Law Archives - Page 15 of 49

Cutting Off the Opioid Crisis at the Root

By BusinessWest Staff February 23, 2016

Opinion

By Maura Healey

It’s been nearly two years since the state declared prescription-drug and heroin addiction a public-health emergency. Since then, we’ve had an all-hands-on-deck approach from lawmakers, police and fire chiefs, health professionals, and community groups.

But our collective efforts haven’t been enough. Until we change the culture around how opioids are prescribed and dramatically reduce the number of pills available, people will continue to die.

Since 1999, the number of prescription painkillers sold in the U.S. has nearly quad-rupled. In 2014, there were 4.6 million opioid prescriptions written in Massachusetts alone — enough for nearly every adult in this state to have a bottle of pills. Meanwhile, overdose deaths have risen by more than 300%.

We won’t solve this crisis until we cut it off at its root, by reducing the use of prescription opioid painkillers like OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet. Cheap heroin is not a new problem; it’s been around for decades. What is new is that four out of five heroin users report having previously used a prescription opioid. These powerful drugs are a synthetic version of opium. They’re heroin in a pill.

The opioid epidemic is the direct result of years of overprescribing painkillers to everyday people, who get hooked on an extremely addictive substance, then turn to heroin when they can no longer afford to sustain an expensive pill habit.

While heroin is certainly a problem, three times as many Americans are hooked on opioids. Pharmaceutical companies told us for years that they weren’t addictive, but we know better now. Medical studies have shown that up to a third of long-term opioid users meet criteria for addiction, and that physical dependence can happen in as few as five days.

While the vast majority of prescribers are trying to do the right thing, we must end the illegal prescribing we know is taking place. My office has formed an investigative group to identify practitioners who are illegally prescribing opioids to people who shouldn’t have them. This partnership will allow state and federal law-enforcement agencies to share information about individuals who run ‘pill mills’ or prescribe to people with a history of substance abuse.

But to combat the opioid crisis more fully, we need societal change. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has proposed nationwide guidelines to help medical professionals across the country understand when and how opioids should be used, particularly for chronic pain. The pharmaceutical lobby and some sectors of the medical community have pushed back against these guidelines, calling them too restrictive. But here’s my view: thousands are dying, and something desperately has to change. Thirty-six other state attorneys general share that view and recently wrote a similar letter in support of the guidelines.

There’s another simple solution that can be put in place immediately. We need prescribers to check the state’s prescription-monitoring program every time they write a prescription for highly addictive drugs. The program can flag when a patient is receiving multiple prescriptions, doctor shopping, or showing signs of addiction. Right now, only one in four doctors checks. Gov. Baker has proposed that all prescribers check the prescription-monitoring program every time they write one of these prescriptions. When New York State passed a similar mandate in 2012, it saw a 75% drop in doctor shopping. This modest step can save lives and is time well-spent.

Those who continue to push back against safeguards like these should spend time with any of the thousands of parents across this state who have lost a child to opiate addiction. All too often, theirs are stories of high-school athletes and honor-roll students who became hooked on opioids after an injury. Others began by experimenting at a party — but if our medicine cabinets weren’t full of prescription painkillers, our kids wouldn’t have such easy access to them.

We can’t hear those stories any longer and fail to act. Other countries have figured out how to manage pain without releasing a flood of dangerous drugs into their communities. We need to do the same. If we don’t, the deaths will continue.

Maura Healey is the attorney general of Massachusetts.

Substance-abuse Issues Pose Stern Challenges for Employers

By BusinessWest Staff February 23, 2016

Employment Sections

Addiction in the Workplace

One of many things the ongoing opioid crisis has brought to light is that addiction, of all kinds, knows no boundaries. It impacts people of all races and income levels, those who live in cities and those residing in the suburbs, the young and the not-so-young. Because of this, it also impacts businesses of every size and across every sector. And, in many cases, it’s a problem employers are not fully aware of and are not adequately equipped to handle. Experts on the subject strongly suggest that they educate themselves on all aspects of this issue, because they could pay a steep price — in many different ways — if they are not properly prepared.

Rene Pinero says antiquated beliefs persist about individuals who become addicted to alcohol or drugs, despite recent headlines and ample evidence to the contrary.

“People think they’re homeless, don’t work, and have a low level of education,” Pinero, clinical director for Outpatient Behavioral Health at the Center for Human Development (CHD), told BusinessWest. “If you ask someone to describe an addict, they may paint that picture, but they don’t realize it can happen to anyone, and they don’t think about professionals such as doctors and lawyers.

“Addiction is a medical condition, like diabetes or hypertension,” he went on. “And well-educated people who have good resources are able to hide their problems better than those who don’t.”

Amy Royal agreed. “There are high-functioning people with addiction problems who are really good at concealing it,” said the founding partner of Royal, P.C. in Northampton, whose law practice deals exclusively with employment law and representing businesses.

But whether addiction is obvious or goes unnoticed for a long period of time, it has a profound effect on the workplace. Studies show addiction costs employers roughly $250 billion annually in lost productivity, absenteeism, attrition, safety issues, worker’s compensation claims, and hidden healthcare expenditures.

The National Business Group on Health reports that employees with substance-abuse issues often fail to fulfill major work obligations at work, home, or school; use substances in situations where it is physically hazardous to do so, which can include operating or working on machinery and driving company vehicles while impaired; and have recurrent legal or financial problems. In addition, they continue to abuse substances in spite of persistent or interpersonal difficulties.

Related statistics are certainly eye-opening. The American Council for Drug Education reports that 70% of substance abusers are employed, and 75% of workers have used drugs within the past year.

Although the belief persists that people are responsible for their addiction and can choose to stop their drug or alcohol use at any time, experts say people with the problem often suffer from a mental illness and initially try to alleviate symptoms with drugs or alcohol. However, as their tolerance to alcohol or the drug rises, they need to use more and more to combat their troubling symptoms, which causes side effects such as hangovers and depression.

“The majority of clients we see with an addiction problem also have a mental-health problem,” said William Davila, vice president of clinical services for CHD, the Springfield-based social-service agency that boasts 70 programs, many of which focus on the broad issue of substance abuse in some manner.

William Davila, left, and Rene Pinero say many people who struggle with addiction also have mental-health issues.

Pinero agreed, telling BusinessWest that, when clients come to CHD’s Pine Street Clinic in Springfield, it’s not uncommon to find that life situations led to their addiction. “Many have a co-occurring disorder and are dealing with anxiety, depression, or a past trauma. It’s rare to see someone who only has a problem with substance addiction.”

For example, someone with post-traumatic stress disorder who suffers from anxiety, depression, frequent nightmares, or disturbing memories may self-medicate so they can stop thinking about these issues, while a person with undiagnosed bipolar disorder may try to cope with the mood swings that accompany it by using alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine purchased on the street, or medications that have been prescribed for them.

“It’s a more severe form of what occurs when someone says they had a bad day at work and need a stiff drink,” Davila said. “These people are looking for a way to alleviate stress, exhaustion, or fatigue, and many times they start with one drink or one pill and it snowballs. The problem is often magnified when someone has a mental-health issue.”

Pinero agreed. “A lot of the clients we see are trying to cope with serious issues and are at the point of desperation,” he told BusinessWest, adding that many fear admitting to the problem due to the stigma associated with substance abuse and fear that they will lose their job if anyone finds out.

But they are often unable to focus while they are work due to their preoccupation about how or when they will be able to use the drug again and whether people will notice their condition. “It adds pressure, and the increase in stress can actually cause the person to use more,” Pinero said.

For this issue and its focus on employment, BusinessWest wades into the tide of addiction, what employers need to know, and how they can equip themselves to cope with this issue.

Dose of Reality

Massachusetts has initiated a so-called State Without Stigma campaign in response to statistics showing that about four people in the Commonwealth die every day as a result of their addiction to opioid painkillers. The goals of the initiative include creating new pathways to treatment, reducing the stigma that prevents people from seeking help, acknowledging addiction as a chronic medical condition, and a host of concrete measures.

“If someone fell and broke their leg on the way to work, they would not be embarrassed to seek medical treatment,” Pinero told BusinessWest. “But people with an addiction problem think they have to keep it under wraps. Eventually, it starts to consume their life.

“And if they don’t get the support they need, they are absent from work more often, late more often, and can engage in unsafe behavior,” he went on. “People with addictions are five times more likely than their co-workers to have an injury at work or injure others.”

Davila said signs that indicate an employee may have an addiction problem are many and are usually recognizable to those who know what to look for. They include unexplained absences, mood swings, changes in attitude, difficulty relating to others, a decrease in productivity, lack of focus or concentration, and work that fails to meet expectations.

On the other hand, there are people who drink excessively during lunch or during the workday and are skilled at hiding it. “By the time it’s discovered, many people have been using for months or years,” he explained.

An Opioid Task Force was created in Greenfield to cope with growing numbers of people in the Franklin County and North Quabbin regions of Massachusetts who are addicted to heroin and opiates, and it’s an example of what’s being done in many regions and cities.

The list of participating agencies and healthcare groups is lengthy, but the mission is clear: to prevent heroin and prescription-drug addiction and help people who are already hooked.

And there are many reasons to help people with addiction issues, starting with the fact that employers care about the people who work for them and value them for what they are — real assets, but also human beings.

“Employers want to do the right thing and support someone who is having a tough time,” Royal said. “There really is a desire to preserve employment, especially if someone has been a good employee and is well-liked.”

There are financial considerations as well, specifically the large investment employers have made in searching for, selecting, and training personnel.

But, since they know being under the influence at work presents liabilities and potential exposure to lawsuits, employers must conduct a delicate balancing act as they attempt to both help their employee and protect themselves from liability.

Amy Royal says employers often want to protect employees, but need to consider liability issues if they let addiction-related problems fester.

