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Go Dutch!

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Features
Museums 10 picked a unique subject for its first endeavor as a formal organization – Dutch culture. More notable than the topic from which the museums and several other groups and businesses will derive inspiration, however, is the increasingly expansive nature of the Go Dutch! program, which is spanning the region and attempting to break down invisible barriers between the counties of the Pioneer Valley.

Unpack your tulip vase and dust off your wooden shoes … it’s time to Go Dutch.

In less than a month, a multi-organization, cultural exhibit will kick off in the Pioneer Valley, offering art, music, literature, floral, and other programs to the public, all centered on the theme of Dutch culture and both the modern life and historical relevance of The Netherlands.

What makes this project different from other cultural exhibits, however, is that it involves several non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses, serves as the first major program spearheaded by a new partnership between 10 Hampshire and Franklin county museums, and will run for several months, drawing in visitors from both the local area and surrounding cities and states.

And it is expected to break through the ‘Tofu Curtain.’

That’s what some people call the invisible line that separates Hampden from Hampshire and Franklin counties, and often stalls cultural partnerships between them. A joke referring to Hampshire and Franklin counties’ reputation as the more liberal and artsy portion of the Pioneer Valley, and to Hampden County’s more industrial identity, the Tofu Curtain gives some levity to a very real issue in the Pioneer Valley — the disconnect between many cities and towns in terms of the cultural tourism initiatives of the region.

Nora Maroulis, director of Development and Marketing for the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and a member of the marketing team of Museums 10, a cultural partnership launched last year, said the primary goal of the organization’s first major project, Go Dutch!, will be to promote the cultural gems of the Pioneer Valley as a whole, not separated by town lines.

“This project is completely unprecedented,” she said. “Chambers of commerce in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties are all sitting at the same table, along with the GSCVB (Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau), several organizations, and businesses across the region. And we’re all talking about one thing: tourism.”

The Power of 10

Museums 10 was officially launched last year, following many years of successful partnerships on a less formal level among the museums’ directors.

The organization now consists of seven college museums, all located on the ‘Five College’ campuses in Amherst, Northampton, and South Hadley: The University Gallery at UMass, Amherst; the Mead Art Museum, Emily Dickinson Museum and Homestead, and Museum of Natural History at Amherst College; the Hampshire College Art Gallery; the Smith College Museum of Art, and the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum.

Two independent Amherst museums – the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and the National Yiddish Book Center – and Historic Deerfield complete the group, and a suite of materials promoting the museums as one set of attractions was also created last year.

Maroulis explained that the marketing professionals of each museum were asked by the museums’ directors to begin meeting on a regular basis, as the directors had with some success.

“You put a group of marketing directors in the same room, and it’s inevitable that some major brainstorming is going to happen,” she said.

The first byproduct of such brainstorming is Go Dutch!, a region-wide exhibition of Dutch art and culture that will be anchored by a traveling art exhibit slated to appear at the Eric Carle Museum from March through July, titled Dutch Treats: Contemporary Illustration from the Netherlands. The other museums in the organization will also hold exhibits, performances, and other events in keeping with the same Dutch theme.

However, as Maroulis was quick to note, not only Museums 10 galleries will be participating in Go Dutch! – museums, businesses, and other venues across the Pioneer Valley have pledged their support and participation, creating a partnership that is a first in the area.

In addition to Museums 10, more than 25 businesses and organizations across the valley are slated to offer some type of exhibit or event in keeping with the Go Dutch! theme, including the Springfield Museums, Chandler’s Tavern and Yankee Candle in South Deerfield, the Springfield Armory, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the UMass School of Architecture and Regional Planning, the Log Cabin, the Paradise City Arts Festival, and several others.

Rediscover the Spring and Summer

Maroulis said the number of participants continues to grow as the start date for Go Dutch! nears, and added that in addition to the growing numbers of participants across the valley, other aspects of the project are expected to factor into its overall success, including the ever-important issue of economics.

“We didn’t want the museums to create new programs for Go Dutch!, because creating programs costs money,” she explained. “Instead, we asked them to look inward at their existing collections for art work or potential performances and events that would fit the theme of Dutch culture or the Netherlands.”

To that end, several museums, including the Mead Art Museum and the Springfield Museums, will showcase paintings or sculpture by some of the Dutch masters, including Rembrandt and Vermeer, and the botanical gardens of Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges, for example, will use their existing stores to create Dutch-inspired flower and plant shows. But all of the planned programs are unique in their subject matter, and include a wide-range of topics, for instance:

  • From March to May, the Emily Dickinson Museum will allow visitors to explore unexpected connections between the Dickinsons and cultural influences of the Low Countries, and throughout the spring, the museum grounds will be peppered with tulips and other bulb-grown flowers;

  • Showcasing tulips and other spring flowers on a grander scale will be the Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden Spring Flower Show, dubbed On the Dutch Waterways, from March 4 to 19;
  • The Smith College bulb show, also opening March 4;
  • The Arcadia Players, a baroque ensemble based in Northampton, will perform a Dutch Baroque organ music program at First Church in Amherst on March 4;
  • From March to June, the Smith College Museum of Art will exhibit Dutch prints and drawings from its collection. The selected prints represent the art of 17th century Holland, often called the Golden Age of Dutch art;
  • Similarly, the Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle will also exhibit prints and drawings from the Golden Age during the same time;
  • A Family Day is planned for March 11, offering a preview of Go Dutch! From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at no cost, on the Mount Holyoke College campus. Families are invited to enjoy a variety of activities, including a scavenger hunt focusing on the museum’s collection of Dutch art;
  • From March 31 to May 19, the University Gallery of UMass Amherst will exhibit of works by contemporary Dutch artist Avery Preesman, whose abstract paintings and wall reliefs are gaining notoriety;
  • Beginning April 1 and running until late December, Historic Deerfield will offer At Home in Holland: Dutch Decorative arts from the Historic Deerfield collection to all visitors. Colonial-era objects created in or inspired by Holland will be on display at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life;
  • The Yiddish Book Center, which already stages several programs a year to promote Yiddish culture and literature, has scheduled 10 individual programs throughout the spring and summer as well as two art exhibitions as part of Go Dutch!, which will include a concert titled Music from the Time of Anne Frank on April 23, and on view in the Gerson Gallery, a series of etchings created by illustrator Joseph Goldyne, depicting scenes inspired by the diary of Anne Frank; and
  • From May 5 to 7, the Mass. International Festival of the Arts (MIFA) will stage a theater production of Van Gogh’s Ear, a new musical theater work based on the painter’s letters, at the Rooke Theater, Mount Holyoke College.

A Blooming Economy?

Some funding for the various programs as well as advertising for the Go Dutch! project was made possible by a matching grant from the Mass. Cultural Council (MCC), which provided $50,000 to Museums 10 that the organization must match with cash or in-kind contributions.

As the program continues to grow across the region, said Maroulis, Museums 10 is focused on recruiting more for-profit businesses to serve as partners or sponsors with the museums and other cultural outfits comprised in Go Dutch!, in order to ensure those matching grant funds are secured and also to underscore the importance of cultural tourism to the Pioneer Valley’s overall economic health.

“We’ve already seen programs like this succeed in other areas,” she said, noting as an example a recent county-wide endeavor in the Berkshires, titled the Vienna Project. “In that case, businesses and restaurants were very involved, and we want to mirror that involvement here.”

Christine Noh, marketing manager for the Eric Carle Museum, added that not only would the involvement of more for-profit businesses benefit Go Dutch!, but the program can also provide some unique marketing opportunities for those businesses.
“This is a groundbreaking project, and some savvy business owners, particularly in the small business sector, have been quick to jump on board,” she said. “Go Dutch! is going to get a lot of play up and down the I-91 corridor, but also outside the area in key markets like Boston and New York.”

Noh explained that, in addition, a lengthy booklet is being published by Museums 10 that features all partnering organizations and businesses, as well as a ‘passport’ program that allows visitors to Go Dutch! exhibits to receive stamps that make them eligible for an all-expense paid trip to the Netherlands. There are advertising opportunities within the booklet, which will be distributed throughout the Pioneer Valley and outside of the area as a visitor’s guide.

“We’re trying to remind people that live here of what is so great about the valley, and of everything we have to offer culturally,” said Noh, “but we’re also working to bring new tourism in. Several small business owners have been very responsive to that goal, and the hotels are joining us quickly, too. We have a core group of people who understand the value of cultural tourism that is very strong.”

Still, Noh and Maroulis agreed that to give Go Dutch! that final push, greater involvement from some of the area’s larger companies is necessary.

“Businesses need to understand that the cultural and academic organizations of the area bring in more than 500,000 visitors to the area a year,” said Noh. “That’s a lot of people who will come back, or better yet, stay, if they like what they see.”

Maroulis added that Museums 10 is sensitive to the financial obligations of for-profit organizations, but added that in terms of Go Dutch!, the positive marketing opportunities could outweigh economic factors and also give many businesses a boost.

Home Improvements

“We would like very much to see some of the larger employers in the area become corporate sponsors,” she said. “With the support we’ve received from the GSCVB and from the MCC, we have been able to be very successful very quickly with branding ourselves as a permanent fixture in the area, and Go Dutch! is sort of the big event that is heralding the arrival of Museums 10.

“We’re not going anywhere … and we want to work with major businesses to increase the visitorship to their stores or increase awareness of their services, as much as we want to promote ourselves,” she continued. “It all helps us work toward the same goal – benefiting and promoting the place we call home.”

A home she hopes will soon include more open doors and windows of opportunity, unfettered by curtains of any kind.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

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Departments

Open House
Feb. 1: The Western New England College Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship will host an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. The new center was established to provide graduate business and law students with an opportunity to offer practical consultation to entrepreneurs starting new and building existing small businesses in the community. From 4 to 5 p.m. in the Teleconference Room, a panel of intellectual property experts will discuss how entrepreneurs can legally protect creative output and innovations. Also, they will review patents, trademarks, and copyrights of small businesses. To register or for more information, E-mail Aimee Munnings, Director, at [email protected] prior to Jan. 25.

Contractual Liability Seminar
Feb. 6: Geoffrey Smith, senior vice president, TD Banknorth Insurance Group, will be the featured speaker at a free luncheon hosted by TD Banknorth Insurance Agency Inc., from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2077 Roosevelt Ave., Springfield. His presentation during the Lunch & Learn session is titled “Contractual Liability?” and will explore what to look for and what to look out for in the risk-transfer provisions found in everyday contracts. To sign up, E-mail your request to [email protected]. Seating is limited.

Western Mass. Economic Review
Feb. 8: The Regional Technology Corporation will sponsor a presentation on the economic profile of the region from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the TD Banknorth Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. The profile is based on Western Massachusetts Electric Company’s annual report to its customers titled Western Massachusetts Economic Review. The free presentation will summarize key findings from the 2005 Review and provide a regional economic outlook for 2006. Seating is limited and advance registration is required. For more information, contact April Cloutier at (413) 755-1314 or [email protected].

‘Double Bottom Line’ Lecture
Feb. 9: Lisa Fairfax, an associate professor of Law at the University of Maryland Law School, will present “Achieving the Double Bottom Line: A Framework for Corporations Seeking To Deliver Profits and Public Services” at 5:30 p.m., hosted by the Western New England College Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship. The lecture will take place in the S. Prestley Blake Law Center on WNEC’s main campus, 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (413) 736-8462 or visit www.law.wnec.edu/lawandbusiness.

Outlook 2006
Feb. 10: Howard Fineman, chief political correspondent for Newsweek magazine, will deliver the keynote address for Outlook 2006, hosted by the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield. The annual legislative event will be conducted from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Chez Josef in Agawam. In addition to Fineman’s presentation, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey will discuss the state outlook, and Northampton Mayor Claire Higgins will present remarks for the region. Higgins is also serving as this year’s president of the Mass Municipal Assoc. Tickets are $40 for Chamber members, $60 for nonmembers. Tables of 10 can be reserved. Deadline for reservations is Feb. 3. For more information, contact Diane Swanson, Events Manager, at (413) 787-1555.

Business Entity & Basic Contracts
Feb. 22: The Mass. Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network will present Business Entity & Basic Contracts from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. The workshop will look at ways a business can be run, the advantages and disadvantages of corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and sole proprietorships. In addition, the workshop will look at income tax issues as well as the minimum needed to protect the business owner in writing when they enter into contracts with third parties. The cost of the workshop is $25. For more information or to register, contact Diane Randall at the MSBDC Network, (413) 737-6712.

Running A Successful Restaurant
March 14: The Mass. Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network will sponsor Food For Thought: Tips For Running A Successful Restaurant from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, 75 North St., Suite 360, Pittsfield. The program will discuss the key ingredients of successful restaurants and the pitfalls that can lead to failure, and will offer tips for improving a restaurant operation from the dining room to the kitchen. The cost is $25. For more information or to register, contact Diane Randall at the MSBDC Network, (413) 737-6712.

At a Crossroads

By
Uncategorized
An historic neighborhood named for three streets that intersect to create a busy commercial district has seen highlights and lowlights over the past 50 years, but one organization is poised to shed new light on the X, through collaborative, arts-centered initiatives.

Springfield residents: try giving someone from out of town directions to Forest Park without using the term ‘the X.’

It’s not easy.
The historic landmark, which typically refers to the intersection of Sumner Ave., Dickinson, and Belmont streets and the surrounding area, has long been a center of commercial activity in Springfield and something of a source of pride for locals. We know why it has its distinctive name. We know to look both ways – twice – when driving through.

But there is a group of people who want the X to mean much more.

The X Main Street Corp., named as such due to its involvement in the federal ‘Main Street’ program for commercial district improvement and consisting of residents, business owners, and civic leaders, want the X to live up to its hip name, and are working to create a new hot spot in Western Mass.

The X, specifically, is a commercial district within the Forest Park neighborhood of Springfield, which some call a city within a city, due to its rich history, diverse ethnic and economic make-up, and its distinction as home to 25,000 of Springfield’s residents. But in the past, it has been known more for its flavor than its demographics.

Lyn Nolan, executive director of the X Main Street Corp., remembers a time when the area was bustling with shoppers, and the shops and restaurants were as unique as they were prosperous.

“Blake’s department store was a hub of activity,” she said, harkening back to her first year as a Springfield resident in 1980. “And there were specialty clothing stores, fantastic restaurants, a movie house where the Walgreens is now … it was definitely a ‘Northampton kind of place.’”

Even today, she continued, the X includes some of the city’s brightest gems – distinctive restaurants, unique clothiers, and a smattering of successful niche businesses.

It’s also home to a number of popular seasonal events, including the Farmer’s Market at the X, now entering its ninth year, and the annual Boar’s Head Festival, a medieval fair of sorts held at Trinity United Methodist Church. And year-round, several community organizations based at the X and within Forest Park work toward a number of goals, all aimed at bettering the neighborhood.

In addition to the non-profit X Main Street Corp., the Forest Park Partnership and Forest Park Civic Association are also active, as are neighborhood councils such as the La Broad and Avalon councils, centered on quality of life and crime-reduction issues, and the for-profit Concerned Citizens for Springfield, which focuses much of its time in the Forest Park neighborhood.

Still, the spark that once defined a crossroads has dimmed somewhat, now lacking many of those one-of-a-kind storefronts and the neighborly feel that Nolan remembers.

“There was some flight in terms of residents,” she said, “and malls happened. That had a huge impact on the commercial success of many small businesses that once thrived here.”

The X Main Street Corp. has been focused on re-lighting the fire at the X for the past decade. But one overriding theme has emerged within all of the X Main Street Corp.’s initiatives for 2006, which its members hope will help fan the flames: the creation and promotion of a cohesive arts and entertainment-based culture at the X – one that starts internally with X Main Street’s own efforts, and extends to other groups, residents, and, most importantly, other businesses.

They’ve Made a FoPa

The overall mission of the corporation, Nolan said, is to spearhead ongoing development projects within the X commercial district, and to promote those improvements in partnership with other community organizations and businesses in the Forest Park area.

“There is a lot of overlap between the different groups,” she said. “Some people work with all of them. We work with each other, not against.”

The renewed focus on arts and culture is one she also hopes will resonate within those other organizations, as one answer to many issues ranging from decreasing home ownership to lagging interest in commercial real estate.

Although Nolan said the commercial landscape at the X has seen some improvement in the past few years, and is showing signs of a continued climb, the business make-up has changed somewhat since its heyday.

“Economic development in the X commercial district is stable,” Nolan said. “We’re at a 92% capacity in the area. But, for example, we have four dollar stores. We definitely need some diversification.”

Essentially, the X Main Street Corp. hopes to cultivate a climate at the X that will ripple throughout its parent neighborhood of Forest Park. There’s business sense to it, Nolan said – the arts have been proven in other communities, including neighboring Northampton and Amherst, to serve as effective economic drivers – but there are also some intriguing marketing opportunities to be had.

Brian Hale, vice president of the X Main Street Corp. Board of Directors and Chair of the Bing Arts Center Committee (more on that later), said working toward a stronger arts and entertainment scene at the X could start with creating a buzz – a move that, among other things, is more economical than most.

“The X is the hub of Forest Park,” he said. “Or, as we’d like to start calling it, FoPa.”
Borrowed from similar nicknames such as New York’s Soho (‘south of Houston street’) neighborhood, or, more regionally, Noho, the abbreviation often given to Northampton, ‘FoPa’ is a small, simple way to start branding the neighborhood as well as its cultural attributes.

And the play on words isn’t an accident.

“A booming arts community in Springfield? Some might call the suggestion a faux pas,” Hale joked. “If there’s one thing we’ve learned as Springfield residents, it’s that you have to have a sense of humor.”

It’s important to note, though, that the X Main Street Corp. doesn’t just brainstorm catchy nicknames for the neighborhood. Rather, the organization is actively involved with a number of real estate improvement ventures, serves as an advocacy group for zoning, legislative, and public safety policies, and is one of the X’s primary grant-writing entities, forever in search of funds to keep various projects and business ventures going. The corporation is partially funded by a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant, but gleans much of its funding from local, state, and national grants and loans.

The organization also works with the city to enforce some code regulations at the X, which is designated an overlay district (a zoning change X Main Street kick-started), and as such, requires businesses to meet or exceed certain aesthetic requirements.
Signage must meet a certain quality threshold, for instance – backlit plastic signs are prohibited as are unframed, aluminum placards.

That aspect of the corporation’s duties can both help and hinder its relationship with X merchants, Nolan said. It allows for greater contact with businesses, but can also turn X Main Street into the “sign police.”

“We don’t want all the businesses to look the same,” she said, “but we want to achieve a certain level of quality, a certain look. The main goal of X Main Street is to increase arts and culture in the X commercial district, and the look of the businesses is one part of that. It’s what will make the most sense in terms of diversifying the area and bringing in more great businesses as well as visitors.”

Bought-A-Bing

As another part of that focus, the corporation soon hopes to make its new headquarters the historic Bing Theatre, which it purchased in 2003. The property, now known as the Bing Arts Center, has been vacant for years but is seeing some new activity: the X Main Street Corporation and the Bing Arts Center Committee, a group of concerned citizens and business owners committed to arts, culture, and entertainment endeavors in Springfield, are in the process of renovating the building to create a combination art gallery, community center, and, eventually, a movie theater and performance venue.

Hale said re-opening the cinema itself represents the last step in a long process, but he hopes to see the other components of the arts center fall into place within the next two years.

“The Bing represents exactly what we want to see more of at the X, in Forest Park, and across the city, and that is investing in the arts and culture as a primary economic driver,” he said, adding that he sees arts, culture, and entertainment investments as the logical choice in a city that is still struggling in most other sectors and is in dire need of some good news.

“Frankly, I think it’s the city’s only choice. Historically, Springfield has been a manufacturing center, but that’s long gone,” he told BusinessWest. “We need to face that, and work to get people into this city to spend their money, plain and simple. How do we do that? By having some cool things going on.”

The Bing actually sits on the periphery of the X, but Nolan agreed with Hale that it represents the heart and soul of the organization’s work.

“Creating an arts center at the Bing is a perfect example of how the arts can serve as a way to engage the entire community,” she said. “We want to see things going on constantly in that building, creating a buzz and at the same time opening up the arts to a whole new audience.”

Hale added that it’s important to sell that point, especially to X merchants, many of whom are struggling to make their ventures work.

“The arts might be one of the only economic drivers in which we can say you can put a little in, and gain a lot,” he said. “At the Bing Arts Center we’ll be able to hold art shows and performances, after school programs, fundraisers, sell artwork … the possibilities are endless. Merchants can do much of the same on many levels, and we want to work with them to increase their own profits for the overall good of the area.”

Blue Moon Coffee Roasters, Hale offered as an example, has already seen some success with just such an initiative. Located across the street from the Bing, the coffee, bean, and gift shop expanded its retail component recently to include an art glass gallery, and in December, owner Dan Higgins reported that sales of the artwork represented 30% of his total receipts.

“We need to reach a certain critical mass before people are going to notice this,” said Hale, “but we can start by marketing ourselves as an arts-oriented neighborhood, and a big part of the neighborhood is the businesses at the X.”

Turnip Turn-out

But it’s not just the Bing that’s getting attention from X Main Street, and the other organizations at the X and in Forest Park. The annual Farmers’ Market at the X, a Forest Park staple for nearly a decade, will be expanding its scope in 2006, welcoming artisans to the ranks of fresh produce, meat, whole foods, plant, and flower businesses, in order to add a new dimension to the event as well as a venue for artists and craftspeople.

“We want to work closely with artisans to give them a unique venue to show their work, but we’re also trying to move with the times,” Nolan explained, adding that the event is also moving from its spot near the Goodwill Shoppes to the Trinity church parking lot, visible from Sumner Ave. “Farmers’ markets in general are starting to suffer in New England – in the past, they were held specifically for farmers.”

But with a changing landscape must come a change in the event, she said.

“Adding arts and crafts to the market will add to the overall arts and culture thrust in the X commercial district, and give the market a shot in the arm.”

It’s also another way to capitalize on an already well-known event at the X for the benefit of local businesses.

Belle Rita Novak, manager of the Farmers’ Market at the X and a member of the Forest Park Civic Association and the X Main Street Corp. Board of Directors, said she has already seen the positive effect the market can have on surrounding merchants.

“Many patrons shop at the X while they are in the area for the market,” she said. “Throughout the country, farmers’ markets in urban areas are economic engines for the businesses nearby.”

Novak added that increased cooperation with X business owners would likely create a positive ripple effect in the district.

“I think that we have a strong X Main Street board now, but we need more input from the business and property owners at the X,” she said. “After all, if the X improves, it benefits everyone, including residents in the neighborhood.

“The X looks much better than it did 10 years ago,” she continued, “but if it doesn’t continue to improve I fear that it could backslide very easily. We are in this together, merchants, property owners, and residents. If we want a nice, clean business district then we all have to do our part.”

New Direction Home

Hale agreed with Novak that continued partnerships are the keys to spurring further arts-related initiatives, as well as projects aimed at the overall health of the commercial district.

“In order to revitalize any commercial district, there needs to be a certain camaraderie,” he said. “We can’t just start walking into stores and asking for money. We need to sell them on the arts and culture premise, and show them how it can benefit their businesses … and in turn, their businesses will benefit the entire area.”

And the members of the X Main Street Corp. will be keeping an ear close to the ground, listening for the sound of success – someone asking for directions to FoPa.
It’s easy to find – just start at the X.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Diggin’the New Digital

By
Charles De Luca
Sections Supplements
Camera Manufacturers Say It’s Time to Throw the Kodachrome Away
Charles De Luca

Charles De Luca, product manager for Nikon USA, demonstrates the ‘Face Focus’ feature on a new digital model

When Paul Simon immortalized Kodak’s Kodachrome slide film in his 1973 hit of the same name, it’s unlikely that he realized the tune would eventually serve as a swan song for an entire medium.

Indeed, the days of film photography are nearly over, and Paul Simon fans of tomorrow will soon be Googling ‘Kodachrome’ to find out what the heck that song is about.

Like all personal electronics, new camera offerings for 2006 are trending toward smaller, sleeker styles with more capability and finer picture quality, at increasingly affordable prices, but film doesn’t even enter the picture, as this review of new camera techology reveals.

Compact, or point-and-shoot, digital cameras have eclipsed film camera sales, and sales of digital single lens reflex (SLR) cameras, those with interchangeable lenses, are expected to reach their highest rates yet this year.

Kodak itself might serve as the best illustration of the shift. Once synonymous with film, the company’s future was grim, until it caught the digital wave and secured the top sales spot in the U.S. earlier this year, topping 2004 numbers by 41%. Other companies, including digital giants like Sony and photographic staples such as Canon, Fuji, and Nikon are seeing similar success.

That’s because in terms of both cost and ease of use, digital cameras have reached the point at which they’re accessible to just about everyone. Unlike the first few digital cameras to hit the market more than a decade ago, they’re simple to operate and designed to take a beating. They come equipped with autoflash, autofocus, and red-eye reduction, use memory cards that include up to 1 GB of storage space, and nearly all include both optical and digital zoom.

They also start as low as $99, rising in price depending largely on zoom capability and the number of effective megapixels – most newly released digital cameras are capable of shooting at 5.0 megapixels or more.

Extra features also play a role in price, although many are becoming the norm as photo technology progresses. Many new digital cameras, for instance, come equipped with more than a dozen different shooting modes (portrait, landscape, and close-up or macro modes are some of the more recognizable settings; newer offerings include backlighting, panoramic assist, and dawn/dusk modes).

‘Capture modes’ are also advancing – in addition to simply snapping one photo at a time, most new digital cameras include options such as multi-shot – taking several photos with one press of a button – movie modes, which allow for digital video, and color options, which allow the photographer to take a picture in full-color, black and white, or even with sepia tones.

And photo-editing options are being seen more frequently on new camera models, and allowing for immediate red-eye correction, cropping, image sharpening, or voice memos, among other tools, before a photo is downloaded to a computer or printer. “Give Us Those Nice, Bright Colors”

A Glossary of Digital Terminology

Combined Zoom
Refers to the total zoom capability of a camera, when the optical and digital zoom are combined. Optical zoom means that mechanisms within the camera are actually moving to zoom in on the subject; digital zoom is a digital enhancement of the optical zoom.

LCD
Liquid crystal display; refers to the screen on the back of most digital cameras. The larger the screen, the easier it is to see the image and navigate through menu options.

Matrix Metering
The camera measures optimum exposure automatically, by comparing 256 areas of the frame.

Megapixel
One megapixel equals one million pixels, the tiny dots that create a digital photo. The more megapixels a camera is capable of using to shoot and save a photo, the better an image’s quality will be when printed, and the larger a print can be made. On a camera or in its literature, megapixels are typically denoted in numerical form, such as ‘3.1’ or ‘5.0.’ A camera with 4.0 megapixels will yield prints up to about 8×10. Most new cameras on the market have at least 5.0 megapixels.

MB/GB
Megabytes and Gigabytes – refer to the amount of memory available on a digital camera’s internal memory or on a memory card. A memory card with 1GB of storage space will hold hundreds of photos at a time.

Noise-reduction Mode
Reduces the ‘busy factor’ in photos taken with a long exposure – makes for a clearer photo, especially at night.

Panorama Assist
Allows you to take several side-by-side photos, then combine them later using photo editing software.

Nikon, for example, recently unveiled five new models in its Coolpix collection that offer many of the new features that are quickly becoming standard among digital cameras.

One feature common to all five models is Face Priority AF, which automatically focuses on a subject’s face to ensure clear, crisp portraits.

But the new models also add to three different series of cameras – the ‘L’, ‘S,’ and ‘P’ series, which are geared toward different types of photographers and tailor new features toward those audiences.

The P series appeals to consumers looking for the latest in advanced technology, and as such, includes one of the newest offerings among digital cameras – Wi-Fi, which allows for the wireless transfer of photos and digital video from the camera to a nearby computer or printer, and is available on the new P1 and P2 models ($549 and $399*).

“These are the first cameras to offer wireless technology,” said Charles De Luca, product manager for Nikon. “It’s a great feature if you’re, say, shooting photos at a party – the photos can be printed and ready for you without ever having to leave the fun.”

The technology also allows for the creation of slide shows, complete with music, and wireless printing with the use of the PD –10 wireless printer adapter (which De Luca said is about the size of a lemon), and a printer enabled with PictBridge, the industry standard for printing photos without the use of a computer.

Several camera, camcorder, printer, and mobile phone manufacturers are now creating PictBridge-compatible products, including Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Fuji, Kodak, Olympus, Hewlett-Packard, Panasonic, and Sony.

“The wireless capabilities open up a whole new set of options for people,” De Luca said. “With the ability to automatically create a live slide show or transfer photos to the computer, people can get their prints faster as well as send them right away to others – imagine getting a slide show of an event you can’t attend, while the event is still going on.”

Increasingly, digital cameras are being tailored to enhance those moments when they are most commonly used – during family functions, vacations, and at special events in general, and that includes the incorporation of new technology such as wireless transfer, digital video, and other features. But manufacturers have not lost sight of the style factor – many shoppers rate the look of a piece of equipment right up there with capability and durability.

Nikon’s Coolpix L series, for example, caters to the novice photographer, and the new L1, ($329) with 6.2 megapixels, features a large, 2.5-inch LCD screen set in a small, pocket-sized body.

The S series tends to appeal specifically to those in the market for stylish, designoriented electronics, and the new S3 ($379), dubbed ‘beautiful in black’ by Nikon, adds to that line, previously made up of only silver cameras.

New cameras in the Canon Digital Elph series, one of the most well-known product lines among all digital cameras, also lean heavily on design as a major selling-point.

All of the Elph models in the PowerShot line measure just a few inches, are slim in width, and come in a variety of finishes. The new PowerShot SD30 ($399) includes 5.0 megapixels and a 10x zoom, but also comes in four different colors with names like ‘Rockstar Red,’ ‘Tuxedo Black,’ and ‘Glamour Gold.’

Similarly, Fuji’s new additions to its digital line include the FinePix Z1, a product designed specifically with aesthetics in mind. Retailing for about $400, the Z1 includes a U-shaped cover that conforms to a palm, a sliding body that protects the camera’s lens while enhancing its look, and comes in both silver and black.

It also measures about 3.5 inches x 2.2 inches, following the trend toward smaller, more lightweight design that all digital camera companies are following.

Camera Ready?

B.J. Adams, a product and market analyst for Pentax, explained that it’s not typically the technical explanations of digital cameras that most shoppers find attractive, but rather the features that augment those capabilities, including compact, easy-to-use design.

That has been one goal for Pentax’s Optio line, which includes a number of cameras designed to appeal to various lifestyles. Most new digital cameras only weigh between five and seven ounces – the Optio WPi ($349) weighs in at only 4.2 ounces, and that has become one of the camera’s main selling points.

“It’s all about taking a lot and putting it in a very small package,” Adams said, noting however that while bells and whistles and snazzy design are important to many consumers at the point of sale, most will come to appreciate the capability a camera has that allow them to simply take better photos, and more of them.

The WPi is waterproof – able to take photos in five feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Perhaps more important, though, is the 6.0 megapixel camera’s versatility in many situations – during a romp with a slobbery dog, a child’s bathtime, or hike through misty mountains.

Adams dubbed it “life-proof.” “It tracks people very well,” he said, noting that not only is the camera durable, but it can also take a clear action photo and a well-framed portrait shot using a nine-point autofocus system that includes ‘sport’ and ‘pet’ modes.

The WPi was also designed to include an optical and digital zoom, like most digital cameras, but with a unique twist – while most optical zooms require a lens that extends from the camera body and can pose an added risk for damage if given a good whack, the optical zoom on the Optio WPi is actually encased within the camera. “All of the optics are inside the camera,” Adams explained, “and actually turn a corner within the camera in order to allow that design.”

Pentax is also currently featuring two other cameras as part of an overall marketing push for their ‘lifestyle’ cameras – the Optio S60, an inexpensive beginner’s model, and the istDL, a digital SLR.

“The S60 retails for $199, and is a great starter camera for anyone who is not familiar with digital photography or even with photography in general,” Adams said. “It has a help-mode incorporated into the camera that gives step-by-step directions, and the menu has a zoom, which is especially helpful for people with poor eyesight.

“There’s also room to grow and learn with this camera,” he continued. “As people learn, they can try new things, and included software allows them to share their photos online with friends and family.”

Additionally, the istDL ($799, which includes a standard lens) is marketed toward more sophisticated photographers, but includes some of the same features that many consumers are looking for – lightweight design, diverse capabilities, and durable manufacturing.

“The istDL is a great traveler’s companion,” Adams said. “It takes great photos and is compatible with a whole pool of Pentax lenses, so photographers can get creative. But it’s also one of the smallest, most lightweight SLRs out there, and that’s what people are looking for.”

…Forget About Rewind

And for those people still frightened by the prospect of a camera that doesn’t require loading those small, cylindrical canisters into the back, Adams said today’s camera manufacturers are more sensitive than some might expect.

“This is our business,” he said. “We understand completely how many changes have occurred in the photography arena, and our products are very consumer-centric. There is a bridge from film to digital, and all are welcome to cross.”

* – Manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

By
Departments

Local Jobs Outlook Positive

SPRINGFIELD — A new survey suggests that employers in the Greater Springfield area are poised to hire staff during the first quarter of 2006. Manpower
Inc.’s quarterly survey for Western Mass. is very positive, according to Cathy-Ann Paige, Northeastern vice president for Manpower. Paige acknowledged that hiring has not gone as fast as it has in the past, particularly because there are fewer prospective employees with the right skill sets for the jobs available. She added that survey results indicate businesses remain cautious when making hiring decisions, however, if the right person comes along, they will be hired. Paige estimates that 47% of area businesses interviewed expect to add jobs in the first quarter. Manpower surveys approximately 16,000 employers nationwide for its quarterly report.

