Events Archives - Page 19 of 48

Chez Albert Offers French Cuisine in a Relaxed Atmosphere

By BusinessWest Staff May 17, 2016

Restaurants Sections

Gourmand’s Delight

Paul Hathaway takes pride in creating unique dishes that feature produce from local farms.

Chez Albert is no ordinary French restaurant. But then, Paul Hathaway, who opened the award-winning bistro in Amherst after moving to Western Mass. from Boston 11 years ago, is far from an ordinary chef.

The self-taught food connoisseur and culinary artist makes everything in his restaurant from scratch and has carefully cultivated relationships with local farmers who provide him with their freshest seasonal produce. As a result, the menu changes at least six times a year, although seasonal dishes do accompany staples that customers choose repeatedly at the popular eatery nestled downtown on North Pleasant Street.

“We make our own pickles, grind our own beef, cure our own hams, make all of our desserts from scratch, and stay away from fillers and preservatives,” Hathaway told BusinessWest. “A lot of focus is placed on presentation. People eat with their eyes first, so we try to make things appetizing visually and by using flavor. We focus on utilizing local ingredients to the utmost in unique ways and pickle, cure, or preserve them so the colors or flavors pop in different dishes.

“Many people think French food is fancy, but they don’t realize it’s about using basic techniques,” he went on. “It’s a low, slow style of cooking that allows you to get the best flavor out of whatever you cook.”

Although the menu’s offerings rival dishes in restaurants known for fine dining — current seasonal plates include crab and smoked trout galette with spicy rouille, rabbit ragout with a farm cheese pierogi, and entrées such as pork confit with creamy polenta and a sweet glaze — the mood at Chez Albert was designed to be intimate, yet informal.

“We offer a relaxed, elegant atmosphere which is not stuffy; service is delivered with a smile, and we are always looking for ways to make people happy and get them to try new dishes such as rabbit or oxtail,” Hathaway said, adding they also serve sandwiches and burgers for those with less-adventurous palates.

Amy Paul says Chez Albert will begin offering wine dinners this summer, which will pair fine wines with foods from different cultures that could range from Vietnamese to Thai or North African.

His wife, Amy Paul, who runs the front end of the bistro and is its wine connoisseur, says music played during lunch and dinner ranges from soul to funk to jazz, which helps create a party-like atmosphere, especially on weekends, in the specially designed eatery with soft lighting that emanates from copper fixtures designed by a local artist.

Frequent patrons include professors from area colleges, as well as people from the neighborhood who sometimes have lunch and dinner at the bistro the same day.

The restaurant seats 48, with 20 additional seats on the patio, where lush flowering plants thrive during the summer. Events at Chez Albert range from business dinners to birthdays and rehearsal dinners, and reservations are suggested as the mainstay bistro is a popular spot and has earned accolades; it was feted with Trip Advisor’s 2015 Certificate of Excellence and named Best in the Valley by a Valley Advocate reader’s poll last year.

Honed Talents

Hathaway loved food as a child, enjoyed baking, and looked forward to holiday dinners with family and friends that featured Italian, Polish, Irish, and other ethnic cuisine.

His culinary career began when he got a job at Seaside Restaurant at Faneuil Hall in Boston during his teenage years. But he didn’t become passionate about cooking until he left that eatery and went to work for Davio’s Italian Steakhouse in Cambridge.

At that point, he began to work his way up the ladder and hone his skills in some of the Hub’s best restaurants. “I had a real thirst and drive to learn new techniques and got my chops under some fine Boston chefs,” Hathaway recalled, explaining that he honed his skills under celebrity chef Todd English, James Beard Award-winning chef Jody Adams, and chef-owner Paul O’Connell of Chez Henri in Boston.

Hathaway became a chef at Pomodoro in the city’s North End, then co-owned Washington Square Tavern before he moved to Western Mass. and opened Chez Albert.

“French food has always been farm-to-table, and there are so many local purveyors and farmers here that people sometimes take them for granted. But I was young, ambitious, and excited about the opportunity that exists in Amherst and was inspired to do something in the European style,” he said, adding that he initially opened Chez Albert on 27 South Pleasant St. in a former bank that screamed ‘old French bistro,’ because it had high ceilings, marble floors, and a feeling frequently found in Paris eateries where people count on seeing friends and enjoying good food.

After the bistro became established, Paul was introduced to Hathaway through a friend. She began working for him, and they fell in love, got married, and had a daughter, followed by twin boys.

Paul’s need to focus on the children meant she had to curtail her hours at the bistro, but it continued to flourish, and four years ago when the lease ran out, the couple decided to move Chez Albert to its current location at 178 North Pleasant St.

The new location doubled their space; it took a major renovation to get it the way they wanted, and they often worked late at night. Great attention was paid to detail, and Hathaway hired local artists to design unique copper light fixtures, paint a mural on the bar, and create custom woodwork and cushioned seats throughout much of the interior.

However, his food has always been the biggest draw, and bar manager Michelle Kacich says patrons appreciate the fact that the menu offers French dishes that can be difficult to find locally, such as the popular appetizer pate de foie and the equally popular entrée pork confit. Although the menu does change with the seasons, some items are served throughout the year, such as escargot and Chez salad, made from local field greens, French green beans, dried cherries, shaved red onions, and crispy duck comfit tossed in a champagne vinaigrette and topped with shaved, hard-boiled eggs and croutons.

Hathaway keeps his focus on farm-to-table cooking, but it can be difficult during the winter, so he makes exceptions. But robust soups and other dishes that include a variety of root vegetables have become mainstays, and with the exception of daily specials, the menu doesn’t undergo much change until early March when spring brings freshly picked arugula, spinach, and radishes to the table.

Some patrons enjoy eating at the bar where they watch soccer and other sports on the flat-screen TV. The cocktail menu features signature drinks created by Kacich, and whenever she gets requests, she makes customized libations to suit palates that prefer sweet, savory, sour, or bitter tastes. Customer favorites include a pear ginger martini and a ‘honey bee,’ which is made from cardamom-infused bourbon, citrus, honey, and bitters.

Changing Tastes

Chez Albert’s offerings have expanded over the years beyond French cuisine to encompass Asian, Italian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern influences.

Hathaway believes it’s important for businesses to evolve, and will make changes this summer that may include new artwork.

“We’re not erasing the old, but improving what we have built on,” he noted. “Every business needs to adapt and evolve over time.”

Prix fixe wine dinners that pair wines with foods from different cultures will be offered during the summer, which is a time when business tends to slow down. Since a similar dinner that features five to seven courses is sold out every New Year’s Eve, Paul expects them to be popular.

“My husband has a following, and people get excited when he cooks something other than French,” she told BusinessWest, explaining that, over the years, the menu has grown to include dishes with Asian, Italian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern influences. The wine list has also expanded; in addition to French, there are Spanish, Italian, and American wines, with more than 10 varieties served by the glass.

Customers appreciate being served by Emmanuel Proust, who comes from France and has worked at Chez Albert since it opened. Paul says many see him as the face of the restaurant, so they had a painting commissioned of him dressed as Napoleon that hangs above a cozy niche of copper-topped tables.

“We’re a playful group of people, and we do our best to make people feel like family,” she noted on a recent evening, as customers began filtering in, the music picked up, and the bistro came to life.

Square One Advocates for Access, Opportunities in Early Education

By BusinessWest Staff May 17, 2016

Education Sections

Joan Kagan, Square One president and CEO

For more than 130 years, Square One has met the challenge of providing quality early-childhood education, thus serving not only young people, but also their families and the community. Today, as the importance of such education becomes ever more apparent, the challenges to providing it continue to mount. Square One is trying to meet those challenges through vital connections to a host of constituencies.

By Sarah Leete Tsitso

When a water main broke and created a massive sinkhole in the middle of downtown Springfield two weeks ago, Square One President and CEO Joan Kagan could empathize with those who were displaced.

She has seen more than her fair share of disasters and led her team back from the brink. In June 2011, a tornado tore through Square One. Eighteen months later, another of its buildings was destroyed by a gas explosion downtown. Even now, the view from the Square One administrative offices on Main Street is obscured by bulldozers, dirt piles, and orange fencing that are all part of MGM’s massive construction project.

Through — or despite — it all, this 133-year-old nonprofit organization continues to thrive, serving 700 children and their families each day, even in the face of adversity. When the tornado hit on a Wednesday evening, the agency reopened on Monday morning and had space for every single child in the program. After the gas explosion, it got tougher; the team was weary from living in crisis mode and struggling to find the energy to regroup and rebuild. Still, despite the loss of two sites, it had to turn away only 17 children, helping those families find other programs that met their needs.

“The key to the survival of Square One is our adaptability and responsiveness to the needs of the community,” said Kagan. “We have a great, committed staff and team, a board that is willing to take occasional leaps of faith, and a caring community.”

To further strengthen the organization, Kagan and the board of directors recently made a bold decision to expand the resource development team. She hired Kristine Allard in July as vice president of development, then added Dawn DiStefano in January to serve as director of grant development.

Together with Kagan, this experienced team is already making an impact in raising funds and awareness.

Building a Solid Foundation

Square One’s mission is to ensure that all children and families have the opportunity to succeed at school, at work, and in life by providing educational programs, family-support services, health and fitness resources, and a voice in the community. At the core of everything it does is a belief, confirmed by research, that children who begin learning early become better learners for life.

Programs at Square One include center-based child care; preschool and kindergarten; home-based child care in 40 locations throughout the region; after-school, weekend, and summer programming for children living in homeless shelters; fitness and nutrition initiatives; job-skills training for parents; parent education for incarcerated and post-incarcerated parents; supervised visitation; peer support groups for victims and survivors of domestic violence and parents recovering from addiction; and family literacy programs.

Kristine Allard, vice president of Development for Square One, says the agency hopes to build support by creating connections.

Taking a holistic, whole-family approach to early-childhood education ensures that the needs of the child are met, with a belief that family success contributes to educational success. As science and research have expanded to show the importance of early-childhood education, the demand for highly qualified teachers has risen dramatically over the past couple of decades. Unfortunately, salaries for these teachers have not kept pace, which presents a near-constant issue for organizations like Square One.

Kagan said early-childhood education has been a focus in terms of curriculum development and resources; however, there is still a lot of work to do in ensuring that programs can attract — and retain — energetic, committed, qualified teachers to lead these classrooms and undertake the important work happening inside.

For many years, early-childhood education was called nursery school, and was focused on keeping children safe and entertained while their parents were at work. Now, these programs are geared toward preparing children for public school, making sure they are ready to learn and interact with their peers when they enter kindergarten.

As this evolution progressed, the need for trained and educated teachers expanded. But supply has not kept up with demand, particularly since jobs in early-childhood education have notoriously low pay rates. Kagan said it is increasingly difficult to find and keep these teachers. As their level of education and training increase, they often leave to take better-paying jobs in the public school system.

Because Square One mostly serves at-risk children and families, Kagan and Allard stressed the need for teachers and others who can meet the unique needs of this population. Of the 700 children served each day, only four are privately paid. The others receive some sort of subsidy that enables them to access services.

Many of Square One’s children have at least one parent who is incarcerated. Others are involved with the Department of Children and Families, are homeless, have at least one parent in recovery, or have a teen parent. With this wide array of needs, Square One employs social workers, therapists, and others who can provide support services to the children and their families.

Many of these family issues have an impact on education, as well as the children’s social and emotional growth. If a child is hungry or malnourished, it affects that child’s ability to focus in school. If a child has a toothache, he or she may not be as cooperative and open to learning.

Kagan noted that 85% of brain development occurs between birth and age 5; if a child does not have a solid foundation, he or she will fall behind, resulting in lifelong implications for future success. To give a strong start to as many children as possible, Square One has partnered with the YMCA, Head Start, and the Springfield School Department on a pilot program geared toward providing free early education to 4-year-olds who had never before participated in a formal program. The school department, which received a four-year grant from the state, provides coaches who work with the teachers at Square One to ensure that the curriculum aligns with state standards.

“We realized there is a large pool of children entering kindergarten who have had no access to formal child care or preschool, so those children were entering kindergarten completely unprepared for it,” said Allard. “This means they are already way behind their peers, even when it comes to basics like how to stand in line or take instructions from a teacher.”

The program launched in September, with 60 children in three classrooms participating at Square One. Kagan reports that, while there have been challenges, the children’s growth has been remarkable.

If You Fund It, They Will Learn

Funding for pilot programs like the one at Square One is important, but only scratches the surface of the organization’s true financial needs. Kagan spends a considerable amount of time lobbying legislators at the state level to increase funding for education programs.

While she understands there is only so much money to go around, and plenty of worthwhile causes looking for a piece of the pie, she believes access to early-childhood education is crucial to the growth and development of society as a whole. She and others in the field have spent years advocating for adequate funding to cover the cost of doing business, which includes paying teachers a living wage and providing exceptional classroom experiences.

At Square One, the annual cost to provide high-quality early education and care is $15,000 per child. The state reimburses $9,000 of that cost, leaving a $6,000 gap for each child, every year.

“The state has to understand that this is really about getting children off to a good start,” she said. “We want them to succeed in school, graduate, go to college or vocational training, and become productive members of society. We also need the state and other stakeholders to understand the savings involved; when you invest in early education, the research has shown that there are significant savings down the road in costs associated with social welfare, criminal justice, and special-needs programs.”

Financial limitations have resulted in fewer programs offering these services to children statewide, and fewer seats in the remaining classrooms. In recent years, the number of available spots for those seeking early-childhood education in Massachusetts has shrunk by 3,000. This reduction in capacity is due to several factors, including the difficulty finding teachers and ever-increasing state regulations. If programs cannot find staff and cannot comply with state licensing requirements around the quality of the teachers they do find, they are closing their doors. It’s a simple business problem — it is not possible to operate without quality staff and enough money to pay the bills. When these centers close, it is the children who suffer.

At the core of everything Square One does is a belief, confirmed by research, that children who begin learning early become better learners for life.

If a child doesn’t have access to early-education programs, they have difficulty keeping up with their peers once they enter the public schools. The struggles are academic, social, and behavioral, and are challenging to address once the ship has sailed. For many of these struggling students, Kagan noted, it’s like going to a job every day where your boss yells at you for doing it wrong, but never shows you the right way.

This is where public and private investment in early-childhood education comes into play. Advocating for increased government funding is one way to raise needed funds, but it can’t be an organization’s only revenue stream. This is where Allard and DiStefano come in.

Developing a Brand

Since joining the team almost a year ago, Allard said she has been asking a lot of pointed questions. Did people in the community know the Square One brand? Did they know about the wrap-around services provided for families? Were they aware that there is more to Square One than preschool? Had people made the mental transition from the organization’s old identity — Springfield Day Nursery — to its new one?

The team sought answers to those questions, and built its development plan around the answers. This included implementation of a new annual fund-raising campaign, more marketing, bigger special events, and expanded outreach on new grant opportunities. The equation is simple: if they can raise more money, they can serve more kids, pay higher teacher salaries, and have a greater impact on the community.

“When you look at our families and the challenges they face, it can consume you,” said Allard. “Or, you can identify a need and perhaps make a call, write a grant, make a connection in the community, and, in the end, find a solution.”

While Greater Springfield does not have a deep pool of donors, the businesses and individuals here are generous with both their time and money. However, with fierce competition for limited dollars and volunteers, nonprofits like Square One are focused on tracking results. Donors look at their contributions as investments, and want to see those investments yield dividends. Kagan and Allard believe their donors appreciate the work done by the organization and understand how it benefits the community. But there are still those who may not be familiar with Square One and its mission.

Special events are one way to help spread the word and engage new supporters. While labor-intensive and time-consuming, events are about more than making money. They are also about making friends.

“Events let us get in front of people and provide them with that personal connection to the people we serve,” said Allard. “They get to meet the people their money supports and hear their stories first-hand. It’s different coming from the person who lived it. Afterward, people walk away with a better understanding of their community.”

That awareness also gives Square One and other nonprofit organizations a platform to advocate for what they need to meet their mission. For example, Kagan cited the Kentucky Derby-themed event held on behalf of Square One on May 7 at the Colony Club. This event, she noted, provides an opportunity to talk about the early-education and family-support services the organization provides.

“From understanding comes compassion,” she said. “That’s a big part of what comes from hosting an event like this. It’s about funds, friends, and advocacy. And, of course, it’s about having fun.”

Kagan and her staff bring that philosophy directly into the classroom, promoting friendship and fun as well as education. This long-standing commitment to families and children’s education has resulted in a large, dynamic group of donors and supporters who are always willing to lend a hand. Kagan recalls how, after the tornado, when she and her team escaped with nothing more than the items in their pockets, they were setting up shop in temporary space all over the city. A local business heard about their plight and showed up on their doorstop with a big box of office supplies.

“It may not seem like a big deal, a box full of pens and notebooks, but it was a very big deal for us,” she said. “You take those things for granted until you don’t have them. We literally had nothing; we got out with our lives, but that was about it. So, for someone to think about that basic need and make their way to our door with that box? It’s just one example of how this community rallies around its friends and neighbors in need.”

Country Bank Supports Palmer Celebrations with $5,000 Donation

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2016

Daily News

PALMER — Representatives from Country Bank presented the Palmer 300th Anniversary Committee and the Celebrate Palmer Committee with donations totaling $5,000.

“We are so pleased to be a major sponsor of both of these meaningful events,” said Shelley Regin, senior vice president, Marketing at Country Bank. “We look forward to celebrating with the town of Palmer, and we commend both committees for their tireless effort to make them a success.”

For more information on these events, visit palmer300th.org or townofpalmer.com. For more information about Country Bank, call (800) 322-8233 or visit countrybank.com.

Mark Snow Joins EANE Leadership Team

By BusinessWest Staff May 10, 2016

Daily News

AGAWAM — The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast announced that Mark Snow has joined EANE as the new director of Learning & Development.

Snow describes his passion for learning and development as going beyond training, where performance is a process to measurable behavior or productivity changes. He has been a frequent speaker at major conferences and events on innovative subjects that embrace leadership-building, culture-enhancing, and engagement-measuring topics.

His workplace credentials include serving as a board member of the Institute of Management Consultants, where he was deeply involved in setting the course of national trainings. He spent 11 years at HRD Press, where he led a group of international management and HR consultants, working with organizations to optimize their workforce-development practices. He designed and delivered leading-edge business training for companies that included Wells Fargo, Aetna Insurance, Whole Foods, and other national organizations.

Snow earned a bachelor’s degree in English from UMass in 1998.

Northampton Garden Tour Slated for June 11

By BusinessWest Staff May 9, 2016

Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Come visit eight gardens on display for the 2016 Northampton Garden Tour, a fund-raiser for Friends of Forbes Library Inc. The event will be held Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine.

The Garden Tour aims to inspire and educate everyday gardeners with plantings in a variety of appealing and unique landscaping styles and creative use of hardscape. In contrast to the 2015 tour that was localized in the center of Northampton, this year’s tour takes participants on a scenic and varied 18-mile route to the outer reaches of the community.