Royal cited a case in which a nursing home was sued after something went awry with a resident due to an employee’s irresponsible behavior. After the incident occurred, other employees told the family they had observed the person working in an altered state in the past, and, as a result, management was found negligent because it failed to do something about the problem.

“It can be a dilemma,” Royal explained. “An employer may really like the employee and want to help, but they need to weigh that against the risk of liability.”

She added that, in an office setting, concerns manifest themselves that have less to do with safety and more with the company’s reputation or the way it is perceived. For example, a receptionist who slurs his or her speech and has glassy eyes can be detrimental to interactions with the public or with clients.

However, the main concern for many employers is safety, which can be critical in a factory where machinery is involved, or when the person works for a nonprofit and engages in one-to-one care with a vulnerable population, as in the example of the nursing home.

Addressing the Issue

Royal gets a lot of questions about when, if ever, to insist that an employee undergo drug testing, but she says Massachusetts does not have a drug-testing statue.

“However, there is a privacy statue that is very broad and is utilized in the employment context,” she noted, explaining that mandating a drug test can be considered an invasion of privacy. However, the courts have implemented a balancing test where they weigh privacy against legitimate business interests.

Safety is considered a legitimate reason to test, but Royal noted that any employer who mandates a drug test needs objective criteria it can present to a court if it is challenged.

“I suggest that front-line supervisors document their observations in a concrete way,” she told BusinessWest, adding that evidence cannot be subjective, and she has worked with clients to prepare a checklist of behaviors that include odor, the way someone walks and speaks, erratic behavior, shakiness, and whether the employee’s eyes appear glassy. “But first, I try to find out what an employer’s concerns are and whether or not they want to preserve the employee.”

Regardless of their goal, it’s important to provide supervisors with training regarding the legalities of what constitutes suspicious behavior.

“A supervisor needs to be able to recognize and document it, and a company shouldn’t assume the person is armed with these skills without some type of training,” Royal went on. “The supervisor also needs to understand that their role includes being accessible and present in the workplace.”

If an employer decides to confront an employee, Pinero said, they should be understanding and tell the person they want to do whatever it takes to help them keep their job and address their addiction.

“One of the best things employers can do is to establish a policy and an employee-assistance program to handle these problems,” he told BusinessWest, adding that employers should emphasize that any information shared with employee-assistance counselors is confidential.

Davila has been a manager for many years, and says there have been times when he suspected something was wrong with an employee. But he added that erratic behavior does not always result from addiction.

“The employee may have suffered a loss in their family, have financial problems, or problems with housing that can be as distracting as addiction,” he said. “Employers don’t want to police their staff, but they need to be vigilant and proactive so they can help.”

He suggests explaining to an employee that changes have been observed in their behavior that can include mood, self-care, or asking colleagues for money. “Tell the person you are concerned, there is a program that can help, and you recommend they try it,” he advised. “You should also emphasize that you are happy to talk to them about any of their concerns.”

However, experts admit that addiction can be a lifelong struggle, and in some cases, the person isn’t ready to admit they have a problem.

Bottom Line

Addiction in the workplace is a complex issue, and despite all the media attention focused on it, outdated notions persist.

“People with addictions are not held in high esteem,” Royal said. “But it is a disease, not a conscious choice, even though people may perceive it that way.”

And there are definite benefits to helping someone recover.

“It’s a win-win situation for the employer, the person’s family, and the community,” Pinero said. “Some people start with outpatient services or peer-support programs, while others have to go to a detox program to deal with the physical aspects of addiction. But recovery is a process, and they will continue to need treatment.”

Which means employers need to be alert to potential problems and deal with them in a manner that is caring, but also addresses issues of liability.

“Just don’t be judgmental,” Pinero suggested. “Most people with an addiction want treatment, but often feel ashamed, and are waiting for someone to ask them to get help.”

Ruling Sets a Tome on Tape-recording Workplace Conversations

By BusinessWest Staff February 23, 2016

Employment Sections

For the Record

By STEFANIE RENAUD, Esq.

Stefanie Renaud

In December, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) struck down a Whole Foods policy banning employees from secretly recording conversations in the workplace as an unfair labor practice (ULP).

The NLRB concluded that the policy violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) because it infringed on employees’ right to engage in concerted activity, which is protected by Section 7 of the NLRA. Concerted activity includes the ability to form, join, or assist a union; choose representatives to bargain with the company on employees’ behalf; and act together with other employees for mutual benefit and protection.

The NLRA applies to all employers, unionized or not, and all employees have the right to file a ULP charge with the NLRB if they believe a company policy interferes with their protected rights.

Whole Foods’ challenged policy was designed to foster open communication between employees and management by ensuring that conversations, phone calls, images, and company meetings were not recorded without prior authorization by management or consent of all recorded parties. Whole Foods’ goal was to “eliminate [the] chilling effect on the expression of views that may exist when one person is concerned that his or her conversation with another is being secretly recorded.”

Despite noble intentions, the NLRB concluded the policy was overbroad and had to be struck, because an employee could reasonably conclude that it infringed on his or her Section 7 rights. Under Section 7, photography, audio and video recording, as well as posting photographs and recordings on social media, are considered protected activity if employees are acting in concert for their mutual aid and protection, and there is no overriding employer interest. An employee acting alone may be engaged in protected activity if he or she makes the recording to further a group action, is attempting to enforce the terms of a collective-bargaining agreement, or is attempting to initiate or induce group action.

While the Whole Foods policy did not explicitly restrict or chill protected activity by prohibiting employees from engaging in protected activities, the NLRB nonetheless concluded that an employee could reasonably understand the policy to prohibit Section 7 activity. Aiding this conclusion, Whole Foods’ sole witness admitted that the policy would apply even if an employee were engaged in protected activity. Whole Foods’ policy also required employees to seek management permission to make recordings on non-working time, another infringement on employees’ Section 7 rights.

The NLRB distinguished this case from those where an employer had a compelling privacy interest that merited upholding a recording ban. For example, in Flagstaff Medical Center, 357 NLRB No. 65 (2011), enfd. in relevant part, 715 F.3d 928 (D.C. Cir. 2013), the NLRB upheld a hospital policy banning secret recordings because it protected patients’ health and privacy information. Outside of patient care, however, it is unclear what employer interest would be compelling enough for the NLRB to uphold a ban on secret recordings.

The consequences of a ULP finding are serious. The NLRB ordered Whole Foods to print and supply an insert regarding the illegality of the policy to every employee, at significant cost. The NLRB also ordered Whole Foods to post a notice in all facilities nationwide stating that “the [NLRB] has found that we violated federal labor law” and that employees have the right to “form, join or assist a union; choose representatives to bargain with us on your behalf; and act together with other employees for your benefit and protection.”

Clearly, even a small mistake can have huge consequences for the employer.

Massachusetts employers should also be aware that a recording that may deserve protection under the NLRA could still be illegal in the Bay State. Massachusetts is an ‘all party consent’ state, meaning that audio recordings (video recording and photography are not covered) made without the knowledge or consent of all parties involved violate the wiretap law. A violation of the wiretap law is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison or two and a half years in jail, fines up to $10,000, or a combination of fines and imprisonment.

The statute also provides a civil cause of action for any person ‘aggrieved’ by illegal wiretapping, but an employer cannot be considered an ‘aggrieved person.’ Only the individual whose voice was recorded could bring a lawsuit against the employee who made the unauthorized recording, even if the recordings were made at work. So there are few remedies available to employers when a worker secretly records a conversation.

To comply with the NLRA, the NLRB recommends that any policy against secret recordings specifically reference the applicable state wiretap laws. In Massachusetts, employers may want to include a provision that states that the policy applies only to those recordings that do not comply with Massachusetts law. In addition, the NLRB suggests that any recording policy explicitly state that it does not apply to recordings made as part of protected activity or to recordings made on non-working time.

Because a mistake in this area can create huge liability, Massachusetts employers should revisit their policies and handbooks with their labor and employment counsel to ensure compliance with both Massachusetts and federal law.

This column is not intended as legal advice related to individual situations. If your business is facing a specific legal problem, consult your labor and employment counsel for legal advice and planning.

Stefanie Renaud, Esq. is an associate with the law firm Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., which exclusively represents management in labor and employment matters. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]

Certain Laws Can Help When You Become a Senior Citizen

By BusinessWest Staff February 23, 2016

Business of Aging Sections

Age-old Arguments

By ANN I. WEBER, Esq.

Ann Weber

When you become a ‘senior,’ defined variously as 60 to 70 or older, you become eligible for legal benefits that are not available to your younger compatriots.

While many of these laws are needs-based, some are not — for example, Social Security, Medicare, and others which are available to all of us. The following is a non-exclusive list of some of these laws which might be of interest.

Timing Social Security Benefits

When you turn 62, you become eligible for early withdrawal of Social Security benefits, and this is a great benefit for people who for one reason or another cannot continue to be employed or who do not have a long life expectancy. However, for individuals born between 1943 and 1954, the monthly benefit at age 62 will be 75% of the full monthly benefit at age 66.

If you can wait for benefits until you are 70, there is an additional 8% increase every year for the four years between 66 and 70. So, before making a decision about when to start collecting these retirement benefits, consider the differences, taking into account your estimated life expectancy and your financial situation. For people who can afford to wait or who are worried about outliving their resources, waiting to file might be a good option to consider.

Medicare Hospice

As you probably know, for beneficiaries who are 65 and older, Medicare pays not only for medical and hospital services, but also for some home services and medical equipment used in the home. Less well-known perhaps are the hospice services available to anyone with a prolonged, life-threatening diagnosis.

Although the diagnosis must state that death is likely within six months, hospice now allows not only palliative but curative care, with the result that many individuals end up renewing their eligibility for the program in six-month installments, sometimes multiple times, or graduating from the program entirely.