CFOs: Financial Incentives to Hold Steady in ’06

MENLO PARK, Calif. — The majority of the nation’s employees are not expected to receive larger raises and bonuses in 2006 than they did in 2005, a recent survey finds. Less than one-third (29%) of chief financial officers (CFOs) recently polled said they will give higher salary increases in the coming year, and just 20% anticipate boosting bonus amounts. The survey was developed by Robert Half International Inc. and was conducted by an independent research firm that includes responses from more than 1,400 CFOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees. CFOs who said they expected to increase raises and bonuses in 2006 were asked by what percentage these forms of compensation would rise. The mean responses were 5% for raises and 7% for bonuses. Many companies may be hesitant to increase employee compensation because of other expenses impacting the business, including rising health care and energy costs, according to Max Messmer, Chairman and CEO of Robert Half International Inc. Messmer added that being overly cautious can be detrimental, particularly as the competition for top candidates intensifies. Firms that fail to reward good performance risk losing their best talent, he added.

MassMutual Cites Harassment by Galvin

SPRINGFIELD — MassMutual Financial Group recently filed papers in Suffolk Superior Court accusing Secretary of State William F. Galvin with making “baseless, inflammatory and harassing public statements” that are causing harm to the company. Galvin is quoted as saying in a Nov. 23 Reuters dispatch that MassMutual continues to “stonewall the process at every turn.” Galvin has made several legal attempts over the past few months to force MassMutual to turn over
documents that involve the dismissal of Chairman and CEO Robert J. O’Connell last summer. MassMutual contends it has provided all relevant documents to Galvin, and would include two internal reports on O’Connell’s dismissal if Galvin agrees to keep the reports confidential. On numerous occasions, Galvin has refused to promise confidentiality since the reports come under the state’s public access law. MassMutual has also provided the internal reports to the state Division of Insurance and the attorney general’s office, which are continuing their inquiries. Galvin, as the state’s chief securities regulator, has jurisdiction over fraud in the sale or purchase of securities or in advising people on the purchase of securities. However, MassMutual contends that the information Galvin seeks involves only alleged violations of nepotism and company policy, not securities fraud.

WNEC Announces Admissions Agreements With STCC and HCC

SPRINGFIELD – Western New England College President Dr. Anthony Caprio, Springfield Technical Community College President Ira Rubenzahl, and Holyoke Community College President William Messner announced today that WNEC will offer HCC and STCC students dual admission under a new joint admissions program. The agreement will allow students accepted to HCC and STCC to also be accepted at WNEC. It also provides for academic support for students at WNEC while they attend one of the two community colleges. The agreement between the college and the two community college will emphasize collaborative communication and jointly supported advisement of students, and students who take advantage of the joint admissions option will be encouraged to use the WNEC library and support programs, engage in frequent contact with faculty and advisors, and to attend campus events. Students will also be eligible for scholarships at WNEC.

Springfield Doesn’t Need a Garage Sale

By
Opinion
The headline in the local newspaper read, ‘Springfield Mulls Garage Sale,’ or something to that effect. Given the current sad state of fiscal affairs here, one might have given that a quick look and proceeded to conjure up images of a giant tag sale staged to help raise some revenue to pay teachers or keep the lights on.

Reading further, however, we come to learn that Springfield officials, including members of the Finance Control Board, are in preliminary talks with the state about a possible sale of one of the parking garages run by the Springfield Parking Authority to the Mass. Convention Center Authority, which runs the recently opened MassMutual Center.

The theory goes that the convention authority can benefit from owning and operating the 1,300-space Civic Center Parking Garage, located across East Court Street from the MassMutual Center, thus gaining a steady source of parking for events. Meanwhile, the cash-strapped city could pocket some much-needed revenue.

While all this might sound good, such a transaction would ultimately make as much sense as that other kind of garage sale.

Yes, Springfield needs the revenue. But what it doesn’t need to do is start messing with one of the few real assets it has left in its efforts to draw businesses and consumers to its downtown: accessible, affordable parking.

Selling the Civic Center garage to the state will, we believe, create fewer parking opportunities downtown, which will inevitably drive up the cost of the spaces still in the inventory, which will eventually impact a wide array of businesses in the downtown area.

Which is why we hope these ‘preliminary’ talks don’t go any further.

Before we elaborate, let’s return to the subject of parking in Springfield. For some, it’s a sore subject, but in reality, car owners and business owners have it better here than they have it in any other large city in the Northeast.

Most don’t see it that way, but this stems from the notion that people tend to regard Springfield, and the region as a whole, as a place where people shouldn’t have to pay to park. When the Big E started charging people to park, for example, area residents got angry. When the price at the Big E went from $3 to $5, people went ballistic.

That’s because they have no perspective — unless they’ve attended a Red Sox game recently. Only then can they fully understand the true meaning of paying to park.

These individuals also understand that a parking lot or garage is a business, and it can be a very good business.

In Springfield, we’re fortunate. There is an ample supply of parking, some of it convenient to downtown businesses and some of it less so, and at rates — generally $40 to $90 a month — that would make people in Boston, Hartford, or Providence laugh. In general, these lots are secure, clean, and well-managed by the city’s parking authority. They should be considered assets, not buildings to be sold off to raise cash.

As we said, these are challenging times for downtown Springfield and companies doing business there. Incidents of violent crime have increased; one shop owner on Main Street was recently shot in broad daylight, and there was a mugging outside the TD Banknorth building. Business owners and those working downtown don’t need another reason to start thinking seriously about taking their act to the suburbs — the land of free parking.

They would have one if the Civic Center garage were to be sold to the convention authority. Such a transaction would adversely impact inventory and the price of remaining spaces.

If the city wants to raise revenue, it does have some properties that can be sold. Union Station comes to mind. Nothing is happening with the long-vacant train station and it appears that nothing is likely to happen anytime soon. The old jail is also available — although no one seems to want it — and there are other surplus buildings to be had.

What this struggling city doesn’t need is a garage sale — of any kind.

Something to Work on

By
Features Sections Supplements
To Climb the Career Ladder, You Must Have Good Balance
We’ve all heard the saying that all work and no play makes Jack (or Jill) a dull person. Well, that saying is not just a cute statement of life. It actually means that a person who never takes time off from work becomes both boring and bored. So if you opt to work seven days a week, 12 hours a day, you’re doing yourself more harm than good.

No matter what part of the country you work in, no matter what your background, no matter what your family or financial situation, you must have a balance between your personal and professional life. In fact, it’s impossible to produce at high levels without a personal life.

Yes, this philosophy goes against the American work ethic, which says to push yourself to the breaking point to get ahead. So many people these days think it’s normal to work seven days a week, to never take a vacation, and to sacrifice family time for financial gain. Well, that’s not the case in business. That’s right … if you want to reach the top dog status, you MUST take time off and have a work/life balance.

The fact is that you cannot work 90 hours a week and be a millionaire. Sure, you may be able to pull it off for a short period of time, but fairly quickly something will start to fall apart. Maybe it’ll be your marriage or your health. Whatever it is, you can be sure it will happen. What’s funny, though, is that the top producers— the ones who consistently earn at high levels — always have family and personal time built into their schedules.

Set the Expectation

Unfortunately, many businesspeople feel guilty when they spend time with their family or pursuing personal interests. They feel they must be available for their clients at all times — weekends and evenings if need be. Look at many business cards today and you’ll see that many give out their cell phone number, home number, and some even their home address.

Unknowingly, these workers are setting the expectation that they are available 24/7, rain or shine, sickness or health. And that’s no way to run a business.

While you should be accessible for your clients, you must also have some boundaries in your professional relationships. If you’re new to the business, then you more than likely will have to work weekends to get yourself established. That’s fine. But you still must plan some other time off for yourself during the week.

If you’re established in the business and you are still working every weekend, then maybe you really need to look at how efficient you’re being while you’re working.

Are you sticking to your established schedule? Once your business is established, there’s no reason for you to be working seven days a week. For example, one real estate agent in Colorado only works three days a week, sells about 270 homes a year, and earns approximately $4.5 million a year. That’s efficiency.

Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to tell clients what your days off are. They won’t guess, and they can’t read your mind. So if they ask you to meet with them on Thursday, and you take off Thursdays, you must set the expectation.

Don’t meet with them anyway and then be mad that they made you work on your day off. The client did not make you work on your day off; you made yourself work on your day off because you did not set the expectation. Hiding your schedule from clients will only create problems later.

What to Schedule

People often wonder what kind of personal things they should be putting in their schedule. Put in whatever is important to you. Some things you may want to schedule are your kid’s sports events, dinner with your spouse, time to work on your favorite hobby, commitments to personal groups or clubs you belong to, etc. There’s no right or wrong thing to schedule. The important thing is that you do it.

But putting these items in your schedule is only step one. Next you need to have accountability to these personal items.

Perhaps your spouse can keep you accountable for your scheduled ‘date nights.’

Maybe your kids will keep you accountable for going to their events. Whatever it is, be sure to tell your family and friends what you’re scheduling in your planner. When they know you have time set aside for them, they’ll help ensure you keep your word. After all, you don’t want to let down your family and friends, do you?

How Much Balance is Enough? When you’re starting out in the business, you must have at least one full day to recharge your batteries. This is one day when you’re completely unplugged from the office and from clients. You don’t take any phone calls, return any E-mails, or even think about work. This is a day just for you. This may sound scary for some people, especially you Type A control freaks, but relax … the office won’t fall apart without you. And your clients won’t abandon you and work with another agent just because you took a day off. Remember, set the expectation upfront and no one will mind.

As your business grows, or if you’re already established in the business, then you must take at least two days off per week. They don’t have to be two consecutive days (although that is best), and they don’t have to be weekends. You simply need to take two days. Why? Because as you get established, your efficiency should naturally be increasing. You can accomplish more in less time, so there’s no reason to work more than five days per week. Also, when you produce at higher levels, your brain and body will require more relaxation time so you can stay at peak performance.

Finally, when you push yourself and overwork yourself, you begin to develop a sour attitude. You may secretly resent those clients who want to meet with you on weekends or whatever days off you want. You may resent colleagues who seem to work less but make more money than you. Resentment, anger, and frustration are not traits of successful businesspeople. A positive attitude, enthusiasm, and a love of the business are the traits that propel people to the top. And you can’t possess those traits consistently if you’re not allowing yourself time to rest.

A Little R & R Goes a Long Way The bottom line is that you must have a balance between your work and personal life. Without it, your career, your health, and even your family life will suffer.

No career is worth that price. So work diligently to maintain balance. When you do, you’ll be able to hob-knob with all the other top dogs as you sit by the pool on your day off.

A real estate trainer and speaker, Jerry Pujals helps agents nationwide increase their production, efficiency and sales. His forthcoming book, “Secrets to Real Estate Success,” offers strategies to help others achieve their real estate goals;www.jpsalessystems.com.

Scene Two

By
Julianne Boyd, artistic director
Sections Supplements
Barrington Stage Co. Takes a Lead Role in Pittsfield’s Emerging Arts Scene
Julianne Boyd, artistic director

Julianne Boyd, artistic director for the Barrington Stage Co., said the

Posted around the interior of the Berkshire Music Hall are dozens of 8 x 10, pale blue ‘watch for’ signs.

Watch for……a new box office! Reads one in the lobby. Watch for …… a new lighting and sound system! Reads another in the balcony.

The hall, nestled on a side street in the center of Pittsfield, is currently undergoing renovations and is, for now, easy to miss. A simple blue and pink placard belies the size and scope of the theater inside, which houses an historic vaudeville stage, 11 rows of orchestra seating and seven in the balcony, formal dressing and green rooms in the basement, and loads of New England charm.

But it’s neither the unique architecture nor the building’s history that many in Berkshire County are keeping an eye on these days; it’s the hall’s new owner, the Barrington Stage Company (BSC), and the commitment the group has made to breathing new life into an old music hall, the craft of theater itself, and the City of Pittsfield as a whole.

BSC, a non-profit, up-and-coming theater group, may have yet to carve a niche in the Berkshires as deep as some other regional theater staples, like Shakespeare and Co. or the Berkshire Theatre Festival.

But the company has already burst out of the Berkshire seams by garnering national acclaim for locally staged productions as well as world premieres of shows such as The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, now playing on Broadway and the winner of two Tony Awards.

Until this year, BSC grew incrementally over the past decade from its headquarters in Sheffield, an arts and culture-rich section in the Berkshire’s South County.

Although the company was established in that area, BSC’s artistic director, Julianne Boyd, felt it was time to break new ground, both literally and figuratively. So BSC purchased the hall and an adjacent structure known as the Octagon House for $785,000 in July, marking the procurement of the company’s first-ever permanent home. It was also a significant move away from the familiar and toward the unknown, where instead of capitalizing on an already strong arts and theater climate, BSC will be a front-runner in creating such a culture in Pittsfield.

Setting the Stage

The purchase and subsequent renovawww.tion of the Berkshire Music Hall, which began in November and has closed the facility to the public until a projected completion date of June 1, 2006, is one of several initiatives currently underway in Pittsfield as part of the Downtown Arts District project, established to help bring the city’s cultural assets to the forefront of its economic picture.

Not all of the reasons Boyd first considered the Berkshire Music Hall as a potential new home for BSC were as lofty as jump-starting an entire community’s cultural vibe, though. She said one major deciding factor was the surprising intimacy she felt within the expansive building.

“The actors don’t have to yell their lines,” she said, recalling the acoustics Barrington Stage players enjoyed during their first production – Hair – at the Berkshire Music Hall last summer. That intimacy, coupled with the space the building offers for preparation, rehearsals, management of the company, fundraising, and other satellite events associated with the group, is what sealed the deal for Boyd.

She said it offered a physical space in which to house the work that is central to BSC’s mission: producing quality, compelling work, developing new plays and musicals, and finding fresh, new ways to introduce theater to new audiences.

“When I founded Barrington Stage Theater,” Boyd explained, noting she began with a partner but has since struck out on her own, “I had been with the Berkshire Theatre Festival for two years, and had some great experiences. But I wanted to create a company that would produce topnotch work, and also include a strong educational arm.”

That educational aspect has become one of Barrington Stage’s strongest features. It works with drama students of all ages and levels, including youths in the area through programs such as KidsAct!, a year-round dramatic training program, Youth Theatre, a musical theater performance opportunity, and through youth-at-risk initiatives such as the Playwright Mentoring Project, designed to provide positive interventions for children and teenagers, steeped in the theater experience.

“The youth-at-risk program has taken place around Berkshire County, in Pittsfield, Lee, and Sheffield,” Boyd said. “It’s a project that allows the kids to work with playwrights and essentially tell their stories, after first creating a safe and secure environment.”

Boyd said the students create a play based on their lives, and Barrington Stage Co. will travel to schools, community groups, and social service organizations to perform the piece for audiences.

But the youth-at-risk program, though both effective and groundbreaking, is just one piece of the broad organizational plan the Barrington Stage Co. employs on a year-round basis.

In addition to producing its own, original plays, the company also stages traveling shows and more-well-known productions, like last summer’s Hair that inaugurated the BSC’s new home.

And now, with the hall’s renovation underway, Barrington Stage has its sights set on introducing its unique mix of educational activities and performing arts to a larger audience. It will also rent the space to other performing arts groups, in order to contribute to what amounts to a cultural renaissance in Pittsfield.

“We wanted to try to stay in area, and for a long time we could not find the theater that we wanted,” Boyd said of the move from Sheffield to Pittsfield. “We didn’t want to build from the ground up, because that would have to become the focus for years. Then, we found this great space, and the community of Pittsfield has been totally supportive from the beginning. We really feel like we’re going to be at the forefront of this community as it moves toward greater cultural significance.”

Culture Shift

Indeed, Pittsfield is in the building years of an arts and entertainment movement. Existing attractions, such as the Berkshire Museum and Berkshire Opera House, are benefiting from a county-wide push to attract younger visitors as well as families to the region (see story, page 41). And new additions like the Barrington Stage Co. are receiving special attention from legislators and residents alike as one of the more visible examples of a cultural shift in the city.

“We are moving into what has been long considered a blue collar town, and the community is totally embracing us,” Boyd said, returning to her original mission of opening a theater that would reach diverse audiences and benefit a wide range of people in the community, year-round. “I wanted to found my own theater and do year-round theater in the Berkshires, not just during those busy summer months. In Pittsfield, we are going to be more able to capitalize on a more year-round community, and we can affect the lives of the people that live here year-round as well as the tourists.”

Boyd added that the greater accessibility to other locales from Pittsfield, including Springfield, Albany, and the major hubs of Boston and New York City, are an added plus associated with the move.

“I think that positioning ourselves here will prove better because it is more accessible than South County was for us,” she said.

“We love Sheffield, and we’ll still serve South County through traveling shows and other programs, but we had to change our hub, and in the process, we’re hoping that Pittsfield becomes a destination as well.”

Renovations at the Berkshire Music Hall, which will surrender its name to make way for a new, as-of-yet unannounced moniker upon completion (slated for Summer 2006, when BSC also plans to open its 12th season), are expansive and being made possible by a capital campaign already supported by several Berkshire County businesses and grant funding.

According to facilities manager Jeff Gardner, the Octagon House (named for its unique shape) will house the administrative offices now located in rented space in Sheffield, and he and Boyd hope to have them ready for occupancy as early as March.

The theater itself requires more involved attention, however, and work will continue into the summer months. A new HVAC system must be installed, in addition to a new ceiling, new seats, sound and lighting and sprinkler systems, and an enlarged, fully accessible lobby and box office.

Gardner, a Pittsfield native, said he has a greater understanding of the impact the project will have, beyond BSC’s growth. He added that for Pittsfield, the scope of the project is not only heralding a new shift in the city, but serving as a snapshot of the overall needs of the community.

“Pittsfield is a story in and of itself,” he said. “It’s a city that has experienced both greatness and struggle, and now this cultural shift we’re seeing is a real opportunity for the community to redefine itself.”

Curtain Call

He added that the support given the theater project from within the city will also determine its level of success.

“Operating a theater isn’t always a winning proposition,” said Gardner. “Now, we’re riding a wave, but it’s very possible that in the future we’ll have some flat years. It makes all the difference knowing that the support of the community is there for us.”

And while the marquee currently reads ‘closed for renovations,’ passersby can be seen glancing up at the building, waiting – and watching – for a change. The next act should be an exciting one.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Current Events

By
Springfield Technical Community College
Sections Supplements
What’s Next for Springfield’s Riverfront?
Springfield Technical Community College

Evan Dobelle, left, seen here with Springfield Technical Community College President Ira Rubenzahl, says “eds and meds” are the future of the New England economy.

While the process of selecting a developer for the old Basketball Hall of Fame continues, a development team has forwarded what it calls a “bridge-to-bridge” plan for the riverfront that includes several challenged properties, including the old Hall, the long-idle York Street Jail, and the underutilized Riverfront Park site. Just what will develop, however, and when, are still very big questions.

Tim Mulcahey says it all started with idle talk about building a facility for a CYO basketball program on a parcel near the former York Street jail.

That is how the ball started rolling toward formulation of an ambitious, still-evolving venture for Springfield’s riverfront. For now, it’s being called the “bridge-to-bridge” plan, said Mulcahey, a Longmeadow real estate developer, who has partnered with Dennis Serna, a Connecticut-based developer, and created an entity called the Connecticut Riverfront Development Corp.

The CRDC is currently looking at several pieces of property along a roughly mile-and-a-half long stretch between the South End and Memorial Bridges. These include the long-vacant prison, the former Basketball Hall of Fame, and a little-used recreational area called Riverfront Park.

The proposed CYO basketball facility was long ago put on the shelf, said Mulcahey, the long-time director of that youth program. But he, Serna, and some other players have moved on to bigger and hopefully better ventures.

They have joined forces with the Springfield Business Development Corp. (SBDC) in a proposal for the old Basketball Hall of Fame site that combines several elements, including a public market, a restaurant and some retail. That plan is one of two considered finalists for re-use of the old Hall, which has been closed and unused for three years.

Meanwhile, the CRDC is in the exploratory stage of a project to locate a hotel on the Riverfront Park site. The partners have signed a letter of intent with the city that gives them, in essence, an exclusive window of opportunity for that parcel.

They’ll have roughly the next three months to finalize plans for what Mulcahey describes as a “destination hotel.” Should a concrete proposal come forward, the city would then have 45 days to look it over and decide whether it earns a thumbs-up.

As for the old jail, Serna said several possible uses have been considered, and more are being formulated. For now, though, the jail is at least third on the to-do list for the real estate between the two bridges.

“We started with the jail, and will probably still do something with that site,” he explained, “but as it worked out, the focus went north of the jail, because opportunities presented themselves there first.”

Both Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan and David Panagore, deputy executive director of the Springfield Finance Control Board, welcomed the CRDC’s initial plans for the riverfront, but cautioned that they have been ‘ and will continue to be ‘ closely scrutinized to ensure that they are both feasible and compatible with other economic development initiatives.

“We’re not going to hand over development rates on a speculative basis,” said Panagore, who is now leading the city’s economic development efforts. “We’re not going to give someone those rights for two years and say, ‘go come up with a plan.’ We’ll hand over development rights when there are viable projects.”

Ryan concurred, but said the level of interest in various riverfront parcels, especially the old Hall site, is cause for optimism. “It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen actual competition for development of that area,” he said. “Lately, most all of the development has come from the public sector; this a welcome turn-about.”

Mulcaheny and Serna acknowledged that they are not big players when it comes to real state development. Their goals ‘ much easier to enunciate than their plans ‘ are merely to develop (or redevelop, as the case may be) an untapped asset in the riverfront, and give a beleagured city a boost.

“We want to do something that will hope move Springfield forward,” said Mulcahey. “We’re part of this community, we’re involved in it, and we want to see it prosper.”

BusinessWest looks this issue at how this unique partnership plans to go about that assignment.

Money in the Bank

As they talked about CRDC’s preliminary plans for the riverfront, Serna and Mulcahey were long on optimism but short on specifics, especially with regard to potential pricetags.

“The riverfront should be a crown jewel, it should be a real destination,” said Mulcahey, noting quickly that details of many components of the bridge-to-bridge project cannot be revealed due to various confidentiality agreements ‘ and also because some of the plans are still quite vague.

What is known is that CRDC is moving forward on at least two of the three (or more) phases of its broad riverfront development initiative. More will certainly be known by the end of this year or early next, said Mulcahey, noting that a developer should be chosen by then for the old Hall, and he and Serna will know if they can clear the many hurdles standing in the way of the hotel project (more on that later).

As for how the bridge-to-bridge concept ‘ and its first phase, the hotel ‘ came together, said Serna, it was a case of getting some unique perspective on the riverfront; in other words, a look from someone who doesn’t see it every day.

“They walked that entire length of riverfront, from the jail to the bridge, and simply fell in love with that park site,” he explained, referring to a hotel-building entity he chose not to name.“They said, ‘this is where we’d like to be.’”

Getting them there will be the mission for some unlikely partners who have some experience in construction and real estate development, but certainly nothing on the scale of Springfield’s riverfront.

Mulcahey’s resume includes a variety of work in property development. He worked for Ohio-based Dairy Mart as a project supervisor and manager, and helped select and develop many sites in the Northeast and Midwest. Later, he worked as a project manager for a New York-based businessman, Andrew Stone, who developed a number of office buildings, industrial parks, and other ventures in Connecticut. From there, Mulcahey developed a project in Boston called First Atheneum Street, a large office project, before joining a Hartford-based real estate development firm.

Serna, meanwhile, also has a background in commercial real estate development. He started in Stamford, Conn., and later relocated to Manhattan, where he worked on several projects, before joining Starwood Capital Group. Based in Greenwich, Conn., SCG is a multi-faceted real estate group that specializes in hotels, among other things.

While the two partners would not identify the hotel-building entity they are currently working with, they have been linked in some published reports with Atlantabased Nylo LLC, a company launching a chain of small hotels with loft-style rooms.

Mulcahey would say only that what is being considered for the riverfront site is a new concept, especially in this market, and would be classified as a destination hotel.

While the Riverfront Park location offers sweeping views of the river and the historic Memorial Bridge, it is challenged in many ways. For starters, it is separated from West Columbus Avenue by a wide set of railroad tracks, used primarily by Amtrak for commuter runs.

This logistical concern has limited use of the park, said Ryan, noting that while the property is used as a park, it is not designated as ‘park land,’ an important distinction because the latter would pose a much larger obstacle to development. Creating access to the proposed hotel ‘ either over or under the railroad tracks ‘ will be one of the main questions to be answered during CRDC’s 135-day window for devising plans for the site, said Serna, noting that the partners have become convinced that there is a need for additional hotel rooms in the city.

A market demand study for Springfield, conducted by the Boston-based Pinnacle Advisory Group, revealed as much. It said that a growing inventory of tourist attractions and completion of the MassMutual Center should increase demand to the point where greater supply is necessary.

However, the report’s authors concluded that downtown, rather than the riverfront, would be the better location for such a hotel.

“Although both areas are viable options for new hotel development, the benefits of a downtown hotel outweigh the riverfront,” the report stated. “Furthermore, a downtown location would provide more benefit to the MassMutual Center, which is strategically important to future growth in Springfield.”

Mulcahey acknowledged the report’s findings, but told BusinessWest that the Riverfront Park hotel, as currently conceptualized, could become an effective link between downtown and the riverfront and accentuate current efforts to enhance the State Street corridor. “It could become a great asset for Springfield.”

Going Through Hoops

As could a new development on the old Basketball Hall of Fame site, which became the “second race,” as Mulcahey called it, that the CRDC found itself in.

Indeed, as they were conceptualizing the hotel project, the two partners also became involved in the ongoing effort to develop the old Hall, a project being overseen by the Springfield Riverfront Development Corp. (SRDC), the real estate arm of the Hall of Fame.

The SRDC has spent the past year or so hearing and weighing proposals on the old Hall. Among them is a plan conceptualized by the Springfield Business Development Corp. that centers around a public market, similar in many ways to the Portland (Me.)Public Market, which opened in 1998 and has had a strong impact on that region’s economy.

Other proposals have included a fitness and sports complex, proposed by East Longmeadow developer Peter Pappas and a restaurant/retail mix forwarded by CRDC. That latter proposal has now been merged with the public market concept, said Mulcahey, noting that it and the Pappas complex are under what is considered final review by the SRDC.

“We took the public market project and we enhanced it,” said Mulcahey, adding that as it sits now (and few details were revealed) the plan calls for demolishing the old Hall and constructing a new building that would house the market, a restaurant, and several retail components in a facility to be built through a mix of public and private funds.

SBDC Director Michael Graney would say only that the development of the old Hall is a “process,” one that is ongoing, and with no firm timetable, although he expects a developer will be named soon.

Regardless of who that is, the CRDC will press ahead with other components of its ‘bridge-to-bridge’ proposal, said Mulcahey, noting that there are other parcels, including the jail, to be considered.

Like others, he said the jail site offers promise, but its design limits what can be done with it. “That’s a challenging building, but there are opportunities for things to happen there.”

Panagore agreed, and said there is a strong possibility that all or major portions of the building will have to be razed if development is going to occur on that site. When asked if the city, and specifically the Economic Development Department would prefer one developer for the riverfront or a group of different teams, Panagore said the most important element is the quality of the proposals, not who is making them.

“We’re looking for viable projects, that’s the bottom line,” he said. “We’ve seen enough master plans on the riverfront, we don’t need to see any more. What we need are sound, doable projects that make sense for the city.”

Channeling Resources

Whether the CRDC’s concepts fall into that category remains to be seen.

For now, the partners have a window in which to work on phase one of their initiative, while also focusing on other parcels to the south.

If their ‘bridge-to-bridge’ vision can be realized, then the days of talking about the riverfront’s great potential will finally be in the past.

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

Making A Case For The RN/JD

By
Jill Lyons, Diane Fernald, and Heather Beattie
Sections Supplements
Nurses Bring Unique Background to Practice of Law
Jill Lyons, Diane Fernald, and Heather Beattie

RN/JDs, from left: Jill Lyons, Diane Fernald, and Heather Beattie

They’re called RN/JDs – nurses who have gone on to earn a law degree. Their ranks are growing as law firms recognize the value of having individuals with a strong health care background on their team, not only to evaluate malpractice cases, but to help both individual physicians and giant health care systems navigate in an increasingly regulated environment.

As an administrator at Wingate at Wilbraham, a skilled nursing facility, and before that as vice president of Nursing for Noble Hospital in Westfield, Diane Fernald said she would often ‘bump against the law” in her work.

By that, she meant that, in addition to the obvious health care aspects to her duties, there were also legal issues – everything from real estate questions to new state and federal regulations to matters of liability to contend with. The more she encountered these legal questions and answers, the more intrigued she became.

So, in 1994, she decided to do more than bump against the law; she decided to make it a new career.

That was the start of a sequence of events that eventually made Fernald part of the Health Care Practice Group at the law firm Morrison Mahoney LLP, which has offices in several major cities throughout the Northeast. Fernald is one of three (soon to be four) registered nurses working in the firm’s Springfield office who left that field to earn law degrees and now blend their talents in both realms to provide a unique level of experience to clients.

Indeed, the group, which also includes fellow RN/JDs Heather Beattie and Jill Lyons, is enabling Morrison Mahoney to expand its scope of work – primarily in medical malpractice defense – to areas that include regulatory compliance, managed care contracting, credentialing, licensing and privileging issues, peer review, practice formation and acquisition, risk management, and others.

The nurse-lawyers bring to each of these specialty areas a unique eye, said John Bagley, a partner with Morrison Mahoney. “We’re able to review regulations notjust with a lawyer’s eye, but with the help ofnurse-attorneys who can talk the talk, ifyou will, understand medicine, and alsounderstand the practical aspects, as well,”he explained. “So it’s not just a bunch oflawyers sitting around telling doctors howto practice medicine; it’s lawyers with theknowledge of how the real world of healthcare works counseling clients.”

And by melding their experiences in health care and law, Beattie, Fernald, and Lyons, can offer some unique insight that can help clients after a suit has been filed, but also assist them avoiding claims, and thus the courtroom.

“We’re not just assisting clients in litigation,” Bagley explained. “We’re helping them avoid litigation.”

The Verdict Is In

Beattie recalled for BusinessWest one recent case involving a caregiver and a malpractice suit filed against her.

“She cried for two hours; she just didn’t believe that someone would question the care she gave and believe she was negligent,” said Beattie. “I explained to her how simple it is for someone to bring a lawsuit these days and how she shouldn’t be upset by it”

That case offers just one example of how attorneys with a background in nursing understand both the technical and emotional aspects of legal matters involving health care professionals. Thus, they can provide a level of service that someone with a JD (juris doctor, or law degree) and not a degree in nursing couldn’t bring to the table, said Bagley.

He told BusinessWest that he and partner Dennis Anti recognized an emerging trend in the health and legal professions – nurses going back to school to obtain law degrees – and have expanded their practice to include many of these unique professionals.

There are many reasons why individuals choose to take that route, said Beattie, who worked as a nurse for 20 years – mostly in neurosurgery and intensive care – before earning her law degree from Western New England. Some get tired of the long hours, strange shifts, and lost holidays, she said, while others (and she put herself in this category)“get tired of assisting 300-poundpeople out of bed.”

But perhaps the biggest reason for the career shift is the growing number of opportunities for those who can place ‘RN, JD’ after their names, said Fernald. The increasingly litigious nature of society has created some of these opportunities, she said, noting that long-term care, one of her many specialities (as both as a nurse and a lawyer) has found itself the target of a growing number of negligence suits.

But there are also new waves of rules and regulations that health care providers must live under, said Lyons, listing HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountabilty Act of 1996, as just one example of new compliance issues facing constituencies ranging from single-physician practices to health care systems.

To help providers navigate these increasingly treacherous waters, law firms are reaching out to individuals with a legal and health care backgrounds, said Anti, noting that Morrison Mahoney is setting the standard in this new hiring trend.

“We’re not creating a market for these services,” he explained. “The market was already there; we’re trying to meet a recognized need in the health care community.”

Together, Beattie, Fernald, and Lyons have more than 70 years of work in nursing and health care administration to their credit. They pursued law degrees for different reasons, but Beattie might have spoken for all of them when she said, “I wanted to pursue something I could do until I was 70 or 75.”

A growing number of nurses are thinking in those same terms, said Fernald, noting that most law school classes now include at least one RN, and many have several. Meanwhile, many colleges have created courses or degree programs to address the emerging trend; Elms College in Chicopee has a new program in ‘Legal Nurse Consulting.’

There is a also a national organization for such professionals – The National Assoc. of Nurse Attorneys, which has more than 1,000 members and dozens of chapters, the closest in Boston.

The reasons behind the surge in RN, JDs are many, said Bagley, but primarily, such individuals can offer a perspective – and, therefore, a level of expertise – that those without a background in health care cannot.

“Dennis and I come from strictly a legal background – legal education and legal training – and, over the course of 20 yearsplus each, we’ve learned a lot of medicine,” he explained. “But the RN, JDs … they’ve worked in those environments and that makes it easier for them to communicate with the client and advise the client on how to address these problems we’re seeing in these lawsuits.”

Case Files

The three RN, JDs at Morrison Mahoney bring different strengths and layers of experience to the table. Fernald, who served as administrator of Wingate at Wilbraham for six years (1988 to 1994) and before that served the facility as director of Nursing, specializes in long-term care defense. This includes work with nursing homes, rehab centers, and assisted living facilities. She also handles medical malpractice defense, product liability, and professional liability representation.

She first worked with Bagley at the Springfield firm Egan Flanagan, and Cohen, and later worked for the Commonwealth as an attorney and Medicare program manager, handling Medicare and Medicaid appeals and thirdparty liability.

Beattie told BusinessWest that, while in law school at WNEC, she considered getting into criminal work. She interned at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Hartford, and, later, in district court in Springfield. She opted, ultimately, for work that involved both of her professional degrees.

In 1999, she became the first RN / JD to join Morrison Mahoney, and since then has cultivated a multi-faceted practice that includes medical malpractice and product liability defense, general insurance defense, representation of physicians and nurses in Board of Registration in Medicine and Board of registration in Nursing complaints, and general health-law litigation.

Lyons became the latest addition to the team in June. A 2003 graduate of the Massachusetts School of Law, she did some consulting work for the Nashoba Valley Medical Center and also served as interim director of its emergency department. She later joined Worcester Medical Center as director of risk management and patient safety officer.

In those roles, she actually became a client of Morrison Mahoney, working extensively with Beattie and Anti. As the need for additional RN, JD at the firm became evident, work to recruit Lyons ensued and then escalated.

