said that, when she graduated from high school “some time ago,” she went straight to college. But working full-time didn’t give her the time to devote to an education. “I always figured that at some point I would kick it back up, but life goes on, and I hadn’t gotten there,” she said.
Her story is one that is entirely familiar to the staff and faculty of UMass Amherst’s division of adult education known as UWW. Started back in 1971, the program began as a means for people with lives on the move — with family constraints and job requirements — to not only have the ability to get their bachelor’s degree without disrupting their non-academic lives, but also to have that work experience transformed into credits toward their degree.
Cindy Suopis is one of the senior faculty members at the UWW, and is also the former director. She explained to BusinessWest what makes this program so much different than any other.
“First off, we are one of the only undergraduate programs to focus on adult students,” she explained, with an age range that spans 20-somethings on up. “The UWW is a degree-completion program, so people who started a bachelor’s degree at some time, at some place, be it at an associate college or at a school where they never finished, can pick up where they left off.”
Instead of majors, UWW offers concentrations, which, Supois said, run the gamut from journalism studies to business organizational leadership, “and just about anything in between.”
What makes UWW stand out is the focused one-on-one attention with advisors, so that students can find exactly what it is that they wish to study, and how their educational experience, and their life, can inform the concentration for their degree.
“Unlike a traditional major, saying you need to take this lockstep route,” Suopis explained, “we bring in the student’s experience. And often that’s work or volunteer experience. We are sanctioned by our faculty senate to give credits for that type of learning. It allows students to see a light at the end of the tunnel when they can receive anywhere from one to 30 credits for their experience. That’s pretty significant, and can replace several courses.”
A lot has happened in the four decades of UWW’s existence. But not so much that the core mission of the program has been altered. The biggest change has come in all classes taking place online, and Suopis said this initially caused a stir with some of the earliest supporters and administrators.
Sitting down with BusinessWest at the start of a new school year, Suopis described how the program reaching 40 years old has been able to keep up with both the times and the changing face of adult education.

Moving On … Line
Suopis started her affiliation with UWW as a program manager at MassMutual, bringing the academic classes to that workplace, something that was common in the days before the online classroom.
“That’s what the UWW has always done,” she explained. “We see a need in a specific place, and a capacity to make it sustainable, bringing the classroom to the marketplace.”
But five years ago, she said, the seismic shift of classroom geography began.
More and more classes were being offered online, and even students within the Amherst town limits opted for that format. “There was a time when we would offer a live class and an online class, and we’d sit back and say, ‘which one is going to fill up first?’ — it was always the online one. Even with locals, they would tell us, ‘my life is too busy. I’d like to take a live class, but really, the online format is much better for me,’” she said.
And thus UWW went online, and Suopis said the decision was a sound concept for the students, but also for the business model of the program. “As a result,” she said, “we can serve many more students in a much broader reach. When you’re delivering something live, you have some constraints. You have to have a classroom, you need people. Online, it’s much different. Classes can be bigger.”
But, she stressed, the core mission of providing one-on-one advising for students is one facet that will not change regardless of a student learning in a classroom or a living room.
“There’s a lot of bad press out there about the for-profits of the online education world, but we do not want to be categorized in that manner,” she emphasized. “We had to really think about how we wanted to deliver this type of education, and these types of goals, to students, and hopefully more students than we ever had before, in an online format.
“So we had to learn how to teach online,” she continued, “and we did have to learn how to teach differently. Pedagogically, we made changes, but also emotionally as well. Technologically, we’ve also learned some new skills as faculty members. And the outcome has been tremendous.”
What started out with 30-odd students has grown to approximately 550 students every semester, and in many different concentrations. Business-themed coursework is the most popular these days, she said, with early-childhood education and health and human services as respective second and third.
“Those are our so-called bread-and-butter programs,” said Suopis, “but if you look at our last graduating class, you’ll see any number of other things as well, from journalism arts, criminal science, construction management, and environmental studies.”