Tickets come with directions to this self-guided tour of gardens within easy driving distance of the library. There is no obvious, easiest route, but suggestions will be available to make the tour both safe and expedient. At each garden, there are descriptions of the plantings, and garden guides will be on hand to answer questions. The terrain of this year’s tour broadly circles Northampton, making gardens accessible by car or a bicycle ride for the recreational peddler comfortable with 20-plus miles.

Tickets for the tour are $15 in advance at Forbes Library, Bay State Perennial Farm, Cooper’s Corner, Hadley Garden Center, North Country Landscapes, and State Street Fruit Store. The cost is $20 on the day of the tour at the library only.

The Garden Tour also includes a raffle to win organic compost, gift certificates, garden supplies, a landscape consultation, and more. Raffle tickets are available at Forbes Library through the day before the tour as well as at one of the gardens on the day of the tour.

All event proceeds benefit Friends of Forbes Library to support programs, events, and projects for the library that could not otherwise be funded. For details: on the organization, visit www.forbeslibrary.org. For more information about the Garden Tour, call Lyn Heady at (413) 584-7041.

Networking Event for Creatives Comes to Springfield

By BusinessWest Staff May 6, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Central Cultural District (SCCD) and Springfield Business Improvement District will jointly present a “Plug Into the Creative Valley” networking event on Tuesday, May 10 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The event will feature music by renowned jazz pianist Jim Argiro in the lobby/gallery of 1350 Main Street. He will be joined by a bassist for the event. Evan Plotkin of City Mosaic will give a few sneak-peek details about the upcoming Jazz and Roots Festival, to be officially announced on May 17.

Artists, creatives, businesspeople, and others are invited to attend this event to connect in a unique and relaxed setting. Food and drink will be provided, and admission is free. The organizers believe providing a welcoming environment for networking is necessary to support the local creative economy.

“This event is important for us to host because it offers an outlet for those often left out of networking events, folks who are working on their own out of their homes or studios, and helps them make connections to other local artists and business people,” said SCCD Director Morgan Drewniany. “If nothing else, the music will be spectacular.”

The Springfield Central Cultural District encompasses an area of the metro center of Springfield, and is membership-based, involving many of the downtown arts institutions. Its mission is to create and sustain a vibrant cultural environment in Springfield.

More details on the May 10 event can be found at facebook.com/springfieldculture. Any questions can be directed to Drewniany at [email protected] or (413) 781-1592.

Chicopee Chamber to Host 5K Road Race and 2 Mile Walk on June 18

By BusinessWest Staff May 5, 2016

Daily News

CHICOPEE — The Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce will host its second annual Champions of Chicopee 5K Road Race and 2 Mile Walk on Saturday, June 18.

The race will begin at 9:30 a.m. with registration beginning at 7:45 a.m. at the Portuguese American Club, 149 Exchange St., Chicopee. Walkers or runners can register online at www.accu-specracing.com for $25, or $15 for kids 12 and under. Individuals may also call the chamber office at (413) 594-2101 to sign up or if they have additional questions.

The price includes the race fee with timed chip bib, T-shirt, lunch at the Munich Haus Biergarten after the race, and goodie bag. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee summer camps.

Last year, the event drew more than 100 participants, and the chamber hopes to grow that number each year. “This was such a fun event last year, and one of my favorites” said Lynn Morrissette, events coordinator for the Chicopee Chamber. “It is a great way for people to gather downtown in an organized and lighthearted atmosphere. It helps not only the chamber, but also a great cause like the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee summer-camp program.”

Sponsors for the event include Munich Haus, Chicopee Savings Bank, Polish National Credit Union, PeoplesBank, Holyoke Medical Center, First American Insurance Agency Inc., Insurance Center of New England, and Spherion Staffing.

Know How Long to Hang on to All That Paperwork

By BusinessWest Staff May 3, 2016

Banking and Financial Services Sections

Record Retention 101

By Patricia Murphy

Patricia Murphy

All entities produce a variety of records. Maintaining these records is more than a matter of filing away a few important documents. A well-thought-out record-retention plan can benefit your company operationally, protect against litigation, and help ensure compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.

Over the past decade, the amount of electronic information has grown exponentially, and organizations are producing far more content than ever before. A significant amount of electronic data is produced and shared through various forms of unstructured data (e-mails, texts, social media). The ability to easily share information, while efficient, puts multiple copies of important documents in multiple locations. Many organizations don’t have systems in place to deal with this unstructured data, yet are liable for this content.

An effective records-management program will provide employees with the knowledge and tools needed to ensure paper and electronic files are properly managed. Establishing and following a record-retention schedule will go a long way to ensure your company keeps the vital records it needs (and doesn’t).

Tax Records

Although the actual tax returns should be kept permanently (including the cancelled checks from tax payments), the supporting documentation from previous years should be kept until the chance of an audit passes. The IRS generally has three years to examine your return, though the limit increases to six years if the agency believes you underreported income by more than 25%. No limit exists if you failed to file or filed a fraudulent return.

Special attention should be given to records connected to assets (i.e. residences, real estate, equipment, stock, etc.), which need to be kept longer. The tax consequences of a transaction this year, such as a sale of property, may depend upon events that happened years ago. Keep records relating to the property until the above period of limitations expires for the year in which you dispose of the property.

For example, to determine tax consequences of the sale of real estate, you must know your basis (the original cost plus later capital improvements). If you received property in a non-taxable exchange (like-kind exchange), your basis in the new property is the same as the basis of the property you gave up, increased by any additional money paid to acquire the new property.

You must keep the records on the old property, as well as on the new property. If stock is sold, you would need to maintain records of your basis of the stock, which includes your initial investment plus any reinvested dividends.

Accounting Systems

Audit reports and financial statements from accountants, trial balances, general ledgers, journal entries, cash books, charts of accounts, check registers, subsidiary ledgers, and investment sales and purchases should be kept permanently. Other records, such as payable and receivable ledgers, bank reconciliations, bank statements, and cash and charge slips should be retained for seven years.

For certain assets, typically you want to keep all of the statements, invoices, and purchase documents that substantiate cost for six years after the asset is sold. Depreciation schedules and asset-inventory records should be kept permanently.

Corporate Records

Small businesses that have a corporate structure also need to retain certain corporate records. All information for annual reports, articles of incorporation, stock ownership and transfers, bylaws, capital stock certificates, dividend register, cancelled dividend checks, and business licenses and permits should be retained permanently.

Employee Records

Small businesses that employ individuals other than the owner or partners should keep the employee records while the person is still employed with the company. The personnel files can then be disposed of after seven years, beginning after the date of termination. Payroll records should be kept as follows:

• W-2 forms, payroll-tax returns, and retirement-plan agreements — permanently;

• Worker’s compensation benefits, employee withholding exemption certificates, payroll records (after termination) — 10 years;

• Payroll checks, time reports, attendance records, medical/dental benefits, commission reports, accident reports — seven years;

• Employee benefit plans — six years; and

• Contractor information upon completion of contract, and tip substantiation — three years.

Insurance

Occurrence-based policies (which cover claims reported years after the policy expires, as long as the event occurred during the policy period) are essentially active forever and should be kept indefinitely. Property policies/claims-made policies (which cover claims reported only within the policy period) should be kept for six years. Workers’ compensation policies should be kept indefinitely, as claims could take years to develop. Life-insurance policies should be kept permanently.

Legal

Documents such as bills of sales, permits, licenses, contracts, deeds and titles, mortgages, and stock and bond records should be kept permanently, while canceled leases and notes receivable can be kept for 10 years after cancellation.

Document imaging (scanning) allows technology to convert paper documents to electronic images. Document imaging can provide major benefits, including reducing storage space, reducing paper purchased, improved employee productivity, and quick overall access to information.

With the threat of identity theft, it is a good practice to shred all the records you no longer need, especially those with personal information. Shredders are inexpensive in destroying small amounts of information; however, a personal shredding service should be considered with a large volume of shredding.

The suggested retention periods shown above are not offered as a final authority, but as a guide to which to compare your needs. If you have any questions or unusual circumstances, or wish to delve more into industry-specific practices, be sure to consult your CPA, attorney, or other industry professional before destroying any important legal, business, or financial paperwork.

If you have questions regarding electronic files, consider speaking with an IT professional in addition to those resources listed above.

Patricia Murphy is a senior associate at the Holyoke-based public accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; (413) 322-3540; [email protected]

MGM Springfield Employs Local Businesses to Help Build Casino

By BusinessWest Staff May 3, 2016

Construction Sections

Work in Progress

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outreach Efforts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keeping Pace

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

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

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

Chamber Corners

By BusinessWest Staff May 3, 2016

Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com

(413) 253-0700

• May 11: After 5, 5-7 p.m., Amherst Golf Club, 365 South Pleasant St., Amherst. The club will be running some fun-filled activities that evening, including a 50/50 putting contest, and attendees will receive a voucher for a free round of golf. Established in 1900, the semi-private Amherst Golf Club is owned by Amherst College and run independently by an incorporated community group of dedicated golfers. The 9-hole layout, which tests all skill levels, was designed by Walter Hatch, an assistant of the famed Donald Ross, and later renovated by Geoffrey Cornish. Cost: $10 for chamber members, $15 for non-members.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• May 18: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., Elms College, 291 Springfield St., Chicopee. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members.

• May 20: Golf Tournament at Chicopee Country Club, 10 a.m. start. Cost: $125 per golfer, $600 corporate green sponsorship includes a foursome and exclusive green sponsorship.

• May 21: New York City bus trip. A day on your own in the city. Bus leaves at 7 a.m. and returns at 9:30 p.m. Cost: $55 per person.

• May 25: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., Loomis House, 298 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Cost: $10 for members pre-registered, $15 for non-members. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• May 7: Downtown Cleanup Day, 8 a.m. to noon. General cleanup of downtown, the Rail Trail, Cottage Street municipal parking lot, the banks of the Nashawannuck Pond, and more. Volunteers are needed. No experience is necessary. Register at (413) 527-9414.

• May 12: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., Amy’s Place. To register, call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• May 19: Medallion Speaker Forum, noon to 1:30 p.m. “The Affordable Care Act: The Legal Twists & Turns.” Attorney Eilin Gaynor of Health New England helps employers, business owners, and entrepreneurs navigate the legalities of this important piece of legislation. Complete Payroll Services shares what it means from an accounting perspective. Space is limited for this member exclusive opportunity. Cost: $20, which includes a boxed lunch. For more information, call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holyokechamber.com

(413) 534-3376

• May 16: Annual Chamber Cup Golf Tournament celebrating the chamber’s 125th anniversary, Wyckoff Country Club, 233 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Registration and lunch at 10:30 a.m., tee off at noon (scramble format), dinner following game with assorted food stations. Cost: $125 per player includes lunch, 18 holes of golf, cart, and dinner. Dinner only: $25. Awards, raffles, and cash prizes follow dinner. Corporate sponsors: Dowd Insurance, Goss & McLain Insurance Agency, Holyoke Gas & Electric, Loomis Communities, Marcotte Ford, Mountain View Landscapes, Northeast IT Systems Inc., Holyoke Medical Center, and Resnic, Beauregard, Waite & Driscoll. For reservations or sponsorships, call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376 or visit holyokechamber.com.

• May 18: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted and sponsored by Quality Life Adult Day Services, 18 Elm St., Holyoke (behind the South Street Shopping Center). Join friends and colleagues for this fun and casual evening of networking. Tours of the new facility will be available. Cost: $10 for chamber members, $15 for non-members and walk-ins.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com

(413) (413) 584-1900

• May 11: Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors at Emerson Way. Arrive when you can, stay as long as you can. A casual mix and mingle with colleagues and friends. Sponsored by Greenfield Savings Bank, Lia Honda, Thornes Marketplace & Emerson Way, and Montessori School of Northampton.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• May 2: Mayor’s Coffee Hour with Mayor Brian Sullivan, the Arbors Assisted Living Residential Communities, 40 Court St., Westfield. Event is free and open to the public. To register or for more information, call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• May 9: Workshop: “What to Save and What to Shred?” at Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Registration and networking at 8:30 a.m., followed by workshop from 9 to 10 a.m. Attorney Karina Schrengohst of Royal, P.C. will present an informational seminar providing an overview of state and federal record-keeping requirements. The discussion will cover which records must be saved, where records must be kept, and how long records must be retained pursuant to a variety of employment laws. Cost: free for chamber members, $30 for non-members. To register, call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• May 11: After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., Bella Medspa, 3 Court St., Westfield. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to network, and bring your business cards. Refreshments will be served. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. To register, call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• May 23: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce 55th annual Golf Tournament, East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield. Registration and lunch, 10 a.m.; shotgun start, 11 a.m.; cocktail hour, 4 p.m.; dinner, 5 p.m. Cost: $500 for a foursome with dinner, or register a single player for $125. Title sponsor: Alternative Health Inc. Premium gift sponsor: Westfield Gas and Electric. Ball sponsor: Westfield Gas and Electric. Cart sponsor: Westfield Bank. Goody-bag sponsor: Liptak Emergency Water Removal. Register by calling the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or e-mailing [email protected]. Consider donating a raffle prize or a gift for the wine and spirit table raffle.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.myonlinechamber.com

(413) 787-1555

• May 4: Springfield Regional Chamber Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Natural History, Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards St., Springfield. “The Creative Economy” panel discussion with Helena Fruscio, deputy assistant secretary of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology; and Jeffrey Bianchine, Holyoke Creative Economy coordinator. Sponsored by United Personnel and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. Cost: $20 for members in advance ($25 at the door), $30 for non-members. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• May 11: Springfield Regional Chamber Economic Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., MassMutual Center, 1277 State St., Springfield. “Creating a Western Massachusetts Renaissance” discussion with John Traynor, People’s United Bank; Rick Sullivan, Western Mass. Economic Development Council; and Dr. Mark Keroack, Baystate Health, moderated by David Hobert, People’s United Bank. Panelists will discuss the Massachusetts economy, local economic-development initiatives, how the region can capitalize on its existing assets, the role of the healthcare sector, and more. Sponsored by People’s United Bank. Cost: $35. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• May 18: Springfield Regional Chamber Kick Off to Summer After 5, 5-7 p.m., Colony Club, 1500 Main St., Springfield. Informal, after-hours networking. Sponsored by Wolf & Company, P.C. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• May 24: Springfield Regional Chamber Pastries, Politics & Policy, 9-10 a.m., TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. Featuring state Secretary of Administration and Finance Kristen Lepore. Cost: $15 for members, $25 for non-members. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com

(413) 426-3880

• May 4: Wicked Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Park Square Realty 470 Westfield St., West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. Cost: free for chamber members, $10 at the door for non-members. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

• May 10: Coffee with Mayor Reichelt, 8-9:30 a.m., West Springfield Senior Center, 128 Park St. Join us for a cup of coffee and a town update from Mayor Will Reichelt. Q&A will immediately follow. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

• May 19: West of the River Chamber of Commerce Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., Cal’s Wood Fired Grill, 1068 Riverdale St., West Springfield. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. You must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief sales pitch. The only cost to attend is the cost of your lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately the day of the event. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

Jonathan LaFrance Wins Pitch Competition with Sergeant Shower

By BusinessWest Staff April 28, 2016

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Jonathan LaFrance, an MBA student from Bay Path University, took first place at last night’s awards ceremony and banquet for the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, pitching Sergeant Shower, a biodegradable, two-sided, single-use, all-in-one shampoo and body-wash cloth mitt.

LaFrance convinced a panel of judges from six area banks that his pitch was the best at the event held at the Log Cabin. Jonathan Mendez, a Holyoke Community College student, took second place based on his business concept pitch for Mean Green Detergent Machine, a kiosk in stores allowing people to refill their laundry-detergent bottle. Steven Goldberg, a student at Amherst College, took third place with DineToday, a platform allowing restaurants to post discounts for off-peak reservation times.

The live event featured a student representative from each of the 14 participating local colleges: American International College, Amherst College, Bay Path University, Elms College, Greenfield Community College, Hampshire College, Holyoke Community College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Springfield College, Springfield Technical Community College, UMass Amherst, Western New England University, and Westfield State University. First-, second-, and third-place winners received $1000, $750, and $500 respectively. Each student participating received $100.

The judges represented Berkshire Bank, Country Bank, First Niagara Bank, PeoplesBank, United Bank, and Westfield Bank.

The judges also identified nine winning teams as Best Exhibitors. These were selected from a pool of 56 unique companies during a ‘trade show’ portion of the evening which featured the 2016 Grinspoon Entrepreneurial Spirit Award winners. The three first-place winners (each receiving an additional award of $600) were: Connor Brown and Xavier Reed from Amherst College with Meetum, a platform for students to openly share events and activities with the college community; Misael Ramos from Springfield College with Royaume Expressions, garment decoration; and Joey Baurys and Nicolette LaPierre from Western New England University with Hemoflux, a prenatal genetic testing company.

The Entrepreneurship Initiative is one of several local initiatives supported by the philanthropy of Harold Grinspoon. For more information, visit www.hgf.org.

WNEU Students Focus Efforts on Mental Illness, Suicide Prevention

By BusinessWest Staff April 27, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University (WNEU) students will host their second annual Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting at the university’s Commonwealth Lawn. All WNEU and Springfield community members are welcome, including pets.

Students were also recently approved to start a campus chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The NAMI campus chapters work to end the stigma that makes it difficult for students to talk about mental health and get the help they need. The NAMI clubs hold creative meetings, educational awareness events, and offer programs through partnerships with NAMI’s state and national organizations.

Out of the Darkness Walks are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s signature student fund-raising series, designed to engage young adults in the fight to prevent suicide, the second-leading cause of death among all people ages 18-24.

“By engaging students and the community in the Out of the Darkness Walk, we raise awareness for suicide-prevention efforts, help fund research and educational programming, and help dispel the stigma on mental health,” said pharmacy major Kristy Nguyen. To register for the walk online or to donate, click here.

Balancing all the changes that happen in college can be stressful and challenging. Those challenges are even more difficult for the one in five students who also face a mental-health condition. Nearly three-quarters of mental-health conditions emerge by age 24, so many college students are facing these struggles for the first time, and may not know where to go for support.

NAMI also offers support groups and teaches friends and family of those afflicted with mental illnesses how to help their loved ones.

“I thought this chapter was important to start because I know so many people who suffer from mental illnesses, and a few of my friends and I have also lost people to suicide,” said junior Natasha Mercado-Santana, the new president of the campus chapter of NAMI. “Even if you don’t have a diagnosed mental illness, it is still important to get support, especially in college, where challenging classes, new social situations, and being away from home for the first time can all be very stressful. People don’t get help because they either don’t know where or how to get it, or because they don’t want to admit they need it. We’re trying to eliminate that stigma and guide students to the resources they need.”