A fourth nurse/lawyer could be hired in the near future, said Bagley, noting that, while law firms are generally conservative when it comes to expanding staff, there is a definite need within the market for the unique blend of talents that RN/JDs can provide.

Together, the RN/JDs will help Morrison Mahoney achieve goals common to every law firm, said Bagley – expanding the client list, while also providing a wider array of services to existing clients.

Final Arguments

As they talk about the health care profession and their work as nurses, Beattie, Fernald, and Lyons all use the present tense – and with good reason.

That’s because while they’re all working a law firm, they are still nurses. In fact, as Fernald told BusinessWest, they are better nurses now than when they were in the field because of what they’ve learned in their new profession.

But, ultimately, they are more than nurses. They are RN/JDs, and thus on the cutting edge of what would have to be considered a healthy career track – literally.

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

By
Departments

Spalding Launches NEVERFLAT™ Basketball

SPRINGFIELD — Spalding recently introduced NEVERFLAT™, the first-ever ball with proprietary pressure-retention technologies guaranteed to hold air up to 10 times longer than traditional basketballs. The NEVERFLAT™ basketball, designed by Primo Innovations, is the only ball guaranteed to stay fully inflated for at least one year – with no additional air needed during that period. The basketball, with a suggested retail price of $39.99, hits store shelves in mid-November.

Hampden Bank Opens at Tower Square

SPRINGFIELD — Hampden Bank’s new Tower Square branch office is the seventh in the bank’s branch network and provides a full array of convenient banking and financial services to individuals and companies headquartered at both the Tower Square and Monarch Place office complexes. The 1,000-square-foot facility contains a 24-hour ATM and Night Drop services area, teller and CSR stations, and private banking area. Also, there is space for financial services consultation through the bank’s Hampden Financial division affiliated with The Novak Charter Oak Group and MassMutual. The branch also features plasma screens, interactive kiosks and merchandising walls that inform customers of the latest products and services the bank offers.

Isenberg School MBA Program Receives Top- 10 Rankings

AMHERST — For the second consecutive year, the Isenberg School of Management’s MBA program has received two top-10 national rankings in the Princeton Review’s annual Best Business Schools publication, which ranks MBA programs in 11 strategic categories. In the 2006 edition – the Best 237 Business Schools – the Isenberg School’s full-time residential MBA program repeated last year’s ranking of fourth in the nation in the category “Best Professors.” At the same time, it improved its national ranking in the category “Best Overall Academic Experience,” from tenth to sixth.

3rd Quarter Net Loss for United Financial Bancorp

WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Financial Bancorp Inc., the holding company for United Bank, recently reported a net loss of $173,000 for the quarter ended Sept. 30. The results reflect a one-time after-tax expense of $2.2 million, which was incurred to establish and fund the new United Charitable Foundation. Excluding this charge for the charitable foundation, net income would have been $2.0 million for the three-month period, compared to $1.7 million for the same three-month period in 2004. Since the company’s initial public offering of common stock concluded during this quarter, earnings per share data is not being presented because it is not considered meaningful. For the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2005, net income amounted to $2.8 million compared to $4.3 million for the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2004. The company’s initial public offering concluded on July 11, and raised $74.8 million in the offering, selling 7.5 million shares of common stock at $10 per share.

Paradise City Voted Favorite Arts Festival East of the Rockies

NORTHAMPTON — Paradise City Arts Festivals makes the 2005 list of America’s 10 favorite shows for the second year in a row, with a ranking of #2 nationwide, according to AmericanStyle Magazine. The publication’s December issue reveals their readers’ favorite shows of high-caliber fiber art and craft from across the country. Approximately 300 shows nationwide fit the description for high quality, collectible fine art and craft shows. Paradise City, the only organization of the top five with shows in the Northeast, was the clear first-place winner among gated indoor events. Also, Paradise City’s hometown, Northampton, was ranked #9 nationwide as a small city arts destination. Paradise City, founded in 1995, also was ranked #1 for the best arts festival east of the Rockies.

Belt Technologies Acquires Mississippi Company

AGAWAM — Belt Technologies recently acquired Clark Manufacturing, a belt manufacturer based in central Mississippi. The acquisition will complement Belt Technologies current offerings of steel belts to the robotics, semiconductor, packaging, medical and pharmaceutical industries. Manufacturing from the Mississippi plant will be moved to the Agawam facility where new product lines will be absorbed within the current manufacturing capacity, according to company officials. No terms of the sale were provided at press time.

Businesses Should Follow MassMutual·s Lead

By
Opinion
While there remains some disagreement about Springfield, it’s current state of health, and its prospects for the future, there is agreement on at least one thing: that this city would be in much more trouble — truly dire straits — without its leading corporate citizen: MassMutual.

Indeed, area business leaders can often be heard referencing this line of thinking — while discussing everything from local cultural treasurers to the region’s Class A office occupancy rate — and acknowledging that they’re glad they don’t have to imagine life without ‘Mother Mutual,’ as it’s called.

We raise the point because, through a combination of current events and seasonal happenings, the depth of the company’s contributions to Springfield and the surrounding region can — or should — be truly appreciated. And we take the opportunity to say that while people can be pleased and proud that they have the corporate giant in this area code, we would be wise never to take its generosity for granted.

Scan the pages of this edition of BusinessWest, or any edition, for that matter, and one can immediately grasp the importance of this Fortune 100 company to the City of Homes and the region that surrounds it. There are prominent examples of the company’s impact on the area, such as attaching its name to the new convention center that opened last month in downtown Springfield. Without that $5 million investment, the entire project might not have moved forward, and if it had, it would not have been the same facility.

There are also many smaller, but in many ways no lessimportant, examples of the company’s generosity and civic-mindedness, such as its gift of the latest display, ‘Jurassic World,’ for Bright Nights. Meanwhile, another area attraction, the Springfield Museums, received another $95,000 grant from the company for ‘Learning Together,’ a series of educational programs for Springfield public school students.

Beyond the monetary and in-kind gifts to the community, MassMutual has also had a profound impact on the region’s real estate market, repeatedly filling large vacancies in downtown Springfield office towers, while also rescuing properties such as the former Charles River Hospital building in Chicopee, which the company converted into a meeting and training center. The latest example of the company’s influence on the office market was the recent opening of its new offices in Enfield, in the former Phoenix complex.

If there is a downside to MassMutual’s generosity, it is that this region might in some ways be too dependent on it, or, worse, that it is starting to take the company’s largesse for granted.

What we would like is for other companies, and individuals as well, to be inspired by MassMutual and to follow its lead — to the greatest degree possible.

By that, we mean that companies don’t have to fund an entire new exhibit for Bright Nights. But they should recognize the importance of that attraction to both the city and the region’s efforts to expand its tourism sector — and support the project accordingly.

Likewise, they can assist institutions like the Springfield Museums, the city’s orchestra, the community’s higher education system, and unique assets like Forest Park.

MassMutual has taken a lead role in supporting each one, and has set an example worthy of emulating.

As we said, it is a combination of news items — from the first events in the MassMutual Center to the recent open house at the Enfield facilities to the Bright Nights announcement — that remind of us how fortunate Springfield is to have a corporate citizen like this. And if you think all Fortune 500 companies are like this, you need to think again.

MassMutual’s donations are almost always large in size, but they are inspired by a fairly simple mindset: that the company does business in Springfield, it takes from the region and benefits from it — and therefore it gives back.

If every business took that same attitude, maybe we would be so dependent on MassMutual — and maybe we wouldn’t spend so much time wondering, and worrying, about what life would be like without it.

Plan to Make an Impression

By
Sections Supplements
A Primer on Effective Trade Show Marketing
Impressions can be seen everywhere at a trade show — from booth design and layout, logos, promotional literature, giveaways, and staff etiquette, among others. All of these elements working together can create an overall impression of your company and/or product – good, bad, or indifferent.

It takes planning well in advance of the show to ensure that these elements are in place, and when used effectively, will increase the potential for sales.

Many exhibitors do well in planning for some of the elements, but not others. For example, they may have a great product, but exhibit staff not properly trained. Or the graphics do not tell the company or product story at a glance, causing confusion for the attendees. Over the past 28 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many exhibiting organizations on their trade show marketing to effectively tie-in all of the elements.

It’s usually just a bit of adjustment, not major change that makes the difference. Done right, the results always add up in sales.

Here are a few guidelines that are critical for successful trade show marketing:

•Establish Show Objectives:Your objectives need to be clearly stated for each trade show. Not every exhibitor has the same objectives. Do you expect to be generating leads, maximizing exposure, creating awareness, selling? Maybe your type of product or service allows for multiple objectives. Will the decision makers or key influencers of your target audience be at the show? How will success be measured after the show? What is the budget?

•Pre-Show Communication:Plan how to announce your company’s presence. The announcement gives your audience a reason to stop by. Use your Web site – post your trade show schedule. Develop a creative Email campaign to send to prospects and existing customers or simply make some phone calls.

•Design Booth Layout:Select your location, if given the choice. Look at traffic flow, aisles, entrances, show activities, etc. Design your booth graphics so passersby know what your company is selling at a glance. Create a finished appearance. Order or bring carpet and/or fixtures. Don’t create barriers. Decide what products and information will be displayed. When using talent or games, plan where to put them in advance. Your booth is the lobby or gateway to your company. It must be immediately welcoming and representative of your organization.

•In the Booth:Train your staff ahead of time on both product knowledge and etiquette. Make sure everyone knows the schedule to avoid overcrowding. How your staff behaves can make a lasting impression on your audience. Decide what to wear, whether it will be business, casual attire, or booth uniform. There should be no eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, excessive chatting with other booth workers, cell phones, etc. Your staff should remain standing, ready to receive people at all times.

•Attract Traffic:Be cheerful, smile, make eye contact and be sincere. Ask openended, pertinent questions to pre-qualify prospects. Don’t wait for them to stop. Engage them as they pass by or pause to glance at what you are offering.

•Document Inquiries and Leads:Choose a mechanism that collects the prospect’s name, company, address, phone no., and the type of follow-up required. Make sure the inquiries are handled within a reasonable time period after the show.

•Promotional Literature:Literature should be available, professional, easy-to- read and understand. Train your staff on how to use the literature in advance. Remember at a trade show literature doesn’t make a sale it’s all about personal contact.

•Use ‘Smart’ Giveaways:Who are the recipients? Will they keep it? Print your logo, phone noumber, Web site on the items. Tie the giveaways to your advertising preshow message.

•Raffle Drawings:Raffles are used to collect names and information to add to your company database. Drawings also draw traffic to your booth, and can be part of your pre-show mailing.

•Post Show:How you handle the post show is important to the planning process from the beginning. How will you measure your return on investment of the show? Will it be the number of qualified leads, the number of sales generated, etc.? Communicate to your audience after the show. Use this as another reason to touch your prospects again. Follow up with a letter, postcard, phone call, or e-mail. Give attendees a reason to visit your Web site; for example, post raffle winners on the site, etc.

Remember, there is no other marketing tool as personal as an exhibit. It is the only sales opportunity where hundreds of your prospects will visit you in a given day. No cold calling, no trying to get past voice mail, reception, or protective secretaries.

Attendees have business needs to be filled and they are shopping in your store. Be prepared, be specific and be ready to make a lasting impression.

Jack Desroches is executive producer of Chicopee-based Milestone Events, LLC: (413) 592-4184.

That’s the Plan

By
Jeff Daigneau and AnnMarie Harding
Sections Supplements
Getting that Company Party off the Ground is Big Business for Area Event Coordinators
Jeff Daigneau and AnnMarie Harding

Jeff Daigneau and AnnMarie Harding of Max’s Tavern in Springfield.

Planning end-of-year events is a business unto itself for area
restaurants, party planners, banquet facilities, and others. Not only does it take time, money, and superb management to enter the holiday party arena, it increasingly takes the ability to offer an entirely new and creative set of amenities every year to keep the interest of the corporate set. This year, some area professionals offered their insight into everything it takes to ring in the new year in style

The clinking glasses, constantly swinging kitchen doors, and the bustle of wait staff as they serve entrées, clear dishes and take special orders are all a given at any holiday party.

But when the hors d’oeuvres are the same as last year, or the band’s set list sounds oddly familiar, corporate events held during the winter holidays can get stale faster than the dinner rolls.

This issue, as part of its annual holiday party planner, BusinessWest takes a behind-the-scenes look at the ins and outs of party planning, gleaning some information on the industry from area professionals – event planners, caterers, restaurant owners and managers, and others.

Together, they offer a feel for what their jobs entail, from management to menus, including what it takes to stay on the cutting-edge of the hospitality industry during the season that generates the largest amount of party-goers will be sizing up the party-planning prowess of a given establishment or individual.

For Ralph Santaniello, owner of The Federal in Agawam and his chefs, that might mean putting a holiday twist on their popular ‘spoon hors d’oeuvres.’ Rachel Bombard, catering sales manager for Max’s Tavern in Springfield, has been hard at work finalizing menus for this year’s party along with Max’s executive chef Jeff Daigneau, but is already mulling ideas for next year – things like bus trips, on which party-goers snack on gourmet boxed appetizers as they whiz around town.

For most planners, though, like Joy Roman, president of Positive Planning Inc. based in East Longmeadow, the actual booking of parties and research of current trends in food, drinks, party themes, and other incidentals, began months ago.

Many event planners were already in the thick of drafting specific menus and decorating schemes for a number of holiday gatherings when they spoke to BusinessWest. Roman, in her car with a license plate that reads ‘EVENTS,’ was in fact rushing off to find scores of perfect holiday gifts for guests at various parties, searching for a few that would stand out, while not breaking the bank when bought in bulk.

The breadth of those tasks alone gives a hard glance into the complexity of holiday party planning – but few, according to some of the region’s professionals, realize exactly how much time goes into plotting five hours of festivities in November, December or January.

According to Roman, who specializes in corporate events, event planners working both independently and internally at a restaurant or banquet facility are employed, in short, to take care of all of the “painful details” on the behalf of a client.

“Companies use me in order to facilitate one of their most important events of the year without losing company time,” she said. “There are a lot of logistics involved, from brainstorming to developing a theme or a menu, to arranging appropriate entertainment and working with a facility to get all of this off the ground.

“There are also a lot of intangibles that people don’t always take into account,” she continued. “Event planners have to be detail-oriented, creative, quick-thinking, and incredibly organized. They have to have excellent customer service skills and the ability to forge and maintain relationships with a number of different types of people in different industries.

“It’s my relationships with people that I think have kept me in business for 20 years,” she said. “And all of those skills ultimately factor into what kind of party you put together for your client – a fun, exciting, well-attended event, or a boring old holiday party that feels like a chore.”

The Party in Question

But she said it’s not all just phone calls and E-mails. On the contrary, she said anyone involved in event planning, whether it be an event coordinator, a chef, or a restaurant manager, is called upon more frequently than most to be spot-on when it comes to new, fresh, and creative ideas. She cited one client she has worked with for several years, which contacts Roman early on in the year and charges her with coming up with a theme for the company’s winter warmer.

That theme has to be big and bold and kept an absolute secret from the company’s employees, she explained, and also has to include accompanying decorations, centerpieces, gifts for attendees, music, a themed menu, and, in some cases, actors to pull that theme up into the next stratosphere.

An Academy Awards-themed event, for example, had Roman rolling out a red carpet, interviewing guests as they came through the door, and organizing an awards ceremony, in addition to dinner and drinks.

“Every decision is another stepping stone on the way to the event, so there is constant collaboration between me and the company’s representatives,” she added, noting that event planners are also not at the mercy of a given business to implement a slew of requests without adding their own professional input. “My job is to offer the expertise that makes everyone, including the company representatives who are planning the party, feel like guests at their own event.”

Sometimes that means overseeing the smallest of details – making sure music is being played at a good volume for conversation or giving the eggnog a little stir in passing. Other times, Roman explained, it’s putting years of experience planning events within the corporate set to good use by gently steering guests away from a few holiday party pitfalls.

“Setting an event up in such a way that people aren’t tempted to hover by the same people they sit right next to every day is one thing that’s important,” she said, citing round cocktail tables or serving stations as one way to keep the crowds circulating. “These are parties and times to unwind, but they’re still business parties, and therefore a strong networking component is necessary for these events to be successful.

“And it’s employees at all levels that need to be reminded,” Roman continued. “It’s the people at the top that give the party the ultimate personal touch, and I always mention that. Sometimes the CEO needs a little push toward the door and a reminder to greet his or her employees, not stand in the corner surrounded by a crowd.”

Kicking the Nosh up a Notch

Putting a few finishing touches on a plate of new hors d’oeuvre offerings available at Max’s for the holiday season, Daigneau concurred with Roman that several variables contribute to the success of a corporate holiday party, and the attention to detail and creativity of those working behind the scenes are of the utmost importance.

“It’s all about spotting trends and fulfilling requests to the best of our ability,” Daigneau said. “And everything is moving toward a tailored approach; people are becoming less shy about asking for special orders, special menus, or different types of events, instead of booking a date and assuming that every party has to be the same every year.”

That creates an interesting culinary testing ground each holiday season, Daigneau said, which he can use to gauge the popularity of new appetizers and entrées, or to get a feel for some of the trendy types of cuisine that people are gravitating toward on a given year.

He added that holiday parties also provide unique marketing opportunities – as new menu choices or creative serving methods are rolled out at corporate events, often a buzz is created that generates new business for an establishment.

“Food doesn’t have to be boring to appeal to a large crowd,” Daigneau said. “Whatever anyone can come up with, I’ll do it.”

And a trend toward special requests, Daigneau said, is challenging those in the industry to flex their culinary muscle. He has recently created event menus that include a wide variety of items, including cigar-smoked duck and tender venison, as game has seen a surge in popularity. He noted that he has also filled several requests for vegetarian or even Vegan menu items, to cater to people with food allergies, or to augment a pre-planned drink menu, choosing foods that complement various wines, beers, martinis, or other cocktails.

AnnMarie Harding, special event planner and director of Public Relations at Max’s, added that menus have become the central attraction for most businesses planning their holiday parties, and creative dinners and cocktail parties are being organized this year over a wide range of price points.

“It’s becoming less important to throw a lot of money at a party in order to make it a huge, gala event,” she said, “and more important to get to the heart of the company throwing the party and reflecting its business and their employees. The menu is the biggest part of that; different types of people in different types of industries will ultimately enjoy different types of food. Some people expect a steak waiting for them. Others want to see something they’ve never seen before.”

Bombard agreed, noting that as clients become more comfortable making special requests for their events, they are also paying more attention to the subtle nuances that make an event stand out.

“I think in the past, people wanted a great party, but they didn’t really know how to go about planning one,” she said. “That’s what people who plan events for a living are for, and lately it seems that businesses are more ready to use the skills of event professionals.”

Just as she is keeping one eye on trends for next season as she fine-tunes this year’s events, Bombard said businesses looking to plan a smash gathering should do the same, and it doesn’t have to take an exorbitant amount of money or time to do so with the right approach.

“What I tell people,” she explained, “is to get a magazine and start tearing out pictures of things you really like. Chances are you can have something like it at your party, and the more ideas we have to work with, the easier it is for us to secure great quality food, keep costs down, and stay simple.”

The Early Bird Gets the Wassail

That’s not to say that event planning is a cakewalk for anyone, however. As special orders and tailored menus become the norm, Daigneau added further that work hours in the kitchen and the banquet room rise as well. Just one event could require a 22-hour work day to prepare, organize, and implement, and that’s with preparation beginning up to a week in advance and a staff of up to 20 people.

“And that’s with more than one party going on in one night most of the time, not to mention that the holidays are the busiest time of the year without corporate business,” he said. “But it’s our job to make holiday parties happen. My only advice to businesses of all sizes is to start planning as early as possible.”

That sentiment resonates in the party planning world. Event planning is an interesting study in corporate organization, and those involved firsthand with party planning say those companies that start early with an idea of menu options and event size, time, and place in mind are those who usually leave their event at the end of the night pleased with the outcome. Those who start late are those who leave wishing they’d spent more time preparing.

“Corporate parties require a lot of planning and attention to detail throughout the year,” said Santaniello, who finds a constant challenge in the changing tastes of the public – what dishes were hot last month at a Federal-catered event, either on or off-site, could receive a chilly reception at a function today. “But when it comes to holiday parties, often people forget that they’re competing with every other company planning a party for the same few dates. There are only three weekends in December before Christmas (and Hanukkah begins on Dec. 26), and it’s much harder to get the details buttoned up.”

Santaniello added that a major staff investment is also required to coordinate corporate events, in addition to regular business, during the holidays. Not only does event planning during the winter months require careful organization on the part of the planner and the company staging the party, but also strict management within the business handling the party, so not to overtax employees, overstretch the operating budget, or cause other aspects of the business to suffer.

“We’re already busy at that point,” he said. “It’s very important that our staff knows that it’s going to be hard and there’s going to be a lot to do, but that their role is an important one in getting it all done. Managing time is one of the most important skills we put into play here. We have a great team and everyone is in charge of something – the finances, the menu, the catering … everything has to be in place, or it’s just not going to work.”

With proper management, though, Santaniello said he has seen a party in every room of his restaurant as well as a few off-site events staged without a hitch over the course of one evening.

“That’s a long day, and anything can go wrong,” he said. “The delivery guy could not show up and you’ll run out of chicken. The rental company could send the wrong number of tables and chairs.

“But,” he added, as he placed one of The Federal’s holiday platters on a table – something new this year, a brimming antipasto created in response to several requests for authentic, Italian fare – “if you pay attention to detail, and to what people want, you’ll build a reputation for offering consistent service with the promise that every event will be a little different, every time.”

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Banquet Facilities

By
Uncategorized
Facility Capacity Contact Person Services

The MassMutual Center1277 Main St.,Springfield, MA 01103          (413) 271-3221; Fax: (413) 787-6645

2,237     (ballrooms A,B,&C; five mtg. rooms with 1,367 cap.)

Tabitha Mahoney

Largest function space in Western Mass., overlooking Court Square; weddings, banquets, meetings; floor to ceiling windows; arena;  Boston Culinary Group caterers providing on-site catering for all occasions – common fare to exquisite dining. Web site:www.massmutualcenter.com

Chez Josef            176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam, MA 01001  (413) 786-0257; Fax: (413) 786-0316

1,800

Jean Allen

Full service; for weddings, books entertainment, photographer, videographer, cake, invitations, limo, bridal shops, flowers, coordinating, and complementary consulting; for business meetings, can locate hotels with shuttle service; overnight accommodations; senior entertainment; holiday parties; bus-tour shows and luncheons; free parking;  premier off-premise catering; grand ballroom; open to the public Mother’s Day, New Year’s Eve. Web site:www.chezjosef.com

The Log Cabin 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke, MA 01040            (413) 535-5077; Fax: (413) 535-1096

1,000

Barbara Griffin

Wedding or bridal showers; anniversary or engagement parties; bar/bat mitzvahs; business meetings; banquets or holiday parties. Planning, full service,  cuisine; accommodations for 50 to 1,000 guests. Web site:www.thelogcabin.com

Sheraton Springfield Hotel  One Monarch Place, Springfield, MA 01103 (413) 263-2009; Fax: (413) 732-7560

1,000 Grand Ballroom 500

Steve Keegan

Weddings: flowers, Rolls Royce; for business, audio-visual equipment, rear screen projection, lighting, sound, computer presentations, teleconferencing; 18 rooms, three for meetings; high-speed Internet; holiday parties. Web site:www.sheraton-springfield.com

The Delaney House  Country Club Road, Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 532-1800; Fax: (413) 533-7137

800

Lynn Brunelle

Custom menus and accommodations for large receptions, corporate events, or banquets for up to 260 guests; intimate dinner parties for 10 or more. Two garden terraces for outdoor settings. Groups up to 14 can choose from an international fusion  restaurant menu.  Web site:www.delaney-house.com

The Oaks 1070 Suffield St., Agawam, MA 01001  (413) 786-5500 or (800) 333-6257
Fax: 786-6966

750

Thomas  Sophinos

Full-service banquet facility; three wedding packages to choose from; four gazebos; guaranteed prices, will work within client’s budget; accommodating trade shows, business meetings, company holiday parties, business tours for dinner shows, and much more; we do not charge 18% house or service charge.Web site:www.theoaksinc.com

Yankee Pedlar Inn 1866 Northampton St., Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 532-9494; Fax: (413) 536-8877

750 250 for weddings

Kimberlee
Clayton-McGrath

Full-service facility; four wedding packages to choose from; ceremony sites, bridal suites, and overnight accommodations; award-winning chef; seven unique rooms for meetings, anniversaries, and other events. Web site:www.yankeepedlar.com

Castle of Knights 1599 Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA 01020            (413) 532-2000; Fax: (413) 552-3923

700

Scott
Samuelson

Catering and conference facility for business functions and social events. Web site:www.castleofknights.com

Best Western Sovereign Hotel  and Conference Center 1080 Riverdale St.  West Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 781-8750; Fax: (413) 731-5999

In the ballroom:  700 theater-style,  500 banquet-style; smaller rooms  seat 10 to 24

Mariann
Zenitz

The facility hosts a wide range of functions, including meetings and conferences, social events, fundraisers, award banquets, conventions, reunions, and weddings.Web site:www.sovereignhotelcs.com

Basketball Hall of Fame  West Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01105 (413) 781-6500; Fax: (413) 781-1939

600 sit-down 1,300 for socials

Joe Hevey

Full-service facility capable of hosting a wide array of events. Facilities include Center Court, which can hold 600 for a sit-down dinner; Max’s Tavern; the MassMutual            Room, a board room for business meetings; a 200-seat theater; a McDonalds for children’s parties; exhibit gallery for banquet functions.  Web site:www.hoophall.com

Marriott Hotel  1500 Main St., Springfield, MA 01115  (413) 781-7111; Fax: (413) 731-6939

500

Linda Mensher

A wide range of services: weddings, business functions, meetings, reunions, conventions; 11 different rooms. Web site:www.marriott.com

Oak Ridge Golf Club 850 South Westfield St., Agawam, MA 01001 (413) 786-5886; Fax: (413) 821-0060

450 for banquets 300 for weddings

Jennifer  Dandurand

Books only one wedding per day; outdoor photo opportunities; gazebo; provides golf outing packages with dinner for business groups. Web site:www.oakridgegc.com

Holiday Inn Holidome & Conf. Center 245 Whiting Farms Road, Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 534-3311; Fax: (413) 533-8443

425 for banquets
1,000 for socials

Tracie Tarbox

Full-service facility; wedding and conference packages; audio-visual equipment; high-speed Internet access.  Web site:www.hiholyoke.com

Clarion Hotel and Conference Center  1 Atwood Dr., Northampton, MA 01060            (413) 586-3903; Fax: (413) 586-1723

400

Melissa
Vontour

Eight rooms to accommodate smaller meetings and functions; wedding planning       services; audio-visual equipment; company parties; graduation parties; outdoorpavilion; indoor/outdoor pool. Web site:www.hampshirehospitality.com

Chateau Provost 85 Montcalm St., Chicopee, MA 01020 (413) 532-2100; Fax: (413) 536-8371

350

Janice
Mahoney

Audio-visual facilities for business seminars; can book entertainment, invitations, cakes, flowers for weddings; individualizes service for specific needs; baby  grand piano. Web site:www.chateauprovost.com

The Elmcrest Country Club 105 Somerville Road, E. Longmeadow, MA 01028            (413) 525-2186; Fax: (413) 789-4087

350

Pamela
Vadnais

Weddings, showers, dinner dances; family-owned; banquet room  can be split into two smaller rooms for smaller functions rooms with dining facilities. Web site:www.elmcrest.cc

The Knights of Columbus Banquet Hall 460 Granby Road, Chicopee, MA 01020 (413) 598-8621

350

Alexis
Birney

Corporate events, weddings, banquets, showers, funeral collations, light buffet, dinner, breakfasts. Web site:www.KofC69.com

Crestview Country Club 280 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam, MA 01001  (413) 786-2593; Fax: (413) 789-4087

300

Ernest
LaRocca Jr.

Beautiful outdoor panoramic photo opportunities; outdoor ceremonies; only  one event per day; professional culinary and service staff; business meetingrooms with dining facilities. Web site:www.crestviewcc.org

The Ludlow Country Club Tony Lema Drive, Ludlow, MA 01056 (413) 583-8666; Fax: (413) 596-9972

300

Linda
Ghini

Weddings, banquets, special occasions, and other functions.; outside caterers welcome          Web site:www.ludlowcountryclub.com

Park Inn 450 Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA 01020  (413) 739-7311; Fax: (413) 594-5005

300

Carol
DeGray

Catering; full meeting setup; audio-visual, classroom or theater style; can accommodate different rooms for meetings and meals; high-speed Internet.

The Hampden Country Club 128 Wilbraham Road, Hampden, MA 01036              413) 566-3136; Fax: (413) 566-5304

300

Paula
Dubord

Panoramic views; breakfast, lunch, and dinner; wedding packages;  create-your-own menu option; two bars; dance floor. Web site:www.hampdencountryclub.com

Max’s Catering at the  Basketball Hall of Fame West Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01105  (413) 746-6299; Fax: (413) 746-5559

280 500 for socials

Rachel
Bombard

Full-service banquet facilities, corporate and private; will customize events  to fit specific needs; exclusive caterer to the Basketball Hall of Fame.  Web site:www.maxrestaurantgroup.com

School Street Bistro &  Columbia Meeting House 29 School St., Westfield, MA 01085       (413) 562-8700; Fax: (413) 562-8704

250
(400 for socials)

Doreen
Vadnais

The restaurant’s Columbia Meeting House handles a wide variety of events, including corporate functions, weddings, baby and bridal showers, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, and anniversaries; also hosts performances. Web site:www.schoolstreetbistro.com

Union Station            125 A Pleasant St., Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 586-5366; Fax: (413) 586-5359

225

Stephen
Godet

Full-service facility; wedding packages and planning; bridal suite; provides ancillary services and can custom-design menu.  Available for meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Located in century-old railroad station. Web site:www.unionstationrestaurant.com

Carriage House at the Barney Estate            200 Trafton Road, Springfield, MA 01108  (413) 787-7733; Fax: (413) 787-6770

200

Paula
Lynch

Victorian elegance for weddings, showers, receptions, business meetings, and corporate gatherings. Historic carriage house in Forest Park includes outdoor terrace, gazebo, and tent seating for 200; indoor facilities include Pecousic Villa Banquet Room and meeting rooms for business needs. Web site:www.barneycarriagehouse.com

Hotel Northampton 36 King St., Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 587-8108; Fax: (413) 585-0210

200
(300 for socials)

Erinn
Fitzgerald

Full-service facility, wedding packages; can handle all details including invitations and limo booking.  Audio-visual equipment for business meetings; wireless  Internet; Newly-renovated Grand Ballroom, two additional ballrooms, two boardrooms, two restaurants. Web site:www.hotelnorthampton.com

The Baymont Inn and Suite  Road, Chicopee, MA 01013  (413) 592-9101

150

Lisa
Nai

Business meetings, conferences, social functions, restaurant and lounge, 357 Burnett conference rooms

The Federal 135 Cooper St., Agawam, MA 01001  (413) 789-1267

125

Christina
Presnal  Coffey

Banquet, off-premise catering, spoon hors d’oeuvres, private parties,  business meetings. Web site:www.thefederalrestaurant.com

By
Departments

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

AMHERST

Youth Action International Inc., 58 Tracy Circle, Amherst 01002. Cherrine Smith, 40 Abbey Road, Newark, DE 19702. Jackie Pateguana, 58 Tracy Circle, Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit) To develop programs to alleviate the suffering of children affected by war and by living under difficult circumstances, etc.

BONDSVILLE

Source Two Inc., 7 Third St., Bondsville 01009. Michael W. Shields Jr., 11 Shelby Lane, East Longmeadow 010128. Custom design engineering and manufacturing of automation equipment.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Care Biopharma Inc., 146 Tanglewood Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. Penelope Johnson, same. To provide staffing, clinical research and consulting services to entities in the biopharmaceutical industry.

GRANBY

Seasonal Bids Inc., 417 East State St., Granby 01033. Bruce A. Peltier, same. To broker the bidding, management and implementation of landscaping jobs between landscapers and property management.

HADLEY

Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club Inc., 277 Bay Road, Hadley 01035. Donna Utakis, 71 Blue Hills Road, Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit) To foster amateur sports competition including promoting road racing and/or running related events, etc.

NORTHAMPTON

Accents ‘N Art Inc., 351 Pleasant St., Ste. B321, Northampton 01060. Elizabeth A. Monaghan, 24 Mutter St., Easthampton 01027. Manufacturing home accents and artwork.

Easthampton Trading Company Inc., 222 North King St., Northampton 01060. Thomas R. Broadhurst, 476 East St., Easthampton 01027. Broker/dealer of automobiles.

SPRINGFIELD

Crystal Brook Landscape Construction Inc., 52 Hardy St., Springfield 01129. Justin Haggerty, same. To provide landscape design, construction, etc.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Spruce Facilities Management Inc., 43 Witch Path #1, W. Springfield 01089. Katherine M. Zimmerman, same. Janitorial service.

Bra None

By
Show Us Your Bra
Sections Supplements
Unique Program Offers A New Kind Of Support To Breast Cancer Survivors
Show Us Your Bra

Show Us Your Bra

Since its inception in the early ’90s, The Breast Form Fund has been bolstered by the generous contributions of the Western Mass. business community and by one unique, far-reaching fundraiser: the Show Us Your Bra event held every two years in October. This year, the continued support of businesses, organizations, and individuals alike has provided for an even
larger month-long celebration of art, community involvement, and, most importantly, women’s health.

Pine cones, pennies, red sequins, ketchup bottles, Wonder Bread bags, fake fur, fishing line, and plenty of underwire.

This laundry list of materials seems strange and random at first. It’s downright absurd when put into context — as the materials used to create one-of-a-kind, and often wild and wacky, pieces of art that all share one common trait: they’re bras.
Indeed, the Show Us Your Bra event, held biennially to benefit the Breast Form Fund, a non-profit that began at Gazebo, a lingerie and post-mastectomy shop in Northampton, is a one- (or shall we say two) of-a-kind event. But kidding aside, its also one of the most effective and imaginative fund-raising activities devised to assist survivors of breast cancer in living and feeling well.