Hospice services include scheduled in-home care and emergency 24/7 care, which can often obviate the need for routine medical appointments and some emergency-room visits. In addition, Medicare hospice assigns a licensed, professional social worker to beneficiaries to help the patient and family deal with the social and emotional ramifications of an end-of-life illness. It is a comprehensive home-healthcare program, and it’s free.

Charitable Giving from Retirement Funds

As a general rule, any withdrawal from a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) results in income taxation of the full amount withdrawn. However, if you are 70 1/2, you can make charitable gifts from your IRA up to $100,000, receive a full charitable deduction, and have the amount contributed count toward your required minimum distribution.

If you are charitably inclined and meet the age requirement, this is a great way to partially fund your charitable gifts with money that would otherwise be going to Uncle Sam.

Declaration of Homestead

In Massachusetts, a homeowner receives automatic protection from unsecured creditors up to $125,000 so long as the owner or covered family member occupies or intends to occupy the property as his or her principal place of residence. With a declaration filed on the land records, this protection is increased to $500,000 in total for the property.

However, for individuals 62 or older, a homestead may be filed on each individual’s behalf, so, for example, for two homeowners 62 or older, the aggregate protection increases to $1 million.

Reverse Mortgages

A reverse mortgage is similar to a purchase mortgage in that it is a loan from a bank or mortgage company to an individual. However, instead of using the funds advanced by the bank for purchase of a residence, a senior homeowner (62 or older) can use a portion of his or her home equity as collateral and receive cash in return.

Reverse-mortgage payments are not taxable, nor are the payments considered countable income for purposes of MassHealth (Medicaid) eligibility. However, reverse mortgages have fees due upon origination and servicing fees annually which can be substantial, and the loan will have to be repaid with interest which has accumulated over the life of the loan when the homeowner dies or no longer lives in the home as his or her principal residence.

In the right situation, these loans can be life savers, but, because of the fees and technical provisions, it may be wise to consult with a knowledgeable attorney before committing.

Durable Powers of Attorney

Durable powers of attorney are used to allow one person, the agent, to act for another, the principal, in financial matters. These provisions can take place immediately or be triggered by incapacity. Though powers of attorney can be utilized by people of all ages, signing a durable power of attorney can be one of the most important steps you can take if you are getting older to make sure your financial affairs are handled by the person you want and in the manner you would choose.

Under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code enacted in 2012, power of attorney was given additional muscle. Specifically, in the event of an unreasonable refusal of a third party to honor the authority of a valid durable power of attorney, the agent can sue for damages. This can be really helpful if the failure to honor an agent’s directions — for example, in a sale or purchase of property — results in a loss to the principal.

There are many other laws and programs which are available to seniors on a needs-based basis which have not been covered here. Additional information can be found at local senior centers and various government agencies, or by contacting an elder-law attorney. n

Attorney Ann I Weber is a partner at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., and concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, probate, and elder law. She is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and past president of the Hampden County Estate Planning Council, and has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Top Fifty Women Attorneys in Massachusetts, and Best Lawyers in America; (413) 737-1131; [email protected]

Doing Business As Certificates

By BusinessWest Staff February 23, 2016

DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the months of January and February 2016.

CHICOPEE

School Deli Market
95 School St.
Jenny Concepcion

Da-Vi Nails
591 Memorial Dr.
Chin Pham

Element Repair Handyman
78 Wildwood St.
Anna Sosnin

Hood Pros Inc.
82 Bonneville Ave.
Scott Prystas

Pioneer Valley Auto Club
863 Montgomery St.
Stephen Brochu

Sheng Enterprises
28 Sheridan St.
Scott Smith

Tryba Oil Services
832 Meadow St.
Eugene Tryba

HOLYOKE

Lach Transport
3 Falardeau Road
Malgoraza Lach

Paper City Strength & Conditioning
208 Race St.
Thomas Reynolds

Reyes Income Tax
326 Appleton St.
Enrique Reyes

Sam’s Quality Motors
16 Charles Hill Road
Eric Rosa

The Vitamin Shoppe
239 Farms Road
Colin Watts

NORTHAMPTON

BP Productions
244 Grove St.
William Payne

Handyman Am
18 Denise Court
Alicia Stewart

HZ Electric
440 Pleasant St.
VS Electrical Services Inc.

Sacred Alchemy Wellness
52 Front St.
Donna Whyte

VBH Consulting
28 Park St.
Vicki Baum-Homes

PALMER

Commonwealth Bar
1618 North Main St.
Shane Bravetti

Dave’s Frame & Automotive
1316 South Main St.
David Muir

RPS Auto Inc.
1181 Park St.
Peter St. Andre

Tranquility Central Hair & Nails
1384 Main St.
Charlene Cavanaugh

SPRINGFIELD

Boylan Overhead Door
90 Tapley St.
Sean Boylan

Cafe Christo
513 Belmont Ave.
Christos Kaltidis

CT’s City Wide Towing
15 Vincent St.
Charles Thans

Design Dental Lab
128 Pine Grove St.
Diana Shveyko

Excellence Landscaping
661 Union St.
Jonathan Memendez

G & Y
74 Clifton Ave.
Guillermo Jimenez

Glass Rental Property
96 Florida St.
Jerrell Glass

Hierro Home Improvement
1655 Main St.
Alvin Hierro

Khan Transport
1238 Carew St.
Froq Tahir

Koj Entertainment
105 West Alvord St.
Barrington Johnson

Law Office of James Martin
1145 Main St.
James Martin

Leacs
53 West Bay Path Terrace
Luis Rosado

Pick Up Games
35 Westminster St.
Justin Cotton

Quality Renovations
74 Elm St.
Craig McCarthy

Shaili Love Inc.
500 Page Blvd.
Suresh Patel

Studio 4
2 Chestnut St.
Jeremy A. Gonzalez

United Business Directory
1 Allen St.
William Hannigan

Wags to Whiskers Pet Sitter
120 Timothy Circle
Christine Higgins

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Conri Construction, LLC
65 Cataumet Lane
David Duquette

Creative Fashion
920 Memorial Ave.
Barbara Williams

Discounted Soccer
212 Ely Ave.
Paul Klorer

Foxy Nails
589 Westfield St.
Thanh Huynh

Hazen Enterprises
61 Winona Dr.
Lawrence Hazen

Nina’s Beauty Salon
446 Main St.
Nina Boissoneault

PSA Healthcare
181 Park Ave.
Opal Ferraro

The Pink Zebra Artisan
1191 Piper Road
Mark Alfano

Western Mass Services
208 Labelle St.
Leonard Cowles

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff February 23, 2016

Briefcase Departments

Demolition of I-91 Viaduct Deck Underway

SPRINGFIELD — MassDOT’s contractor, the joint venture of White-Schiavone, began demolishing the I-91 viaduct’s reinforced concrete bridge deck on Feb. 10. The work will take place in the inner northbound lane of the viaduct along the median, which is currently closed. The contractor will work a day shift (7 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and a night shift (4 p.m. to midnight) on Mondays through Fridays. Demolition of the inner northbound lane deck is expected to continue through April 2017. Demolition of other portions of the viaduct deck will continue through summer 2017. White-Schiavone will use several noise mitigation techniques during demolition. It has proactively installed noise curtains along the work zone in noise-sensitive areas. Additional curtains may be installed as required once initial noise readings are taken after demolition activities have started. In addition, all heavy trucks and equipment have been retrofitted with self-adjusting backup alarms, which limit the sound to a set volume above the ambient (background) noise. The JV has also taken initial readings of ambient noise in the work zone to establish a baseline for comparison. All equipment has been tested to ensure it is operating within the manufacturer’s specification. Those traveling through the area should follow the reduced speed limits and use caution. MassDOT encourages drivers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes to minimize delays. For more information about the project, visit www.mass.gov/massdot/i91viaductrehab. To report issues or concerns, or with questions about construction, e-mail [email protected] or call (617) 454-1839.

Ouimet-Rooke Nominated as District Court Judge

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker has nominated Michele Ouimet-Rooke, an attorney with more than 17 years of experience in Western Mass. courts, to serve as a judge in Springfield District Court. “Michele Ouimet-Rooke offers the court a great combination of experience in both civil and criminal legal matters drawn from her career in public service and private practice in Western Massachusetts,” Baker said. “I am pleased to recommend an individual with such broad experience to the Governor’s Council for their consideration.” Added Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, “the first two District Court openings our administration has sought to fill are in Hampden County, and we are pleased to make this second nomination to the Springfield District Court. If confirmed, we know that Ms. Ouimet-Rooke will serve her hometown with distinction.” Ouimet-Rooke, a native and resident of Springfield, joined the practice of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy in 2002 as an associate representing plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of litigations, including employment and discrimination law, premise and product liability, insurance defense, landlord/tenant issues, criminal defense, and business litigation, becoming a partner in 2012. She began her career in the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office as a victim/witness advocate for eight years before becoming an assistant district attorney and chief prosecutor. She obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Springfield College and her juris doctor from Western New England College School of Law in 1999. The Governor’s Council held a hearing on the nomination on Feb. 17, and a confirmation vote is scheduled for Feb. 24. There are 62 district courts throughout the Commonwealth hearing a range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental-health, and other cases, including all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years, misdemeanors, and violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws. Springfield is located in Region 6, which includes courts in Chicopee, Eastern Hampshire, Greenfield, Holyoke, Northern Berkshire, Northampton, Orange, Palmer, Southern Berkshire, and Westfield.