Local Chambers Join Forces to Spotlight Regional Tourism

By BusinessWest Staff April 26, 2016

Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Greater Holyoke and Greater Easthampton chambers of commerce have partnered to host a Tourism Luncheon on Friday, April 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

The keynote speaker, state Rep. Michael Finn, vice chair of Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development, will discuss the effects of visitor-generated tax revenue in Western Mass. Other speakers include Mary Kay Wydra, president, Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau; Seth Stratton, vice president and general counsel, MGM Springfield; and Michael Mathis, president and chief operating officer, MGM Springfield. Discussions will focus on the region’s tourism and how it impacts the Pioneer Valley’s economic growth.

Community leaders, CEOs, managers, and sales professionals are encouraged to attend the luncheon and to join the discussion on the community’s role in tourism.

“I am very proud of the great strides our region has made over the years,” said Maureen Bellevue, executive director of the Easthampton Chamber of Commerce.

Added Kathleen Anderson, president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, “we look forward to sharing highlights and results, while getting the community excited about new ways we can work together to really make a difference.”

The event is sponsored by Resnic, Beauregard, Waite & Driscoll, United Bank, and Yankee Candle. Tickets cost $30 for chamber members and $35 for the public. To register, visit business.holyokechamber.com/events or call the Greater Holyoke Chamber at (413) 534-3376 or the Greater Easthampton Chamber at (413) 527-9414.

Jessica Roncarati Named President of Chicopee Chamber of Commerce

By BusinessWest Staff April 26, 2016

Daily News

CHICOPEE — The Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce has named Jessica Roncarati its new president. The chamber’s board of directors voted unanimously to approve her appointment, and she began work on April 25.

Roncarati, a lifelong resident of Chicopee, most recently served as executive director of the AIDS Foundation of Western Massachusetts Inc. She has held both professional and volunteer leadership positions with a number of local nonprofits, including Bay Path University, Women in Philanthropy of Western Massachusetts, Hawthorn Services, and the Springfield Museums Assoc. She is a member of Business West’s 40 Under Forty class of 2012. She is a graduate of chamber member Elms College, and received her master’s degree in nonprofit management and philanthropy from Bay Path University.

As president, Roncarati will work with the chamber’s staff and constituents to further its mission to advance economic and civil well-being for all citizens of the Greater Chicopee area. She believes her most immediate focus is to build relationships among local businesses, government, and citizens in order to promote a sense of community.

“By connecting with the chamber, businesses have the chance not only to network and advertise their services, but to make Greater Chicopee an even better place to live and work,” she said. “We have an increasingly diverse business base to build upon, and events that we collaborate with the city on, such as the Tree Lighting, Halloween Costume Walk, Block Party, and 5k Run, bring more patrons to the area each year. It’s an exciting time to be a chamber member, and I look forward to making connections that will promote our local businesses.”

Valley Talent Showcase, Northfire Recording Reach Agreement

By BusinessWest Staff April 20, 2016

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Valley Talent Showcase, a monthly talent show staged at Gateway City Arts, announced today that Northfire Recording Studio in Amherst has agreed to become a major new sponsor.

As part of the arrangement, Northfire will be providing the overall showcase winner with two full 10-hour days in their studio working with one of their world-class recording engineers to create a professional CD.

The Talent Showcase competitions, held the first Friday of each month, utilize celebrity judges to help choose first and second place winners. The winners of each month’s contest are entered in a “Super-Playoff” held on Sept. 9 where the year’s overall winner is chosen.

The overall winner will receive:

The 2 two free recording days at Northfire Recording Studio;
A $500 cash prize provided by the Eastern States Exposition (another major Valley Talent Showcase sponsor);
A headline gig at this year’s BIG E on Sept. 24 (traditionally the day of the largest attendance of the fair — more than 160,000.)

“We want to provide the opportunity for talented new performers to actually produce a real product,” said Jay Metcalf, owner and director of Operations at Northfire Studios. “That’s why we suggested providing them with two days in the studio.”

Said Valley Talent Showcase producer Mark Sherry, “we’re thrilled to have Northfire Studios as a partner in helping us to give a real boost to the careers of exciting up-and coming local musicians.”

The Valley Talent Showcase started in 2015 and has had five monthly events to date. Celebrity judges have included elected officials (several mayors, state representatives, and senators), well-known musicians, DJs, and other celebrities. Mass. State Senate President Stan Rosenberg will be a judge at one of the upcoming talent showcases.

The next showcase will be on May 6 at 8 p.m. at Gateway City Arts, 92 Race St, Holyoke. There is a suggested donation of $5-$10 at the door. Potential contestants can send an e-mail with their name, address, email, photo/video or audio sample (or web link) of the suggested performance to [email protected] or call (413) 374-7671.

Elizabeth Angelos

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

40 Under 40 The Class of 2016

Co-owner and Director of Curriculum, InspireWorks Enrichment; Talent Data and Strategy Analyst, Brooks Brothers; Age 31

Elizabeth Angelos

There’s a lot going on in Beth Angelos’ life, but she sees connections everywhere: between her two career paths (now happening concurrently), between having fun and learning, and among the people she meets as a business owner, corporate professional, volunteer, and civic leader.

Angelos is co-owner and director of Curriculum for InspireWorks Enrichment Inc., which offers after-school and summer-camp programs to school-aged children with an emphasis on learning. Campers might be building rockets and robots, for instance, but they’re learning programming code in the process. The same goes for programs focused on art, science, cooking, athletics, and more.

The business began while Angelos was still in college. She was working on a business plan for a class in entrepreneurship, and her boyfriend — now her husband, InspireWorks Executive Director and past 40 Under Forty honoree James Angelos — encouraged her to take the plan out of the classroom and into real practice.

Nine years later, InspireWorks is thriving, and Angelos has added another facet to her professional life as a talent data and strategy analyst with Brooks Brothers, a position that allows her to work on the leading edge of human-resources practices.

“It started three years ago, when I wanted to understand more about HR as a small-business owner,” she explained. “I wanted a better education, and at the time, the company was taking on big changes that created opportunities to get involved with different projects. I hopped on for experience, and was put on the talent data and development team.”

That team led the first successful implementation of Talent Central, the first human-resources information system platform ever used by Brooks Brothers in North America. A promotion and a new title followed for Angelos, along with the opportunity to continue implementing that new platform globally.

Angelos’ heart is always in community endeavors, however, and she devotes much of her time to volunteering — as a 13-year radKIDS personal empowerment and safety education instructor, for one, and a board member and events committee chair with the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield. She also organizes opportunities for co-workers to volunteer in the Springfield area through Brooks Brothers’ Suited for Service program.

“That’s all part of what has made me, me,” she said. “Part of the reason I started the company was because my mother always exposed us to programs; whether they were sports, art, or volunteering, we were always exposed to a variety of things. When I grew up, I realized that not everyone gets that exposure.”

— Jaclyn Stevenson

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Michael Sakey

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

40 Under 40 The Class of 2016

Co-owner, Center Square Grill; Age 36

Michael Sakey

Michael Sakey likes to joke that he was an accidental restaurateur.

Indeed, he studied theater in college, planning for a much different career path. Even then, though, he was a restaurant veteran, having worked at pizza, sub, and coffee shops from age 14. In early 2000, he took a job with Claudio Guerra, the serial restaurateur behind the Northampton-based Spoleto Group. Sakey helped Guerra open six concept restaurants and also spearheaded Spoleto Catering, which specialized in full-service weddings.

“I went in thinking, ‘it’s just going to be for now, until I figure out what’s next,’” he said of his work with Guerra. But the restaurant life turned out to be the ‘next’ after all.

It’s not like he was abandoning his theatrical roots, however, as he sensed a connection between food and his other passion. “Restaurants can be theatrical. It’s kind of like throwing a party every night. If you can make them all happy, that’s something really unique, not like any other industry I can think of.”

Sakey — along with his business partner, fellow Spoleto Group veteran, and past 40 Under Forty honoree Bill Collins — has been making people happy at Center Square Grill since 2014, when the pair struck out on their own and launched the successful eatery near East Longmeadow’s famed rotary.

Breaking away from the Italian fare Guerra specializes in, the partners call their restaurant a “creative American grill,” pulling in influences from South America, classic French cooking, New Orleans, Jamaica, even Asia. The restaurant features a few different dining areas, from a formal dining room to a small room for private events to a lively bar area. Sakey takes particular pride in the restaurant’s impressive — and affordable — array of wine, beer, and cocktails.

He’s also proud of his civic work outside the restaurant, as he’s active in the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce, participates in the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Gala, and sits on the board for UNIFY, an anti-bullying nonprofit. He has also donated to some three dozen area charities, spreading the success of a restaurant that has earned ‘Best Restaurant,’ ‘Best Bartenders,’ ‘Best Outdoor Dining,’ and ‘Best Waitstaff’ honors from MassLive, among myriad other awards.

But it’s a four-and-a-half-star Yelp rating that truly drives Sakey — a reminder that he and Collins are doing plenty right, but can always aim higher.

“Nothing’s ever perfect,” he said, “but we can be really good.”

— Joseph Bednar

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Justin Killeen

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

40 Under 40 The Class of 2016

Owner and Trainer, Energia Fitness and 50/50 Fitness/Nutrition; Age 25

Justin Killeen

“I always knew what I wanted to do,” Justin Killeen said of his entrepreneurial success at a young age. “I just didn’t know how I’d get there.”

What he did know, while employed at a fitness facility in South Deerfield, was that he didn’t enjoy working for someone else.

“I was motivated to start something on my own, so I started doing in-home training in 2013,” he recalled. From there, he launched a personal-training program from the ground up at Energia Fitness in Hadley; a year later, he purchased the gym and went about building up its membership and expanding its roster of programs and classes. In 2015, he launched a second business just down the road, 50/50 Fitness/Nutrition, which focuses on personal training.

The rapid growth of both businesses testifies to Killeen’s training philosophy, one that treats every client differently.

“We constantly assess and determine individual need and continue to raise the bar higher, while teaching and educating every step of the way,” he said. “We look at injuries, muscular imbalances, flexibility, strength, cardiovascular health, and nutrition. More importantly, we determine where our clients stand, where they could stand to see improvements, and where we fit in.”

Killeen says he wants to bridge the gap between fitness professionals and healthcare professionals like doctors, nutritionists, physical therapists, and massage therapists.

“There is so much information and misinformation out there, which is why we meet with every new client to discuss our program in detail,” he said. “We don’t prescribe diets, we don’t promise instant results, and we don’t injure our clients. What we do offer is a renewed sense of balance, a promise for lifestyle change, and a community of support.”

Speaking of community, Killeen is active outside his workplace as well, as a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County and a supporter and sponsor of several nonprofits and charity events.

“Businesses have to be willing to be out there, present in the community,” he said. “We’re looking to help in a number of different ways.”

He calls the past few years a “whirlwind” and says he hasn’t had much time to take a breath and simply appreciate it, but the results of his work keep him motivated.

“When you look around and see the energy and excitement in the room when people come together and really work toward a higher level … that, to me, is the most satisfying thing.”

— Joseph Bednar

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Adam Gomez

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

40 Under 40 The Class of 2016

Owner, Brightwood Press Co.; Springfield City Councilor; Age 32

Adam Gomez

Whether it’s serving his neighboring business owners through his printing and marketing outfit, Brightwood Press Co., or as their newly elected Ward 1 city councilor, Adam Gomez is a man of the people.

Indeed, his service in the realm of civic leadership is extensive. In addition to his councilor duties, Gomez also serves on the New North Citizens’ Council board, the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Committee, and with Neighbor to Neighbor — a statewide nonprofit that educates residents on voter registration and social issues.

Through his role as national liaison for the Gamma Phi Sigma fraternity, also known as Hermano Unidos, Gomez has organized and promoted annual basketball tournaments for the past seven years, which raise funds for youth scholarships and also represent one of many anti-violence events and programs with which he’s actively involved.

But service to community is a common thread through all of his endeavors, both professional and volunteer, and Gomez says the coming months are packed with myriad tasks aimed at bettering the city he’s always called home, particularly its North End and the neighborhoods he now represents.

“Ward 1 wants to grow with the city — as fast as every ward,” he said. “There have been a lot of developments, and we’re in a good place. One of my goals will be to unite neighborhood boards, councils, youth organizations, and nonprofits so we are all working together.”

He’s also looking toward further collaboration with the business community in the North End, as both a city representative and fellow business owner.

Brightwood Press works extensively with downtown clubs and restaurants, for instance, as well as several nonprofits, including Springfield schools, Baystate Medical Center, and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. Gomez said his focus is on offering fair prices and services most relevant to his core customers.

“If small businesses or nonprofits are overcharged, they can’t stay marketable,” he said. “My people — my customers — need niche services, and that’s what I provide as an entrepreneur who’s also invested in the ward.”

He’s also looking toward safety initiatives, particularly those aimed at reducing violence, and the role both businesses and residents can play in their success.

“I was born and raised in the North End, and I’ve encountered several mentors,” he said. “I want to keep on motivating young people to get involved and support the community. Our parks and schools need to be up to par, our streets need to be safe, and right now, there is a lot of opportunity.”

— Jaclyn Stevenson

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Elizabeth Fisk

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

40 Under 40 The Class of 2016

Account Executive, WHAI/Saga Communications; Age 33

Elizabeth Fisk

Elizabeth Fisk is a serious Red Sox fan. “I sobbed when they won the World Series,” she said, referring to the 2004 triumph that ended an 86-year drought.

So, when WHAI in Greenfield planned to move Red Sox radio broadcasts from its FM station to its AM affiliate 14 years ago, Fisk, who preferred the reception on FM, didn’t like that idea. And when the 19-year-old Greenfield Community College senior ran into WHAI General Manager Dan Guin at the annual Bernardston Gas Engine Show, she made those sentiments known.

“It was 15 or 20 minutes of me arguing with him,” said Fisk, who had been waiting tables and tending bar to support her education. “We went back and forth about lots of things, about sales … and when we were done, he offered me a job.”

Fisk said Guin saw something in her, even though she had no previous background in sales. And he was very observant. “I had an aptitude for it; not everyone can ask someone for money, but I was born with this ability to not take things personally. And I fell in love with it.”

She’s been at the station ever since, not only selling airtime, but creating ads, promoting events, and helping businesses develop marketing plans in what can be a challenging market. “Franklin County is the poorest county in Massachusetts,” she said, “so I work with as many nonprofit organizations as I do for-profit businesses, helping them get their message out there so they can better serve the community.”

Fisk said she’s fortunate to work for a company, Saga Communications, and a boss, Guin, who promote a culture of volunteerism outside the workplace, and in 2010 she won the VICTOR Award, given annually to one Saga employee who goes above and beyond their job’s duties. Among her myriad volunteer roles, perhaps the most rewarding is her work on the advisory board of the Franklin County Children’s Advocacy Center, which provides medical, protective, and legal services for local victims of child physical and sexual abuse.

“My least favorite phrase in the English language is ‘somebody should,’” she said. “It’s easy to point fingers or wring your hands. But if you don’t participate, if you’re not engaged, I don’t think you have much standing to throw up your hands and complain about the community you live in. If people don’t recognize their vested interest in their community, nothing will ever change.”

— Joseph Bednar

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Beth DeGray

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

40 Under 40 The Class of 2016

Managing Partner and Director of Sales, the Log Cabin and Delaney House; Age 38

Beth DeGray

It was the spring of 1997, and Beth DeGray, then a 19-year-old student at Holyoke Community College, was looking for some part-time employment. She heard about the upcoming opening of the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, and applied for a server’s job.

She never imagined that, 19 years later, she would still be driving up Route 141 to get to work. But that’s exactly what she does, primarily because the man who hired her all those years ago, Peter Rosskothen, has given her several opportunities for advancement, and she’s taken advantage of every one.

While the titles on the business card (managing partner is the latest) have certainly changed, as have the job descriptions, the basic assignment has not. Indeed, then, as now, DeGray’s job has been about taking care of the client. In 1997, that meant getting dinner in front of the guest while it was still hot. Now, it means selling the Log Cabin’s various facilities to clients ranging from brides to area bank presidents to regional nonprofit managers, and then making sure their events come off without a hitch.

It’s a challenging but supremely rewarding role, one she approaches with a distinct philosophy. “My main goal is making it so the client can totally check out mentally, in terms of what they’ve planned, by the time they walk in the door on the day of the party,” she explained. “And we handle the rest.”

When not facilitating such efforts, DeGray is active in the community, especially with the Ronald McDonald House and the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau and its Howdy Committee.

She’s also committed to finding time within a sometimes grueling schedule for her family — her husband, Christopher, and sons Adam, 9, and Jack, 7. DeGray credits them with helping her rediscover a childhood obsession — skiing.

“My parents were both ski instructors — I lived on the mountain,” she said, adding that she put the pastime down as career and family responsibilities mounted. “A few years ago, I picked it up again, and I’m very passionate about it, because I can do it with my family.”

DeGray is no stranger to the 40 Under Forty Gala — the Log Cabin is hosting it for the eighth time this year. This time, though, she’ll see it from a much different light. Yes, she’s given herself the night off — with definitive plans to check out mentally.

— George O’Brien

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Latoya Bosworth

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

40 Under 40 The Class of 2016

Author, Teacher, Nonprofit Leader, K.Y.D.S; Age 38

Latoya Bosworth

Whether she’s at work teaching young people, leading workshops with nonprofit and human-service organizations, or writing and editing books, stories, and poetry collections, Latoya Bosworth is the queen of self-esteem.

A teacher, speaker, workshop leader, and writer, Bosworth offers several programs and resources to youths and women, bound together by the core ideas of self-worth and empowerment. She founded K.Y.D.S — Keep Youth Dreaming and Striving — in 2006 to offer mentoring to area youth on a one-on-one basis. She also launched the Gifted Diva Showcase the same year, a biannual exhibition for teen girls ages 13 to 19 designed to showcase their strengths (as opposed to their evening wear), and went on to launch the H.E.R.S — Health, Empowerment, Resiliency, and Self-worth — Conference for young women.

“I saw a lot of self-esteem lacking,” she said of her impetus for creating such a diverse set of programs. “Ultimately, my goal is to ensure people that their circumstances don’t have to define who they are. They may shape them, but do not define them.”

That’s a life lesson Bosworth learned herself and passes on to others at every opportunity. She lost her mother at age 4, and later her grandmother, who raised her from age 4 to 13, both to cancer. But she said she’s always been a positive, creative spirit, and that passion for life is seen in everything she does.

Her workshops for kids, teenagers, and adults range in topic from “Self-esteem Superheroes” for young girls to “Using the Pen to Push Past the Pain,” which incorporates some lessons from the national Freedom Writers Foundation; from “Motherless Mothers,” a facilitated forum for young moms who grew up without a mother of their own, to “Got H.E.R.S,” an all-encompassing session on personal growth for women ages 18 to 24.

