Home Posts tagged Education (Page 11)

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

Scramble Golf Tournament

Aug. 12: I Found Light Against All Odds will present its first annual Scramble Golf Tournament scholarship fund-raiser. The festivities will include golf, food, raffles, and more. The tournament will take place at Veterans Memorial Golf Course, with tee times starting at 11 am. Tournament admission fee is $100 per player, with the top three teams awarded first-, second-, and third-place prizes. Players can register by visiting www.eventbrite.com/e/scholarship-fundraiser-scramble-golf-tournament-registration-35572044944. All money raised from this tournament will go toward awarding scholarships for the 2017-18 school year. The recipients will be formerly at-risk high-school seniors from local high schools, who have overcome the darkness in their lives, now finding the light in education and headed to college.

Real-estate Sales Licensing Course

Sept. 6 to Oct. 12: Beginning Sept. 6, the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley will sponsor a 40 hour, 14-class, sales-licensing course to help individuals prepare for the Massachusetts real-estate salesperson license exam. The course will be completed on Oct. 12. Tuition is $359 and includes the book and materials. The course curriculum includes property rights, ownership, condos, land use, contracts, deeds, financing, mortgages, real estate brokerage, appraisal, fair housing, consumer protection, and Massachusetts license law, and more. Classes meet Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. at the association office, 221 Industry Ave., Springfield. For an application, contact Joanne Leblond at (413) 785-1328 or [email protected], or visit www.rapv.com.

Walk for Love

Sept. 9: Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield will host the eighth annual Walk for Love Walkathon and Barbecue. The Walkathon begins at the hospital and continues through Van Horn Park and back to the hospital for a barbecue. It is an easy, three-mile walk and will be held rain or shine. Registration begins at 9 a.m., followed by the walk at 10 a.m., and the barbecue and entertainment from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The $25 cost ($5 for children 10 and under, and $40 for families) includes walk registration and T-shirt (to be given on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last). Free parking is available at the Boys and Girls Club located directly across from the hospital on Carew Street. To sign up online, visit www.walkforlove.org. For more information, contact Lee Roberts at (413) 755-2307 or [email protected].

Healthcare Heroes

Oct. 19: BusinessWest and the Healthcare News will present the inaugural Healthcare Heroes Awards at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden. This new recognition program was created by the twin publications to recognize outstanding achievement across the region’s broad and diverse healthcare sector. Nominations were accepted in a number of categories, including ‘Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider,’ ‘Innovation in Health/Wellness,’ ‘Community Health,’ ‘Lifetime Achievement,’ and many others, and reviewed by a panel of judges (see story, page 13). American International College and Trinity Health are the presenting sponsors of Healthcare Heroes. Additional sponsors are Bay Path University, Baystate Health, Elms College, and Renew.Calm. Nominations will be reviewed by a panel of judges, and the winners will be profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN and honored at the awards ceremony on Oct. 19. Tickets to the event are $85 each, with tables available for purchase. For more information or to order tickets, call (413) 781-8600.

Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass.

Nov. 2: Comcast Business will present the Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass. at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News. The seventh annual business-to-business show will feature more than 150 exhibitor booths, educational seminars, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social. Current sponsors include Comcast Business (presenting sponsor), Johnson & Hill Staffing and Wild Apple Design Group (executive sponsors), Inspired Marketing (show partner), MGM Springfield (corporate sponsor), Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst (education sponsor), Xfinity (social sponsor), and the Better Business Bureau (contributing sponsor). Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $800. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

As Tower Square Hits the Market, Conjecture Abounds

By
coverfeature0717b
Cover Story

A Matter of Speculation

towersquaredpartSince it opened nearly a half-century ago, Tower Square has been both a prominent part of the Springfield skyline and a barometer of sorts for the health and vitality of the city and its downtown. And this explains why there is so much anticipation and speculation accompanying the announcement that the property is being put on the market by owner MassMutual. Experts agree that this will be more than a real-estate transaction — it will likely also be a referendum on Springfield and its apparent resurgence.

Ever since the news broke that Tower Square, the downtown Springfield office tower, hotel, and retail complex, would be put on the market by owner MassMutual, there has been seemingly no end to the speculation about this local landmark.

And it has come in many forms, from questions about why the property is on the block — and why now — to conjecture about who might acquire it and at what price, what the new owner might attempt to do with it, and what role the complex might play in a changing City of Homes.

It was that last question that Bob Greeley found the most vexing.

“What will downtown Springfield look like in 10 or 15 years … I couldn’t answer that one, and I don’t think anyone can — the city can go in one of many directions,” said Greeley, president of RJ Greeley Co. in Springfield and a player in the local commercial real-estate market for four decades.

Most of those other questions were a bit easier to handle, for Greeley and others they were put to. Indeed, there seemed to be general consensus that there will be a healthy market for the property — and for a number of reasons, including its location (much more on that later), Springfield’s ongoing resurgence, the opening of MGM Springfield in 15 months or so, and the solid, consistent performance of the complex’s office tower over the past several decades.

It certainly seems like a good time for MassMutual to explore this option. Not only because of all the recent positive activity in the city, but also because of the large number of regional and national investors looking to acquire long-term strategic assets right now.”

There also seemed to be general sentiment that there would be strong diversity among potential buyers, with interested local parties as well as national and international bidders.

“It certainly seems like a good time for MassMutual to explore this option,” said Ken Vincunas, president of Agawam-based Development Associates. “Not only because of all the recent positive activity in the city, but also because of the large number of regional and national investors looking to acquire long-term strategic assets right now.”

As for the role Tower Square will play in the future and the shape that property will take … here there was far less certainty in the experts’ voices and only conjecture — except when the subject of conversation was the approximately 180,000 square feet of retail space in the complex.

Moving forward, and even now, for that matter, said Greeley, the term ‘retail space’ should probably be replaced by the phrase ‘commercial space,’ because retail, at least in the traditional sense of the word, almost certainly won’t be a big part of Tower Square’s future.

Indeed, urban retail centers, or malls, if you will, which is what Tower Square was 40 years ago, are fast becoming a thing of the past, and, in most ways, they conflict strongly with most cities’ strategies for revitalizing their downtown centers, said Evan Plotkin, president of Springfield-based NAI Plotkin, who has spent considerable time and energy studying that subject.

Bob Greeley

Bob Greeley is among those who believe the sale of Tower Square should be an effective barometer for Springfield’s resurgence and its prospects for the future.

“I think downtown malls are inappropriate in this day and age,” he explained. “Urban malls take people off the sidewalk, and that’s not what you want; you want that hustle and bustle of people going up and down streets.”

So what can and should happen at Tower Square in the years to come? Plotkin envisions a future with more of what is there now — meaning educational institutions such as UMass Amherst, which has a considerable presence in the complex with its UMass Center at Springfield, and Cambridge College.

If nothing else, the sale of Tower Square should serve as a fairly intriguing barometer regarding the relative health of the city, its worthiness in the eyes of the development community, and its prospects for the future.

“I’m hoping that there will be a strong market for this property because, if there is, that will be a clear indication of where we think Springfield is and where it’s going,” said Kevin Kennedy, the city’s chief Development officer. “Everyone seems to be in agreement that things are going quite well for us here and our future is pretty good; this sale, or potential sale, will go a long way toward validating all that.”

For this issue, BusinessWest presents a snapshot, or summation, of the conjecture surrounding Tower Square, which will be the biggest commercial real-estate deal (outside of the casino, of course) in nearly a quarter-century, but also much more than that. In many ways, as Kennedy noted, it could be a referendum on Springfield — both its present and future.

Right Place, Right Time?

Plotkin often talks about his grandfather, Samuel D. Plotkin, whose full name was over the company’s door for decades, and the real-estate maps he created for not only Springfield, but a host of other cities as well.

The maps were essentially grids that assigned scores, or values, to blocks and individual properties based on location and other factors.

In Springfield, the block of Main Street between what is now Boland Way (years ago, it was Vernon Street) and Bridge Street, has always been what Samuel Plotkin called a ‘100% property,’ said his grandson.

“My grandfather counted how many people walked by a street corner at 12 noon,” Plotkin explained. “And he had some kind of logarithm or formula, and plotted these numbers on these months. The corner of Main and Boland was called a 100% location, and as you go down the blocks, it was 90%, 80%, or 70%; when you were looking for a site for a business, you always wanted to know the areas that had the heaviest foot traffic.”

Springfield’s resurgence

Area brokers say Springfield’s resurgence, the arrival of MGM in 2018, and the office tower’s historically strong performance should create a solid market for Tower Square.

So historically — and into the future, by most all accounts — Tower Square has that first axiom of commercial real estate — ‘location, location, location’ — well-covered.

But that’s only one of the factors that go into the sentiments of general optimism with regard to the sale of the property, the interest it will generate, the price it will command, and the speculation (there’s that word again) that this will be anything but the fire sale that was the acquisition of Monarch Place by Peter Picknelly in 1994 for $25 million, roughly a quarter of what that complex was built for less than a decade earlier.

Others include the generally high-performing, 370,000-square-foot office tower, said Greeley, adding that location certainly plays a role in that success. And while there is some debate about just how much office space will be needed in the future and where it will be needed, the consensus is that 1500 Main St. will long be a business address in considerable demand.

“The office tower has a low vacancy rate, and it’s almost always been that way,” he noted. “It’s a good location and a good facility.”

Meanwhile, the city’s resurgence and the opening of MGM in the fall of 2018 are forces that are projected to make the Tower Square property — and others, for that matter — more valuable and saleable.

“That property is probably worth more today than it has been for a long time,” said Greeley. “This is a good time to be doing this.”

But the question of what the eventual buyer will do with the balance of the property outside the office tower — meaning the Marriott hotel and the 180,000 square feet of retail space — remains the biggest unknown and a question without an easy answer.

Indeed, while several new tenants, including UMass, Cambridge College, Hot Table, and Valley Venture Mentors (soon to vacate its space and relocate to the Innovation Center) have moved in over the past decade, the vacancy rate in the retail component of the building remains high, so much so that it might become a drag on the property during the sale process, said Plotkin.

“Retail is the piece of Tower Square that has been slow to come back,” said Plotkin, noting that, decades ago — or until the construction of suburban malls like Eastfield and Ingleside, according to many observers — it thrived at that location. “The office tower has always done pretty well, and the hotel has always done pretty well. But you’re saddled with a large amount of retail vacancies; it’s been repurposed, and wisely, with the colleges and a few restaurants, but there are still a lot of vacancies.”

Elaborating, Plotkin and others said the retail scene has changed dramatically over the past several years, with Internet sales taking a huge toll on national chains ranging from Sears to Staples, and also on shopping facilities, including urban and suburban malls.

“Retail has been a struggle across the country,” said Greeley, noting that many suburban malls, including Eastfield, are losing anchors and struggling. “Society is changing, and the boxes of retail are going away — not just downtown, but everywhere.”

Space Exploration

This brings Greeley back to his comment earlier about how the retail space in Tower Square should probably be classified as ‘commercial’ moving forward, a term that has a much broader meaning and one that hints at the wide range of possibilities for that space.

Elaborating, Greeley said that eventual uses for those spaces will still have to be synergistic with the office tower and the hundreds of people working there, a consideration that will in some ways limit what can be done.

“You’re not going to put a Chuck E. Cheese in there,” he said with a laugh, adding that many other forms of entertainment and hospitality, especially those focused on children and families, which are now populating suburban malls, may be similarly inappropriate.

Main Street is going to come back, I think, and the city is poised for a resurgence, but a lot of things have to happen before that can take place. And there’s much more to it than what happens with Tower Square. It has to do with how we think about cities and the automobile.”

Plotkin said some urban malls and properties resembling Tower Square in some ways (it is fairly unique in its overall composition) have been repurposed for housing and other uses, such as higher education, but overall, such assignments require imagination and capital — and in large amounts.

He suggests that more of the “college campus” components, as he called them, might be appropriate and, more importantly, viable.

“Education is one of the directions I would be looking at when it comes to redeveloping the property,” he explained. “It could be a law school, it could be a research facility — there are a number of possibilities.

“We should have something happening there that is going to draw young people to the facility,” he went on, adding that educational facilities could in many ways feed off, and contribute to, the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in downtown Springfield.

Evan Plotkin

Evan Plotkin says the retail component in Tower Square remains a challenge, and that more education-related facilities may be the most viable option for that space.

Elaborating, he said the Marriott hotel and its 260 rooms could possibly be retrofitted into a dormitory, bringing a residential campus into the realm of possibility and also the prospect of several hundred young people living in the downtown area, which could fuel further growth of hospitality and service-related businesses.

And with the office tower and its broad mix of tenants in sectors ranging from law and marketing to accounting and financial services, there would be ample opportunities for internships and other learning experiences.

“If someone wanted to be right downtown, there are many amenities there,” said Plotkin, in reference to a college or university. “I’ve always looked upon what UMass is doing there as a start. It’s a good start, but it should just be the beginning.”

And from a big-picture perspective, Tower Square will be just one piece of the puzzle, he went on.

“Main Street is going to come back, I think, and the city is poised for a resurgence, but a lot of things have to happen before that can take place,” Plotkin told BusinessWest. “And there’s much more to it than what happens with Tower Square. It has to do with how we think about cities and the automobile.”

Overall, Kennedy said Springfield’s resurgence and a host of additions to the business and cultural landscape — from MGM to CRRC; from a renovated Union Station to the Innovation Center taking shape on Bridge Street — are creating more interest in the City of Homes, and Tower Square could play a role in bringing more businesses here, either through the office tower or its other available spaces.

“I continue to meet with companies that are interested in expanding into Springfield,” he told BusinessWest. “I have my fingers crossed, but I think things are going to work out.”

New Lease on Life?

That last bit of commentary was offered in reference to the city as a whole, but also to the pending sale of Tower Square.

This will be a real-estate transaction, but also much more than that. As Kennedy and others noted, it will be a referendum or bellwether of sorts on Springfield’s ongoing resurgence and prospects for the future.

And it may also be one of the larger determining factors when it comes to what that future might be — for the downtown and the city as a whole.

That’s why all that speculation is going on, and also why this will be a very closely watched real-estate transaction.

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

Judges Score More Than 70 Nominations for Healthcare Awards

By
Features

The ‘Heroes’ Have Been Identified

healthcareheroeslogo021517-pingA panel of esteemed judges is now finished with its work.

And soon, the region will learn the identities of this region’s first class of Healthcare Heroes.

“It’s a very intriguing class, and one that certainly speaks to the excellent, forward-thinking, community-minded work being undertaken by men and women across this region’s broad healthcare sector,” is all Kate Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest and the Healthcare News, would say about the first group of winners at this point.

Much more will be said, of course, in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN, when the magazines will tell the seven winners’ stories and explain why they, and all the other nominees, are worthy of that phrase ‘Healthcare Hero.’

The winners will be honored at the inaugural Healthcare Heroes Awards Gala on Oct. 19 at the GreatHorse in Hampden. Tickets are $85 each, with tables of 10 available. For more information or to order tickets, call (413) 781-8600.

Overall, there were more than 70 nominations across seven categories:

• Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider

• Innovation in Health/Wellness

• Community Health

• Emerging Leader

• Collaboration in Health/Wellness

• Health/Wellness Administration/Administrator

• Lifetime Achievement

These nominations were evaluated and scored by three judges:

Dr. Henry Dorkin

Dr. Henry Dorkin

• Dr. Henry Dorkin, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society. Dorkin is director of the Pulmonary Clinical Research Program, co-director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center, and co-director of the Cystic Fibrosis Therapeutic Development Center, all at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is also the immediate past clinical chief of the Division of Respiratory Diseases (2008-16) and the Cystic Fibrosis Center (2010-15), both at Children’s. A former professor of Pediatrics at the Tufts University School of Medicine, he is currently associate professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, a position he has held since 2002. An MMS member since 1982, Dorkin has served the society in a number of capacities. He was president-elect in 2016-17 and vice president in 2015-16. He has served as chair of the Task Force on EHR Interoperability and Usability as well as a member of the Task Force on Opioid Therapy and Physician Communication.

Christopher Scott

Christopher Scott

• Christopher Scott, dean of the School of Health & Patient Simulation at Springfield Technical Community College. Previously, he served as assistant dean for the School of Health & Patient Simulation at STCC and director of Clinical Education and the SIMS Medical Center. Scott played a key role in expanding the facility when he was hired as director in 2010. At the time, the medical center included 18 patient simulators and five rooms and provided 3,000 simulation experiences each year. Today, there are 52 simulators and 12 rooms, or simulation areas, and more than 20,000 simulation experiences. Scott, who holds a master’s degree in Health Education and Curriculum Development from Springfield College, is currently completing his doctorate in higher education administration from Northeastern University in Boston.

Katie Stebbins

Katie Stebbins

• Katie Stebbins, formerly the assistant secretary for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In that role, she co-chaired the governor’s Digital Health Council and led investment efforts into the health-tech ecosystem. After serving in this position for two years, she recently began serving as vice president of Economic Development for the UMass system in Boston. A 20-year veteran of public service and economic development, she has also started three of her own companies.

College Leaders Say It’s More About Student Success Than Keeping Up with the Joneses

By
armsracefeature0717b
Education Sections

The ‘Arms Race’

Westfield State University President Ramon Torrecilha

Westfield State University President Ramon Torrecilha says investments like the school has made in its food services are necessary in a changed landscape in higher education.

When people hear the phrase ‘arms race in higher education’ — and they’re hearing it a lot these days — what usually comes to mind are dining commons that offer more choices than a five-star restaurant, dorms that look more like hotel suites, and elaborate gyms, rock-climbing walls, and related athletic facilities.

And while that’s certainly part of the picture when it comes to this arms race — terminology generally used to describe a heightened competition for students and especially top talent — there are aspects to this equation that are far less obvious to the casual observer, according to the college presidents we spoke with, including:

• A new administrative position — director of Enrollment Management — at Westfield State University, noted its president, Ramon Torrecilha;

• A considerable investment in additional personnel and facilities in the Career Services Office at Western New England University, said its long-time president, Anthony Caprio;

• Development of a “student experience master plan,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, noting, for example, that the dormitory towers in the Southwest residential area do not exactly lend themselves to social interaction; and

• Renovations to the Hatch Library at Bay Path University to create what President Carol Leary called “collaborative and adaptable spaces for group learning in an environment that is also sensitive to technology.”

These steps and others are being taken because this arms race — a phrase that none of these presidents seemed particularly eager to say out loud because of the somewhat negative connotation attached to it — is about much more than competing for what has long been a smaller, seemingly more discerning, pool of high-school students with ramped-up facilities. Indeed, it’s also about — or more about, according to those we spoke with — helping these students succeed and generating value for the huge investment that they and their parents are making in their education.

UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy

UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy says that, as schools compete for students, geographic boundaries and the line between public and private schools have become blurred.

Thus, you’re hearing words and phrases that college administrators hardly ever said out loud until recently — like ‘value,’ ‘customers,’ and ‘return on investment.’

“The value proposition of higher education has changed insofar as the discourse these days is on the return on that investment,” said Torrecilha. “There is a much bigger emphasis on outcomes; students and parents are very interested in knowing what the outcome will be from a four-year education.”

More to the point, they’re interested in securing a solid outcome, meaning a job with a salary worthy of four years of tuition and fees.

“As the cost of education has escalated, more attention has been paid — and rightly so, frankly — to what the student is getting out of their education,” said Subbaswamy. “As the cost has shifted from the state to those families over the years, both students and families are more aware of what they’re giving up, and universities are more attuned to providing value.”

Meanwhile, the presidents we spoke with said there is a fine line between making an investment in a new dorm, dining commons, student union, or science center because it helps in the recruitment process — and because competitors have already built such things — and doing so because these are necessary investments in efforts to help students succeed.

And they would argue that, on their campuses, it has been more for the latter than the former.

“At Bay Path, our response to the ‘arms race’ is all about value — how we provide students with the academic experiences that will best prepare them for the future,” said Leary. “In response to our students’ expectations for value, we strive to contain the cost of education. We are one of the lowest-priced private colleges in the Northeast, and the American Women’s College is exceptionally cost-effective. The investments we make, and increasingly the areas where our donors support Bay Path, are in financial aid, academic advising, and career preparation, including paid internships.”

While Subbaswamy admitted there was one facility on the UMass Amherst that might — that’s might — fall into the category of “keeping up with the Joneses,” as he put it (the John Francis Kennedy Champions Center for UMass Basketball), he and other presidents said their schools are not spending money on items that don’t add to the value proposition and the overall learning experience.

Said Leary, who recoiled at the word ‘amenities’ as it is so often used in discussion of the arms race, “there are not many frills with a Bay Path education.”

For this issue and its focus on education, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the many aspects of this arms race, and especially the ways in which area schools are heightening their focus on student success and generating that sought-after return on investment.

Food for Thought

Subbaswamy couldn’t recall the exact wording or many of the specific design details, but the advertisement in the Boston Globe several months ago certainly caught his attention.

It was placed by the University of Pittsburgh, which, to his recollection, was touting itself in that advertisement as the “best public university in New England.”

“Since when did Pittsburgh become New England?” he asked BusinessWest, adding that this marketing initiative speaks volumes about what’s happening in higher education today and the forces that are fueling this arms race.

In short, borders, geographic and otherwise, are coming down as schools recruit needed students, said Subbaswamy and others we spoke with, adding that there is now little distinction between public and private four-year schools — especially as many states pull back on funding and shift the burden to students and their parents. Meanwhile, many institutions, like the University of Pittsburgh, are casting a wider net in the search for students, and taking steps to land them.

And marketing efforts, like that Boston Globe ad, are just one vehicle. For example, in 2015, the University of Maine launched something called its Flagship Match program, whereby students in Massachusetts, for example, could enroll at the Orono campus for the same price they would pay to attend UMass Amherst, a deal that slashes roughly half off Maine’s nearly $30,000 out-of-state rate.

And the tactic has worked. Indeed, the number of Massachusetts students planning to attend UMaine has nearly doubled since the introduction of the program.

But, as noted, discounting the cost of an education is only one of the strategies being put to use. New dorms, dining commons, and, yes, the occasional rock-climbing wall have been built in an effort to turn the heads of students and especially their parents, said Caprio.

Anthony Caprio

Anthony Caprio

We’re aware that the audience has changed. They want bigger, they want more modern, they want to have privacy, they want a lot of room around them.”

And they’re doing it because such facilities are now expected, and, to some extent and with some constituencies, demanded, he went on.

“We’re aware that the audience has changed,” Caprio explained, using that term as a collective for students and their parents. “They want bigger, they want more modern, they want to have privacy, they want a lot of room around them.”

In some respects, that’s because this is what they’ve grown up with, not only at home, but also at some of the high schools going up in communities across the state and the country. “Some of these high schools have better athletic facilities than we do,” he said, without a trace of exaggeration in his voice.

Caprio noted that even elite, Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Yale have been making huge investments in non-academic aspects of their campuses, presumably because even these institutions need to do so in this changed environment.

Torrecilha agreed. “When students come to a new-student orientation, they don’t ask to see the classrooms — they want to know where they’re going live; they want to see what the residential hall looks like and feels like,” he said.

This focus on campus life also explains why WSU recently made a huge investment in creating its own food-services department and significantly upgrading its offerings.

The ambitious project, undertaken in partnership with UMass Amherst, which currently has the top-rated food-service division in the country, was described by Torrecilha as a risk, one he considers well worth taking.

“I spent a lot of nights thinking about this because it meant bringing a $13 million operation into the school budget,” he said, adding that WSU previously used an outside vendor to prepare food. “And once you hire these people, they become part of your payroll. So it was risky, but it was worth it; our participation rate is up considerably.”

Meanwhile, WNEU is also investing in a new dining commons, a $28 million renovation Caprio said is being undertaken out of necessity, not exactly a desire to keep pace, although he acknowledged that’s part of the ‘necessity’ part.

“When we deliberated about this, we said, ‘we have to modernize,’” he explained. “We had a building that was very nice, but it was totally inadequate — it was too small and not conducive for anything but students chowing down their food and getting the heck out of there because someone was trying to grab their seat. That’s not the kind of place we want it to be.

“Students are used to different kinds of diets, and there’s such a new awareness about the quality of food, the types of food available, and how it’s prepared,” he went on. “It’s simply impossible to ignore all of that, and you need to have the right facilities to do it.”

A Study in Value

But while the competition for students has escalated, thus adding to the building and renovating boom talking place on many campuses, so too has the need to show a return on the investment that students and their parents are making, said Torrecilha, adding that both phenomena are part of a still-changing landscape in higher education.

“We’re much more outcomes-driven than ever before,” he told BusinessWest, using that collective to refer to colleges and universities of all shapes and sizes. “Institutions of higher education are being asked to demonstrate that their students will be able to be placed in a job or, in some cases, transition to graduate school.”

And this sea change has led to other types of investments, some of them far less visible — such as those in counseling, career-placement facilities, and enrollment-management efforts designed to not only get students into a school but also get them onto the podium at commencement ceremonies — yet are also part of the arms race.

Carol Leary

Carol Leary says that ‘value’ in higher education is not about rock-climbing walls, but instead about providing a solid return on the investment made in attending college.

Leary said such efforts fall into that broad category of ‘value,’ and noted that this concept is so important to the school and its administrators that it is one of the four main tenets of its Vision 2019 strategic plan and was the primary area of focus for the board of trustees during this past academic year.

“Last fall, the board participated in a series of focus groups with students, parents, alumni, and employers so trustees could hear first-hand how our customers define value,” she went on. “What we learned — and it was no great surprise to us — is that the cost of education, academic advising, and career preparation are top of mind. Not one word was mentioned about luxury dorms, rock-climbing walls, Jacuzzis, or other amenities that some people think of when they hear the term ‘arms race.’”

She believes these focus-group responses are directly attributable to the diversity of students Bay Path serves — more than half are first-generation college students, and an equal number hail from families with what she called “extraordinary financial need.”

“And the majority of our students work one if not multiple jobs to pay for their education,” she went on, adding that two-thirds of Bay Path’s undergraduate students are adult women enrolled through the American Women’s College (AWC), which offers programs online.

“While unique, their expectations are aligned with our traditional students,” Leary said of the AWC students. “They want a major and an experience that will enable them to excel in careers or graduate school.”

And with that phrase, she summed up succinctly what has become a point of heightened emphasis for all schools.

Indeed, while ‘student success’ is not exactly a recent phenomenon, that two-word phrase wasn’t heard much in the corridors and offices within higher-education facilities until this century, said Subbaswamy.

Now, it is the primary directive, and there are many elements that go into this quotient, including facilities like new science buildings (UMass Amherst, WSU, Bay Path, WNEU, and other schools have one, by the way), additional personnel and resources in career centers, WSU’s director of Enrollment Management, and, yes, even those new dining facilities.

“The fields we’re expanding into at this school are ones that require very modern facilities,” said Caprio, echoing the thoughts of his colleagues as he spoke. “We need to have modern laboratories, whether we’re teaching pharmacy or any of the sciences we’ve expanded into, or engineering, or our new programs, like occupational therapy.

“You need to have ultra-modern, up-to-date, current laboratories, because without those tools, these students cannot be prepared to go out and work in the profession they’re choosing to go into,” he went on. “We’re not doing it for show, nor are we doing it because the students can’t tolerate anything more simple; we know what we have to provide in order to provide the kind of education these students need and that they expect to get the jobs they desire.”

Leary used similar language as she talked about Bay Path’s renovations to science labs on its main campus and the building of the Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center in East Longmeadow.

“We created state-of-the-art facilities to make sure our students have hands-on experience with cutting-edge equipment,” she noted. “Advanced technology has literally transformed teaching and learning in disciplines like neuroscience, occupational therapy, and physician assistant studies. Thus, these new facilities are driven purely by academic needs. I think that is important.”