Governor Signs Bill to Reduce Minors’ Risk for Skin Cancer

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation last week to reduce the risk of skin cancer among minors by increasing the minimum age for the use of tanning facilities to 18 years old. During consideration of the bill, medical associations including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the Melanoma Foundation of New England, the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation, and the families of skin-cancer victims Glenna Kohl and Jay Farley testified in support of its passage. “With the number of minors diagnosed with skin cancer on the rise across Massachusetts and the nation, this legislation takes a critical step towards increasing awareness and protecting our most vulnerable,” Baker said. Added state Rep. Marjorie Decker, “this legislation is about protecting young people from carcinogenic UV rays that we know cause cancer. I am proud to have worked on legislation that will help save lives and want to thank Gov. Baker for signing this into law.”

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff February 23, 2016

Court Dockets Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Juan Ortiz v. Campagnari Construction, LLC
Allegation: No handrails on stairway causing fall: $3,793.32
Filed: 12/15/15

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Christy Real Estate, LLC v. YRC Inc.
Allegation: Breach of real-estate purchase and sale agreement: $60,000
Filed: 1/14/16

Concilio International de Iglesias Hora Zero, WLHZ 107.9, and Casa de Esperanza v. Baystate Gas Co. d/b/a Columbia Gas
Allegation: Gas explosion causing property damage: $1,500,000
Filed: 1/12/16

James Bruno v. Toyota Motor Credit Corp.
Allegation: Consumer claim for wrongful repossession: $9,200
Filed: 1/21/16

Kevin Augustino v. Subaru of America
Allegation: Breach of contract: $27,979.63
Filed: 12/30/15

Paul Giza v. Duravent Simpson Manufacturing
Allegation: Product liability causing property damage: $350,000
Filed: 1/6/16

Piano Distributors of Florida Inc. v. Falcetti Music Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered and services rendered: $555,335.71
Filed: 1/7/16

Sage Engineering and Contracting Inc. d/b/a Furrow Engineering v. Athena Healthcare Associates Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $68,114.83
Filed: 1/11/16

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Alberto Morales and Yaniris Fernandez v. Wyndham Hotel and Resorts, LLC
Allegation: Bedbug bites: $46,000
Filed: 1/6/16

Federated Capital Corp. v. Transmission and Engine Tech and Mark T. MacDonald
Allegation: Complaint to enforce judgment: $108,103
Filed: 12/17/15

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Travelers Insurance Co. v. East Baking Co. Inc. and David Serra
Allegation: unjust enrichment and conversion: $18,170.04
Filed: 1-21-16

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Blackwood Associates Inc. v. Five Star Building Corp.
Allegation: Non-payment for recruiting services: $24,222.64
Filed: 1/25/16

Marie Higgins v. Quynh Nguyen and Lien Luong d/b/a Nail Pro
Allegation: Negligent application of material during pedicure causing scarring and nerve damage: $1,620+
Filed: 1/29/16

Rexel Inc. v. Jeff O’Connor Electric
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,416.10
Filed: 1/29/16

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

American Express Bank v. Red Bridge Bait and Richard Rubner
Allegation: Breach of contract: $5,375.60
Filed: 1/4/16

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Century Center, LLC v. Karoun Yoga Inc.
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $7,990.23
Filed: 1/27/16

Hampden County Bar Assoc. Legal Help Hotline Serves Community

By BusinessWest Staff February 18, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — On Thursday, Feb. 25, Western New England University School of Law will host the Hampden County Bar Assoc. Legal Help Hotline call-in program. Residents with legal concerns and questions are encouraged to call for free legal advice. Volunteer lawyers from the Hampden County Bar Assoc. will answer all phone calls between 4 and 7 p.m.

“This program can assist people who have fallen through the cracks of the legal and criminal justice system,” said Noreen Nardi, executive director of the Hampden County Bar Assoc. “It helps provide equal access to justice for all segments of our diverse community.”

The Hampden County Bar Assoc. presents the Legal Help Hotline call-in program biannually. The most frequent types of calls are questions about criminal matters, domestic relations, consumer protection, housing, and employment law. Caller identity remains anonymous to the volunteer attorneys.

To use the Legal Help Hotline, call (413) 796-2057. Attorneys who would like to volunteer for the hotline should call (413) 732-4660.

Gove Law Office Welcomes Jaclyn Packard

By BusinessWest Staff February 12, 2016

Daily News

LUDLOW — The Gove Law Office announced that attorney Jaclyn Packard has joined the firm, focusing her practice on civil and criminal litigation and trials, real-estate transactions, and estate planning.

“Jaclyn Packard is a wonderful addition to our growing law firm of professionals who represent the diverse practice areas Gove Law offers clients within the firm’s Litigation, Real Estate, and Estate Planning departments,” said Michael Gove, founding partner of Gove Law Office.

Having graduated cum laude from the Florida Coastal School of Law, Packard holds a license to practice law in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Florida. In addition to being a practicing attorney, she is an active supporter of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event and a volunteer with the Lawyer for a Day program.

The Gove Law Office, with offices in Ludlow and Northampton, is a bilingual firm with attorneys who provide guidance to clients in the areas of business representation, criminal and civil litigation, personal-injury law, commercial lending, residential and commercial real estate, estate planning, immigration, and bankruptcy. For more information, visit www.govelawoffice.com.

Hampden DA Plans a Multi-front Battle Against Opioids

By BusinessWest Staff February 9, 2016

Law Sections

Mapping Out a Strategy

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni says the ongoing opioid crisis is a function of supply and demand. In short, there is no shortage of either. And the situation won’t improve until that changes dramatically. Reducing both is the broad goal, and he says the key is partnerships — between law enforcement, the medical community, lawmakers, and other constituencies.

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni is rather proud of the large map of the region he represents that now dominates one wall of his office in the Hall of Justice on State Street.

He found the item, circa 1857, on eBay, paid $40 for it — it’s a replica, not an original — and then plunked down more than 30 times that amount (his own money) to have it matted and framed.

“It’s sort of a gift to myself,” said Gulluni, who said he often finds himself looking at the map and noting the many forms of progress that have visited the region over the past 159 years.

But that term certainly wouldn’t be applied to the opioid crisis facing his territory — and the other 13 counties in the Bay State, and the entire country, for that matter.

In fact, it likely represents the biggest law-enforcement issue — and one of the deepest healthcare crises — in the Commonwealth and this region since his map was drawn.

“Historically, this is as bad as it’s ever been,” he said, referring to drugs and the many different tolls they take on society. “We had the crack epidemic in the late ’80s, but this is far worse, on many levels. Drugs have always been an issue, but it’s now reached a fever pitch.”

To map out strategies to address the crisis, Gulluni’s office is forming a task force comprised of law enforcement personnel, healthcare providers, elected officials, and others. These are the parties that will have to work together to not only conceptualize a strategy and its specific components, but secure the money to pay for them and then carry them out.

As he talked about the task force and this crisis in general, Gulluni acknowledged what many have said in various forums across the nation — that this is not a problem that the country or his county can arrest its way out of. But arrests can, and must, be a part of that equation. A big part.

Arrests like the one made in Springfield’s South End in early January that took more than 8,000 bags of lethal ‘Hollywood’ heroin off the street, probably saving many lives in the process (officials attribute at least six fatal overdoses to heroin bearing that stamp). And arrests like the one of Ludlow doctor Fernando Jayma, who was indicted late last year on 41 charges, including illegally prescribing oxycodone and other drugs and also making false Medicaid claims.

“We can’t arrest our way to a resolution of this problem, but we have to keep making arrests to take heroin off the streets and keep it from the people who are addicted,” Gulluni noted.

But the DA noted that this fight will have a number of fronts, including treatment of those currently addicted to opioids and educational efforts aimed at keeping others from becoming addicted.

And while saving lives and stemming addiction are the overriding goals of this initiative, the opioid crisis is a quality-of-life issue for everyone living in this county, said Gulluni, adding that, by his estimation, roughly 50% of the crimes committed in his jurisdiction are related in some way to drugs and, quite often, opioids.

This includes crimes related directly to those distributing and selling those drugs, but also those committed by individuals who will seemingly do anything to obtain the money needed to acquire them. And those committed by individuals impacted mentally, emotionally, and physically by those drugs.

“Addiction drives a lot of people’s crimes in terms of breaking and entering charges, trespassing, shoplifting, all those things,” he explained. “But there’s also domestic violence and other crimes that relate to the breakdown in people’s ability to deal with other people, the stress that addiction causes, and how it affects people’s well-being and their relationships with spouses and others.”

For this issue and its focus on law, BusinessWest talked at length with Gulluni about his ‘all hands on deck’ campaign against opioid abuse, and how it exemplifies the battle being waged across the region and across the country.

A Bitter Pill

When asked if he thought the opioid crisis in this region had peaked, Gulluni offered a contemplative “I really hope so” that spoke volumes about this crisis, how far it extends, and, yes, the uncertainty about whether any kind of corner has been turned despite a mountain of press on the subject and calls for action at the local, state, and national levels.

And when queried about when and how it will become evident that real progress has been made, he said this will be borne out by numbers — such as those concerning everything from arrests to fatal overdoses — but perhaps more importantly by fewer uses of phrases too often heard in cities and towns today.

“We’ll know when there are fewer mothers, fewer brothers, and fewer friends coming to me and saying, ‘I can’t believe it was my son,’ or ‘I can’t believe it was me who’s become addicted and it started with a prescription from my doctor,’” he said. “When we hear fewer stories like that, fewer stories of woe, tragedy, and death, that will be a clear indication of progress, and it’s one I look forward to.”

Getting to that day — and he didn’t want to speculate on how far away it is — will require a concentrated, collaborative effort, Gulluni told BusinessWest, one that will involve law-enforcement agencies, the healthcare community, the court system, community activists, and government leaders, who will be called upon to provide the legislation and financial resources to get the job done.