As a poet, writer, and spoken-word artist, Bosworth has published eight books and performed at live events across the U.S., often using the moniker Brenda’s Child in honor of her late mother.

She’s also blended her many passions, in one instance, by creating a collection of poetry and essays by her students titled Our Voices.

As she continues to help others evolve into confident individuals, she continues to grow herself. Bosworth’s goals for the future include finding a central, dedicated space for K.Y.D.S programming in Western Mass., completing her Ph.D — now underway at Walden University — and passing on her lessons of strength and joy to her 18-year-old son, Najee, 4-year-old son, Elijah, and the rest of her large, extended family.

— Jaclyn Stevenson

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Holyoke’s ‘Homecoming’ is a Year-round Labor of Love

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

Features

Step by Step

ParadePipes

It was only a few days after the last marchers had passed the reviewing stand at the 65th annual Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade, but committee members were already hard at work breaking down that event and beginning work on the next one. It’s been this way since the beginning, in 1952, for what committee members prefer to call a ‘homecoming’ rather than a parade. The event is in many respects like a half-million-dollar business, but it’s different in one important respect: its lifeblood is committee members who not only volunteer, but pay for the privilege of being part of this labor of love.

There’s a clock in the upper right-hand corner of the home page on the website for the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade that counts down the days, hours, and minutes to the start of the next one, the 66th, set for March 19, 2017.

It’s there for the potential attendees and the general public, said Michael Moriarty, president of Olde Holyoke Development Corp. and the incoming chairman of the Parade Committee, adding quickly that those who make this event happen don’t need a countdown.

“They have one in their head,” he joked, adding that the roughly 120 active members of the committee (there are nearly 300 total) know just how many days — and at least one actually does know how many hours — there are to the next parade. And they also know what they have to do each month — and even each week — between now and then to assure that this ‘homecoming,’ as they prefer to call it, comes off with as few hitches as possible.

But while parade committee members don’t need a clock, they certainly need a good calendar, excellent time-management skills, and an understanding spouse or significant other, said Moriarty, adding that, if they are truly active — and most are just that — they will attend dozens of meetings over the next 335 days or so. In fact, most have already been to several since the 65th parade concluded just a few weeks ago.

There are no fewer than 22 subcommittees working on the event, said Moriarty, with assignments ranging from the pre-parade road race to marketing; from determining which bands will march to deciding who will receive each of the many coveted honors bestowed each year.

“We have lots of subcommittees because we have lots of moving parts,” he said, adding that what looks like extreme bureaucracy and overkill to some is actually a conscientious attempt to make sure each of those moving parts moves properly by awarding ownership of it to a laser-focused group with the requisite talents (more on that in a bit).

As BusinessWest talked with members of the parade’s Marketing Committee at Johnny’s Tavern in South Hadley just a few weeks after the parade, there were comparisons made between organizing the parade and a running a half-million-dollar business, which is what this is.

The parade’s Marketing Committee is one of 22 subcommittees working year-round to make the event a success.

And, in many cases, the comparisons work. The parade, like a business, has to be mindful of revenues and expenses, always with the goal of making sure the latter do not exceed the former. It must also put a premium on customer service and providing value for patrons. And, like ventures across all sectors of the economy, it puts an emphasis on continuous improvement.

But in many other ways, the analogy doesn’t work as well. The biggest difference is that the employees, the committee members, are not only volunteers, but they pay for the right to attend all those meetings and do all that work. Indeed, there is an annual fee or dues payment — a check that committee members look forward to writing.

“We don’t have any paid staff, and we’re one of the very few parades of this size that does not have a paid executive director,” said Moriarty, adding that the event has relied on generations of volunteers.

In a word, the parade is not a business, but a tradition, and so is the committee itself, with many members noting with pride in their voices that they are second- or third-generation participants. But while most traditions are resistant to change — and this one was for many years as well — it has come to the parade and the committee that organizes it, and in a meaningful way, said Alan Cathro, an officer with Meriden, Conn.-based Tucker Mechanical, who pointed at the people sitting at the table to get his point across.

“Until 1988 or so, it was all white men who were asked to be on the committee,” he said, noting that the parade committee was, in many respects, defined by what would be called ‘old Holyoke.’ Today, women comprise roughly half the parade committee, and it is diverse in many other ways as well, said Cathro, referring to race, age, and geography, among other traits.

It is this diversity that has enabled the parade to grow in size and stature and extend its influence well beyond the borders of Holyoke to become part of the fabric of the entire region.

For this issue, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the Holyoke parade, the committee that runs it, how this is a tradition that has changed with the times, and why those committee members don’t need a clock ticking down the days.

Marching Orders

When asked about those two dozen subcommittees and their various assignments, Moriarty offered a heavy sigh, but also a determined look that seemed to indicate that he could list them all if pressed and given enough time.

But when afforded the opportunity to provide a sampling, he seized upon it.

There is a committee devoted to the selection of a grand marshal, perhaps the most coveted honor, he noted, adding quickly that there is essentially a committee for each of the many awards that have been added over the years and the announcement events that are part of that process.

These range from the John F. Kennedy Award, presented annually to an American of Irish descent who has distinguished themselves in their chosen field, to the O’Connell Award, presented to a long-standing member of the Parade Committee who has made significant contributions to the fund-raising efforts of the parade and/or the association.

The pre-parade road race has become one of the weekend’s most anticipated events.

There’s also a committee (a large one) that handles both the March road race and the so-called ‘Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day Road Race,’ which, as that name suggests, is staged each fall. There’s a panel to run the annual fund-raising golf tournament in October, another to pick the Grand Colleen and her court, still another that’s charged with producing the annual parade program book (this year’s ran 124 pages), and on it goes.

Meanwhile, there are committees for the many area cities and towns that now have a significant presence at the parade, a lengthy list that includes Chicopee, West Springfield, Westfield, and many other communities.

As he noted earlier, Moriarty said the committees assume ownership of a specific assignment, thus providing a measure of quality assurance regarding all those parts to the whole.

“We break up into different areas of interest, with some of them related specifically to the parade, and some to the many events that precede it,” he explained. “We have a lot of skilled builders on our floats committee, for example; we have folks who assess and select all the bands; we have a coordination committee that works early on to make sure that things are lined up and come out onto the street properly — and that’s a very intensive bit of work that goes on well before anyone shows up in Holyoke.”

In fact, said Cathro, probably half of the subcommittees will have the bulk of their work, if not all of it, done two months before the parade.

But the work for the next year begins as soon as the parade or another specific event assigned to a subcommittee is in the books, said Brian Donoghue, a sales representative with ASICS Corp., who used the Road Race Committee, which he chairs, and its recent meeting to review this year’s race, as an example.

“We went over what worked and what didn’t, and we had a list of really every little thing that happened over those two days, the Friday and Saturday,” he noted. “It was three pages of notes — this went well, this didn’t go well, this needs to change — while it’s fresh in everyone’s mind.”

When asked how it went, he offered a firm “we did OK this year.”

More specifically, “we kept waiting for something to go wrong,” he joked, “and nothing really did.”

This same kind of commitment to detail, critical review, and continuous-improvement philosophy permeates each committee, said Moriarty, and this quality has facilitated continued growth and excellence.

Band of Brothers — and Sisters

Overall, the Holyoke parade, as an institution, likes to look back and reflect on the past, said Cathro, adding that this exercise involves everything from the weather that has greeted the event — everything from snow to mid-70s temperatures — to famous personalities, a list that includes the actor Robert Stack, the historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the author Tom Clancy, JFK, and his brother, Sen. Ted Kennedy.

But in general, and especially after that year’s parade is in the books, the focus is squarely on the future and writing new chapters to that storied legacy.

Together, the committee, the subcommittees, and their makeup convey how the parade has grown and changed — and, in many important ways, not changed — over the years, he went on, noting, as others did, that the parade has evolved from a Holyoke event into a regional phenomenon now ranked at or near the very top of the nation’s largest and most prestigious St. Patrick’s Day parades — and parades of any kind.

And while it’s not written down anywhere, it is the committee’s basic — and very broad — assignment to make sure that the parade maintains this distinction and is in all ways worthy of it.

Again, as all those smaller committees would suggest, there is much that goes into this, said Moriarty, who listed everything from securing the many local, regional, and even national sponsors for the event to taking the multi-faceted marketing efforts to a national level, to forging a relationship with WGBY, Channel 57, to televise the parade and thus give it status afforded to only a few parades across the country.

An event run solely by men as recently as 30 years ago has broadened its leadership demographics considerably since then.

What makes the Holyoke parade special and one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the country is the sum of procession that moves through the streets of Holyoke, said Sheila Moreau, vice president of Sales & Marketing and professional development coordinator for Springfield-based Mindwing Concepts Inc., listing everything from those aforementioned celebrities to bands like the internationally known Mummers.

There are expenses attached to most all of those elements, she went on, adding that some bands cost as much as $5,000, and even high-school bands must be compensated for their appearances.

This puts a premium on finding sponsors, she told BusinessWest, noting that this is work the public doesn’t see, but it’s critically important to maintaining the parade’s high standards for quality. And to sell the parade to sponsors, committee members don’t sell it as a parade.

“It’s not just a road race, it’s not just a parade, it’s this whole weekend — it’s kind of a festival of sorts, a true homecoming,” said Moreau, adding that this message resonates not only with local companies like Holyoke-based PeoplesBank and a host of smaller businesses that call the Paper City home, but also with regional stalwarts such as Big Y and international corporations such as Stop & Shop and Aer Lingus. “We have an incredible product for people to be involved with.”

But it certainly helps to be able to show these sponsors just what kind of value they’re getting for their contribution, she went on, adding that the parade’s Marketing Committee can now provide detailed information about just how many individual impressions they will generate by putting their name in front of the 400,000 attendees.

And while it’s essential to note what those selling sponsorships or carrying out the subcommittee work do to make the annual homecoming memorable and run smoothly, said Moriarty, it’s more important to examine how that work is carried out, and by whom.

Regarding the former, he noted that, while there is more diversity than ever when it comes to who works on the parade, the common denominator remains passion for the event and a firm understanding of all that it means, not just to Holyoke, but the region.

As for the latter, as he looked around the table at Johnny’s, he noted the many young faces, the fact that half those present were women, and some of those present were definitely not of Irish descent.

“Those are all very healthy signs,” he said, adding that, where once individuals had to be asked to serve, now people can request to be part of this tradition. And many do, said Moriarty, adding that recruitment has never really been a problem, especially of late.

“I’ve been on the committee for 29 years, and I’ve witnessed this dichotomy — on the one hand, we’ve been successful for a very long time, and you never want to break the stuff that you did right last year,” he said. “So there’s a lot of resistance to change for that very legitimate reason. But at the same time, we’re in a dynamic economy where the source of our sponsors change, and in a world where service oganizations are not growing or getting younger.

“We’re an exception to that — we’re growing, and we’re getting younger, and a big reason for that is the change that allowed women to be members,” he went on. “We wouldn’t have a committee if we weren’t open to bringing women on.”

But beyond the breaking of the gender wall, the parade continues to attract young people from across the region who are drawn by everything from the majesty of the event to the friendships that come from being part of it all.

Moving Experience

Hayley Dunn, a community relations and economic development specialist with Eversource Energy, summed things up nicely.

“I’m a second-generation member, and my sister is a member as well; we have a lot of pride in the history of the parade and the organization and the work that our fathers and grandfathers have done,” she told BusinessWest, using that collective ‘we’ to refer to everyone in the room and those who will be attending all those other meetings over the next 340 days. “So we don’t want to see these events fail. I felt a duty … I came to Holyoke, and I joined the Parade Committee to make sure this amazing homecoming event keeps going. ”

Such sentiments go a long way toward explaining why this event continues to grow in size and stature — and also why none of the committee members need to look at that countdown clock on the home page.

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

The Berkshires Beckon Year-round Visitors Looking to Get Up, Out, and Away

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

Sections Travel and Tourism

The Great Escape

The Berkshire region has become known for its outdoors and foodie tourism.

By JACLYN C. STEVENSON

The Berkshires have always been a haven for tourists and a region in many ways dependent on the dollars those tourists spend. And throughout history, this has been largely a summer phenomenon. But in recent years, the state’s westernmost county has been devoted to making itself a year-round destination, with those efforts yielding solid results.

In the late 1800s, society’s well-to-do waved farewell to ‘the season’ in the Berkshires — the summer months — with elaborate parades, featuring horse-drawn carriages.

In the 1910s and 1920s, vacationers returned in the warmer months to venues like the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, for a chance to see the stars — Ethel Barrymore, Al Jolson, and Sarah Bernhard, to name a few — basking in the glow of General Electric’s newfangled footlights.

And in the 30s, the first picnickers began flocking to Tanglewood’s grounds, bringing increasingly over-the-top spreads with them to listen to music outside and engage in a bit of neighborly competition.

Today, all of these attractions — even GE’s switch-board-operated footlights, though not in operation — still help define a vibrant summer and early-fall season that offers a number of historic cultural opportunities. Across Berkshire County, however, leaders of destinations of all kinds agree that year-round development is the key to continued success. To that end, they’re allocating dollars, developing partnerships, and highlighting hidden talents, with the common goal of welcoming visitors during all seasons, not just ‘the season.’

Dinner and a Show

Lindsey Schmid, director of Marketing at 1Berkshire and the Berkshire Visitors Bureau, said this includes calling attention to all the area’s specific strengths: farm-to-table culinary experiences, year-round outdoor recreation, and several different types of lodging opportunities, from bed and breakfasts to boutique inns to large hotels.

“The Berkshires will always be a cultural mecca, but the rolling hills and open space not filled with cars is part of that culture,” Schmid said. “More and more people are viewing us as a year-round escape, and we’re working to call attention to the different things visitors are escaping to.”

That includes a rich ‘foodie’ culture that extends from fine dining to locally produced niche items, such as spirits from Berkshire Mountain Distillers, cheese from Cricket Creek Farm, craft beer from Big Elm Brewing and Wandering Star Brewery, and bread from Berkshire Mountain Bakery.

1Berkshire staff pose with #intheberkshires signs — just one aspect of a larger effort to brand the region as a year-round destination for travelers of all ages.

The Berkshire theater scene, often thought of in terms of summer stock, has evolved to offer readings of plays in progress, musical-theater labs, and new works that have started at venues such as Barrington Stage Co. in Pittsfield, Shakespeare and Co. in Lenox, and WAM Theatre, a professional company that produces plays and events across Berkshire County with a focus on female theater artists and stories of women and girls.

“There’s so much to do all year round, we often remind even local residents of the value that is in their backyard,” said Schmid. “Many theater productions that got their start here have gone on to present off- and on-Broadway following successful showings in the Berkshires. That’s a point of pride for us.”

For instance, Schmid called WAM Theatre (the acronym stands for Where Arts and Activism Meet) “a start-up that also brings a new level of theater” to the Berkshires. Now in its seventh year in business, WAM continues to find new ways to extend its influence — and its season. Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven announced plans for the company’s 2016 season in February — including performances and events scheduled from February into October and a new collaboration with the Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG), an organization created in 2010 by the merger of two of Berkshire County’s oldest cultural organizations: Berkshire Theatre Festival, founded in 1928 in Stockbridge, and the Colonial Theatre, built in 1903 in Pittsfield.

Click HERE for a chart of the region’s tourist attractions

“I’m delighted to announce the programming we’ve planned for WAM Theatre’s seventh season,” said van Ginhoven. “We have a dynamic lineup of events that fulfill our vision of creating opportunity for women and girls.”

She will direct WAM’s main-stage production, the American premiere of The Bakelite Masterpiece by Kate Cayley, in September and October this year, outside of the more traditional summer season. The play will be co-produced with BTG and performed at the Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge.

“The play came to me via a close colleague in Canada who acted in the original production,” she noted. “I immediately envisioned it at the Unicorn and approached Kate Maguire [Berkshire Theatre Group artistic director and CEO], who loved the play. WAM Theatre is very excited that the Berkshire Theatre Group has opened their doors to make this a co-production.”

A Walk in the Woods

Schmid noted that she’s seen the region’s marketing dollars spreading across the entire calendar more and more in this way — traditional seasons lengthening, the ‘off-season’ shortening, and an overall, collaborative effort afoot to position the Berkshires as an escape for all types of travelers, rather than simply an historic or cultural destination.

“In the past, there’s been a lot of marketing of the summer and fall, because that’s when we had traffic. In the last couple of years in particular, though, we’ve focused more branding dollars on the shoulder seasons,” she said, adding that the tourism industry on the whole is seeing a trend toward travelers looking for unique outdoor experiences, and that’s something on which Berkshire County can capitalize.

“It’s not just taking a hike outdoors — there are adventure opportunities like aerial parks, as well as things designed to make nature feel more accessible to people who aren’t used to it,” she said, listing mountain biking, white-water rafting, mountain coasters — including North America’s longest, the Thunderbolt at Berkshire East in Charlemont — and the burgeoning trend of forest bathing, through which groups are guided through the woods, traveling short distances but taking in the scenery, among the options.

Lindsey Schmid says the region’s farm-to-table culinary experiences, outdoor recreation, and lodging opportunities make it a year-round destination.

“The outdoor activity message in the Berkshires is allowing us to talk to a slightly younger audience,” she said, “but also to address other hurdles, like museum fatigue among group tours. That’s something so many cultural facilities are experiencing … and here, they can stay outdoors, experiencing the natural beauty and enjoying a cultural experience at the same time; that sets us apart.”

Indeed, Berkshire County is home to several outdoor cultural venues. In addition to Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home in Lenox, Jacob’s Pillow in Becket offers world-class dance performances outside on a 220-acre parcel of land that is also a national historic landmark. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge includes 36 acres of largely walkable space, as does adjacent Chesterwood — once the summer home of sculptor Daniel Chester French — which regularly offers modern sculpture walks on its campus.

Conversely, the region’s outdoor destinations, including its mountain resorts — among them Berkshire East, Ski Butternut in Great Barrington, Jiminy Peak in Hancock, and Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield — have taken a page from the cultural venues, offering a greater variety of things to do throughout the year. Now in its 15th year, the Berkshires Arts Festival is hosted at Ski Butternut in July. Jiminy Peak has had some late-autumn success with its 13 Nights of Jiminy haunted attraction, and Berkshire East opened Thunder Mountain Bike Park just last year.

Sherry Roberts, who owns Bousquet, noted that a number of upgrades have been made at the mountain in recent years, all with an eye toward year-round operation.

“We’ve made a lot of renovations to our banquet space, allowing us to open the lodge up for private functions,” she said. “We’re contacting schools and booking them now for summer adventure camp, as well as different parks and recreation groups.”

Roberts said the adventure-camp business, along with other offerings such as a waterslide, adventure park, zipline, and go-karts, serve Bousquet Mountain well — necessitating a full-time office staff during the summer months as well as ski, snowboarding, and tubing season.