At UMass Amherst, said Subbaswamy, the more than $1.8 billion in campus infrastructure work undertaken over the past 10 years has been far more about replacing neglected facilities built 50 or 60 years ago — “catching up,” as he called it — than keeping up with the competition.

Course of Action

As he talked about the arms race and the greater emphasis on outcomes today, Torrecilha mentioned another new and apparently necessary expenditure for his institution — the purchase of student names from the College Board.

When I meet with parents, or at our open houses, I talk about how we bring about return on investment to them, and how we’re not at all ashamed or hesitant to say that believe in art for art’s sake and education for education’s sake. We really work hard at trying to provide services and guidance to our students so they understand the world of work and understand the pathways to getting effective jobs.”

This is something the school has never done before (many colleges and universities have been doing it for decades), but is doing now as part of the heightened focus on enrollment and enrollment management, he explained, adding that the school will be acquiring roughly 100,000 names at 42 cents each.

These are the names of young people, most all of them in Massachusetts and the bulk of them from the eastern part of the state, an area WSU has traditionally recruited many of its students from. And they are considered to be potentially solid fits for the institution.

“We’re being more strategic in the way in which we recruit students,” he explained, adding that, as part of this initiative, he wants WSU to start the recruitment much earlier than a student’s junior year in high school — when it traditionally begins — and perhaps as early as elementary school.

WSU’s purchase of students’ names is part of that heightened emphasis on outcomes, said Torrecilha, adding that the school’s new director of Enrollment Management also falls into that category. It’s an important hire, and it speaks to how the business of higher education is changing.

“Westfield State University, like a lot of state institutions, didn’t have to think about enrollment until very recently,” he said, driving home his point by noting that, until this year, the school processed all applications by hand. “It was one of those cases of ‘build it and they will come’; we never had to think about the incoming class, but times have changed.”

Today, the school is far more focused on attracting students, creating what Torrecilha called the “right mix” of students, and guiding those students to success — be it in graduate school or the job market.

This is increasingly a sector-wide approach, said Subbaswamy, noting that his school, like most others, is making greater investments in the realm of student success, many of them outside the classroom — through everything from additional behavioral health services to larger staffs and more resources for the career centers, to that aforementioned effort to improve social interaction in 20-story dormitories.

“Students are here for four years — and we are really acting on behalf of their parents,” he said. “It’s an awesome responsibility to have 22,000 18-to-22-year-olds under your care for eight months of the year, and that’s how we have to approach it.”

All this brings Caprio back to that phrase ‘return on investment,’ one that the individual holding his job three decades ago likely wouldn’t have uttered.

“But I use it just about every day,” he said. “When I meet with parents, or at our open houses, I talk about how we bring about return on investment to them, and how we’re not at all ashamed or hesitant to say that believe in art for art’s sake and education for education’s sake. We really work hard at trying to provide services and guidance to our students so they understand the world of work and understand the pathways to getting effective jobs.”

Torrecilha agreed. “We want our students to identify their passion and find a major to fulfill that passion, but also be productive citizens in the sphere of work or graduate school.”

Bottom Line

Returning to the subject of WNEU’s new dining commons, Caprio described that facility in a way that effectively articulates the many components to this arms race and why it is changing the landscape on so many campuses.

“This will be a place where students come all day and eat, and have space to work if they wish, and work in groups to continue the learning experience in a very comfortable manner that’s convenient to them,” he explained. “Some people would say that really is unnecessary, that it’s unneeded extravagance.

“But it’s not,” he went on, “if you define yourself as a place where people come to learn and learn in groups and have meaningful exchanges in that particular setting. It’s no longer just a cafeteria. It’s a learning center for all practical purposes.”

Thus, it’s an important part of the nationwide effort to bring new emphasis to that word ‘value’ and produce a return on an obviously huge investment.

This is a new age in higher education, one of hotel-like dorms, dining facilities with ‘Mediterranean’ and ‘gluten-free’ stations, and a ‘student-experience master plan’ at the state university.

And all institutions are still adjusting to this new order.

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

Harry Dumay Takes the Reins at Elms College

By
Education Sections

Determined Course

Harry Dumay

Harry Dumay says Elms College generated considerable momentum under Sr. Mary Reap, and he hopes to build on that progress.

Soon after Harry Dumay reached that point professionally where he determined he was ready and willing to pursue a college presidency, he did what many people in that situation do.

He put together a wish list, or a preferred list, if you will, of the type of institution he eventually wanted to lead. And he did so because, in such situations, as so many eventual college presidents have told BusinessWest over the years, ‘fit’ is all-important — to both the candidate and the school in question.

When asked about what he preferred, Dumay ran off a quick list:

• A Catholic institution would be ideal — he had already worked in high-level positions for two of them, Boston College and St. Anselm College in New Hampshire;

• A sound financial footing was also high on the list — and there are many institutions not on such solid ground;

• A commitment to strong academics was a must; and

• Above all else, he desired to lead a school with a strong track record for diversity — not merely ethnic diversity (although that was certainly important), but the broad range of student and educational diversity (he would get into that more later).

Because Elms College in Chicopee could check all those boxes and others as well, Dumay not only desired to fill the vacancy to be created by the announced retirement of Sr. Mary Reap last year, but he essentially made the nearly 90-year-old school the primary focus of his presidential aspirations.

The more I started looking into Elms College, the more I started to become fascinated by it, and I just fell in love with the place.”

“The more I started looking into Elms College, the more I started to become fascinated by it, and I just fell in love with the place,” he told BusinessWest.

Dumay, who was serving as vice president for Finance and chief financial officer at St. Anselm when Elms commenced its search, said he was quite familiar with the school through another role he has carried out for several years — as a member of the New England Assoc. of Schools and Colleges’ Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

He knew, for example, that not long ago, the school wasn’t on that sound financial ground he desired, and that it was only through a significant turnaround effort orchestrated by Reap that the school was no longer on a list of institutions being watched closely by NEASC for financial soundness.

“Sister Mary has essentially completed a turnaround of the financial situation at the institution over the past eight years,” he noted. “She took it from numbers that were not satisfactory to having successive years of positive margins and putting the college very well in the black.”

But as she put Elms on more solid financial footing, Reap also maintained and amplified what Dumay called “an entrepreneurial spirit” that manifested itself in new academic programs and construction of the Center for Natural and Health Sciences, which, when it opened in 2014, was the first new academic building on campus in more than 30 years.

And she led efforts that enabled the school to make great strides in what has become a nationwide focus on student success and, overall, greater return on the significant cost of higher education.

As he talked about his goals and plans moving forward, Dumay, who arrived on campus July 1, said his immediate assignment is to meet as many people within the broad ‘Elms community’ as possible. This means faculty, staff, trustees, and area business and civic leaders, he said, adding that his primary role in such meetings is to listen to what such individuals are saying about Elms — its past, its present, and especially its future.

This listening and learning process will continue at a retreat next month involving the school’s leadership team, he went on, adding that his broad goal is to attain a common vision concerning where the school wants to be in the years to come and how to get there and execute that plan.

But in most all respects, Dumay said his primary focus is on keeping the school on the upward trajectory charted by Reap. For this issue and its focus on education, BusinessWest talked at length with Dumay about that assignment and his approach to it.

A Stern Test

As he prepared to sit down with BusinessWest on a quiet Friday afternoon earlier this month, Dumay was wrapping up one of those meet-and-greets he mentioned earlier — this one a quick lunch with trustee Kevin Vann, president of the Vann Group.

As noted, there have been several of these sessions since he arrived, and there are many more to come as Dumay continues what could be described as a fact-finding, opinion-gathering exercise concerning not only Elms College but the region, and students, it serves.

As he mentioned, Dumay already knew quite a bit about Elms — and most of this region’s colleges and universities, for that matter — before arriving on the Chicopee campus. He is determined, though, to add to that base of knowledge.

He’s learned, for example, that nearly a third of the school’s students are first-generation, meaning that they’re the first in their family to attend college. Dumay said that statistic certainly resonates with him — he, too, is a first-generation college graduate — and that his career in some way serves as a model to the students he will soon lead.

A native of Quanaminthe, Haiti, Dumay came to the U.S. to attend college, specifically Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., a historically black, public, land-grant university founded by African-American veterans of the Civil War.

He graduated magna cum laude, and would continue his education with a master’s degree in public administration from Framingham State University, an MBA from Boston University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from Boston College.

He would put those degrees to use in a number of different positions at some of the nation’s most prestigious schools.

He worked as director of Finance for Boston University’s School of Engineering from 1998 to 2002 (he was hired and later mentored by Charles DeLisi, who played a seminal role in initiating the Human Genome Project), before becoming associate dean at Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work from 2002 to 2006, a rather significant career course change — in some respects, anyway.

“From engineering to social work … those are vastly different worlds,” he explained, “but my job was essentially the same: working on aligning resources —— technology, processes, and people — to support the work of the faculty.”

Dumay then took a job as chief financial officer and associate dean at Harvard University’s Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 2006, and served in that capacity until 2012.

That timeline is significant because he was at Harvard at the height of the Great Recession, which took a 30% bite out of Harvard’s huge endowment and not only prompted the delay of an ambitious initiative to expand the campus into Allston — a plan that included the School of Engineering — but also brought about campus-wide efforts to create greater operating efficiencies. And Dumay played a significant role in those efforts.

“That was some of the most rewarding work I’ve been part of,” he said. “And there were some great opportunities for learning how organizations can structure themselves to be more efficient.”

He then took another significant career course change, moving on to St. Anselm, where, instead of working for a specific school or division, he become CFO of the institution and later became senior vice president and, in many respects, the right hand of the president. In that role, he played a key role in developing a new strategic plan for the school.

After nearly two decades of work in higher education in these leadership roles, Dumay said he considered himself ready, professionally and otherwise, to pursue a presidency.

And others were encouraging him to take that next step.

“For a while, being a number two on a campus seemed to be very satisfying and very appealing,” he explained. “But, progressively, my former president started to encourage me to seek a presidency, even though I had been thinking about it as well.”

Elms College

Harry Dumay says Elms College, like most colleges and universities today, is putting a strong focus on student success.

At the advice of his former president, he attended a year-long program sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges designed to help individuals discern whether they have a ‘vocation for a college presidency.’

“Those are their words,” said Dumay. “They want people to think about this not as a job, not as a step in one’s career, but as a vocation, as a calling, because there’s a certain work to be done as a college president.

“It eventually became clear to me that the influence that I wanted to have and the way I wanted to contribute to higher education, a presidency was the best position, the best vantage point to make that happen,” he went on.

While many who reach that point where they can truly say this is a calling cast a somewhat wide net as they explore and then pursue opportunities, Dumay took a more specific focus. And when Reap announced her intention to retire last year, Elms became the focus of his ambition.

“This was the one search I was seriously involved in,” he said.

School of Thought

What intrigued him was the institution Elms has become over the past 89 years, and especially the past few decades — one that could easily check all those boxes mentioned earlier, and especially the one concerning diversity and the many forms it takes here.

The student body is just one example, he said, adding that it has historically been ethnically diverse and added a significant new dimension when men were admitted for the first time in 1997.

But it is diverse in many other respects as well, including the depth of its programs and the nature of “how teaching happens,” as Dumay put it.

“Elms College has a diversity of formats in which it provides a strong Catholic liberal-arts education,” he explained. “It happens on campus, it happens through online education, it happens with the residential population, it happens with people who commute, and it happens off campus through a number of sites. That’s a broad definition of diversity that appealed to me.”

Beyond the diversity, the school also has that solid financial footing that Reap had created, momentum in the form of new programs in areas from health sciences to entrepreneurship, and something else that Dumay identified — “courage.”

He used that term in reference to the school’s decision to admit men 20 years ago, but said it has been a consistent character trait.

“Institutions that have made big shifts like that … to me, that shows resiliency, forward thinking, and courage,” he explained, “because it takes courage to change an institution’s trajectory like that and make decisions that will not be popular with all constituents. To me, that was impressive.”

Equally impressive has been progress at the school in that all-important area of student success.

I’m not sure how that effort is going to continue with the current administration, but higher-education institutions have, in general, taken that message to heart. Instead of getting that mandate from the federal government, this sector has been telling itself, ‘we’d better to be able to prove ourselves … we need to show how our students are receiving value for the dollars they’re investing in their education.”

This isn’t a recent phenomenon, he noted, but there has been considerably more emphasis on ROI as the cost of education has continued to climb.

The Obama administration made that focus a priority, he went on, adding it worked to put in place measures for how well a specific school’s degree programs were translating into success (salary-wise) in the workplace.

“I’m not sure how that effort is going to continue with the current administration,” he went on, “but higher-education institutions have, in general, taken that message to heart. Instead of getting that mandate from the federal government, this sector has been telling itself, ‘we’d better to be able to prove ourselves … we need to show how our students are receiving value for the dollars they’re investing in their education.”

Measures created or emphasized in this regard include everything from graduation and retention rates to the starting salaries of graduates in various programs, he continued, adding that Elms has achieved progress in this regard as well.

“Sister Mary had started an initiative to really focus on student success as part of our strategic plan,” he explained. “And as part of that, there is a plan to create a center for student success, and she started a campaign to raise funds for it.”

That facility will likely be ready by the end of summer, he said, adding that the school’s commitment to not only enrolling students but giving them all the tools they will need to graduate and achieve success in the workplace was another factor in his decision to come to Elms.

Moving forward, Dumay said that, after several more meetings like the one he had that day, and after the leadership retreat in August, and after gaining a better sense of where the college is and where it wants to go, he will commence what he said is the real work of a college president.

“That is to ensure the coherence and the articulation of a common vision, so we can all be pulling in the same direction,” he explained, adding that this is the essential ingredient in achieving continued progress at any institution. “Anything that anyone has been able to do has begun with getting everyone in the same frame of mind and saying, ‘this is what we’re going to do.’”

Grade Expectations

As he talked about that process of getting everyone at an institution of higher learning on the proverbial same page, Dumay acknowledged that this can often be a stern challenge in this sector.

“The theory is, higher education is like steering a car on ice,” he said with a smile on his face, adding that such work can be made easier through clear articulation of a vision and the means through which it will be met.

And this is the essence of a college president’s job description, he said, adding that, back at that year-long program for aspiring college presidents, he definitely came away with the sense that he did, indeed, view this as a calling, or vocation, and not a job or stepping stone.

And Elms, as he noted, was the natural landing spot.

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

The Bing Arts Center Raises Its Profile — and Needed Funds

By
bingfeature-0717b
Creative Economy Sections

The Show Must Go On

Brian Hale

Brian Hale hopes an ambitious fund-raising plan will transform the Bing Arts Center into a widely known destination.

Folks who grew up in Springfield’s Forest Park area or near the X commercial district have fond memories of attending movies at the Bing Theater — at least, until it was shuttered in 1999 for non-payment of taxes. But a 13-year (and counting) effort to revitalize the site into a multi-purpose arts center has the place buzzing again, with a regular schedule of arts events. Now comes the bigger challenge — renovating the Bing’s main theater and turning it into a regional destination.

Brian Hale remembers growing up near Springfield’s historic X district and watching movies on Saturdays at the Bing Theater. Those excursions, he understands now, were helping to lay the foundation for a lifetime of appreciating the arts — not just film, but art in all forms.

“A lot of people today don’t realize the impact going to the movies had,” he told BusinessWest. “People today take them for granted; you can watch a movie on your phone or your computer. But back then, going to the movies on a Saturday — that was excitement.”

Hale, owner of Design WorkShop Inc. in Springfield and president of X Main Street Corp. (XMSC), the nonprofit that owns the Bing, spends a lot more time there these days than he did as a kid, not just appreciating the arts, but trying to raise their profile and make the facility the community centerpiece it once was.

It hasn’t been an easy road, and there’s still a long way to go, but there is once again a palpable buzz about what is now known as the Bing Arts Center.

“It’s very intimate, very sociable; it’s a listening room, not a bar,” he said of the unassuming structure on Sumner Avenue, which is slowly being renovated while hosting music and educational events in its small lobby, flanked by two small art galleries. “It’s a welcoming space where people can feel comfortable coming and meeting friends. This is about making the community a better place, and a good way to do that is through the arts.”

I get frustrated with the state of the world and the community as much as anyone. But I feel like nothing brings people together like the arts, and having a community space that attracts a wide variety of people from the city who might not otherwise run into each other.”

Since reopening for cultural and community events in 2010, the Bing has quietly built a busy schedule of performances, all of which take place in the building’s front lobby because the former theater space is in need of a serious remodel. But Hale’s vision, and that of his fellow board members and area arts supporters, is to see the entire venue open once again, with multiple spaces housing gatherings both large and small, indoors and outdoors, perhaps even on the roof — all of it, he told BusinessWest, aimed at bringing people together over shared passions during a time when Americans increasingly feel polarized by current events.

“I get frustrated with the state of the world and the community as much as anyone,” he added, “but I feel like nothing brings people together like the arts, and having a community space that attracts a wide variety of people from the city who might not otherwise run into each other.”

The Bing has achieved part of that goal already. The rest will take a lot more work — and money. But the end result, Hale said, will be one more attraction to further stamp Springfield as a city clearly on the rise.

Reel Life

The building wasn’t always a theater, but originally housed Kossaboom’s Service Station through the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s. When it closed, the pumps were removed, the front of the building reconfigured, and an auditorium was built in the rear.

The Bing Theatre, named for then-superstar Bing Crosby, opened in 1950 with a showing of Samson and Delilah. For the next half-century, the movies kept coming, concluding that era with Gus Van Sant’s shot-by-shot remake of Psycho. That was in 1999, when the city of Springfield took the property for non-payment of taxes, and all activity ceased on the property.

the Bing hosts myriad concerts, lectures, films, and other activities in its lobby.

With the main theater currently unusable, the Bing hosts myriad concerts, lectures, films, and other activities in its lobby.

But before long, a group of arts advocates and business people held a series of meetings and suggested the theater should be used as an arts center.

“The city put out an RFP for some type of community arts use, and our organization, the X Main Street Corp., made up of local business people, got involved,” Hale said. “These Main Street corporations are all over the country, and are generally created to try to revitalize urban commercial districts like the X.”

The organization was formed in 1995 to help revitalize the Forest Park neighborhood, the X commercial district, and the Sumner Avenue corridor, with efforts like starting the Forest Park Farmers’ Market, operating a food-security program, and securing significant streetscape improvements for the area, including new streetlights, benches, planters, and other touches to make the neighborhood more attractive. The XMSC also managed a façade-improvement program and developed and presented a series of technical-assistance seminars for local businesses.

The Bing posed a more significant challenge — but a great opportunity as well.

“When I saw this space was available, I said to the board, ‘this would make a great arts center. We could stimulate development, get people here at night; it’ll be good for local restaurants.’”

In 2002, the board of directors decided to adopt the strategy of arts accessibility to strengthen the community culturally and economically. XMSC then became the preferred developer for the former Bing Theater and, in December 2004, finally convinced the city to sell the property to the nonprofit.

Plans were formulated to convert the storefronts to gallery space, bring everything up to code, and use the former lobby as a multi-purpose space. The marquee and façade were also renovated. After six years of planning, fund-raising, and work, the Bing Arts Center opened in June 2010, and now presents regular cultural and educational programming — everything from visual arts and film screenings to musical performances and art classes — in addition to hosting meetings for other community groups, serving as a neighborhood hub.

“We’ve made an impact. We wanted it to be an arts center and offer as much diverse, eclectic content as we could,” Hale said, rattling off some of the performers who had been through in only the past few weeks, ranging from local rock bands to chamber ensembles to a folksinger from Sweden. Meanwhile, local artists are invited to display their work in rotating exhibits in the storefront galleries that flank the lobby.

“We also have a pop-up gallery where anyone can put their art on the wall for an evening and sell it,” he added. “We have refreshments and music; it’s a fun thing. People who want to see their work in a public space can come in and do it.”

The center also promotes connections between artists and the public instead of building walls between them, he added.

“A filmmaker makes a movie and shows it here, and people enjoy talking to them — ‘how did you do this?’ ‘How did you shoot this scene?’ That’s a good way to experience the arts.

“Springfield does big arts pretty well,” he went on. “We have Symphony Hall, CityStage, the MassMutual Center, and Theodores’ is a great little club; there’s a lot of good things to do. But there isn’t really anything else like the Bing in the area.”

Coming Attractions

To reach Hale’s goal of restoring the large theater, with the goal of featuring national-release independent and art films, preparations for phase 2 are underway. The theater will initially be configured for 300 to 350 seats, including a mezzanine, which it did not have before. The original theater held more than 900 seats, but the plan, as designed by local architect Stephen Jablonski, will accommodate two separate spaces, the main room for larger audiences and a smaller, adjoining space for smaller events.

Phase 1 of the Bing’s revitalization

Phase 1 of the Bing’s revitalization saw its façade, lobby, and gallery space renovated, while phase 2 aims to bring back its large theater.

Achieving all that will take about $1 million in fund-raising, but Hale also envisions creating a roof space for outdoor events, which could also be rented out for parties and receptions. “It would be the coolest arts venue in the valley if we had that,” he said, but admitted that addition could push the price tag close to $4 million.

Support for the main theater restoration has come from unexpected places, including a woman Hale went to school with in Springfield; she lives in Arizona now, but the two have kept in contact on Facebook, and she has donated periodically to the Bing’s revitalization. Recently, she and her husband reached out with a request to purchase naming rights to a program, and after a $25,000 donation, her parents have been memorialized with the Richard and Ethel Hanley Arts Education Program.

Understanding that the valley is full of companies and individuals with the resources to make large gifts, Hale hopes it won’t be the last such naming opportunity. It’s an investment worth making, he added, noting that people talk about the rise of Springfield’s downtown, but only a few thousand people actually live there, while some 26,000 call the X and Forest Park area their home.

“Younger people are coming back to cities; they don’t want to live out in the suburbs, and this is definitely a crucial piece,” he said of attracting that new, younger generation of city dwellers.

“The arts can’t change a place by itself, but they are vital, no doubt,” he added. “A city has to think of itself as a business. You need residents moving into your city. There aren’t enough places for musicians to play, for artists to exhibit, places for arts education that bring artists and the community together, where they can actually interact. But it’s happening here.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Northampton Facility Offers Affordable Space for Creatives

By
Creative Economy Sections

A Dream Home for the Arts

By Kathleen Mellen

An architect’s rendering of the new facility on Hawley Street in Northampton.

An architect’s rendering of the new facility on Hawley Street in Northampton.
Thomas Douglas Architects

It’s been four long years since the Northampton Center for the Arts had a place to call home. But that’s about to change.

In September, the center will become the first tenant of a building at 33 Hawley St. in Northampton, purchased in 2013 by Northampton Community Arts Trust, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve space for use by artists. It was conceived on the principle of a land trust, in which land is purchased with a particular intention, such as preservation.

“The arts trust’s mission is to preserve, in perpetuity, spaces for the use of arts,” said Penny Burke, executive director of the Center for the Arts, who has been involved in the development of the trust since its inception. “We need a multi-purpose, multi-functioning community place for the arts.”

The need for such a space became abundantly clear in 2013, when the nonprofit Center for the Arts lost its home of nearly 30 years at the former D.A. Sullivan School complex in downtown Northampton, after its non-renewable lease expired.

As Burke searched for new space that could accommodate the center’s programming of music, dance, theater, and visual arts — a process that took far longer than she had anticipated — she was forced to mothball much of its equipment and programming, and run the operation out of a small office on Strong Avenue, or, at times, from her home.

After a number of disappointing false starts, Burke said, the center entered into a collaborative search for space with interested city residents and other arts organizations, including Available Potential Enterprises, Ltd. (APE), which, in 2006, had moved out of its 10,000-square-foot home in Thornes Marketplace after the building was sold. APE has since relocated to a much smaller space on Main Street, which doesn’t accommodate many of the performances that had been a major part of its programming.

interiorstairs

The spacious interior of the new facility in Northampton provides ample space for artists.

The spacious interior of the new facility in Northampton provides ample space for artists.

“Our interest is not in occupying the space,” said Gordon Thorne, the founding director of APE, “but we want to have input into programming in the building. We were looking for a way to replicate what we had in Thornes, to replace our performance capacity. This is really completing that goal for us.”

Northampton has long had a reputation as a premier arts town. It is home to scores of visual and performing artists who have been flocking to the city since the mid-’70s, when an economic downturn resulted in storefront vacancies and cheap rent. That was like a siren call to artists, who typically have limited economic resources.

With the resulting influx of creative individuals, by the early 2000s, the arts had become integral to the personality, character, and economic health of the city. Not only has it been dubbed one of the best small arts towns in the country, it has also been named one of the nation’s top 25 arts destinations.

Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner says artists need affordable space, and the new facility created by Northampton Community Arts provides it.

But all that has come at a price to the artists, says Richard Wagner, president of the Northampton Community Arts Trust’s volunteer board of directors. As the arts have helped propel the city’s renewed economic vibrancy, vacancies have been filled, and prices for space have exploded, leaving many of the artists to discover that they have unwittingly helped price themselves right out of their artistic homes.

“The end state of any creative economy is going to be where creativity has been pressed out of the market,” Wagner said. “Artists need space, and if you want to keep artists, if you want to keep the creativity, you’ve got to lock in affordability, or they go somewhere else. That’s what’s happening in Northampton.”

The Northampton Community Arts Trust aims to stem that tide.

Planning a Reboot

To be sure, Burke’s organization has not been dormant during the past four years, but programming has been minimal; she has continued to present the center’s annual chalk art, ice art, and en plein air painting festivals, as well as hosting Northampton’s First Night Celebration — a venture the center will turn over to the Northampton Arts Council this year after running it for 32 years.

Now, Burke says, she’s excited to have a home where she can reinstate the plethora of arts and community activities that have been the center’s hallmark. “It’s been a huge hole,” she noted.

The Center for the Arts will serve as an operational and managerial tenant of the Hawley Street building, and will facilitate much of the core programming. With that slated to begin right after Labor Day, Burke explained, she’s hustling to get her ducks in a row, reaching out to the center’s resident companies, including the Lisa Leizman Dance Co. and the Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra, and booking space for classes, rehearsals, and, eventually, performances. Other organizations are expected to follow the center into the space shortly, including Northampton Community TV, which will have an education and media center there.

We wanted to create a building with minimal operating expenses, where artists can actually afford to work, and that meant not borrowing money. I had the capital, so I paid it.”

The center’s move to Hawley Street is one step in a long journey that began in earnest with the $1.5 million purchase in 2013 of the former site of Northampton Lumber, a 25,000-square-foot building on 1.5 acres of land. Money for the purchase was initially raised through private donations and a short-term loan, but was ultimately paid in full by Thorne, who reimbursed the trust for the cost of the building.

“We wanted to create a building with minimal operating expenses, where artists can actually afford to work, and that meant not borrowing money,” Thorne said. “I had the capital, so I paid it.”

While some events were held in the building for several months after it was purchased, all that was put on hold in 2015, when construction began to build the trust’s dream home for the arts.

The $6.5 million project (which includes the purchase of the building) is being done in three phases, under the guidance of Thomas Douglas Architects. Phase one, with a cost of just over $1.86 million, is nearly complete, and has included an overall renovation of the building and indoor framing.

“We had to do basic development work because of the shape the building was in,” Wagner told BusinessWest. “We framed out the spaces, added an elevator … we took a beat-up box of a building and gave it a new skin.”

That work also included the addition of energy-efficient features, such as a highly insulated shell and roof, as well as a solar array, donated by Thorne, which should provide the building with essentially free electricity. “Our HVAC costs should be minimal,” Wagner said.

Phase 2 will be a complete build-out of the building’s interior, including a lobby and mezzanine, an 800-square-foot exhibit gallery, and space for performances, events, and workshops, as well as site work and landscaping. With an estimated cost of $2.5 million, that phase will have to wait while the trust secures further funding, but Burke and Wagner say they hope it will be completed by the end of 2018.