“It’s an artsy, humorous, light way of addressing a serious issue,” said Judith Fine, owner of Gazebo and co-founder of the Breast Form Fund, along with Gazebo manager Emma Dostal. “It’s also all-inclusive — all are welcome to submit a bra they’ve created — boys, men, children, the elderly, everyone. I think that’s one thing that has made us so successful.”

BraStory

Show Us Your Bra has become the defining aspect of the Breast Form Fund, which supplies funding for uninsured and underinsured women who have had mastectomies to allow them to purchase breast prostheses and post-mastectomy bras. Fine explained that, for many years, the American Cancer Society supplied grant money for women in need of breast forms. But in 1992, that funding dried up, and Fine and Dostal saw an opportunity to help breast cancer survivors by creating a fund derived from a percentage of all of Gazebo’s sales.

“We addressed the issue by taking a percentage of sales and immediately saw that start to help people,” she said.

The Breast Form Fund functioned in that way for several years, essentially as a separate bank account operated by Gazebo that supplied $400 grants to breast cancer survivors for a breast form, which costs about $300, and two bras.

Soon, though, said Fine, the Breast Form Fund concept began to grow, and take on a life of its own, making its biggest leap on the occasion of Gazebo’s 20th anniversary in 1997. A unique celebration was planned that put the creative mettle of Western Mass. residents to the test, charging people of all ages and walks of life to create an artful rendition of a bra, and give it a clever moniker.

“The event was only meant to be held once,” Fine explained. “It was devised to commemorate our 20th anniversary and we were happy to see it become such a hit, but the next year, when we began telling people that it wasn’t going to happen again, they started demanding it.”

Thus, the Show Us Your Bra fundraiser was born. The following year, the event garnered 30 entries, and the year after that, it received 40. The most artful and cleverly named bra creations were chosen to create a Show Us Your Bra calendar, which raised additional funds for the Breast Form Fund and remains a large part of the event. Shortly thereafter, the fund became an official 501C-3 non-profit, merging with Tapestry Health.

Support System

As Show Us Your Bra continued to grow, Fine said she and fellow coordinators made the decision to hold it only every other year, as the number of entries was actually getting too large. The off-year also provides time to plan the event and to concentrate on marketing and promoting the Breast Form Fund.
But that’s not to say the event’s popularity waned. Since 1998, Show Us Your Bra has added a gala auction to its fundraising repertoire, at which visitors bid on their favorite bras.

“That was the year we went really big,” Fine said, noting that it was also the year that specific dates marking the event’s gradual growth and success began to get hazy, as positive momentum made the Breast Form Fund and Show Us Your Bra less a free-standing event and more a regional fixture.

The fund ended its partnership with Tapestry Health in the early years of this decade and formed a new one with the Cancer Connection in Florence, and now functions as an independent non-profit.

“It’s an artsy, humorous, light way of addressing a serious issue. It’s also all-inclusive — all are welcome to submit a bra they’ve created — boys, men, children, the elderly, everyone. I think that’s one thing that has made us so successful.”

The 2003 show displayed a staggering 240 bra creations, many from local artists, cancer survivors, support organizations, schools, and individuals, but others from as far away as California or Colorado.

Fine said the expansion of Show Us Your Bra has allowed the Breast Form Fund to help a greater number of women, and to assist them more efficiently. In the past, she said, women had to come directly to Gazebo to be helped, but now women within a 50-mile radius of downtown Northampton can easily apply for a grant through the fund and receive assistance and information due to the fund’s expanding resources, now hovering around the $40,000 mark. Fine and the Breast Form Fund’s Board of Directors are currently at work extending that radius to 100 miles, with the goal of reaching across New England and, eventually, the country.

And Show Us Your Bra continues to grow in its splendor, too. This year, several major sponsors are involved, including Baystate Health System, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Florence Savings Bank, Gazebo, Paradise City Arts Festival, State Street Fruit Store, the Valley Advocate, AM Lithography, Lathrop Retirement Communities, Whole Foods Market, and countless businesses that have contributed time, funding, and services to augment the Breast Form Fund’s account balance through Show Us Your Bra activities, which will span the month of October (also Breast Cancer Awareness Month).

Sandra Hubbard, a nurse practitioner with Baystate’s Regional Cancer Program and Comprehensive Breast Center, said Baystate has been involved on some level for many years, and sees the importance of the Breast Form Fund first-hand everyday.
“I’ve been personally involved for some time,” said Hubbard, “sending clients to the fund since it began. It’s important to work with and fundraise for the Breast Form Fund because it is the only service of its kind in the area.

“I see newly diagnosed patients all the time that do not have adequate insurance coverage to purchase mastectomy bras or prostheses,” she continued. “Our staff became aware of the Breast Form Fund early on because it was one way for us to address the many needs of our patients.”

Hubbard added that representatives from the D’Amour Center for Cancer Care or the Comprehensive Breast Center are routinely on hand at Show Us Your Bra events, which this year will include the original contest and display of art-bras, to be located at the Northampton Center for the Arts throughout the month with an auction on Oct. 22, the auction, and a black-tie kick-off celebration to be staged on Oct. 6 in conjunction with the Paradise City Arts Festival at the Hotel Northampton.

At the gala, eight artful bras, created by juried Paradise City ‘bratistes,’ such as Josh Simpson of Shelburne Falls who is famous for his intricate glass planets, will be auctioned off.

Cups Runneth Over

“It’s the twist this year that is going to help us continue to ‘raise the bra’ on the artistic merit of this event,” Fine quipped.

“A lot of the bras that people contribute are funny, but many are poignant, too,” she continued. “And the fact that Show Us Your Bra just keeps getting bigger and bigger is proof that everyone knows someone who has had breast cancer, and everyone’s lives are touched by it. But gradually, we’re addressing a real need here with the help of many, many people.”

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

AIC Forges Admissions Program With Community Colleges

By
Sections Supplements
Vincent Maniaci, president of American International College, took a look at the application forms for Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College shortly after assuming his post in August.

He noted that by checking a box, students accepted at one of the two institutions were given the option of seamlessly transferring to Westfield State College or UMass Amherst after the successful completion of coursework at one of the two-year colleges.

He then approached STCC president Ira Rubenzahl and HCC president William Messner with a simple request: “I want AIC to have its own box,” he said.
And four weeks later, it did.

HCC and STCC announced this month that they have entered into a dual admissions agreement with AIC, creating the first such arrangement with a private, four-year institution in the area. Under the new admissions agreement, students who are accepted to one of the two community colleges can opt to continue their education at AIC after the successful completion of two years of coursework.

“Many students are already well-served by the dual admissions agreements with WSC and UMass,” Maniaci said, “but there are still many students who would be well-served at AIC, and we felt a program like this would benefit all three institutions. Students with direction are more likely to graduate from college, and increasing the number of college graduates in our area is a civically-conscious goal that we will continue to focus on in the future.”

The partnership creates a number of incentives for students during their college career, according to Pauline Mortenson, director of international and transfer admissions at AIC. Students who sign up for dual (or joint) admissions when applying to STCC or HCC will have access to a variety of AIC services, including academic advising, mentoring, financial aid counseling, the college’s library, and all student functions including social and athletic events. That will help those students achieve the grade point average needed to continue at AIC after two years at STCC or HCC, Mortenson said, adding that the requirements vary from major to major. But it will also allow those students to integrate themselves into the AIC community early on.

“Students will receive a special ID card that gives them access to the campus right away,” Mortenson said. “And it also allows us to get to them sooner. We can help them choose courses that will transfer to AIC or help them to be more prepared when they get here, and it lets us guide them through the process and make the entire experience better for them.”

Mortenson added that upon entering the joint admissions program, students are automatically allocated a $4,000 scholarship that goes into effect when they begin classes as AIC after completing two years at STCC or HCC. That scholarship can be coupled with additional transfer scholarships to AIC, often awarded to transfer students with high grade point averages, and with all government-funded financial aid.

HCC President William Messner concurred that the agreement has clear benefits for students who wish to transfer to a four-year college, streamlining the process and providing specialized guidance along the way.
“The scholarship and student activities components should engage students and further smoothen the transition,” he said.

Stephen H. Keller, vice president for academic affairs Springfield Technical Community College said the new partnership will offer added opportunities to the region’s college-bound residents.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students who are planning to complete a bachelor’s degree,” he said. “Traditionally, many of our graduating students have transferred on to pursue a bachelor’s degree at AIC, particularly in their business programs which mesh well with ours. This new agreement will allow the students to learn more about AIC’s campus and services while they’re still studying at STCC, to determine if AIC is a good fit for them.”

The program went into effect on Sept. 22, after Maniaci, Messner, and Rubenzahl simultaneously signed the paperwork finalizing the agreement. Mortenson said students have already begun to enroll.

Fueling Speculation

By
Cover Sept. 19, 2005
Cover Story
As Gas Prices Soar, Business Owners Feel the Squeeze…
Cover Sept. 19, 2005

Cover Sept. 19, 2005

In this climate of staggering gas prices, businesses across all industries are struggling with both a new set of financial hardships and the crafting of an appropriate response. Most say they are trying to avoid measures that amount to panic, and are instead focused on creative solutions that will enable them to maintain client relationships — and also stay afloat until the storm passes.

Dennis Scibelli sees trouble brewing. His coffee delivery business, Break Time based in Springfield, is feeling the squeeze of gas prices that soared in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and have generally been much higher than they were a year ago. And the price of gas isn’t his only concern.

Indeed, the rising cost of fuel has contributed to hikes in prices for everything from sugar packets to paper cups. To add insult to injury, the price of coffee has climbed as well, as many warehouses and production facilities in Louisiana were decimated by the recent hurricane.

“It’s killing us,” Scibelli lamented. “We’re in the service industry, so how are we supposed to tell a customer that we just can’t deliver? We have to continue on, and we’re doing the best we can to curb our costs.”


Ed Dersarkis is owner of Deluxe Limousine, located in Agawam, Mass.

Scibelli’s plight is in many ways similar to that of business owners across virtually every sector of the economy. There is the immediate challenge of responding to the sharp spike in gas prices after Katrina and the larger issue of how the price at the pump impacts the cost of doing business. In short, everything costs more, from plywood to pizza.

This puts business owners between a rock and a hard place. They need to stay afloat and, hopefully, in the black. At the same time, however, they need to maintain clients and steady business relationships for he long-term.

This is a delicate balancing act, as Ed Dersarkis will tell you. As owner of Deluxe Limousine Service in Agawam, he’s impacted by gas prices in a number of ways, including the many pre-written corporate contracts he has, most of which were penned when gas prices were roughly half what they are currently.

Dersarkis said he plans to honor those contracts until the end of the year, at which time he said he’ll employ surcharges to help close the gap that the gas price explosion created, but will split the difference of any increases with his clients, absorbing 50%. The tactic, he said, is designed to keep prices down and to maintain a reputation of fair pricing, as well as to approach the gasoline crisis more conservatively.

“To increase prices creates the risk of pricing oneself out of the market,” he said. “And the worst thing I could do would be to increase prices across the board based on the cost of fuel. That’s a panic response and you can’t be constantly adjusting your prices to match your costs. It’s much smarter business to remain consistent.”
It’s that fine line between providing consistent service to clients and curbing costs that is undoubtedly the greatest concern for business owners in all industries, and it’s prompting many, like Dersarkis, to get creative in their business plans for the coming fiscal year.

BusinessWest looks this issue at the soaring prices at the pump impact area businesses, and how they respond.

“It’s killing us. We’re in the service industry, so how are we supposed to tell a customer that we just can’t deliver? We have to continue on, and we’re doing the best we can to curb our costs.”

Cost and Effect

Tom Demers, vice president of Finance and Supply Chain at Kleer Lumber in Westfield, a manufacturing company that produces plastic trimboard – an alternative to wood – said soaring oil prices touch every aspect of the business.

“Everything that goes out of here goes out on a flatbed truck,” he explained. “And as the price of oil goes up, so does the price of resin (used to make the plastic lumber Kleer manufactures).”

Those shifts in costs have prompted management at Kleer to look both externally and internally to reduce costs, reevaluate operations and procedures, and keep an even closer eye on competition, to ensure that any adjustments they do make to the company’s structure do not affect competitiveness in the marketplace.

“Everybody is feeling the burn,” Demers explained, noting that raising the cost of the company’s products will likely be part of the response to the gas quandary. “But it’s important to keep an eye on efficiency. We’re monitoring our costs quarterly … we don’t have a doomsday outlook, but we need to continue to examine ways to lower our cost base. That’s just the name of the game today.”

Scibelli concurred. He said small surcharges have been added to all deliveries — a necessary step — but the company’s response is much broader.

“Most people understand that we have to do that,” he said of the surcharges, which have been implemented by businesses ranging from cab fleets to golf courses. “But that doesn’t cover the whole nut. We can’t pass on the total cost, so naturally we have to absorb some, and that means we’re making less of a profit.”

To further address the problem, Scibelli has turned to reducing the number and length of ‘outs,’ or the number of times in a week that delivery trucks will make the rounds to their various customers in Western Mass., and asking clients to place larger orders less frequently in order to achieve that goal. Eventually, he suspects that he’ll also have to reduce his service radius, rather than expanding the business into new markets.

And, like all business owners, he’s being imaginative. “We’re utilizing UPS more than we ever did,” he explained. “That saves more than gas money – it saves the time the trucks are on the road, driver costs … it’s one example of how and why people need to really start to get creative out there.

“We’re doing OK,” he continued, “but it’s a day-to-day battle and a weekly concern. We’re just like the average consumer in that we’re chasing the best gas prices around Western Mass., too – I’m on the phone telling my drivers where to go every morning. You just have to.”

“To increase prices creates the risk of pricing oneself out of the market. And the worst thing I could do would be to increase prices across the board based on the cost of fuel. That’s a panic response and you can’t be constantly adjusting your prices to match your costs. It’s much smarter business to remain consistent.”

Small, delivery-oriented businesses like Break Time aren’t the only ones feeling a direct hit from costs at the pump, however. Those in the transportation industry are probably those feeling the crunch most immediately. Dan Crowley, vice president of Operations for Palmer Dedicated Logistics, which sells dedicated truck services to various businesses to meet their transportation needs, said his entire industry has undoubtedly been affected, although business has remained steady in the face of rising fuel costs.

“Diesel and unleaded fuel have both gone up in price, so that hurts us,” he said. “We’ve had to impose a fuel surcharge of about 45 to 50 cents on every mile run. If we tried to absorb those costs, we’d definitely be in the loss column.

“Consumers are paying those extra charges when they pay for nearly everything,” he continued. “It’s all being passed along. Business can always be better, but we’ve been able to cope … the entire economy is based on moving goods and services, and that’s not going to go away.”

Pumping for Information

Amid the general gloom over the gas-price issue there are some possible silver linings — and even some attempts to seize the moment. Indeed, businesses and organizations are urging local consumers to take advantage of local goods and services, in order to save on fuel costs and support the local economy as it weathers this, its most recent economic storm.

Bob Kaufman, owner of Bob’s Discount Furniture, has taken to the airwaves with his suggestion to local shoppers, in a recent commercial that asks them to avoid high gas prices and instead “Come on down to Bob’s.”

Meanwhile, area tourism leaders say the ugly numbers at the pump may prompt people to take in local attractions rather than hit the road for extended trips. Wayne McCary, president of the Eastern States Exposition, said he is hopeful that attendance will get a boost for this year’s fair, which runs through Oct. 2, as Northeast residents look for entertainment and travel options closer to home.

Dersarkis told BusinessWest that, in some ways, higher fuel costs actually promote more business for limo companies. He said he has seen early indications of continued health due to greater interest in chartered transportation for events both corporate and leisure in nature.

“People are starting to carpool to conventions and seminars or to Red Sox games, and splitting the cost to hire a car service rather than fill up their own gas tank,” he explained.

“It’s a day-to-day battle and a weekly concern. We’re just like the average consumer in that we’re chasing the best gas prices around Western Mass., too – I’m on the phone telling my drivers where to go every morning. You just have to.”

Pride Gasoline Stations, meanwhile, has chosen a unique approach to the issue of gasoline supply and prices in the nation overall. The company has made the proactive move of switching all of its stations over to a 90-10 mixture of traditional gasoline and ethanol, a corn-based bio-fuel. While that has little effect on prices, it does address the more global issues of petroleum supply, demand, and dependence on foreign oil, as well as that of the overall health of the U.S. economy.

“Ethanol is a renewable source of energy,” said Ellen Carra, director of marketing for Pride. “It reduces our dependence on foreign oil because it replaces crude oil, and gives work to U.S. farmers.

“Use of ethanol will cut the U.S. trade deficit by $34 billion by 2012,” Carra continued, noting that Pride is the first chain in the state to convert to a bio-fuel mixture, and 20 states in the nation already require it, including neighboring Connecticut and New York. “Pride has a commitment to fair pricing and responsible energy use and I think the two go hand in hand. As more suppliers begin to focus on changing their own tanks over to a blend, it’s going to create a real win-win for our economy.”

And Carra added that Pride gas stations don’t see themselves as on the other side of the fence of the current gas crisis; all but one of Pride’s stations include a retail component, she explained, and the rising costs of goods delivered to the stores, particularly those supplied by local vendors who cannot absorb costs as easily as larger, national companies, have indeed been felt.

“Those companies are having to tack on anywhere from $1 to $3.50 in surcharges for each delivery, and those costs definitely add up,” she explained. “This is something we’re dealing with on both fronts everyday.”

Crude Estimates

Coping, and waiting for the gas price fever to break, is what most businesses are doing today.

Taking a ‘this, too, shall pass’ attitude helps with the day-to-day struggle, said Scibelli, as does acknowledgement that the current crisis is not going to change how
people live or conduct business.

“People are just not going to stay in their homes and hide until these prices go down,” he said. “I’m a business owner, but I’m a consumer, too. I have an SUV … am I going to cancel my weekend plans? No, because when all is said and done we still need to strive for a quality of life here.”

“So my life really mirrors my business … I can’t increase what I’m doing right now, but I can do the best I can with what I have.”?

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Current Events

By
Sections Supplements
WSC Shapes Plans for a Westfield River Environmental Center
It’s called the Hemlock Wooley Adelgid.
That’s the name of a small, non-native species of insect that is currently attacking hemlock forests in the Northeast. It apparently arrived in this country via some wood delivered to New Jersey from China two decades ago, and has been slowly making its way north.

Tim Parshall, a professor of Biology at Westfield State College, isn’t sure if the intruder can survive in the climate and elevation of the Westfield River Watershed — and thus pose a threat to the old growth Hemlock forests there — but he wants to find out.

And his efforts to determine the extent of the insect’s presence in the watershed, and the prospects for the future, will be one of the first initiatives launched by a new venture taking shape at the college called the Westfield River Environmental Center.
Blueprinted by Environmental Science, Biology, Physical Science, and Regional Planning professors at the college, the center, in its first phase, would bring together existing faculty and programmatic strengths on the campus to create an integrated, field-based science and education program focused within the Watershed.

“The school is in a very unique setting, at the foot of several mountains and near the Westfield River,” said Michael Vorwerk, an Environmental Science professor at WSC. “It provides us with some very unique opportunities.”

To take advantage of them, the group applied for — and received — funds from a new program at the college created by President Vicky Carwein called I3: That’s short for Initiate, Innovate, and Inspire, a $200,000 fund designed specifically for programs that will enhance community involvement and raise the college’s profile in the region — while also involving students at all levels in real-world issues and concerns.

Like the Hemlock Wooley Adelgid.
“That’s just one example of how we want to involve our students, our faculty, and the community in maintaining the health and beauty of the watershed,” said Vorwerk, who told BusinessWest that the initiative includes a number of educational components involving college and K-12 students.

Down to a Science

Parshall told BusinessWest that, in the world of academia, the word center often connotes not a building or a wing, but a coordinated research effort.

Such is the case with the Westfield River Environmental Center, which may someday have a mailing address, but for now is a collection of initiatives focused on the area in and around the watershed, a largely undeveloped ecosystem whose namesake river is nationally designated as “Wild and Scenic.”

WSC’s location only a few hundred yards from the river (the school actually owns land on the river’s bank) and across the street from Stanley Park puts it in a unique position to promote research on the watershed and inspire (that’s one of those I’s) advancements in the teaching — and learning — of science.

This was the thesis of the grant proposal written by a group of science and regional planning professors, whose proposal won the respect of a review committee — and a $50,000 grant from the I3 program.

“The project will both create and fill a niche that other Massachusetts college cannot offer: the opportunity for hands-on learning in a unique natural setting,” the group wrote in its application. “The program would provide a learning laboratory for students studying in all areas of science, extending to K-12 programs in the region.

urthermore, WSC’s location at the juncture of urban and rural communities provides a unique opportunity for the college to serve as a forum for dialogue among the watershed’s diverse stakeholders.”

In the project’s second phase, said Vorwerk, organizers would move forward with development of a permanent environmental center at the college that would include many other academic disciplines such as History, English, Economics, and Communications.

For now, the center is focused on a series of broad initiatives that fall under the categories of science, education, and outreach. These include strengthening the current science curriculum at WSC by encouraging both field and laboratory environmental studies; facilitating collaboration on region-wide environmental studies; and offering opportunities for K-12 teachers, students, and the community.

Specific goals include:

  • Developing goals for student and faculty research in the watershed;
  • Developing and encouraging the use of field locations for education and research, beginning with WSC holdings and Stanley Park;
  • Strengthening existing courses in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and developing new courses with specific environmental science applications;
  • Coordinating a community working group, comprised of faculty, students, and members of non-profit, governmental, and community organizations;
  • Initiating and strengthening ties with community partners to develop collaborative regional ecosystem studies, focusing initially on the Westfield River Watershed;
  • Coordinating an education working group, comprised of faculty, students, K-12 teachers and administrators;
  • Developing internship and other learning opportunities for WSC education students to work with regional community and governmental organizations.

Meanwhile, there are a few research projects planned or already underway. One involves the Hemlock Wooley Adelgid, said Parshall, noting that an Environmental Science student at the college has expressed interest in researching the insect’s penetration into the watershed.

“It’s just starting to get a foothold there,” he said. “We think the watershed, which reaches into the Berkshires, represents the edge of insect’s ability to live and survive through the winter; we have a student interested in identifying where the adelgid lives, how common it is, and how fast it’s spreading.”

That project will be funded through the grant received from the I3 program, said Parshall, as will several other initiatives now in the planning stages. These include research on a another invasive species, something called Canary Reed Grass, which has gotten a foothold in marshy, wet areas within the watershed, including Stanley Park, and changing the habitats there. It is a real threat, for example, to Cat Tails. A professor at the college has already received a grant to study the intruder, and is currently enlisting student support for that work.

Another project due to be undertaken soon is a trail-mapping initiative, said Vorwerk, who told BusinessWest that this venture, as well as those involving the reed grass and the adelgid, researchers will be encouraged to employ GIS, which can be used to map trails or the territorial expansion of insects.

“This is a technology that’s important to understand, especially if you’re interested in environmental science, but in many other disciplines as well.”

Progress — Naturally

Developing new and effective uses of GIS is one of many goals of the emerging environmental center, said Vorwerk, noting that he and others involved with the venture expect it to evolve continually to meet the changing needs of students, educators, and area non-profit groups that are invested in the watershed.

And it will adjust as new issues — and new invasive species — arise in the ecosystem. That setting provides myriad opportunities for those who wish to study science and preserve the fragile environment, and the center will help the college — and the community — maximize those opportunities.

Looking Sharp

By
Bill Heisner
Sections Supplements
American Saw Sinks its Teeth into Aggressive Growth Strategies
Bill Heisner

Bill Heisner displays a torpedo level, one of many new products that will carry the Lenox name.

American Saw & Mfg. Co in East Longmeadow is marking its 90th birthday this year. While that milestone — and the company’s proud history — are cause for celebration, new president Bob Heisner has his focus on the future, which promises continued new-product development, expansion into new markets, and ever more aggressive efforts to leverage the company’s well-respected brand: Lenox

Indeed, Lenox American Saw, which already sells products in more than two dozen countries, is looking to increase its presence in Europe and Asia, especially China.
“We’re not looking to make products in China,” said Heisner, noting quickly that the company does, in fact, manufacture some lines there already. “We want to sell products in China.

“They’re cutting a lot of steel there,” he continued, referring to both China’s dizzying growth curve and one of American Saw’s main niches — blades that can cut steel quickly and cost-effectively. “China holds a lot of opportunities for us.”

BusinessWest looks this issue at how the East Longmeadow-based company’s new president will approach the task of capitalizing on those opportunities and thus remain a cut above the competition.

Cutting-edge Developments

Heisner was promoted to his new post from the position of vice president of marketing for American Saw, what he called “the easiest job in the world.”
He was exaggerating, of course, but also making a point about the quality of the company’s products and their reputation within the industry.

“We’ve always said that if we could put our products in people’s hands, then they were sold on them,” he explained, noting that this was true across the company’s three main product lines: band saw blades, power tool accessories, and hand tools. “It was my job to get those products into people’s hands, plain and simple.”

That assignment remains part of his overall job description, but he also has a bigger, broader responsibility — picking up where his predecessor Bill Burke, now head of Rubbermaid’s tool division, left off in the drive toward the company’s stated goal of growing sales (currently around to $250 million) to the $500 million mark by 2008.
Only now, that target has actually moved to a loftier number. “Our CEO is upping the ante,” said Heisner. “He wants us to get to $1 billion.”

To get there, the company will take a multi-faceted approach that includes new-product development, continued improvement to existing products, and cultivation of new markets in which to sell those items.

Leading those efforts will be Heisner, who, like Burke, spent many years developing a competitive admiration for the Lenox brand while working for one of American Saw’s main hand tool rivals — Baltimore-based Black & Decker.

There, he worked in marketing and new-product development for several years. In 2001, he joined Danaher Tool Corp. as vice president of marketing for its Hennessy Tools division, and two years later accepted Burke’s invitation to join the team at American Saw.

Like Burke before him, Heisner told BusinessWest that what attracted Rubbermaid to American Saw (and pay $450 million for the then-family owned company) was the Lenox brand, which has a strong reputation among end users for quality and dependability.

So much so, that, while the name American Saw & Mfg. is still used in Western Mass., where it has considerable equity, outside the area, the company is known as Lenox.

“Here, if you say ‘American Saw’ or simply ‘The Saw,’ everyone knows what you’re talking about,” he said. “Get outside this market, though, and that name means nothing to them. They know the name Lenox.”

And Heisner’s current priority is to put that name on a wider range of products, but without compromising what he says that name means to professionals.

As he talked about new-product development, Heisner reached over to a table next to his desk and picked up a multi-purpose screwdriver, or an ‘all-in-one, as its known. This is an indispensable tool for many of tradesmen, including plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians, but a product that never carried the Lenox name and signature wolf logo — until recently.

“We made a promise when we (Rubbermaid) came here that we swore we’d live by,” he explained. “And that was we’d only offer a product that has a demonstrable benefit. If we couldn’t come up with one, then we wouldn’t offer it as a Lenox product.”

By that, he referred to the difference between the Lenox brand and other tool and accessory brands the parent company sells, such as Irwin — a difference he compared to the disparity between a Mercedes and a Chevrolet.

“We could get to $500 million in one year, forget five, if we wanted to make Lenox more of a mass-market product as opposed to a premium product,” he explained. “We didn’t want to do that.

“What we want to do is take this brand and go like this,” he continued, spreading his hands apart, “because there’s a lot of things that plumbers, electricians, and others use that we don’t make but could — if we could create that demonstrable benefit.”

“We’re not looking to make products in China, we want to sell products in China.”

Looking for an Edge

In the case of the all-in-one, that benefit is a thicker wall for the nut-driver, which also doubles as a tube that holds the various screwdriver heads, said Heisner, noting that while conducting the five-gallon-bucket research he spoke of, the company’s R&D team noticed that the nut driver became quickly stripped on competitors’ models because that wall wasn’t thick enough.

“No one had ever done that before, and we’re not sure why,” he said of the seemingly simple innovation. “But that’s our demonstrable difference. And it’s a great example of how we were able to take something that had been out there forever and make it better — to make it good enough to carry the Lenox name.

“We’re maniacs when it comes to user research, and that’s what we did with the all-in-one,” he said. “We didn’t know if there was an opportunity to do something with this particular product; all we knew was that all our users, every single one of them, used one of these.”

The same type of detailed user research has led to other new products, said Heisner, including a torpedo level (another tool that nearly every tradesman carries) with several innovations and a circular saw blade manufactured in conjunction with a Japanese company. It has also spawned improvements to a number of traditional product lines, including band saw and reciprocating saw blades made with a recently developed coating that provides more durability and faster cutting.

Many of the company’s significant innovations move from the band saw blade line — the company’s single largest product segment — into other areas, said Heisner, noting that this was the case with the new coating.

“It’s all about heat — if you can eliminate heat, you can make a much better blade. This coating product dissipates the heat and protects the tooth, so you create a blade that lasts much longer,” he said, noting that the company’s new Armor line of products has been extended from band saw blades to reciprocating saw blades and other lines.

The new-product development initiatives are having a demonstrable difference on American Saw’s bottom line, said Heisner, noting that the company has set several sales records this year and has matched three straight years of double-digit growth — and also in the nature of those sales.

Indeed, while sales of new products (a category reserved for those within three years of initial introduction) have historically accounted for about 5% of total volume, this year, that number is nearly 20%.

“And we want to continue to move that figure higher,” Heisner told BusinessWest. “World class is 30%, and we want to be there within 18 months.”

While working to introduce new products and improve traditional lines, American Saw is also working toward expanding its geographical reach, said Heisner, noting that by this he meant developing new and stronger markets in many of the countries where the company already has a presence.

“Normally, when people talk about China, they’re referring to taking their manufacturing over to China to support the U.S.,” he explained. “We’re doing the opposite; we want to support China with manufacturing here.

“The market in China is exploding, and we have lots of innovative products, starting with band saw blades.” he continued. “That’s half our business — making products that turn big pieces of steel into smaller pieces of steel, and no one is cutting more steel right now than the Chinese.”

The keys to penetrating new markets, and also improving sales in existing markets, are continued R&D, or ‘user research,’ as Heisner called it, and efforts to put the company’s products in front of people and actually in their hands.

Which is why the schedule has become much more crowded for the employee known simply as “Hack Man.”

Lee Breton, a 35-year American Saw employee, started cutting cars in half with reciprocating saws armed with Lenox blades in 1981. He eventually moved on to tanker trucks, airplanes, and anything else that could demonstrate the product’s quality and efficiency. (He recently set a personal best by ripping through a car in less than a minute).

Today, there is something called “Team Hack Man,” said Heisner, noting that Breton now has some help, and will use it to take the schedule of car-cutting events from 20 (the average for the past several years) to more than 200 for 2005.

“That’s quite a show they put on,” Heisner said of the Hack Man team, which appears across the country and overseas. “When you cut in half that fast, you get users to take a look at your products. And once they start using them, they’re sold.”

Drill Formation

Summing up the broad strategy for American Saw in the years to come, Heisner said it comes down to one word: relevance.

By that, he meant that the company and its Lenox brand plan to enter into more product lines — items as simple as an all-in-one screwdriver — and thus greatly expand its reach in terms of visibility and, more importantly, sales.

“We want to move into a bigger room,” he said, noting that the company and its
R&D teams will continually look for ways to bring demonstrable benefits to the people who use blades, hand tools, and power tool accessories.

And for that, they will need more of that five-gallon-bucket research.?

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

Show Business

By
DramaWorks
Cover Story
’InterActors’ Blend Stage Savvy With Business Sense
DramaWorks

DramaWorks

DramaWorks, a Northampton-based consulting company that uses theater to address the many challenges of the business world, has created a national presence for itself in under a decade. While its business model is hard to define, managing partners Tim Holcomb and Erik Mutén explain that because theatrical flair blends so well with the lessons of life, drama in the corporate world does, in fact, work.

In the theater world, acting jobs like those provided by DramaWorks InterActive are called ’corporate gigs.’

That phrase is just one way to describe what the company does, however, as it fails to fit into any one category. Some might call DramaWorks a theater troupe, others a consulting firm, and still others, an educational resource.

Hard as it may be to define the business, though, DramaWorks has created a successful niche by combining the disciplines of theater, psychology, and business management to create a surprisingly cohesive set of services.

DramaWorks InterActive was launched in 1997, under the direction of Erik Mutén, a psychologist and organizational consultant with an MFA in Stage Direction, and Tim Holcomb, founding director of the Hampshire Shakespeare Company in Amherst and a seasoned member of the theater, film, and television industries. The partners wanted to create a company that would take the organizational issues that exist in all types of companies and put them center stage, quite literally, in order to allow managers and employees alike to consider them, examine them, and ultimately, change them for the better.

What they have created is a nationally-known consulting business that provides a unique set of tools for its clients — beginning with the story-telling power of theatrical productions and continuing with facilitated discussion and problem-solving exercises needed to help move an organization forward.

"The core concept of DramaWorks is to help organizations move toward specific goals through action-learning," said Mutén. "A big problem with a lot of trainings is that they often lead to big discussions that eventually fall flat and go nowhere. Our model is much more effective at highlighting what the issues are, and allowing groups of people to gather ideas and work through them."

Setting the Stage

The company addresses a wide range of internal corporate issues, from gender and power dynamics, multi-culturalism, teambuilding, and leadership styles, to more specific issues, such as patient safety and privacy for clients in health care, or succession planning for family businesses. By staging largely improvisational skits, DramaWorks’ ’InterActors,’ as they’re dubbed, call attention to the complex interactions within a given company that can make it work, or detract from productivity, communication, or even the organization’s overall mission.

DramaWorks has collaborated with all types of businesses, and provides a tailored suite of programs for family businesses, health care facilities, and corporations hoping to evaluate their internal culture, sometimes during a time of change. In addition to live performances and workshops, the company also publishes videos for training purposes and soon hopes to add an interactive, online component to its services.

Its current client list includes several prominent names in business, education, and health care, among them IBM, Lucent Technologies, Harvard University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and State Farm Insurance. But the concept for a business that would couple theater with theories of psychology and management, and eventually appear at major corporations across the country, grew out of one small production staged locally.