PillsSpillingFromBottleStock And, as mentioned, it will be a multi-faceted initiative, one focused on everything from curbing the supplies of lethal heroin to providing adequate numbers of beds for those trying to recover from addiction, to changing the way doctors prescribe narcotic painkillers.

Adding to the challenge in Hampden County is the fact that Gulluni’s office is already the busiest in the state by most measures, but has a fraction of the staffing that other DA’s offices have secured.

“We dispose of, in many years, the most Superior Court indictments, our District Court is extraordinarily busy — if you aggregate our numbers, we’re the busiest district, inclusive of Boston, Worcester, and Middlesex County, in the Commonwealth,” he explained. “We have 63 assistant district attorneys, Boston has about 140, Middlesex has 130, Worcester has about 95. So, with about half the staff of some districts, we have the same case load, or a bigger one.”

Gullini is lobbying state officials to enlarge his staff, and, in the meantime, he’s deploying the troops he has in ways that might bring the region closer to that day he described earlier.

These broad efforts might be described as efforts to dramatically curb both supply and demand for opioids.

Indeed, as he returned to the subject of arrests and convictions when it comes to those distributing and selling heroin, like that aforementioned batch with the ‘Hollywood’ stamp, Gulluni said that, while the supply of such drugs is seemingly inexhaustible, the seizures do make a difference.

“In terms of the overall supply of heroin in Western Mass. and Hampden County, those 8,200 packets were a drop in the bucket,” he said of the South End seizure, adding quickly that Western Mass. has become a kind of distribution hub for the drug. “And it has practically no effect on people’s access to heroin. But it’s significant nonetheless.

“And to understand that significance, you have to look at it from the context of how that particular heroin was killing people,” he went on. “Taking 8,200 bags of the ‘Hollywood’-stamped heroin out of circulation is significant; through the hard work of the Springfield Police Department and its narcotics group, in that case, a number of lives were saved as a result of that bust. Those bags would have found their way into any number of people’s hands — people suffering from addiction — and they would have used it, with possibly fatal consequences.”

While the South End bust certainly saved lives, the supply of heroin remains a huge issue, he said, adding that untold amounts of the almost ridiculously cheap drug flow into the region every day.

And by cheap, he means $3 or $4 a bag, with most users needing perhaps three of four a day to satisfy their cravings (at the extreme end, it could be a dozen or more). In Vermont, though, the price is much higher ($10 to $12 a bag due to supply-and-demand issues), which is in turn fueling a surge in cases where entrepreneurial criminals buy heroin at low prices in this state and then try to profit by crossing the border and selling it there. But that’s another story — or at least another disturbing aspect of this one.

“It’s a cheap habit, and that’s why we’re seeing this crisis reach this level,” said Gulluni, adding that heroin has become a very affordable alternative to the much-higher-priced prescription painkillers that many addicts began their unfortunate journeys with.

Prescription for Progress

And this brings us to another front in this campaign — stemming the tide in the number of prescriptions of addictive pain killers.

The arrest of Jayma was one manifestation of this effort, said Gulluni, adding that this was the first such arrest during his administration, which began just over a year ago, and likely not the last. Indeed, while he’s not sure how widespread such abuse is, he knows this is not exactly an isolated incident.

“The so-called pill mills — they’re out there,” he explained, adding that he hopes Jayma’s arrest sends a strong message and becomes an actual deterrent.

“I hope it was a strong statement to everybody, including the prescribing community, that there are certain limits by which you have to abide, based on both your professional ethics and the laws of this Commonwealth and the federal government,” he said. “If you’re doing things that are irresponsible or unlawful, whether you’re a doctor or not, you’re going to be arrested.”

Go HERE to view a PDF chart of the region’s law firms

That arrest is part of the ‘curbing demand’ aspect of this fight, said the DA, adding that it is as important as the supply side, and perhaps even moreso, because without demand, there is no need for supply.

And it’s an example of how those involved with stemming this crisis must deal with the present and the future at the same time.

Regarding the former, efforts are focused on educating and treating those currently addicted, and not incarcerating them, said Gulluni, adding that jail time is generally for those who sell or traffic in drugs or those who profit from their use.

Elaborating, he said those arrested for possession of such drugs are, in most cases, given probation. And there is additional focus now on making sure this probation involves a setting where there is treatment for the addiction.

As for the latter, the future, Gulluni said attention must be directed toward the young people that might someday become addicted if they’re not encouraged to start down and stay on a different path.

“We’ve got to engage with young people; we have to engage with people who are at the stage where they’re beginning to use drugs,” he explained. “In terms of prevention and education, we need to get out in front on this issue for the future.”

Already, the DA’s office is engaged with programs to get opioid addicts and those who treat addiction in front of different types of audiences to “tell the stories,” as Gulluni put it, concerning what happened to them — and what could happen to others.

“We’re presenting groups of people — young people, parents, educators — with the information concerning how this affects people’s lives, how it starts,” he told BusinessWest. “We need people to say, ‘no, thank you; I don’t want 100 oxycodone pills because I had a tooth pulled.’ This is how this stuff starts.

“We need to get some of this out of the stream of commerce,” he went on, adding that legislation is being considered that would limit the numbers of potentially addictive painkillers that may be prescribed and the conditions they may be prescribed for.

Such efforts will require partnerships, he continued, adding that steps to limit prescriptions of this nature require the cooperation of the medical community, and represent just one example of how that constituency must work with law enforcement to stem the tide.

Many such partnerships will be needed, he said in conclusion, because of the deep-rooted nature of this problem and the simple yet indisputable laws of supply and demand.

Challenging Road

A quick look at Gulluni’s prized map reveals just how much Hampden County has changed since 1857.

Missing from this snapshot are countless roads, bridges, dams, reservoirs, colleges, airports, and parks — all of which have contributed mightily to the current landscape.

As has the ongoing opioid crisis, which, of course, doesn’t show up on any map or limit itself to any borders — real or imagined.

It represents history, and not the kind that society will look back fondly on, like a map drawn 159 years ago. And it will take an historic effort to relegate it to the past tense.

The state’s youngest and newest district attorney is ready and willing to make such history, and he’s not wasting any time in that effort.

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

The Law Struggles to Keep Pace with Advancing Technology

By BusinessWest Staff February 9, 2016

Law Sections

Two Steps Behind

By KATHERINE E. McCARTHY

Katherine E. McCarthy

While not a new development, it is clear that the law can rarely keep up with rapidly changing technology.

Increased surveillance technology, a host of mobile applications (including a popular rideshare app, Uber), GPS technology, and spyware, just to name a few, all present significant legal issues that most of us have never considered.

In this article, we’ll discuss this new technology and what it could mean for employees, business owners, the general public, and municipalities.

Body Cameras

In the wake of civilian unrest in places like Ferguson and Baltimore, there has been an outpouring of support for police departments to adopt the use of body cameras. In theory, body cameras appear to be a great idea, and technology is available to implement the practice. Recording a police officer’s interaction with a civilian not only helps protect the civilian and hold police officers accountable for their actions, but also helps to protect the police officer against false claims of misconduct.

So what’s the problem? There are several, not the least of which is the financial strain on cities and towns. Next, audio-recording individuals without their consent can run afoul of the Commonwealth’s wiretap statute. Violation of the wiretap statute is a crime.

There are also privacy concerns. Members of the public may be inadvertently recorded, and those recordings could be disseminated under public-record-disclosure laws. Some additional issues to consider include whether a police officer is required to turn off the camera when interviewing a victim or witness of a crime, and, if not, what is the result if a police officer receives private medical information related to a suspect or victim? Is the video recording of such information a potential violation of medical privacy laws?

Still more issues are presented once video is recorded on a body camera. Like any other evidence used in a legal proceeding, the footage must be stored in such a manner that the chain of custody is not disturbed. If the chain of custody is in some way tainted, the admissibility of the evidence gathered on a body camera may be excluded from a legal proceeding, thus eliminating the purpose of the camera. Storing daily video footage is very costly and requires specific procedures and practices, many of which are cost-prohibitive.

It is clear that the law as it stands today does not adequately address the issues presented by the use of body cameras. Legislation is pending, but it will be some time before the stage is set for the proper, and legal, implementation of this practice.

Rideshare and Homeshare Services

Another hot topic in the realm of law and technology is the soaring popularity of the rideshare company Uber. Uber is a mobile application (commonly referred to as an ‘app’) that allows consumers to request a ride from drivers who use their own vehicles. The request is made via the Uber app and sent to Uber drivers located in the same geographical area as the consumer. Uber is growing in popularity at such a rate that taxi drivers and even some cities and towns are seeking to limit or even eliminate its presence.

To many of us, Uber seems to have come upon the scene without any forewarning. So it is perhaps not surprising that regulations have not yet been passed which address rideshare businesses. Again, the law has not caught up with technology. This leaves cities, towns, and the courts with little guidance as to how to treat these newly evolving businesses.

Airbnb is another popular service that allows customers to rent an entire house, apartment, or room from private individuals advertising on the website. While this is seemingly a win/win for both parties, liability is a serious concern. It is unlikely that a homeowner’s insurance policy would cover intermittent renters. Even most renter’s policies would not cover such a scenario. Like Uber, there is an absence of regulation that would exist for other similar services, such as hotels, inns, and bed and breakfasts.

By taking advantage of our ability to quickly and efficiently communicate with individuals all over the world, enterprising homeowners may be putting themselves at financial and legal risk they never considered.

Spyware

Yet more issues are presented by the use of technology to surreptitiously monitor someone’s online activity. Commonly referred to as spyware, it is not infrequent in the realm of domestic relations for a spouse to use this technology to monitor the other spouse’s online activity. Unfortunately, using spyware in this manner could run afoul of Massachusetts privacy and wiretap laws, despite the fact that this technology can be purchased from many large retailers.