In the meantime, in order to accommodate an initial, limited public use of the building, the city awarded the trust a limited-occupancy permit to utilize space on the lower level of the two-story building, including a 1,200 square-foot multi-purpose studio for rehearsals, classes, and small performances, events, and meetings.

Burke has already booked some art classes and is working with local choreographer Kelly Silliman to create a dance program that will utilize a 900-square-foot dedicated dance studio that will be available for use on the upper level.

There will also be a series of outdoor events this summer, dubbed “Outside the Box,” that will feature film, music, and poetry presentations.

Looking Ahead

The current plan for phase 3 will be the creation of a 3,800-square-foot black-box theater on the lower level, capable of seating more than 200 patrons, as well as ancillary space, such as dressing rooms and a green room. That will be undertaken when the rest of the building is complete, Burke said, but only after members of the local theater community, including APE, have an opportunity to weigh in on its design.

We want to create a separate body of people who will take on the design and management of that space. We need to take into consideration not only technical aspects of theater, but to ask where that whole realm of creative work will be in the future.”

It’s a concept that still needs a lot of thought before a budget and timeline can be established, Thorne told BusinessWest.

“We want to create a separate body of people who will take on the design and management of that space,” he said. “We need to take into consideration not only technical aspects of theater, but to ask where that whole realm of creative work will be in the future.”

To date, the trust has raised roughly $4.38 million through gifts from individual donors, as well as government and institutional grants, including $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, $35,000 from the Beveridge Family Foundation, $25,000 from C&S Wholesale Grocers, $180,000 from the state Executive Office for Administration and Finance, and $140,000 and $300,000 in separate grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The Center for the Arts contributed $400,000 — money that had been saved over the years from First Night revenue specifically to pay for a new home.

While what Wagner calls the “quiet” phase of the capital campaign continues, focusing on individual donors and other grant opportunities, he said a public capital campaign will be launched at a future date.

As those plans move ahead, Thorne said, it will be incumbent upon the trust to articulate its plans and its mission to the public. “We need to educate the community about what this is, our bigger mission.”

To that end, Wagner hopes the programming that will take place under the partial occupancy allowance will generate public awareness, and interest in supporting the space and the trust.

“One of the reasons we’re doing this is to get the building back into use,” he said. “We want to open it up to the public, so they can feel and taste the possibilities.”

Springfield BID Announces Summer Music Festival

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The first annual Springfield Jam Fest in downtown Springfield promises to be a musical experience unlike any other in Western Mass. Dozens of local artists will be performing on two separate stages throughout the entire day from all genres of music, including rock, country, blues, reggae, and more.

The festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Court Square from noon to 11 p.m., and will feature local food and beverage options in addition to the music.

Proceeds raised by the concert will go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Western Mass., which is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through support, education, and advocacy.

Massachusetts Adds 10,000 Jobs in June

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate increased to 4.3% in June from the May rate of 4.2%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Thursday.

The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts added 10,000 jobs in June. Over-the-month job gains occurred in education and health services; trade, transportation, and utilities; leisure and hospitality; other services; manufacturing; information; and financial activities. The May estimate was revised to a gain of 2,000 jobs.

From June 2016 to June 2017, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 65,900 jobs. The June state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 4.4% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The labor force decreased by 2,600 from 3,711,100 in May, as 7,600 fewer residents were employed and 5,100 more residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased six-tenths of a percentage point from 3.7% in June 2016. There were 27,400 more unemployed persons over the year compared to June 2016.

The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — remained at 66.7% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has increased 1.8% compared to June 2016.

The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in education and health services; professional, scientific, and business services; financial activities; and other services.

“During the first six months of 2017, Massachusetts has experienced the largest increase in the labor force on record, and the 66.7% labor-force participation rate is now 3.9 points higher than the U.S. rate,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta. “These marked labor-force gains should help ease labor-market pressures and are signs of a growing economy in the Commonwealth.”

Calvin Hill Selected for National Leadership Development Program

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College announced that Calvin Hill, vice president for Inclusion and Community Engagement, is one of 24 senior-level administrators in higher education nationwide selected by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) to participate in the 2017-18 Executive Leadership Academy.

Individuals chosen for the year-long program are vice presidents or cabinet officers in higher education who aspire to the presidency of an independent college or university. Starting this week, Hill will participate in two seminars in Washington, DC; the opening seminar will take place July 20-22, and the closing seminar will be held June 18-20, 2018. He will also engage in readings, webinars, and a mentoring program. In addition, he will develop and follow an experiential learning plan focused on specific areas of presidential responsibility.

“Competition for the available places in the program was intense,” said CIC President Richard Ekman. “The review committee found the nomination materials to be most impressive. They (and I) believe that Dr. Hill has the potential for highly effective leadership as a college or university president.”

In July 2015, Hill joined Springfield College as the vice president for Inclusion and Community Engagement. His responsibilities include promoting diversity and inclusion among all constituents of the college, and connecting and promoting the college’s resources to area communities.

Hill arrived at Springfield College with more than 20 years of experience in higher education. Prior to his time in Springfield, he served as the university Diversity and Inclusion officer for the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Prior to that, he developed strong ties to higher education in Massachusetts working as assistant to the president and director of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity at Worcester State University. He also has served as associate provost and chief Diversity officer for MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston and assistant dean and director of Diversity Programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Hill is a consultant on diversity issues and presents nationally on issues of inclusion, where he focuses primarily on providing equal access to educational opportunities for underrepresented populations.

Fifty-nine percent of participants in the first Executive Leadership Academy cohort (2009-10) have since advanced in the higher-education ranks, and 24% of participants in a recent cohort (2015-16) have already moved up in the ranks. “These indicators suggest that CIC is helping to meet the leadership needs of higher education by offering highly effective leadership development programs for modest fees to member institutions,” Ekman said.

TommyCar Auto Group Awards Two Scholarships

By
Daily News

HADLEY — TommyCar Auto Group awarded two students each with a $1,000 scholarship to attend college this fall. Lily Rogers and Allison Jenks were chosen from among more than 100 applications sent by local students. Rogers, of Northampton High School, will attend Yale University, while Jenks, of Hopkins Academy, will attend the University of Connecticut. Both students demonstrated excellence in the classroom and in the community.

The Tom Cosenzi Scholarship was established to honor the memory of Thomas E. Cosenzi. When Cosenzi passed away in 2009, it was not only ownership of the TommyCar Auto Group that passed to his children, Carla and Thomas, but his legacy of giving back to the community.

“The Tom Cosenzi Scholarship is dedicated to assisting high-school graduates in furthering their education,” said Carla Cosenzi, president of Tommy Car Auto Group. “The combination of academic achievement and community leadership exhibited by these students underscores the core values of this scholarship.”

Westfield Bank Announces Seven Promotions

By
Daily News

WESTFIELD — Westfield Bank announced that Richard Hanchett has been promoted to senior vice president/Commercial Loan officer. Meanwhile, six other Westfield Bank employees have been promoted to vice president, including Bryan Cowan, Cathy Jocelyn, William Judd, Sarah Medeiros, Kelly Pignatare, and Rick Zabielski.

A 34-year veteran of the local banking industry, Hanchett joined Westfield Bank in 2007 as vice president/Commercial Loan officer. As team leader of the bank’s Commercial Loan Division since 2015, he manages a group of seven lenders in addition to maintaining a large loan portfolio. Prior to joining Westfield Bank, he spent 24 years at the former Westbank, rising through its Commercial Credit Department to senior credit analyst before becoming a Commercial Loan officer in 1986.

Civically engaged, Hanchett currently serves on the Springfield Chamber of Commerce legislative steering committee and education & workforce development subcommittee, and is on the board of the Work Opportunity Center in Agawam. He is a graduate of Western New England University.

Cowan, who has been promoted to vice president/Finance, started his career at Westfield Bank in 2001, advancing to accounting associate, then staff accountant by 2005. He was named assistant vice president in 2014 as he developed his skills in financial reporting, forecasting, interest-rate risk, liquidity management, and data analytics. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University and an MBA and master’s degree in finance from Northeastern University.

Jocelyn, now vice president/Marketing manager, joined the bank eight years ago as Online Banking coordinator; shortly after, she moved to the Marketing Department as Marketing coordinator, was promoted to Marketing manager, then assistant vice president/Marketing manager, in which position she holds responsibilities for bank advertising, branding, sponsorships, and charitable giving, among other duties. She has extensive experience in the banking industry, and holds an associate’s degree from Bay Path University.

Judd, who has been promoted to vice president/Credit Administration, started with the bank as a teller in 1997, moving to the Commercial Loan Group in 2001, becoming Credit Department manager in 2007. In 2012 he was promoted to assistant vice president/Credit Administration; in that role, he has been instrumental in the development of the bank’s commercial-credit underwriting process and in training new credit analysts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Westfield State University and an MBA from Northeastern University.

Medeiros, now vice president/Commercial Credit, began her banking career in 2011 as a commercial credit analyst at Chicopee Savings Bank, quickly advancing to Credit Department manager, then assistant vice president in 2013. She has been instrumental in the development of a credit-administration structure to support Westfield Bank’s $1.1 billion commercial portfolio. A former CPA with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP and director in Risk Management for Forest City Enterprises, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting with a minor in Finance from Providence College.

Pignatare, who has been promoted to vice president/regional manager, joined the bank in 2007 following five years of experience in the local banking industry as an online banking and cash-management specialist, branch-administration manager, and business-development officer. At Westfield Bank, she quickly advanced to assistant vice president, Small Business Sales manager, then regional manager and assistant VP, Sales Administration and market analyst. She attended Holyoke Community College.

Zabielski, now vice president/Underwriting and Processing manager, has been with the bank since 1996, holding a number of positions before his most recent role as assistant vice president/Underwriting and Processing manager for Retail Lending; he has experience as a consumer loan underwriter, mortgage originator, and manager of the bank’s loan center. In his new role, he is also responsible for underwriting and processing of residential lending, home-equity, and consumer loans.

“I am delighted to announce these well-earned promotions,” said James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank. “Rick Hanchett is a natural leader and a talented banker who will continue to strengthen our relationships with local businesses. Many of our customers count on Rick for clear, effective advice when making their most important decisions, and he’s earned that trust. And when I look at our new VPs, I’m impressed by their hard work and dedication to always putting our customers first. These qualities have resulted in successes for the people they serve, and for Westfield Bank — guiding us successfully through our recent merger with Chicopee Savings Bank, and helping us rise to the top echelons of our region’s banking industry. They’re role models and simply great bankers.”

Bay Path University Awarded Council of Independent Colleges Grant

By
Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University has been awarded a $13,000 grant from the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) program “Intergenerational Connections: Students Serving Older Adults.” This program is supported by the AARP Foundation. The grant will be used over a one-year period to enhance connections between undergraduate students, particularly those majoring in health and human studies fields, and older adults in the community suffering from memory loss and dementia, a progressive disease with no known cure.

For many caregivers and families, there is a grieving process when a loved one is diagnosed with dementia. They often do not know what to say or how to respond to behaviors associated with the disease. Communication difficulties can lead to frustration and anger, which causes stress in the relationship and reduced quality of life for all involved. Students participating in this program will gain empathy and invaluable skills in working with not only the affected older adults, but also families and caregivers.

Utilizing standardized memory kits consisting of common household items, undergraduate students will learn to communicate in meaningful ways with older adults who may suffer from this disease and train others to do so, helping to preserve and/or improve their quality of life. This project stems from the evidence-based CONNECT (Communicating Naturally with Every Caring Touch) program, developed by two Bay Path University professors of Occupational Therapy, Cheryl Boucakis and Melissa Green, to address the challenges faced by caregivers and family of individuals with dementia.

CONNECT was piloted in 2016 at a local assisted-living facility, engaging graduate students in Bay Path’s master of occupational therapy program in research and implementation. Building upon this work, the CIC-funded project will extend participation in the CONNECT program to undergraduate students at a level appropriate to their education and experience, working with older adults at agencies and nonprofits in Massachusetts and Connecticut where Bay Path University has established partnerships serving this population.

Steps Taken Now Can Make a Difference on Your 2017 Return

By
Banking and Financial Services Sections

Mid-year Tax Moves

By Kristina Drzal Houghton, CPA, MST

 

Kristina Drzal-Houghton

Kristina Drzal-Houghton

Most people don’t include tax planning on their summertime agenda, but maybe they should.

The problem with waiting until the end of the year is that you reduce the time for planning strategies to take effect. If you take the time now to do mid-year tax planning, you’ll still have six months for your actions to make a difference on your 2017 tax return.

In addition, proposed tax reform could be cause for additional changes to your tax plan. Planning now for 2017 taxes not only helps reduce your tax burden, but it can help you gain control of your entire financial situation.

This year may seem especially tricky with the uncertainty of potential changes in the tax laws. This article is going to focus on planning assuming there is no change, since executives, lobbyists and Wall Street analysts increasingly believe the administration — distracted by repeated crises while facing a short and crowded legislative calendar — will be unable to deliver on President Trump’s promise to slash corporate and individual tax rates this year and ignite significantly faster economic growth.

While Hill Republicans argue that ongoing issues related to the current administration will have no impact on tax reform, movement on Capitol Hill has slowed momentum and emboldened Democrats to try to block Republicans’ every move. And Wall Street analysts believe it will help push tax reform into 2018 and perhaps even beyond next year’s midterm elections.

Here are a few things you should consider.

Assess Changes That Affect Your Situation

Have you experienced any life events that can change your tax situation? Here are some examples:

• A job change. If you are eligible for a distribution from your former employer’s retirement-savings plan, consider rolling the money into another tax-favored plan or an individual retirement account (IRA) to avoid the receipt of currently taxable income.

• A home sale. You may exclude profit — within limits — on the sale of your principal residence from your taxable income if you meet the tax law’s requirements.

• A marriage or divorce. File a new W-4 withholding allowance certificate with your employer, or, if you pay quarterly estimated taxes, review the amount you are paying.

• A new child arrives. As a parent, you may be eligible for various tax breaks.

Size Up Deductions and Credits

Use last year’s tax return to estimate what your highest tax bracket will be and how you can reduce your tax liability through deductions and credits. For instance, you might make deductible charitable donations of money or property to reduce your marginal tax rate.

This might be particularly important for 2017 since rates are expected to decrease in the future.

Examine Your Investment Portfolio

You can harvest capital losses from securities sales to offset capital gains plus up to $3,000 of ordinary income each year. You may also use capital gains to offset capital losses from earlier in the year.

Planning your securities activities early will help you prepare for tax time.

Take Retirement Plans  into Account

When possible, boost contributions to retirement plans within the generous tax-law limits. You may also be able to supplement your retirement plan at work with contributions to an IRA plan.

On the flip side, you’re generally required to take annual required minimum distributions from retirement plans after reaching age 70½. Keep that in mind if you will reach that milestone this year.

Focus on Higher Education

If you have a child in college, you may be able to claim higher-education credits even if the child graduates this year. However, each credit is phased out for upper-income taxpayers. The tuition deduction expired after 2016, so make sure to plan for the best use of the remaining education tax benefits.

Update Your Estate Plan

Finally, review your estate plan to ensure you’re maximizing tax benefits. Currently, transfers between spouses are completely exempt from estate and gift tax, while other transfers are sheltered by a $5.49 million exemption in 2017 ($10.98 million for a couple).

While estate-tax reform remains a strong possibility, if not in 2017 then in a future year, waiting to plan may not be prudent.

Outside Collection Agencies

While many things in the tax arena remain uncertain at this point, two changes at the IRS have taken effect in 2017 that you should be aware of.

First, the IRS is now using outside collection agencies to collect unpaid tax obligations. This new program will start slowly, with only a few hundred taxpayers receiving mailings. The number will grow into the thousands later in the summer.

Taxpayers who are contacted will first receive several collection notices from the IRS before their accounts are turned over to the private collection agencies. The agency will then send its own letter to the taxpayer informing them that the IRS has transferred the account to the agency.

These agencies are required to identify themselves as working with the IRS in all communications. Unfortunately, a change like this can often lead to confusion among taxpayers, which gives scammers a new opportunity to steal taxpayer dollars. The IRS is aware of the potential fraud problems and plans to continue to help taxpayers avoid confusion.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that private collection companies, like the IRS, will never approach taxpayers in a threatening way, pressure taxpayers for immediate payment, request credit-card information, or request payments in gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or a wire transfer. A legitimate letter from a collection agency associated with the IRS will instruct taxpayers to write a check directly to the IRS.

Correspondence Audits on the Rise

The IRS is now handling many routine audit reviews through form letters called correspondence audits. These letters come from the IRS and ask for clarification and justification of specific deductions on your tax return.

Common issues that trigger a correspondence audit are large charitable deductions, withdrawals from retirement accounts and education-savings plans, excess miscellaneous deductions, and small-business expenses.

Don’t panic if you get one of these audit form letters. The IRS often uses computer programs to compare individual return deductions with the averages for a person’s income level or profession. If you’ve received a letter, you may have simply fallen outside the averages.

As long as you respond promptly, thoroughly, and with good documentation, it won’t necessarily become a contentious issue. The key is to keep proper, well-organized documentation under the assumption you may need it to support your deductions. If you do this right, the correspondence audit will end with a ‘no change’ letter from the IRS, acknowledging you’ve addressed their concerns.

These are just a few possible mid-year tax-planning moves to consider. In between summer picnics and family outings, take the time to review actions that might be beneficial to you at tax time next year. It will be here before you know it.

Kristina Drzal Houghton, CPA, MST is a partner and director of the Taxation Division at Meyers Brothers Kalicka in Holyoke; (413) 536-8510.

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move
Shannon Rudder

Shannon Rudder

The Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc. (PMN) board of trustees named Shannon Rudder executive director of PMN’s multi-human-services agency. First appointed interim director in May, Rudder previously served as executive director for MotherWoman Inc. in Hadley for four years. Prior to that, she was associate director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal Inc. in Buffalo, N.Y. “Shannon’s leadership, contagious enthusiasm, solid business acumen, strong operational skills, team-building focus, and dedication to building strong community relationships will advance our mission into the bright future ahead,” said Jean Zaleski, board chair. Rudder is currently on Springfield Technical Community College’s Foundation board; Mama’s Voice, a community-based participatory research project with Holyoke Community College; the grant review committee for United Way of Pioneer Valley; and United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council, and is an instructor at Bay Path University and Cambridge College. In addition, she has served as a guest lecturer at Springfield College, Smith College, and UMass School of Regional Planning. BusinessWest included Rudder in its 40 Under Forty class of 2016. “We are thrilled to have Shannon as our new executive director,” said James Wall, chair of PMN’s personnel committee. “She brings a great breadth and depth of experience that will help take Providence Ministries to the next level.” PMN is a member of the Sisters of Providence Ministry Corp. and is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization serving the Holyoke community with programs to feed, clothe, and shelter the poor and marginalized. These include Kate’s Kitchen, foodWorks at Kate’s Kitchen, Broderick House, Loreto House, McCleary Manor, Margaret’s Pantry, and St. Jude’s Clothing Center.

•••••

Anthony Hayes

Anthony Hayes

Following a nationwide search, Anthony Hayes has been selected as the new general manager for public broadcaster WGBY in Springfield. Hayes comes to WGBY with nearly two decades of executive experience in public TV and radio in Connecticut and Washington, D.C. He succeeds Rus Peotter, who retired last fall after leading the station for 15 years. “Anthony is a visionary leader, and his extensive background in strategic development and engaging with audiences will advance WGBY’s mission and vital role in the community and across the region,” said Liz Cheng, Television Stations manager for the WGBH Educational Foundation, which includes WGBY. Hayes will lead the station in its strategic planning, editorial operations, and community engagement, serving its public-media mission of advancing the educational and cultural life of Western New England. “As a highly accomplished media executive, Anthony’s management skills, experience, and style will be a great fit for WGBY. His industry knowledge and community focus will be of tremendous value in leading our public-media initiatives,” said Crist Myers, chair of the WGBY board of tribunes. Most recently, Hayes served as senior vice president for Engagement at Connecticut Public Broadcasting in Hartford, which includes CPTV and WNPR, where he guided fund-raising and sponsorship initiatives to develop new strategic opportunities and growth. Prior to that, he was at WAMU-FM, American University Radio, where he oversaw the sponsorship sales division and designed and implemented integrated fund-raising, communications, and outreach strategies, locally and nationally, that increased stakeholder engagement. Earlier in his career, he was with WETA, public TV and radio in Arlington, Va., where he managed corporate marketing and developed non-traditional revenue initiatives. “I couldn’t be more pleased to have this opportunity to magnify the impact of this exceptional organization,” said Hayes. “I will work collaboratively and strategically to build upon WGBY’s rich history and advance its core mission, focusing on building a stronger community through engagement, learning, and understanding. I believe WGBY is poised to expand its reach throughout Western New England, and I am eager to lead the charge.” Hayes holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the New York Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree in media entrepreneurship from American University. He will join WGBY on July 10.

•••••

Mike Hamel, owner of Summit View Banquet House and Hamel’s Creative Catering, has been named 2017 Business Person of the Year by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. Hamel’s Creative Catering was established in 1990, but the Hamel family business roots go back to 1963, when his family owned and operated Hamel’s Market in South Hadley and Edgar’s Market in the Churchill section of Holyoke. “Mike is an exemplary model of a home-grown success story. This is a great story of small business success,” said Kathleen Anderson, president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. “It includes a family legacy, following a passion, having a dream, and overcoming obstacles to achieve something significant and lasting. We are very proud of Mike and his family, and congratulate them on this achievement.” The award has been presented annually to an outstanding business person who is community-oriented, is innovative, possesses a high degree of integrity, and for business accomplishments in Greater Holyoke’s business community. Marge Manton, treasurer and CFO of Loomis Communities and chairman of the chamber board of directors, also announced the selection of Harry Montalvo of bankESB to receive the Henry A. Fifield Award for Voluntary Service to the Chamber. The award is named for the late Henry A. Fifield, former Amped executive and civic leader who served in leadership positions with the chamber. Montalvo’s service includes the chamber ambassador committee, the board of trustees of the Chamber Centennial Foundation, and chamber liaison between the two chamber boards. Montalvo has also been a mentor to many of the Chamber Foundation’s SPARK Launch Class graduates. Both award winners will be honored at the Business Person of the Year and Fifield Volunteer Award Dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Delaney House. Information can be found online at holyokechamber.com or by calling the chamber office at (413) 534-3376. Everyone is invited to attend.

•••••

Sarah Jordan

Sarah Jordan

James Kelly, president and CEO of Polish National Credit Union (PNCU), announced that Sarah Jordan has joined the credit union as a marketing specialist. Jordan’s responsibilities include internal and external communications, marketing and public-relations campaigns, community relations, and website management. She comes to PNCU from Westfield Bank/Chicopee Savings Bank, where she served as marketing coordinator. She is a graduate of the University of Hartford with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and has held marketing and communication assignments with the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, where she is a member of the marketing committee; the Barney School of Business Leadership Council; and the National Society of Leadership and Success – Sigma Alpha Pi. She has also been an active volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, the Spaulding After School Program, and Loaves and Fishes. “We look forward to Sarah’s success in promoting Polish National Credit Union and its products and services to both current and future members,” said Kelly. “We are pleased to welcome her to our team.”

•••••

Grace LaValley

Grace LaValley

Grace LaValley, who earned her doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree in the inaugural DNP class at Elms College, had a paper accepted to the American Assoc. of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) for a podium presentation at AACVPR’s 32nd annual meeting in October, where it is a candidate for the conference’s Beginner Investigator Award. The paper Lavalley will present at the AACVPR conference was her capstone project in the DNP program at Elms College. Each DNP student is required to complete a scholarly capstone project that contributes to the field of nursing. The project topics are related to the areas of nursing where they currently work or areas in which they have a particular interest. Lavalley’s project earned her the 2017 DNP Capstone Award from Elms College, which honors a DNP student who has developed a distinguished capstone project that demonstrates scholarly rigor, innovation, and outcomes that improve health or health-related outcomes for a specific population, and has the potential to advance nursing science, practice, or policy. The paper is titled “A Telephone Intervention to Improve Patient Return Rates in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study” and focuses on cardiac rehabilitation, or CR. “Cardiovascular disease accounts for 17.3 million deaths per year, a number projected to reach 23.6 million by 2030,” Lavalley said. CR improves patient outcomes and reduces risk in the earlier post-discharge period, but it remains highly underused, she added. Despite its benefits, many patients are at risk for not following the CR program, for a variety of reasons. She and her colleagues decided to investigate whether a telephone call focused on patient motivation, education, risks, and goal setting would improve return rates among patients identified as at risk for non-adherence to the CR program. “Telephone interventions are known to be an important tool to provide support and help overcome barriers after discharge,” she noted. They studied 100 patients in Baystate Medical Center’s outpatient CR program and found that those who received the telephone call were more likely to attend their second session of CR as scheduled, compared with patients who did not receive this intervention (80% versus 51%). The overall return rate was higher in the intervention group as well. “This straightforward strategy represents an attractive adjunct to current management of outpatient CR patients,” she said. Lavalley’s coauthors are Heidi Szalai, Dr. Quinn Pack, and Andrew Storer, associate professor of Nursing at Elms. Their paper will be published in the September/October 2017 issue of the AACVPR’s Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention. Storer was the capstone chair for Lavalley’s project; he supervised the project from the development stage through implementation and analysis. The project, he said, “has made a positive impact in the quality of care for the patients, institutions, and communities served.” Added Lavalley, “this project may be of great value to other cardiac rehab programs around the nation, particularly in this complex healthcare environment.”

•••••

Paulo Marques

Paulo Marques

LUSO Federal Credit Union announced that Paulo Marques, senior loan originator, ranked fourth among top loan originators by volume for credit unions in Western Mass., with loan volume of $23.4 million. He also ranked fourth for top loan originators by number of loans for credit unions in Western Mass., with 156 loans. These results were reported by the Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman.

•••••

Deborah Jordan of Shamrock Financial in Wilbraham was named 2017 Affiliate of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcment was made during the association’s annual awards banquet held June 8 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. As the highest honor given to an affiliate member, the award is bestowed upon the one person who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the organization during the past 17 months in the areas of affiliate-related association activity, community service, and business activity. A member of RAPV for five years, Jordan has served on the affiliate/Realtor, Education Fair & Expo, and community service committees. Her committee involvement includes the annual Benefit Golf Tournament, Playhouse Build for the Boys and Girls Clubs, and blanket and book drives to benefit Shriner’s Hospitals for Children – Springfield. Jordan’s additional community activities include serving as president-elect for the Ludlow Rotary Club, volunteering with Revitalize CDC, and serving on the Buy Springfield Now Committee to promote home ownership.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County Welcomes New Director

By
Daily News

AMHERST — Following last month’s retirement of long-time Director Renee Moss, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County (BBBSHC) hired Jessie Cooley as its new director.

“Jessie brings a wealth of experience in working with children and families and that was among our chief priorities in our hiring process,” said Erin Couture, BBBSHC advisory board president. “As we got to know Jessie, it became evident that she also brings a thoughtful leadership skill set along with a deep understanding and strong value for the mentor/mentee relationship. We could not be more pleased to introduce her as our new director.”

Cooley has worked for 12 years with the BBBS organization, first in Boston and then in Franklin County, where she grew up. Most recently, she worked as the district director for state Rep. Paul Mark. She earned her master’s degree in education at UMass Amherst, and her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and secondary education from Northeastern University. She is a 2013 graduate of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts’ Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact.

“I am truly honored to join the phenomenal staff of this great program, and to work with them and our dedicated advisory board to match more children in Hampshire County with caring ‘bigs,’” said Cooley. “Having been a Big Sister myself, and after working with Big Brothers Big Sisters for more than a decade, I know the powerful, positive impact our mentoring programs have on children, their families, their mentors, and the larger community. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have this opportunity.”