A short play was drafted and performed for the UMass Amherst Family Business Center, dealing with the stresses of family-owned and operated business.

"We improvised a play and held two performances, and we thought that would be it," said Mutén. "But other family business centers across the country began calling and the idea started to take off."

Gradually, he said, DramaWorks expanded to offer improvisational theater pieces for a more- diverse set of businesses. One constant is the examination of what he calls "the human factor" that can often derail an existing or developing business plan or goal — the feelings, emotions, opinions, work habits, or simply the different types of people that must work together in various positions for a business to succeed.

The company typically performs assessments, surveys, and interviews within an organization in order to become more familiar with its structure and background, and stages a production that directly addresses the needs of the client. Sometimes, the skits performed are already part of the DramaWorks repertoire; other times, entirely new scenes are drafted.

In either case, Holcomb explained, the lack of conventional scripts, replaced by ’spines’ — improvisational tools that provide a framework of a story, but no actual lines to memorize — allows InterActors to remain fluid in their words and actions, and ultimately reach their clients on a deeper level while not hitting too close to home.

"We customize everything we do," said Holcomb, "to show the dysfunctional patterns that are holding a given organization back. Typically, a company will approach us with a specific problem, but often discover problems they hadn’t anticipated. We always stay one degree left of center from the company we’re dealing with, in order to remain hypothetical."

That could mean addressing issues at a health care facility through the guise of ’St. Everywhere Hospital,’ for instance. The effect is often one that gets people talking, both within an event and about it.

"Seeing something like a play being staged in the workplace tells people that management is trying something creative and different to address that company’s problems," said Holcomb. "That alone is important right there. It creates a buzz and shows people that their management team is doing Ö something."

Audience Participation

Holcomb was quick to point out, though, that while the dramatic portion of DramaWorks’ services provides its backbone, the additional components of the experience that involve the audience — an organization’s employees — are integral to its purpose.

He explained that each DramaWorks appearance, dubbed a ’learning event,’ attempts to meet the needs and reflect the corporate structure of each client, and thusly the event could last a few hours or a full day.

"We’ve really tried to integrate the consultancy part of the business as much as possible," he said. "We are called DramaWorks InterActive precisely because that interaction with our clients is such a large part of our goal, which is to facilitate and help create the work environments that we would like to see evolve."

Employees are always engaged in the experience following a performance, discussing the scenes they’ve been shown, the various characters, and how they contribute to the overall culture of the ’company’ in which they work.

"Generally, we show them a scenario that attempts to illustrate the things that aren’t working well," Mutén explained. "Then, we have people gather into groups to come up with a different vision of the same scene; a new way it could be played out that would lead to a better result. That scene is actually played out, and people have a chance to comment, again, on what worked and what did not."

The model allows people within an organization to see things from a new perspective, while remaining in a safe, private, and entertaining environment, Mutén said, noting that the ability to see mistakes being made, and later the more effective practices put into place, is another strength of the DramaWorks method.

"Only through action learning can we arrive at better solutions," he said. "Through simulation, people are able to try things out and make mistakes in an environment where it’s OK and even fun to make mistakes. They will play out a number of revisions to the original scenario, and begin to see very quickly what is working and what is not."

Christine Stevens, an InterActor with DramaWorks who has also collaborated on storylines for productions in the past, said gauging a group’s reaction to a performance is another way to begin dialogue among coworkers and move toward the eventual implementation of better work strategies and relationships.

"People are given a chance to share and talk about what they saw," she said, "And we’ll sometimes use sociometrics to reflect how people feel."

A sociometric exercise, Stevens explained, could be asking participants to stand at different points within the room based on how well a production reflects their day-to-day experiences, creating a tangible spectrum.

A health care-based performance, for instance, titled Who Cares? brings to light the many issues surrounding safe, comprehensive health care and the challenges hospitals face daily in order to provide it. As a nurse struggles to care for her patient as well as direct her aide, collaborate with doctors, fill staffing shortages, and learn new equipment (she’s also asked to chair the Nurse Appreciation Banquet Committee in the middle of it all), several characters come and go out of a patient’s room. These include an orderly, a dietary, a doctor, maybe a billing agent — and their interactions are seen by the audience through the eyes of a sick patient. A phlebotomist taking blood, for instance, uses a plunger rather than a needle, exactly how it might feel to a frightened patient.

Following the performance, the audience — typically health care workers themselves — are asked to create that visible spectrum. Stevens said she often stands at the spot where clients who feel they relate most to the scene are asked to move, and nurses usually crowd around her quickly.

"It’s very visceral for the people in the room to see, literally, where people stand," she said.

The 25-minute Who Cares? Performance and the accompanying 2 to 2 1/2-hour interactive session will be staged later this month at the National Patient Safety Seminar held by the Risk Management and Patient Safety Institute in Gaylord, Mich. It’s one of the largest groups DramaWorks will assist with facilitating change this year.

"Hopefully, the CEOs and managers that attend will come out of this seminar ready to promote a new level of communication among their staffs," Holcomb said. "It’s all about changing old paradigms into new ones."

Curtain Call

And although some seasoned theater-folk might smirk and call the performance a ’corporate gig,’ Mutén knows his company rises beyond any label. Further, he suspects his fellow InterActors, as well as their audience, will leave the event with a greater understanding of the wisdom that can be gleaned from groups, rather than individuals working alone.

"Live events like this are so important because working as a group, people can better create resilient, sustainable solutions," he said. "Together, people are smarter."

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Master Plan

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Sections Supplements
Bay Path’s New MBA to Introduce ’Entrevation’ To the Business Community
Bay Path College has been gradually adding entrepreneurial programming with the goals of broadening both the educational experience of its students and the school’s reach within the region’s business community for several years. Now with a new MBA serving as the crown jewel of those initiatives, the college is no longer building momentum, but capitalizing on the unique niche it has already developed.

Bay Path College began its Innovative Thinking and Entrepreneurship Lecture Series three years ago, calling further attention to the school’s burgeoning entrepreneurial focus within its undergraduate business program.

The college also created an Innovators’ Roundtable, consisting of area business leaders from Western Mass. and Connecticut, to serve as both advisors and mentors to business students. And somewhere in between entering students into the regional business concept program (and seeing those students take top honors) and coining a new term to describe a core class within the business program ‚ entrevation ‚ a light bulb went on collectively above the heads of Bay Path administrators and professors. Soon, plans went into motion to create a new master’s degree program in business administration that would build on the college’s existing entrepreneurial momentum.

That light bulb is now part of all informational materials regarding the college’s newest graduate degree program, an MBA in Entrepreneurial Thinking and Innovative Practices. It is often accompanied by the story of Thomas Edison, who didn’t actually invent the light bulb ‚ British inventor Warren De la Rue did ‚ but instead took an existing product, improved it, and effectively marketed it.

Classes within the new master’s program, the college’s fourth, will begin in October. And just as it stems from a greater push for entrepreneurial programming campus-wide, Janette Ruder, director of the program, expects that its addition to the college’s academic repertoire will also enhance existing programs as well as the overall economic health of the region, as it prepares students for business ownership, career advances, and to make a greater impact within their chosen industries.

"There has really been a campus-wide effort to strengthen our entrepreneurial programming and make it a more distinctive part of the education we offer," said Ruder. "Over the past three years we have added courses and secured a grant from the Coleman Foundation to begin the lecture series and other programs. There has been an overall focus on the development of cooperative education, and it’s within that context that we created the MBA."

Brenda Wishart, director of the undergraduate entrepreneurial program and the creator and professor of the entrevation course, agreed with Ruder that the MBA represents the latest step in a wider effort to bring a new way of thinking to today’s business students, and added that it is expected to bring greater notoriety to existing programs and events at Bay Path.

"We are definitely building on existing things," she said, "and there are also programs that are still developing. Everything that is happening or being planned will include a lot of theory, but will also include the application of skills in real-world environments, and to see how positive and effective that synergy is can be exciting."

The Business of Books and Brainstorming

Wishart said students the new graduate are expected to bring a new layer of experience and insight to the entrepreneurial programming, noting that existing programs at Bay Path will be a large part of the MBA coursework, including the annual lecture series, which last year featured Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, and this year will welcome Craig Rydin, president and CEO of Yankee Candle. The students will also interact closely with the Innovators’ Roundtable and participate in entrepreneurship challenges.

The new program is tailored toward working professionals, however. It can be completed in a year or spaced out over two years, and includes components, Ruder explained, that were designed to preserve the traditional core elements associated with an MBA, and also incorporate coursework geared toward teaching more fluid skills. These include developing and executing new ideas, services, and products in the workplace, and strengthening and enhancing creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

Those skill sets, Ruder said, are of increasing importance in today’s workplace, be it a large corporation or a small business venture, due to changing consumer preferences and technology, an expanding global marketplace, and unique financial pressures that require forward-thinking interventions.

"We completed a year of market research before presenting the idea for this specific MBA program," she said. "To offer a degree that would address specific challenges, we knew it had to be one that was both innovative and traditional ‚ a traditional MBA, but with an emphasis on a new way of thinking."

Most MBA programs, Ruder explained, are similar in their coursework and structure, and have been for some time. That’s because the traditional MBA model follows a specific pattern of theory, application of skills, and study of several areas of business including management, finance, and marketing, which has proven to be largely beneficial for students.

For that reason, Ruder said the MBA in Entrepreneurial Thinking and Innovative Practices will not surrender those more traditional components in favor of more modern, or ’cutting-edge’ teaching methods. Instead, it will incorporate new components and teaching practices into that model in order to introduce the ideas of growth and creation in today’s business climate.

"It’s a balancing act," she said. "An effective MBA program should be knowledge-based, and we cannot drift too far into the creativity side of things and risk losing the necessary meat and potatoes that students need. There will be a constant back-and-forth in this program, to ensure that students are getting a rich educational experience."

To that end, the structure of the program has been tailored to include three specific layers of business lessons ‚ both practical and theory-based in nature.

"There will be courses in those core skills ‚ finance, management, and qualitative decision-making, for instance," said Ruder. "There will also be business courses that introduce the ideas surrounding growth strategies and entrepreneurial management ‚ essentially, looking at the ’big plan.’

And finally, courses will be incorporated that address the overall awareness of the environment in which we operate," she continued. "These will examine ethics and legal issues, for instance, and will all be pulled together will constant application, discussion, workshops, and the incorporation of current themes in business and across the nation."

William Sipple, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Bay Path, said several local business leaders and entrepreneurs contributed to the development of the degree program, in part through the Innovators’ Roundtable.

"What we found was an increasing need for people in business to be able to think in creative ways," he said, "and also that there was room for a niche such as this in the region. Just as those leaders have assisted us in developing the program, we think this MBA is going to be good for the overall development of the region. This area fosters a lot of new or reinvented businesses, and we are trying, with this degree, to offer core business skills that are extremely relevant to local business as a whole."

That relevance to the business world is a key factor that is emphasized often by the program’s directors and faculty, and in the program’s literature, in part to better explain the very nature of the program. Sipple said one danger related to the title of ’entrepreneurial thinking’ is that often, people associate it with opening a new business, and fail to see the program’s relevance to other career paths.

"We hope to teach courses geared toward a new way of thinking," he said, "but this is not necessarily a degree just for people who want to start their own business. It’s an MBA program very much rooted in core disciplines, with the flavor of being able to think beyond the norm, see new uses for existing skills, or react to issues to best address the needs of a given organization. We believe that, following our research of several industries, that this is the edge that people need to manage their companies and themselves."

Lighting the Way

The added thrust of innovation within Bay Path’s new MBA program has made organizing the program and translating its unique aspects to prospective students a challenge. But Ruder said the college has relied heavily on its existing infrastructure within the entrepreneurial arts to best explain the strengths of the new program.

"I’ve never seen such synergy between the development of a new program and the existing rhythm of a college," she said, repeating a word that Wishart had already used to describe Bay Path’s entrepreneurial efforts. "I think the whole environment here is entrepreneurial, and as we meet with prospective students, we are explaining to them that they will embody one of the region’s most recent answers to the needs of the business community ‚ college prepared professionals with a solid core of business experience and knowledge, with the added ability to think differently, and more effectively."

In short, Ruder hopes the college’s first class of MBA students will leave Bay Path prepared to create a more innovative business world and a thriving local economy; or even invent ‚ and market ‚ a better light bulb.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Conventional Thinking

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The MassMutual Center is nearing the end of a prolonged construction period and preparing to open its doors for business. The next five years will be focused on polishing and cultivating the center’s business model, and only time will tell how successful Springfield’s newest – and largest – attraction will be.

Jim Rooney, executive director of the Mass. Convention Center Authority (MCCA), says that convention centers are much like restaurants ‚ people often let someone else try out the menu first, and wait to hear the review.

"Does that mean disaster could occur? Yes," he confirmed. "It happens. Just like in a restaurant, one bad review could spread like wildfire."

So as the MassMutual Center readies to begin its first year in business, the MCCA, which oversees its operations, the city of Springfield, and other local entities are focused on doing everything possible to make sure the center’s opening is a raging success.

Sept. 30 will mark the official end of the center’s construction phase, as the faÁade of the Springfield Civic Center gradually gives way to a brand-new, expanded convention center. The changes have created a buzz in the city, anticipation has only grown, and hopes that the building will lead Springfield into a period of growth and prosperity have been firmly pinned on its new white walls.

However, the convention center’s long-term contributions to Springfield remain a matter of speculation. As Rooney’s restaurant comparison suggests, the end of construction merely ushers in the start of another set of important building years, during which the overall health of the region will be as important as the level of traffic flowing in and out of the center’s spacious new entryway.

Rooney said it will be at least five years before the center reaches a level of stability necessary to accurately gauge its success.

"First and foremost, we need to create a balance of strong bookings, strong management, and great publicity. If we don’t start in balance, we won’t finish in balance," he said. "So the next five years are our growth years, focused on letting people know we’re on the map."

That process, Rooney explained, will include creating a buzz about the center both regionally and nationally, achieving an exemplary level of quality service, and ensuring that the performance of the center’s management team and staff remains nationally competitive.

"That’s the first year," he said, noting that several firms have bid for the right to manage operations at the center, and one should be chosen by August. After that work is done, the center will move into an aggressive market-penetration phase with a specific business goal in mind: booking events for 65% of the year: 237 out of 365 days.

Bookings have been brisk for the center, which features several meeting and function rooms, banquet halls, a 40,000-square- foot exhibition hall, and the civic center’s original arena, refurbished with new seats, concession stands, and other amenities. The early reservations suggest that the convention center is indeed moving in a positive direction.

But Rooney cautioned against placing too much emphasis on the center’s ability to kick-start a turn-around in Springfield. He said that, for a city in a fiscal crisis, especially one steeped in controversy and with issues ranging from public corruption to the safety of its streets, there is no silver bullet.

"In and of itself, this convention center is not an economic revitalization plan," he said. "It’s a major contribution, no doubt about it, but there are other things involved in terms of righting this ship. The destination is sold as much as the building is sold."

And there are other concerns, among them the state of the convention industry itself (a recent report indicates that the sector is declining) and the impact of escalating competition from facilities in other area cities, including Hartford’s new Connecticut Convention Center.

There are also questions about the MassMutual Center’s impact on existing banquet and meeting facilities in the area, and whether the center will bring new business to the region or merely take a large share of the existing market.

But Rooney and others closely involved with the project are optimistic that the new convention center will be able to compete on a national level and bring new convention dollars to the area. They’ve taken the risks and the realities into account, and the MCCA, along with the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) and other local organizations have developed a plan that starts with promoting the region and new center as a package, and capitalizes on the building’s size, design, location, accessibility, and the innate desire of many to see the facility ‚ and the city ‚ succeed.

"It takes a lot more than one building to bring a city back to life," Rooney said. "It takes a strong cooperative, strategic effort, and that’s what we have in mind here."

Making Concessions

The MassMutual center project was spawned, like many other projects across the country, by the boom enjoyed by the convention industry in the late ’90s. The health of the industry nationwide initially spurred Massachusetts and other states to evaluate their current convention facilities and make financial commitments for improvement.

Rooney said those commitments represent an economic strategy to cultivate convention business in the state, treating it as a primary economic driver.

"All over the country, people were trying to get into this game and get a piece of the pie," he said. "That included deciding what should happen in Boston, Worcester, and Springfield. Funding was made available in all three cases, and a substantial statewide strategic commitment was made to the convention industry."

But Springfield’s convention center project represents more than merely one part of the Commonwealth’s convention industry initiative; the city’s civic center, built in the early ’70s, was in dire need of a facelift even before the state took control of it. Rooney explained that at the same time state leaders made the decision to build new convention facilities, the Springfield Civic Center was falling on its hardest times.

"The civic center was in a serious state of disrepair," he said. "It was controlled by the city at that time, and the city was unable to keep up with what needed to be done."

So, in what Rooney termed a "friendly transaction," management of the property was transferred to the state.

He explained that $52 million was originally earmarked for the Springfield leg of the statewide convention facilities project, but that initially, the MCCA had envisioned a building that required about $80 to $90 million. The Legislature did appropriate more money, bringing the amount up to $66 million, but the convention center still needed to be re-evaluated to fit the budget.

"We set about managing our appetite for improvements and making some engineering tradeoffs ‚ essentially, we down-sized," said Rooney, adding that soon after those adjustments were made, a partnership was formed with MassMutual, which bought the naming rights for the center for $5 million.

"Ultimately, everything came together in 2002," he said. "MassMutual’s purchase of the naming rights brought the project’s budget up to $71 million, and we could work within that number, so the program was in balance."

He added that the downsizing of the MCCA’s initial plans for the center actually helped to underscore how its size could be an asset.

"Architecturally and functionally we are at the right scale for this marketplace," said Rooney. "For the kinds of regional and local events we should be competing for, it’s the right size ‚ we have the advantage of 40,000 square feet of exhibit space without the disadvantage buildings sometimes have when they’re too big. People know what size facility they want when they’re booking events, and they know what types of events fit well."

Meeting Expectations

Mary Kay Wydra, president of the GSCVB, which is working under the auspices of the MCCA to market and sell the convention center, agreed that capitalizing on the center’s existing strengths is a key component of its business plan. But perhaps more important is promoting the entire region as a destination, not merely the location of a brand-new convention center.

"Different groups look for different types of locations," she said. "We’re perfect for a lot of different organizations, and we market directly to them. We’ve bumped up against Hartford a couple of times, but in general they’re looking for larger groups."

She added that an ideal booking is one that necessitates what she called "city-wides" ‚ the need for 500 to 800 hotel rooms or more per night, which requires that multiple hotels are involved and means in theory that a greater impact on area restaurants, stores, and attractions, would be created.

About a dozen events, including five of those citywides, have been booked for the center to date, beginning shortly after opening day, in November, and extending into 2008. These early bookings will account for 23,050 anticipated attendees, 14,000 new overnight hotel stays, and a projected direct spending impact of $3.8 million over the next three years. Wydra said several other bookings are currently pending, adding that the she’s confident the early interest is indicative of the level of success the building will have in years to come.

But that confidence hasn’t negated the need for creative marketing and promotion of the center in the increasingly competitive convention industry. Half of the events currently booked, for instance, were the result of a burgeoning program within the GSCVB called Pioneer Valley Pride, which asks local residents, businesses, and organizations to use their connections with regional and national groups to draw business to the MassMutual Center ‚ essentially, bringing new business home.

"As members of regional or national organizations, local residents can have a positive impact on the economic well-being of the region," said Wydra, adding that Pioneer Valley Pride is just one way that the GSCVB is working to promote the region and its new facility as a package. "A lot of bureaus have similar programs, and they are a great asset if you can make it happen. Since people have been watching this building as it goes up downtown, it’s definitely in the forefront of their minds. I think that’s going to help our program succeed."

Wydra agreed with Rooney that packaging the building along with the region is essential to the process of marketing and selling both, noting that the GSCVB sales staff members actually focus more on the region than the convention center itself when soliciting new convention business. A new logo and marketing plan have recently been put in place for the Pioneer Valley, for instance, and have become some of the primary selling tools for the convention center.

"The pitch is 80% the region and 20% the building at this point," she said. "We highlight easy access to the building, but also other attractions, first class accommodations, and plenty to do."

Russell Denver, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, said the chamber is also working to increase the visibility of the convention center by collaborating with other area chambers to get the word out and to create a cohesive ring of support around the center.

"We’ve coordinated with other chambers to make sure the building and the events within are well publicized," said Denver, adding that, in addition to the chambers’ involvement, every mayor in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties recently signed a letter promising cooperation and collaboration with the convention center, the MCCA, and the GSCVB. He said the action calls attention to the importance of the facility to the Western Mass. community.

"The impact of the building during construction is something that a lot of people overlook," he said. "It has been very positive ‚ a lot of people have been employed by this project, and the local confidence is already there.

"What the long-term impact will be, time will tell," he continued. "But there is a definite spin-off phenomenon expected. What it comes down to is that $71 million has been pumped into Springfield, and that’s outstanding."

Still, Denver, like Rooney, tempered his positive outlook with the knowledge that only after several years will the region know whether the convention center has become a player in the industry, and a boon for Western Mass.

"I have no lofty expectations," he said. "If you create goals and they’re not met, expectations get dampened pretty quickly. The center is just one more tool in the tool box for us."

A Study in Black and White

Rooney said the propensity toward guarded optimism is actually an appropriate response to the approaching start of the MassMutual Center era.

While he and others are hopeful that the center will bring much-needed dollars into Springfield and surrounding communities, the worst-case scenario has been considered: that tough competition will prove to be too high a hurdle, and the center will languish in a tepid sea of bookings, fighting for business not with other convention centers in the country, but instead with other local venues.

"This industry is very competitive," he said. "Any business we get will come at the expense of somebody else, somewhere."

But Rooney was quick to note that stiff competition, though real, is no reason to bow out of the game entirely. He acknowledged that the convention industry of the ’90s, which remained a strong growth sector well into 1999, has slowed in recent years. But he explained the change as proof of an industry that is maturing, not declining.

"Conventions were driven largely by the technology industry," he said. "It has slowed recently, and I’ll admit that demand leveled off. But that’s just American Economics 101; industries mature. This is an $80 billion industry ‚ a big industry. A lot of money is still being spent."

Rooney’s characterization of the convention industry came in response to a controversial study released in January by the Brookings Institution, a research and analysis organization in Washington, D.C. that focuses on economics and metropolitan policy, which questioned the validity of convention centers as economic drivers.

The report, Space Available: The Realities of Convention Centers as Economic Development Strategy, authored by Heywood Sanders, proposed that while convention business has long been an attractive option for struggling cities hoping to rejuvenate their streets with a steady stream of visitors spending money in hotels, restaurants, and stores, some trends in the industry suggest that the strategy is one that could backfire.

"The overall marketplace is declining in a manner that suggests that a recovery or turnaround is unlikely to yield much increased business for any given community, contrary to repeated ind
stry projections," Sanders wrote, citing advances in communications technology as one reason for decline. "Nonetheless, localities, sometimes with state assistance, have continued a type of arms race with competing cities to host these events, investing massive amounts of capital in new convention center construction and expansion of existing facilities."

Indeed, the MassMutual Center project fits such a description; it is one of 44 new or expanded convention centers currently in construction across the country. Meanwhile, it functions under the direction of the state, and will open for business shortly after nearby Hartford opens the doors of its new convention center, which dwarfs Springfield’s facility.

But Rooney was skeptical of some of the study’s findings.

"Sanders has taken some statistics and tried to create an impression of an industry that is dying," he said. "But there is one way to measure his success as devil’s advocate: there isn’t one convention center in America he’s been able to close yet.

"It’s foolish to suggest that because competition is fierce that we all take our bat and ball and go home," he continued. "Springfield can compete as much as anyone. It will be the execution of well-laid plans that will create new demand."

But in an increasingly competitive field, how real is the potential for in-fighting among the convention center and existing facilities in the area?

It’s a very real fear, said Rooney, and one that has been addressed.

"Our desire is for Greater Springfield to compete and to compete aggressively," Rooney explained. "Jockeying for position locally is a real possibility, but the convention center can’t do that and be competitive ‚ none of the venues in the area can, and it’s not our objective. What we do want is to add value to the region, and in five years, watch all of our boats rise. It comes back to managing Springfield as a destination ‚ it’s going to take a great deal of cooperative effort."

He added that as various meeting facilities compete for business, they also continuously hone their strengths and focus on the niches they best cater to, and that should stave off any major struggles for clients between the center and surrounding facilities such as the Basketball Hall of Fame, Eastern States Exposition Grounds, the Mullins Center in Amherst, and banquet facilities such as the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

Wayne McGarry, president of the Eastern States Exposition, shared Rooney’s positive outlook.

"We lost the Affiliated Chamber’s Market Show to the convention center already, but I certainly understand why," he said, citing the Chamber’s support of Springfield’s newest venture. "The long-term impact of the center remains to be seen, but as far as we are concerned, I’m sure we’ll remain competitive."

McGarry added that overall competition may be minimal because the two venues have different roles and serve different audiences.

"Their focus is conventions, ours is really trade shows because we have wide-open spaces and staging areas," he said. "That’s not to say that there may not be an event some day that we both want. But overall I don’t see us being too competitive with each other. One would have to be optimistic that the new facility will spark interest in the region overall ‚ anything that proves to be good for the overall economy is good for everybody."

And while no specific partnerships have been formalized between the convention center and other facilities in the area, McGarry didn’t rule that out.

"Who’s to say that at some point there might not be an opportunity we could enter into jointly?" he mused. "It’s not out of the realm of possibility."

Wydra agreed that partnerships are an area that could be examined in the future.

"A lot of people like to have their conventions and meetings all in the same place, but hold a dinner or a cocktail party off-site," she said. "Already, the Hall of Fame is generating a lot of interest for things like that. Dual interest is another way that promoting the entire region to add to the strength of the convention center comes into play."

Fear vs. Fortune

Wydra concluded that the GSCVB, MCCA, and others will continue to address and often allay others’ fears regarding the center’s future role in the region. But she said they don’t toss that sentiment around in their own circles.

"Fear doesn’t enter our vocabulary," she said. "Excitement does. This is a first-class property that we have to offer here."

One that they hope will receive a five-star review very soon.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Catch the Spirit

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The Sisters of Providence Health System is in the second year of a five-year strategic plan for philanthropy called "Catch the Spirit." While fund-raising is one of the ultimate goals of the campaign, its initial focus is on building awareness — and what organizers call "lifelong friendships."

They’re calling it a ‘friend-raising’ effort. That’s the term organizers are using to describe the Catch the Spirit campaign being conducted by the Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS). Now in its second year, the program, orchestrated by the system’s fund development department, isn’t raising money — at least not at this stage.

Instead, the initial goal is to raise awareness, said Brenda McCormick, MSW, LICSW, who is vice president of fund development for the system, although she prefers the word philanthropy to describe what she does. McCormick told BusinessWest that the Catch the Spirit campaign was launched to educate the public about the SPHS and thereby also generate support — which can come in a number of ways, from people signing on as volunteers, and perhaps even trustees, to monetary donations down the line.

"At this stage, we’re building relationships," she explained, adding that the Spirit program included one large gathering last fall, called ’Continue the Legacy,’ that was attended by more than 300 people. But the campaign features mostly small (15-20 people) and intimate gatherings designed to inform and inspire attendees — some of whom are already familiar with the system, its history, and its current and future challenges, but many are not — while creating what organizers call a ’dialogue.’

"We want to build life-long friends," said McCormick, noting that the Sisters of Providence who founded and, in many cases, administered the health care facilities in the system, are passing on, and thus the SPHS wants to tell their story now, while also recruiting individuals to carry on their work.

Vincent J. McCorkle, president and CEO of the SPHS, said the Catch the Spirit initiative, part of a five-year strategic plan for philanthropy, was launched primarily as an awareness campaign. It is needed, he said, because there are many things that the public may not know and should know, starting with the Sisters of Providence and their mission.

Many in the community are not aware, for example, that some of the better-known health care facilities in the region, including Mercy Hospital, Brightside, the Providence Behavioral Health Hospital, formerly Providence Hospital, are all part of the broader SPHS system, he explained. Also unknown to many is the fact that many of the programs provided in those facilities — such as behavioral health services and care for the elderly — are essentially losing propositions, from a financial standpoint, and have been discontinued by other health care systems for that reason.

"We’re more than just a business, we’re a ministry," McCorkle told attendees of the May 24 forum. "This is a system that makes decisions not just on sound business models, but against a defined set of values."

McCorkle told BusinessWest that, while the Catch the Spirit campaign was created to allow the system to "tell its story," it has done more than merely inform forum attendees. It has also helped inspire employees, who hear and tell stories about how the sisters’ mission manifests itself today.

"It’s like a shot of adrenaline," he said of the sessions and the human interest stories relayed during them. "It reminds me of why I got into health care to begin with."

BusinessWest looks this month at the Catch the Spirit initiative and its many different goals.

Mission: In Progress

This year’s Catch the Spirit sessions start with an informational video (created earlier this spring) about the system and the sisters who created it. At one point, the narrator states that there are a mere 80 sisters still living.

As he addressed the May 24 gathering, McCorkle updated that figure to 77, and said it falls at the rate of one per month.

The passing on of the sisters, who once were the backbone of the health care system they created, and the desire to tell their story is one of the primary motivations behind the Spirit campaign, said McCormick. But there are many goals behind this strategic initiative she created for the system to take philanthropy into the future and to a higher plane.

"I was here only a short time when I realized that relationship-building wasn’t something that we put much focus on," she said. "In order to have people understand who you are and what you stand for — and to someday have them give support — you have to build relationships with these individuals. That’s what this campaign is all about."

The Catch the Spirit program is modeled, in many respects, after a fund-development strategy championed by Terry Axelrod, a noted expert and author on the subject of philanthropy — her latest title is called, simply, Raising More Money. At the heart of that strategy, said McCormick, is the premise that before individuals will back a cause or organization, they must know about it and become inspired to support it.

The Axelrod model has been used primarily with single entities, she explained, adding that the SPHS is different in that it has a number of interconnected facilities in several area communities. "We’re more complicated; we have a lot of moving parts," said McCormick. "Time and again, people would tell me they didn’t know these various facilities were part of our system — or that there was a system."

To explain all those moving parts, campaign organizers scheduled a series of sessions that would be attended by elected officials, business and civic leaders, and others involved in the community. The inivitation would be shaped by referrals from forum attendees. The individual events — there have been 16 to date, with 12 in 2004 — were designed to be informational, while driving home the point about the compassionate nature of individual programs and the people working within them.

In the campaign’s first year, the dozen conducted sessions featured detailed looks at Brightside for Families and Children in West Springfield and the Sr. Mary Caritas Cancer Treatment Center at the Mercy Medical Center campus in Springfield. This year, the sessions have focused on behavioral health care and services provided to the elderly.

One of the speakers at the May 24 session was Anne Nusbaum, nurse manager at the Farren Care Center, or ’The Farren’ as it’s called. This is a facility she described as the only one of its kind, a last resort for people (usually abandoned by their families) with psychiatric or medical conditions that essentially make them dangerous. To be considered for admission, individuals must first have been rejected by five different nursing homes due to their behavioral patterns.

"Society has essentially rejected these people; this is the end of the line for them," said Nusbaum. "We take them because no one else will accept them."

But the facility does not warehouse these individuals; instead it works to improve their quality of life by helping them interact with others, she explained.

Other speakers included Lisa Golembiewski, manager of outpatient services with Providence Behavioral Health Hospital, who told attendees about the growing problem of substance abuse in the region, and also about the facility’s adolescent behavioral health services, the only program in the state west of Worcester.

Also taking the podium was George Kennedy, director of admissions at St. Luke’s Home in Springfield. As he talked about the facility, which has had a number of functions in its 150-year history, including stints as a birthing center and later a residence for the elderly, Kennedy displayed a painting of the home. A magnified image of the work revealed several Sisters of Providence taking a break, as he put it, on the home’s roof.

Those invited to the informational sessions are asked for input on what they’ve seen and heard, said McCormick, and also for the names of other area individuals to be invited to future programs. When the first phase of the campaign, the informational component, is completed, the system will move on to what she termed a "call to action."

This will come in the form of invitations to participate on a number of levels, she said, noting that the system will need everything from volunteers to serve within the system’s various facilities to trustees for the boards that administer them.

"There are endless roles for individuals who would like to spend some time with us in a volunteer capacity," she said, adding that, as more people become aware of the system’s programs and then become involved with them, philanthropic giving is a natural next step.

When asked how the system will measure the success of the program. McCormick said there will be several different yardsticks, starting with the number of individuals who agree to take an active role in continuing the legacy of the Sisters of Providence. Monetary support will obviously be another measure, she said, adding that the ultimate indicator will be the number of lasting relationships that are created — something that won’t be known for some time.

McCorkle agreed, but said that, in his mind, the campaign has already been successful, because of its dialogue-generating capabilities and the energy it is creating both within the system and outside it.

"This has re-energized me and many other people here," he said. "When you see the way people react to the stories being told, and when you see the pride displayed by our staff, you know that this is having a very positive impact."

When the Spirit Moves You

As she talked about the Catch the Spirit program and the individual informational sessions, McCormick compared them to inviting a guest to your home for the first time.

"That’s how relationships get started and how friends are made — you start with introductions and getting to know each other," she explained.

The SPHS wants to build some life-long friendships, and is starting by building awareness of the system, its mission, and its many challenges moving forward.

Only time will tell if the campaign and its various components are successful, but McCormick believes that by first focusing on friend-raising, the system will succeed in prompting many within the community to catch the spirit.

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

Silence isn’t Golden

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Uncategorized

They say silence is golden. Not in this case.

Since the abrupt firing of MassMutual chairman, president, and CEO Robert O ’Connell earlier this month, and the subsequent termination of two high-ranking women executives, the company has provided virtually no information on what led to this stunning turn of events.

It has provided only minor hints, through use of the words ’conduct ’ when referring officially to O ’Connell ’s termination. The only reference to the other terminated officials, executive vice president Susan Alfano and senior vice president and co-general counsel Ann Lomelli, was the rather weak comment that the new president and CEO, Stuart Reese, has the right to pick his own people. Right!