Telling Tales out of School
Bruce Michaels was one of those students from MassMutual who felt that finishing his bachelor’s degree wasn’t a practical reality.
After completing an associate’s degree at a community college, he went on to become certified to teach helicopter flight lessons. He entered the corporate world and knew that he wanted to get that bachelor’s, but “something always came up,” he said. “Getting married, or having a big project at work. I just never found the time to finish the degree, or have the consistency to finish.”
He went to an education fair at his workplace and met Suopis, who told him about UWW. He said that from the very first moment he was introduced to the program, he knew it was a home run.
“In my head I was thinking that this was a great opportunity to get credits based on what I did in the past, and get a jump start on my BA,” he said. “Finally, universities are starting to see the value in the workforce, and what they have done, and are giving credit for that. Someone going into college from high school doesn’t have that life resource.”
Savola was another MassMutual employee recommending co-workers to the UWW program at her workplace when Suopis asked her one day, “when are you going to sign up?”
The wife of a college professor, Savola and her husband were home-schooling their children and she told herself that, when her last child went to college, she too would take the steps to finish her degree.
“But I had a conversation with my family,” Savola remembered, “and I thought I’d go through the first semester where you write your portfolio to figure out how many credits you’ll get. I got so into it, and so excited about the opportunities and the many interesting ways to get credit. I saw it as something very doable, and my family was committed to it, knowing how much I’d always wanted to get a degree. So I jumped in and didn’t look back.”
Despite receiving a smaller credit load than she may have hoped for, Savola was undaunted by the prospect of someday graduating. “If I kept looking at that number of credits I needed for graduation,” she said, “I don’t think I could have done it. You don’t climb a mountain by looking at how far you have to go, but by one step at a time.”
Savola said that the possibility of finishing a college degree is a reality that anyone entering UWW can face, and she gives great credit to the faculty and staff there. But, at the end of the day, it is the possibility to realize one’s own personal goals that will carry them to the finish line.
“When I started this program,” Savola said, “my husband was my greatest cheerleader, and he said he was going to help me through it, knowing that I’d wanted it for so long. I was about a year and a half into it when he died of a massive heart attack.
“I was determined to stay in the program no matter how long it took,” she continued. “My dad died a year later, from pancreatic cancer, and I was helping my mom during that time. But I got this degree through the worst five years of my life. And as I look back, I think, where there’s a will there’s a way. We shouldn’t let things in our life discourage us from reaching for our goals.”
At her graduation day at the university football stadium, with thousands of fellow students and alumni, Savola said the enormity of the situation came clear to her. Standing there with her son, himself an alumni of UMass, she said, “It made me realize how much a part of something I was. If I can do it, I think anyone can.”
But she quickly added, it’s not just about finishing, and graduating. “I think if we look at our education as just getting a degree, that’s tunnel vision, and you miss out on the enriching aspects of it.”

The Secret Is Out
With the online class venue the most recognizable new development of UWW, Suopis said that new marketing techniques have been employed over the last few years to cast some light on what she called “one of the best-kept secrets in the Pioneer Valley.”
Successfully doing such outreach, the enrollment numbers are at an all-time high. But managed growth is of paramount importance to a program with such an individualized component.
“We do not want to have hundreds of thousands of students, to be a diploma mill,” she stated emphatically. “Remember, our model is one-on-one advising. If we became formulaic, if all our courses were templates, we wouldn’t be able to carry on that way. That’s not in our history, it’s not what we want to do, and it’s not what we will do.”
Alumni like Michaels and Savola0 have the highest praise for their experience, and strongly encourage anyone who finds themselves without a bachelor’s degree to consider the UWW.
“When I graduated from high school, everyone needed that diploma to move on into the world,” Savola said. “Nowadays, it’s the bachelor’s that is the minimum education required.”
Asked if one could ever be too old to finish their undergraduate career, she laughed and said, “I don’t think that’s an issue at all. When I was in school, one of my classmates told me that his mom was one of the first people in the program, and she did it in her 70s.”