PeoplesBank Hosts Free Business-improvement Webinars

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Based on the success of its live seminar series, PeoplesBank has launched a free lunchtime business-improvement webinar series.

The series will feature bank experts who will present topics related to improving and protecting business operations, including protecting data and managing vendor risk. The seminars are designed for business owners and management and operations professionals. Each of the Friday webinars will be offered live and will start at noon. The webinars are:

• July 14: “Best Practices to Keep Your Data Safe” (30 minutes). Every day, there are millions of attempts against companies to compromise data. Attacks like phishing and ransomware can be prevented with simple steps and employee education.

• Aug. 11: “ Managing Vendor Risk” (30 minutes). In today’s world, businesses rely more than ever on vendors to help with their core business, including providing access to sensitive information.

• Sept. 22: “Leveraging Technology to Improve Collection Efforts” (30 minutes). Creating efficiencies in collections allows you to concentrate less on banking and more on your core business.

• Nov. 10: “Anatomy of Fraud and Protecting Your Business (1 hour). Fraud happens from both internal and external sources. Internal fraud is said to cost businesses more than $3 billion per year.

More information and registration for each of the free business-improvement webinars can be found at bankatpeoples.com/business/seminars.

Harry Dumay Takes Helm as 11th President of Elms College

By
Daily News

CHICOPEE — Harry Dumay, who boasts a long and distinguished career in higher education, officially took the helm of Elms College as its 11th president on July 1.

“I am excited to start my presidency at Elms College,” Dumay said. “The board of trustees has put together a fantastic transition team, which has been working diligently during the past few months to make it possible for me to hit the ground running. I am eager to partner with the faculty, the staff, and the student body as we advance the work of making an excellent Catholic higher education accessible to a diversity of groups in a diversity of formats.”

Dumay was chosen after a nationwide search and has served in higher education finance and administration at senior and executive levels for 19 years. He holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Boston College, an MBA from Boston University, and a master’s degree in public administration from Framingham State University.

“Dr. Dumay is a multi-faceted leader who understands Elms College and the importance of a liberal-arts education based in the Catholic intellectual tradition,” said Cynthia Lyons, chair of the board of trustees. “He has a collaborative style and a demonstrated record of strengthening organizational and academic effectiveness, and he is enthusiastic about the future of Elms College.”

Dumay, who hails from Ouanaminthe, Haiti, most recently resided with his family in Framingham and worked as the senior vice president and chief financial officer at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. Before that, he served as chief financial officer and associate dean at Harvard University’s Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, associate dean at Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work, and director of finance for Boston University’s School of Engineering. Dumay also served as an adjunct faculty member at Boston College for nine years.

“Dr. Dumay strongly believes education is the best tool to lift people out of poverty, to encourage positive discourse, and to create pathways to successful employment, while also supporting opportunities for strengthening ethical and spiritual development. This vision fits perfectly with the mission of Elms College,” Lyons said.

Elms College’s most important goal is the success of its students, she added. “The value of a liberal-arts education, combined with career skills and a strong sense of the Elms’ values of faith, justice, community, and mission, is a defining strategy for our students now and in the future.”

Sr. Maxyne Schneider, president of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and a member of the presidential search committee and board of trustees, noted that, “since its founding by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1928, the College of Our Lady of the Elms has served those for whom Catholic higher education would be essential to a life rich in faith, learning, and economic opportunity. Dr. Dumay brings the professional and lived personal experience to continue this mission. We sense in him a spirit truly compatible with the charisma of our sisters, and will support him in his leadership with our prayer and good will.”

Dumay’s inauguration will be held in the fall. The trustees are planning additional autumn events that will allow everyone to meet the new president. He succeeds Mary Reap, who retired June 30 after serving as Elms president for the past eight years.

“Elms College is a special community, in which the Sisters of St. Joseph’s spirit of Catholic solidarity pervades the campus,” Dumay said. “I am honored and excited to lead Elms College as, together, we write the next chapter in the institution’s history.”

Employer Confidence Rises in June

By
Daily News

BOSTON — Massachusetts employer confidence rose for the ninth time in 10 months during June amid optimism about an economy that is finally attracting more people into the workforce.

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index rose one point to 61.8 last month, leaving it 5.7 points higher than a year ago. The Index has gained ground in each of the past two months after slipping in April.

The results come a month after state officials reported a long-awaited expansion of the Massachusetts labor market; the labor-force participation rate rose to 66.7% in May, its highest mark since before the Great Recession.

“Employer confidence in both the state and national economies remains well above the level we saw a year ago, especially among manufacturers,” said Raymond Torto, chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design. “Key Massachusetts indicators such as total jobs, wages, and gross state product far exceed pre-recession levels, and that is outweighing concerns about long-term growth.”

The AIM Index, based on a survey of Massachusetts employers, has appeared monthly since July 1991. It is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 50 as neutral; a reading above 50 is positive, while below 50 is negative. The Index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997-98, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. The index has remained above 50 since October 2013.

The constituent indicators that make up the overall Business Confidence Index were mostly positive during June. The Massachusetts Index, assessing business conditions within the Commonwealth, gained 2.1 points to 64.2, leaving it 5.7 points higher than in June 2016.

The U.S. Index of national business conditions rose 2.8 points to 57.4 despite lingering uncertainty about federal economic policy. June marked the 87th consecutive month in which employers have been more optimistic about the Massachusetts economy than the national economy.

The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, rose 1.5 points to 61.9, while the Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, increased 0.4 points to 61.7. The Future Index was 5.1 points higher than a year ago.

The Company Index, reflecting overall business conditions, was unchanged for the month at 62.4 and up 4.7 points during the 12-month period. The Employment Index fell 0.4 points to 58.1, while the Sales index rose 0.6 points to 62.6.

The AIM survey found that 39% of respondents reported adding staff during the past six months while 18% reduced employment. Expectations for the next six months are stable, with 38% expecting to hire and only 10% downsizing.

Alan Clayton-Matthews, a professor in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University, said the supply of workers remains one of the most important factors in the ability of Massachusetts to maintain long-term economic growth.

“There is little slack left in the labor market,” he said. “Unemployment rates are back to pre-recession levels, and employment rates are very close to pre-recession levels. The slack that does remain is largely among young workers, those with less than a high-school education, and part-time workers who have been unable to find full-time work, suggesting that many workers lack the skills that employers are seeking.”

Overall participation in the labor force nationally has hovered below 63% during the recovery, compared with more than 66% before the recession.

Eastern Mass. companies were more confident in June than those in the western portion of the Commonwealth, posting a 61.8 confidence reading in June versus 60.8 for Western Mass. employers.

AIM President and CEO Richard Lord, also a BEA member, said employers are increasingly concerned about a passel of potentially expensive and disruptive Beacon Hill proposals, including a surtax on incomes more than $1 million, paid family leave, and an employer assessment to close a budget gap in the MassHealth program.

“Massachusetts employers have led what is now one of the longest and most consistent economic recoveries of the past 100 years. Much of that growth reflects the fact that policymakers have refrained from unnecessarily raising business costs and imposing inefficient regulation,” Lord said. “We look forward to working with the Legislature and the Baker administration to ensure that those policies continue.”

Scramble Golf Tournament to Benefit I Found Light Against All Odds

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — I Found Light Against All Odds will present its first annual Scramble Golf Tournament scholarship fund-raiser on Saturday Aug. 12. The festivities will include golf, food, raffles, and more.

The tournament will take place at Veterans Memorial Golf Course, with tee times starting at 11 am. Tournament admission fee is $100 per player, with the top three teams awarded first-, second-, and third-place prizes. Players can register by clicking here.

All money raised from this tournament will go toward awarding scholarships for the 2017-18 school year. The recipients will be formerly at-risk high-school seniors from local high schools, who have overcome the darkness in their lives, now finding the light in education and headed to college.

Business Champions for Children Event Slated for July 10

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Basketball Hall of Fame will host a Business Champions for Children event on Monday, July 10. A continental breakfast is scheduled for 8 a.m., followed by a program at 8:30 a.m. featuring keynote speaker David Lawrence Jr., founder of the Florida Children’s Movement.

Attendees will hear about the business imperative of investments in early education. Lawrence retired in 1999 as publisher of the Miami Herald to focus on early-childhood development and school readiness. Three years later, he was front and center in the campaign that led to the 2002 constitutional amendment establishing a voluntary pre-kindergarten program for all 4-year-olds in Florida.

Other presentations will include J.D. Chesloff, executive director of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, addressing House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s “The Business Imperative for Early Education,” and a report on the state Senate’s Kids First initiative.

To attend, RSVP to Christine Warren at the Davis Foundation at [email protected].

Springfield College Hosts Athletic Trainer Student Workshop

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College recently hosted its 24th annual Athletic Trainer Student Workshop intended for high-school students interested in careers in athletic training and sports medicine.

High-school students from throughout the country attend the workshop and focus on anatomy, injury prevention, and care of common lower-extremity athletic injuries. Lectures, demonstrations, and practice sessions about athletic-injury prevention and maintenance take place during the workshop. Students also have the opportunity to attend presentations on career options as part of the curriculum. A successful addition to the workshop is a hands-on exploration of cadaver anatomy.

The workshop is co-directed by Springfield College Athletic Trainer and Assistant Professor of Physical Education Wayne Rodrigues and Springfield College graduate Bob Kuzmeski.

Athletic training is an allied-health profession, recognized by the American Medical Assoc., that provides healthcare services for physically active individuals. The athletic training major at Springfield College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, and is one of the most competitive programs of its kind in the country. Program graduates are found across the country working at sports-medicine clinics, high schools, colleges and universities, and with professional sports teams.

Gaming Commission Approves Workforce-development Grants

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) approved close to $600,000 in grants — including two for the city of Springfield — for a workforce-development pilot program designed to fund gaming career pathways for local residents. The Workforce Program is a component of the 2017 Community Mitigation Fund, which was established by the state’s gaming law to help entities offset costs related to the construction and operations of gaming establishments.

The Workforce Program was developed to provide interested residents in gaming regions the ability to attain academic and occupational credentials needed to work in the most in-demand occupations related to the gaming industry. Additionally, it was established to assist the unemployed or underemployed to either get their GED or Adult Basic Education, which would position them to get future jobs in the casino industry or training in advance by the backfilling of jobs.

The two initiatives in Springfield include:

• $171,833 for a program the Springfield Public Schools is working to establish called Ahead of the Game, which will target low-skill, low-income adults interested in pursuing long-term careers with MGM Springfield; and

• $200,000 for Hampden Prep, an initiative involving Springfield Technical Community College in collaboration with Holyoke Community College to develop and implement an innovative high-school-equivalency and workforce-readiness program.

“Workforce-development programs are a critical component of job creation, economic opportunity, and the Commonwealth’s ability to meet gaming’s burgeoning hiring demand,” said MGC Chairman Steve Crosby. “MGC looks forward to further collaborations as we continue to work together to ensure that we are able to deliver on our legislative mandate to establish a highly skilled and diverse Massachusetts workforce for the state’s new casino industry.”

2017 Compensation Survey Finds Increased Pay, Talent Wars

By
Daily News

AGAWAM — The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) released its summary findings from its 2017 Southern New England Compensation survey. Highlights of the 2017 findings include increased average pay in many sectors and, at the same time, increased pressure of losing top talent to competitors.

Representing more than 300 benchmark positions spanning a number of job-family categories, the survey include breakouts by industry, geographic region, company size, and more. More than 200 companies throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island participated in this year’s survey, with the largest participation from employers with 100 or less employees. The full, comprehensive report is available to participating members at no charge.

“We see that employers have needed to be strategic in allocating their budgetary dollars, especially when it comes to directing those dollars towards more vulnerable jobs. These jobs may have been subjected to past wage freezes or impacted by wage compression due to rising minimum wage rates throughout the region,” said Mark Adams, director of HR Solutions at EANE.

Average pay in non-exempt level positions has risen from 2016 levels, particularly in such job families as education, engineering, facilities, finance/banking, production, and hospitality. While the rise in pay outpaced the general growth in the consumer price index (CPI) from its 2016 levels, the pay growth is still being outpaced by skyrocketing benefit costs that have taxed employer operating budgets and have thus limited what they can provide. (The CPI increased by 2.3% on average when compared to the 2016 levels during the reporting period.)

Despite these rising operational costs, employers also face the countervailing pressure and risk of losing skilled workers to competitors who are challenged by talent shortages amidst a backdrop of very low unemployment. (Unemployment rates declined from 2016 throughout the Southern New England region in the range of 1.2 to 2.0%, depending upon the specific metropolitan area.)

Our Annual Guide to Summer Events in Western Mass.

By
summertimecover-feature-0617b
Cover Story Sections Tourism & Hospitality

Fun in the Sun

summertimedpartSummertime is a great time to get away, but in Western Mass., it’s also a great time to stick around and enjoy the many events on the calendar. Whether you’re craving fair food or craft beer, live music or arts and crafts, historical experiences or small-town pride, the region boasts plenty of ways to celebrate the summer months. Here are 35 ideas to get you started, in a region that’s home to many more.

July

Pioneer Valley Beer & Wine Festival
300 North Main St., Florence
www.lookpark.org
Admission: $35 in advance, $40 at the door
July 1: Hungry — or thirsty — for something to do as the summer months take hold? Look Park presents its second annual Beer & Wine Festival at the Pines Theater from noon to 5 p.m. Attendees will get to sample local beer and wine from the Pioneer Valley, live music, and a host of local food vendors. Non-drinkers (designated drivers and under 21) may purchase tickets for $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

Berkshires Arts Festival
380 State Road, Great Barrington
www.berkshiresartsfestival.com
Admission: $7-$14; free for children under 10
July 1-3, Aug. 17-20: Ski Butternut may be best-known for … well, skiing, of course. But the property also plays host to the Berkshires Arts Festival, a regional tradition now in its 16th year. Thousands of art lovers and collectors are expected to stop by to check out and purchase the creations of more than 200 artists and designers, inclouding more than 40 exhibiting for the first time.1berkshiresartsfestival

Fireworks Shows
Various Locations
July 1-4: The days surrounding Independence Day are brimming with nighttime pageantry throughout the Pioneer Valley. Holyoke Community College kicks things off on June 30. July 1 brings a display at Beacon Field in Greenfield and Szot Park in Chicopee, while on July 3, Michael Smith Middle School in South Hadley and East Longmeadow High School get into the act. July 4 will bring the spectacle to Riverfront Park in Springfield, McGuirk Stadium at UMass Amherst, and Six Flags New England in Agawam.

Old Sturbridge Village Independence Weekend Celebration
1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge
www.osv.org
Admission: $14-$28; free for children under 4
July 1-4: At this celebration of America, visitors can take part in a citizens’ parade, play 19th-century-style ‘base ball,’ march with the militia, make a tri-cornered hat, and sign a giant copy of the Declaration of Independence. Children and families will enjoy the friendly competition of the Farm Yard Games, and a reproduction cannon will be fired. On July 4, a citizen naturalization ceremony will take place on the Village Common.

2monsonsummerfestMonson Summerfest
Main Street, Monson
www.monsonsummerfestinc.com
Admission: Free
July 4: In 1979, a group of parishioners from the town’s Methodist church wanted to start an Independence Day celebration focused on family and community, The first Summerfest featured food, games, and fun activities. With the addition of a parade, along with booths, bands, rides, and activities, the event has evolved into an attraction drawing more than 10,000 people every year.

Dog Shows
1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield
www.thebige.com
Admission: Free
July 5-9, Aug. 24-27: The Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds certainly haven’t gone to the dogs, but it will seem that way for five days in July, when Yankee Classic Cluster Dog Shows shows take over the Better Living Center. On tap are dog shows from the Kenilworth, Holyoke, Farmington, and Naugatuck Kennel Clubs. Then, in August, the fairgrounds will host dog shows from the Newtown, Ox Ridge, and Elm City Kennel Clubs.

Made in Massachusetts Festival
1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield
www.madeinmassfest.com
Admission: $20 general admission, $35 for admission plus tasting combo ticket
July 8-9: The Eastern States Exposition will host this festival featuring craft vendors and products unique to Massachusetts. The event will showcase the state’s top breweries, wineries, local food, live entertainment, specialty crafts, and much more. In addition, kids will enjoy a mobile arcade full of games, a laser-tag arena, huge obstacle courses, bounce houses, an inflated soccer ball arena, face painting, and more.

Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Show
Route 20, Brimfield
www.brimfieldshow.com
Admission: Free
July 11-16, Sept. 5-10: After expanding steadily through the decades, the Brimfield Antique Show now encompasses six miles of Route 20 and has become a nationally known destination for people to value antiques, collectibles, and flea-market finds. Some 6,000 dealers and close to 1 million total visitors show up at the three annual, week-long events; the first was in May.

Yidstock
1021 West St., Amherst
www.yiddishbookcenter.org/yidstock
Admission: Festival pass, $236; tickets may be purchased for individual events
July 13-16: Boasting an array of concerts, lectures, and workshops, Yidstock 2017: The Festival of New Yiddish Music brings the best in klezmer and new Yiddish music to the stage at the Yiddish Book Center on the campus of Hampshire College. The sixth annual event offers an intriguing glimpse into Jewish roots, music, and culture.

Post #351 Catfish Derby
50 Kolbe Dr., Holyoke
www.post351catfishderby.com
Admission: $10 entry fee
July 14: The American Legion Post #351 touts its 37th annual Catfish Derby as the biggest catfish tournament in the Northeast. Fishing is open to the Connecticut River and all its tributaries. The derby headquarters and weigh-in station are located at Post #351. A total of $1,425 in prize money is being offered, with a first prize of $300. Three trophies are available in the junior division (age 14 and younger).

Green River Festival
One College Dr., Greenfield
www.greenriverfestival.com
Admission: Weekend, $119.99; Friday, $34.99; Saturday, $64.99; Sunday, $64.99
July 14-16: For one weekend every July, Greenfield Community College hosts a high-energy celebration of music; local food, beer, and wine; handmade crafts; and games and activities for families and children — all topped off with four hot-air-balloon launches and a spectacular Saturday-night ‘balloon glow.’ The music is continuous on three stages, with more than 40 bands slated to perform.

Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival
300 North Main St., Florence
www.glasgowlands.org
Admission: $5-$16, free for children under 6
July 15: Staged at Look Park, this 23nd annual festival celebrating all things Scottish features Highland dancers, pipe bands, a pipe and drum competition, animals, spinners, weavers, harpists, Celtic music, athletic contests, activities for children, and the authentically dressed Historic Highlanders recreating everyday life in that society from the 14th through 18th centuries.

Positively Holyoke Summer Concerts
221 Appleton St., Holyoke
www.holyokerotary.com
Admission: Free
July 19, July 26, Aug. 2, Aug. 9: The Holyoke Rotary Club  will present a series of four Wednesday night concerts at Holyoke Heritage State Park, featuring, in order, Darik & the Funbags, Out of the Blue, Union Jack, and Trailer Trash. The concerts begin at 6 p.m., but a beer garden and grill will open at 5:30. Parking is free, and the rain date for each concert is the following day.

Franklin County Beer Fest
66 Thunder Mountain Road, Charlemont
www.berkshireeast.com
Admission: $25 in advance, $30 at the door
July 22: Join fellow brew enthusiasts for an afternoon of food, music, and drink. The second annual Franklin County Beer Fest will be held at Berkshire East Mountain Resort and will feature beer from several local breweries, local ciders, and local mead and libations. ID required. Online ticket buyers before July will receive a souvenir glass.

3oldsturbridgecraftbeerOld Sturbridge Village Craft Beer & Roots Music Festival
1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, MA
www.osv.org
Admission: $14-$28; free for children under 4
July 23: OSV’s craft beer festival is back, with more brews, bands, and bites than ever before. More than 30 craft breweries from across New England will offer an opportunity to sample and purchase some of the region’s top beers, ciders, and ales, while local chefs prepare farm-to-table fare. At five indoor and outdoor stages, more than a dozen musical artists will bring the sounds of Americana, bluegrass, country, folk, and roots music.

Hampden County 4-H Fair
1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield
www.easternstatesexposition.com
Admission: Free
July 29: More than 200 young people from Hampden County, and 4-H members from Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Worcester counties, will showcase projects they have made, grown, or raised during the past year. Events include a horse show and other animal exhibitions, a fun run, a talent show, a fashion revue, a lead line and wool competition, and more.

August

West Side Taste of the Valley
Town Common, West Springfield
www.westsidetaste.com
Admission: Free
Aug. 10-13: This community event annually draws over 30,000 people from all over the Pioneer Valley to sample various dishes from a diverse mix of restaurants. The weekend is also highlighted by family-friendly entertainment, live musical acts, a midway of rides and games for kids and teens, animal rides, a petting zoo, and Saturday’s class car cruise, a display of classic, antique, and special-interest cars owned by local residents.

Middlefield Fair
7 Bell Road, Middlefield
www.middlefieldfair.org
Admission: TBA
Aug. 11-13: The Highland Agricultural Society was established in 1856 for the purpose of holding the agricultural fair in Middlefield. In those days, it was known as the Cattle Show, and the grounds were filled with local farmers’ prized cattle. Although the fair has changed in its 150-plus years, it retains that tradition, adding food, a truck pull, a petting zoo, animal exhibits, rides, games, and live including Ray Guillemette Jr.’s Elvis tribute, “A-Ray of Elvis.”

4springfieldjazzrootsSpringfield Jazz and Roots Festival
Court Square, Springfield
www.springfieldjazzfest.com
Admission: Free
Aug. 12: The fourth annual Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival will offer a festive atmosphere featuring locally and internationally acclaimed musical artists. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend and enjoy featured performers including Lizz Wright, Miles Mosley, Rebirth Brass Band, Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Christian Scott, Zaccai Curtis & Insight, Natalie Fernandez, and Community Grooves.

5westfieldairshowWestfield International Airshow
175 Falcon Dr., Westfield
www.westfieldairshow.org
Admission: Free; upgraded paid seating available
Aug. 12-13: The first airshow at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport in seven years will feature the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, a team of F-16 fighter jets that fly in close proximity. Other displays include the Geico Skytypers, a team of six pilots who create aerial smoke messages in the sky, as well as the Third Strike wingwalking act, the the Black Daggers U.S. Army Parachute Team, and a host of others.

Westfield Fair
137 Russellville Road, Westfield
www.thewestfieldfair.com
Admission: $6-$8, free for children under 12
Aug. 18-20: One of the earlier late-summer agricultural fairs that proliferate across Western Mass., the 90th edition of the Westfield Fair promises traditional fare like livestock shows, an antique tractor pull, live music, rides and games, an animal auction, a craft barn, a petting zoo, midway rides, and, of course, lots of food.

Cummington Fair
97 Fairgrounds Road, Cummington
www.cummingtonfair.com
Admission: $5-$12, free for children under 10
Aug. 24-27: The Cummington Fair was initiated in 1883 as the Hillside Agricultural Society. Today, it lives on as a showcase for agriculture and livestock in the region, in addition to a robust schedule of entertainment, featuring live music, magic, a demolition derby, a lumberjack show, the Kenya Acrobats, a square dance, crafts, games, food, and much more.

Downtown Get Down
Exchange Street, Chicopee
www.chicopeegetdown.com
Admission: Free
Aug. 25-26: Now in its third year, Chicopee’s downtown block party, which drew 15,000 people to the streets around City Hall last year, will feature live music from nine bands, as well as attractions for children, local food vendors, live art demonstrations, and, for the first time, a 5K race.

Celebrate Holyoke
Downtown Holyoke
www.celebrateholyokemass.com
Admission: Free
Aug. 25-27: Celebrate Holyoke is a three-day festival that made its return in 2015 after a 10-year hiatus, drawing an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people downtown over the course of the weekend. This year’s festival will include live musical performances, food and beverages from local restaurants, activities for children, and goods from local artists and makers.

September

Stone Soul Festival
1780 Roosevelt Ave., Springfield
www.ssfestival.weebly.com
Admission: Free
Sept. 1-3: New England’s largest African-American festival offers family-oriented activities, entertainment, and cultural enrichment, and is a vehicle for minority-owned businesses to display their wares and crafts. Entertainment at Blunt Park includes gospel, jazz, R&B, and dance. Sunday’s free picnic includes ribs and chicken cooked by talented pitmasters, backed by live gospel music performed by local and regional choirs.

Three County Fair
41 Fair St., Northampton
www.threecountyfair.com
Admission: $8-$10
Sept. 1-4: For almost 200 years, the Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society has promoted agriculture, agricultural education, and agricultural science in the Commonwealth. The purpose remains the umbrella under which the Three County Fair is presented to the public. But the fair also includes carnival rides and games, thoroughbred horse racing, crafts, and, of course, plenty of food.

Blandford Fair
10 North St., Blandford
www.theblandfordfair.com
Admission: $5-$10, free for children under 6
Sept. 1-4:
Not much has changed in almost 150 years of the Blandford Fair, but that’s what makes it so charming. Fairgoers can witness the classic rituals of the giant pumpkin display, the pony draw, and the horseshoe tournament, plus more modern additions, like the fantastically loud chainsaw-carving demonstration and the windshield-smashing demolition derby.

Franklin County Fair
89 Wisdom Way, Greenfield
www.fcas.com
Admission: $7-$10, free for children under 9
Sept. 7-10: Named one of the “10 Great New England Fairs” in 2015 by Globe magazine, the 169th edition of the Franklin County Fair will roll into the Franklin County Fairgrounds with every type of fair food imaginable, midway rides, and entertainment ranging from bands and roaming clowns to a ventriloquist, demotion derby, livestock shows, horse draws, a truck pull, and much more.

Glendi
22 St. George Road, Springfield
www.stgeorgecath.org/glendi
Admission: Free
Sept. 8-10: Every year, St. George Cathedral offers thousands of visitors the best in traditional Greek foods, pastries, music, dancing, and old-fashioned Greek hospitality. In addition, the festival offers activities for children, tours of the historic St. George Cathedral and Byzantine Chapel, vendors from across the East Coast, icon workshops, movies in the Glendi Theatre, cooking demonstrations, and more.

Hilltown Brewfest
837 Daniel Shays Highway, New Salem
www.hilltownbrewfest.com
Admission: $35 in advance, $40 at the door
Sept. 9: The ninth annual Hilltown Brewfest is a fund-raiser for local fire departments. The event at Cooleyville Junction promises a relaxing afternoon featuring some 30 brands and 100 brews of beer, wine, cider, and Berkshire Distillery products. Selections include products by both local craft brewers, winemakers, and distillers in the Quabbin and Pioneer Valley regions as well as similar craft producers across New England.

8mattoonstreetMattoon Street Arts Festival
Mattoon Street, Springfield
www.mattoonfestival.org
Admission: Free
Sept. 9-10: Now in its 45th year, the Mattoon Street Arts Festival is the longest-running arts festival in the Pioneer Valley, featuring about 100 exhibitors, including artists that work in ceramics, fibers, glass, jewelry, painting and printmaking, photography, wood, metal, and mixed media. Food vendors and strolling musicians help to make the event a true late-summer destination.

FreshGrass Festival
1040 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams
www.freshgrass.com
Admission: $48-$110 for three-day pass
Sept. 15-17: The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is known for its musical events, and the Fresh Grass festival is among the highlights, showcasing more than 50 bluegrass artists and bands over three days. This year, the lineup includes Brandi Carlile, Railroad Earth, the Del McCoury Band with David Grisman, Shovels & Rope, Del & Dawg, Bill Frisell, and many more.

9bigeThe Big E
1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield
www.easternstatesexposition.com
Admission: $8-$12; 17-day pass $20-$40
Sept. 15 to Oct. 1: It’s still the big one, and there’s something for everyone, whether it’s the copious fair food or the livestock shows, the Avenue of States houses or the parades, the local vendors and crafters or the live music — this year featuring Cole Swindell, the Village People, Martin Sexton, Sheila E., the Sugarhill Gang, Fastball, the Lovin’ Spoonful, and many more.