Other clues as to the cause of the O ’Connell ’s firing could be garnished from E-mails sent to employees (and published by the local newspaper) that talked about the need for "transparency," "accountability," and a "meritocracy" at the company, and that these traits start at the top. We can assume, then, that these corporate qualities were missing during O ’Connell ’s tenure.

But we shouldn ’t have to make assumptions, and we should have more than vague hints. Why? Because when people don ’t have the answers they tend to come up with their own. Indeed, the information vacuum that has resulted from the company ’s tight-lipped approach has served only to feed an already hungry rumor mill. And this isn ’t good for the community, the company, its employees, and especially its customers who have entrusted their investments to the firm. They deserve better.

But there ’s another reason why MassMutual should be forthcoming: Because it is, after all, MassMutual. It is a Fortune 100 company and now the largest business in the Commonwealth and one of the 10 largest insurance companies in the country. But in the Pioneer Valley, MassMutual is the company that everyone looks to for stability, community involvement, and employment opportunities. We shudder to think of what Springfield and its inventory of office space would be like without the company.

The region deserves to know what ’s happening with this corporate pillar, and it certainly needs to now why three top-level executives were abruptly terminated, with one of them escorted from the premises by security.

To be fair, MassMutual doesn ’t legally have to tell us anything. It is a mutual insurance company, which means it is not publicly held. The business is accountable, strictly speaking, only to its owners — the millions of policy holders around the world. We believe there is a higher accountability, however — to the company ’s employees and to the community at large.

We are told that the company and its various subsidiaries are fiscally healthy and that these terminations will not impact its overall financial health. This is somewhat assuring, although lacking. Also comforting is the fact that the company ’s board looked beyond MassMutual ’s strong bottom-line performance and decreed that ethical conduct unbecoming a CEO would not be tolerated.

Indeed, by firing a popular and, by all accounts, effective CEO in the manner it did, MassMutual sent a strong message to its 4,000 employees about what it expects from everyone and what it won ’t accept from anyone ‚ although it won ’t explain what that is — at any rung of the ladder or salary level.

The importance of MassMutual to this region and the stunning nature of these terminations are reflected in the fact that, for days after the announcement, these events were all anyone could talk about.

Unfortunately, the talk was all about rumors and innuendo. In time (how much time, we don ’t know) the talk will stop and MassMutual — and this region in general — will get on with business. That might have happened sooner, and with more conviction, had the company been forthcoming about its actions and the conduct that led to them.

For now, though, people are left to merely say, ’what ’s going on at MassMutual? ’ Sadly, we don ’t know and the company isn ’t telling.

By
Departments

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

AGAWAM

Mechanical Plastics Corp., 65 Moylan Lane, Agawam 01001. John M. Murphy, same. Plastics parts manufacturer.

MFK Enterprises Inc., 6 Sycamore Terrace, Agawam 01001. Max F. Kozynoski, same. Embalming and related services to funeral homes.

AMHERST

Amherst Rotary Good Works Fund Inc., 90 Gatehouse Road, Amherst 01002. Leslie Smith, 538 Market Hill Road, Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit) To solicit charitable donations to distribute to worthwhile community causes.

Education Without Borders Inc., Pratt Dormitory, Amherst College, Amherst 01002. Paige Fern, 202 South Dormitory, Amherst College, Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit). To advance education and literacy, improve the lives of children in developing countries.

One Northampton Street Enterprises Inc., 7 Pomeroy Lane, Amherst 01002. Valerie Hood, 28 Farmington Road, Amherst 01002. Purchase and management of a business.

BELCHERTOWN

Shelton Brothers Inc., 205 Ware Road, Belchertown 01007. Daniel Wesley Shelton, 5 Pointview Road, Ware 01082. Marketing.

BRIMFIELD

RAD Insurance Holdings Inc.,73 Dunhamtown Palmer Road, Brimfield 01010. Maria N. Thomson, same. (Foreign corp; DE) Insurance agency holding company.

CHICOPEE

Chester Village Market Inc., 29 Albert St., Chicopee 01020. David H. Befford, same. To operate a convenience store.

Dmitriy’s New England Construction Inc., 108 Meadow St., Chicopee 01013. Dmitriy Salagornik, 15 New Ludlow Road, Apt. 27, Chicopee 01013. New construction and remodeling.

J.P. Precision Machine Co. Inc., 165 Front St., Chicopee 01028. Zbigniew Szwedo, 69 Crestwood St., Chicopee 01020. Machine manufacturing and design.

Sturbridge Inn Inc., 357 Burnett Road, Chicopee 01020. Kamlesh Patel, 738 Main St., South Portland, ME 04106. Dinesh Patel, 357 Burnett Road, Chicopee 01020, treasurer. To operate and manage real estate.

Swamishri Corp., 1782 Westover Road, Chicopee 01020. Kamlesh C. Patel, 11 Trotters Walk., West Springfield 01089. Convenience store.

W1KK Wireless Association Inc., One Broadcast Center, Chicopee 01013. Robert P. McCormick, 116 Swan Ave., Ludlow 01056. (Nonprofit) To maintain amateur radio facilities for emergency communications and public service, etc.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Criterium Events Inc., 64 Brynmawr Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. Peppino Maruca, 44 Harkness Ave., East Longmeadow 01028. To engage in the management and services of marketing events.

Powday Management Inc., 444A North Main St., East Longmeadow 01028. Gregory Z. Szyluk, II, 117 Oakwood Dr., Longmeadow 01106. To deal in real estate.

Quilts & Treasures Inc., 325 Elm St., East Longmeadow 01028. Mrs. Valerie V. Morton, same. Retail sales of sewing and craft materials.

FLORENCE

45 Pine Street Associates Inc., 45 Pine St., Florence 01062. Virginia H. Hoener, same. To own and manage real estate, etc.

Kids Rule Playhouse Inc., 320 Riverside Dr., Florence 01602. Miadelia M. Marcus, same. Themed parties and supplies.

Tibetan Association of Western Massachusetts Inc.,
10 Matthew Dr., Florence 01062. Tashi Dolma, same. (Nonprofit) To preserve the rich cultural heritage of Tibet, practice the guidelines from the Tibetan government in exile headed by His Holiness The Dala Lama, etc.

GRANVILLE

Moore Money Inc., 191 Reagan Road, Granville 01034. Maryadele G. Moore, same. Lease of real estate.

River Hollow Golf Inc., 191 Reagan Road, Granville 01034. Scott A. Moore, same. To operate a golf driving range and miniature golf course.


HADLEY

Steel Structures Detailing Inc., 245 Russell St., Hadley 01035. Henry Lederman, 190 West Pomeroy Lane, Amherst 01002. Steel detailing.

HOLYOKE

J.T.’s Bakery and Caf» Inc., 514 Westfield Road, Holyoke 01040. John C. Taylor, 333 Nottingham St., Springfield 01104. Retail bakery and related sales.

Little Mountain Animal Hospital Inc.,
435 Northampton St., Holyoke 01040. Mark S. Restey, same. To operate a veterinary business.


HOLYOKE

Massachusetts Oncology Services, P.C., 5 Hospital Dr., Holyoke 01040. Daniel E. Dosoretz, M.D., 13221 Ponderosa Way, Fort Myers, FL. 33907; Corporate Service Co., 84 State St., Boston, registered agent. To provide professional radiation therapy services.

Bradford Builders Inc., 9 Harlo Clark Road, Huntington 01050. Bradford J. Moreau, same. Construction of buildings, etc.


INDIAN ORCHARD

DMG Promotions Inc., 250 Verge St., Suite 6 & 7, Indian Orchard 011151. Carmine Costantino, same. Distribution of gifts and novelties.

LUDLOW

Environmental Technologies Inc., 545 West St., Suite C, Ludlow 01056. Ewa Lupa, 2 Blossom Lane, Belchertown 01007. General construction including lead abatement and mold remediation and treatment.

MONSON

Norcross Restaurant Inc., The, 125 Main St., Monson 01057. Rita C. Belanger, 11 Advance St., Bondsville 01009. Restaurant, cafe and catering.

Prospect Lawncare Inc., 55 Reimers Road, Monson 01057. Christopher N. Russell, same. Lawncare and carpentry.

NORTHAMPTON

Extremes Inc., 73 Barrett St., #3103, Northampton 01060. Gulshan K. Arora, same. Software development and consulting, retail business.

McLain Fitness Inc.,141 Damon Road, Unit E, Northampton 01060. Laura McLain, 5 Lyman St., Easthampton 01027. Fitness center.

Pinecrest Acres Realty Corp., 35 Holyoke St., Northampton 01060. John Edwards, same. To develop and sell residential property at North Main St., Petersham, MA.

The Sandinista Barista Inc., 400 South St., Northampton 01060. Timothy J. Carey, same. To construct and operate one or more restaurants and food service establishments.

PALMER

S.M.G. Camp Inc.,
140 Breckenridge St., Palmer 01069. Edward P.
Gadarowski, R.D. #1, Box 232, 106 Kenyon Hill Road, Cambridge, NY 12816. William Mullen, 140 Breckenridge St., Palmer 01069, secretary. (Nonprofit) To maintain a free camping facilities for Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts — in memory of Stephen M. Gadaroswki and his love of scouting and camping.

SOUTH HADLEY

Dry Brook Development Inc., 14 Alvord St., South Hadley 01075. L. Philip Lizotte Jr., 390 Hadley St., South Hadley 01075. Real estate development.

KES Realty Corp., 33 Fairview St., South Hadley 01075. Patrick J. Spring, same. To deal in real estate.

SPRINGFIELD

Cobalt Financial Inc., 155 Maple St., Suite 402, Springfield 01105.
William B. Foster, same. (Foreign corp; DE) To deal in real estate
transactions.

Evinshir Inc., 827 State St., Springfield 01109. Evins C. Brantley, 91 Dunmoreland St., Springfield 01109. To deal in restaurants, inns, taverns, cafes, etc.

Filco Vending Inc.,1111 Sumner Ave., Springfield 01118. Philip A.
Frogameni Jr., same. Sale and lease of vending machines.

Jerry’s Lawn Sprinklers Inc., 307 Gillette Ave., Springfield 01118.
Gerald E. Dansereau, same. To install and maintain lawn sprinklers, etc.

JP&B Concepts Inc., 1334 Liberty St., Springfield 01104. John P. Gent, 26 Ivan St., Springfield 01104. To operate restaurants.

Mass Bottle & Can Redemption Inc., 23 Morgan St., Springfield 01107. Dany Nguyen, 230 Senator St., Springfield 01129. Bottle and can redemption center.

Upper Hill Resident Council Inc., The, 215 Norfolk St., Springfield 01109. Adrienne C. Osborn, same. (Nonprofit) To enhance the quality of life in the Upper Hill community of Springfield.

WESTFIELD

A & G Transport Co., 241 E. Main St., Suite 253, Westfield 01085. Andrey Krasun, 126 Union St., A 8-15, Westfield 01085. Transportation.

All In One Shop Inc., 1144 Southampton Road, Westfield 01085. George Mathew Changathara, same. Convenience store sales.

Mass Consulting Services Inc., 6 Clinton Ave., Westfield 01085. John Turner, same. Geotechnical testing, consulting and construction monitoring.

WILBRAHAM

Neighborhood Deli Inc., 2341 Boston Road, Wilbraham 01095. Ilyas Yanbul, 59 Cedar St., Ludlow 01056. Restaurant business.

Quinn’s Fine Jewelry Inc., 2040 Boston Road, Wilbraham 01095. Brian Alexander Quinn, 12 Kelly Lane, Hampden 01036. Retail jewelry store.

Tour de Force

By
Features
’Mary Kay Wydra calls herself the Valley’s biggest cheerleader. That’s an oversimplification of her duties as President of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, but still, the title fits. And while she works to sell the region to travelers, she’s also recruiting residents to root for the home team.

H For Mary Kay Wydra, the Pioneer Valley is home. But it is also her workplace, her passion — and her product.

She’s been selling that product for more than 15 years as part of the team at the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB), which she now directs.

Wydra has dubbed herself the definitive cheerleader for Western Mass., though that may be an oversimplification of her day-to-day duties. Responsible for promoting the Pioneer Valley as a year-round destination for everyone from large-scale corporate groups seeking convention and meeting spots to tour groups in search of new sites to visit, not to mention the casual day-tripper, Wydra and her staff must constantly find new ways to market the region as fun, exciting, historic, educational, accessible, and affordable, all on a shoe-string budget.

There are many challenges that come with that assignment, some that are relative to the broad tourism industry, such as seasonal slowdowns and intense competition for tourism and convention dollars.

Others, though, are hurdles specific to Greater Springfield. For starters, there’s the perception that the region is primarily an ëideal pit stop’ for refueling, grabbing a quick bite, and moving on. There’s also the perception that the Valley is too far away (from anywhere) and has little to offer.

Those elements, coupled with the present need to triumph over negative headlines regarding crime, poverty, and fiscal duress, would complicate any cheerleader’s job. To overcome those obstacles, Wydra and her staff are composing a multi-faceted strategy for not only selling the region, but building momentum within it.

BusinessWest looks this month at the components in that strategy, which includes recruiting new players and inspiring the home team.

The Laws of Attraction

Wydra, a Westfield native, has worn many hats at the bureau. She started there in 1988 as a secretary after graduating from Springfield College with a degree in business and a minor in psychology. She later left to pursue a job in public affairs with Big Y.

Soon, though, Wydra came to the realization that tourism was her calling.

"I really missed my industry," she said. So, after 15 months away from the convention and visitors bureau, she returned, this time to stay, rising up the ranks to assume her current position in January, 2001.

The date is notable — just eight months later, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 brought the nation to a standstill and the travel industry into a prolonged tailspin. Tourist destinations of all kinds suffered, she said, but major metropolitan areas were especially hard hit.

"People were fearful of traveling to large cities for a long time," she said. "Because of that, more people took notice of our major attractions, and they began to realize that we were a varied, interesting, and accessible place to visit."

So in some ways, 9/11 actually created opportunities for the Pioneer Valley, she said, a situation augmented by the addition of several new attractions; the fact that hotel occupancy rates in the Pioneer Valley have exceeded the state-wide numbers for the past several years are proof of that.

Wydra said steady, improving tourism numbers are the result of a set of marketing and community-based initiatives, designed specifically to keep the Pioneer Valley on the map.

Her approach takes into account both those people unfamiliar with the region and those who live and work here, and is heavily weighted toward positive public relations — an important facet of the bureau’s operations and a key component to putting Greater Springfield’s best face forward.

It’s also one of Wydra’s professional strengths. She handled much of the bureau’s marketing efforts prior to accepting the president’s post, and displays many successful print campaigns of years past in her Main Street, Springfield office.

The current campaign uses materials that showcase the Pioneer Valley to outsiders, including businesses and organizations that may want to hold conventions and meetings in the area, tour groups, and individual travelers, all with a family feel and all underscoring the expansive nature of the region, Wydra explained.

Of course, there is a strong emphasis on major attractions — Six Flags in Agawam, Springfield’s new Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Yankee Candle flagship store in South Deerfield among them. The rise in leisure travelers that began in 2002 can also be attributed to the simultaneous addition of four new attractions — the new Hall, the Dr. Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden at Springfield Quadrangle, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, and the Superman — Ride of Steel roller coaster at Six Flags.

"We really pushed the fact that we had four new attractions being added all at the same time, " she said, "and that helped us get the word out about the Pioneer Valley in general."

It also added to the progress being made in the cross-promotion of events and attractions within the three counties that make up the Pioneer Valley, one of the aspects of her job that Wydra finds most gratifying.

Weekend Warriors

"The great progress we’re seeing among people identifying themselves as part of the entire region and not a specific county or town is wonderful," she told BusinessWest. "We are united by a highway and a river, and can offer so many different types of experiences. You can start a trip in a city and experience the urban flavor of the region. Then, you can go a little further west and visit some of the more funky, artsy places like Northampton; go a little further still and you’re in the heart of a beautiful, bucolic area … I think people realize the value of that."

Another phenomenon Wydra has noticed is the evolution of the region’s tourism sector, from what was largely an afterthought in an area dominated by manufacturing, to one of the fastest growing segments of the area’s economy.

She said the tourism industry has created a number of jobs locally, and has spawned the creation or expansion of hospitality management programs at UMass, American International College, and Holyoke Community College.

"Years ago, people found travel and tourism information in the leisure section of the daily newspaper," she said. "That is no longer true. Now, the things we are doing are on the front of the business section. We need to continue to cultivate that to benefit the Valley."

At the same time, area residents need to take a measure of ownership in the region’s tourism sector by becoming part of cheerleading squad, Wydra added. This includes providing recommendations, directions, or travel advice to visitors, while encouraging families and groups exploring convention sites to consider the Pioneer Valley.

In short, Wydra wants to create a greater sense of pride in the region.

She’s doing so through several initiatives, including the Pioneer Valley Pride program, which in part will enlist local individuals to promote Greater Springfield as a possible convention location for regional or national associations they may belong to. Meanwhile, the GSCVB continues to promote the decade-old Howdy Awards, given to residents who work in the hospitality industry annually, to recognize exemplary service.

"These individuals are often overlooked, but they are the people who are giving directions, checking people into hotels, and serving their food," she said.

This year, to augment the program, she has added a wrinkle to the Howdy tradition — ëHowdy U’ — that will take shape in June. The program, designed to give those in the hospitality business a crash course in Pioneer Valley tourism, was developed in part to create career ladder opportunities for people in the service industry, as well as to decrease the high turnover levels that are common to hospitality and tourism-related jobs nationwide.

The two-day course, to be held at Western New England College, will first provide its students with information regarding broad skills such as dealing with angry customers, and later, region-specific information.

"We want people to be knowledgeable about the region — to know about attractions like our museums, live theater, and symphony, and how to direct people to them," she said.

The second day, Howdy U participants will be loaded onto a bus and shuttled around the Pioneer Valley on a guided tour of both visible and hidden gems, in order to develop a working knowledge of their proximity to one another.

"That will allow them to tell people how close different attractions are to one another and help them suggest possible itineraries," she explained.

Howdy U graduates will also be able to illustrate the variety of attractions that exists in the region, which Wydra sees as one of its best assets.

"It’s a big selling point," she said, pointing out that in addition to specific attractions such as the Yankee Candle flagship store or seasonal events like Bright Nights and the Big E, the bureau frequently promotes ëhub and spoke trips’ that allow tourists to stay overnight in one location, but branch out on any number of day trips in surrounding towns and cities.

"We like to point out that there are so many attractions within minutes of each other, that it’s very easy to pick a hotel or a bed and breakfast in one city or town, but experience the entire Valley in a matter of days," she explained. "Overall, we try to pitch the Pioneer Valley as a package. All of these partnerships enhance the work we do, and help us expose what the Valley has to offer."

In addition, Wydra is focusing on attracting new populations to the area, including an increased number of bus tour groups and student travelers, of both high school and college age. The bureau also continues to market heavily to potential convention customers, and is poised to capitalize on the opening of the new MassMutual Convention Center, being built on the Springfield Civic Center site, slated to open in September of this year.

Its very construction is adding to the Pioneer Valley Pride Program, Wydra noted. "People are watching it go up and they’re starting to get excited about what it means for Springfield."

With or without major projects like the new convention center aiding the marketing efforts of the bureau, though, it always maintains a strong concentration on its three major customers — meeting planners, tour operators, and leisure visitors — and has stepped up its collaborative efforts with business partners across the Valley, including some unconventional partners such as area hospitals and banks. The partnerships reflect both the unique and close-knit nature of the region, Wydra said, as well as the growing importance of tourism initiatives to the region’s fiscal picture.

"There needs to be a concerted effort to bring commerce into the region," she said. "It’s important to everyone, and as more people are exposed to what the Valley has to offer, more people will ultimately take advantage of all of our services."

A-list Possibilities

With so many different variables to monitor, Wydra said measuring success has become a detailed process. The occupancy rates at area hotels are constantly monitored, as are the number of bus tours arriving in the Valley and what types of people are aboard. Attendance at major events and attractions is also compared to the previous year’s, down to the last child to pass through the Big E gates, or the last car to exit the Bright Nights tour.

All that data is proof of what Greater Springfield’s improving allure to travelers, Wydra said, thanks to home team hustle.

"The Pioneer Valley has become a destination due to a lot of hard work by a lot of people. My job is to be enthusiastic for the region — which in and of itself is not hard, because I believe in it, I love it, and it is home to me."

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Current Events

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Uncategorized

‘Rodney Powell, the recently appointed president and COO of Western Mass. Electric Co., believes in tackling problems head-on. Two primary challenges for the utility are stimulating economic development in the region and helping existing businesses operate more efficiently — strategies that will enable the company to achieve desired growth.

Rodney Powell will long remember the day he was introduced as the new general manager of the Simsbury-area district of Connecticut Light & Power Company (CL&P).

"I think I was the only one stupid enough to take that job," he joked, recalling that at the time (early 1996), the Simsbury area was in the throes of a brutal winter that caused regular and seemingly endless power outages — and thus a public relations nightmare for the local utility and its administrators.

Powell told BusinessWest that the end of his first day on the job featured a public meeting in the Simsbury High School auditorium attended by large numbers of dissatisfied customers seeking answers about their problems with getting reliable electrical service. "I would call it a mob," Powell recalled. "I was introduced as the new general manager, and people started saying, ’you ’re the one that ’s going to fix our system, ’ and ’you ’re the one that ’s going to get things right around here.

"It was a real trial by fire, but also a great learning experience," he continued, noting that he spent the next two years working on the problem, which resulted from both inefficient infrastructure and ineffective systems for communicating with customers. "I learned a lot about the importance of tackling a problem head-on."

Powell plans to take what he learned in Simsbury — and at other stops during a 25-year career with Northeast Utilities, parent company to CL&P — to his new assignment as president and COO of Western Mass. Electric Co. (WMECO), another NU subsidiary. There, he faces a different kind of challenge.

"There ’s nothing broken here," he told BusinessWest, speaking broadly about WMECO ’s staff, systems, and operations. "We just want to get even better, or real good, at what we do, and sometimes doing that is more challenging than fixing something that ’s not working right."

To address that challenge, Powell, the subject of this month ’s CEO Profile, will start by first gaining a thorough understanding of WMECO ’s operations, the local market, and the Western Mass. business community. With that knowledge he hopes to improve customer service, provide more value to those clients, and help WMECO operate as a more efficient business.

And he stressed that a utility is, indeed, a business in every sense of that word.

"Most people don ’t think of us a business, but we are," he said. "The public thinks that whenever we run out of money we ask for a rate increase — it ’s not like that; we have budgets, we have goals, and, like many businesses, we have slim margins that we have to live with."

Like his predecessor, Kerry Kuhlman, who has been promoted to director of NU ’s newly established Corporate Shared Services Group, Powell said repeatedly that in its post-utility-industry-restructuring role as strictly an energy distributor, WMECO can achieve growth only if the region it serves remains vibrant and achieves residential and commercial growth itself.

Thus, the utility is — and will remain — actively involved in economic development initiatives and programs aimed at helping local businesses, especially manufacturers, become more competitive in an increasingly global economy.

This includes an active role in the Hartford-Springfield Economic Partnership, or the Knowledge Corridor, as it ’s called. Powell said the border-erasing initiative is a pivotal development strategy for both states.

"Massachusetts is no different than Connecticut — both states face the same challenges and want the same things," he said. "We ’ll see a number of advantages from them working together, collaboratively, on cross-border initiatives."

He said that economic development is a multi-faceted process, however, and that perhaps the biggest factor in achieving progress in Springfield, or any other community, is quality public education.

Transforming a Business

Recalling the situation he encountered in Simsbury, Powell said the problems there involved both technology — the system had two circuits that overlapped, so when one went down both did — and communications between the utility and the community it served. Or, in this case, a lack thereof.

"I remember writing a lot of letters to customers at that time," he explained. "I would end each one by saying that a representative of CL&P would be in touch with them. Someone at the company told me that I shouldn ’t be doing that — it was something we couldn ’t commit to — and I said, ’that ’s part of the problem here. ’"

Improving communication with customers has been one of Powell ’s many areas of focus within the NU system. He told BusinessWest that in his most recent position, that of vice president of Customer Relations at CL&P, he handled just about everything that wasn ’t on a pole or wire.

Specifically, he was responsible for the interface between CL&P ’s distribution organization, customer support functions, and the 1.1 million retail electric customers of the 149 cities and towns in Connecticut. He also managed CL&P ’s community relations, conservation and load management, customer services, and economic and business development fuctions.

Prior to joining NU in 1978, Powell, a native of Norfolk, Va. worked for Arthur Anderson and Company as a senior staff auditor and as an associate director of a federally funded community health program with the University of Connecticut medical School. With that background, Powell told BusinessWest that he has been more involved with numbers all of kinds than with technology.

Before becoming general manager of the Simsbury district, for example, he served NU as a consultant in marketing services and an area called "customer engineering." Powell explained that this involved oversight of an NU process called Customer Engineering and Management Services, which brought personnel — including service technicians, conservation ‚ and load managers, and others together in teams to address specific customer needs. The process was especially helpful during the higher-load-growth era of the late ’80s and early ’90s before conservation initiatives were well understood and utilized by commercial and industrial customers.

Most customers are now quite familiar with those conservation programs, he continued, but the team approach to problem-solving and customer service remains a vital component of NU ’s overall operating philosophy.

At WMECO, Powell said his preliminary challenges are to determine what drives customers and identify areas where the utility can help enhance economic development efforts and assist individual businesses in their efforts to become more competitive.

Discussing the specific hurdles facing manufacturers, he said that cost pressures impact businesses not only in Western Mass. but across the country, and many of these forces are beyond anyone ’s control.

"I don ’t spend one nano-second thinking that I can solve those problems, because I can ’t," he said, adding quickly that he expends considerable time and energy on those matters a local utility can do something about.

This includes the broad area of conservation, which, while it sounds like it is devoted purely to reducing consumption of energy, is also a broad method for making companies more efficient and more competitive — and to allow the utility to eventually sell more electricity.

"It sounds counterproductive in a way," said Powell, referring to programs like PRIME, in which WMECO provides financial and technical support for companies to utilize the Kaizen method for implementing process improvement, reducing cycle times, and, in the process, use less electricity.

"But by helping these companies become more efficient, we can also help them become more competitive," he explained. "As they do so, they will hopefully develop new products, expand their operations, and thus become bigger electric customers."

Powell said he has some general discussions with area business and economic development leaders, but wants to schedule some one-on-one sessions with business owners and managers to gain additional insight.

"I want to better understand not so much their business challenges, such as taxes and health care costs — I think there is a lot of commonality there," he said. "What I want to know is how, in spite of all those challenges, companies are able to stay here and be successful. I want to know what it is that drives people to stay here.

"I believe that if I can better understand that, I can articulate it to other customers and maybe help them find a way to succeed here as well."

Powell theorizes that most successful companies, specifically manufacturers, have been able to develop niches and superior products that customers are willing to spend more for. If that ’s the case, then these businesses can become models for companies already in this region and those potentially interested in relocating here.

What WMECO wants to do is become a partner with area businesses to help them clear the many hurdles in front of them, said Powell, noting that this is a somewhat new but very important role for all electricity providers in the age of restructuring.

Watt ’s Ahead

While striving to understand WMECO ’s customer base and its specific needs and challenges, Powell said another immediate priority is familiarizing himself with the individuals and operations of the Springfield-based utility.

As he said, nothing is really broken at WMECO and thus in need of fixing. "Here in Western Mass., we have a very reliable system that was well-engineered," he explained. "At WMECO, we have dedicated people — from the people in their field and on the poles to those in the office — who are committed to the customer. My goal is to build on the foundation, identify opportunities, and develop best practices."

There will be challenges with that assignment, specifically narrow margins and the ongoing need to widen the customer base in a region that has seen little overall growth for the past several years.

"The margins today are much smaller than there were when we generated electricity and also distributed it," he explained. "For that reason, we have to manage our costs better."

Powell said a recent agreement forged between WMECO and Mass. Attorney General Thomas Riley will give the utility some rates it can certainly live with, but that will also require some pencil-sharpening.

Powell, who has done a significant amount of home-restoration work, draws similarities between those exercises and taking a business and making it operate more efficiently.

Referring to home renovations, he said one never knows the full extent of the work involved until the work is started and the depth of the challenge is revealed. The same is true with managing a company.

And as WMECO partners with area organizations such the Springfield Area Council for Excellence (SPACE) to become more efficient and thus lower the cost of operating, the same process is ongoing within the utility itself, he said.

"That ’s our goal as well — to become increasingly efficient in how we do things," he explained, adding, again, that it is often more challenging to make a good operation better than to undertake a turnaround project.

As he has at other stops in his NU career, Powell will stress the importance of communication at WMECO. This includes everything from providing information on power outages — how they occurred, and when they will end — to continuing a dialogue with the business community about conservation and becoming more competitive.

Powell said that he and others in the utility will be visible in the community, playing a role in some of the obvious workforce- and economic development initiatives, and some that are perhaps less obvious.

As an example, he cited an ongoing initiative with the Springfield Urban League on a training program that would enable unemployed or underemployed individuals to gain the skills necessary to work at WMECO ’s call center in its new headquarters in the Technology Park at STCC.

"This is something I ’m excited about," he said, noting that NU will soon be consolidating call centers in Northern Connecticut, and skilled individuals will be needed for that facility. "Through this 12- to 14-week training program, we ’ll be creating some job opportunities for people in Springfield."

On the broader subject of economic development, Powell said the Knowledge Corridor initiative represents a real opportunity for the region. Like others involved in economic development, he said that both Springfield and Hartford have amenities and selling points. Combining the communities into one larger economic development region makes both areas more saleable.

Meanwhile, the collective minds on both sides of the border can collaborate to work on problems that impact economic development in all communities — poverty, crime, housing, and especially public education.

"I staunchly support public education, that ’s where it begins and ends," he said. "If Rome is burning, I ’m still focused on education — that ’s the key to a healthy community."

Power Surge

Powell, who has followed in Kuhlman ’s footsteps in his last two NU assignments, expects to follow her as well into an active role within the Pioneer Valley ’s business and cultural communities. While with CL&P, for example, he was involved with groups as diverse as the Capital Workforce Partners and the Hartt School of Music.

But he plans to ask those who might solicit his time and energy to give him perhaps a year to first tackle the learning curve ahead of him — getting to know the region, its business community, and the utility itself, and understanding the immediate needs and priorities for each.

By doing so, he feels he can better serve those various constituencies, and more effectively tackle issues head-on.

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

Study in Determination

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Features
Recently appointed Holyoke Community College President William Messner is a firm believer in the community college mission of inclusion, not exclusion. But that assignment is becoming increasingly challenging at a time when the commitment to public higher education is waning.

William Messner says it wasn’t that long ago when community colleges were considered schools of last resort.

"If you couldn’t get in anywhere else, or if you didn’t know what to do with yourself, you went to a school like this," said Messner, who recently succeeded long-time Holyoke Community College President David Bartley. He noted that times have changed, however, and today the schools are often a first choice for people looking to enter some fields, and an attractive alternative for individuals and families suffering from sticker-shock when considering private institutions.

But community colleges must still serve those who don’t have the grades or wherewithal to attend most other schools, he explained, and they must also cater to those who need some time to figure out what they want to do professionally. And this is one of the many challenges facing community colleges in this day and age.

"We’re not a selective institution and we shouldn’t be — we’re a community college," he explained. "You can’t be closing the door on half the community and effectively carry out your mission. But being an open-door institution means you’re bringing in students at all levels of the preparedness spectrum, and you’re expected to deal with all those students at all those levels.

"That’s an incredible challenge," he continued. "And it’s made even moreso by the fact that the state has disinvested in the public higher education system over the past several years."

Messner, who has a deep background in public higher education, comes to HCC from the University of Wisconsin Colleges, where he served as chancellor and was responsible for the management of a 13-campus institution that served as the transfer arm of the university system.

He desired to return to a campus setting, however — he was former president of SUNY Orange in Middletown, N.Y. and held other administrative posts at individual schools — and chose HCC, which is at an intriguing time in its 58-year history.

The school remains in an expansion mode — in terms of both enrollment and campus infrastructure — and is currently building an $18 million business center that will bear the name of Yankee Candle founder Michael Kittredge.

As construction of the center continues, Messner is focusing his efforts on making it a true community resource, not a classroom building.

"One of my priorities is to more effectively connect the college to the community … we’ve done a good job of that historically, but much more needs to be done," he said. "And the best example is the business center. Our challenge is to make it a center for the community and not physical structure.

"It should be a manifestation of a programmatic outreach on the part of the college to better serve the needs of the community," he said. "We’re calling it a business center, and while in some respects that’s accurate, it’s a center not just for businesses, but for individuals, groups, and organizations that are about the business of the region."

While he is focused on his new school, Messner said he is also looking at collaborations with other area institutions, especially Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) and Greenfield Community College (GCC), in an effort to maximize the region’s public higher education resources.

The goal, he said, is not to squander any of those facilities’ resources by unnecessarily duplicating programs, especially when two of the schools, HCC and STCC, are only a few miles apart.

BusinessWest wraps up its series of stories on new college presidents in the Pioneer Valley with a wide-ranging discussion with Messner, who has dedicated much of his career to community colleges and fully understands their value to the cities and towns they serve

Grade Expectations

Since arriving in Holyoke, Messner has been "getting around," as he put it, in an effort to gain a full appreciation of the school, the city of Holyoke, the Pioneer Valley, and region’s higher education infrastructure.

He ran down a recent day’s calendar of events to illustrate the variety in his travels.

"I started off at a chamber breakfast, and ate lunch at a homeless shelter in downtown Holyoke," he said. "That night, I was at the 25th anniversary celebration for the Holyoke Mall, followed by an event at Heritage State Park — a poetry reading and the unveiling of a mural that 3- and 4-year-olds had created."

The next day, Messner spent the bulk of his morning at a program dedicated to improvement of workforce-development initiatives in the region. "These are the sorts of things a community college and its president should be involved in," he said. "That’s how we extend ourselves beyond our walls and into the community."

Messner told BusinessWest he enjoys handling the day-to-day challenges at a school, and also being actively involved in the community — elements that were missing from his duties as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin Colleges.