Court Dockets

By
Departments

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

CHICOPEE
DISTRICT COURT
Debra A. Wajda v. Price Rite
Allegation: Negligence, causing slip and fall: $20,194.55
Filed: 8/25/10

FRANKLIN
SUPERIOR COURT
Mandy Boutell v. The Maple Valley School Inc. and Windwood Meadow Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination by failing to accommodate a disabled person and handicap discrimination: $25,000+
Filed: 8/20/10

HAMPDEN
SUPERIOR COURT
Caroline Dauplaise v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Allegation: Wrongful discharge of employment with Mass Turnpike Authority and breach of contract: $100,000
Filed: 7/27/10

Farm Credit East v. Rocky Mountain Wood Co. Inc.
Allegation: Action to recover on promissory note by sale of collateral: $894,254.26
Filed: 7/26/10

Immi Turbines Inc. v. LDH Inc.
Allegation: Texas court default judgment on underlying claims: $596,918.48
Filed: 7/22/10

John’s Trucking of Agawam v. Shawn’s Lawn Inc., RIV Construction Group Inc., and HD Westfield, MA Landlord Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay under the terms of a construction agreement: $561,827.23
Filed: 7/26/10

Lizbeth Rosario, administratrix of the estate of Carmen Velazquez v. Mercy Hospital
Allegation: Negligence and failure to properly diagnose, causing death: $2 million
Filed: 7/27/10

HAMPSHIRE
SUPERIOR COURT
Galex Inc. v. Precision Metal Goods
Allegation: Non-payment on aluminum purchased and received: $1,113,286
Filed: 8/20/10

Jack Ernst v. Berkshire Electric Cable Co.
Allegation: Breach of contract and non-payment on two promissory notes: $136,346.07
Filed: 8/16/10

Sona Dolan v. Holyoke Community College
Allegation: Employment discrimination and civil-rights violation based on national origin: $150,000
Filed: 8/2/10

TR’s Excavating and Landscaping Construction v. Landmark Health Solutions, LLC and Northampton Care Center, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $43,700
Filed: 7/23/10

SPRINGFIELD
DISTRICT COURT
Bradco Supply v. Edward M. Casti Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,653.97
Filed: 7/22/10

Bradco Supply v. RPE Contracting Corp. Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $12,473.69
Filed: 7/28/10

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Beverly Golf & Tennis Club
Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services rendered: $2,234.45
Filed: 7/28/10

O’Connell & Plumb, P.C. v. Kushner Realty Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of attorney fees and services: $33,598.03
Filed: 7/20/10

WESTFIELD
DISTRICT COURT
Mountainview Concrete Foundations, LLC v. W & I Construction Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay for services on construction project: $4,942
Filed: 8/23/10

History in the Remaking

By
An architect’s rendering of the new data center
Sections Supplements
Tech High Project Is a Complex — and ‘Green’ — Undertaking
An architect’s rendering of the new data center

An architect’s rendering of the new data center, which will incorporate the façade of the old Springfield landmark.

The recently initiated work to build a data center at the site of the former Technical High School in Springfield is unique in that the façade of the 105-year-old building will be incorporated into the design of the $110 million facility. But beyond this challenging assignment, the project will incorporate a number of energy-efficient systems that will make it truly state of the art. Thus, this is a project that brings the past, present, and future together in one bold initiative.