Belchertown Fair
Main Street, Belchertown
www.belchertownfair.com
Admission: Free
Sept. 22-24: This community fair, which draws more than 30,000 visitors every year, celebrates the town’s agricultural roots as well as its active growing community. The weekend features a wide variety of family-friendly activities, from an exhibit hall and animal exhibitions to a parade, plenty of live music, pumpkin decorating for kids, a balloon twister, and an old-time beautiful baby show.

Old Deerfield Craft Fair
10 Memorial St., Deerfield
www.deerfield-craft.org
Admission: $7, free for children under 12
Sep. 23-24: This award-winning show has been recognized for its traditional crafts and fine-arts categories and offers a great variety of items, from furniture to pottery. And while in town, check out all of Historic Deerfield, featuring restored, 18th-century museum houses with period furnishings, demonstrations of Colonial-era trades, and a collection of Early American crafts, ceramics, furniture, textiles, and metalwork.

Employers Grapple with Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

By
pregnantfeature-0617b
Employment Sections

Accommodating Attitude

pregnantatworkdpMassachusetts lawmakers are attempting a novel approach to pregnant workers, by requiring employers to offer them accommodations similar to those given to disabled workers. The bill is a popular one and seems assured of becoming law, but some questions about implementation — and what companies will have to do to comply — remain.

Pregnancy is not a disability, and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act doesn’t classify it as one.

But if the bill, passed unanimously by the Massachusetts House of Representatives in March and expected to sail through the Senate, becomes law — Gov. Charlie Baker has said he will sign it — employers will be required to offer the same types of accommodations disabled workers are promised under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

“While this bill doesn’t technically classify pregnancy as a disability, per se, it does create the requirement that employers treat pregnancy the same way they treat employees with a disability, providing reasonable accommodation and undertaking a dialogue about what those accommodations should be,” said Daniel Carr, an attorney with Royal P.C. in Northampton.

If the bill becomes law, an employer would not be able to fire, demote, or deny a job to a worker due to pregnancy. The employer could not force the worker to accept certain conditions or take a leave from the workplace as long as she were able to perform the essential functions of her job.

While charges of discrimination based on pregnancy or maternity are currently considered an aspect of gender discrimination, the new bill changes the playing field in potentially significant ways, Carr noted.

Daniel Carr says the bill currently leaves several questions unanswered

Daniel Carr says the bill currently leaves several questions unanswered, which he hopes will be addressed by the state Senate before heading to the governor’s desk.

Specifically, employers will be required to engage in an interactive process with pregnant employees to provide reasonable accommodations, such as more frequent and/or longer breaks, modified equipment or seating, job and responsibility restructuring, modified schedules, and private, non-bathroom space to express breast milk — accommodations that, in the abstract, seem like a logical recognition of the need to provide equitable conditions for pregnant women in the workplace.

While this bill doesn’t technically classify pregnancy as a disability, per se, it does create the requirement that employers treat pregnancy the same way they treat employees with a disability, providing reasonable accommodation and undertaking a dialogue about what those accommodations should be.”

“Generally speaking, everyone is in agreement,” Carr said, “but for this bill to become law, there are some issues that need to be ironed out, hopefully before it gets to the governor for his signature.”

Meghan Sullivan, managing partner at Sullivan, Hayes & Quinn, LLC in Springfield, noted that the ADA provides no basis for equating a normal pregnancy with a disability, but Massachusetts lawmakers have, for several years, been discussing the idea that some of the same accommodations available to disabled workers, particularly related to changes in their duties and working conditions, could also benefit pregnant workers.

One of the reasons the bill has found little legislative resistance so far is that it was crafted with significant input from both women’s rights groups and the employer lobby, notably Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM).

“I sit on the steering committee for AIM, and they took the position that this was not a bill they were going to oppose on behalf of employers,” Sullivan said. “But how do we approach the idea of reasonable accommodation while avoiding issues that are typically problematic for employers?”

Working out many of those issues was key to moving the bill forward, but, as Carr noted, plenty of unanswered questions remain.

Taking Aim

AIM opposed early versions of the bill during the 2015-16 legislative session because employers worried it gave employees unlimited power to reject multiple and reasonable offers of accommodation by an employer. The compromise bill addresses that concern and others, the organization noted. Specifically, it accomplishes the following:

• Provides clarity regarding definitions and terms related to current employees in need of accommodations related to pregnancy;

• Aligns state and federal laws regarding reasonable accommodation as it relates to the essential functions of the job;

• Provides flexibility rather than mandating specific types of accommodations for employers and employees;

• Provides a reasonable mechanism for employees and the employer to achieve a reasonable accommodation by engaging in a defined process, eliminating a concern by businesses that an employee could reject multiple reasonable offers of accommodation;

• Adds language allowing the employer to evaluate undue hardship of an accommodation and the ability of employee to perform the essential functions of the job as it relates to an employer’s program, enterprise or business;

• Provides opportunity for an employer to request documentation for certain cases to ensure that accommodations are reasonable for both employees and employers;

• Limits provisions to current employees instead of employees and job applicants;

• Reduces unnecessary burdens and allows for electronic or other means other than a “poster” for notifying employees; and

• Allows for certain accommodations to be either paid or unpaid.

Employers worry, Sullivan told BusinessWest, about any new legal protections for workers that are different, and sometimes conflicting, with existing laws — conflicts that are typically hashed out through litigation, which companies certainly want to avoid.

Meghan Sullivan

Meghan Sullivan says the bill was crafted after much negotiation and compromise between women’s rights advocates and employer organizations.

“There was an incredibly cooperative approach to drafting the bill passed by the House, an effort to use very similar language and concepts related to the disability laws as we know them,” she noted.

She recalled a summer job she had during her college years, as a bank teller. She was required to stand at her workstation for eight hours, but under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, an employee would have a strong argument that allowing her to sit while serving customers would not hinder her from getting her work done.

Pretty straightforward, right? Not so fast, Carr said.

“The problem with any legislation is that sometimes the most popular laws are the worst-drafted,” he noted. “I think every reasonable person agrees with the principles of this law, that pregnant employees shouldn’t be discriminated against. No legislator wants to be seen as against it, so no one’s really changing it — but there are issues with this law that come into play.”

Take the coffee shop across the street from Carr’s office, which employs a handful of workers in one open space, with a bathroom. Where, exactly, can that business designate a private, non-restroom space for expressing breast milk? If an employee brought litigation, he argued, the shop would have a strong argument that such a private space doesn’t exist, and it would be an undue hardship to somehow construct one.

“Another issue is job restructuring. If an employee walks into my business and says, ‘we have to restructure my job because the law says so,’ how can I prove that’s an undue burden or financial hardship to do so?” he said. “That’s my concern. It’s not the wisdom of the law in general; it’s the drafting and details that have to be addressed.”

In a recent blog post, Carr went so far as to say the bill, if passed as is, will cause chaos for employers, for a couple of reasons. One is that it has no specified effective date, and would therefore, by default, become law only 90 days after Baker signs it.

Another question is the duration of accommodations. “The lactation provisions imply that the accommodations can continue after an employee has given birth,” he noted. “However, the bill does not address for how long after giving birth an employee is entitled to reasonable accommodations. As drafted, employers have no way of knowing if they must provide modified schedules and/or job restructuring to new mothers for four weeks, four months, or four years. It would be in every employer’s best interest to undertake a self-assessment of their readiness to implement these policies sooner rather than later.”

Working It Out

Carr also noted that the Affordable Care Act — which, despite GOP attempts to kill it, is still the law — already provides for private, non-bathroom space to breastfeed in certain situations, and other protections exist for breastfeeding employees. However, the new bill will apply to more employers in the state, and may be interpreted more broadly.

“The term ‘job restructuring’ worries me the most,” he said. “So if the breastfeeding provisions of this law are interpreted to be consistent with the breastfeeding protections of the ACA, does that mean that job restructuring would continue for a full year? Or, if [the new bill] is interpreted to provide greater duration, how long would that last?”

Sullivan agreed that the vague concept of accommodation could become more significant than employers expect, especially if the worker experiences complications with the pregnancy.

“It’s potentially a new lawsuit, and it’s something employers will have to take note of, but the two sides, as well as legislative officials, worked very cooperatively and diligently to make sure it would be a manageable and workable process,” she noted. “A lot of employers are concerned about any new law being introduced: ‘how do we manage another accommodation on top of all the other ones that already exist, and how do these new legal provisions interact with all of the existing laws?’ Without a doubt, it’s another instance where HR and managers and supervisors are going to need education and training so there isn’t an inadvertent violation.”

If employers will have only a few months to get up to speed with compliance, as appears to be the case, Sullivan said, every employer will have to examine the company’s workplace rules, break-time rules, and other details so they can anticipate what policies might need to be modified if an employee becomes pregnant.

She stressed, however, that employer groups understand the bill’s appeal.

“It is easy to confuse opposition to a draft of a bill with opposition to the issue itself,” AIM President Richard Lord said just before the House passed the bill. “AIM is always willing to work with those seeking honest and effective compromise. That is exactly what happened with this legislation.”

That doesn’t mean it’s easy to add another layer of employee protections, of course.

“A common concern is that Massachusetts will not be competitive enough with other states that aren’t as accommodating to employees,” Sullivan told BusinessWest. “At what point will Massachusetts create an incentive for businesses to leave? That’s always a concern among employers, the cost of doing business.”

Still, she said, “despite the rhetoric of ‘us vs. them’ that’s so common in the political landscape, so many employers are motivated to do the right thing and do it in the right way.”

Even if they’re still hazy on the details.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Real Estate Transactions

By
Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

38 Depot St.
Bernardston, MA 01376
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Stewart D. Scannell
Seller: William R. Pratt
Date: 05/19/17

BUCKLAND

22 Kendrick Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $143,200
Buyer: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Seller: Alicia M. Jeffery
Date: 05/17/17

CHARLEMONT

400 Legate Hill Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Timothy J. Fazio
Seller: Howard D. Klosterman
Date: 05/23/17

DEERFIELD

Ferry Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: John G. Savage Realty Corp.
Seller: William W. Melnik
Date: 05/24/17

74 Sugarloaf St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $269,499
Buyer: Justin A. Malone
Seller: Alphonse Arietta
Date: 05/15/17

GILL

143 Barney Hale Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Aaron A. Bishop
Date: 05/19/17

GREENFIELD

26 Colrain St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Mark Sirum
Seller: William Koldis
Date: 05/24/17

55 Colrain St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Sarah M. Chase
Seller: Nikolay O. Shlegel
Date: 05/15/17

40 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: Tyler R. Ward
Seller: Andrew M. Goolsby-Cole
Date: 05/23/17

112 Fairview St. E.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Seller: Argeni Fuentes-Maldonado
Date: 05/23/17

7 Harrison Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $193,500
Buyer: Walter White
Seller: Louise E. Crandall
Date: 05/24/17

21 Spring Terrace
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $260,400
Buyer: Anne M. Platzner
Seller: Jason Fellows
Date: 05/25/17

3 Valley View Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Katharine L. Mason
Seller: Keith R. Laudieri
Date: 05/25/17

26 Verde Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $373,500
Buyer: David Pederson
Seller: Greenfield KMW LLC
Date: 05/26/17

LEVERETT

149 Cave Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Patricia Hamilton
Seller: Joanne M. Mully LT
Date: 05/24/17

MONTAGUE

53 L St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Allen E. Labor
Seller: John H. Speek
Date: 05/26/17

38 Park St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Elisabeth E. Alba
Seller: Miriam E. Wells
Date: 05/26/17

3 South High St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Tyler A. Zagame
Seller: Kerry A. Wyman
Date: 05/15/17

NORTHFIELD

6 Louisiana Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Samuel J. Stevens
Seller: Barbara Pos
Date: 05/25/17

94 Lucky Clapp Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Michael E. O’Bannon
Seller: Amy E. Grieger
Date: 05/26/17

602 Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Brian Downes
Seller: Jennifer L. Guetti-Solcum
Date: 05/26/17

66 Pierson Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Catherine A. Burniske
Seller: Jeffrey R. Remillard
Date: 05/19/17

ORANGE

5 Clark Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Lisa E. Granger
Seller: Randy D. Plante
Date: 05/26/17

15 Cloukey Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Peter Anjos
Seller: US Bank
Date: 05/25/17

212 Dana Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Jay R. Stevens
Date: 05/18/17

13 Dewey Conrad Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Eric N. Druzbicki
Seller: Kelly M. Sevigny
Date: 05/19/17

28 Eddy St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Don P. Noyes
Seller: Melissa L. Wetherby
Date: 05/24/17

257 North Main St.
Orange, MA 01355
Amount: $147,500
Buyer: Christopher Amenta
Seller: Anthony D. Vitello
Date: 05/15/17

31 Prescott Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Tanyah Frost
Seller: Andrei Agapov
Date: 05/26/17

71 West River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Jeffery M. Sakowicz
Seller: Anthony J. Paoletti
Date: 05/25/17

SHUTESBURY

692 Pratt Corner Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Josef G. Trapani
Seller: John F. Rowan-Stern
Date: 05/15/17

33 West Pelham Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Karen J. Auerbach
Seller: Victoria A. Feyre-Febonio
Date: 05/26/17

73 Weatherwood Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Jane Slater
Seller: Aron P. Goldman
Date: 05/24/17

SUNDERLAND

198 Bull Hill Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Delta Sand & Gravel Inc.
Seller: Steven E. Blinder
Date: 05/22/17

260 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Jamie T. Mullins
Seller: Theodore J. Tudryn
Date: 05/25/17

141 Old Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Elyin Valenzuela
Seller: Hae S. Kim
Date: 05/16/17

87 South Silver Lane
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $146,900
Buyer: Bayview Loan Servicing
Seller: Kristin L. Belmore
Date: 05/16/17

WHATELY

18 North St.
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Ryan M. Sanderson
Seller: Sanderson, Neal B., (Estate)
Date: 05/19/17

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

52 Adams St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Jamie Campbell
Seller: Christopher R. Liberty
Date: 05/26/17

461 Barry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: Vincent R. Whitcomb
Seller: Gary F. Saccomani
Date: 05/15/17

37 Brookline Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $192,100
Buyer: Armand G. Dubuc
Seller: Angela Almquist
Date: 05/23/17

28 Hastings St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Pietro A. Abruzzo
Seller: Kurt R. Rogal
Date: 05/26/17

70 Lincoln St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Shannon M. Farley
Seller: Timothy A. Potito
Date: 05/22/17

230 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $4,845,000
Buyer: HP Agawam LLC
Seller: Practice Properties LLC
Date: 05/17/17

28 Woodcock Court
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Konnor Walsh
Seller: Serge Lukomsky
Date: 05/19/17

BRIMFIELD

51 Champeaux Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Christopher S. Gordon
Seller: Michael D. White
Date: 05/23/17

72 Champeaux Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Mark Lavigne
Seller: David Schermerhorn
Date: 05/24/17

CHICOPEE

35 Ann St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Jonathan J. Stone
Seller: Theresa Marconi
Date: 05/17/17

16 Austin St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Michelle Mallory
Seller: Susan F. Francis
Date: 05/23/17

2 Broadway Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Kaali Huang LLC
Seller: J. B. Camerlin Real Estate
Date: 05/17/17

86 Caddyshack Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $390,900
Buyer: Shawn M. Martel
Seller: David L. Illingsworth
Date: 05/24/17

47 Cecile Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Jacob J. Santana
Seller: Gerald C. Gilbert
Date: 05/25/17

109 Chateaugay St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Joanne M. Her
Seller: Jami V. Reis
Date: 05/19/17

Cochran St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Viktoriya Gladysh
Seller: Pragosa, Antonio C., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/17

270 College St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Federico Mendiola
Seller: Coulombe, Ronald A., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/17

1 Emerson St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: 1060 Chicopee Street LLC
Seller: Gamoto LLC
Date: 05/26/17

253 Fairview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Ismael D. Arroyo
Seller: Dionys F. Cabriotti
Date: 05/26/17

87 Fillmore St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Joseph A. Laviolette
Seller: Jonathan P. Lukens
Date: 05/26/17

275 Hampden St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $117,700
Buyer: Stanislaw Beben
Seller: FHLM
Date: 05/26/17

324 Irene St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Cherilyn Harrison
Seller: Virginia A. Taylor
Date: 05/16/17

20 Johnson Road
Chicopee, MA 01022
Amount: $7,000,000
Buyer: Education Capital Solutions
Seller: Johnson Road Properties
Date: 05/19/17

59 Mary St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,900
Buyer: Jesicca Andrews
Seller: John P. Sullivan
Date: 05/19/17

444 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $16,530,000
Buyer: HP Chicopee LLC
Seller: Practice Properties LLC
Date: 05/18/17

108 Nelson St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $125,460
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Christopher D. Dubuque
Date: 05/16/17

24 Olko Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Bobbilea Boisjolie
Seller: Minkos, Richard W., (Estate)
Date: 05/23/17

245 School St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Jamie D. Krasin
Seller: David J. Amato
Date: 05/19/17

31 Southwick St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Viktoriya Gladysh
Seller: Pragosa, Antonio C., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/17

471 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Tony Tereso
Seller: Thomas Phelan
Date: 05/26/17

40 Watson St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Paul F. Styckiewicz
Seller: Boratis FT
Date: 05/15/17

EAST LONGMEADOW

43 James St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Steven E. Czelusniak
Seller: Mark L. Tenggren
Date: 05/22/17

24 Pondview Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Miguel Rodriguez
Seller: Joseph Chapdelaine & Sons
Date: 05/26/17

41 Schuyler Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: John Hayden
Seller: Jiansong Xu
Date: 05/26/17

218 Shaker Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $146,500
Buyer: Timothy D. Charest
Seller: USA VA
Date: 05/25/17

45 Sturbridge Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Elizabeth A. Rottenberg
Seller: Robert-Thomas Construction LLC
Date: 05/18/17

43 Wood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Zachary D. Perkins
Seller: Courtney A. Reyes
Date: 05/25/17

HAMPDEN

Kibbe Lane #15
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Custom Homes Dev Group
Seller: Ed Speight & Co. Inc.
Date: 05/25/17

Kibbe Lane #16
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Custom Homes Dev Group
Seller: Ed Speight & Co. Inc.
Date: 05/25/17

Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $294,000
Buyer: David M. Hernandez
Seller: Norman J. Ashline
Date: 05/15/17

70 Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Joyce E. Stenta
Date: 05/26/17

23 South Ridge Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Mohammed Mawla
Seller: Andrew H. Persaud
Date: 05/19/17

HOLYOKE

2-4 Brightwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $122,180
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Roger E. Neeland
Date: 05/19/17

38-40 Florence Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Katherine L. Paul
Seller: Wilbraham Builders Inc.
Date: 05/23/17

5 Greenwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $192,900
Buyer: Kristina F. Deome
Seller: Margaret E. Dugal
Date: 05/23/17

1 Larkin Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Yelitza Hernandez
Seller: Timothy H. Lawler
Date: 05/19/17

131 Lincoln St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Jacob Ayvazian
Seller: William D. Lesko
Date: 05/25/17

317-319 Linden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jose A. Cartagena-Colon
Seller: David J. Carpenter
Date: 05/26/17

82 Meadowbrook Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Keith E. Freeman
Seller: Mary F. Keeler
Date: 05/18/17

522-534 South St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Springfield Holyoke Realty
Seller: Deuteronomy LLC
Date: 05/16/17

63 Merrick Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Andrew W. Bagg
Seller: Steven J. Dudek
Date: 05/22/17

20 Pynchon Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $185,900
Buyer: James M. Wildman
Seller: Allen F. Tully
Date: 05/22/17

6 Ross Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Holly E. Magrone
Seller: Felicita M. El-Ghadi
Date: 05/26/17

31 Sheehan Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Patrick T. Noonan
Seller: Kate E. Zurheide
Date: 05/25/17

43 Woodland St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Austin T. Gove
Seller: Kaitlyn M. Matarazzo
Date: 05/18/17

LONGMEADOW

107 Barrington Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Janet L. Dipietro
Seller: Arthur P. Scolari
Date: 05/25/17

84 Bel Air Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Elizabeth A. Barton
Seller: Steven M. Madnick
Date: 05/24/17

55 Birchwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $312,500
Buyer: Michael R. Biasetti
Seller: Kenneth C. Carlson
Date: 05/26/17

33 Brittany Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Yu Zeng
Seller: Jack W. Bailey
Date: 05/16/17

136 Burbank Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Adam R. Krevolin
Seller: Elizabeth M. Dorman
Date: 05/19/17

21 Cambridge Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Oleksak
Seller: Thomas M. O’Rourke
Date: 05/19/17

142 Crestview Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $452,000
Buyer: Bradley A. Ober
Seller: Carando, Dino J., (Estate)
Date: 05/19/17

45 Exeter Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Bertrand J. Dothee
Seller: Daphna Halpern
Date: 05/26/17

712 Laurel St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Travis M. Orszulak
Seller: Christopher M. Orszulak
Date: 05/26/17

1535 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Alexia M. Geary
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 05/18/17

21 Meadowlark Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Nationstar Reo Sub 1B LLC
Seller: Arnold D. Wilson
Date: 05/18/17

133 Pleasantview Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Danielle N. Finch
Seller: James L. Frank
Date: 05/23/17

59 Summit Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Daniel Boyea
Seller: Robert P. Leclair
Date: 05/26/17

84 Whitmun Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Finance Of Amer Reverse
Seller: Henry J. Blokland
Date: 05/18/17

527 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $339,900
Buyer: Thomas Adams
Seller: Regina S. Fortune
Date: 05/19/17

LUDLOW

179 Americo St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Megan Keaton
Seller: Fyodor Grechka
Date: 05/18/17

25 Dale St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $260,500
Buyer: Maria A. Nadeau
Seller: Brian H. Martins
Date: 05/15/17

91 Fox Run Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $308,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Corjay
Seller: John S. Kawa
Date: 05/19/17

148 Highland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $210,500
Buyer: Corey S. Day
Seller: Robert P. Desautels
Date: 05/22/17

52 Norwich Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Ashlie A. Tremblay
Seller: Matthew D. Mol
Date: 05/26/17

17-19 Oak St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Lucky Kim LLC
Seller: Antonio C. Ferreira
Date: 05/26/17

57 Stivens Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Paul Morelli
Seller: Piedade Santos-Sebastiao
Date: 05/19/17

272-274 Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Ocean Property Redevelopment LLC
Seller: Diplomat Property Manager
Date: 05/22/17

MONSON

16 Beebe Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Michael Caron
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/16/17

30 King St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: GJL RNL NT
Seller: Lawrence D. Roman
Date: 05/17/17

62 May Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $254,200
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Brian Mortensen
Date: 05/16/17

7 McCray Circle
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $358,000
Buyer: Michael Radzick
Seller: Jeffrey Kuselias
Date: 05/16/17

316 Silver St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $238,500
Buyer: Richard H. Isabelle
Seller: Lorraine H. Broadbent
Date: 05/15/17

118 Town Farm Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $144,873
Buyer: Paul R. Strniste
Seller: Seanna Bannon
Date: 05/23/17

MONTGOMERY

11 Pineridge Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Dallas S. Deogburn
Seller: Joseph L. Avenia
Date: 05/26/17

1593 Russell Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Tara Spencer
Seller: Gerald M. Spencer
Date: 05/19/17

PALMER

5 Alden St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Julia A. Bernet
Seller: Gregory M. Koss
Date: 05/22/17

100 Beech St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Gilbert Ocasio
Seller: Douglas A. Williams
Date: 05/26/17

26 Oakland St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Patrick S. Pica
Seller: James L. Sanford
Date: 05/24/17

76 Saint John St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Sonya M. Bastarache
Seller: Paul J. Novinsky
Date: 05/15/17

93 State St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $165,600
Buyer: Emmi L. Gelinas
Seller: Teresa A. Swist
Date: 05/26/17

RUSSELL

35 Homestead Ave.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $464,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Noyes
Seller: Fred U. Sisson
Date: 05/25/17

SOUTHWICK

9 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Lea M. Rodrigues
Seller: FV 1 Inc.
Date: 05/16/17

15 Ferrin Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $496,000
Buyer: Jeremy D. Leap
Seller: Mathias L. Stoenescu
Date: 05/19/17

15 Hudson Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Kuchachik Realty LLC
Seller: Quarry Truck Co. Inc.
Date: 05/22/17

14 Oak St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: John Gulbrandsen
Seller: US Bank
Date: 05/17/17

26 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Kimberly A. Valentino
Seller: Randall Bourque
Date: 05/19/17

40 Sam West Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Easy Solutions LLC
Seller: Flex Properties LLC
Date: 05/16/17

SPRINGFIELD

115 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Noreen Orinda
Seller: Noel D. Petrolati
Date: 05/26/17

338 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Joseph L. Calderon
Seller: Andrea G. Hillman
Date: 05/18/17

14 Agnes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: Sophia O. Woodfine
Seller: JLC Realty Group LLC
Date: 05/26/17

616 Alden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Erica L. Fallis
Seller: Zachary D. Depace
Date: 05/25/17

1343 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $175,001
Buyer: Frank D. Bruton
Seller: Debra A. Bruton
Date: 05/26/17

213 Arcadia Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Arthur N. Phaneuf
Seller: Phaneuf, Arthur J., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/17

107 Ardmore St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $119,500
Buyer: Chelsi K. St.Amand
Seller: Michael Bourassa
Date: 05/26/17

260 Arnold Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: James C. Redfern
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 05/19/17

145 Bacon Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Suki C. Chu
Seller: Vertis J. Miller
Date: 05/24/17

17 Beech St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Kristal D. Quiroz
Seller: Viva Development LLC
Date: 05/19/17

132 Bellevue Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Gary M. Colson
Seller: Lianna M. Medina-Moran
Date: 05/25/17

305 Bicentennial Hwy.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $7,125,000
Buyer: HP Springfield Bicentennial
Seller: Practice Props. Springfield
Date: 05/17/17

57 Bissell St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Sonia A. Smith
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 05/18/17

88 Blaine St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Lia Addeo
Seller: Saturday Morning LLC
Date: 05/24/17

97 Brittany Road
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: William Donald
Seller: Robert A. Sheppard
Date: 05/24/17

88 Burt Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Nilda Irizarry
Seller: Shawn Torres
Date: 05/15/17

151 Canterbury Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Michael J. Streit
Seller: Michael R. Biasetti
Date: 05/26/17

86 Canton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Felix Pena
Seller: George J. Grasakis
Date: 05/18/17

75 Carnavon Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Wilanie Oyola
Seller: Jesse P. Chabot
Date: 05/25/17

101-103 Carver St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Stafford W. Norris
Seller: Paul J. Alexopoulos
Date: 05/18/17

16 Chapel St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Jenary L. Merced
Seller: Derrick Hatwood
Date: 05/19/17

214-216 Connecticut Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Lincoln A. Hardrick
Seller: Danielle R. Morin
Date: 05/19/17

477 Cottage St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Ace Signs LLC
Seller: 477 Cottage Street LLC
Date: 05/24/17

23 Covel St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Ezequiel Padilla
Seller: Goehlert, George, (Estate)
Date: 05/17/17

25 Daniel St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $141,400
Buyer: Bertram Williamson
Seller: Luis A. Ortiz
Date: 05/26/17

91 Deepfield Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: John P. Hess
Date: 05/19/17

36 Dover St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $865,000
Buyer: Allspring Equities LLC
Seller: Lake Rentals LLC
Date: 05/16/17

194 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $136,900
Buyer: Cecily D. Wiswall
Seller: Kathleen E. Boehm
Date: 05/23/17

120 Duggan Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Migda L. Sanchez
Seller: Jacquelyn L. Smith
Date: 05/26/17

50 East Bay Path Terrace
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Loanis T. Resto
Date: 05/22/17

127 Emerson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Danielle M. Newell
Seller: Gerald P. Ross
Date: 05/26/17

27 Eureka St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $173,900
Buyer: Kimo Grant
Seller: Kathleen Fornecker
Date: 05/22/17