“We do try to book most of the summer,” said Roberts, noting that the mountain resort community feels the importance of year-round business acutely, especially following a particularly slushy winter ski season that never quite guaranteed even a full week of strong sales. “When you have a group coming at a specific time and date, there are no surprises — not like opening the doors in January and seeing pouring rain.”

With all of New England seeing record warmth, Roberts said this season was particularly short.

“There were no snowstorms in the forecast, so we were very careful with the money we spent on snow making,” she said. “But we continued right to the end of the season, and I have a tremendous staff that is young and full of ideas. Whether it’s private functions, groups, or what we offer to the public, we’re always trying to build on it.”

All for One

Continuing to build on the idea of cooperation across all types of tourism outfits in the Berkshires, Schmid said 1Berkshire is working more and more with its members to create group opportunities such as cooperative ad buys, sponsorships, and other member benefits that help stretch the marketing budget across 12 months. To woo a younger audience, the region has also taken to putting its many attractions under one social-media umbrella: #intheberkshires, which is added to everything from billboards to Facebook updates.

“We’re branding all year round, and we’re better honed in than ever on specific messages about what our members offer,” she said. “The overall push is that, whoever you are, you can imagine yourself in the Berkshires.”

While that daydream might include a late-season picnic at Tanglewood, a night at the theater, and a farewell to the season with flower-festooned carriages, it can also include a modern meal, an arts walk, or even a high-wire zipline. Whatever the season, the Berkshires are open for business.

Brimfield Shows Attract Buyers, Sellers from Around the Globe

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

Sections Travel and Tourism

Treasure Trove

Shows are held in May, July, and September, and unusual statues are among the many items for sale.

Patricia Schultz’s New York Times bestseller 1,000 Places to See Before You Die includes the Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Show, and, as a result, the world-renowned event has been put on many people’s bucket lists.

“I had a lady call from Michigan last week who is coming in May just for that reason,” said Lenny Weake, president of the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce, which fields an untold number of calls every year about the show that began 57 years ago and features about 6,000 vendors on 1,200 acres of privately owned property that stretch along a one-mile strip of Route 20.

The event is held three times a year, and the first show of 2016 will take place May 10-15. Many people make reservations a year in advance, and local hotels and motels from Springfield to Sturbridge take bookings from all over the U.S. and as far away as England, France, and Korea.

“Anything you could ever dream of can be found here,” Weake said. “It’s not just small items and trinkets. There are life-size statues, vintage ice-cream stools and counters, all types of period furniture, antique signs, toys, clocks, trains, jewelry, old magazines, movie posters, and buttons so intricate you need a magnifying glass to see the mosaics on them.”

But he admits it can be a test of endurance when a dedicated collector is in search of a specific item because vendors are not grouped by the type of merchandise they sell or the fields where they are located. In fact, there is no map to help locate a particular vendor, which makes it especially important for people to get receipts with names and phone numbers when they make a purchase, in case they want to return to the booth.

It takes days to walk the properties, and Weake advises people to dress comfortably and bring a backpack or wagon to hold their purchases because their vehicle may be parked six fields away from where they find what they want.

Some fields are open only on selected days, and because there is an endless bounty of things to see, many shoppers browse Wednesday through Sunday, including avid antique enthusiasts and collectors determined to be among the first on hand when a new field opens.

Over 1 million people attend the three annual outdoor showcases, which will be held this year May 10-15, July 12-17, and Sept. 6-11. However, the May show typically contains the most merchandise because dealers buy pieces all winter and often bring so much, they need to rent more than one spot to put it on display.

David Lamberto began helping the owner of Hertan’s Antique Show 25 years ago. That’s the name of the field he eventually purchased and runs today. He explained that the words ‘field’ and ‘show’ are used interchangeably, but the reality is that each show is its own entity and run by the person who owns the property.

The town of Brimfield is not involved with the event, although property owners must get permits, and Massachusetts state tax is collected on purchased items.

Vendors plan for the events far in advance, and many have been returning for decades, setting up their wares in booths next to their friends.

“They regard it as more than an opportunity to sell things,” Lamberto noted. “They also come to buy and network. It’s almost like a convention of antique dealers from all over the country.”

Expanding Horizon

Auctioneer Gordon Reid staged the first notable Brimfield antique show in 1959 after he purchased a piece of property on Route 20. It featured 67 dealers, attracted about 300 people, and was so successful he held a second one the same year.

Lenny Weakes says people come from all over the world to buy and sell at the Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Show.

By the time Reid died in 1974, the 25 acres dedicated to his show had become home to about 800 vendors, and many marked the annual events on their calendars. After he passed away, his daughters, Jill Lukesh and Judy Mathieu, took over and changed his business name from the Gordon Reid Company to J & J Promotions.

Word spread about Gordon’s success, and when they began turning dealers away due to lack of space, many started knocking on neighbors’ doors, and the show expanded as owners of adjoining properties cashed in on the opportunity.

Every show or field charges for parking, and a few, including J & J, charge the first day they open, but many have no admission charge. In addition, a plethora of food vendors are spread out over the mile-long strip so visitors don’t have to worry about where to eat. Most dealers have porters that can help with large, bulky items.

And although the Brimfield Outdoor Antique Show is a venue unto itself, local businesses including restaurants, gas stations, hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfast operations benefit from each seasonal show and have come to rely on it for part of their annual revenue.

The Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce receives endless calls about where to stay and what there is to do in the area, since families and spouses often attend together, but not everyone likes to shop. Weake and his staff work hard to educate them, promote their members, and tell callers about area historical or tourist attractions they might enjoy.

He added that transportation is often a critical part of a discussion because many visitors arrive at Bradley International Airport or on Amtrak and need to rent a vehicle. “People from places like New York City can’t envision what the show is like or the geography of it is like,” Weake explained. “They’re flabbergasted when I tell them there is no public transportation or taxi service in Brimfield.”

But the event is definitely an economic driver for the area, and Weake’s goal is to get people to stay at least an extra day. Many do, and visit attractions that range from the Basketball Hall of Fame and Springfield Museums to Yankee Candle and Old Sturbridge Village, while others drive to see historic sites, such as the 14 milestones Benjamin Franklin erected in 1767 when he was assistant postmaster general of the U.S. and mail was delivered to towns along the Old Boston Post Road.

The owners of properties who rent space formed the Brimfield Show Promoters Assoc. some time ago and advertise the event via the Internet, TV, and print media. They also belong to a number of different chambers and visitors and convention bureaus that help to spread the word. And some, including J & J Promotions, do their own advertising.

Social media has also helped raise awareness, and five years ago, Gretchen Aubuchon of Aubuchon Hardware started a tent for designers at Hertan’s by advertising it on Twitter. It was well-received, and for three years, busloads of designers from across the country gathered in a beautifully decorated private tent outfitted with chandeliers and a bar where they relaxed, compared notes, and stopped to rest during shopping sprees.

The tent ceased to exist two years ago after Aubuchon moved to a different job, but designers still band together, and last week Lamberto received a call from a Chicago group that will attend the May event. There are also celebrities and buyers from many different places, including local antique shops that rely on the show to boost their inventory of sought-after items.

“Ralph Polo sends a team to find things to decorate their stores, and we see people like Barbra Streisland and Martha Stewart every year,” he told BusinessWest.

The popular TV show Flea Market Flip usually stages a taping in Brimfield at least once a season, and Weake said the newest, most-sought-after items include repurposed furniture and building materials that have been transformed into lights, wine racks, and other one-of-a-kind pieces.

Collecting Memories

When eBay first became popular, business decreased slightly, and although people still use their cell phones to compare prices and haggle, there is nothing like the joy of finding something unexpected, being able to touch it, and bringing it home that same day.

“Our father was a visionary. He pioneered the show, did beautifully with it, and we hope we are making him proud,” Lukesh said.

Leake is happy it draws so much attention to the Quaboag region and also benefits area businesses.

“It’s the place to be, and people come here from all over the U.S. as well as from other countries,” he said. “We want them to have a good time, and they do. It’s a beautiful area and a treasure hunt; there is everything under the sun, and you never know what you will find.”

Incorporations

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

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

AMHERST

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

CHESTERFIELD

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

EAST LONGMEADOW

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

GREAT BARRINGTON

Berkshire Community Land Trust Inc., 140 Jug End Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Billie Best, 16 White’s Hill Road, Alford, MA 01230. Education, research, and the promotion of and appreciation for community access to land and other natural resources in Berkshire County and environs for sustainable: 1. Affordable housing, 2. Farming, 3. Economic diversity, and 4. Open space for recreation. B. Enhancement of the community by acquiring by gift or purchase land and interests in land in Berkshire County.

Barlow Landscaping, Excavation, Paving and Construction Corp., 77 Davis St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Bryan Barlow, same. Landscaping, excavation, paving and construction and any other lawful business or activity.

HAMPDEN

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

HOLYOKE

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

LEE

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

PITTSFIELD

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

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

WEST SPRINGFIELD

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

WILBRAHAM

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

Chamber Corners

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com

(413) 253-0700

• May 11: After 5, 5-7 p.m., Amherst Golf Club, 365 South Pleasant St., Amherst. The club will be running some fun-filled activities that evening, including a 50/50 putting contest, and attendees will receive a voucher for a free round of golf. Established in 1900, the semi-private Amherst Golf Club is owned by Amherst College and run independently by an incorporated community group of dedicated golfers. The 9-hole layout, which tests all skill levels, was designed by Walter Hatch, an assistant of the famed Donald Ross, and later renovated by Geoffrey Cornish. Cost: $10 for chamber members, $15 for non-members.

EAST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.erc5.com

(413) 575-7230

• April 19: ERC5 Feast in the East, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Twin Hills Country Club, 700 Wolf Swamp Road, Longmeadow. Come sample dishes from area restaurants and have a chance to vote in for the coveted People Choice award. There will be ample time to mingle and network in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Silver spoon sponsor: the Republican. Restaurant Sponsors: CMD Technology Group Inc., Freedom Credit Union, the Gaudreau Group, Glenmeadow Retirement Community, JGS Lifecare, Life Care Center of Wilbraham, NUVO Bank & Trust Co., and Robert Charles Photography. Cost: $25.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• April 20: April Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., La Quinta Inn & Suites, 100 Congress St., Springfield. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members.

• April 21: Mornings with the Mayor, 8-9 a.m., Polish National Credit Union, 46 Main St., Chicopee. Free for all chamber members.

• May 18: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., Elms College, 291 Springfield St., Chicopee. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members.

• May 20: Golf Tournament at Chicopee Country Club, 10 a.m. start. Cost: $125 per golfer, $600 corporate green sponsorship includes a foursome and exclusive green sponsorship.

• May 21: New York City bus trip. A day on your own in the city. Bus leaves at 7 a.m. and returns at 9:30 p.m. Cost: $55 per person.

• May 25: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., Loomis House, 298 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Cost: $10 for members pre-registered, $15 for non-members. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• April 29: Legislative Luncheon on Tourism, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton St., Holyoke. The Greater Holyoke and the Greater Easthampton chambers are teaming up to present an opportunity to discuss local tourism with keynote speakers Mary Kay Wydra, president, Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau; MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis; and Seth Stratton, vide president and general council, MGM Springfield. State Sen. Eric Lesser, chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts & Culture Development, will speak to what’s happening at the state level. Sponsored by Resnic, Beauregard, Waite and Driscoll. Cost: $30 for members, $35 for non-members, which includes lunch. To register, call (413) 527-9414 or visit www.easthamptonchamber.com.

• May 7: Downtown Cleanup Day, 8 a.m. to noon. General cleanup of downtown, the Rail Trail, Cottage Street municipal parking lot, the banks of the Nashawannuck Pond, and more. Volunteers are needed. No experience is necessary. Volunteers will meet at the Easthampton Chamber of Commerce to receive their assignments. Register at (413) 527-9414.

• May 12: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., Amy’s Place. To register, call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• May 19: Medallion Speaker Forum, noon to 1:30 p.m. “The Affordable Care Act: The Legal Twists & Turns.” Attorney Eilin Gaynor of Health New England helps employers, business owners, and entrepreneurs navigate the legalities of this important piece of legislation. Complete Payroll Services shares what it means from an accounting perspective. Space is limited for this member exclusive opportunity. Cost: $20, which includes a boxed lunch. For more information, call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holyokechamber.com

(413) 534-3376

• April 29: Legislative Luncheon on Tourism, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton St., Holyoke. The Greater Holyoke and the Greater Easthampton chambers are teaming up to present an opportunity to discuss local tourism with keynote speakers Mary Kay Wydra, president, Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau; MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis; and Seth Stratton, vide president and general council, MGM Springfield. State Sen. Eric Lesser, chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts & Culture Development, will speak to what’s happening at the state level. Sponsored by Resnic, Beauregard, Waite and Driscoll. Cost: $30 for members, $35 for non-members, which includes lunch. To register, call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376 or visit holyokechamber.com.

• May 16: Annual Chamber Cup Golf Tournament celebrating the chamber’s 125th anniversary, Wyckoff Country Club, 233 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Registration and lunch at 10:30 a.m., tee off at noon (scramble format), dinner following game with assorted food stations. Cost: $125 per player includes lunch, 18 holes of golf, cart, and dinner. Dinner only: $25. Awards, raffles, and cash prizes follow dinner. Corporate sponsors: Dowd Insurance, Goss & McLain Insurance Agency, Holyoke Gas & Electric, Loomis Communities, Marcotte Ford, Mountain View Landscapes, Northeast IT Systems Inc., Holyoke Medical Center, and Resnic, Beauregard, Waite & Driscoll. For reservations or sponsorships, call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376 or visit holyokechamber.com.

• May 18: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted and sponsored by Quality Life Adult Day Services, 18 Elm St., Holyoke (behind the South Street Shopping Center). Join friends and colleagues for this fun and casual evening of networking. Tours of the new facility will be available. Cost: $10 for chamber members, $15 for non-members and walk-ins.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com

(413) 584-1900

• April 22: Workshop: “Waste Reduction & Energy Efficiency,” 9:30-11 a.m., Center for EcoTechnology, 320 Riverside Dr., Northampton. Waste reduction and energy-efficiency upgrades can save your business money. This workshop will cover incentives, benefits, and options to green your business. Learn from case studies of other local businesses that have started waste-diversion programs or installed energy-efficiency improvements. RSVP required, and space is limited. To register, contact Cate Foley at [email protected] or (413) 586-7350, ext. 240.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• April 18: “The Painkiller Epidemic: Legal Implications of Prescription Drug Use in the Workplace,” 8:30-10 a.m., Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Prescription drug use in the workplace is on the rise. From an employer’s perspective, employees who are abusing prescription medication tend to be less productive, less reliable, prone to absenteeism, a greater safety risk, and create unnecessary costs, burdens, and liabilities to the company. Royal, P.C. will present an informational seminar that will address some of the most common areas employers express uncertainty and concern about, including maintaining a safe workplace, enforcing drug-free workplace policies and conducting drug testing, and the risk of disability-discrimination claims. Light refreshments will be served. Cost: free for chamber members, $30 for non-members.

• April 26: Sixth annual Southwick Home & Business Show, 4:30-7 p.m., Southwick Town Hall, 454 College Highway. The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce is once again partnering with the Southwick Economic Development Commission on this tabletop event to promote Southwick businesses. Cost to display: $25 per business (Southwick businesses only). Registration form and payment due by April 11. The event is free and open to the public. Questions can be e-mailed to [email protected], or leave a message at (413) 304-6100.

• May 2: Mayor’s Coffee Hour with Mayor Brian Sullivan, the Arbors Assisted Living Residential Communities, 40 Court St., Westfield. Event is free and open to the public. To register or for more information, call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• May 9: Workshop: “What to Save and What to Shred?” at Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Registration and networking at 8:30 a.m., followed by workshop from 9 to 10 a.m. Attorney Karina Schrengohst of Royal, P.C. will present an informational seminar providing an overview of state and federal record-keeping requirements. The discussion will cover which records must be saved, where records must be kept, and how long records must be retained pursuant to a variety of employment laws. Cost: free for chamber members, $30 for non-members. To register, call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• May 11: After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., Bella Medspa, 3 Court St., Westfield. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to network, and bring your business cards. Refreshments will be served. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. To register, call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• May 23: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce 55th annual Golf Tournament, East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield. Registration and lunch, 10 a.m.; shotgun start, 11 a.m.; cocktail hour, 4 p.m.; dinner, 5 p.m. Cost: $500 for a foursome with dinner, or register a single player for $125. Title sponsor: Alternative Health Inc. Premium gift sponsor: Westfield Gas and Electric. Ball sponsor: Westfield Gas and Electric. Cart sponsor: Westfield Bank. Goody-bag sponsor: Liptak Emergency Water Removal. Register by calling the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or e-mailing [email protected]. Consider donating a raffle prize or a gift for the wine and spirit table raffle.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.myonlinechamber.com

(413) 787-1555

• April 27: Beacon Hill Summit, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Massachusetts State House. Co-hosted by state Sen. James Welch and state Rep. Angelo Puppolo Jr. Day-long opportunity to meet with members of the Baker-Polito administration and the Massachusetts delegation. Sponsored by Comcast and WWLP-TV 22, presented in partnership with the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce, and supported by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. Cost: $180 per person, which includes continental breakfast, transportation, lunch, reception, and all materials. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• May 4: Springfield Regional Chamber Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Natural History, Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards St., Springfield. “The Creative Economy” panel discussion with Helena Fruscio, deputy assistant secretary of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology; and Jeffrey Bianchine, Holyoke Creative Economy coordinator. Sponsored by United Personnel and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. Cost: $20 for members in advance ($25 at the door), $30 for non-members. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• May 11: Springfield Regional Chamber Economic Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., MassMutual Center, 1277 State St., Springfield. “Creating a Western Massachusetts Renaissance” discussion with John Traynor, People’s United Bank; Rick Sullivan, Western Mass. Economic Development Council; and Dr. Mark Keroack, Baystate Health, moderated by David Hobert, People’s United Bank. Panelists will discuss the Massachusetts economy, how communities across the Commonwealth can work together to create a broader and more robust economy, local economic-development initiatives at work in Western Mass., how the region can capitalize on its existing assets and develop its growth engines, and the important role the healthcare sector plays in developing centers of excellence for future growth. Sponsored by People’s United Bank. Cost: $35. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

May 18: Springfield Regional Chamber Kick Off to Summer After 5, 5-7 p.m., Colony Club, 1500 Main St., Springfield. Informal, after-hours networking. Sponsored by Wolf & Company, P.C. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• May 24: Springfield Regional Chamber Pastries, Politics & Policy, 9-10 a.m., TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. Featuring state Secretary of Administration and Finance Kristen Lepore. Cost: $15 for members, $25 for non-members. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com

(413) 426-3880

• May 4: Wicked Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Park Square Realty 470 Westfield St., West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. Cost: free for chamber members, $10 at the door for non-members. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

• May 10: Coffee with Mayor Reichelt, 8-9:30 a.m., West Springfield Senior Center, 128 Park St. Join us for a cup of coffee and a town update from Mayor Will Reichelt. Q&A will immediately follow. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

• May 19: West of the River Chamber of Commerce Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., Cal’s Wood Fired Grill, 1068 Riverdale St., West Springfield. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. You must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief sales pitch. The only cost to attend is the cost of your lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately the day of the event. We cannot invoice you for these events.  For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

PeoplesBank To Jump Start Gardening Season With Free Earth Day Events

By BusinessWest Staff April 19, 2016

Daily News

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank, a leader in corporate environmental sustainability, has announced its 2016 Earth Day events. The bank will give away flowers and vegetable garden seeds to the public on Earth Day, April 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations:

300 King St., Northampton, a LEED® gold-certified office;
1051 St. James Ave., Springfield, a LEED® silver-certified office;
1240 Sumner Ave., Springfield; and
547 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, a LEED® Gold certified office

The events will be open to the public. Quantities are limited and will be distributed while supplies last, and only at the designated PeoplesBank offices.