Transforming the old Springfield Technical High School into a new and secure data center to house the state’s electronic records and serve as the backup for its primary data center is a complex construction and engineering feat.
A tremendous amount of planning has gone into the design of the new facility. It involves erecting a state-of-the-art 149,000-square-foot, energy-efficient building that will be connected to the front and side sections of the school’s historic façade. But the result will be something that not only serves a critical need; it will also put Springfield on the map.
“When it is complete, it will be one of the most energy-efficient buildings of its kind in the world,” said Kevin Flanigan, deputy director for the Mass. Office of Finance and Administration Division of Capital Asset Management. “It is a challenging project that involves a great deal of coordination and quality control due to its complexity.”
Although other data centers are being built across the nation, preserving the front of an old building and three window bays on its sides that measure about 30 feet in length, then incorporating them into a new building design is highly unusual, said Henry Cence, the on-site project manager for Skanska USA Building Inc., which was awarded the contract and has made data centers a specialty.
“It is something you don’t see very often,” he explained as he stood near the school, where water was being sprayed out from an upper-story window to keep the dust down.
Flanigan says the $110 million project is a major investment the Commonwealth has made to revitalize the State Street corridor. “It represents a critical component of our overall effort to bring new life to this part of Springfield,” he said. “This is a highly anticipated project for the city that will also fill an important need.”
The construction will take two years to complete and is expected to create about 200 full-time jobs in addition to 35 information technology positions that will be filled after the project is finished.
“In addition to the economic benefit and revitalization, this will address the state’s need for a highly secure facility that will provide a critical backup for systems used by state workers who need immediate access to information to carry out their jobs,” said Flanigan.
The offices in the building will be housed against the existing brick façade, while the computer rooms and computer systems will be contained within the modern, new two-story structure.
For this issue, BusinessWest gives readers an inside look at what it will take to preserve the exterior of the old brick school and attach it to a building that will become a model for green construction.

School of Thought
Ethel Macleod is the senior associate of architecture for TRO Jung Brannen, and project manager for the data center. She said the exterior of the old high school sits in the historic Quadrangle/Mattoon Street district, but the land behind it, where the new building will be constructed, does not. After several meetings with both state officials and Springfield Historic District members, they agreed that the new construction could take place as long as the front of the old school and sections of both sides were preserved, she explained.
“It was a real challenge to incorporate the old façade with the new addition, which needed to be distinct and not replicate what is already there,” Macleod noted, adding that the design had to include a fence to meet security specifications. “Our original plan had to be modified to preserve the historic character of the exterior.”
The final plan calls for a steel fence that will resemble wrought iron to reflect the neighborhood’s character.
The windows also had to considered. “We removed them, but have taken care to save them so the manufacturer will be able to match the sizes and create identical windows that are energy-efficient replicas of the old ones,” said TRO Jung Brannen Principal Sandy Smith.
Part of the building was demolished several years ago to make room for the new federal courthouse. But removing the remainder of the building is no easy task, and cannot be done without a great deal of preparation.
Steve Eustis, senior vice president of Skanska USA Building, explained that a temporary steel skeleton must be built to provide support for the existing façade. “Structural steel will be anchored to the footings at the front of the building near the sidewalk on Elliot Street during the first phase of the project. Once the skeleton is installed, it will support the new masonry work that needs to be done on the inside of the façade,” Eustis said.
The next step will be the demolition of most of the building, followed by excavation of a new foundation that will be larger and deeper than the old one. The remainder of the old foundation will be filled in, and the temporary skeleton will remain in place until a permanent steel skeleton is put up and the roof is finished. In order to maintain authenticity, however, the old bricks will be salvaged and reused to infill the basement windows that line the front of the façade.
Smith said the new building will have aluminum-framed glass curtains of walls in the building’s two glass stair towers, as well as at the front entrance to the lobby. The remainder of the building will be made up of terra cotta panels clipped to a substrate.
The preliminary underground infrastructure work will begin this fall, and the project is expected to reach completion in the summer of 2012. The facility will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will contain many sophisticated systems that will provide backups to the primary systems, so operations can continue even if electricity or water power is lost.