336 Forest Hills Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Peter P. Mayock
Seller: Kristin E. Trytko
Date: 05/26/17

137 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Hussam J. Mohammed
Seller: Hancel R. Valentin
Date: 05/18/17

37 George St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $156,400
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Marjorie Moise
Date: 05/23/17

79 Haller St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Antonio Vital
Seller: Patricia A. Dearing
Date: 05/15/17

226 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Gabriel E. Trinidad
Seller: Dane Mealey
Date: 05/26/17

112 Hastings St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Angel R. Morales
Seller: Viktor Savonin
Date: 05/25/17

54 Hobson St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Pamela J. Medlock
Seller: Marlina N. Duncan
Date: 05/26/17

103 Hood St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $118,500
Buyer: Juan A. Colon
Seller: Kyle J. Bienia
Date: 05/19/17

44 Inglewood Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Michael P. Bourassa
Seller: Bruce W. Ernst
Date: 05/26/17

27 Kane St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $116,905
Buyer: Travis B. Scales
Seller: Webber, Georgia J., (Estate)
Date: 05/19/17

242 Laurelton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Damion A. Johnson
Seller: Kevin J. Czaplicki
Date: 05/24/17

60 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: Stephanie P. Bond
Seller: Victor Rios
Date: 05/15/17

25-27 Lyndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $129,582
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Julio C. Ozoria
Date: 05/23/17

84 Meadowbrook Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Sean Stevens
Seller: Joseph R. Rosinski
Date: 05/26/17

6 Metzger Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Mohammad Rafiq
Seller: Luis S. Ribeiro
Date: 05/18/17

178 Middlesex St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Victor M. Lozada
Seller: Vasily Vilkhovoy
Date: 05/25/17

93 Moss Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Brian J. Zelasko
Seller: Elizabeth A. Stebbins
Date: 05/19/17

24-26 Palmer Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: AJN Rentals LLC
Seller: Kelnate Realty LLC
Date: 05/19/17

85 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Jenfry E. Guerrero
Seller: Silvana Porfilio-Boyea
Date: 05/26/17

163 Prouty St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Victor Rios
Seller: Scott T. Rousseau
Date: 05/15/17

470 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Teeka R. Bhattarai
Seller: Cohen, Susan, (Estate)
Date: 05/15/17

85 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Natalie Hoch
Seller: S&C Homebuyers LLC
Date: 05/17/17

600 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Floyd Collins
Seller: PAK Properties LLC
Date: 05/18/17

44 Seymour Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $119,900
Buyer: Osos Groms LLC
Seller: Richard W. Debour
Date: 05/25/17

99 Slumber Lane
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Mary A. Ross
Seller: Dagostino, Pierina, (Estate)
Date: 05/26/17

16 Sullivan St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $126,863
Buyer: James Fiore
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 05/16/17

77 Sunnybrook Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Lorraine R. Desouza
Seller: Alphonse C. Morris
Date: 05/23/17

17 Thornfell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $119,900
Buyer: Francine M. Poulin
Seller: Mary E. Larrivee
Date: 05/18/17

94 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Scott Brubach
Seller: Clifford D. Resnick
Date: 05/16/17

132 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Theodora N. Chitemerere
Seller: Moltenbrey Builders LLC
Date: 05/22/17

92 Tulsa St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Alicia Farrington
Seller: Steven Ruggiero
Date: 05/25/17

167 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $129,500
Buyer: Marceina Purdie
Seller: Jaroslaw P. Topolewski
Date: 05/17/17

29 Wheeler Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $115,250
Buyer: William J. Hayes
Seller: USA VA
Date: 05/26/17

1930 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: 1930 Wilbraham Road RT
Seller: United Bank
Date: 05/19/17

211-213 William St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Christian E. Auden
Seller: Michael P. Holmes
Date: 05/24/17

147 Wollaston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Jessica Panetta
Seller: Carlos F. Serrazina
Date: 05/19/17

83 Woodcrest Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Mary E. Hluska
Seller: Susan Santaniello
Date: 05/24/17

WALES

16 Stafford Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Herbert A. Cook
Seller: Henry F. Decoteau
Date: 05/19/17

WEST SPRINGFIELD

18 Ames Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Brittany R. Sweet
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/15/17

221 Birnie Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $296,500
Buyer: Robert P. Szmania
Seller: Timothy A. Payne
Date: 05/26/17

58 Calvin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Moo K. Paw
Seller: Raymond R. Gadreault
Date: 05/26/17

183 Greystone Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Knowland
Seller: Rina Lavoie
Date: 05/22/17

66 Jensen Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $167,900
Buyer: Jennifer A. Lee
Seller: Charles J. Keohane
Date: 05/22/17

114 Lantern Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $184,200
Buyer: John C. Lightcap
Seller: Christina Toma
Date: 05/26/17

39 Merrick St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Dinesh Mainali
Seller: Sergey Savonin
Date: 05/15/17

23 Pleasant St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: RKL Financial Corp.
Seller: Yaroslav Pikulyak
Date: 05/22/17

31 Railroad St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Tiago Moreira
Seller: MS Homes LLC
Date: 05/24/17

7 Riverview Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: William D. Crigger
Seller: Ryan Martin
Date: 05/25/17

31 Russell St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Tiago Moreira
Seller: Walter J. Harrison
Date: 05/24/17

268 Sawmill Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Norberto Santana
Seller: Bart T. O’Connor
Date: 05/25/17

61 Silver St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Steve N. Velasquez
Seller: Thomas M. Knowland
Date: 05/22/17

78 Tatham Hill Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Megan E. Stopa
Seller: Bernardicius, Edna S., (Estate)
Date: 05/15/17

WESTFIELD

122 Adams St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Sara L. Gallagher
Seller: Daniel J. Bednarz
Date: 05/26/17

12 Clinton Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Kevin Fecteau
Seller: G&G Homesavers LLC
Date: 05/22/17

75 Eastwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $326,900
Buyer: Jake T. Hagelstein
Seller: Michael F. Messier
Date: 05/17/17

5 Ellsworth St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Ulysses Wannamaker
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 05/19/17

5 Forest Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $127,100
Buyer: Citimortgage Inc.
Seller: Walter G. Kosla
Date: 05/25/17

7 Fritz Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Susan E. Grabowski
Seller: Stacy S. Boisseau
Date: 05/18/17

30 Hopkins Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Douglas M. Sudnick
Seller: Brian R. Sullivan
Date: 05/17/17

74 Joseph Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $191,500
Buyer: Zoraida Fontanez
Seller: Thomas K. Reynolds
Date: 05/16/17

1 Kelly Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Parviz Ansari
Seller: Richard J. Kane
Date: 05/17/17

19 Lynnwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Kristan M. Leclair
Seller: Kristen M. Lemoi
Date: 05/19/17

117 Montgomery St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Gottardi
Seller: Anne Norton-Graffum
Date: 05/15/17

265 North Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Bobby W. Hobbs
Seller: Cheryl A. Johnson
Date: 05/22/17

73 Old Farm Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Scott G. Peterson
Seller: Stephen J. Jocelyn
Date: 05/15/17

22 Pearl St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Cheryl A. Mcgrath
Date: 05/26/17

96 Pine St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: David Therrien
Seller: Rodney L. Gallagher
Date: 05/26/17

23 Plantation Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $367,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Bednarz
Seller: Laura L. Arena
Date: 05/26/17

303 Pochassic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Sergey Prokoshev
Seller: Keith E. Limnell
Date: 05/19/17

73 Rogers Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Tyler J. Kozik
Seller: Beaulieu, Roland R., (Estate)
Date: 05/19/17

94 Sandy Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Michael Kubasek
Seller: Jacqueline M. Ayr
Date: 05/26/17

15 Scenic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Kristin A. Pierce
Seller: Guy E. Larkins
Date: 05/26/17

42 Whispering Wind Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: Mark A. Arena
Seller: Jason E. Freeman
Date: 05/26/17

259 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $178,500
Buyer: Patricia Steele-Perkins
Seller: Kevin Irujo
Date: 05/15/17

2 Walker Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Daniel S. Lauber
Seller: David J. Bishop
Date: 05/19/17

96 White St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Scott A. Graves
Seller: Joanne M. Paquette
Date: 05/19/17

WILBRAHAM

2823-2825 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: 881 Properties LLC
Seller: ESSS LLC
Date: 05/18/17

3244 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Jacob A. Duda
Seller: Mya Realty LLC
Date: 05/19/17

11 Butler Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $122,100
Buyer: Anouk RT
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 05/25/17

1 Greenwood Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Daniel Reuter
Seller: Karen Ladd
Date: 05/26/17

4 Lance Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Gary R. Woods
Seller: Ronald M. Cameron
Date: 05/25/17

22 Oldwood Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: Zachary D. Depace
Seller: Claire S. O’Connor
Date: 05/25/17

29 Pleasant View Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Verrochi
Seller: Robert L. Roy
Date: 05/23/17

916 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Katherine L. Bousquet
Seller: Joseph M. Varney
Date: 05/18/17

1235 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $202,500
Buyer: Patricia M. McCullough
Seller: Ann M. Dooley
Date: 05/26/17

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

1325 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Annabelle M. Keil
Seller: David Pomerantz
Date: 05/16/17

44 Chapel Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Paul A. Schroeder
Seller: Clark, James H., (Estate)
Date: 05/26/17

145 Columbia Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Paul J. Collins
Seller: Raymond A. Jacque
Date: 05/25/17

32 Emily Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Jonathan H. Marsh
Seller: Richard D. O’Brien
Date: 05/24/17

84 Harlow Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Robert E. Mitrowski
Seller: Josef G. Trapani
Date: 05/22/17

260 Leverett Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $759,995
Buyer: Kevin M. O’Brien
Seller: Pocomo Road NT
Date: 05/19/17

17 Morgan Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $284,000
Buyer: Robert Salvini
Seller: Siamak Vahdat
Date: 05/18/17

57 Oak Knoll St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $727,000
Buyer: Yin C. Lin
Seller: Anna Markus
Date: 05/22/17

6 Whippletree Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: Lauren Westafer
Seller: Richard R. Pastorello
Date: 05/23/17

BELCHERTOWN

511 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $185,500
Buyer: Cynthia Lamacchia
Seller: Home Equity Assets Realty
Date: 05/15/17

260 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Robert E. Carter
Seller: P. Leonie Wallace
Date: 05/22/17

66 Dressel Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Mark J. Vickers
Seller: Daniel J. Darcy
Date: 05/19/17

37 Fletcher Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $374,000
Buyer: John H. Speek
Seller: Joseph C. Black
Date: 05/26/17

3 North Main St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: William J. Bartow
Seller: Janet L. Owen
Date: 05/22/17

169 Rockrimmon St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $379,900
Buyer: Hal E. Schneider
Seller: William E. Wallace
Date: 05/19/17

152 Sargent St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $292,500
Buyer: Sabrina Caballero
Seller: Diversified Construction Services
Date: 05/24/17

420 State St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Gumcheol Kang
Seller: Daniel A. Barroso
Date: 05/24/17

CUMMINGTON

42 Powell Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Joseph Urbanowski
Seller: Merritt Int
Date: 05/16/17

EASTHAMPTON

14 Crescent St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Kathryn E. Delisle
Seller: Carol A. Whiteley
Date: 05/18/17

12 Kania St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Michael J. Lannon
Seller: Peter Harand
Date: 05/15/17

6 Maxine Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Corey Plucker
Seller: Valentyna Semyrog
Date: 05/26/17

24 Plymouth Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $260,500
Buyer: Kevin B. Mulligan
Seller: M. Elisabrth Sawyer
Date: 05/26/17

17 Spring St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Christopher Lee
Seller: Jacqueline Steinbock
Date: 05/23/17

2 West Park Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $199,500
Buyer: Shelly J. Nichols
Seller: Richard G. O’Loughlin
Date: 05/26/17

GRANBY

63 Ferry Hill Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Elise Gouge
Seller: Benjamin F. Levy
Date: 05/25/17

7 Greystone Ave.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Brian P. Coffey
Seller: John F. Deshais
Date: 05/15/17

111 Munsing Ridge
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $422,900
Buyer: Roger L. Cohen
Seller: JCP Capital Group LLC
Date: 05/26/17

HADLEY

303 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: 1836 Development Ent. LLC
Seller: Richard J. Kicza
Date: 05/16/17

HATFIELD

176 Linseed Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $341,000
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Kimberly M. Castillon
Date: 05/15/17

133 Main St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Sherri A. Waslick
Seller: Tyrone Lorenzo
Date: 05/25/17

2 Old Stage Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Melissa Zanvettor
Seller: Paul G. Davis
Date: 05/26/17

MIDDLEFIELD

157 Chipman Road
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Judith Lundgren
Seller: Claire Montgomery
Date: 05/16/17

NORTHAMPTON

236 Chesterfield Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: Anthony A. Fishel
Seller: Gary R. Theroux
Date: 05/16/17

28 Deerfield Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Brian J. Mannherz
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 05/26/17

45 Ford Xing
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $496,995
Buyer: Douglas G. Beattie
Seller: Sturbridge Dev. LLC
Date: 05/19/17

24 High St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Caitlin M. Elsaesser
Seller: William J. Fennessey
Date: 05/24/17

42 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Edward J. Stamas
Seller: Norma Roche
Date: 05/22/17

117 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $168,500
Buyer: Angela Lafrance
Seller: Michelle Marchese
Date: 05/17/17

86 Lyman Road
Northampton, MA 01063
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Kenneth D. Arnold
Seller: Gary T. Arnold
Date: 05/26/17

55 Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Cumberland Farms Inc.
Seller: James G. Mailloux
Date: 05/23/17

190 North Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Lindsay R. Barron
Seller: Pantar Home Solutions LLC
Date: 05/25/17

332 North Farms Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Kenneth R. Murdock
Seller: Gary M. Warner
Date: 05/26/17

812 North King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Danielle Mimitz
Seller: Melissa A. Zanvettor
Date: 05/26/17

315 Sylvester Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $326,000
Buyer: J. Carter Dunn
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/19/17

190 West Farms Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Molly L. McLoughlin
Seller: Linda A. Chastain
Date: 05/26/17

850 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Lisa K. Davis
Seller: Mortgage Guaranty Ins.
Date: 05/25/17

PELHAM

41 Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Joseph Dragun-Bianchi
Seller: Jane Wagenbach-Booth
Date: 05/25/17

SOUTH HADLEY

79 Alvord St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Neal J. Quesnel
Seller: James E. Quesnel
Date: 05/24/17

164 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Russell Wilson
Seller: Roger L. Cohen
Date: 05/19/17

10 Harwich Place
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Kyle M. Grumoli
Seller: Donald E. Reed
Date: 05/26/17

10 Jewett Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Robert J. Pleasure
Seller: Jean Grossholtz
Date: 05/15/17

3 Lincoln Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: F. Villaroel-Ordenes
Seller: Howard B. Gaunt
Date: 05/25/17

150 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Joanne I. Delong LT
Seller: Russell H. Marion
Date: 05/26/17

7 Ralph Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Nicholas M. Remillard
Seller: Kristina Deome
Date: 05/17/17

20 Riverlodge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $395,900
Buyer: Michael J. Lynch
Seller: Patrick J. Spring
Date: 05/26/17

SOUTHAMPTON

5 Halons Way
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Charles Jendrysik
Seller: F&G Development Corp.
Date: 05/26/17

24 Helen Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $393,000
Buyer: Jody Lemoi
Seller: Ding Z. Chen
Date: 05/19/17

30 Helen Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $480,125
Buyer: Brian R. Sullivan
Seller: David Garstka Builders
Date: 05/26/17

16 Wolcott Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Raymond M. Welch
Seller: Donald M. Puza
Date: 05/25/17

Woodmar Lane
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: David Garstka Builders
Seller: Chester J. Kellogg
Date: 05/26/17

WARE

29 Fisherdick Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Amanda M. Young
Seller: Belspring RT
Date: 05/15/17

32 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Iline K. Logan
Seller: Catherine A. King
Date: 05/15/17

32 Maple Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Connie Leung
Seller: Michael A. Radzick
Date: 05/15/17

5 Parkhill Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: John M. Dwyer
Seller: Ellen C. Laflamme
Date: 05/17/17

WESTHAMPTON

235 Northwest Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Kenneth Andrews
Seller: Michael J. Lannon
Date: 05/15/17

WILLIAMSBURG

19 Goshen Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Jon D. Oligino
Seller: MHFA
Date: 05/19/17

15 Main St.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $467,637
Buyer: Chapter 2 LLC
Seller: Nancy L. Basler
Date: 05/23/17

28 Mountain St.
Williamsburg, MA 01062
Amount: $330,500
Buyer: Eric C. Schmitt
Seller: Karen J. Desalvio
Date: 05/15/17

31 Petticoat Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $348,000
Buyer: Diana Chaplin
Seller: Jeffrey D. Igneri
Date: 05/16/17

WORTHINGTON

2 Fritz Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $247,200
Buyer: Jeannette E. Hawley
Seller: Jeffrey A. Eddy
Date: 05/26/17

222 West St.
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Ann Lagoy
Seller: Irene T. Douillard
Date: 05/19/17

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies Departments

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

Abt, William Francis
18 Ward Ave.
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/17/17

Aiken, Holly N.
225 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Akinyi, Bella A.
88 Crest Lane
Granville, MA 01034
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Alicea, Luis Alberto
Alicea, Wanda
195 Starling Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/30/17

Andre, Lenna
137 Vienna Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/13/17

Bassani, Deborah Ann
44 Allison Lane
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Beauregard, Gail Ann
24 Athol Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/17

Bellany, Christopher J.
140 L St., Apt D
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Beynor, Gail J.
1150 Thorndike St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/17

Blais, Karen E.
194 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/25/17

Blais, Marcel Roger
80 Oregon St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/22/17

Bruscoe, Jeffrey J.
108 West St.
West Hatfield, MA 01088
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/30/17

Bushay, Louis Robert Muise
87 Congress St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/07/17

Caruso, Michael F.
28 Boyce St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/17

Center Auto Sales
Unsderfer, James L.
165 Fiberloid St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/17

Chesky, Phillip A.
12 West Parkview Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/17

Coleman, Brian
9 Templest, Apt. 606
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Connor, Susanne Pauline
4 Stillbrook Lane
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Copland, Thomas S.
134 Ely Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/20/17

Coppa, Robert Lee
P.O. Box 1981
Westfield, MA 01086
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/07/17

Crawford, James Eugene
54 Kelso Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Crump, Lorraine
184 Thompson St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/13/17

Cuellar, Theresa Lynn
76 Riverboat Village Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Curto, Anthony T.
293 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/07/17

de Carlo, Carol Gertrude
a/k/a deCarlo Wheeler, Carol Gertrude
167 Pineywoods Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/17

Degonzaque, Rose
34 Reed St. – Apt 1
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/17

DJ Wheeler Realty
Artisans Under the Sun
Wheeler, Donald James
P.O. Box 654
Agawam, MA 01001-0654
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/17

Dubois, Jeremy T.
43 River Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Dulude, Joseph Leo
25 Wilson Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/23/17

Fabrizi, Bertha Irene
15 Shirley St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/08/17

Fisher, Jolene Marie
36 Robbins Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/24/17

Flores, Ricardo Fabian
57 Little Nahant Road
Nahant, MA 01908
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/20/17

Franta, Dennis T.
PO Box 3
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Gagnon, George D.
194 Walnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/17

Gangell, Richard Paul
49 Bay State Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Gent, Rebecca Lynn
17 Falcon Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/06/17

Gloss De Velazquez, Ydelsa E.
133 Springfield St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/17

Grillo, Lydia
a/k/a Chin, Lydia
4 Moss Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/17

Guzik, Sondra
52 Magnolia Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/22/17

Harvey, Michael R.
182 Northampton St., A
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/24/17

Hight, Anna Louise
98 Maple St., #2
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/02/17

Hillard, Katie A.
32 Ed Holcomb Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/17

Hillenbrand, Meggan Anne
150 Fountain St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/17

Hurley, Ann
130 Connecticut Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/13/17

Ibrahim, Erin Myers
a/k/a Myers, Erin
468 Gifford St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/23/17

Jackson, Cedric
58 Roosevelt Terrace
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/06/17

Jenny’s Cleaning Service
Cizek, Jennifer Lynne
95 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/15/17

Jones, Harvene A.
a/k/a Mitchell, Harvene A.
19 Lawndale St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Juliano-Nadolny, Joann
144 Hendom Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/17

Kapinos, Joseph T.
Kapinos, Carolyn M.
PO Box 922
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/30/17

Kellogg, Catherine J.
7 Walnut St.
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/17

Langford, Martin
a/k/a Langford, Marty
33 Norman Terrace
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/17

LeBlanc, Lonnie D.
654 Sanders St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/26/17

Lynn, Shauna
39 Main St.
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/17

MacDonald, Melissa Ann
139 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/17/17

Mansfield, Sean E.
36 Hunt Seat Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/17

Martin, Joseph R.
PO Box 262
Westfield, MA 01086
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/05/17

Mayock, Frederick O.
83 Yorktown Dr.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

McNeil Research Associates
McNeil, Katherine Julia
101 Edgewood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/24/17

Miller, Barbara Susan
174 Briar Way
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/17

Modern Day Scribe, LLC
Domenichelli, Nancy A.
48 Grandview St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Monette, Jeanette M.
a/k/a Sterniak, Jeanette M.
134 College St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/17/17

Moran, Francis Joseph
a/k/a Moran, Frank
169 Slumber Lane
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/17

Moran, Rhonda Lee
169 Slumber Lane
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/17

Norman, William Robert
Norman, Christina Marie
a/k/a Gibson, Christina
98 Everett St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/24/17

Nowicki, Paul A.
105 North St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/17

O’Connor, Amy R.
O’Connor, Douglas T.
28 Chartier Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

O’Gorman, Kathleen
912A Creamery Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/17

Orcutt, Bonnie J.
1251 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/02/17

Pabon, Ana D.
118 Victoria St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/23/17

Patterson, Ronald Arthur
91 Manor Court
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Perrea, Trista M.
107 Pinehurst St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/17

Peters, Mark Francis
Peters, Barbara Jean
20 Hampton Ave., Apt 30
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/17

Popielarczyk, Steven T.
Popielarczyk, Janet M.
103 Old Belchertown Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/17/17

Potter, Candice L.
20 Howes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/17

Reynolds, Priscilla A.
445 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/17/17

Ricardi, Theresa Ann
61 Hawthorn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Rice, Linda M.
760 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/06/17

Rivera, Keila E.
227 Pine St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/12/17

Robbin, Amanda Leah
a/k/a Dodd, Amanda Leah
1327 Riceville Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Rossetti, Karen M.
330 Flynt St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/07/17

Roumeliotis, Nadine Noel
494 School St., Apt. 3
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/14/17

Roussell, Nancy A.
64 Prospect St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/17

Sheehan, Susan I.
25 Breton Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/22/17

Skiffington, William J.
40 Rosemont Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/09/17

Skills Career Education
Skills, Inc.
Giambrone, Lawrence N.
150 Fearing St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Smith, Raymond H.
34 Meadowbrook Manor
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/17

Sostre, Milta I.
10 Sara Lynn Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Soto, Josefina
38 Whitman St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/30/17

Southwick-Hall, Nicholas G.
54 Pine St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/17

Stallone, Jacqueline A.
94 Gillette Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/20/17

Stewart, Rebecca Jean
170 Chapman St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/17

Szymanski, Charles A.
Szymanski, Catherine J.
PO Box 121
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/17

Tourangeau, Mark A.
192 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Vanhorne, Guinevere
21 Prospect St., Apt. 101
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/17

Vogel, Robert
Vogel, Betty
75 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/17

Weissman, Gordon R.
174 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/05/17

Williams, Kimberley A.
40 Ionia St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/22/17

Wood, Glenda Ruth
457 Main Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Zade, Mariya
42 Henry Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Zdonick, Stanley Walter
Zdonick, Jill Elaine
122 Albermarle Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106-2604
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Zdonick, Stanley Walter
Zdonick, Jill Elaine
122 Albermarle Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/17

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Springfield Officials Announce Downtown Street Improvements

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Chief Development Officer Kevin Kennedy, and Public Works Director Christopher Cignoli announced several major streetscape improvements to downtown Springfield in the anticipation of the grand opening of Union Station and MGM Springfield. The city’s Main Street Refresh Project will target Main Street from Union Station to Central Street. Work will include numerous sidewalk repairs, tree plantings, intersection and crosswalk improvements, and enhancements to the railroad underpasses along Main Street, Dwight Street, and Chestnut Street. The project will also include a new pedestrian wayfinding system currently in the final phases of design. The project is designed to complement MGM Springfield’s significant investment in downtown infrastructure. That work just getting underway includes signal improvements at key intersections, major utility upgrades, new paving, curb and sidewalk work for improved pedestrian access, and more. MGM Springfield will distribute regular communications to the city and residents to give notice of where and when travel disruptions may occur. The project will have a total cost of $6.9 million, including approximately $5.5 million from MGM Springfield and $1.4 million from the city of Springfield. Work is anticipated to begin immediately and scheduled to be completed by late spring 2018.

Massachusetts Adds 2,900 Jobs in May

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate increased to 4.2% in May from the April rate of 3.9%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts added 2,900 jobs in May. Over-the-month job gains occurred in education and health services; leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; information; and construction. The April estimate was revised to a loss of 800 jobs. From May 2016 to May 2017, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 58,300 jobs. The May state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 4.3% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The labor force increased by 17,100 from 3,694,200 in April, as 4,900 more residents were employed and 12,200 more residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.8% in May 2016. There were 17,300 more unemployed people over the year compared to May 2016. The state’s labor force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — increased two-tenths of a percentage point to 66.7% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has increased 1.7% compared to May 2016. The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in information; construction; professional, scientific, and business services; and education and health services.

Horace Smith Fund Awards $216,000 to Area Students

SPRINGFIELD — On Thursday, June 15, the Horace Smith Fund will hold its 118th corporators’ meeting and scholarship awards ceremony at the Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern in West Springfield for recipients, their parents and school counselors, and corporators. Wayne Webster, chair of the board of trustees, announced that there will be 18 scholarship recipients and three fellowship recipients this year. Each scholarship provides a total of $10,000 over four years, and each fellowship provides $12,000 over three years. This year’s scholarship recipients include Thomas Hendrickson, Agawam High School; Aqsa Maham and Willard McKinstry, Chicopee Comprehensive High School; Xavier Farrell, High School of Science & Technology; Jordan Kei-Rahn, Longmeadow High School; Ashley Gurney, Minnechaug Regional High School; Timothy Canning, Palmer High School; Richard Nguyen, Roger L. Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy; Padraig Smith, Saint Mary High School; David Giang, Kiara Mickens, and Brendan Truong, Springfield Central High School; Ilona Znackharchuk, Westfield High School; Lindsay Gearty, West Springfield High School; Ngan Tran, Springfield Central High School, Bay Path University; Parris Porter, SABIS, Hampshire College; Amelia Vega, Holyoke High School, UMass Amherst; and Kevin Pelletier, Chicopee Comprehensive High School, Westfield State University. The three fellowship recipients are graduates of the following high schools and colleges: Melanie Gomes, Chicopee High School, Brandeis University; John-Marc Austin, Austin Family Homeschool, Elms College; and Alexander Smith, Minnechaug Regional High School, UMass Amherst. Students were selected on a variety of criteria, including test scores, class rank, extracurricular activities, and a personal essay.

Cultural District Celebrates Public Art Venture Downtown

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Central Cultural District (SCCD) launched its second district-wide public art program, following the success of last summer’s utility-box mural program. Three painted pianos have been installed in the metro center of Springfield, with the mission of activating space, encouraging pedestrian activity, and providing artist income. The pianos are located at Market Place Shops, located behind 1341 Main St., as well as at 1350 Main St. and 1550 Main St. This program of public pianos is linked to the international street-pianos movement, with participating cities including London, Paris, and Sydney.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

Smith, Watson & Co., LLP to Open Office in Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD — Smith, Watson & Co., LLP, with offices in Great Barrington, North Adams, and Lakeville, Conn., is expanding by adding a Central Berkshire County presence. The new office, at 7 North St. in Pittsfield, will open its doors in July. “Our top priority has always been to meet the needs of our clients,” said Bryon Sherman, managing partner. Sherman, along with fellow CPAs Robin Markey, Kim Whalen, and Colin Smith, are partners in the firm. The firm will continue to serve its clients from its other three offices. Smith Watson is a full-service accounting firm licensed in multiple states offering a broad range of tax, accounting, and consulting services. Smith Watson’s staff of 19 professionals, including seven CPAs, will expand to include several more senior accountants.