Undiscerning customers rarely consider such ramifications when purchasing software that is available at their local retail store. Because ignorance of the law is not a defense, individuals who misuse this software expose themselves to potential liability.

Keeping up with technology is no easy task. It seems every day there is a new app or gadget that seemingly nullifies all technology that came before. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the law has a difficult time keeping up with changes in technology. The consequence is that cities, towns, and private individuals do not always know what is permitted under the law and what is not when it comes to evolving technologies.

The issue transcends every area of the law, from domestic relations to employment to civil rights. While the Legislature and courts continue their efforts to keep up with technology, that large gaps will inevitably remain. Caution, however, dictates that consumers at least educate themselves on the potential impact of the use of often-unregulated technology.

Katherine E. McCarthy is an associate with Robinson Donovan, P.C., where she concentrates on domestic relations and probate litigation matters; (413) 732-2301; [email protected]

Rediker Software Helps Schools Run More Efficiently

By BusinessWest Staff February 9, 2016

Sections Technology

Class Act

Andrew Anderlonis says Rediker Software’s products are designed to require as little time or fuss as possible from their users.

As a chemistry teacher in the late ’70s, Rich Rediker was simply seeking a way to generate tardy notices more efficiently, using a computer which, by today’s standards, seems impossibly inadequate for … well, anything. But that humble machine became the foundation of what has evolved into an international leader in school administrative software, doing business in every state and 115 countries. Through four decades of innovation and growth, one goal has remained constant: to make life easier for teachers and administrators, so they, in turn, can spend more time with the kids.

The Commodore PET was a late-’70s computer with a tiny, calculator-like keyboard and a whopping 4K of RAM.

It was also the foundation on which Rich Rediker built a software company that today employs 125 people at its Hampden headquarters and around the world, and has grown to become an international leader in what’s known as administrative software for schools, with a presence in all 50 states and 115 countries.

“The company started before the Internet existed, before Windows, even before DOS,” said Andrew Anderlonis, Rediker’s son-in-law and the firm’s second-generation president. What did exist, though, back in 1980, was a need.

Specifically, as a chemistry teacher at Longmeadow High School, Rediker needed an easier way to track student tardies and generate notices. So, using the PET he had scraped up enough money to buy, he designed a program to do just that — and also helped the school’s secretary produce a daily bulletin faster than before.

“He kept working on it, tinkering with it, and it became useful to the school,” Anderlonis explained, to the point where he offered to sell his program to other schools, beginning with St. Mary’s High School in Westfield in 1981. After a couple of years dividing his time between teaching and broadening his tiny software business, he left LHS and dedicated himself full-time to what is now known as Rediker Software.

Two generations of Rediker leadership: Rich and Gail Rediker (right) and Andrew and Amy Anderlonis.

At first, Rediker ran his business from the basement of a house in Hampden — a story with echoes of the way giants like Amazon and Microsoft were birthed. As he developed more sophisticated programs to run other administrative tasks, sales took off, and in 1998, he moved into the building at the center of Hampden that still houses the enterprise today — that is, after a needed expansion in 2006.

“As the software evolved, he converted it for DOS, converted it to Windows … now we’re tackling mobile-type things. It’s amazing,” Anderlonis said. “Not many technology companies have been around four decades.”

Because of that long history, he added, “we’re convinced that we were the first student-information system on a PC. There were mainframe systems, but not on a PC.”

Covering the Bases

Today, the company serves public, private, charter, and religious schools with administrative software. That’s a broad category Anderlonis said, one best explained by some of the company’s key products, including:

• Administrator’s Plus, which manages data on students and staff. Schools can use the system to track attendance, create report cards, manage discipline, and build student schedules. Teachers can use the integrated web gradebook, TeacherPlus, to calculate and enter grades. School administrators can create digital portfolios for each student and staff member, and use them to electronically store documents and class projects. The system allows schools to batch e-mail report cards and other documents to parents, eliminating the need for paper and postage. Families can log into the system from home to see their children’s grades as well as other important school information. Finally, teachers can maintain web pages for their classes as a learning resource;

• Admissions Plus Pro, an enrollment-management software program that streamlines the admissions and enrollment process, while reducing extra work and duplicate data entry. The system can help private schools increase the number of applications they receive by allowing parents to submit them online;

• Teacher Evaluator, a web-based application available as an app for iPad but also accessible with any web browser. The application helps schools schedule and complete teacher evaluations; and

• School Office Suite, a product that complements Administrator’s Plus and folds in other areas of school functions, including cafeteria, library, and school-nursing services, in addition to basics like applications, admissions, and academics.

Rich Rediker (center) with his staff in Hampden, just some of the 125 employees based across the U.S.

“Our products cover anything that has to do with student data — attendance, report cards, grades, discipline, general demographic information, billing information, and more,” Anderlonis said. “The admissions product allows schools to customize the admissions process. Our goal is really to provide a complete product suite. When kids apply and enroll, they’re brought into the system, and their information can be shared with parents.”

The goal, he went on, is user convenience — specifically, as much automation, and as little time spent fussing with data, as possible.

“The end goal is for schools not to have to spend a lot of time managing data,” he told BusinessWest. “We’re building systems that are easy to use and easy to understand, and part of that hinges on great customer support.”

It’s an element Rediker has invested in, with an in-house call center in Hampden. In fact, 75% of the company is built around customer support and product development; half the firm’s employees are developers, tasked with creating new products and improving existing ones.

One sign of progress is the way the software has evolved beyond something only administrators used, to products that teachers and students interact with directly. “We’re approaching nearly 2 million students using portals, and close to 100,000 teachers; we’ve seen really substantial growth in the adoption and use of our portals.”

Since his arrival at the company four years ago — Anderlonis’ wife, Amy, is Rediker’s daughter and the firm’s public-relations manager, while Rich Rediker continues to act as CEO — he has made an effort to expand the ways in which Rediker interacts with customers, including delivering software through the cloud; partnering with Microsoft, Apple, and Google to open up new channels for its products; and finding new uses for its expertise.

“We’ve moved into products for mass notification, allowing schools to mix text, call, and e-mail notifications across the system,” he noted as one example. Another is a deeper commitment to designing school websites, an effort for which Rediker has partnered with Wild Apple Design Group in Wilbraham.

The bottom line, Anderlonis said, is that schools always have room for improvement in the way they incorporate technology. “Schools in general typically lag a little behind on the tech highway. They’re obviously constrained by what’s in the budget. But most schools are going to spend on classroom technology; we’re trying to provide software tools that enable them to be more constructive.”

The last two years have been an especially fruitful time, he added, when it comes to developing next-generation technology at Rediker. “We’ve looked at where we’ve had success and how we can continue that success and continue to grow. We have a very tight-knit family atmosphere here — we promote family and a great workplace culture — and make sure that, as a family business, we take care of our employees because, in the end, they take care of our schools.”

Next Generation

In short, Anderlonis said, he simply wants to make sure Rediker stays ahead of the technology curve and carry on an impressive record of growth.

“Rich has done an amazing job ensuring the company is profitable every year since the company was founded, and we continue to do that through product innovation,” he said. “My goal is really to set the company up for the next generation of management and success with these products, and to create a strategic vision going forward. With the products were introducing to the market, we’re focused on providing even more robust, powerful, and flexible tools for schools to utilize. We really feel we’re one of the top vendors in the U.S. with student-information systems, and we consider ourselves the market leader.”

As a preferred vendor for Massachusetts schools, Rediker software is employed in more than 80 districts and charter schools, but it has also forged a solid reputation in Catholic schools, recently winning a contract with the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C, one of many large dioceses the company boasts among its clients.

Public or private, Anderlonis said, “we want our customers to feel comfortable choosing to partner with Rediker. We want schools to call us when they need help. Schools call us all the time, and we’re there to talk to them.”

In addition, the company hosts three week-long workshops annually, each one drawing up to 100 educators from across the U.S. and around the world. “They interact with staff, train on the software, and get to network with other administrators. There’s a really tight-knit community around our products, both domestically and internationally. It’s pretty neat.”

As part of an effort to stay on top of advancing technology — while helping to cultivate the next generation of software developers — Anderlonis launched a summer internship program that brings a handful of promising high-school and college students on board to work on real-world projects.

“They experience the full life cycle — they’ll develop a product all the way from an idea on the whiteboard to possible customer interaction,” he explained, drawing from the skills they’ve been learning in school. “It’s not just a superficial internship; there’s a lot of depth. We give them a lot of autonomy. We’re essentially giving students in the local community an opportunity to use their abilities on real-world applications, but at the same time, they’re helping us.”

The company also connects to the community through a program called Rediker Cares, a volunteer program that allows employees to volunteer at local organizations and events during company time. As a result, employees have made significant contributions to local organizations, particularly Link to Libraries, the regional literacy initiative that was given workspace at Rediker free of charge; Anderlonis sits on the nonprofit’s board.

“Our company is a primary sponsor of Link to Libraries; they’re a great organization,” he said. “That’s another way we can give back — by helping promote literacy. Our employees have a chance to volunteer there and other ways in the community as well.”

That commitment echoes, in a different way, Rediker’s mantra of giving teachers more time with students, and developing software that allows them to have that.

“Technology is such a foundation for everything today, including education,” Anderlonis told BusinessWest. “Walk into any classroom nowadays, and you’ll see incredible technology — computers, tablets, smartboard projects. That’s the hardware, but what’s behind it? Our goal is to be part of the software that can help schools run more efficiently and effectively.”

Still, he added, as the company continues to branch out and diversify, it will do so at a measured pace, as not to lose the personal touch Rich Rediker has emphasized from his Commodore days.