Down to a Science
Since data centers consume a tremendous amount of energy, Smith said the goal of the design process for the Springfield Project was to create a structure that would serve as a showcase for green technology.
“Many strategies were incorporated that are sustainable and energy efficient,” she said, adding that when the building is complete, the state plans to seek a USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.
“The design included selecting materials that are energy and water efficient and will sustain the environment in the building,” said Smith. “There are a number of ways to achieve this, but among the more unique is daylight harvesting, which will be done using sensors in the lighting system. When there is enough daylight, the lights will go off. Plus, 90% of the occupants will have daylight views.”
Stormwater will also be collected and used in the cooling towers. “Another strategy that is very innovative is the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system, which will allow us to take advantage of free cooling in the spring and fall; we are using very energy-efficient plumbing fixtures and also reducing the heat-island effect, which occurs when surfaces soak up sun and become too hot,” Smith said. This will be accomplished by installing a white, reflective roof and reflective paving in the parking lot, sidewalks, and driveways.
The fact that the computer systems will run continuously creates a challenge, because they generate a lot of heat, she continued. “Computer equipment is very sensitive to heat so there is a tremendous need to generate cooling to keep the center at the appropriate temperature, along with the problem of what to do with the waste heat,” Macleod said. “Some systems expel it, but ours will capture it and reuse it, which is part of our HVAC strategy.”
Energy star equipment and servers will be installed in the computer areas, and the designers are working with Western Mass. Electric Company to maximize utility rebates. “They are helping to identify energy-efficient equipment, which allows us to install more than we would without the program. We are optimistic that the project will benefit greatly from the rebates,” Flanigan said.
Energy-saving measures are also being taken during the construction process. “We are diverting waste from the demolition and construction activity and will recycle 75% of all the waste,” Smith explained. In addition, designers are using carpet, ceramic, acoustical tiles and other products from companies within a 500-mile radius to reduce transportation costs.
Eustis said Skanska has done several billion dollars worth of work on data centers throughout the world, including one that is almost finished in Utah.
“The information age is exploding and creating a tremendous demand for data centers in both the public and private sector,” he said. “Businesses are much more dependent on information sharing. But this design is among the most efficient you will find anywhere with today’s technology.”
It will also stand as an intriguing example of how architects and construction firms can work together to create new history in an old building and change the face of a neighborhood with environmentally friendly measures.

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of September 2010.

AGAWAM

Bondi’s Island
190 Main St.
$77,000 — Construct a truck-loading building

Heritage Hall Nursing Home
61 Cooper St.
$7,000 — Storage shed

Insurance Center of New England
1070 Suffield St.
$1,100,000 — Renovate 13,000 square feet of office space

Robert Germano
13 Maple St.
$15,000 — Renovations

AMHERST

18 Piece Chicopee, LLC
15-17 Fearing St
$6,000 — Interior renovations

Amherst College Trustees
Garman Dorm
$8,000 — Exterior renovation and porch repair

Amherst School Department
1001 South East St.
$51,000 — New roof

Grand Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa
510 North Pleasant St.
$3,300 — Ceiling repair in party room

Miller Pollin Buildings, LLC
865 Belchertown Road
$27,000 — Installation of solar panels

CHICOPEE

200 Tillary, LLC
165 Front St.
$120,000 — Replace 522 windows

200 Tillary, LLC
165 Front St.
$35,000 — Sheetrock ceilings from first to the fourth floor

Chicopee Housing Authority
165 East Main St.
$257,000 — Strip and re-shingle roof

Chicopee Savings Bank
596 East St.
$158,000 — Interior renovation

Riverbend Medical Group
444 Montgomery St.
$265,000 — Renovate Pediatric office

EASTHAMPTON

Calvery Baptist Church
413 Main St.
$2,500 — Replace 5 windows

Interland Real Estate LLC
180 Pleasant St.
$102,000 — Create 15,000 square feet of space for a machine shop

Peter Peloquin
95 Union St.
$8,400 — Remove existing roof and replace

Robert Chunyk
51 Main St.
$3,700 — Construct new rear entry stair

Valley Programs Inc.
79 East St.
$5,000 — Enlarge window to comply with fire egress

GREENFIELD

Garden Building, LLC
361 Main St.
$67,500 — New roof

Greenfield Farmers Cooperative Exchange
275 High St.
$6,000 — Replace loading dock area roof

Mark A. Zaccheo
30 Olive St.
$1,270,000 — Renovation of commercial building

Ninos Emmanuel
226 Federal St.
$14,000 — Installation of kitchen exhaust hood and fire suppression system

Park Place Realty Trust
80 Sanderson St.
$18,000 — Replace cedar shingles with vinyl siding

Spike Segundo, LLC
25-27 Bank Row
$3,000 — Add three walls for treatment rooms and doors for tenant fit-up