UMass Dining Chefs Capture Gold at Competition

AMHERST — UMass Dining took gold for the seventh year in a row at the American Culinary Federation-sanctioned competition held June 9 during the 23rd annual Tastes of the World Culinary Conference at UMass Amherst. UMass Amherst chefs Pamela Adams, Matthia Accurso, Anthony Jung, and Robert Bankert competed against 14 other culinary teams from across the U.S. and Canada. Skidmore College also achieved a gold for its menu.

Country Bank Awards Scholarships to Students

WARE — Officials at Country Bank are pleased to announce the presentation of 15 scholarships in the amount of $2,000 each, to area high-school seniors. Country Bank scholarships were offered to graduating students within the region. The applicants needed to demonstrate a commitment to their communities through volunteerism and leadership by submitting an essay outlining their experiences along with recommendations from their guidance counselors or teachers. A committee of five Country Bank staff selected the recipients after reading more than 100 submissions. Recipients include Cameron Wright, Belchertown High School; Alysse Carpenter, Leicester High School; Fiona Marie O’Sullivan, Ludlow High School; Jordan Baker, Minnechaug Regional High School; Ashley Gurney, Minnechaug Regional High School; Patricia Murphy, Minnechaug Regional High School; Timothy Canning, Palmer High School; Matthew Remillard, Palmer High School; Cise Nur Balik, Quabbin Regional High School; Kerri Stolberg, St. Peter Marian High School; Jessica Rousakos, Shepherd Hill Regional High School; Delaney Giguere, Tantasqua Regional High School; Rachael Farley, Wachusett Regional High School; Julie Anne Goldberg, Wachusett Regional High School; and Makaela Flamand, Ware High School.

Pioneer Valley Credit Union Recognized by Campaign

SPRINGFIELD — Pioneer Valley Credit Union was recognized with the 2017 America Saves Designation of Savings Excellence for its efforts during America Saves Week/Military Saves Week to encourage members to save money. The award is presented each year to financial institutions that succeed in encouraging people to open and add to wealth-building accounts. Just two in five American households report making good or excellent savings progress. America Saves Week is an annual opportunity for people to assess their savings status and make a plan to start or increase their savings and for organizations like banks or credit unions to support good savings behavior. America Saves Week is coordinated each year by America Saves and the American Savings Education Council.

HCC Gateway to College Graduates Largest Class Ever

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College’s (HCC) award-winning Gateway to College program graduated the largest class in its nine-year history June 6, presenting certificates to 33 high-school students who have been taking college courses at HCC. Those students will now collect their diplomas from eight area high schools: Springfield, Holyoke, Westfield, Palmer, Longmeadow, Agawam, Minnechaug, and Belchertown. Among them, the students also amassed a total of 372 transferable college credits, or enough to fulfill the requirements for more than six associate degrees. Gateway to College is a national program that takes high-school dropouts or students at risk for dropping out and gives them the opportunity to earn their high-school diplomas as dual-enrolled college students. “You gave us a second chance when you didn’t have to,” said student speaker Deborah Manus, from Holyoke. “This is the beginning of bigger and bigger things.” The HCC Gateway to College program has consistently been one of the best-performing Gateway programs in the country, earning top marks for GPA, graduation rate, and retention rate. For the second year in a row, the program has received the Excellence Award from the national Gateway to College organization. Since its founding in 2008, HCC’s Gateway to College program has helped 251 students earn their high-school diplomas while also getting an early start on college. More than half have continued onto college, and so far 30 have earned their associate degrees from HCC, and six have earned bachelor’s degrees. Six Gateway to College graduates earned their associate degrees from HCC on May 27. “What I see in front of me are not the leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of today,” said student speaker J’Anthony Smith Sr. of Holyoke. “The country’s pretty divided, but there’s hope in every single one of you sitting here today.” HCC Gateway to College graduate Eimy Holguin of Springfield was also the valedictorian for the Springfield Public Schools Alternative High School graduation, which was held on June 8.

LUSO Earns Designation of Savings Excellence

LUDLOW — LUSO Federal Credit Union, a financial cooperative locally owned and operated by its members since 1971, recently received the Designation of Savings Excellence from America Saves for the third consecutive year. This award recognizes the achievements of the top-performing credit unions that surpass the expectations of their members, the public, and the financial experts at America Saves. The Designation of Savings Excellence recognizes and honors the hard work and integrity of credit unions that are able to successfully achieve their goals of compelling people from low- to medium-income households to open and contribute to a wealth-building account. LUSO Federal Credit Union has consistently hit its mark and, in the process, helped members learn the value of personal savings and garner the skills and confidence to make smart financial decisions.

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move
Alex Dixon

Alex Dixon

Courtney Wenleder

Courtney Wenleder

Marikate Murren

Marikate Murren

MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis announced the appointments of Alex Dixon as general manager and Courtney Wenleder as vice president of Finance and chief financial officer. Dixon assumes responsibility for the resort’s day-to-day leadership and direction, including overseeing all operational aspects of MGM Springfield. Wenleder will direct and oversee the strategic financial planning, operational performance, and financial management of MGM Springfield. Other personnel announcements include Marikate Murren’s promotion to vice president of Human Resources, and several additional senior management hires. Together, these positions will focus on strategic direction, workforce planning and development, and financial planning and oversight to help prepare for the resort’s September 2018 opening. With 10 years of industry experience, Dixon was most recently the vice president and assistant general manager of the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore. There, he helped to open the Horseshoe property both ahead of schedule and under budget. “We are delighted to welcome Alex to the team at MGM Springfield,” Mathis said. “He brings broad industry experience and a passion for delivering hospitality on the East Coast, which will be incredibly valuable to the leadership and operations at MGM Springfield. He has a proven track record for success that will be instrumental in planning, opening, and initiating activities that will undoubtedly further strengthen the performance of MGM Springfield.” Wenleder most recently held the CFO position at New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where she served for nine years and oversaw significant capital investments and property enhancements, including the introduction of the new retail esplanade. Prior to that she was the vice president of Finance and chief financial officer at Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss., where she oversaw the reconstruction of the resort following the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. “Courtney’s extensive experience with our resort operations at two of our company’s signature resorts will be a tremendous asset as our team prepares MGM Springfield to join our expanding regional portfolio,” Mathis said. “She will be instrumental in ensuring MGM Springfield achieves our financial and business goals.” In her new role as Vice President of Human Resources, Murren assumes responsibility for planning and directing all aspects of the talent and human resources functions, including ensuring adherence to labor laws, regulations, and HR corporate policies and procedures for MGM Springfield. She will design and oversee the property’s execution of comprehensive strategies, initiatives, action plans, and processes to improve critical organizational performance in the areas of employee engagement and guest service. She was most recently the director of Human Resources for the property, a role she assumed last June. The MGM Springfield team also has welcomed several additional senior managers, both new to MGM and relocating from other MGM facilities: Michael Custodio has been named director of Property Initiatives, Arlen Carballo is director of Financial Planning & Analysis, and Meagan Lippmann is Learning & Development partner. Rounding out the newest senior-management hires is Jason Randall as director, Talent Acquisition & Development. “I’m excited to have all these talented individuals join the MGM Springfield team,” Mathis said. “The breadth of experience, the leadership qualities, and values of this team gives me a high degree of confidence in our ability to lead MGM Springfield through and past the next phase of our strategic journey of delivering on our enlivened vision for the South End.”

•••••

Christina Royal

Christina Royal

Holyoke Community College President Christina Royal has been appointed to the board of directors of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a nonprofit public agency that seeks to advance economic development through technological innovation, particularly in key industries such as healthcare, life sciences, information technology, nanotechnology, broadband deployment, and marine sciences. “Through its major divisions — the Innovation Institute, the Massachusetts eHealth Institute, and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute —Mass Tech brings together leaders from industry, government, and higher education to advance technology-based solutions that strengthen regional economies, improve the healthcare system, expand broadband access, and stimulate economic growth throughout the Commonwealth,” according to the Mass Tech website, www.masstech.org. Royal has a strong background in information technology, both in higher education and in the private sector. She was formerly the executive director of Distance Learning and assistant vice president of eLearning and Innovation at Cuyahoga Community College, and the director of Technology-Assisted Learning at Marist College. Before she made the switch to higher education, she worked as a project manager in research and development at CompUSA, and as the director of curriculum at the Beacon Institute for Learning. Royal’s term on the Mass Tech board runs until Nov. 20, 2020. She was sworn in on June 1.

•••••

United Way of Hampshire County (UWHC) announced the appointment of Renee Moss as interim executive director. Moss replaces Jim Ayres, who resigned his position as executive director to serve as president and CEO of United Way of Pioneer Valley. Julie Cowan, UWHC board chair, announced that Moss will serve as interim executive director while the board conducts a search to permanently fill the position. Moss, a UWHC board member, recently retired as longtime executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County. “Renee is well-respected in the community and will bring strong leadership skills to our United Way as we make the transition to a new director. We are grateful that she is willing to give her time and talents to United Way just as she was starting her retirement,” said Cowan. Added Kate Glynn, UWHC board vice chair, “Renee brings impressive experience to the interim director role at UWHC, where she will work with the staff and board on a number of fronts, including the search for a permanent executive. The board of directors is extremely excited to have someone with such a strong nonprofit background and so well-known in the community.” According to Cowan, “Renee was willing to step forward and serve in this capacity. She has been a tremendous board member and volunteer. Our organization is very fortunate to have her step in at this critical time as we prepare for the 2018 Community Campaign.” Moss said she was approached by some United Way officers to see if she would be interested, and she was. “United Way is a great organization, and I’m looking forward to working with the incredible staff.” Moss was with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County for 32 years. Her passion for community collaboration and creating new partnerships is what she enjoyed most about leading that organization. Before moving to Amherst in 1985, Moss taught in the New York City public schools for 10 years. Moss will assume the executive director position on June 26 and is expected to stay until Sept. 22.

•••••

Mike Vedovelli

Mike Vedovelli

With more than 19 years of community and economic-development experience in Western Mass., Mike Vedovelli joined Eversource as its newest community relations specialist. Vedovelli will serve as the company’s liaison for communities in Hampden and Hampshire counties. His focus is supporting Eversource’s electric service business. He is a past board member of DevelopSpringfield and the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, and a graduate of St. Anselm College. Most recently, Vedovelli served as Chicopee’s director of Community and Economic Development. Prior to that, he served more than seven years as the senior regional director for the Massachusetts Office of Business Development. He’s successfully worked on a number of projects involving site location, expansion and technical assistance generating private investment, economic opportunities, and jobs. He has worked with all of the Western Mass. communities and has strong relationships with municipal officials and business leaders.

•••••

Bay Path University President Carol Leary recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership. The HSAAC provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Homeland Security and its leadership on matters related to homeland security and the academic community. Since its formation, the HSAAC has delivered more than 120 recommendations resulting in new and expanded programs, resources, and initiatives to support the academic community. “I am excited to see that the department is focused on engaging with colleges and universities across the nation,” Leary said. “I am proud to be a member of the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council, which has been an invaluable asset to the Department.” During the meeting, the HSAAC Academic Subcommittee on Countering Violent Extremism presented its report to council members. The report offered a number of recommendations for department consideration that were established through a joint effort of academic leaders and subject-matter experts. DHS leadership also outlined the 2017 National Seminar and Tabletop Exercise (NTTX) event, which will take place Oct. 10-11 at the University of Utah. The two-day event will include workshop sessions, a tabletop exercise, and an after-action review session on preparing participants to respond to a campus emergency. This year’s tabletop event will focus on a failure in campus infrastructure caused by cyberattack. This recurring NTTX series is part of the DHS Campus Resilience Program. The program engages colleges and universities in an effort to foster resilience and bolster campus emergency-preparedness efforts. Following the meeting, Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security Elaine Duke met with HSAAC members for an informational session on the department’s key priorities and challenges.

•••••

Tracey Egloff

Tracey Egloff

James Kelly, president and CEO, announced that Tracey Egloff has joined Polish National Credit Union as vice president of residential lending. Egloff has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of residential lending, including loan origination, processing, underwriting, compliance, secondary market sales, and loan servicing. She began her career in banking at Northampton Cooperative Bank in 1992 and held various positions in the loan department. She was most recently the vice president of residential lending with successor institution Greenfield Cooperative Bank. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and is also a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. “Tracey’s strong background in all aspects of residential lending makes her a perfect choice for helping our members achieve their housing goals and objectives,” said Kelly. “We are extremely pleased to welcome her to the Polish National Credit Union family.”

•••••

Lou Mayo, office manager with Real Living Realty Professionals in Wilbraham, was named the 2017 Realtor of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcement was made during the association’s annual awards banquet held June 8 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. As the highest honor given to a member, the Realtor of the Year award is bestowed upon the one person who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the 1,650-member organization during the past 17 months in the areas of Realtor activity, community service, and business activity. A Realtor since 1997, Mayo has been a member of the RAPV board of directors since 2012. He was RAPV president in 2016 and also served on the professional standards, strategic planning, and finance committees, as well as the forms and building task forces. At the state level, Mayo is a member of the board of directors of the Mass. Assoc. of Realtors (MAR). He is the chairman of the Mass. Assoc. of Realtors professional standards committee, a forms committee member, as well as a former member the MAR young professionals network committee. He is a MAR Leadership Academy graduate, and is currently a member of the MAR website task force. At the national level, Mayo has attended many National Assoc. of Realtors (NAR) conferences and trade shows and holds the professional designations of Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI), and Certified Buyer Representative (CBR). Mayo’s community involvement includes providing support through charitable giving to Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Salvation Army, as well as serving as a member of the Granby Bow & Gun Club. In conjuction with the RAPV community service committee, he also contrubuted to the development and construction of four playhouses that were donated to local Boys and Girls Clubs. “I believe strongly in the code of ethics and strive daily to achieve its highest ideals as a Realtor,” Mayo said. “In both my personal and professional life, I desire to uplift the image of the Realtor by embodying the knowledge, character, and wisdom of a top professional.”

•••••

The Springfield Thunderbirds announced the addition of Charles Venezia to the front-office staff as an account executive. Venezia joined the Thunderbirds upon graduation from Western New England University, where he played football and was named an All-Academic team member for his conference three years in a row. On the field, he helped lead the Golden Bears to two conference titles. En route to graduating with his degree in sport management, Venezia spent the 2016-17 academic year interning with the Thunderbirds during the club’s inaugural season.

•••••

Berkshire Bank announced that Sharon Blanchette, first vice president, BSA/AML officer, moderated the cybersecurity panel at the Assoc. of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) Connecticut chapter’s third annual conference on May 19. This year’s ACAMS conference focused on the theme “Anti Money Laundering in a Changing World,” which took place at Mohegan Sun. Blanchette attended this event, moderating the cybersecurity panel for the audience and serving as a panelist on the Bank Secrecy Act audit panel. “Cybersecurity is an important and ever-growing topic of discussion in the financial industry, particularly as we continuously adhere to the Bank Secrecy Act,” said Blanchette. “We are constantly defining and redefining compliance and regulations to stay current in a technologically advanced world, so to be able to serve on a panel to discuss this topic and bring further awareness to our community was an exciting opportunity.”

•••••

Rebecca Gray

Rebecca Gray

American International College (AIC) graduate Rebecca Gray, class of 2017, won first place and a $500 cash prize at Springfield Technical Community College’s (STCC) recent Shark Tank competition. Gray delivered one of seven two-minute pitches to a panel of four judges from the local business community. Gray’s idea for her company, Coastline Industries, focuses on efficient, eco-friendly, and renewable energy in the form of underwater turbines. “Solar energy loses 7% of its efficiency in the first year and, if not maintained, can lose up to 40% efficiency in that first year,” she noted. “Wind turbines add to an increase in noise and stress level of birds and interrupt their migration patterns, all contributing to a high environmental impact.” Gray’s proposed underwater turbines would be built 500 yards from the shoreline in New Hampshire and 100 yards below sea level, producing low environmental impact with little disruption to marine life. “The judges provided five minutes of feedback and very intense questioning about the contestants’ business proposals,” Gray said. While Gray’s idea is not a new one — Scotland already uses underwater turbines and is on track to build the world’s largest field this fall with 270 turbines — it is a new concept for the U.S., Gray said. “The United States is far behind in introducing renewable energy due to bureaucracy and other considerations. Eight turbines could power 5,200 homes, and 39% of the nation’s homes are within a thousand-mile reach of a shoreline.” As part of the competition, presenters had to develop a business model, including startup costs. “While the initial project for Coastline Industries will cost approximately $23.6 million to complete, this venture is eligible for $7 million in federal grants and up to $15 million in low-interest federal loans,” Gray said. “The venture seeks $1.6 million in private funding. The starting energy mill of eight turbines, powering 5,200 homes, would bring in $5.72 million in revenue the first year alone. The entire investment will be made back within five years.” Gray’s idea resonated with the panel, and she was granted the top prize of $500. “They said I did a really good job of answering questions on the spot, had confidence in my answers, and knew what I was talking about.” The newly minted AIC graduate, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, is a New Hampshire native who now resides in Springfield. She will begin a full-time job in finance this July with plans to enter a master’s program in the fall.

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

Movie Premiere

June 29: The Basketball Hall of Fame will turn Columbus Avenue into Hollywood Boulevard for a premiere of Grey Lady, a new film by Springfield resident John Shea. This is a one-time, exclusive event, and Shea hopes to reconnect with local luminaries and old friends. Shea will be present at 6 p.m. for a benefit cocktail party before the audience moves into the theater at 6:45 p.m. He will also host an exclusive party after the film, and will take questions from the audience. Shea wrote and directed the film, and also plays a small role as an island police chief. This event is sponsored by Florence Bank. The bank’s president, John Heaps, has known Shea since the third grade at Holy Cross School. It was Shea’s idea to bring his film home to Springfield (he is a Cathedral High School graduate) and donate the proceeds to local charities. Tickets to the benefit are $100, and proceeds will go to Gray House, the Bing Arts Center, and the Community Foundation’s Dr. John V. Shea Scholarship Fund. Party entertainment will be provided by the Eric Bascom Trio. “The reason I’m doing this is to return as much as I can to the town where I grew up. I’m looking forward to renewing relationships with many of my Springfield friends,” said Shea, who calls Los Angeles home today. He has returned to the area many times; he helped with the campaign to establish the new Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, has been a marshal in the Holyoke’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and sang with the Springfield Symphony. Tickets are available online at the Bing Arts Center box office or at www.bingartscenter.org.

HMC Cookout

July 1: Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) will open its new, $25.3 million Emergency Department early next month. As part of the grand-opening events, from noon to 2 p.m., the hospital will host a free community celebration and cookout. This will be an opportunity for families to come and tour the new Emergency Department. In addition to the tour, hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, and ice cream will be provided.

Nomination Deadline for Healthcare Heroes

July 10: Healthcare Heroes, an exciting recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched this spring by HCN and BusinessWest. Sponsored by American International College, Bay Path University, Elms College, and Renew.Calm, with additional sponsorships available, the program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and individuals providing that care. Nominations are now being sought — and will be accepted until July 10 — in the following categories: Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider; Innovation in Health/Wellness; Community Health; Emerging Leader; Collaboration in Health/Wellness; Health/Wellness Administration/Administrator; and Lifetime Achievement. The nominations will be scored by an independent panel of judges, to be announced in the coming weeks. The winners will be chosen in July and profiled in the September issue of HCN. The guidelines to consider when nominating individuals, groups, or institutions in these various categories are available HERE.

Jimmy Mazz Concert

July 19: The annual summer concerts at Orchard Valley at Wilbraham are underway. Local favorite Jimmy Mazz will perform at 6 p.m. on the front lawn at Orchard Valley, located at 2387 Boston Road in Wilbraham. The public is invited to enjoy his Vegas-style entertainment with a contemporary twist. The free community summer concerts are held monthly during the summer months and open to the public. Light refreshments will be available. For more information or to RSVP, call (413) 596-0006.

EANE Compensation & Benefits Conference

July 20: The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) announced that its annual Compensation and Benefits Conference, themed “The Game Has Changed,” will be held on Thursday, July 20 at the Publick House in Sturbridge. It will focus on trends in employee compensation and benefits. “The one-size-fits-all model no longer applies to employee compensation and benefits. Employers need to understand the demographic, legislative, and competitive dynamics that have created the trend toward personalization of employee benefits,” said Meredith Wise, EANE president. “Our conference this year is all about these outside influences that are game-changing.” The full-day program will feature Lauren Stiller Rikleen, a nationally recognized expert on developing a thriving, diverse, and multi-generational workforce. She is the author of You Raised Us – Now Work With Us: Millennials, Career Success, and Building Strong Workplace Teams. Additional conference presentations will include “How to Survive High-deductible Health Plans,” “Is the 40-hour Work Week Dead?” and “The Trump Effect on Employee Compensation and Benefits.” The cost for the program is $285 per person with discounts for three or more. Register at www.eane.org/special-events or by calling (877) 662-6444. The program will offer 6.25 credits from the HR Certification Institute and SHRM. Sponsoring the program are Johnson & Hill Staffing Services and the HR Certification Institute.

Babysitters Academy

July 22: Baystate Mary Lane will sponsor a Babysitters Academy in July to ready area youth for summer and fall babysitting responsibilities. The one-day program will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class will be held in the Main Conference Room located on the second floor. The Babysitters Academy is a certified babysitter program for young adults ages 11½ to 16. The Saturday session offers potential babysitters instruction in baby care, first aid, CPR, fire safety, home security, child behavior, and accident prevention. Participants are given a course booklet containing helpful tips and other information, and will receive a graduation certificate upon completion of the course. The program is offered by the Parenting program at Baystate Medical Center. There is a $75 fee per student, then $30 for each additional family or group member. Space is limited. For more information or to register, visit baystatehealth.org/parented and click on ‘Infant and Child Care,’ or call (413) 794-5515.

Brightside Golf Classic

July 24: More than 200 golfers are expected to participate in the 37th annual Brightside Golf Classic at Springfield Country Club in West Springfield. “This event raises funds to continue Brightside’s mission to support our community’s most vulnerable children and their families,” said Allison Gearing-Kalill, vice president of Fund Development for Mercy Medical Center and its affiliated services. Two tee times are available. Breakfast and registration for the morning session begins at 7 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Lunch and registration for the second session will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. The evening reception will be held immediately following the tournament from 5 to 8 p.m. Prices include green fees, golf cart, breakfast or lunch, a gift and swag bag, and reception featuring cocktails, food stations, auction, networking, and live entertainment. On-course food and beverages will be provided by event sponsors throughout the day. Golfers will also be eligible for a chance to win prizes and participate in raffles during the day. The 2017 Golf Classic chairs are Hank Downey, vice president and Commercial Loan officer, Florence Savings Bank; John Kendzierski, president, Professional Drywall Construction Inc.; Matthew Sosik, president and CEO, Easthampton Savings Bank; and William Wagner, Chief Business Development officer and vice chairman of the board, Westfield Bank. Brightside for Families and Children provides in-home counseling and family support to more than 650 children and their families throughout Western Mass. Services include resource coordination, parenting-skills development, behavioral-technique instruction, community-support programs, and other programs tailored to prevent hospitalization from occurring. Specialized assessments such as neuropsychological evaluations and testing are also available. For more information on sponsorships, donations, and attending the event, contact Gearing-Kalill at (413) 748-9986 or [email protected]. Information is also available at www.mercycares.com/brightside-golf-classic.

Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass.

Nov. 2: Comcast Business will present the Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass. at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News. The seventh annual business-to-business show will feature more than 150 exhibitor booths, educational seminars, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social. Current sponsors include Comcast Business (presenting sponsor), Inspired Marketing (show partner), MGM Springfield (corporate sponsor), Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst (education sponsor), and the Better Business Bureau (contributing sponsor). Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $800. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Nov. 2 Business Show Will Put the Spotlight on Innovation

By
Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass. Events

Countdown to the Expo

expologo2017webIt’s a subtle name change, but a rather large adjustment in tone for what has become a fall tradition within the region’s business community.

Indeed, the annual show at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield is now known as the Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass., and this change — the addition of that word ‘innovation’ on the marquee — speaks volumes about the business-to-business show’s new and expanded mission, said Kate Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest, which has managed the show since 2011.

“For more than 200 years now, this region has had an incredibly strong tradition of innovation in business,” said Campiti. “And that tradition has taken many forms, from new products to new processes to new ways of thinking about to how to meet the needs of a constantly changing society. That tradition continues today, and the Expo will make this abundantly clear.”

Elaborating, she said the Nov. 2 show, still very much in the planning stages, will be, in effect, a showcase of innovation and the many forms it takes in a changing, highly competitive business climate.

“Innovation isn’t just a theme for this event,” said Campiti. “It will be a compelling thread that runs through the programming, the educational seminars, the special presentations, and more. This will be a celebration of innovation in some ways, but, more importantly, it will be a powerful statement about how that tradition of innovation continues today.”

Once again presented by Comcast Business, the Expo has become a fall tradition in Western Mass., attracting more than 2,000 visitors and more than 150 exhibitors to the MassMutual Center.

As always, there will be a strong business-to-business component to the show, said Campiti, adding that the event provides opportunities for businesses to showcase their products and services, and for these businesses and attendees to make important connections.

But there will be an educational component as well, she said, and much of the focus will be on innovation and the many forms it takes.

“People tend to think of innovation as new-product development, and that’s a big part of it,” she noted. “But there is information in all aspects of business — from process improvement to how companies attract and retain talent; from the use of technology to make a business more productive and efficient to development of systems to not only generate ideas but cultivate them into advances; from how an emergency room handles peak traffic flows to how a bank safeguards its customers from fraud.

“Innovation is vital to the success of every sector of our economy, from education to healthcare to manufacturing,” she went on. “And the Expo will show innovation isn’t simply a watchword, but a philosophy, or attitude.”

In addition to Comcast Business as presenting sponsor, Inspired Marketing is the show partner, MGM Springfield is participating as corporate sponsor, the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst is the education sponsor, and the Better Business Bureau is a contributing sponsor. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.

Details of the show will be presented in upcoming issues of BusinessWest and online HERE.

For more information on the show, to register, or to request information on becoming a sponsor, visit the website or call (413) 781-8600.

Elms DNP Graduate to Present Paper at International Conference

By
Daily News

CHICOPEE — Grace LaValley, who earned her doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree in the inaugural DNP class at Elms College, had a paper accepted to the American Assoc. of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) for a podium presentation at AACVPR’s 32nd annual meeting in October, where it is a candidate for the conference’s Beginner Investigator Award.

The paper Lavalley will present at the AACVPR conference was her capstone project in the DNP program at Elms College. Each DNP student is required to complete a scholarly capstone project that contributes to the field of nursing. The project topics are related to the areas of nursing where they currently work or areas in which they have a particular interest.

Lavalley’s project earned her the 2017 DNP Capstone Award from Elms College, which honors a DNP student who has developed a distinguished capstone project that demonstrates scholarly rigor, innovation, and outcomes that improve health or health-related outcomes for a specific population, and has the potential to advance nursing science, practice, or policy.

The paper is titled “A Telephone Intervention to Improve Patient Return Rates in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study” and focuses on cardiac rehabilitation, or CR.