Elms College Dance Team to Host Cancer Fund-raiser Concert

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2016

Daily News

CHICOPEE — The Elms College dance team will hold a dance concert in celebration of life and love on Sunday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Veritas Auditorium. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the We Love Riley Fan Club, an organization that promotes childhood cancer awareness and research, and provides assistance to children and families living with this disease.

This is the fourth year the dance team has organized this event in partnership with the organization — named for 8-year-old Riley Román of South Hadley, who died of pediatric brain cancer in 2012 — which also raises money to donate Starlight Fun Center Mobile Entertainment Units to hospital departments serving children with brain cancer and brain tumors.

The concert will feature a variety of dance styles, from hip-hop to contemporary. “We will have dancers of all different ages and experiences, from beginners to professionals, from all over Massachusetts,” said Justine Butler, the dance team’s co-captain with Kendal Cassada. Many of the dancers will come from Elms, but some will come from other area colleges, such as Bay Path University, or local dance studios.

The show will last approximately 90 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission during which raffle prizes will be announced, and refreshments and baked goods will be sold. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $5 for students. Attendees may reserve tickets online at bit.ly/1WnxAxG — this option guarantees the student price for all tickets reserved. Payments accepted by cash or check only; checks may be made payable to the Elms College Dance Team. Additional donations are also welcome.

“This event should bring the community together as advocates for change and awareness while enjoying and appreciating the arts,” Butler said.

The Elms College Dance Team is a club sport with 15 members. The advisor is Maureen Holland, and coach Noel St. Jean-Chevalier runs practices and choreographs routines.

“Participating in these events allows us students to reach beyond our academic potential and see the change that we can make in our community,” Butler said. “College isn’t just about growing as a student with the hopes of graduating with a career — it is about growing in character and faith to ultimately reach our fullest potential, so that we can thrive in our ever-changing world. Dance, academics, and community events allow us to become well-rounded and passionate individuals. They enable students to become leaders and advocates for their passions and desires — to make a difference.”

Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club Expands Its Offerings

By BusinessWest Staff April 5, 2016

Sections Sports & Leisure

Communion with Nature

Benjamin Quick hopes to strengthen and grow programs at Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club so more people can experience the beauty of the Connecticut River.

Sunlight dances off sparkling water as Emily Quirk sits on a platform overlooking the Connecticut River. Her white socks are wet and muddy, but the 17-year-old pays no heed to the chilly breeze blowing along the riverfront; her focus is upstream as she watches for the two boats she helped launch — thus, the muddy feet — return from their first outing this season.

Quirk has been rowing since eighth grade, and is a member of the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club’s (PVRC) competitive team. “The sport is unique. Not many people are involved with it, but just being on the river is so peaceful,” she said.

It’s that same feeling and sense of wonder that newly appointed PVRC Executive Director Benjamin Quick hopes to promote in his mission to expand the club’s visibility, programming, and sponsorship. He also wants to upgrade some of the equipment and improve the boathouse, and although he has only been on the job a few weeks, new programs have already been put into place, and marketing efforts have begun to meet those goals.

“Most people don’t know anything about rowing. They think the only way to get on the water is to rent a kayak. But our rowing program provides recreational and competitive opportunities,” Quick said, adding that it only takes one day to learn to paddle a dragon boat.

His efforts to raise awareness about PVRC will get a decided boost in early December, when PVRC hosts the 2016 U.S. Rowing Annual Convention.

“This will be the most momentous rowing event in Springfield in a century; it will be the culmination of our work this year and put Springfield on the map,” Quick said, explaining that the convention is the premier event for organized rowing and teaching.

The multi-day affair will highlight the history of rowing, look to its future, and include a number of seminars and programs.

“We’re the gateway to the Connecticut River in Springfield, and this will be dream exposure,” Quick continued. “The rowing community is international but very networked, and since PVRC is the host club, it lends a degree of legitimacy to what we have felt here internally.”

More than 600 rowers, coaches, and interested people are expected to attend, along with several dozen vendors, and although the events will be held in Springfield hotels, PVRC will offer boathouse tours and is planning a Saturday-evening gala to make the convention memorable.

The last convention was held in Philadelphia, which boasts 12 private, exclusive boathouses that date back to the 19th century. “It’s a tough act to follow, but we are the people’s solution to getting on the water in Springfield,” Quick said, explaining that the City of Homes was selected as the 2016 venue due to efforts by the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

GSCVB President Mary Kay Wydra said outreach began when there was talk of hosting the Olympics in Boston in 2024. During that time period, the tourism board worked hard to make connections that would promote sports-related activities in Western Mass., which led to winning the bid to have the U.S. Rowing Convention held here.

“We want to bring sporting events to the region that have an economic impact on our local economy,” said GSCVB Director of Sales Alicia Szenza. “We’re really proud that Springfield was selected.”

Changing Landscape

Springfield has a storied rowing history, and in 2012 PVRC took up residence in a century-old building that formerly housed Bassett Boat’s showroom. It sits on the edge of North Riverfront Park, which recently received a $1.3 million makeover, and is backed by the 3.7-mile Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway.

Quick said the club is delighted with the new pergola, pavilion, picnic tables, nautical flagpole, and sitting walls at the park, and works closely with the city to maintain it.

The views and the new amenities were designed to attract more people, and the improvements are important to the public face of PVRC, which is dependent on sponsorships, grants, and donations to fund its annual $500,000 budget.

The clubs sponsor a large number of youth programs, and Quick said the business community has been very supportive, with many companies stepping forward to help, such as Peter Pan Bus Lines, which houses some of its boats during the winter.

The Dragon Boat Festival on June 25 offers businesses a unique team building opportunity on the Connecticut River that includes entertainment, food, and a chance to compete for prizes.

The clubhouse has undergone recent renovations; new men’s and women’s locker rooms with showers have been added, and a new community room is slowly taking shape, where parents can relax and young people can do their homework if they arrive before the afternoon programming begins. The floor was just finished, thanks to help from United Water (Suez) in Agawam, which supplied the labor to paint it after a broken pipe destroyed the carpeting last winter. In addition, donations of high-quality, second-hand furniture are being accepted.

“Everyone who is exposed to what we do wants to help,” Quick said. But, unfortunately, many companies that support the club have told him they will have to reduce their contributions this year.

“But I see it as an opportunity, not a challenge,” he continued, adding that the organization has taken a close look at where to make improvements and what can be cut. For example, the club just hired three, part-time seasonal coaches, which is a reduction from the past, when they were overstaffed and didn’t have enough formal programs. “But that leak in the dam has been plugged,” he noted.

To illustrate that point, he told BusinessWest about a few new, formal initiatives that will kick off this summer. They include a five-day learn-to-row program that will take place the first week of each month; a dragon-boat paddling program, and an opportunity for experienced rowers to engage in high-performance training.

Corporate outings are also on the menu, and will range from kayaking to canoeing, with refreshments. “These programs will allow adults to get some exercise, see the city from a new perspective, and have a story to tell, which is part of the century-old rowing legacy,” Quick said, noting that business events will be custom-tailored to suit individual needs.

As mentioned before, youth programs comprise a critical part of the club’s mission, and about 100 young people are exposed to start rowing through the club — and hopefully develop a passion for it — each year. They come from a wide range of area communities, and many receive scholarships.

“Rowing is not a high-school sport, and our program gives kids from Springfield public schools an opportunity to see the city from the river,” said Quick. “If it opens one door even a few inches wider, we consider it a success.

“We’re trying to get kids to feel good about doing something well and set the bar high for them,” he went on, adding that this constitutes a commitment the PVRC has made to the city and its sponsors.

Rowing has another benefit for young athletes; almost 50% of females who apply for rowing scholarships receive them, and last year one of PVRC’s competitive rowers earned a full scholarship to George Washington University.

Adults who join the club become part of the Master’s Program and can choose to row competitively or simply enjoy lazing along the river on warm summer nights. However, most contribute financially or through donations of time, and many become mentors to teens in the youth programs.

“They work shoulder to shoulder with them during volunteer activities, which is an experience these teens couldn’t get anywhere else,” Quick said.

One of the club’s largest events is its Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held June 25, and will attract more than 500 paddlers from all over the Northeast. “The boats are magnificently decorated and have drummers who sit in the bow and set the beat for the paddlers,” he noted.

Teams are still needed, and groups and organizations are invited to sign up. The cost is $2,000, which includes a half-day of training, all that is needed — life jackets, the boat, coaching — and more.

“The festival is the perfect event for businesses and organizations looking for a new team-building opportunity,” Quick said, adding that no experience is needed. The day will also include a breast-cancer-survivor flower ceremony, Asian-themed entertainment, music, food, and vendors.

But not everyone wants to compete, so people can sign up to learn how to paddle and join others several nights a week on the club’s dragon boats. “We need more paddlers,” Quick said, noting the activity is well-suited to a variety of abilities, and women make up the majority of people who choose to navigate the river in this manner.

Tom Siddall was recently appointedthe new varsity and master’s rowing coach, and his goal is to change the way training is conducted by focusing on strength and conditioning, mobility, flexibility, volume, and intensity.

“I’ve been able to scale the program so participants can do as much as they want,” he said, explaining that, since rowers spend so much time indoors practicing during the offseason, it’s important for them to gain functional strength, which includes doing exercise such as squats, dead lifts, or one-leg unilateral movements.

Worthwhile Venture

On a recent day, Julia and Luis Cortes were rowing on machines overlooking the riverfront. “I like the discipline and commitment this requires,” said 16-year-old Luis, explaining that each person strives to break through their own personal barriers.

Julia was excited about getting out on the river, and said her enthusiasm has grown since they signed up five months ago.

Quick doesn’t find that surprising. “Sometimes you just have to stop and gawk at the wildlife,” he said. “We see bald eagles fishing on the river, and it’s an inspiring sight.”

And it is in line with the soaring goals of this club, which introduces people to a form of exercise that nourishes the mind, body, and spirit.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff April 5, 2016

Company Notebook Departments

SBA Honors Chamberlain Group, Berkshire Bank

BOSTON — A handful of Bay State businesses were recently honored by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as part of National Small Business Week, including two Western Mass.-based companies. The Chamberlain Group, LLC in Great Barrington, represented by Lisa Chamberlain, vice president and managing partner, was named Small Business Exporter of the Year. Meanwhile, Berkshire Bank, represented by Peter Rice, senior vice president, business banking, was recognized as Financial Services Champion. “We are extremely excited to honor a truly amazing line up of small business owners and champions this year,” said Bob Nelson, SBA’s Massachusetts district director. “It is so important to recognize our small businesses in the Commonwealth, as they are the job creators, innovators, and the fabric of our local communities.” This year, National Small Business Week will be celebrated May 1-7 with national events planned across the country. The slate of leading small businesses in the Commonwealth will be honored at the annual Small Business Week Awards Luncheon at the Doubletree in Westborough on Wednesday, May 4.

Country Bank Offers Scholarship Program

WARE — Country Bank will honor 15 high-school seniors who exemplify a commitment to community spirit and volunteerism through its Country Bank for Higher Education Scholarship Program. Fifteen awards of $2,000 each will be presented to high-school seniors who will be attending a two- or four-year college in the fall. Applications and complete rules are available at guidance offices of public high schools in the Country Bank market area, as well as at www.countrybank.com/about-us/community-scholarship-program, or at any of the bank’s 14 branches. A selection committee will review each entry, and winners will be notified by mid-May. Any questions should be referred to Deb Gagnon, Corporate Relations officer, at [email protected] or (413) 277-2236.

GCC Foundation Kicks Off 2016 Annual Campaign

GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Community College Foundation’s 2016 annual campaign, Opening Doors to the Future, will kick off on March 31 with campaign co-chairs Rich Fahey and Nicole Fahey at the helm. Rich Fahey is returning as co-chair, while daughter-in-law Nicole is joining the campaign for the first time this year. Greenfield Community College serves 5,500 students in five locations throughout Franklin and Hampshire counties. The 2016 campaign has established a goal of $825,000 by May 31 in support of students and programs at the college. “Our nation’s higher-education system is increasingly replicating the great divide of our nation’s economic system. Social and economic mobility has all but disappeared — so too the middle class,” said GCC President Bob Pura. “But GCC, our foundation, alumni, and community have created a contradiction to that national narrative. We all help keep the doors to education and a better life open for all who are eager to work hard to achieve it.” Rich Fahey, retired Advertising director for the Greenfield Recorder, noted that “many believe the cost of a higher education is becoming too expensive for many families. What we are doing in support of GCC is helping keep the doors open for all who come to the college to better themselves and enter into the middle class. I didn’t hesitate when I was asked to return for a third year helping out with the GCC Foundation annual campaign. My wife, daughter, and daughter-in-law are just a few whose lives were changed by GCC, and many generations into the future will continue to benefit from our work today.” Nicole (Duprey) Fahey, a clinician at the Franklin County House of Corrections, enrolled at GCC at age 16 as an early-entrant student from Pioneer Valley Regional School in 2000, marking the start of a focused and accelerated educational journey from high-school sophomore to recipient of a master’s degree in just five years. “My GCC experience laid the groundwork for a career that I love,” she said. “Everybody at the college — teachers and classmates — opened their doors and were so welcoming. And attending classes at GCC, with the range of ages and experiences each classmate represented, was humbling and inspiring. Witnessing their hard work to effect positive change encouraged me to direct my life’s work to helping do the same for others.” For more information about the GCC Foundation and supporting the annual campaign, visit www.gcc.mass.edu/give or contact Regina Curtis, executive director of Resource Development and the GCC Foundation, at (413) 775-1600.

Young Professional Groups Continue to Hone Missions, Programming

By BusinessWest Staff April 5, 2016

Features

Coming of Age

Peter Ellis, president of YPS, with Ashley Clark, vice president.

The region’s growing number of young professional groups were all created to fill a void in the region, a recognized need for an organization devoted to people of generally the same age and facing mostly similar challenges, professionally and personally. This void-filling role has included a good deal of evolution and expansion that goes well beyond networking, and into the realms of education, professional development, philanthropy, and stemming that problem known as the brain drain.

If all goes well — and admittedly, a lot will have to go well for this to happen — by roughly this time next year, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS) may be in the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting the largest single-day dodgeball competition on the planet.

The organization had approximately 350 participants for this year’s event, staged a few weeks ago at Springfield College, and is looking to do least as well next spring. If it can get that performance authenticated (and there’s a lot that goes into that, including a $10,000 cost, which the agency is trying to get underwritten), then it will become the record holder.

While that wouldn’t exactly put YPS on the map, it would be a marketing tool of sorts, said the group’s president, Peter Ellis, the so-called “czar of first impressions” (that’s really what it says on his business card) at Springfield-based DIF Design, and a source of bragging rights.

Or another source, to be more precise, he told BusinessWest, adding that, in nine years that went by in a real hurry, the group has succeeded in morphing from a networking group (or partying group, depending on who’s choosing the adjective) into a regional resource on many levels.

A resource, specifically, that has developed programming on everything from helping members become better public speakers to assisting them with that ultra-broad challenge of balancing life and career; from providing information on how to reduce stress (much of it from trying to achieve that balance) to familiarizing members with the people and issues on an upcoming election ballot.

This evolutionary process in many ways mirrors the one that has taken place at Northampton Area Young Professionals, or NAYP. Now boasting 200 active members across the region, the organization has moved well beyond networking, said its president, Christopher Whalen, collections officer at Florence Bank.

Actually, NAYP has always had a strong focus on philanthropy that in some ways differentiates it from many similar organizations, he went on, adding that, from the start, with an event called ‘Party with a Purpose,’ the group has always done more than simply get together.

Its monthly gatherings have always had a designated nonprofit beneficiary, he explained, and NAYP has worked diligently to connect members with opportunities to serve nonprofits, through board fairs and other steps.

Meanwhile, Young Professionals of Amherst (YPA) hasn’t really had any time to evolve. Launched in 2014 and now boasting more than 80 members, it essentially represents what the other young professional groups have developed into, said co-president and co-founder Kate Lockhart, development director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County.

She told BusinessWest that, while the group creates a host of networking opportunities, its mission comes down to creating connections — a term used by all those we spoke with.

For the Amherst group, and the others as well, this means connecting members to each other, connecting them to opportunities, and, most importantly, connecting them to the community with the goal of getting them actively involved.

But there’s another piece to this picture, and Lockhart, echoing sentiments expressed by others, summed it up nicely by saying that these groups give young professionals something they’ve never really had — a voice.

“We want to enable young people to be part of the conversation,” she explained, adding that many people within this constituency don’t believe they have the knowledge or experience to make their feelings known. YPA is not only helping to cure them of such sentiments, it is providing the platform for speaking out.

Kate Lockhart, co-president of Young Professionals of Amherst, says the YP groups give their members something they’ve lacked — a voice.

“Our group is working hard to get people involved,” she went on, “and feeling that what they have to say is really important, and that they’re a crucial part of economic development here in Amherst and across this region.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talked with leaders of several area young professional groups about the ongoing evolution of their missions, rosters of programming, and business plans, and how such work benefits members, but especially the region.

Young Ideas

Those who spoke with BusinessWest said the YP group they now lead was created essentially out of an unmet need, or, even more specifically, a desire to fill a void in a particular region for a group devoted to people of generally the same age and facing mostly similar challenges, professionally and personally.

As Whelan explained, the local chamber of commerce, Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, and other groups in a similar vein are all fine organizations, and many YP members are also involved with those groups as well, especially the chambers. But they can’t provide all of what a young professional group can — meaning those commonalities and connecting points.

“There was a need for something that went beyond the chamber,” he explained, “a need for a group of professionals at a similar stage in their careers, with common interests and challenges.”

And that’s why, collectively, the officers we spoke with say they stopped counting how many times Baby Boomers have told they them they wished they had something like this to join 20 or 30 years ago, because the number was getting so high.