Prior to his work there, he served as vice provost of the State University of New York (SUNY) in Systems Administration. That assignment followed a 10-year stint as president of SUNY Orange, formerly Orange County Community College. There, he led development of a diversity program for the college resulting in a tripling of minority student enrollment and faculty hiring, completed the school’s first capital campaign, and established a marketing office and campaign that resulted in record student enrollments for two consecutive years.

Messner transitioned into college administration after a five-year run as a history instructor at Keystone College in La Plume, Pa. He later served that school as dean of the college and later a vice president before moving to SUNY Orange, where he served as vice president of Academic Affairs before becoming president.

At HCC, he said there are a number of items on his preliminary to-do list — which he described as a work in progress — and that many of them reflect challenges he confronted in New York and Wisconsin. He told BusinessWest that while enrollment at HCC is up, the number of what he called ’new’ students, those starting their college education rather than continuing it, has been fairly stagnant, and he plans to address that concern.

Part of the solution may be continued work to convey the message that HCC is truly a regional school. "I think we still struggle with that in some ways — some people think we’re just an institution for Holyoke," he explained. "We’re not; we attract students from across the region, including many from Springfield."

Another priority for Messner and all state and community college presidents in the Commonwealth is rebuilding the faculty and staff in the wake of cutbacks and early retirement. Like other schools, HCC has been forced to make greater use of adjunct faculty and part-time staff, who simply don’t have the same commitment to the school or its students as their full-time counterparts.

"At some of the schools I’ve worked at, adjuncts were some of our best instructors," he explained. "But what they don’t do, and what you can’t expect them to do, is everything outside the classroom that we expect and have delivered by full-time faculty.

"You also don’t get the continuity in terms of programming from semester to semester that you get from full-time faculty, nor the development of the curriculum that you get from full-time faculty," he continued. "You’re constantly in a mode of getting these adjuncts up to snuff, only to have them walk out the door the following semester or the following year," he continued. "We’re in the process of setting priorities for the school, priorities that will drive the budget. And I’ll be surprised if a commitment to improving the numbers of full-time faculty and staff is not at the top of that priority list."

A Stern Test

Meanwhile, another stated goal is to expand the school’s presence in the city of Holyoke — from both a cultural and economic perspective — and form additional partnerships with the city’s large Hispanic community.

"There’s a perception on the part of some that even though it’s only two miles from the center of Holyoke to our campus, those two miles loom large in some people’s minds relative to their willingness to avail themselves of our services," he said, adding that, conversely, some believe the college is too far from from the city’s center to have any real economic impact. "If you’re a Latino businessman in the center of Holyoke, do you perceive the community college as a resource to be taken advantage of, or do you perceive it to be a cluster of buildings out there on the perifery of town that has little if any relationship to what you’re about on a daily basis?"

To ease these perception problems, many have suggested that the school create a physical presence in the city’s downtown. Messner understands that sentiment, and told BusinessWest there may be some opportunities for the school to be visible and to have that presence, but not necessarily with a satellite campus.

"I believe the college needs to increase its presence in the downtown area of Holyoke, but I am dubious that this would involve a campus in the traditional sense that people use that word," he said. "I have used the term ’educational incubator,’ rather than campus, to describe the type of physical entity with which the college might be involved."

A downtown center could be used for a variety of programs, including adult basic education, high school equivalency test preparation, English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, and others. It would thus become an asset for both the city and the school.

Messner said that such an incubator might involve several institutions offering a variety of programming that would help local residents further their educational goals and subsequently connect to the broader array of programming offered by those educational facilities on their campuses.

One venue for such a facility could be an intermodal transportation center that would be created in a now-abandoned four-story fire station on Maple Street. A number of uses are being considered for the facility, including transportation, retail, and hospitality, said Messner, adding that one of the floors could be used to create classrooms and other learning facilities.

"Since I’ve arrived here, I’ve been impressed with Holyoke in terms of the vibrancy and the spirit of ’we can advance’ — we just need to do it together," he said. "I’m pleased that the college is part of that, but just one part. No group can do it themselves; we really need to do it together."

The Kittredge Center will play a role in this process, he said, adding that he is seeking input from institutions as diverse as the Springfield Urban League and Holyoke Medical Center to gain direction on the center’s function in the Pioneer Valley.

"Having dialogue with groups like that is critical before we decide which programs to pursue and what the overall business plan for the center will be," he said.

Aggressive Course

Like other public school presidents BusinessWest has profiled this fall, Messner has noticed a weakening in the commitment that has been made to public higher education.

At the University of Wisconsin, he said, a budget that was $1 billion a few years ago, has but cut by 25%. "That’s happening across the country," he explained. "Spending on public higher education has been reduced in 49 of the 50 states."

Economics have played a big part in this phenomenon, he said, but there are other factors at play, including a lack of recognition — on a national and regional level — of the importance of public higher education, and the profound impact on communities when a college education is put out of the reach of even small segments of the population.

"What makes public higher education particularly susceptible to the knife is the perception that we have an alternative source of revenue that the highway department or the correctional department doesn’t have — it’s called students and student tuition," he explained. "The state believes it can simply cut its support and pass on its share to the students in the form of higher tuition; every state has done it.

"The only problem is, when you raise tuition, especially in communities like Holyoke and Springfield, where we’re drawing on people at all levels of income, you’re going to price some students out of the market," he continued. "And many states — Wisconsin is one of them — have seen dramatic declines in the numbers of students of color and those who are low-income."

HCC strives to keep tuition as low as possible, he said, but it also committed to quality education, and therein lies a catch-22.

While working to strengthen the commitment to public higher education and thus ensure that community colleges can continue their practice of inclusion, Messner said he will help promote the regional approach taken to economic development and education in the Pioneer Valley.

He said he is encouraged by the new, recently unveiled Plan for Progress, which takes a decidedly regional philosophy and lists as one of its priorities a more-effective leveraging of its 14 colleges and universities.

He said it is unusual to have community colleges as close together geographically as HCC and STCC, a situation he believes poses both challenges and opportunities. He said he has had discussion with new STCC President Ira Rubenzahl and his counterpart at GCC, Robert Pura, about what he called a "regional strategy" that will also involve Westfield State College and UMass.

"The needs in this area are so acute in terms of education, human resource development, workforce development, or whatever label you want," he said. "No single institution can handle all that alone. The challenge is to effectively leverage the resources of our schools and not squander them, not duplicate, and not needlessly compete."

Final Exam

As he surveys the public higher education landscape, Messner can clearly see the progress that community colleges have made in the past few decades — in terms of public perception and the role they play in educating all elements of society.

The task at hand, he said, is to staunchly defend the ground that’s been gained and to make additional progress.

"Community colleges don’t face the same uphill battle they did when I started with them … we’re no longer considered the school of last resort," he said. "We’re more viable now, but we have some new challenges. v

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

Commerce 2004

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Uncategorized
Trade Show Organizers Add New Dimensions to EventThe 14th edition of the annual Commerce trade show, staged by the Chicopee and Holyoke chambers, is set for Oct. 28 at the Big E. Organizers, who are expecting record turnout of both exhibitors and visitors, have added some new features designed to bring additional value to both of those constituencies.

After last year’s Commerce trade show, organizers of the popular event enlisted the help of a focus group to ensure that, as the show moves forward, it continues to bring value to exhibitors and attendees.

Participants in that focus group said that, in addition to gaining leads on new business and renewing acquaintances with existing customers, they wanted something more — something they could take back to the office with them the day after the show.

In a word, they wanted more information, said Doris Ransford, long-time president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. And this year’s event, the 14th Commerce show, is designed to provide more of it, with ’how-to’ attractions.

Slated for Oct. 28 at the Young Building at the Eastern States Exposition, the Commerce show will include two additional features designed to help businesses of all sizes. The first will be a day-long program devoted to helping individuals understand today’s rapidly advancing technology; and to make more and better use of it.

Called Techno-Rama, the new addition will be a business technical center, as Ransford called it, and it will include displays of some of the latest technology — computers, hand-held devices, cell phones, and more — and have IT experts on hand to answer questions and help people make full use of it.

The second new feature is a panel discussion, called Meet the Business Press. As the name suggests, it is intended to be an informative session featuring area business writers, including BusinessWest editor George O’Brien, who will provide insight into how businesses can establish and maintain solid working relationships with the business press.

"Everyone wants press," said Chicopee Chamber President Gail Sherman. "But there’s more to it than that. Companies need to know how to establish a real relationship with the press. We want to help them do that."

People Power

When asked what makes a trade show successful, Sherman uttered one word: ’people.’

By that, she was referring to both the exhibitors behind the booths, and the visitors — business owners, purchasing managers, job seekers, and random opportunists — who walk the aisles and hopefully stop at a few attractions.

The mission for any trade show organizer is to provide both quantity and quality of exhibitors and visitors, said Sherman, adding that without such a critical mass, a show won’t be successful, especially at a time when there are many marketing alternatives and business owners are becoming increasingly savvy about promotional spending.

Trade show attendance is down nationwide, said Ransford, and one prevailing theory as to why surrounds organizers’ ability to keep a show fresh and effective — or, in many cases, a lack thereof. It was this need to keep the show from becoming stale and ineffectual that led to the focus groups conducted earlier this year. And it was the desire to achieve record turnout that led to this year’s theme, a call to action, if you will: "Be the Difference. Be There."

Jim Fiola, president of Chicopee-based Westwood Advertising, which was hired to promote the Commerce show, told BusinessWest that while there were different opinions expressed by focus group participants about what they liked and didn’t like about the event (especially the 2003 edition), there was consensus on one point. "People wanted more information," he said. "They wanted something of value to take back to the office with them."

This was the inspiration behind Techno-Rama, said Fiola, who told BusinessWest that some business owners and managers are intimidated by technology, and many of them fail to take full advantage of what the latest equipment has to offer.

Dean Leclerc, director of emerging technologies for Whalley Computer Associates, and one of those organizing Techno-Rama, concurred. He said the program is designed to take some of the mystery out of technology, and also give business owners and managers a sense of how technology can help them do whatever it is that they do better.

"We want people to look upon technology as an investment," said Leclerc, "and not something you just spend money on."

Leclerc said the day-long exhibit will likely feature short presentations on the latest in information technology, as well as meet-and-greets with manufacturers’ representatives. He said a number of companies have expressed interest in attending, including Apple, Cisco, EMC, and Polycom. Products on display should run the gamut, from the latest phones to videoconferencing equipment.

He said the exhibit is geared toward IT directors, but even moreso toward the owners of small-to medium-sized businesses who would like to learn how effective use of technology can benefit their operations.

Those same individuals can benefit from the Meet the Business Press program, said Fiola, noting that many small business owners are too wrapped up in the day-to-day operations of their ventures to know or practice the ins and outs of media relations.

The press seminar, which will feature several members of the print and electronic media, is designed to be informative and educational, he said, but business owners and managers can also make some introductions.

"Some business owners think that all you have to do is put a press release in the mail or the fax machine," said Fiola. "In reality, there’s much more to it."

Stock and Trade

Ransford told BusinessWest that, nationwide, trade shows have tried a number of things to provide that critical mass of people that makes an event successful. Some have tried food to lure visitors, while others have turned to special events or high-profile breakfast speakers.

There is no magic bullet, she said, noting that event organizers must continually try to anticipate the needs of business owners and then try to address them. It is ongoing process, she noted, one that Commerce show officials face on an annual basis as they try to keep their show fresh and relevant.

"Times change, and shows like this one have to keep pace," she explained. "If you don’t keep up, you’ll be left behind."

For more information on the show, or to reserve booth space, call the Greater Holyoke Chamber at (413) 534-3376, or the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, (413) 594-2101

Plum Assignment

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Sections Supplements
Indian Orchard, or The Orchard, as residents call it, was once a thriving mill town. In recent years, however, the former Indian settlement and home to groves of plum trees (hence the name) has deteriorated and, in many ways, lost some of its identity. A recently unveiled master plan for the Springfield neighborhood creates a blueprint for bringing new life to the area and creating what is being called a "21st-century mill town." Optimism abounds, but the challenges facing residents, planners, and business owners are considerable.

01151. That’s the zip code for Indian Orchard, Mass., and a number that people in this blue collar neighborhood of Springfield are quite proud of.

ëThe Orchard,’ as they call it, is the only neighborhood in the city with its own postmark, and residents will usually correct parties that put ëSpringfield’ on items sent to them. "It’s an immensely proud community," said Katie Stebbins, the city’s senior planner, who long ago learned the proper way to address mail to people in this section by the Chicopee River. "The residents are proud of their history, their diversity, and their uniqueness."

This pride explains why more than 200 people turned out for an unveiling of a new master plan for the community, an important document that has created an outline for what Stebbins and others call a "21st-century mill town." That phrase was chosen to convey the need to blend the past with the future, she said, noting that the community is at a crossroads of sorts.

Its stock of residential and commercial properties is aging, and before more of them are lost to parking lots, the neighborhood wants to make a concerted effort toward becoming a destination, she explained. The plan for achieving that end is multi-faceted, and calls for connecting Main Street with the currently underutilized riverfront; making facade improvements to a number of the century-old buildings in the downtown area; attracting new small businesses, especially restaurants and other entertainment venues; and finding a new life for an old industrial complex that essentially bisects the neighborhood.

Fred Andrews, executive director of the Indian Orchard Main Street Partnership, believes all that is doable, although he acknowledges that putting goals down on paper and making them happen are two completely different things, especially at a time when the level of public funds for such endeavors is dwindling and no one can really be sure of the appetite for private investment.

But, like Stebbins, Andrews sees progress and senses both the requisite optimism and energy needed to achieve more over time. He points to several facade improvements that have already taken place downtown as movement in the right direction. And he notes a considerable uptick in the number of calls from people exploring possible investments in the neighborhood.

"There is some vibrancy downtown," he said. "We’ve had some faÁade improvements and also the hoped-for result — people in neighboring buildings seeing that progress and deciding to become part of the movement."

Charles Brush, owner of the massive Indian Orchard Mills, a home to more than 100 small businesses and artists, and a member of the panel that pushed through the master plan, sees both the vast potential in The Orchard and the challenges facing the community. Mostly, he sees enthusiasm.

"People were lined up out the door the night we unveiled the plan; people came to see what was happening," he said. "Now, we need to tap that energy and move forward. We can turn Indian Orchard into a destination — we have all the components in place."

Beyond the predictable rush of optimism that accompanied the release of the plan, however, lies the obvious question: what now?

Stebbins says she isn’t sure, and told BusinessWest that much depends on the residents and business owners who turned out to see the plan unveiled. She equated creation of the master plan to sketching an outline in a coloring book — it can be colored in any number of ways.

"What happens next is not a passive approach — waiting and hoping for something to happen — but a very active approach," she explained. "We want to be open to every opportunity that comes our way, pursuing it with the neighborhood and seeing where it leads. You treat everything as a possibility until it’s not.

"It’s like a patchwork quilt," she continued. "You keep piecing things together, and eventually you have something."

Fruits of Their Labor

The name Indian Orchard is derived from the area’s past life as both an Indian settlement and, later, a home to groves of plum trees.

In an attempt to reflect that past, street signs, building facades, Andrews’ business card, and even the back cover of the master plan’s executive summary have incorporated the color purple. And soon, new plum trees may be growing in the downtown and elsewhere in the community. Andrews said planners have done some research, and believe they’ve found a hearty variety of tree that can stand up to the climate and congestion of a Northeast urban center.

But planners also want to breathe new economic life into a community that has most often been described as ëtired’ in recent years. Indeed, the vibrancy that existed years ago has been lost due to a number of factors, including the exodus of the textile makers and many other manufacturers, the emergence of Boston Road as a major retail center, which sucked life from Main Street, and the flight of many working class residents into the region’s suburbs.

The vision for a retooled community — one that will be called ëThe Village of Indian Orchard, a neighborhood of Springfield’ — is that of a destination, said Stebbins, an area rich with shops, restaurants, artists, antiques, bike paths, walking trails, and other features that would attract people from across the region and perhaps well beyond it.

She calls it the "strolling effect."

Many communities have an area in which people can stroll, she said, noting that this activity blends recreation with window-shopping, actual shopping, and dining. Northampton is this area’s best strolling center, she noted. Springfield doesn’t have such an area at present — downtown comes close, but it lacks the requisite variety of shops, she said — and The Orchard could someday fill that role.

To make The Orchard a destination, a place to stroll, however, many things have to happen, said Stebbins, especially the link between Main Street and the riverfront. She told BusinessWest that the community’s downtown is in many ways unremarkable and similar to countless others in this area and across the country, for that matter. The scenic Chicopee River does give the neighborhood a chance to do some things that other cities and towns can’t, however.

"If we can’t get the river opened up and established as a destination point with the downtown, then Main Street is going to have a much longer road to travel."

One stated goal for planners is to create a riverfront park that would stretch from a parcel near the tip of Main Street to the Indian Orchard Mills, and construct bike trails and walking paths along that strip. Much of that property is owned by Consolidated Edison — it was sold to that corporation by Western Mass. Electric Co. as part of a divestiture of assets forced by restructuring of the energy industry — and some talks have taken place between the city and that company, said Stebbins.

Brush, whose mills have become home to a number of noted artists, believes those galleries could become a key component in making The Orchard a destination, especially if his mills can be more effectively linked to Main Street stores and restaurants and a cluster of antique outlets.

"We have 43 artists here now, and our open studios bring hundreds of people down to the mills," he said. "We need more events and attractions like that; we need to create more reasons to bring people to Indian Orchard."

Planting Seeds

While offering a quick tour of the downtown area, Andrews stopped at one of a collection of new bus stop benches. The colorful, tile-covered benches were created by artists at the Indian Orchard Mills, he explained, and are one of the many small initiatives in that area creating some enthusiasm in the community.

There are other, similar examples of progress, he said, pointing out comprehensive facade improvement projects at Indian Orchard Glass and Orchard Variety, which sit on opposite sides of Main Street. There have been other faÁade initiatives, and more are being planned, he said, adding that they give the downtown a cleaner, more modern look, one that will hopefully spur additional investments in that area.

Andrews said The Orchard is perhaps Springfield’s most culturally diverse neighborhood, with a mix of Portuguese, Polish, Hispanic, and Armenian residents, among other groups. He envisions a number of ethnic restaurants and cultural attractions in the downtown. He says there are entertainment opportunities as well, including a new life for the old Grand Theater and perhaps a much larger home for the cramped Titanic Museum.

"There’s a lot that can happen, and a number of very positive things have already happened," he said. "I think it’s a matter of getting things moving and having people want to become part of something special."

Stebbins agreed, and said that while there are several vacant storefronts downtown, this should be viewed more as an opportunity than a concern. "In many ways, it’s like a blank canvas."

She cited Red Rocket Records on Main Street, a business that draws music enthusiasts, especially heavy metal fans, from far and wide, as the type of destination attraction that The Orchard needs in much greater numbers, and she believes it can happen.

"Why not? People will find Indian Orchard to come to Red Rocket Records," she said. "If these people can find it, then other people can — if we give them a reason."

She told BusinessWest that much of her optimism stems from the amount of interest being expressed in The Orchard, from both existing business owners and some from outside the region expressing interest in living or doing business in the neighborhood.

"Every day, I get a call from someone about Indian Orchard, either someone already in The Orchard who wants to figure out how to make it better, or someone outside The Orchard who wants to find out more about it — and that’s either businesses or potential homeowners," she said. "Some of the calls are from existing business owners, some who say that they’ve been thinking about sprucing up their site, but didn’t because they didn’t think anything was happening. Now that they see things going on in the building next door, they want to do something themselves."

But is there funding available for such projects?

Stebbins paused when asked that question, and admitted that there’s never as much money as planners and entrepreneurs want or need. But she said that some money remains from a $160,000 facade improvement grant, and there are some pockets of money to tap into.

The bus stop benches were the result of a grant, she said, noting that planners will have to be diligent and imaginative in their pursuit of resources. "We’re going to turn over every rock."

Building Momentum

While exploring links between Main Street and the riverfront and trying to expand the cultural offering downtown, planners will also address a number of other issues. Some, like the benches, trees, and street signs, are smaller in scope and designed to build visibility, enhance the community’s image — it is still viewed as many as a high-crime, low-income area — and improve traffic flow.

Meanwhile, there is the matter of the former Chapman Valve/Crane site, a 52-acre strip of land that has plagued the neighborhood for decades.

Old renderings of the Indian Orchard neighborhood show a small downtown area dwarfed by the massive Chapman Valve complex, where workers, mostly immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Poland, and other European countries, made valves for various industries.

The site expanded and evolved over the years — the Navy built a foundry there in the 1940s, and the complex was actually a satellite site for the Manhattan Project — and the neighborhood grew up around it. Homes now crowd a site that is largely abandoned and overgrown.

Residential development is planed for a portion of the parcel, said Stebbins, and some construction has already begun, but the fate of the building that housed the Navy foundry is still to be determined, and there are environmental hurdles to be cleared before anything can be done on the site.

In fact, it was Stebbins’ work on the Chapman Valve site — she is the city’s brownfields coordinator — that got the ball moving toward creation of a master plan for the neighborhood. "We said to ourselves, ëwhat are we going to do with this beast?’" she said.

"We worked with the neighborhood to figure out what would be a good use for the site, and eventually, the focus shifted to the whole neighborhood."

It will likely be several years before the fate of the industrial site can be resolved and a new life for that property found, said Stebbins, adding that the long view must be taken on many elements contained in the master plan.

It could be 10 to 15 years or more before many of the visions are realized, she said, noting quickly that areas like Northampton and Alexandria, Va., both great strolling areas, took years to reach their potential.

She doesn’t know how The Orchard’s mostly blank canvas will be colored in, but she is very confident that the neighborhood’s master plan won’t gather dust on a shelf, like so many before it in a number of area communities.

"It’s the enthusiasm of the residents that will keep this from getting dusty," Stebbins said, holding the document aloft. "People are very proud of this community, and they want to see something happen with it."

Branching Out

Stebbins, 33, told BusinessWest that many people her age look at The Orchard and see the ëdestination’ potential that she does. For many older residents, however, there is more skepticism. "For many of the older people who grew up here, it’s a lot harder to see what this neighborhood can be."

For the concepts outlined in the master plan to become reality, planners must get all those in the community on the same page, literally and figuratively, and begin to create some momentum for moving forward.

Progress will come a piece at a time, said Stebbins — just like that patchwork quilt.

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

Forward Thinking

By
Opinion
Richard Goyette was sworn into office as Chicopee mayor in January after surviving a close (350-vote) race with former mayor Joseph Chessey. He assumes the corner office at a time when Chicopee remains in an expansion mode, with a new high school nearing completion, a new city library set to open, and Wal-Mart planning to come to Memorial Drive. These are all projects set in motion during the administration of Richard Kos, who is credited with taking Chicopee, the region’s second-largest city, out of the doldrums and putting it on the road to sound fiscal health and economic vitality. Goyette, who served on the Board of Aldermen during the Kos years, says his predecessor built a solid foundation. Now, he wants to build a house on top of it. BusinessWest talked with the new mayor about his goals for the city, his strategies for reaching them, and his thoughts on everything from Wal-Mart to a planned women’s prison.

BusinessWest:Before we get into a deep discussion about business, economic development, and your vision for Chicopee, tell us why you wanted this job, and at this time in your life and career.

Goyette:"This is something I’ve always had an interest in. I told my wife this, and when Mayor Kos announced that he was not going to run, she and I sat down and had a long talk about it. I didn’t want to look back 20 years from now and say, ’would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.’ Being mayor is something I always wanted to do, and this was my opportunity."

BusinessWest:You’re following Kos, a man who is credited with having not only vision, but the ability to make that vision reality. Is he a hard act to follow?

Goyette:"He is. He did a wonderful job for the city. He built a wonderful foundation — not only with the city’s finances but with a number of projects across the city — and now I’m hoping to build a house on top of that foundation."

BusinessWest:What did you do in the private sector, and do you believe any of those experiences will help you handle the duties of being mayor?

Goyette:"I was sales manager at the Springfield Sheraton for a few years, and before that I was in the aerospace industry; I was in charge of manufacturing at a company called Fountain Plating in West Springfield. After Sept. 11, things in the aerospace industry took a real nosedive, so I took a career change. And I really think my job as a sales manager will help me here. When you’re in the hospitality industry, customer service is important — you have to deal with people on a one-to-one basis. It’s very similar when you’re mayor; I’m basically the salesman for the city.

BusinessWest:How else would you define your responsibilities in this position? Give us your job description.

Goyette:"The mayor is the chief executive officer, so obviously, you have to make a number of financial decisions. Beyond that, though, the mayor sets the agenda and tries to move forward with a vision for the city and what it should be. I’ve lived in Chicopee most of my life — I’m the fourth generation of my family living in the same house in Aldenville — and I have a vested interest in this city. I want businesses to locate here, I want to see investment in my community, and I’m the point person for that."

BusinessWest:Speaking of moving agendas forward, what are your priorities when it comes to economic development in Chicopee?

Goyette:"Like every community in the area, we want to attract companies that are going to bring good-paying jobs. We’ve had some good success stories in the past few years — Channel 22, Williams Distributing, MassMutual’s conference center, and some businesses in the Westover industrial parks. We want to build on that. We have an attractive location, and we have some places for companies to go. There are some lots left in the Westover parks, and we have the Chicopee River Technology Park, as well.

"In addition to attracting new, larger companies, we want to take in some smaller companies and give them the space to get to that next stage. There is room in Cabotville for this type of development. I know Springfield has been successful with very small businesses in the STCC incubator; we’re looking at trying to market Cabotville and some of our other old mills as the place to take the next step — when a company outgrows its space in a smaller facility, we want it to think about Chicopee."

BusinessWest:Wal-Mart is coming to town in the former Fairfield Mall complex. What does this mean for Chicopee and for Memorial Drive?

Goyette:"I think this is going to work out very well for this city. One of the biggest complaints that I hear from people is that they live in the second-largest city in the region, but they have to go to Holyoke or Springfield to do their shopping. There are no major stores here. Wal-Mart is just going to be the start. There is room at the site for six small boxes, and I think you’ll see a lot of interest on the part of major retailers — our first national chain, the Ninety Nine, is going into the spot in front of the old mall.

"This development is also going to bring more people into Chicopee; it’s going to be a huge boost for the businesses currently there. Because of its location just off the Turnpike, it’s very accessible, and people will be coming to Memorial Drive who haven’t come that way in the past. I think this will develop the same way Riverdale Road did — first you had Home Depot, and then Costco, and it took off. Now, you have Chili’s, an Outback, and a lot of other restaurants. We’re expecting similar things.

BusinessWest:Is that good or bad? Can Memorial Drive handle the kind of development that’s being talked about? Are there fears that you could have traffic problems similar to those seen on Riverdale Road?

Goyette:"I think it’s good. People want to spend their dollars in their own community. As far as the traffic goes, I think we have a better arrangement than Riverdale Road — there’s better access and better traffic flow. Once Wal-Mart is in place and those box stores fill up, things are really going to take off; it will be great for our tax base and great for our residents, and it will provide jobs.

BusinessWest:Chicopee is an industrial city that has many large employers. But is fast running out of developable land. What does this mean, and how can the city continue to attract jobs with this apparent handicap?

Goyette:"As our land gets filled up, we’re going to look at redevelopment of existing buildings and underutilized parcels. One site we’re looking at for the long term is the former Uniroyal complex and the adjacent Facemate property (see related story, page 22). There are some environmental concerns, but down the road, this will become space that we can utilize."

BusinessWest:Plans to build a women’s prison at the site of the former canine control center are now on hold due to the state’s budget problems. Most people don’t think of a prison as economic development, but you and your predecessor both believe this is an opportunity for Chicopee. Why?

Goyette:"It does represent economic development — it’s going to bring jobs, probably 100 or more, into the city. And that project brings a number of infrastructure improvements with it. There are plans for a major reconstruction of Center Street from the Springfield line to downtown. That project is on a separate track from the jail, but, realistically, it won’t happen until the jail does."

BusinessWest:Is there a new timetable for the jail?

Goyette:"Not that I’m aware of. The state is currently conducting a needs assessment of its correctional facilities, and doesn’t want to spend money on projects like this if it doesn’t have to. Obviously, we’re hoping this project gets back on track."

BusinessWest:Unlike many cities and town in this region, and especially Springfield, Chicopee is in good fiscal health. How did it get that way, and how will you keep the city on that course?

Goyette:"Four or five years ago, the mayor and the Board of Aldermen worked on a lot of things, and while many communities were just handing out things and creating new jobs — like Springfield adding 100 new police officers — we were tightening our belts and looking at the situation and saying, ’the good times aren’t going to last forever — we need to save for a rainy day and put some money away.’

"When I took office as an alderman, the stabilization fund had $5,000 in it. Now, it’s got $10.5 million. Obviously, we worked very hard to do that, and now that times are tougher, we may not be able to save a lot of money. We may have to continue to scale back, but at least we have that cushion."

BusinessWest:What else do you have on your to-do list?

Goyette:"One of the projects in front of us is redevelopment of the old (current) Chicopee High School. When we move into the new one this fall, we’re going to have a very large, vacant building on our hands. We’re looking at combining some city departments in there, or perhaps a senior center, or even moving the school administration offices in there. There’s a lot of consolidation that can take place, and a lot of options for us to look at.

"Ultimately, I think we’re looking at mixed uses for that building, and there are a lot of things we have to take a look at. That’s why the city is paying to have a facilities study done of all city buildings, including the schools, City Hall, any municipal building. Once we get that back, then we can determine what our options and priorities are, and decide where and how to spend money on these buildings. To this point, we’ve never had something like this; we’ve traditionally waited until something is broken and then found the money to fix it."

BusinessWest:You’re wrapping up those proverbial ’first 100 days in office.’ What has the experience been like? Is being mayor about what you expected when you decided to run for the seat?

Goyette:"It was a real advantage to me to be on the Board of Aldermen for six years, two years as president. I had a chance to work with a lot of the department heads and cope with the issues the city was confronted with; I was part of the process, and as a result I had a pretty good handle on things.

"That said, there’s a lot to do, and much of it is things that people don’t see or fully appreciate. People don’t see the nights, the weekends, and the events you’re expected to attend — the Boy Scouts, the banquets, the church services … there’s so much, and people expect to see the mayor there; it’s part of the job, and an important part.

BusinessWest:How long do you think you want to do this?

Goyette:"I just got here, so it’s really hard to say how long I might want to keep this job. I hope it’s a while. I very much enjoy the job, but it puts some constraints on how much time I can spend with my wife and family — I have two children and five stepchildren. We’ve tried to make this experience fun for the kids. During the campaign, they would come out and hold signs … it was a learning experience for them in how government works; it’s one thing to go in the classroom and talk about how people get elected, but it’s another thing to be part of the process."

BusinessWest:One more question: You’re one of the very few Republican mayors in this state. Is that going to help you or the city in any way?

Goyette:"The governor and I are on a first-name basis, but I’m not sure being a Republican is going to be a big help. But at the moment, it doesn’t hurt, either."

CEO PROFILE — Raising the Bar

By
Opinion
It’s been nearly 20 years since Tim Daggett scored a perfect 10 on the horizontal bar to clinch a gold medal for the U.S. men’s gymnastics team in Los Angeles. Today, he’s a diversified entrepreneur, balancing life as business owner, coach, broadcaster, and motivational speaker. He says success comes from bringing the same intensity to those assignments that he did to his Olympic quest.

But as nearly everyone from this region knows, he didn’t just get into gymnastics; his perfect 10 on the horizontal bar helped propel the U.S. men’s team to a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, putting the West Springfield native into the national spotlight in the process.

And because of his ambitious/aggressive nature, not to mention a strong commitment to excellence, Daggett has made the very most of the opportunities presented to him by that day in the Olympic sun — and what happened in the years to follow.

Indeed, he has enjoyed success as a diversified entrepreneur, with ventures ranging from TV commercials to a gymnastics school that bears his name. He has gained acclaim as a motivational speaker, centering his talks not so much on the triumph in 1984, but his ultimately unsuccessful effort to return to the Olympics in 1998 and the lessons he learned from that experience. Meanwhile, he is a successful television commentator — now preparing for next summer’s Olympics in Athens — and a coach of many aspiring gymnasts.

In a wide-ranging interview, Daggett told BusinessWest that his Olympic experience — like other moments that catapult individuals into fame — certainly opened some doors. But those same doors can close quickly if people fail to commit the same time and energy to their new endeavors that they did to the ones that earned them their fame, he noted.

"There were probably 50 Americans who won gold medals at that Olympics who could have honed their story to be just as good as mine," he said of the public-speaking aspect of his business career. "But within a year, the phone stopped ringing for most of them because they didn’t apply the same energy to their business that they did to becoming an Olympic gold medalist."

Two decades later, Daggett’s phone still rings — he’s actually had to cut back on his speaking engagements to spend more time with his family — because he continually hones his message to provide value to his audiences, which include business groups, individual companies, and sales teams.

And he applies that same formula to his other ventures, knowing that if one stands still, opportunities to advance will be lost.

"A lot of people told me after the Olympics that I had to take advantage of my opportunity while I could, because it wasn’t going to last for long," he said. "Every time someone said that to me, I said to myself, ’I’m going to prove you wrong.’ And I believe I have."

Exercise in Commitment

While the perfect 10 in 1984 is what Daggett will be remembered for, he told BusinessWest that the defining moment in his life came a few years later as he was attempting to return to the Olympics.

While executing a vault at at the World Championships in Rotterdam, Holland in 1987, he shattered his left leg, breaking both the tibia and fibula. The injury was so severe — "I looked down and saw the bone sticking out of my leg" — that amputation was a real possibility and the talk among doctors wasn’t about whether he’d compete again, but whether he’d walk again.

But nine months later, Daggett was leading the field after two events in the Olympic trials in Salt Lake City. The pain in his leg would eventually force him to withdraw from that event, but merely making it back from that horrible injury to world-class competition was the highlight of his athletic career.

Daggett retells the story of his recovery during many of his motivational speeches, during which he talks about commitment to excellence and the hard work it takes to succeed — at anything.

"My talks all vary with the audience and the circumstances," he said. "But there are common threads about teamwork, overcoming adversity, and not letting go of dreams. There are messages there for everyone in business."