“We’re not the biggest company, and we’re not the most aggressive,” Anderlonis said, “but we’re passionate about what we do, and we take care of our customers.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Incorporations

By BusinessWest Staff February 9, 2016

Departments Incorporations

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

Agawam

Krishna Keshav Corp., 31 Riviera Dr., Agawam, MA 01001. Jay Patel, 9 Sanford Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824. Gas station and convenience store.

Amherst

Ginger Garden Restaurant Amherst Inc., 351 Northampton St., Amherst, MA 01002. Xue Bin Zhang, 1855 SW Jamesport Dr., Port St Lucie, FL 34953. Food service.

Belchertown

Gigxero Inc., 121 Aldrich St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Kristopher J. Pacunas, same. Technology: Internet (e-commerce and website).

Clarksburg

Florida Mountain Turnip Inc., 522 Walker St., Clarksburg, MA 01247. Jerrid C. Burdick, same. Service — Florida mountain turnips and vegetables.

Easthampton

Golden China Pan Inc., 98 Union St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Dan Ju Pan, 8 Quirk Ave., Holyoke, MA 01040. Restaurant.

Great Barrington

MC2 Creative Services Inc., 454 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. Walter J. McTeigue III, 76 Townhouse Road, South Egremont, MA 01258. Jewelry design and related services.

Hampden

La Casa Bella Inc., 546 Main St., Hampden, MA 01036. Michael F. Connors, 7 Jennifer Lane, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Restaurant/tavern.

Holyoke

Jeb Corporation, 81 North Bridge St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Jose Almonte, 193 Cabot St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Own and operate a liquor store.

Longmeadow

Hair Studio One Inc., 20 Cross St., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Michelle La Valley, 13 Rabideau Dr., Easthampton, MA 01027. Hair salon.

Southwick

Him Group Foundation Inc., 37 Dear Run Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Pramod Sarraf, same. Organization for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes.

Springfield

Guananico 1 Market Corp., 68 Locust St., Springfield, MA 01108. Carlos Tejada, same. Grocery store.

Main Wok Inc., 590 Page Blvd., Springfield, MA 01104. Song Qiu Chen, same. Restaurant/food service.

Mama Hilda’s Houses Inc., 13 Quincy St., Springfield, MA 01109. Rosah Clase Tuarezca, same. Recovery center for women from alcohol, drugs, and domestic violence.

Markey Barrett, P.C., 1414 Main ST. 8th Floor, Springfield, MA 01144. Patrick J. Markey, 17 Oxford St., Springfield, MA 01108. Law practice.

Masjid Al-Nur Inc., 820 Worthington St., Springfield, MA 01109. Yasir Osman, 197 Florida St., Springfield, MA 01109. Place of worship for Muslims and providing education on Islam.

Westfield

HCT Second Hand & Pawn Shop Inc., 68 Court St., Westfield, MA 01085. Thang Dac Bui, 32 Russell St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Buy and sell new and used merchandise.

West Springfield

Het Parikh Inc., 55 Main St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Rakesh Parikh, same. Real estate.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff February 9, 2016

Company Notebook Departments

U.S. News Ranks
Isenberg’s Online MBA Program 12th Nationally
AMHERST — The Isenberg School of Management’s online MBA program at UMass Amherst ranks among the best online MBA programs in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Online MBA Programs.” The Isenberg MBA is ranked 12th out of 221 institutions ranked by the publication. “We continue to lead the pack in an increasingly competitive online educational landscape,” said Mark Fuller, dean of the Isenberg School. “This confirms what thousands of Isenberg students and alumni have known for over a decade: Isenberg’s online program goes beyond case studies and textbooks to drive students to real success.” The U.S. News ranking is based on five factors: student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials, and training and student services and technology. Unlike many of the other programs that recently entered the online space, Isenberg has offered its MBA in a 100% online format for more than 13 years, making it one of the oldest accredited online MBA programs in the nation. Enrollment approaches 1,300 students, making it the largest out of the top 25 schools ranked by U.S. News. “We continue to attract a high number of highly educated, highly successful professionals because we have a team of experienced professors and advisors who really understand how these students learn best,” said John Wells, associate dean of professional programs. “Despite our long tradition of outstanding online education, we continue to innovate with a variety of new approaches and technologies to connect students in our online format, new opportunities for in-person connections, and more diversity in our class offerings, including business analytics and sport management.”

Florence Bank TV Ad
Earns Top-20 Ranking from Bank Innovation
FLORENCE — Florence Bank, a mutually owned savings bank serving the Pioneer Valley through nine branch locations, has earned a spot on the Bank Innovation website (www.bankinnovation.net) for creating one of the 20 best banking videos of the year.
The commercial was produced by Sean Tracey Associates, Florence Bank’s advertising agency of record for the past three years and a key contributor to the bnk’s rebranding campaign. As one of Bank Innovation’s top 20 video ads of the year, the Florence Bank commercial is in good company with banks from around the world, including such high-profile institutions as Capital One, PayPal, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, American Express, JP Morgan Chase, Lloyds Bank, Ally Financial, Bank of Scotland, Bank of Ireland, and Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The Bank Innovation website was launched in 2009 and is produced by Royal Media, a media company that has served the financial industry since 1995. Bank Innovation tracks and encourages innovative banking worldwide. According to Sean Tracey, principal of Sean Tracey Associates, the 30-second video was a follow-up to a commercial produced two years ago in which local talent danced to the beat of Florence Bank’s theme music, titled “Always.” That year, professional singers were used on the music tracks. “Since that was a hit market-wise, we thought it would be a great idea to follow up the dancing commercials with a series of singing commercials,” said Tracey. “Since the bank’s customer base is full of talented artists and musicians, we felt we could use all local singers, performing the bank’s theme music in their own style.” The singing styles featured in the video range from country and jazz to pop and rock, with the 10 performers showcased culled from close to 50 who auditioned. Casting and pre-production spanned three months, with post-production and editing taking another month. Photography was shot over a two-day period on the Academy of Music stage in Northampton. Music producer and writer Dan Serafini, a long-time friend of Tracey’s, produced the music for the ad. “It was a dream-team production experience and extremely rewarding. As far as we know, this concept has not been done before, much less by a local bank — it was bold and daring,” Tracey said, thanking Monica Curhan, the bank’s senior vice president and marketing director, and President and CEO John Heaps Jr. “for their immense bravery and trust in our team to do something truly innovative and allow us to push the creative envelope. I think it paid off in spades.” Heaps added, “we are thrilled at the attention our latest television spot is receiving and feel honored that it has earned a spot on the Bank Innovation website. We thank Sean Tracey Associates for their vision and remarkable work and also our talented customers for their contribution to this award-winning video.”

MacDuffie Announces Collaboration with MCPHS
GRANBY — The MacDuffie School, a co-ed, college-preparatory school for grades 6 to 12, announced a collaboration with the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) that will guarantee qualified students admission to the Boston-based university. “The MCPHS program aligns well with the MacDuffie School,” said MacDuffie Head of School Steve Griffin. “MCPHS works hard to ensure that their graduates are certified in their home country, which is great for our international population. In addition, many of our local students are looking at careers in health sciences; a path to guaranteed admission is a wonderful benefit to all of our students.” This opportunity is contingent on students’ success in prerequisite courses at MacDuffie and, if needed, an English-proficiency test. According to the agreement, students with a minimum B average in MCPHS-specified science and math courses will be eligible for a reserved spot in an undergraduate program. Students graduating from MacDuffie with a minimum B average in the prerequisite courses and who meet the English-language requirements are guaranteed both a reserved spot and a scholarship. “In the health sciences, it’s important to have good training and references,” said Ita Duron-Hermouet, director of Admission International Research and Strategy at MCPHS. “Our graduates have the most prestigious internships available.” Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health are just a few of the institutions where MCPHS graduates obtain internships and employment.

State & Bond, LLC Joins International Trade Group
SPRINGFIELD — State & Bond, LLC, has become a member of ACA International, a association of credit and collection professionals. ACA membership demonstrates that State & Bond is dedicated to advancing quality and professionalism in the credit and collection industry. As an ACA member, State & Bond has agreed to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, as well as the ethical standards and guidelines established by the association. State & Bond is also a member of the New England Collectors Assoc. Founded in 1939, ACA brings together third-party collection agencies, law firms, asset-buying companies, creditors, and vendor affiliates, representing more than 230,000 industry employees. ACA establishes ethical standards; produces a wide variety of products, serices, and publications; and articulates the value of the credit and collection industry to businesses, policymakers, and consumers. For more information, visit www.acainternational.org.

Michael’s Party Rentals
to Move into New
Location in Palmer
LUDLOW — Michael’s Party Rentals Inc., located in Ludlow, recently purchased a building at 1221 South Main St. in Palmer. The new building gives the rental company more than double its current space, providing more than 20,000 square feet. “I have been looking for quite a long time to find the right building to solve our space issues,” said Michael Linton, president and owner. “Landing in Palmer was perfect because we service west to Albany and east to Boston, as well as north and south from Vermont to Southern Connecticut; this gives the team terrific access.” The additional space is needed to hold Michael’s ever-growing inventory of special-event equipment, including items obtained during its recent acquisition of Yankee Tents. The migration of the tents, chairs, and china from Ludlow to the new building will not happen until late spring, as Linton plans a major renovation of the building, including 1,000 square feet of office space, as well as a 2,000-square-foot Show Room and Design Center, where a client can plan an event. “This is the part I am most excited about,” said Melissa Sullivan, senior event coordinator and director of the Design Center. “It is going to be so amazing to actually be able to help a client visualize their event by creating a mini-version for them to touch and feel.” In addition, Michael’s will be adding a state-of-the-art tent-washing machine, the only one of its kind in the Pioneer Valley. The total project is expected to cost just shy of $750,000 and was financed by Chicopee Savings Bank and the Worcester Business Development Corp.