In Amherst, said Lockhart, there are many groups and initiatives focused on the thousands of college students in that community, and a good number dedicated to older individuals, especially the rising number of retirees who have made the town their home. But the young professionals have been a traditionally overlooked constituency, she went on, and that’s why she and a few others decided to step up and do something about that.

“There’s a gap — there’s the college students, and then the older professionals with their networks, but there was really nothing for us,” she explained. “So a few of us tried to figure out how to make a network for this age group and their specific needs, and, by doing that, build a sense of community in the town we’re living in and working in.”

So, with the goal of filling those voids, YPS and NAYP were launched in 2007, and YPA in the fall of 2014. In each case, the words ‘young,’ ‘area,’ and ‘Greater’ are certainly relative terms. Indeed, while most members are in their 20s, 30s, or early 40s, there are some exceptions. And, in NAYP’s case, for example, the ‘area’ extends well beyond Paradise City and the communities that surround it.

In the beginning, at least with YPS and NAYP, the focus was — and still is, to a large degree — on networking, or bringing people together.

For YPS, the chosen vehicle was named Third Thursday, and it has become a day of the month event planners from other organizations have looked to avoid, at least if they want a large number of young people in attendance. NAYP also chose Thursday, and calls its gathering simply the ‘networking social.’ In Amherst, a town known for doing things differently, Wednesday was the chosen night for what are called ‘after hours events.’

There were, and are, many goals for networking, and most of them involve the professional, career side of the spectrum, said Ashley Clark, YPS vice president and, by day, cash management officer at Berkshire Bank. She noted that she owes her current job to the one she had before it at TD Bank, which she attained (or at the least scored the interview at which she made a suitable impression) through an encounter at a Third Thursday.

“I met the individual who runs all the retail branches in this area, and let him know I was looking for a different position. I met with him, and got the job,” she said, adding that this same scenario has played itself out many times.

But she was quick to note that most of the individuals she now counts as good friends were met through those same YPS events, and this is evidence of the large social aspect of this organization as well.

Ellis agreed, and went on to say that YPS, which counts as members law-firm partners, bank tellers, and everyone in between, can provide different things to people in different professions and stages of their career — be it opportunities for jobs, the ability to solicit new clients, or to build their own “professional network,” as he called it.

And networking remains a huge part of the equation, said Chicopee City Planner Lee Pouliot, the self-described “NAYP elder” (he’s been a member for five years), adding that many members have broadened their business portfolios or gained career opportunities as a result of those monthly get-togethers.

Chris Whelan, right, president of Northampton Area Young Professionals, with Lee Pouliot, vice president.

But the networking always had a purpose beyond the mere exchanging of business cards, he said, adding that, over the years, he’s seen members also exchanging and advancing ideas for getting more involved in the community and also for coping with the many challenges facing this generation of young professionals.

Ellis agreed, and said he’s noted how his networking, and that of others in the group, has changed as their career progressed and their needs evolved.

“Early on, I would go to gatherings, people would say, ‘you need a web site or some design services, let me connect you to a guy,’” he said, noting that he was the guy in question. “Later, I was introducing people to others and creating connections. You become the locomotive, and it’s as if you’re returning the favor.”

Youth Is Served

Over time, the YP groups’ missions and programming have continued to expand and evolve, bringing into sharper focus those terms ‘resource’ and ‘connections.’

All those we spoke with noted that their organizations are looking to broaden their impact in the region, as well as their membership ranks, by partnering with various entities — other YP groups, a host of business and economic-development agencies including the chambers of commerce, area colleges, and even BusinessWest.

“One of the things we’ve identified from a strategic perspective is the need to identify and develop stronger partnerships,” said NAYP’s Whelan. “That includes our chamber, but also other chambers, Leadership Pioneer Valley, MassMutual’s Employee Resource Group, and others. We want to find ways we can collaborate with one another in ways that are mutually beneficial.”

Meanwhile, the groups are also launching new initiatives that fall into the broad categories of education, awareness, and professional development.

At YPS, the group has added something called the work/life balance committee, which, as that name suggests, concentrates on an area almost every young professional struggles with to one degree or another.

Another committee, focused on professional development, hosts, among other things, CEO luncheons (where participants dine with a CEO, hear him or her talk about their work, and then ask questions) and quarterly breakfast meetings featuring seminars on subjects ranging from stress reduction to public speaking, or, to be more specific, the need for developing strong verbal skills.

“These are little things that strike a chord with members,” Ellis said. “These are issues they’ve identified as important to them.”

NAYP also offers some professional-development programming for its members, said Whelan, adding that this is one area the group is looking to expand in the years to come with initiatives such as a webinar series and other vehicles.

Beyond professional development and work/life balance, though, the YP groups are also finding new ways to provide that voice for young people mentioned earlier.

“We want our members to feel that they should be at the table with everyone else,” said Lockhart, “and not think that, because they’re young, they shouldn’t have a voice.”

While most of the YP groups’ efforts are focused on their members, some are aimed at a different constituency that will hopefully become members in a few years — the area’s college students.

Indeed, the groups are now starting to develop and hone programming designed to curb the so-called brain drain in this region by introducing students to area employers and, in general, trying to convince them that they don’t have to leave this region after getting their diploma to find what it is they’re looking for.

Clark said YPS is looking to develop a pilot program that would help area college students develop the so-called soft skills needed to join the workforce, while also introducing them to potential career opportunities within the 413 area code.

“We want them to attend some of our networking sessions,” she said, “so they can meet the people who can say, ‘listen, you’re going to graduate in three months; I have a job for you.’ That’s an example of how we like to say that it’s not networking, but the business of connecting people.”

Lockhart said YPA is doing something similar in the Amherst area, and while the motivation for such programming was already obvious, her own experiences while attending UMass Amherst crystalized this recognized need.

“We’re trying to get the students who are graduating involved with us,” she explained. “We want them to understand that this doesn’t just have to be a stop on their journey; this can be where they live and work — there are opportunities here.

“I graduated from UMass Amherst in 2013, and I never thought about staying here until someone asked me,” she went on, noting that she came to Amherst from the eastern part of the state for her education. “I said, ‘oh, wow, there are opportunities here? I never knew that.’ There’s a huge misperception among students about this region, and we need to address that.”

A New Age

Looking forward, Ellis and Clark said YPS has reached the point in its existence where a full- or even part-time paid executive director is needed to ease the workload of the board members and, more importantly, to put an even sharper focus on all those elements in the mission statement.

But as with that line in the Guinness Book of World Records, a lot of things will have to go right for that to happen, they said, adding that the group will need to ratchet up its cash flow for an executive director to become reality.

In the meantime, however, the area’s YP groups are making many things go right, for their members, for area college students, and for the region as a whole.

In short, they are coming of age, in every sense of that phrase.

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

Dockit Creates Co-working Space for Springfield Lawyers

By BusinessWest Staff April 5, 2016

Law Sections

Stop, Collaborate, and Listen

Lauran Thompson says the practice of law, especially for solo practitioners, lends itself to co-working spaces.

Co-working spaces — where solo practitioners ply their trade in a common area to share expenses and collaborate with other business owners — is not a new concept, but it has been slow to catch on in the Western Mass. legal arena. That’s surprising, says Lauran Thompson, considering how many lawyers work alone but could benefit from the dynamics of co-working. That’s why she launched Dockit in January, hoping the downtown Springfield space attracts a mix of new and experienced lawyers intrigued by the benefits of collaboration, idea sharing, and simple convenience.

Joan Williams is a well-established defense attorney, having maintained a solo practice in the region since since 2005.

She worked from an office in Northampton, but after she and her family moved to Connecticut, she found she didn’t relish the hour-long commute, so she opened a new office in Springfield. But she found the space bland and was looking for a change. That’s when she heard about — and became quite intrigued by — a new venture called Dockit.

“It’s the complete package,” Williams said of the new co-working space for lawyers that opened in January in downtown Springfield, a five-minute walk to the Hampden County Hall of Justice. “It’s a nice space. I don’t have to go out and buy furniture or pay for Internet service, and I don’t have to worry about finding conference space.”

Lauran Thompson — a paralegal who had managed her family’s law office, Thompson & Thompson, for 15 years — recognized the value of co-working as well, and saw opportunity in a model popular among law professionals out west and in Boston, but sorely lacking in Western Mass.

“Managing a law office, I’ve seen first-hand how important collaboration is,” she said, adding that her firm was looking for ways to be more collaborative with other attorneys. “I started looking into finding a workspace where we could do more collaborating, and I happened upon this new co-working movement. My research showed there’s a movement in the legal community toward shared space.”

The business she started, Dockit — located just off Main Street, in the pedestrian walkway between Harrison Street and the MassMutual Center known as Market Place — provides exactly that, with plenty of amenities to boot. Members don’t have their own desks or offices, but can work or meet with clients in a number of shared spaces, from open seating areas in the central area to three small, private conference rooms. The modern layout contrasts with the dark wood and exposed brick of the renovated building, creating a vibe that seems to suit the Millennials that will likely comprise the bulk of the facility’s ever-changing membership.

“We’re reaching out to solo practitioners spread out all over the county, offering a space to come and meet with people and share ideas,” she told BusinessWest. “We have WiFi, desktop computers, printing, faxing, scanning, videoconferencing, and a nice kitchen area where we keep lunches.”

Go HERE to download a chart of Law Firms in Western Mass.

Co-working is not a new concept in the Pioneer Valley; business incubators in particular are known for their use of shared space and collaboration. But in legal circles, Dockit is filling a gap regionally. Although lawyers of all types are welcome at Dockit, Thompson said defense attorneys will comprise the majority of members, in part because of a quirk in the system.

“It’s particularly important for people who are working as bar advocates,” she explained. “There’s a requirement for them, if they want to be on the list for Hampden County, if they want to be assigned a case, to have an address in Springfield. That’s for the benefit of the client, so the client doesn’t have to trek around to meet them.”

A quiet space near, but separate from, the courthouse makes sense in other ways, Thompson went on, noting that the courthouse is packed with district attorney’s office staff, judges, clerks, criminal defense lawyers, bar advocates, and others in close proximity, and there’s not much room to discuss matters privately. “Imagine putting both football teams in the same locker room. We give them space to come and collaborate.”

Suiting Their Needs

Dockit offers several tiers of membership with different price points, depending on how often a member needs the space, ranging from five days a month to five days a week. That flexibility is valuable, Thompson said, for lawyers who use the space for an array of reasons, from everyday work to an occasional need for collaboration with fellow attorneys.

“A cornerstone of co-working is co-workers,” Erin Sperger, a legal research and writing attorney in Seattle, wrote in the New Yorker recently. “For single-lawyer firms, it is great to be able to discuss ideas and cultivate relationships with attorney co-workers. When compared to a traditional law office environment, the kind of conviviality found in a co-working space can be a breath of fresh air.”

She warned of privacy issues that can arise by using shared equipment and speaking to clients in an open area, but said common sense and caution eliminates most of those.

“For me, the advantages of co-working far outweigh any possible risk,” she wrote. “It is more than just office space; it’s a rich source of mentoring, referrals, and an opportunity to collaborate by co-counseling with other attorneys. Co-working spaces attract people who like the idea of collaborating and sharing resources — generally a pretty great batch of people.”

Dockit’s location along Market Place in downtown Springfield gives it easy access to the Hampden County Hall of Justice.

Thompson said Dockit isn’t likely to be anyone’s permanent home, and the membership model — it’s renewed monthly, with no long-term leases — means lawyers can come as long as the facility benefits them. Some members, she added, are established attorneys with separate offices seeking the collaboration, continuing legal education (CLE) programs, and convenience offered through co-working — all summed up by Dockit’s slogan, “the firm alternative.”

“A lot of attorneys come out of law school, and to take appointments from the the court, they have to have a mailing address in town. But it can be difficult signing a two- or three-year lease, so we provide a place where they can meet with clients without that lease.”

Thompson would like to see Dockit expand its offerings as well.

“We’ve started doing some e-mail surveys to see where there’s interest in social events after hours — showing movies or doing docket discussions,” she explained, adding that events could center around current hot topics in the legal world, such as the current controversy over a Supreme Court nomination, or some new ruling that may be impactful to the Greater Springfield legal community. “We might talk about it, what kinds of motions we need to draft, what we need to do.”

Others who maintain home offices far away from the courthouse may use Dockit to help their work-life balance, she added. “They’re not going to close their home office, but this gives them an element of professionalism, where they can put their name on the door and have a place where they can meet clients that isn’t Dunkin’ Donuts or Barnes & Noble. There are a lot of benefits.”

Williams appreciates all of them, but came back to one in particular.

“For me, the biggest thing is having people I can bounce things off of. As solo practitioners, we sometimes don’t get that back-and- forth around issues. It’s good to have this space where people can come in and ask questions.”

Case Study

While bringing in more CLE opportunities and expanding awareness of Dockit, Thompson hopes the idea expands in Western Mass., just as co-working has in other industries.

“Within the co-working movement, the legal community is certainly a niche group,” she said. “I’d say we cater mostly to the defense community. We’re open to other types of lawyers, but we cater our CLE events to the defense community, which tends to be a community that doesn’t get a lot of these resources. We want like-minded people to be able to share information, while, at the same time, we’re really conscious of client confidentiality.”

It’s a balance, just like the work-life balance that Millennials — a generation known for not only collaboration, but a mobile lifestyle — crave. “They don’t want to carry the anchor of a five-year lease commitment. If you make that kind of commitment, you feel like you have to be in that space.”

On the other hand, because of its tiered plans, lawyers can make Dockit a space that works for them, not the other way around.

“What’s going to happen with the co-working movement is exactly what we’re doing — it’s starting to branch into niche groups,” Thompson said. “This is the wave of the future with Millennials. They don’t want to sit in the office all the time. Here at Dockit, we cater to that.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Museums School Vacation, Earth Day Programs Filled with “Claws, Paws, Scales and Tales”

By BusinessWest Staff April 5, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Museums have announced their lineup of activities for the upcoming school vacation week. This year’s theme is “Claws, Paws, Scales and Tales,” in connection with the ongoing Wolf to Woof: The Story of Dogs exhibit at the Springfield Science Museum.

The week kicks off with the Springfield Museum’s 25th annual Earth Day Festival, which takes place on April 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A wide range of environmentally friendly groups will be on the Quadrangle Green, including Western Mass. Master Gardener’s Assoc., the Center for EcoTechnology, Hampden County Beekeepers Association, Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass., and Keep Springfield Beautiful, along with interactive displays from the Mass. Wildlife Angler Education Program, ECOS (Environmental Center for Our Schools), and the Western Mass Council of Boy Scouts. There will also be the annual appearance by the bluegrass trio “The Boys of the Landfill” (11:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.), plus free seedlings from the Springfield Forestry Division and free ice cream, while supplies last. The event is free to the public; however, if weather forces a move inside, general museum admission will be required to attend the Festival. Event sponsors are Astro Chemicals, Doctor’s Express Urgent Care, GZA Geoenvironmental, and Solenis.

In honor of the 25th anniversary the Earth Day Festival, two nature-oriented events are taking place off-site on April 17. From 10:30 a.m. to noon, the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club will host a Riverfront History & Photography Tour. Parking is available at 121 West Street, Springfield. At noon that day, the Naturalist Club and Springfield Science Museum will host a field trip to explore the Fannie Stebbins Wildlife Refuge. Space is limited for both events, and preregistration is required; call (413) 263-6800, ext. 404, or email to [email protected]. The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge’s mobile Watershed on Wheels (WoW) Express Program will be stationed on the Quadrangle starting April 17 and remain throughout the week.

Monday, April 18 marks the beginning of the Museums’ “Claws, Paws, Scales and Tales” programs for April school vacation, featuring daily family shows, live animal demonstrations, hands-on science and art activities, and planetarium shows, all free with museum admission unless noted. The schedule of performances includes:

April 18 (11 a.m.): In the Nick of Time. Nick Deysher presents his energetic, interactive, and joyful performance featuring a generous blend of rock, pop, reggae, jazz, and funk;
April 19 (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.): Live Birds of Prey with Tom Ricardi. Using a variety of live birds, Tom shares his considerable knowledge to inspire viewers to appreciate, respect and conserve these important members of our animal kingdom;
April 20 (11 a.m. & 1 p.m.): Animal Adventures presents The Premium Live Animal Show. This engaging program, offered by an “Adventure Guide” features a variety of rare and exotic animals;
April 21 (11 a.m. & 1 p.m.): Pumpernickel Puppets presents The Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Lion and the Mouse. Two classic tales filled with a cast of colorful puppet characters, audience participation, sound effects, and fast-paced scripts; and
April 22: (11 a.m. & 1 p.m.): Magician Jungle Jim performs Star Wars Jedi Knight Training. Star Wars fans get a chance to interact with a real Jedi Knight through a series of challenges like Jedi Force Magic, the Laser Balloon Barrage and Jedi Teamwork culminating in an epic lightsaber duel with the Jedi Master himself.

The Museums have also scheduled a full slate of educational activities during the week, including live animals from Forest Park’s “Zoo on the Go” program on Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m. Visitors can also check out the Science Museum’s emu egg incubator for any new arrivals. Rounding out the week’s activities will be the following daily events (Monday – Friday):

Gallery activities (locations vary): 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Science Museum
Seymour Planetarium shows at 11:15 a.m., noon, 1 and 2 p.m. (extra fee applies); and
Hasbro Games Art Discovery Center, 12-4 p.m., GWVS Art Museum.

Admission is $18 for adults, $12 for seniors and college students, $9.50 for children 3-17, and free for children under three and museum members. General admission is free for Springfield residents with proof of address. There is a $5 per person special exhibit fee to view Wolf to Woof. Hours during school vacation week are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. MassMutual is the 2015-16 premier sponsor of the Springfield Museums.

Hoop Hall Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2016

By BusinessWest Staff April 5, 2016

Daily News

HOUSTON, Texas — At a press event Monday presented by Haggar Clothing Company, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 10 members of the Class of 2016 to be honored Sept. 8-10, during this year’s enshrinement festivities in Springfield. The class announcement was made in Houston, the site of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four, and televised live on ESPN SportsCenter.

This year’s class includes 27-year NBA referee Darell Garretson; 11-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson, two-time NABC Coach of the Year Tom Izzo, the first African-American coach in a professional league John McLendon; three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal; and four-time WNBA Champion Sheryl Swoopes. Distinguished committees focused on preserving all areas from the game also selected four directly elected members. They include Zelmo Beaty from the Veterans Committee, Yao Ming from the International Committee, Cumberland Posey from the Early African American Pioneers Committee and Jerry Reinsdorf from the Contributor Committee.

“The impact the Class of 2016 has had on the game of basketball is gigantic,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “To have several icons of the game be recognized in the same year makes this class one of the most memorable to date. We look forward to honoring each of these inductees during Enshrinement in September.”