Daggett’s exploits on the lecture circuit are just part of a multi-faceted enterprise. He also does commentating on both men’s and women’s gymnastics for NBC, and he is the hands-on owner of his school in Agawam, Tim Daggett’s Gold Medal Gymnastics. He’s also co-written a book, a memoir titled Dare to Dream, and coaches a number of young gymnasts, many of whom have enjoyed success at the collegiate level and beyond.

He attacks each of these pursuits with a passion similar to his drive for the gold medal. For his broadcasting exploits, for example, he devotes several hours each week to keeping track of not only the U.S. gymnasts, but those from around the world. The workload will only escalate as the Summer Olympics approach and Daggett must prepare himself to not only comment on what happens on the gym floor, but know — and tell — each athlete’s personal story.

Meanwhile, he’s at his home office at 7 each morning, and then at his gymnastics school by noon, often to stay well into the evening. He’s also there every Saturday. Daggett has expanded the school twice since he and a partner purchased it in 1990, and he’s now exploring plans to franchise the business regionally and perhaps nationally.

"I could always hire someone to run the school, and maybe someday I can," he said. "But I like being there, and I feel I need to be there to make this as successful as it can be."

Daggett, who studied psychology at UCLA while on a gymnastics scholarship, and says his business experience prior to the Olympics was limited to working in the family’s music store as a youth, said success in his various endeavors has come the hard way — as in gymnastics — through work and commitment. It’s also a result of making the most of the opportunities that his fame has afforded him.

And those opportunities started coming hours after his performance on the horizontal bar.

Indeed, in the days to follow, Daggett was on every morning news show, and many of the evening talk shows. He never got his face on a Wheaties box, but there were several other opportunities to get in the spotlight — and make some money.

"For about four months after the Olympic games I was in at least one city a day, sometimes two or three," he said. "I was doing appearances, television, exhibitions, demonstrations, and motivational talks."

There were some regional and national endorsements and sponsorships, said Daggett, noting that he had contracts at one time or another with Nissan, Coca-Cola, several apparel makers, and some local car dealers. There were so many opportunities, he’s actually lost track of them.

"It’s embarrassing … I don’t even remember some of the products I endorsed, there were so many of them," he said, adding that the intense travel schedule often led to some confusion as well.

Off The Mat

Indeed, a few years after the triumph in Los Angeles, Daggett remembers waking up in a hotel room not knowing what city he was in.

"It was scary; I looked out the window and said to myself, ’where am I?’ I had no idea," he said. "I started rifling through my stuff looking for clues that might tell me where I was. That’s when I realized that I still wanted to be a gymnast."

And it was then that he started preparing for the 1988 Seoul Olympics, which he thought would be his best, only to incur setbacks that would in many ways inspire his later business success — and help him inspire others.

The first came when, while practicing for the 1987 American Cup, he fell 15 feet from the horizontal bar. Landing on his head, he ruptured a disc in his neck and incurred a tremendous amount of nerve damage on his left side. While most neurosurgeons told Daggett his career was over, he found one who thought otherwise and followed his advice. He was in traction for 10 days, followed by aggressive steroid injections and intense physical therapy. Only a few months later, however, he found himself in medal contention in two events after the first day of the World Championships in Rotterdam.

He told BusinessWest that when his feet hit the ground after that fateful vault, he heard a sound like the crack of a rifle shot. In the process of breaking two bones in his left leg, he also severed an artery and lost a life-threatening five pints of blood.

"I knew I suffered a super-serious injury," he recalled. "While I was in the hospital, one of the doctors said to me in broken English, ’we’re going to have to operate immediately.’

"I said to my trainer, ’don’t let them cut me over here — let me get home,’" he continued. "And he said, ’then you’ll lose your leg.’ So I reconsidered."

After five surgeries to repair the considerable orthopedic and vascular damage, Daggett was back in competition at the Olympic trials. He recalls with great frustration having to withdraw in the second day of that event, but he says his comeback — which no one thought was possible — yielded the most memorable and special moments in his life, save for his marriage and the birth of his children.

"That whole experience taught me more about life than anything that I had done prior to that," he said. "I used to say that in many ways it is what defines me; now I say that it does in all ways.

"I know what it took to make it to the Olympic games and win a gold medal," he continued. "And I know what it took for me to come back from that injury and make it to Salt Lake City — and the comparison is ridiculous."

Daggett knew after Salt Lake City that he was through in gymnastics, but he was really just getting started in business. He went back on the road, keeping a pace similar, if not more grueling, than the one he set after the ’84 Olympics.

He developed a one-man gymnastics show — often doing six performances a day — that he took to malls across the country. Meanwhile, he did exhibitions for Nissan, IBM, Coca-Cola, and an electronics franchise called the Incredible Universe. The work was lucrative, but also exhausting.

Meanwhile, he ramped up his motivational speaking exploits, and was at one point enrolled with 35 different speakers’ bureaus. He said offers to speak kept coming in because his message, while outwardly about sports, easily translates to the world of business.

Balancing Act

In fact, for some of his motivational speaking engagements, Daggett will borrow a pommel horse from a local gym and actually conduct a short routine for his audience. He says he does so to drive home points about such things as strength, flexibility, balance, change, and critical mass — and how they apply to business as much as they do to gymnastics.

This is part of the "program," as he calls it, which also includes video of both his triumphs and tragedies in gymnastics. And by honing that package, Daggett has remained an in-demand speaker — earning $7,500 or more for each appearance — years after nearly every other member of his Olympic class and most subsequent classes have faded from public view.

"I can show business people how change is important, and how they should think outside the box when it comes to their performance," said Daggett. "One of the reasons I’ve been so successful and I’m still doing this is that I keep the message relevant; I’m very opinionated on being successful and the ways to get there."

But life on the road isn’t easy, as he learned in the months just after his Olympic triumph, and Daggett said he knew years ago that even though he could, he didn’t want to spend 200 or more days a year away from home.

That’s why he decided to diversify his business interests more than a decade ago and purchase a small gymnastics school in West Springfield called New England Gymnastics. Daggett’s name was soon put over the door, and the business was moved to Gold Street in Agawam and a site that was eventually expanded to its present 80,000 square feet.

Daggett said the school serves a number of functions for him personally and professionally. First, it gives him a chance to stay close to gymnastics, something he knew he wanted soon after he officially retired. But it also allows him to stay in this area code, and it gives him what should be a reliable revenue stream for down the road, when his endorsement and speaking work slows down.

The school itself has diversified over the years, adding a martial arts component and some dance to the repertoire, but it is mostly about gymnastics, with more than 1,000 children coming in for lessons each week. And while instructing the young people in proper tumbling techniques, Daggett and his staff are offering life lessons as well.

"As the kids grow through the program, the object for them is to still have fun, but it becomes a lot more about having dedication, making some sacrifices, having commitment, and learning how to have a goal," he said. "We help them, step by step, to accomplish those goals.

"School is important," he continued, "but I firmly believe that many of the tools that our children need to become successful individuals in society can be more easily learned in an environment where play is more prevalent."

For the future, Daggett says he will limit his speaking engagements to a few a month, while continuing to work for NBC. Meanwhile, he says his gym, which is unique in many ways because it is more personal than the huge facilities in some parts of the country and more comprehensive than small, ’mom-and-pop’ outfits, could eventually be franchised.

For now, he is focused on keeping his business enterprises diverse, while maintaining the image that he has so carefully crafted.

"My image is who I am," he said, noting that he has turned down a number of opportunities to pitch products locally. "And all these things I talk about when I speak to different groups — they’re real. That’s why if I don’t think something is a good match for me, then I won’t do it."

Sticking the Landing

On the surface, Dare to Dream would appear to be a book about winning an Olympic gold medal. It’s not.

It’s mostly about what happened after that perfect 10. It’s a story about overcoming adversity and finding success after gymnastics. And the best part about that story is that it’s still being written, said Daggett, who told BusinessWest that he is exploring a number of other entrepreneurial opportunities and has new goals to meet and dreams to dream.

He’s proven to everyone who said the door of opportunity would close quickly on him that he can keep it open — but only if he continues to apply himself as he did when going for the gold.

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

Raising the Profile

By
Opinion

Since taking the reins at the United Way of the Pioneer Valley early this year, Jim Horne has been working hard to make the agency more visible in the communities it serves. His broad goal is to see the institution evolve from an organization that merely raises money and then distributes it, into one that helps communities identify needs, establish priorities, and set agendas.
Jim Horne says that, historically, the United Way has been an organization known for raising money and then allocating it. It’s also been known as a group that is anywhere and everywhere during the annual fall campaign, but then goes into hibernation when it’s over.

Since he became president and CEO of the United Way of the Pioneer Valley (UWPV) in January, Horne has been working overtime to change both of those long-held perceptions.

He wants the United Way to be known as group that doesn’t just ask for money every September. Rather, he wants it understood that this is an organization actively involved in the cities and towns it serves — one that takes a leadership role in determining where and how investments should be made in area communities.

In other words, he wants the organization to be part of the agenda-setting process in those communities it serves.

Meanwhile, he’s been working to significantly raise the United Way’s profile in those communities, with the goal of familiarizing people with its purpose, and letting people know that when they take part in a YMCA program or join the Girl Scouts, they’re benefiting from United Way-funded agencies, or partners, as they’re now known.

In his first nine months at the helm, Horne, 43, has made visibility a priority — for himself and the United Way as a whole. He’s spoken to every Rotary Club in the region and has been a regular on the chamber of commerce breakfast circuit. But he’s also gone much further in his efforts to get to know the cities and towns in the area and the issues that impact them.

"I want to establish relationships," he explained. "To do that, you have to really know a community, its leaders, and its issues. I’ve spent a lot of time in Holyoke, Chicopee, Westfield, Palmer, Monson, and all the other communities we serve; I’m doing a lot of listening, and I’m showing them the face of the United Way."

Horne, who came to Western Mass. after a stint as vice president and COO of the Akron, Ohio-area United Way, told BusinessWest that United Ways across the country are facing a number of challenges today.

For starters, he noted that, while Baby Boomers and those who preceded them generally understand the United Way and the reasons for its existence, the younger generations do not, and they need to be convinced there is still a place for it. "It’s not enough to say we’ve been around since 1918 — that’s not going to cut it," he said. "We need to show people that through our work, we can make the community stronger."

Meanwhile, the business landscape has changed across this region and the entire country. The large corporations that facilitated fundraising efforts for United Way chapters are disappearing from the landscape, replaced by smaller businesses whose employees and managers are much more difficult to reach.

Locally, Horne said, there is a perception that the United Way is a Springfield organization, leaving many in area suburbs with questions about if and how the organization benefits them. At the same time, the local business community’s involvement in the UWPV has declined over the past decade or so, he said, adding that he wants to "re-engage" many business leaders.

Since arriving in January, Horne has been addressing all these issues simultaneously. His first priority has been to make the United Way more visible — 12 months of the year — but he is also working to make sure the organization is heard, not just seen, and that, more importantly, it listens.

The Job at Hand

"Upside potential."

That’s the phrase Horne used to describe the UWPV, and the reason why he chose that organization over a United Way in Michigan that was also vying for his services.

While he didn’t actually use the term, Horne implied that the local organization has been underachieving in recent years — from a fundraising perspective and several others — and he saw an opportunity to achieve profound growth.

"I like challenges," he said, noting that, while the UWPV has been successful in raising millions for the dozens of groups it supports, it lags statistically compared to other United Ways nationwide. For example, the UWPV has 12 ’major gift’ donors ($10,000 and above), while other groups its size average between 30 and 50. Meanwhile, the UWPV has 600 gifts in the $1,000-to-$9,000 range (the group known locally as the "Pillar Society"), while others its size have 800 to 900.

Overall, the UWPV has a rate of participation (those who donate) of about 26%, while the national average is closer to 35%. Over the past several years, fundraising has been flat (at or around the $6 million mark), Horne said, noting that there have been several factors contributing to this, including the sluggishness of the economy, a sharp decline in the number of major employers, and some campaign strategies that haven’t been effective in getting the message out.

Beyond the dollars raised, however, the UWPV has some work to do to become more involved in the communities it serves, he said, and move beyond the roles of fundraiser and check-writer.

"I looked at the two geographic areas that I was considering and what their needs were, and became intrigued by the possibilities in the Springfield area," he said. "I wanted to be part of raising the profile of this United Way."

Horne has been involved with the United Way since 1994, but he likes to say that the relationship began much earlier, when, as a 10-year-old growing up in Bridgeport, Conn., he would venture to the city’s Boys & Girls Club after school while his mother, a single parent, worked.

The club was a beneficiary of United Way funding, but he didn’t know it at the time. He would find that out nearly two decades later, when, as a production analyst for Sikorsky Aircraft, he became a loaned executive for the United Way of Eastern Fairfield County.

Active in the Bridgeport community — he was on the school board for three terms — Horne enjoyed the work as a loaned executive so much he decided in 1994 to make a career change and join the organization. He described it as a difficult decision, but one he has never regretted.

"I loved the work I did at Sikorsky … I enjoyed my assignments there, which included product support for the presidential fleet and being involved with some experimental projects," he said. "When the offer was put in front of me and I was trying to decide which way to go, my vice president at Sikorsky, who was also board chair for the United Way, sat me down and asked me where my passion was, and where I saw myself being the most productive in the future.

"I really enjoyed helping people see the value of supporting the community through philanthropy," he continued. "It was my experience then that a lot of folks didn’t understand fully the work that the United Way was involved with and how that work improved the community. I realized that there was enormous potential to engage the business community and potential donors to support the United Way."

He started in Bridgeport as a campaign division manager, and in two years became executive vice president of that United Way. He left in April 2000 to become vice president of the United Way of Summit County, Ohio, and eventually assumed the title of chief operating officer there.

Summit County is what’s known as a metro-1 United Way — one that exceeds $10 million in fundraising — and Horne was enjoying his work there, but he desired to direct his own United Way. Late last year, he became one of 70 candidates vying for the opportunity to succeed long-time UWPV director Ty Joubert.

Horne has spent his first several months in the region getting to know the communities served by the UWPV, and also setting a course for expanding the organization’s role in the region.

The Buck Stops Here

When asked how to go about improving the UWPV’s fundraising numbers, Horne said that assignment has a number of components. Generally, however, it comes down to two factors: access and education. In other words, the organization needs to get in front of more people, and when it does, it needs to present a strong case for the United Way and its partner organizations.

The first task becomes more complicated in today’s business community, one dominated by small companies rather than large corporations, he said. In years past, the United Way could visit those large employers and make a presentation that would reach hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Today, there are only a handful of companies in that category, while the numbers of sole proprietorships, home businesses, and telecommuters are on the rise.

And in many smaller businesses, time-strapped managers don’t have the hours in the day to offer a lengthy program highlighting the reasons why someone should give generously to the local United Way.

To reach the managers and employees of smaller companies, as well as professionals such as lawyers, doctors, and dentists, the UWPV will rely on modern tools like the Internet and direct mail, said Horne, and it will also make more and better use of volunteers who have connections to those in hard-to-reach groups and can provide access.

"What we know is that people give to people," he continued. "And people give to causes — good causes."

Which brings Horne to the second part of the equation — education. "Once we get access, I feel we have a compelling message," he said. "We can show people that, when they contribute to the United Way, they can make their community stronger."

Horne was hesitant to set hard goals for the UWPV, but he believes the organization can reach the $8 million-to-$10 million mark within the next decade.

"If all things remain constant, I think we can get to that level," he said, adding quickly that he will likely need more support from the business community to get there.

"There are a number of community leaders and business leaders who are actively engaged in improving the quality of life in the Pioneer Valley," Horne told BusinessWest. "One of my goals is to find ways to increase their involvement with the United Way’s agenda and have them become a greater part of our work."

"Looking back at the ’70s and ’80s, we had more involvement from the business community," he continued. "While things have improved somewhat in recent years, we still have a number of opportunities to re-engage."

While working to improve fundraising totals, Horne said he also wants the United Way to play a much larger role in setting priorities for how the funds that are raised are allocated — and he said the two initiatives are in many ways intertwined.

"When we increase the visibility of the United Way, and people see us as a true community partner," he said, "I believe people will donate more and they’ll donate more often."

Horne said the goal for the UWPV is to be part of the agenda-setting process, which is somewhat of a departure from its historical mission, but a necessary evolutionary step if the organization wants younger generations to fully understand its purpose and importance to the community.

"Our current process is to raise money in the campaign and then talk with our community agencies to understand better what programs they’d like for us to invest in," he said. "Part of our new strategy is to continue conversations with those member agencies, but also expand them to other service providers and potential programming partners so that we’re better understanding how to maximize our resources."

Ultimately, the goal is to create partnerships with a broader range of non-profit groups, said Horne, who told BusinessWest the shift is part of a nationwide trend toward moving well beyond fund allocation.

Part of the process of partnering with communities is convincing area residents and business leaders that the UWPV is not a Springfield organization, he said, and to that end, the chapter this year staged five campaign kickoff events, instead of the one program traditionally held in Springfield.

"That’s one of the ways we’re making the campaign more personal," he explained, adding that the UWPV is also encouraging its employees to become more involved in their communities by joining civic and fraternal groups and taking roles with neighborhood organizations, human services agencies, and economic development bodies.

"The more people are involved, the better they can help assess the needs of a community and find ways to address those needs," he said. "That’s part of the process of becoming better partners."

United Front

Horne said it wasn’t until he became a loaned executive that he realized that, as a youth, he was benefiting from programs supported by the United Way.

He told BusinessWest that he doesn’t want people to recognize 20 years after the fact that their lives have been improved thanks in part to the United Way.

Through awareness, visibility, and active involvement in area communities, Horne wants to raise the United Way’s profile. By doing so, he knows he can also raise a few more dollars.

The Albano Administration Betrayed Springfield

By
Opinion

BusinessWest turned some heads last month when we suggested that Springfield Mayor Michael Albano could no longer effectively lead the city in the final months of his term and should thus step aside. We said the ’starting-over’ process should begin now, not next January, when his eight-year tenure comes to an official end, or when he gets another job — a task made more difficult by the specter of a probable indictment.

Some people wondered what a business publication was doing focusing on City Hall and what the mayor is doing or, more to the point, not doing. And some readers must have been confused because, only 16 months before, we were strongly endorsing Mayor Mike over respected challenger Paul Caron.

Well, some things have happened in the past year and a half that have prompted us to reconsider some of those earlier opinions. Summing them all up, we’d call it a betrayal of the city’s residents and the business community. Meanwhile, we believe what happens in any city hall has an important impact on any community’s economic health and well-being. That’s why we reacted as strongly as we did to recent events.

The perception of this city has been damaged to such an extent that the Albano administration has become a source of chaos and embarrassment to both area residents and the business community, not the instrument of progress that an administration should be. The residents and the business owners of Springfield deserve better, and they deserve it now.

You might ask, what should people in business expect from City Hall?

Often, they expect too much, which can be a problem in itself. Indeed, almost any time a business fails or never gets off the ground, the entrepreneur in question will say, ’the city didn’t do anything to help me.’

And while such claims are often an exaggeration and a cop-out, sometimes they are not. Springfield is a good case in point.

Any city or town government can do things to make it easier for businesses to succeed — everything from a small grant or loan to help get a company off the ground; to help with zoning, traffic, or parking; to a tax-incentive plan that makes coming to a community more attractive. And local government can set a tone that makes businesses want to come to a city and stay there. The phrase business-friendly is often overused, but some communities are certainly more friendly than others. Springfield is friendly to a chosen few, friends of the mayor, and that’s wrong.

A municipal government can and should deal with matters in a fair and equitable manner, and that’s what we didn’t see from the Albano administration. Instead, we saw grants, loans, leases, and no-bid contracts — some possibly against state law — go to people with connections to Albano.

We know and understand that a certain amount of graft and favoritism happens in many large cities. But in Springfield it was carried out to a degree that it created a sense of frustration in the business community, a feeling that insiders and power brokers were running the city — and running it into the ground. Businessmen and developers have voted with their feet and located their companies and buildings in other Western Mass. cities and towns rather than hire Albano’s friends as "consultants."

When all is said and done — and as the revelations from the FBI probe have made clear — the record will show that some of those connected to Albano effectively looted Springfield. That’s a strong word, but it fits. They took jobs, those aforementioned grants and loans — some to reputed organized crime members — and sweetheart deals, all with Albano’s approval and, in some cases, with his signature on the agreement.

Even more alarmingly, Albano and his friends stole the city’s reputation and a good deal of the momentum that had been built up from such efforts as the Basketball Hall of Fame, the riverfront, and the downtown entertainment district.

It was this ’looting’ that prompted BusinessWest to step out of its traditional role, to forcefully criticize Albano and his administration, and advocate for moving Springfield forward now.

City Hall can’t do everything for a business, and it cannot, by itself, make a venture work. But a municipal government must be fair and work for all the people — not a chosen few. Because it failed to do so, the Albano administration has failed Springfield miserably.

Remaking Easthampton

By
Opinion

Easthampton is finally shedding its old mill-town identity in exchange for a new image and commercial dynamic, a hybrid of grit and glitz, with strong hometown flavors. The change has been a long time coming and is the result of a variety of factors, including an emerging arts community, a reinvented government, strong and community-minded business leadership, and real estate assets ranging from recycled factory buildings to picturesque millponds reflecting the stunning escarpment of Mt. Tom.

Twenty-five years ago, local boosters were talking up Easthampton as a diamond in the rough poised for a renaissance like its neighbor, Northampton.

It turns out they were a couple of decades ahead of themselves.

The local business news in the late 1970s and early 1980s had mainly to do with factory closings and layoffs and halting attempts to spruce up a crumbling downtown. Still, to give the enthusiasts credit, they had, even then, some grounds for optimism.

The vast, previously abandoned factory complex on Cottage Street in the heart of the town, facing onto Nashawannuck Pond — Easthampton’s scenic crown jewel — had been taken over by Riverside Industries Inc., a non-profit agency serving the developmentally disabled. With prescient entrepreneurial spirit and skill, Riverside was rapidly bringing the building back to productive life with a vibrant, unique mixture of enterprises: its own collection of offices and program space and piecework assembly workshops, plus chunks of cavernous space it rented out to independent craftspeople who were converting the raw real estate into studios and workshops.

So the seeds of change had been sown. But that change was slow to catch on. The blossoming of One Cottage Street for years seemed to be a kind of hothouse phenomenon, little noticed outside the building; just this year Riverside has hired a community development director to actively promote itself. It wouldn’t be until the turn of the millennium that Easthampton convincingly started to turn the corner.

As late as the mid-’90s, the downtown’s four main commercial streets had a combined 30% vacancy rate, while a million square feet of traditional, red-brick industrial space was going begging, according to city planner Stuart B. Beckley, who arrived on the scene in 1989.

That was the nadir. The trend since has been one of dramatic recovery. The numbers have caught up with the hopeful rhetoric. Today, the downtown retail vacancy rate is down to 5%, and more than a half-million square feet of formerly vacant factory space has either been converted to business and residential use or is being actively developed, according to Beckley.

New independent shops, galleries, restaurants, and entertainment venues have cropped up on Cottage and Union streets. Existing, family-owned retail enterprises like Manchester’s Hardware and Village Pizza on Union Street have undertaken major downtown building projects. Manchester’s has just torn down a derelict furniture store and built a new addition in its stead to house a new equipment-leasing division. The city’s surviving manufacturing enterprises, concentrated now in modern, single-story plants in the outlying industrial areas, seem to be thriving, and, in the case of Tubed Products, the October Co., and Liebmann Optical Co., among others, investing in new or improved facilities is paying off.

BusinessWest looks this month at the remaking of Easthampton, and what the future holds for this community on the other side of the mountain.

A Work of Art

Unquestionably the single most important development in the town since One Cottage Street, which served as its original inspiration, has been the continuing transformation of the massive former Stanhome factory on Pleasant Street into a multi-use commercial and residential ’community’ called Eastworks (see related story, page 22). Eastworks has brought an important new wave of entrepreneurs and artists into town, many to live as well as to work. They in turn have been integral to the revitalization of the downtown, becoming customers for food, services, and hardware, as well as patrons of new restaurants.

Two other projects involving high-profile properties, while far smaller in scope and general impact than Eastworks, have been just as important as symbolic affirmations of the town’s new direction, according to Mayor Michael Tautznik, who calls them "investments of hope in the future of the community."

Silas Kopf, a nationally known master of marquetry (the art of decorative wood inlay) who was among the first group of craftspeople to move into One Cottage Street, bought the former fire station at 84 Union St. for $230,000. Plowing into it multiples of that sum he doesn’t wish to reveal, he has had it completely renovated into a spacious first-floor studio and showroom/office, and second-floor apartments.

Almost simultaneous with Kopf’s undertaking, Jo Roessler and Nora Kalina, owners of Nojo Design, formerly tenants in Eastworks, bought the derelict former X-rated Majestic Theater on Cottage Street, the downtown’s most embarrassing liability, and converted it into another high-end woodworking shop and showroom.

"Silas has done a wonderful job with the fire station. It’s exactly what I wanted there, from the point of view that it’s an interested business person in the community who’s making an investment in a very vital piece of property," said Tautznik. "More important than what’s going on inside the building is what the investment means. It represents a lot of hope in the future of the town and the belief that property values will continue to increase. We continue to be impressed by people who make those kinds of investments."

As a result of the progress that’s been made, Easthampton in 2003 is finally starting to deal with "problems" that, 15 years ago, it only dreamed of having. These include congestion, insufficient downtown parking, and lack of vacant industrial space, notes Thomas W. Brown, vice president for retail banking at Easthampton Savings Bank and president of the town’s Economic and Industrial Development Commission.

"The visible proof of a revitalization in the city today is Cottage Street; if you drove through there two or three years ago, you would have found vacant storefronts and no issues with parking," he said. "I remember getting together with merchants back then, and they said, ’we’ve got a parking problem,’ and I would say, ’no, we wish we had a parking problem.’

"Well, today we do have a parking problem. It’s real. Fortunately, we have a municipal parking lot being built on Cottage Street. Try to find an empty storefront in that area today; you’d be hard-pressed."

Among the catalysts for revitalization in Easthampton cited by Brown, Tautznik, and others are:

ï the adoption of a mayor/council form of government, which has proven more efficient and more responsive than a volunteer selectboard;

ï the municipality’s success, beginning in the late ’90s after almost a decade of drought, in landing key state and federal grants targeted to economic development;

ï the strong local presence of the non-profit, Northampton-based Valley Community Development Corp., which, funded with $200,000 in grants from the city, staffs a storefront on Cottage Street providing assistance to small, startup businesses;

ï ’spillover’ from nearby Northamp-ton’s growing regional and national reputation as a magnet for young professionals and creative entrepreneurs;

ï plenty of flexible, upper-story, former factory space at an affordable price;

ï the emergence of the arts in particular, and small independent businesses in general, as an ’economic engine’ in the community; and

ï the town’s fabled hometown spirit, reflected in such organizations as an Economic and Industrial Development Commission, the Chamber of Commerce, and Cottage Street Stations (a grassroots merchants group), which have worked hard to market Easthampton, provide a variety of business services, and physically upgrade downtown commercial districts.

The community still has plenty of its rough edge left. It remains a blue-collar town and proud to be unpretentious and community-minded, says Michael Garjian, a resident, indefatigable promoter of Easthampton, and small-business director for the Valley CDC. He can count numerous new enterprises in town, including the non-profit Flywheel Arts Collective on Holyoke Street and the Pioneer Arts Center of Easthampton on Union Street, among his clients.

"Easthampton is all about community," he said. "It’s what makes this a great city. It’s a blue-collar city … the sense of community in this town is strong."

Look to the Future

That the gritty old town is giving way, nevertheless, to some kind of hybrid of the old and the new is evident on Cottage Street at noontime on the first really balmy day of spring in mid-April. There hasn’t been energy and bustle like this since the heyday of the mills, oldtimers say.

The street is swarming with pedestrians, including fishermen who’ve spent the morning angling in the pond, school children who’ve been let out early for the day, and a variety of workers enjoying a lunch break. The latter include laborers who are constructing a long-awaited new municipal parking lot on Cottage Street and a number of people who work at One Cottage Street.

Pedestrian traffic is good news for the shops on Cottage Street, including Carl Charrette’s Sunrise Pastry Shop at 42 Cottage St. and, two doors down — just opened in April — his Sunrise Sweetie’s, an old-fashioned candy shop and soda fountain.

The bake shop is full this day; customers are lined up in rows three deep at the counter to place their take-out orders for homemade soup and sandwiches. Two doors down, youngsters are streaming into Sunrise Sweetie’s. Shiny metal lids chime as the kids, scampering down the polished wooden aisles, open and peer into some of the 300 glass candy jars laid out in gleaming, inviting rows. A couple of adult customers peruse a glass case containing the chocolates that are made in the large commercial kitchens that Charrette constructed in the basement of the building. He employs 11 people among the two retail establishments and his wholesale business.

Charrette says he’s fortunate that his retail businesses are perking along just when his wholesale trade, due to the sluggish general economy, has fallen off steeply.

He acknowledges he has reason to be grateful, now more than ever, that three-plus years ago, his landlord, Mai Stoddard, "cut me a deal to get me here."

Stoddard, who is a native of Estonia, is a longtime local travel agent and Realtor who owns the building where Charrette’s shops are located, as well as being the proprietor of the Nashawannuck Gallery at 38 Cottage St., which she launched five years ago in the storefront between Charrette’s two shops.

Before Stoddard and Charrette met, he was operating his wholesale-only bakery from a rented barn on the edge of town on Park Hill. Stoddard was looking for a solid, stable business to take root on the street and be a good companion business to her own. She was tired of renting to fly-by-night tenants who "would paint the places purple, then leave town after a half a year, owing me money," as she put it. To lure Charrette, she offered to let him occupy the space at 42 Cottage St. rent-free for six months and walk away after that if he chose, with no further obligation.

This was not a case of altruism on her part, but a practical decision aimed at furthering the "revitalization of the street," and thus strengthening her real estate investment over the long haul, Stoddard explains. To get good, reliable tenants to rent upstairs, something she’d had trouble doing, she needed to have viable businesses downstairs, she told BusinessWest.

"Good business decisions don’t always translate immediately into money," Stoddard noted. Her gallery, for example, isn’t making her money, she said, but it is paying off in a larger sense, she believes, by helping to change the image of Easthamp-ton and put it on the map as a haven for artisans and craftspeople, and a destination for their customers.

As the first shop in town to carry high-end fine arts and craft objects made by the artisans next door at One Cottage Street, the gallery "tapped into a real strength of the community,’’ she said. The gallery also has served as a venue for a variety of special community events, including the annual wine-tasting party put on as a fundraiser by Cottage Street Stations at Nasha-wannuck Square, a merchants group of which she and Charrette are active members. Cottage Street Stations is focused on making physical streetscape improvements to the Cottage Street area.

Road to Recovery

It’s one of her business maxims, Stoddard says, that — whether growing a business or growing a prosperous community — "sometimes it’s more important to look good than to feel good."

These days, Easthampton is doing both.

The renaissance predicted a quarter-century ago has been unfashionably late, but it was well worth the wait.

Albano’s Legacy At Stake

By
Opinion
These certainly haven’t been the best of times for the capital of Western Mass.

Indeed, just reading the newspaper these days can be a depressing exercise. Between reading about budget cuts, who’s been arraigned, and who’s not running for mayor, one might get the opinion that this city is paralyzed and devoid of hope.

It isn’t.

OK, maybe it is temporarily paralyzed while people in City Hall, the Mass. Career Development Institute, the Springfield Housing Authority, and just about every other agency in the city wait to see who gets indicted next. Meanwhile, the budget news isn’t good, and the general feeling that things will get worse before they get better is keeping many people out of the mayoral race.

But there’s no reason to give up hope.

As we’ve said many times, there are some good things happening in the Pioneer Valley, and especially Springfield. But right now, they’re being overshadowed by a war in Iraq, uproar over Gov. Romney’s various efforts to close the state’s budget gap, and a seemingly endless run of embarrassing stories about officials abusing their authority and wasting the taxpayers’ money. The latest allegations concerning Gerald Phillips and his management of the Mass. Career Development Institute are particularly disturbing.

And if it seems that many in City Hall and various economic development agencies are letting the events of the day — not to mention the question of who will be the next mayor — get in the way of progress Ö well, they probably are.

That’s why this is a time when the city desperately needs some leadership — and we’re not talking about the next mayor. We’re talking about this one.

Mike Albano has done too much for the city over the past seven years to spend his last 11 months in office trying to keep anything else bad from happening — which seems to be his MO right now. He has to pump some resolve into City Hall departments, especially those charged with economic development.

We know there’s a war and a recession on — and neither of those are good for business — but right now, it seems like economic development in this city is confined to waiting and hoping for someone to come along and develop the York Street Jail, the Gemini building, or the Technical High School property. That’s not economic development — that’s crossing your fingers.

Now is the time when the city should be putting the next phase of riverfront development on the drawing board and looking ahead to the time when the war and the recession are over. Meanwhile, as we’ve said

before, some work needs to be done to make this city more business-friendly, and the planning department would be a good place to start. More often than not, roadblocks are put in the way of developers and would-be entrepreneurs, not ’welcome-to-Springfield’ signs.

While addressing economic development initiatives, Albano should also take the lead in efforts to restore confidence in the city. This is not a job that can wait for the next person to take over the corner office.

At the moment, Albano seems content to let the FBI do the digging and for his city solicitor to do the talking for his administration. Neither strategy inspires much confidence.

When Albano announced in early February that he would not be seeking a fifth term, we became worried — not for him, but for the city.

Despite the mayor’s assertions to the contrary, lame ducks are not good for any community. And we’re not talking about any crusade against Romney’s budget plan and what it might do to cities and towns — we’re talking about the day-to-day operation of Springfield.

Eleven months is too long a period to wait for the next leader of a city, too long a time to put things off until the next administration takes over, and much too long a stretch during which to operate in neutral and leave the hard decisions for the next person. Albano needs to act now to instill some enthusiasm in a city hall that is clearly in a funk. He also needs to know that his legacy is on the line and what he does before he departs could make all the difference.

Come next January — or before that, if an employment opportunity should arise as many are predicting — Albano will depart City Hall and try to convince people that he left the city better than he found it. For him to say that, he still has some work to do.