HADLEY

ALDI Inc.
337-357 Russell St.
$880,000 — Construction of a new retail store

Fastenal Company
220 Russell St.
$9,000 — Minor interior renovations

Parmar & Sons Inc.
37-41 Russell St.
$8,000 — Renovating entrance and framing out offices

HOLYOKE

Christian Celebration of Baptist Temple Church Inc.
375 South Elm St.
$5,400 — Change hatchway door, add ramp, and install smoke detectors

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$122,000 — Remodel of Bare Essentials store

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$388,500 — Remodel of Express store

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$99, 500 — Remodel of Megan’s Treasures store

Kmart Corporation
2201-2211 Northampton St.
$328,000 — Construction of a new Taco Bell

United Water
1 Berkshire St.
$30,000 — Construct a new locker room

  

NORTHAMPTON

Academy of Music
274 Main St.
$101,000 — Interior renovations

CFP Properties LLC
320 Riverside Dr.
$9,000 — Emergency repairs

Edward’s Church of Northampton
297 Main St.
$5,800 — Stair repairs

Nonotuck Mills, LLC
296 Nonotuck St.
$40,000 — Construct interior partitions and two restrooms

Smith College
1 College Lane
$25,000 — Renovate interior at Sage Hall

Trident Realty Corporation
42 Pleasant St.
$41,000 — Interior renovations at Newbury Comics

Valley Community Development Corporation
41 Locust St.
$39,000 — Create new storefront

SOUTH HADLEY

Mount Holyoke College
50 College St.
$5,000 — New ramp at Porter Hall

Mount Holyoke – Shattuck
50 College St.
$200,000 — Renovations

Mount Holyoke President’s House
50 College St.
$315,000 — Renovations

US Industrial – E-Ink
7 Gaylord St.
$320,000 — Renovations

SPRINGFIELD

AT&T Services Inc.
194 Dwight St.
$432,000 — Remove and replace roof

Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St.
$10,000 — Renovate existing office space

Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St.
$80,000 — Open old office space to create surgical holding area

Baystate Medical Center
1550 Main St.
$645,000 — Interior renovations of fifth floor

Baystate Medical Center
50 Maple St.
$55,000 — Interior renovations

Mason Square Health Care Center
11 Wilbraham Road
$331,000 — Renovate existing space to create exam rooms

Mass. Development
1550 Main St.
$277,000 — 3,000-square-foot office retrofit

Mass. Mutual Life Insurance Company
1295 State St.
$293,000 — Installation of support panels for thermal solar panels

Reeds Landing
807 Wilbraham Road
$15,000 — Interior renovation in arts and crafts room

Three Rivers School
26 Ridgewood Ter.
$9,000 — Re-roof

Vincenzo Amore
497 Belmont Ave.
$3,000 — Remodel of existing restaurant

Western New England College
1215 Wilbraham Road
$103,000 — Re-roof of Old Blake Law Center

WMECO
30 Cadwell Dr.
$299,000 — Office renovation and new bathroom

WESTFIELD

Splitfinger, LLC
6 Coleman Ave.
$30,000 — Exterior renovations

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Century Center, LLC
Union St.
$40,000 — Tenant fit out

Dasare Properties, LLC
191 Baldwin St.
$176,000 — Repair fire and smoke damage

Decorative Specialties International, Inc.
101 Front St.
$75,000 — Construct new entryway

Developers Diversified
935 Riverdale St.
$2,000 — Tenant fit out

Lyn Davies for Carter’s
935 Riverdale St.
$146,000 — Renovate existing retail space

Pintus
217 Elm St.
$3,000 — Renovate restaurant after fire

Town of West Springfield
135 Piper Road
$40,000 — Install replacement windows at the Water Department

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

Sept. 1: ACCGS Business@ Breakfast — Making Chamber Connections, 7:15 a.m. to 9 a.m..
hosted by The Log Cabin.