To be elected, North American and Women’s Committee finalists must receive 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Direct elect committees are incorporated into the election process to maintain a strong focus on keeping history on the forefront of the voting procedures and to preserve a balance between two eras of basketball.

“The Class of 2016 is big in stature, personality and impact,” said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Board. “These 10 inductees have each contributed to the game in their own meaningful way and we are very pleased to honor them in Springfield.”

The Class of 2016 will be enshrined at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield on Sept. 9. Ticket packages to the 2016 Enshrinement Ceremony presented by NIKE and all Enshrinement Events are on sale now and available online at www.hoophall.com by calling the Basketball Hall of Fame at (413) 231-5540. Premium Sponsors of Enshrinement 2016 include Haggar Clothing Company, Zales, Nike, Mohegan Sun and Panini.

Chamber Leaders to Attend Business Summit on Beacon Hill

By BusinessWest Staff April 1, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Regional Chamber, in partnership with the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce with support from the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, will hold its popular Beacon Hill Summit on Wednesday, April 27.

Sponsored by Comcast and WWLP-TV22, the day-long event is the largest regional business summit at the State House and provides an opportunity for business and community leaders to hear from key legislators and members of the Baker-Polito administration and voice their opinions, concerns, and ideas during the day’s formal sessions and social events. This will be the second time this event is held under the new administration.

State Sen. James Welch, chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, and his colleague, state Rep. Angelo Puppolo Jr., vice chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, will co-host the event. Senate President Stan Rosenberg will be on hand to provide insights into his first year in that role, and Treasurer Deb Goldberg has also been invited to address the attendees.

The budget will be on top of mind as the House of Representatives will be voting on its version of the budget, with it moving to the Senate shortly thereafter. With the important committee positions held by both Welch and Puppolo, topics to be addressed include healthcare, state regulations, as well as energy and the potential for a comprehensive energy bill to be drafted.

The day’s agenda will also include lunch at the Union Club with members of the region’s delegation and a wrap-up cocktail reception at the 21st Amendment.

Buses will depart the Plantation Inn off exit 6 of the Massachusetts Turnpike in Chicopee at 7 a.m., with return by 7 p.m. The all-inclusive cost is $180 and includes transportation, continental breakfast, lunch, reception, and all materials.

Reservations are required in advance by April 20 and can be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or by e-mailing Sarah Mazzaferro, member services director, at [email protected].

‘Parent Cafés’ in Springfield, Holyoke to Address Child Sexual Abuse

By BusinessWest Staff March 30, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Parents will discuss what adults can do to protect their children from child sexual abuse at a series of ‘parent cafés’ titled “Keeping Privates Private” to be held in Springfield and Holyoke throughout April.

The events, sponsored by the Prevention Collaboration — a community-based group organized out of the Family Advocacy Center at Baystate Children’s Hospital — are being held in conjunction with Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The Prevention Collaboration is dedicated to helping the community take action to prevent child sexual abuse. Parent cafés will be held on:

• Thursday, April 7: Head Start, 30 Madison Ave., Springfield, 5:30 to 7 p.m.;

• Wednesday, April 20: Square One, 1095 Main St., Springfield, 5 to 6:30 p.m.; and

• Thursday, April 28, HCS Head Start, 206 Maple St., Holyoke, 5:30 to 7 p.m.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four girls and one in six boys will experience some form of sexual abuse before they turn 18. Sexual abuse does not discriminate; children and adolescents of all races, cultures, and backgrounds are equally susceptible to sexual abuse.

Those attending the events will receive a children’s book, My Body Belongs to Me, then guided through a discussion of parenting choices help prevent child sexual abuse in their families.

The Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime offers the following strategies on how to respond if a child reports he or she has been abused:

• Stay calm.

• Listen to the child’s words and expressed emotions. Believe the child and stress that his or her safety is important.

• Don’t press the child for more information.

• Reassure the child that he or she has done nothing wrong. Abuse is never a child’s fault.

• Remember that the people who harm children are often people whom children love.

• Avoid negative comments. Encourage the child, saying that he or she did the right thing by telling and that it was brave to tell.

Wistariahurst Presents Workshop on Interviewing Technique

By BusinessWest Staff March 28, 2016

Daily News

HOLYOKE — On Monday, April 4, Wistariahurst Museumm will host a workshop with journalist and photographer Dennis Hohenberger on conducting one-on-one interviews in order to collect family and community history.

Anyone who has ever wanted to interview aging family members about their younger years or wanted to document community leaders about past events will benefit from this evening session, starting at 6 p.m. Participants will learn how to prepare their materials, stay focused during a conversation, and how to set a subject at ease. The workshop is open to all, and the fee is $7, or $5 for museum members. No prior experience is required. Pre-registration at www.wistariahurst.org is suggested, as space is limited.

Hohenberger is a reporter and photographer based in Western Mass. He majored in journalism at UMass Amherst. He has lived in Boston, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. He has developed an interviewing style that has proved successful in both formal and informal settings.

UMass Center Celebrates Women’s History Month with Book Signing

By BusinessWest Staff March 23, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Inspirational stories of courage and healing will take center stage during a book signing on Wednesday, March 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the UMass Center at Springfield. Authors Patricia P. Martin and Helene D. Houston will present readings and discussion from their book The Other Couch: Discovering Women’s Wisdom in Therapy as part of a Women’s History Month observance.

“We try to remove the stigma of mental illness and acknowledge that the wisest people are the ones that seek help,” said Houston. “We provide a caution about our digital age and the increased isolation of the individual and the danger that the sharing of wisdom through stories will become a lost art.”

The Other Couch explores the lives of 36 spirited women who struggle and overcome their challenges with courage, resilience, and commitment. Martin and Houston focus on the wisdom patients bring to their therapists as they introduce women diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder, multiple personality disorder, chronic suicidal ideation, and substance abuse. Each chapter conveys an important life lesson about the human condition and touches on situations including abusive relationships, addiction, and the death of loved ones.

The event will include a book reading and signing by the authors, an opportunity for networking, and light refreshments. This event is being held in conjunction with the Art for the Soul Gallery.

“We are celebrating Women’s History Month by promoting and hosting community events that empower women, girls, and those concerned about this segment of our population,” said Jamina Scippio-McFadden, director of Marketing & Community Relations at the UMass Center. “This particular book relates to physical and emotional health, to which several of our academic programs support as well.”

Scippio-McFadden highlighted the center’s programs related to the broader healthcare field, specifically the Nursing program, the Addictions Counselor Education Program (ACEP), the recent addition of extensive training offered by Berkshire AHEC, and the developing Psychological and Brain Sciences @ Springfield research program.

Copies of The Other Couch will be available. To RSVP for this free event, call (413) 788-6277 or e-mail [email protected]. Walk-ins are welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

Pieces of the Puzzle Coming Together in Holyoke

By BusinessWest Staff March 22, 2016

Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

Marcos Marrero stands across the lower canal from a planned condo project that he says will offer “beachfront property.”

As he talked about Holyoke and the broad economic-development plan he put in place for it when he became mayor just over four years ago, Alex Morse listed a number of key strategic planks in that platform.

They include everything from improving and broadening the housing stock, especially with market-rate options that would attract young professionals, to programs that would encourage entrepreneurship; from public investments aimed at spurring private development to a focus on expanding the creative economy; from public-private partnerships to bolstering the hospitality industry.

And for evidence of progress in all those realms, he pointed (figuratively, although he could also have done so literally from a window in his office in City Hall) to the many developments taking place on — or that can been seen from — Race Street.

Indeed, that north-south artery that runs along what’s known as the lower canal in this gateway city, famous for its legacy of paper making, represents a microcosm of the progress Holyoke has seen in recent years, said Morse, and the promise it holds for the future.

Along a three-block stretch, one can see perhaps the best example of the creative economy in motion in the Gateway City Arts venture, a mixed-use property that will soon feature a new restaurant. Moving south, one encounters the aptly named Cubit building (that’s the shape it takes), which will soon house Holyoke Community College’s Culinary Arts program on the first and second floors and residential space on the third and fourth floors, in an ambitious public-private partnership.

In between those properties is a vacant lot that will become home to the latest expansion effort involving Bueno Y Sano, the Mexican-food chain launched in Amherst two decades ago that now has six locations in Massachusetts and Vermont. The Holyoke facility will be a site for manufacturing some of the food items, but it will also have an eatery.

Across the street, and then across the canal, one can see the sprawling Canal Gallery complex. Once a home to artists and vacant for several years, it is the site of a planned 50-unit condominium complex, one with dozens of windows facing the canal, thus becoming what Marcos Marrero, Holyoke’s economic-development director, affectionately calls “beachfront property.”

From Race Street, one can see the city’s new railway platform, built on the site of Holyoke’s original train station, which is being hailed as one instrument in the city’s efforts to attract new businesses and residents. And one can also see the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center, touted as a spark for more technology-related ventures.

Mayor Alex Morse says the developments on — and that can be seen from — Race Street are a microcosm of the progress Holyoke is experiencing.

Also visible, but much further south, is the property at 216 Appleton St., a former mill being repurposed into housing, and still farther south is the former Parsons Paper building, which will soon be razed for a much-needed expansion of Aegis Energy Services, a provider of modular combined heat and power (CHP) systems for a variety of applications.

There are dozens of other developments in various stages of progress across the city, but the view of and from Race Street explains why there is a good deal of optimism and momentum in Holyoke, said Marrero, as well as some challenges that probably couldn’t have been envisioned a half-decade ago, but definitely fall in the ‘good-problem-to-have’ category.

“The progress over the past several years is quite dramatic, and we’re running into problems of success,” he explained. “Four years ago, very few people were saying, ‘our problem is we have too many people who want to be downtown, and we don’t have enough parking for everyone.’

“Four years ago, most people, not just in Holyoke, but across the region, would not have given this city a second glance or perceived it as a place they wanted to be,” he went on. “Now, that’s not the case; there’s a lot of momentum happening.”

For this, the latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the many forms of progress in the Paper City, and at what the future holds for this historic city on the comeback trail.

It Looks Good on Paper

As he gave BusinessWest a walking tour of the area east of City Hall down to Race Street, Marrero stopped at one point to admire the view as the limited amount of sun light on that warm March afternoon danced on the water in the upper canal near the city’s acclaimed children’s museum in Heritage Park.

Soon — and ‘soon’ is admittedly a relative term — there will be many more people enjoying similar views as residents of the city.

By Marrero’s count, there are approximately 450 units of housing — condos and apartments across a wide mix of price ranges — that are already planned or in the proverbial pipeline.

“There’s more housing in the downtown to be constructed or rehabbed than at any time since the city was first built,” he explained, while listing several projects within a few blocks of one another.

And housing represents a key component of the city’s broad development strategy, said the mayor, adding that Holyoke’s population, which was once at or near 60,000, sank below 40,000 in the ’90s, but is now back above 40,000, with hopes that it will continue to rise.

There are many reasons why the population decreased, said Morse, and, coincidentally, they mirror those economic-development platforms listed earlier, and range from a shortage or jobs to a dearth of attractive housing, to a distinct lack of incentive on the part of the development community to build such housing.

Indeed, until recently, the prevailing sentiment in Holyoke was, ‘you can built it, but will anyone come?’ with enough accent on the question mark to dissuade developers.

Recent interest in those properties on or near Race Street would seem to indicate a more positive attitude, which was effectively expressed by Denis Luzuriaga, who, with his brother, Marco, acquired the Cubit building and blueprinted its mixed-use plans (more on those in a bit).

“I see Holyoke as being not only a great place to live,” said Luzuriaga, who has called the city home for nearly 11 years, “but a place for potentially good returns on real estate as well.”

The basic development strategy for Holyoke is similar to the ones being blueprinted for other Gateway cities, said Morse, noting that, in simple terms, it involves making the community a more attractive place to live, work, and start a business — which Holyoke was until fairly recently.

There are many moving parts within this strategy, he went on, listing everything from job creation to new housing options; from incubator space in which new businesses can take root to rail service that can connect residents to jobs and clients, and connect others with Holyoke.

It will take years, perhaps even decades, for the canvas to fill in completely, but pieces to the puzzle are falling into place. And to see this — although in many cases the assignment requires imagination because projects haven’t started yet — we return to Race Street.

This artery certainly speaks to Holyoke’s past — it is dotted with old mills that manufactured everything from paper to wire, with emphasis on the past tense — but also its present and future.

Regarding the former, many of those properties have been vacant or underutilized for years, if not decades. As for the latter, the projects on the drawing board reflect broad optimism for a more vibrant city.

The Shape of Things to Come

The Luzuriaga brothers are in many ways typical of what could be considered a new generation of investors in Holyoke, lured by attractively priced but structurally sound real estate, but moreso by the city’s potential to reverse its fortunes.

Denis Luzuriaga told BusinessWest that he was a dabbler in commercial real estate, focusing on multi-family homes, when he decided to takes things up a notch — or two. And when deciding where to scale up his activities, he focused on the Paper City because of its attractive opportunities and recognizable momentum.

The Luzuriagas hadn’t officially closed on the 50,000-square-foot Cubit building (purchase price $350,000) when Holyoke Community College put out a request for proposals for a location in the city’s downtown in which to relocate its Culinary Arts program, but they submitted a proposal anyway.

It wasn’t chosen by the school (none of the bids in that round were), but it did garner some attention. And when the winner of the next round of submissions couldn’t make that plan materialize, the school went back to the Cubit building.

Denis Luzuriaga, who, with his brother, Marco, is rehabbing the Cubit building, is among a new generation of investors in Holyoke.

Work on that project is slated to begin in a few months, said Luzuriaga, adding that roughly the same timetable applies to the residential component of the property — 18 units of market-rate apartments. At present, work is ongoing to replace the large windows that pour natural light into the property, which has housed operations manufacturing everything from shoelaces to corsets to wire.

Looking back to when he arrived in Holyoke, Luzuriaga said he liked what he saw — an old mill city with history, character, and potential. And now, he likes the picture that much more.

“There was something about this city, beyond the people and the way it looked, especially in the downtown area, that was very attractive to me,” he said. “I could see the potential for all kinds of positive change.”

So could Lori Divine, when she and fellow artist Vitek Kruta created Gateway City Arts in 2012. The venture has grown over the years, and now puts under one roof everything from learning areas to co-working space; from an event facility to incubator facilities for food-service businesses.

Actually, it’s two roofs (there are adjoining buildings along Race Street), and the expansion process is ongoing.

Indeed, the venture now includes Gateway City Live, which, as that name suggests, hosts a wide variety of live entertainment and events ranging from ‘tango nights’ to weddings. Coming next is the Gateway City Bistro, set to open in June, which will bring another much-needed eatery to the downtown area.

Divine and Kruta were so intrigued by the possibilities downtown that they acquired the Steam Building further down Race Street, so called because it once housed a steam-equipment manufacturer, and renamed it the STEAM (Sustainability Technology Entrepreneurship Art Media) building, with intentions for more mixed-use activity. It currently hosts a few businesses, including a web-design company and an alternative education program called Lighthouse, and will soon be home to a karate studio.

Assessing the scene along Race Street, and Holyoke in general, Divine sees momentum accumulating at a solid pace.

“It’s really exciting,” she said. “The Canal Walk is beautiful, the area is safe — and I know safety is a big issue for people — and it’s fun. It’s just a great place to be.”

Looking forward, the obvious goal is to prompt more residents and business owners to say just that, said Morse, adding that there is progress on both fronts.

The Parsons Paper demolition and cleanup, a long-awaited development after fire extensively damaged the site two years ago, will enable Aegis Energy Services, one of Holyoke’s fastest-growing companies, to expand in the city, he said.

Meanwhile, programs such as the SPARK (Stimulating Potential, Assessing Resource Knowledge) initiative, launched by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, helps residents develop ideas into businesses.

“We want to encourage entrepreneurship, and we’re been recognized as one of the leading cities in that regard,” he explained, citing the city’s presence on a listing in Popular Mechanics. “This is a city with a history of entrepreneurship and innovation, and it continues today.”

Building Momentum

Luzuriaga believes Holyoke can and will attract more investors, turn its fortunes around, and become a true destination. And that optimism stems from the fact that he’s seen such a reversal of fortune up close and personal.

That was in Jersey City, N.J., a community across the Hudson River from Manhattan that had fallen on hard times and was making progress with the hard work of getting back on its feet while Luzuriaga lived and worked there.

“When I moved there 20 years ago, you could see that it had seen better days,” he explained. “It took a lot of effort by developers and city officials to get a steady pace of growth going, and I see the same type of thing happening in Holyoke; all the indicators are there.”

Luzuriaga says Jersey City was just starting to hit its stride by the time he relocated to Holyoke nearly 11 years ago. But he visits friends there often and marvels at the turnaround.

In Holyoke, he expects to not only witness the turnaround, but be a real part it. And he’ll have a front-row seat — right there on Race Street, at his beachfront property.

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

Holyoke at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1850
Population: 40.135 (2012)
Area: 22.8 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: 19.12
Commercial Tax Rate: 39.86
Median Household Income: $33,242
Family Household Income: $39,130
Type of government: Mayor, City Council
Largest employers: Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke Community College, ISO New England, Universal Plastics, Marox Corp.
* Latest information available

Gourmand’s Delight

Honed Talents

Changing Tastes

Building a Solid Foundation

If You Fund It, They Will Learn

Developing a Brand

Record Retention 101

Tax Records

Accounting Systems

Corporate Records

Employee Records

Insurance

Legal

Work in Progress

Outreach Efforts

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

Keeping Pace

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Co-owner and Director of Curriculum, InspireWorks Enrichment; Talent Data and Strategy Analyst, Brooks Brothers; Age 31

Co-owner, Center Square Grill; Age 36

Owner and Trainer, Energia Fitness and 50/50 Fitness/Nutrition; Age 25

Owner, Brightwood Press Co.; Springfield City Councilor; Age 32

Account Executive, WHAI/Saga Communications; Age 33

Managing Partner and Director of Sales, the Log Cabin and Delaney House; Age 38

Author, Teacher, Nonprofit Leader, K.Y.D.S; Age 38

Step by Step

Marching Orders

Band of Brothers — and Sisters

Moving Experience

The Great Escape

Dinner and a Show

Click HERE for a chart of the region’s tourist attractions

A Walk in the Woods

All for One

Treasure Trove

Expanding Horizon

Collecting Memories

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

EAST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Communion with Nature

Changing Landscape

Worthwhile Venture

SBA Honors Chamberlain Group, Berkshire Bank

Country Bank Offers Scholarship Program

GCC Foundation Kicks Off 2016 Annual Campaign

Coming of Age

Young Ideas

Youth Is Served

A New Age

Stop, Collaborate, and Listen

Go HERE to download a chart of Law Firms in Western Mass.

Suiting Their Needs

Case Study

Community Spotlight

It Looks Good on Paper

The Shape of Things to Come

Building Momentum

Holyoke at a glance

Daily News

News

Contact

Departments

Events