“Cardiovascular disease accounts for 17.3 million deaths per year, a number projected to reach 23.6 million by 2030,” Lavalley said. CR improves patient outcomes and reduces risk in the earlier post-discharge period, but it remains highly underused, she added. Despite its benefits, many patients are at risk for not following the CR program, for a variety of reasons.

She and her colleagues decided to investigate whether a telephone call focused on patient motivation, education, risks, and goal setting would improve return rates among patients identified as at risk for non-adherence to the CR program.

“Telephone interventions are known to be an important tool to provide support and help overcome barriers after discharge,” she noted.

They studied 100 patients in Baystate Medical Center’s outpatient CR program and found that those who received the telephone call were more likely to attend their second session of CR as scheduled, compared with patients who did not receive this intervention (80% versus 51%). The overall return rate was higher in the intervention group as well.

“This straightforward strategy represents an attractive adjunct to current management of outpatient CR patients,” she said.

Lavalley’s coauthors are Heidi Szalai, Dr. Quinn Pack, and Andrew Storer, associate professor of Nursing at Elms. Their paper will be published in the September/October 2017 issue of the AACVPR’s Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention.

Storer was the capstone chair for Lavalley’s project; he supervised the project from the development stage through implementation and analysis. The project, he said, “has made a positive impact in the quality of care for the patients, institutions, and communities served.”

Added Lavalley, “this project may be of great value to other cardiac rehab programs around the nation, particularly in this complex healthcare environment,” Lavalley said.

Healthy Development Initiative to Host Open House, Family Fun Day

By
Daily News

AMHERST — The Healthy Development Initiative, a community-focused research, education, and outreach program led by UMass Amherst faculty, will host its annual open house on Friday, June 23 from 3 to 5 p.m. and a family fun day for families with infants and young children on Saturday, June 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Both events will be held at the UMass Center at Springfield.

The public is invited to attend either or both events and learn more about the initiative, which is aimed at understanding and promoting the psychological and physical health and well-being of children, adolescents, adults, and seniors, according to its director, Kirby Deater-Deckard, professor of Psychological and Brain Studies at UMass Amherst.

“We are scientists and students who discover and share new knowledge about human development,” he said. “We do this in collaboration with community partners, who put this knowledge to work.”

At the open house for professionals and the public on Friday, there will be light refreshments, informal presentations about exciting new research discoveries and outreach activities, and tours of the laboratory and office at the UMass Center. The family fun day on Saturday will include snacks, games, hands-on activities, and prizes. Families will also be able to sign up to participate in research studies.

Launched in the spring of 2016, the Healthy Development Initiative’s projects include several new studies focusing on children’s development spanning infancy through adolescence, in families, schools, and neighborhoods. The studies are focusing on various aspects of cognitive and social-emotional development, including learning and mental-health outcomes. Funding has already been received from several agencies and organizations, and multiple new proposals are under review to support the research and outreach work.

Also underway are ongoing collaborations with several public and charter schools in the region to develop and test new curricular, intervention, and assessment tools for academic-year summer programs. In addition, the initiative has partnered with the UMass Amherst Center for Research on Families to seed new research projects involving UMass researchers with community partners in Springfield. This collaboration also includes a joint partnership with Project ACCess at Baystate Health and Partners for a Healthier Community, a Springfield-based effort to expand community-based research projects that will benefit the area’s population.

Other UMass Amherst members involved in the initiative include UMass and Five College graduate and undergraduate students working with faculty members Sara Whitcomb of the College of Education, and Erik Cheries, Youngbin Kwak, Jennifer McDermott, Joonkoo Park, Maureen Perry-Jenkins, and Ashley Woodman from the Psychological and Brain Studies department.

Deborah Jordan of Shamrock Financial Honored by Realtor Assoc.

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Deborah Jordan of Shamrock Financial in Wilbraham was named 2017 Affiliate of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcment was made during the association’s annual awards banquet held June 8 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

As the highest honor given to an affiliate member, the award is bestowed upon the one person who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the organization during the past 17 months in the areas of affiliate-related association activity, community service, and business activity.

A member of RAPV for five years, Jordan has served on the affiliate/Realtor, Education Fair & Expo, and community service committees. Her committee involvement includes the annual Benefit Golf Tournament, Playhouse Build for the Boys and Girls Clubs, and blanket and book drives to benefit Shriner’s Hospitals for Children – Springfield.

Jordan’s additional community activities include serving as president-elect for the Ludlow Rotary Club, volunteering with Revitalize CDC, and serving on the Buy Springfield Now Committee to promote home ownership.

Massachusetts Adds 2,900 Jobs in May

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate increased to 4.2% in May from the April rate of 3.9%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts added 2,900 jobs in May. Over-the-month job gains occurred in education and health services; leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; information; and construction. The April estimate was revised to a loss of 800 jobs.

From May 2016 to May 2017, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 58,300 jobs. The May state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 4.3% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“During 2017, Massachusetts continues to experience large increases in the labor force,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said. “May’s labor-force participation rate of 66.7%, the highest rate since October 2008, allows for ongoing economic growth. As the pool of people actively searching for work increases, our workforce-development agencies remain focused on ensuring that the next generation of job seekers have access to next-generation job training.”

The labor force increased by 17,100 from 3,694,200 in April, as 4,900 more residents were employed and 12,200 more residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.8% in May 2016. There were 17,300 more unemployed people over the year compared to May 2016.

The state’s labor force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — increased two-tenths of a percentage point to 66.7% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has increased 1.7% compared to May 2016.

The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in information; construction; professional, scientific, and business services; and education and health services.

Museum Dedicated to All Things Seuss Opens Its Doors

By
coverfeature0617a
Cover Story

A World of Imagination

seusinterior

By Kathleen Mellen

It’s called the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss, and that pretty much says it all. One of Springfield’s favorite sons, the good doctor actually created dozens of amazing worlds through his timeless books. The museum that opened on June 3 pays tribute to many of them, but also to the city that inspired Theodor Geisel to dream, create, and delight generations of children and adults.

 

There’s so much to tell, and so much to see,
Put your thinking cap on and let yourself be.
Amazed by the world of the good Dr. Seuss,
Keep your eyelids up, and your brainy cells loose.

From murals to statues to wordplay and more,
There are things to delight, and stories galore.
His table, his Emmys, and his bright pencils, too,
Are there to peruse in displays just for you.

It’s all on view now, in a museum, brand-new,
For kids of all ages, and, yes, parents, too.
It’s right here in Springfield, a real downtown treat,
And to think you can see it on old Edwards Street!

Eight years ago, the president of Springfield Museums, Kay Simpson, had the germ of an idea: Why not create a permanent, indoor display featuring the work of the wildly popular Dr. Seuss, author of 44 children’s books that have sold hundreds of millions of copies, and have been translated into more than 20 languages?

After all, the Museums already unveiled an outdoor exhibit in 2002, the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, to honor the Springfield native, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel. The sculptures — created by Seuss’ stepdaughter, Lark Grey Dimond-Cates — proved to be so popular, Simpson said, that they helped put the Museums on the map; all of a sudden, there were cars in the parking lot from states across the U.S.

“That was really exciting,” she recalled. “It increased our visitation and changed the demographics. It made us a national attraction.”

As popular as the sculpture garden proved to be, however, 80% of the visitors surveyed indicated they’d like to see an indoor exhibit as well, Simpson said. And she agreed.

Kay Simpson

Kay Simpson says the Dr. Seuss sculpture garden raised the profile of the Springfield Museums nationally, and a full museum dedicated to all things Geisel was the next logical step.

“We began our thinking about creating a museum based on the response we got from the sculpture garden,” Simpson told BusinessWest just days before the June 3 opening of the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss, as workers put the finishing touches on the museum — painting walls, waxing floors, and mounting displays. “People loved the sculptures, but everyone wanted an indoor museum experience.”

So, after eight years of planning, refurbishing the former Connecticut Valley Historical Museum (its holdings were moved to the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, also part of the Springfield Museums), fund-raising to the tune of nearly $7 million, and collaborating with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, artists, educators, and members of the Seuss family, the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss opened this month as a three-story, permanent homage to one of Springfield’s icons.

The museum was funded through contributions from area investors, including MassMutual, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, and the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, as well as through a capital campaign. To date, the museum has raised $6.5 million of its $7 million goal. It was designed by artist John Simpson, Kay’s husband, who teaches art at the Commonwealth Honors College at UMass Amherst.

The first floor uses colorful, three-dimensional displays with interactive components to explore Geisel’s childhood in Springfield, as well as the characters and stories that sprang from his imagination.

Dr. Seuss’ most famous characters

Museum planners envisioned an educational experience populated with Dr. Seuss’ most famous characters.

The second floor features the collections of Geisel’s stepdaughters, Leagrey Dimond and Lake Grey Dimond-Cates, and Ted Owens, Geisel’s grandnephew, and is curated by the family members under the guidance of Springfield Museums Vice President Heather Haskell, and curatorial staff.

On the lower level is “Cat’s Corner,” a Dr. Seuss-themed educational space for ongoing art and literacy activities, overseen by a full-time Seuss educator.

In short, the world’s only museum dedicated to the life and work of Dr. Seuss is packed with wonders to discover.

Oh, the places he’d go! At life he was winning.
His birthplace in Springfield was just the beginning.
There were points to be scored. There were games to be won.
And now he’s our fair city’s favorite son.

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in 1904 on Howard Street in Springfield’s South End, the grandson of Theodor Geisel, a German immigrant who owned Springfield Brewing Co., and his wife, Christine, and George and Margaretha Seuss, also immigrants from Germany, who ran a bakery on Howard Street, where Ted’s mother, Henrietta, worked.

Ted’s father, Theodor Robert Geisel, was the superintendent of Forest Park, including the zoo, and when Ted was 2, the family moved to a three-story house at 74 Fairfield St. in the Forest Park neighborhood; he lived there until 1921, when he left to attend Dartmouth College.

“We were interested, from the beginning, in really telling the Springfield story. Ted Geisel grew up in this city, spent his boyhood here. That was something Springfield could be proud of.”

The young Geisel visited the zoo often, sometimes bringing along a sketchbook in which to draw fantastical versions of the animals he saw there (his sister Marnie teased her brother because his animal drawings had “mismatched features and were curiously exaggerated,” according to the museum’s website), some of which might well have inspired the illustrations in his 1950 book If I Ran the Zoo.

“We were interested, from the beginning, in really telling the Springfield story,” Simpson said. “Ted Geisel grew up in this city, spent his boyhood here. That was something Springfield could be proud of.”

Indeed, many of the exhibits refer to what Simpson calls “the Springfield Cycle” — books that were inspired by the sights and sounds of the city. Geisel’s first children’s book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1937), is based on a real street in Springfield: beer trucks used to barrel along it on their way to his grandfather’s brewery. The heavily traveled road was part of Ted’s stomping grounds, Simpson said, and might have inspired the young dreamer to imagine the likes of a “gold and blue chariot … rumbling like thunder down Mulberry Street.”

Geisel was also inspired by some of the more dramatic buildings in Springfield, like the Howard Street Armory, which resembles a castle, and the Barney Mausoleum in Forest Park, replete with its sphinxes and winding staircases, both of which show up in fantastical form in books like The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (1938).

“He said that growing up in Springfield had an imprint on him and his creative imagination,” Simpson said.  “He drew his impressions from growing up in a city with a lot of industrial buildings, and Victorian and post-Victorian monuments.”

If the sun starts to shine, or rain’s on the way,
The brand-new museum’s a good place to play.
It’s great to be there. You will like it a lot,
If the outside is cold, or exceedingly hot.

With its vibrant primary colors and murals depicting scenes from And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and The Cat in the Hat, the entryway sets the stage for this museum about all things Seuss. There to greet visitors just inside the front door is a life-size policeman from Mulberry Street, uniformed in bright blue, sitting astride his motorcycle, perhaps modeled on Springfield’s own Indian brand. Emblazoned on his cap are the words “Police 304, Springfield, Massachusetts.”

Kids are invited to crawl aboard. In fact, every Seussian structure in the museum, like the seven-humped Wump of Gump from 1960’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, for example, was fabricated by Symmetry International Inc. in Rhode Island, using a special foam that has been treated for strength and resilience, and is virtually indestructible. “Kids can touch them all,” said museum spokeswoman Karen Fisk. “We can just wash them at the end of the day.”

Other first-floor exhibits include Young Ted in Springfield, which features a replica of the author’s childhood home, where visitors can use a touchscreen to “draw” on the bedroom wall, as Ted famously did as a child. In the Seuss Bakery, tiny visitors can pretend to bake their own pies; at McElligot’s Pool, inspired by the 1947 book by that name, they can play a digital fishing game; and in the Moose Juice and Goose Juice Factory, with its whimsical piping and artisan glasswork, they’ll explore gears and gadgets. In a replica of the Forest Park Zoo, children are invited to construct their own fantastical creatures using Lego blocks, as Seuss’ characters from the fictional McGrew Zoo peek at them from the windows.

The sculptures inside the museum

The sculptures inside the museum are crafted from a virtually indestructible foam substance, so kids can feel free to handle and climb on them.

Also on the first floor is Readingville, devoted to developing reading skills through rhyming, the alphabet, and story games.

“We really tie the museum to literacy,” Simpson said. “Readingville is an homage to all those books he wrote that were about getting kids excited to read. Starting with The Cat in the Hat, he’s using limited vocabulary, rhymes. He’s connecting letters and words with illustrations in a way that helps kids to understand the association between pictures and the words and letters. He’s making reading fun; that’s really what it’s all about.”

From the inception, Simpson said, the museum has worked closely on the content and design of the reading-related exhibits with the Davis Foundation, whose “Read! Reading Success by 4th Grade” initiative promotes literacy in schools in Hampden County, as well as with reading specialists from Springfield schools and experts from Square One, which provides early-childhood education and support services in Springfield and Holyoke.

“We feel that’s especially important for the city of Springfield, where children have a demonstrated challenge with reading,” she said. “We want to help kids overcome that struggle and to become proficient readers, because it’s so important for them in terms of their own achievement, and for the future of Springfield.”

Related exhibits include the museum’s ABC Wall, an interactive, larger-than-life version of Dr. Seuss’s ABC (1963); when children touch a letter, they will hear its phonetic sound, and related artwork from the book will appear on the wall. In Green Eggs and Ham WordPlay, children enter the railroad cave from Green Eggs and Ham (1960) to find word-game stations, based on the rhyming vocabulary of the story. (Think: “I do not like them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere.”)

Treasures await on the second floor as well, where memorabilia, gifted to the museum by Geisel’s stepdaughters and grandnephew, are on display, including items that have never been displayed publicly, like the quirky, illustrated notes Geisel wrote to his stepdaughters, whom he nicknamed Snunny and La Groo.

Visitors can imagine the beloved author at work in his studio, recreated here with his drawing table and chair, and the red rotary telephone he used to talk daily to his publisher, Random House, in New York City.

“We even have colored pencils he actually used,” Simpson said. “When I walk in here, it sends a shiver down my spine.”

Next door, guests will see living-room furniture from Geisel’s home in La Jolla, California, where he lived for many years until his death in 1991. Displayed alongside a collection of his books and fanciful hats are his two Emmy Awards (for Halloween Is Grinch Night in 1978 and The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat in 1982) — just a couple of the many honors bestowed upon him, including a Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for his lifetime contribution to children’s literature.

Don’t sit in the house and do nothing at all.
It’s open in winter, spring, summer, and fall.
So pack up the kids if it’s rainy or sunny.
To the museum you’ll go, for fun that is funny!

Springfield’s leaders welcomed the opening of the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss with much fanfare. On May 30, Mayor Domenic Sarno read a proclamation on the steps of City Hall, declaring it Dr. Seuss Week, and the museum’s opening was heralded with a parade, called Cavalcade of Conveyances, down Mulberry Street.

Now open to the public, the museum is part of the seven-acre Springfield Museums complex at 21 Edwards St. in Springfield, which also includes the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, the Springfield Science Museum, the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. One admission offers visitors access to all the sites. The cost is $25 for adults, $16.50 for students and seniors, $13 for ages 3 to 17, and free for children under 3.

“As a museum, we want to celebrate the artistic and literary achievements of Theodor Geisel, but we really want people to come and have a great time,” Simpson said. “It’s a joy to share all of this with our visitors.”

It’s Getting Hot in Here

By
Opinion

Opinion

By Associated Industries of Massachusetts

With summer approaching, employers should again turn their attention to managing work in the summer heat.

Although Massachusetts has guidelines on what it means to be too cold in the workplace, it does not define what is too hot. Employers are left to their own common sense and experience to determine what to do during the dog days.

According to the National Weather Service, heat is the number-one weather-related killer of people in the U.S. More people die per year from heat-related illness than from tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and lightning combined. Heat waves occur across the U.S., but are often predicted in advance. Staying abreast of this information from the National Weather Service will allow you the opportunity to plan for the impact within your organization.

If you have a workplace that is open to the weather, such as a loading dock, a warehouse, a construction site, an outdoor deck or patio for food service, or even an outdoor exercise area or some other non-air-conditioned site, you need to watch for heat disorders.

Heat disorders generally come from the inability of the body to remove heat by sweating, or from too much sweating. When heat gain exceeds what the body can deal with, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through perspiration, the body’s inner core temperature begins to rise, and heat-related illness may develop.

Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat-related illness. It happens when the body becomes unable to regulate its core temperature. Sweating stops, and the body can no longer rid itself of excess heat. Signs include confusion; loss of consciousness; hot, dry skin; and seizures. Heat stroke is a medical emergency that may result in death. Call 911 immediately.

If heat stroke happens, the following steps may save a life: place the worker in a shady, cool area; loosen clothing; remove outer clothing; fan air on the worker; place cold packs in the armpits; wet the worker with cool water; apply ice packs, cool compresses, or ice if available; provide fluids (preferably water) as soon as possible; and stay with the worker until help arrives.

Other heat-related conditions that can affect workers include heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat rash.

No matter the situation, encourage your employees to adopt some of the following health tips to manage the heat. Education, planning, and reacting to the conditions will assure safety during the hot events of summer.

• Allow your employees to slow down. If possible, limit strenuous activities to the coolest time of the day, perhaps first thing in the morning or when the sun is not directly on your work site. Consider extending break periods or adding a break period to ease the heat risk during certain days.

• Dress appropriately for summer. Lightweight, light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.

• Encourage employees to drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol fluids even if they may not feel thirsty — their body needs water to keep cool. Consider purchasing bottles of water and sports drinks for the team to ensure hydration.

• Allow employees to spend as much time as possible in air-conditioned places. If the workplace doesn’t allow for AC, consider fans to keep the air circulating, and encourage employees to work in the shade if possible.

• Remind your employees that diet matters. The heavier the meal, the more a body works to digest it and the greater the water loss, causing a greater risk of heat problems.

Finally, make sure your employees watch out for one another. If they recognize a co-worker suffering with the heat, depending on the symptoms, urge them call 911, their supervisor, or human resources to get help.

Raipher, P.C. Continues to Build a Record of Success

By
raipherfeature-0617a
Law Sections

Winning Attitude

Raipher Pellegrino

Raipher Pellegrino

Its marketing materials are emblazoned with the phrase ‘for the win.’ But at Raipher, P.C. — the law firm Raipher Pellegrino founded in 1994 and put on the map with a series of high-profile victories — the end result is only part of a successful case. Just as important, Pellegrino notes, is helping clients, who are often suffering through the worst crisis of their lives, navigate the legal system and get back to some semblance of normalcy. That, in itself, he says, is also a win.

Raipher Pellegrino may be best-known for winning a handful of high-profile court cases. There was his defense in 2002 of a man accused of breaking into a UMass dorm room with attempt to rape, arguing — successfully — that the defendant was sleepwalking. Then, as a plaintiff’s attorney, he secured a $6 million settlement for the family of a woman killed when a Big Dig tunnel collapsed on her car in 2006.

Such cases may not represent the day-to-day work of Pellegrino and his team of attorneys at Raipher, P.C. in Springfield, but they did help raise his profile, which is why he works on cases for clients nationally.

“It’s a matter of being able to prove results year in and year out, on complex, oftentimes high-profile cases, which can be more difficult to handle because you’re worried about not just the legal aspect, but the public-relations aspect of the case,” Pellegrino told BusinessWest.

Perhaps most recognized as a personal-injury firm, Raipher also focuses on criminal defense, family law, and general business law, from commercial transactions to business litigation and everything in between. Pellegrino also has a special interest in charter schools, a model he supports, and has represented them in matters ranging from financing to litigation.

When he launched his firm in 1994, “the original concept was personal injury and criminal litigation, but not so much on the transactional side. We’ve evolved since then,” he said, noting that the firm currently boasts 12 attorneys.

In any case, success isn’t measured only in decisions and settlements, he explained, but in meeting the myriad needs of clients who are often dealing with life-changing situations.

“When someone is in a circumstance where they need a lawyer, it’s a moment of anxiety. Our goal here is that they should feel less anxious after they contact us,” said Sean O’Connor, who joined the firm 18 months ago in a management capacity, overseeing the case loads of each attorney and handling marketing and other non-legal aspects of the business, in an effort to modernize the practice.

SEE: List of Law Firms

“We go up against some of the largest forms in the U.S. and the world, with over 1,000 attorneys,” Pellegrino added. “They’ll attempt to bury you with process, putting five or six lawyers on the case and sending documents 24/7. The modernization of the practice on the intellectual side and also in workflow is important; it allows us to take on large firms from right here in Western Mass.”

For this issue’s focus on law, BusinessWest sat down for a candid chat with Pellegrino and O’Connor about how they take on those challenges — and why the process of resolving each case is as important as the end result.

Sean O’Connor

Sean O’Connor says much of the firm’s business comes from client referrals, which he considers “a real compliment to an attorney.”

Sweet Relief

Personal injury is a broad field in itself, encompassing car accidents, product liability, medical malpractice, slip-and-fall injuries, and workplace injuries, just to name a few. Pellegrino cited a recent, complex case with multiple defendants, in which the plaintiff was killed in a manufacturing plant.

“We brought suit against the company that designed the machine and the employer, and we were able to settle that for several million dollars despite having serious legal obstacles which could have precluded an award to the plaintiff,” Pellegrino said, including a state workers’ compensation statute that throws up barriers to suing employers. “We were able to navigate around those issues and resolve that case.”

The defendant was a Boston-based company, and his sole heir lived in Puerto Rico, but despite the presence of many large personal-injury firms in the Boston area, the plaintiff sought out Raipher, an example of the firm’s reputation for handling difficult cases — work that begins with the first meeting with the client.

“We don’t try to sell the firm; we try to educate people. We believe education is the building block of what we do,” he explained, likening it to a different kind of major life event. “If you’re going in for surgery and have no concept what the surgery is about, what the process is, it can be frightening to go through it because of the fear of the unknown. Well, nobody prepares for an accident; you don’t wake up and say, ‘I might have an accident today.’ But if you have a law firm in mind, and you know they’ve been through it time and time again, and they can walk you through the process, it takes some of the fear away.”

The firm uses the motto ‘for the win,’ but Raipher Pellegrino emphasizes that the process of finding relief, restitution, or justice is as important as the end result.

The firm uses the motto ‘for the win,’ but Raipher Pellegrino emphasizes that the process of finding relief, restitution, or justice is as important as the end result.

And monetary restitution isn’t the sole goal, he added. “We also want to let them get on with their lives. They may be out of work, have loss of income, physical pain; that’s what they should be focused on, getting better and back to life as quickly as they can. We routinely tell clients, ‘let us do our job and make your life easier.’ And if we can make the process more understandable, that’s part of our job — not just getting a monetary settlement.”

Pellegrino said his firm has built its client base organically. “We have generational clients, we’ve been referred by clients’ family and friends, and we’ve had referrals from attorneys, not just in Western Mass., but around the country. I’ve had jurors hire me.”

That makes sense, he added, since jurors have a front-row seat to how an attorney works. If one is impressed and, down the road, has a need for a lawyer, they’ll remember what they saw in court. “That feels good, when people appreciate you and want to hire you. We take pride in our work and in delivering a good product.”

Added O’Connor, “the greatest complement we get here is client referrals. Raipher has clients he’s known for 20 years who still refer people to us. That’s a real compliment to an attorney, to have the confidence of past and current clients.”

To earn that confidence, Pellegrino said, his team is dedicated to staying educated on all facets of the law they handle. “A doctor doesn’t stop reading about new surgeries. We’re constantly adapting to changes in the law, whether regulatory or statutory.”

When asked whether the regulatory landscape has become more burdensome over the past decade or so, he said many lawyers would say yes. “And that certainly requires a broader spectrum of knowledge to litigate a claim.”

But some changes have been beneficial for attorneys, he added. For instance, only recently have lawyers in Massachusetts been allowed to ask potential jurors specific questions during the voir dire process, allowing them to dig into biases — whether conscious or subconscious — and establish their best opportunity to ensure a level playing field. In addition, lawyers can now demand a specific award amount at trial, which can make it easier to demonstrate the value of an injury, loss, and suffering to a jury.

And jurors take these matters seriously, Pellegrino said, noting that, while people often feel hesitant when summoned to jury duty, once they’re empaneled, they tend to embrace their responsibility. In fact, he noted, jurors are often frustrated they can’t get more information, though there are good reasons behind the rules for which pieces of evidence can be entered into the record and which can’t.

He recalled one criminal-defense case that fell apart for the prosecution during cross-examination and was quickly settled. “The jury waited for me outside the court to talk to me; they wanted to ask about more underlying facts of the case. It shows how they’re engaged, and they take it seriously.”

For the Win

Pellegrino certainly takes his work seriously, even though personal-injury law often suffers from negative perceptions in society.

“The only way our society knows how to compensate someone for a civil loss is monetarily,” he said. “One of the best mediators in the country likes to ask, ‘if I could give you your leg back or offer you $100 million, which would you take?’ Inevitably, the person says, ‘I’d want my leg back.’ So it’s clear no amount of money can adequately compensate for your leg.”

I tell everyone, ‘don’t go into the practice of law for money. It serves society in many ways, and if you put your heart and soul into it, it’s one of the most gratifying professions you can have.”

As a result, he went on, it can be difficult to put the value of a death, injury, or physical loss in financial terms. “It’s constantly evolving, and so many factors go into it. In every case, those factors change. There are different ways to value it and monetize it. It’s not simply, someone gets in an accident and makes a demand, and you give them that money. It’s far more complex.”

O’Connor said he often finds himself explaining this concept at dinner parties. “People often don’t want to bring a lawsuit because there’s a stigma. But there is literally no other way to compensate you for someone else’s wrong. It’s not your stigma. Someone else’s negligence caused you harm. So the stigma is unfortunate.”

But Pellegrino sees the value of his work in the lives of his clients, and doesn’t worry about public perception.

“I tell everyone, ‘don’t go into the practice of law for money,’” he told BusinessWest. “It serves society in many ways, and if you put your heart and soul into it, it’s one of the most gratifying professions you can have.”

The emotions cut deep in both wins and losses, he added. In the Big Dig case, he recalled being happy for the plaintiff, who wouldn’t get his wife back, but could at least move on with his life having received some compensation and an assurance that it wouldn’t happen to someone else.

Then, in a criminal-defense case, “you can lose the case, and the client is going away to be incarcerated for 10 years, and they’re thanking you and hugging you and telling you how appreciative they are of your effort,” he said. “That’s an odd feeling. But at the end of the day, you’re not going to win every case, but if you put your heart and soul into it, the client knows that. They know you can’t guarantee an outcome.”

O’Connor agreed, adding, “you feel like you disappointed them, even though they’re clearly expressing gratitude. Clients can tell whether you’re phoning it in or doing the best you can for them.”

Still, every lawyer wants to win — which is why Raipher, P.C. uses the phrase ‘for the win’ in its marketing materials.

“I tell people, ‘you almost have to hate losing more than you like winning,’” Pellegrino said. “And if I lose, I’ve got to know that I did everything I could for the client.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]