Featuring guest speaker Tim Cahill, Massachusetts state treasurer and a 2010 gubernatorial candidate. Cost for members is $20; non-members is$30. Call the chamber for more information.
Sept. 15: ACCGS After 5, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Springfield Marriott. Cost for members is $10, non-members, $20.
Sept. 23: Feast in the East-ERC, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by: Elmcrest Country Club Cost: $25 per person. Call the chamber for more information.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com   
n Sept. 15: 17th Annual United Way Day of Caring. This event pairs volunteers with agency service providers to accomplish a variety of projects. YPS will again pair up with the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and work on one of the homes currently under construction in Springfield. If you are interested in joining our team please e-mail Maureen Picknally at [email protected]
Sept. 16: Third Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. This event is free for YPS members, and $5 for non-members.

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

Chicopee Chamber of Commerce
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

Sept. 21: 13th Annual Table Top Showcase and business networking event, from 4:30 to 7 p.m., at the The Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Greater Westfield Chambers of Commerce. Call the chambers for more information.

Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463

Sept. 24: Breakfast Series – United Way Program, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Hosted by Franklin County Technical School, Turners Falls. Call the chamber for more information.
Sept. 25 and 26: Fiber Twist, an Annual Celebration of All Things Fiber in Franklin County,
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hosted by Marketplace at Healthworks, Yankee Candle Village, Routes 5 and 10, South Deerfield. No admission charge. For details, visit www.fibertwist.com  

Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

Sept. 8: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Apollo Grill. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.
Oct. 1: Casino Night, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m, at One Cottage St., Easthampton. Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org

Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

Sept. 15: Holyoke Chamber Clambake, 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Holyoke Country Club. Tickets are $26. Call the chamber to reserve tickets.
Sept.  21: The 13th Annual Table Top Showcase, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Hosted by the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Drive, Chicopee. Call the chamber for more information or to reserve tickets.
Sept. 22: 2010 Pacesetter Awards Recognition Breakfast, starting at 7:30 a.m. Hosted by the Delaney House. The Pacesetter Awards go to exceptional small businesses and non-profit agencies, to entrepreneurs, and to those advocates who make other businesses successful. Tickets are $18. Please call the chamber for more information or to reserve tickets. 

Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

Sept. 1: Arrive @ 5, from 5-7 p.m. Hosted by the Snow Farm & The New England Craft Program,  5 Clary Road Williamsburg. Cost: $10 for members

Sept. 10: New Member Breakfast, from 8 to 9 a.m. Hosted by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. Call the chamber for more information.

Northampton Area Young Professional Society
www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900

Sept. 9: Party with a Purpose, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by the Hotel Northampton. Free for NAYP members, $5 for guests. The event, the third birthday party of the Northampton Area Young Professionals, will be held outside on the Patio, weather permitting. If the weather is inclement, we will be inside in the Coolidge Park Cafe. Call YPS for more information.
Sept. 17: NAYP Dynamics of Fleet Safety Seminar, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., at Union Station. Safety supervisors and fleet managers from all industries will benefit from this important presentation, led by Gerry Sousa, executive director of the National Safety Council’s Western New England Chapter. Participants will identify the daily challenges of running an effective fleet and learn the essential elements of a fleet safety program. Best practices for motor vehicle safety, collision prevention and asset use will be discussed.
Sept. 21: Meet & Eat, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. Tickets are $15 for members, $20 for guests.

Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
www.qvcc.biz
(413) 283-2418

South Hadley/Granby Chamber of Commerce
www.shchamber.com
(413) 532-6451

Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce
www.threeriverschamber.org
(413) 283-6425

Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

Sept. 8: WestNet After 5 Networking, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by: Shaker Farms Country Club. Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Call the chamber for more information.
n Sept. 21: “Rake in The Business” TableTop Expo, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Castle of Knights on Memorial Drive in Chicopee. Presented by the Chicopee, Holyoke and Westfield Chambers of Commerce. Call the chambers for more information.

Sept. 24: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce 104th Air Fighter Annual Breakfast, from 7:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. Hosted by the 104th Air Fighter, Barnes Airport, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield.  Guest Speaker:Ira Bryck, director of UMass Family Business Center. Tickets are #20 for members, $25 for non-members. Call the chamber for more information.