Euro-style Kart Track to Open in Hadley in March
HADLEY — Get ready to start your engines — Autobahn Indoor Speedway will open in March in the Hampshire Mall. “Indoor kart racing has been popular in Europe for many years and has recently found a strong following on the West Coast of the United States,” said Autobahn Managing Partner David Larson. “Autobahn Indoor Speedway is extremely excited to be bringing the first European-style indoor electric kart-racing facility to the Amherst area.” The Italian-made adult racing karts approach speeds of 50 mph. The speedway utilizes zero-emission electric karts that accelerate faster than their noisier, gas-powered counterparts. “These are not the slow, rattling go-carts you may be used to as a kid,” Larson said. “Our karts are the highest-performance available, state of the art and built for safety. One of the first things people notice is the torque of our electric motors — that acceleration is amazing. The handling is also top of the line, with hydraulic disc brakes, a rear differential, and competition-style racing tires.” The company, which will have a total of nine tracks on the East Coast by April, provides racing instruction to newbies and offers competitive leagues to more seasoned drivers. There are even Junior Karts (with slightly slower speeds) suitable for the younger crowd if they are at least 48 inches tall. Autobahn Indoor Speedway will be available for company outings, social groups, and birthday parties. Various group race packages are designed to meet the needs of most events, but a custom package can be arranged (including private, full-facility rentals). Groups have reserved race times and exclusive use of the track during their races, and they can compete individually or in teams. For more information, visit www.autobahnspeed.com or e-mail [email protected].

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff February 9, 2016

Court Dockets Departments

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

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Holly K. Michaelson, M.D. v. Kellogg Co. and U.S. Foods
Allegation: Plaintiff suffered oral lacerations, internal bleeding, abdominal pain, and bowel trauma after ingesting Kellogg cereal containing shards of glass: $25,000+
Filed: 10/20/15

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Burek Brothers Construction v. A.C.E. Coatings Unlimited Inc. and Bernard Woodard
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $12,550
Filed: 12/11/15

Morais Concrete Service Inc. v. Town of Orange
Allegation: Breach of a public construction contract: $20,188.11
Filed: 11/20/15

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Ryder Transportation Services v. Vision Beyond Transportation Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $187,979.76
Filed: 12/15/15

Specialty Bolt & Screw Inc. v. Crosby Queenin Properties, LLC
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $130,000+
Filed: 12/18/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

J. Polep Distribution Services v. D Market and Sohrab Khan
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $3,398.09
Filed: 12/22/15

Mohawk Factoring Inc. v. Rainbow Carpet and John P. Casey
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $9,068.49
Filed: 12/24/15

Sage Engineering and Contracting Inc. v. 134 Capital Drive, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of services and materials in renovation of building: $135,602
Filed: 12/23/15

U.S. Foodservices Inc. v. West Springfield Adult Care, LLC and John Bersani
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $7,939.69
Filed: 12/21/15

Zakiyyah Lybieddin v. Leominster Credit Union and Metro Auto Sales and Services Inc.
Allegation: Defendant Leominster acted unfairly by refusing to respond to plaintiff regarding a rescission of a lease agreement with Metro: $20,620
Filed: 12/30/15

Michele Ouimet-Rooke Nominated as Springfield District Court Judge

By BusinessWest Staff February 4, 2016

Daily News

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker has nominated Michele Ouimet-Rooke, an attorney with more than 17 years of experience in Western Mass. courts, to serve as a judge in Springfield District Court.

“Michele Ouimet-Rooke offers the court a great combination of experience in both civil and criminal legal matters drawn from her career in public service and private practice in Western Massachusetts,” Baker said. “I am pleased to recommend an individual with such broad experience to the Governor’s Council for their consideration.”

Added Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, “the first two District Court openings our administration has sought to fill are in Hampden County, and we are pleased to make this second nomination to the Springfield District Court. If confirmed, we know that Ms. Ouimet-Rooke will serve her hometown with distinction.”

Ouimet-Rooke, a native and resident of Springfield, joined the practice of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy in 2002 as an associate representing plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of litigations, including employment and discrimination law, premise and product liability, insurance defense, landlord/tenant issues, criminal defense, and business litigation, becoming a partner in 2012.

She began her career in the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office as a victim/witness advocate for eight years before becoming an assistant district attorney and chief prosecutor. She obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Springfield College and her juris doctor from Western New England College School of Law in 1999.

Applicants for judicial openings are reviewed by the statewide Judicial Nominating Commission and recommended to the governor. All judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council.

There are 62 district courts throughout the Commonwealth hearing a range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental-health, and other cases, including all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years, misdemeanors, and violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws. Springfield is located in Region 6, which includes courts in Chicopee, Eastern Hampshire, Greenfield, Holyoke, Northern Berkshire, Northampton, Orange, Palmer, Southern Berkshire, and Westfield.

Boy Scouts Names Ruthann Eagen Berkshire County District Executive

By BusinessWest Staff February 1, 2016

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — The Western Massachusetts Council, Boy Scouts of America, welcomed Ruthann Eagen to its professional team. She will serve as the district executive for the Appalachian Trail District, which serves the communities in Berkshire County as well as several of the surrounding hilltowns.

Eagen is no stranger to scouting. At 14 years old, she joined the Nassau County (N.Y.) Law Enforcement Exploring Program, a career-exploration program run through the Learning for Life division of the Boy Scouts of America. During her time as an Explorer, she gained leadership skills and attained the rank of two-star chief before aging out and becoming an adult advisor.

“I also got to experience scouting by watching my brother rise through the ranks of his troop to become an ordeal member of Order of the Arrow and earn the rank of Eagle Scout,” said Eagen, who hopes to bring her experience and knowledge from both Explorers and Boy Scouts to her role as district executive.

She has an associate degree in liberal arts from Nassau Community College, a bachelor’s degree in criminology from State University of New York (SUNY) at Old Westbury, and a business administration certificate from Nassau Community College, and she is currently working on her master’s degree in human services and leadership from St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, N.Y.

Attorney Steven Schwartz Named Distinguished Advisor in Philanthropy

By BusinessWest Staff January 29, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Local law firm Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that attorney Steven Schwartz is the recipient of the Distinguished Advisor in Philanthropy Award.

The award is presented annually by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts in partnership with the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County and the Pioneer Valley Estate Planning Council. Each year, the award’s recipient may recommend a Hampden, Hampshire, or Franklin county charity of their choice to receive a $1,000 grant. This year, Schwartz has decided to recommend the grant be made to the Children’s Study Home in recognition of its 150 anniversary.

Schwartz concentrates his practice in the areas of family-business planning, mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, and estate planning. His practice involves representation of principals in family-business planning (including exit planning for business owners), representation of individuals and corporations in the purchase and sale of business enterprises, strategic planning for the future of clients’ businesses, and providing advice on alternatives in financing through loans and venture capital.

Schwartz is a graduate of the Boston University School of Law and Babson College. He is regularly selected to both the Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America lists. He is a member of the Hampden County, Massachusetts, and New York State bar associations.

He is also a member of several civic and community organizations, including the William J. Gould Associates Inc. residential therapeutic community, Pioneer Valley Council Boy Scouts of America, Berkshire Hatchery Foundation, Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises, and Family Firm Institute. He previously served as a member of Springfield Technical Community College, major gifts campaign, steering committee; World Affairs Council Inc.; Parents Fund, Rhode Island School of Design (of which he is also a founder); Institutional Advancement Committee, Rhode Island School of Design; Western New England Enterprise Forum (of which he is also a co-founder); Springfield Tax Club; Urban League; Jewish Community Center; and South End Community Center.

“I am deeply humbled to have been selected for this award,” he said. “The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts has continued to devote itself to promote charities and nonprofits and has enhanced the quality of life for many people in our region.”

Founded in 1991, the Community Foundation administers a charitable endowment consisting of nearly 600 separately identified funds serving Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties.

Westfield Bank  Grant Proposal Results in Award to Rachel’s Challenge

By BusinessWest Staff January 28, 2016

Daily News

WESTFIELD — Westfield Bank announced that a grant proposal it submitted to the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. Charitable Foundation on behalf of Rachel’s Challenge has resulted in a $2,000 award to that organization.

Rachel’s Challenge provides intervention programs designed to provide a safe, caring, and supporting learning environment and is named in honor of Rachel Scott, the first student killed in the school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. in 1999.

The award will help fund local anti-bullying efforts in the Greater Westfield area, and is in addition to the $3,500 Future Fund grant Westfield Bank awarded Rachel’s Challenge in 2015.

“Bullying, harassment, and violence have no place in society — and especially not in our schools,” said James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank. “This generous grant from the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. will help support local anti-bullying initiatives and assist the ongoing efforts of local educators and law-enforcement professionals to provide students with a safe, welcoming, and nurturing environment. We are so pleased to have been part of this process.”

Berkshire Community College Welcomes Two New Trustees

By BusinessWest Staff January 28, 2016

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Kathleen McCormick and Peter Mirante have been appointed to the Berkshire Community College board of trustees.

McCormick is a partner with McCormick, Murtagh & Marcus, a law firm in Great Barrington. She joined the firm in 2004 and was named partner in 2009. Her focus is on residential and commercial real estate, land use and permitting, construction law, business law, and estate planning. She previously clerked for First Justice David Kopleman in the Norfolk County Probate and Family Court and later served as an associate with the litigation firm Herlihy, Thursby & Herlihy in Boston. She has worked for well-known companies such as the Boston Celtics, the Jane Blalock Co., and Reebok International.

McCormick holds a juris doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. She is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc., the Berkshire County Bar Assoc., and the Real Estate Bar Assoc. of Massachusetts. She is dedicated to enriching the lives of disadvantaged youth and is an active community member serving on boards of numerous charitable organizations.

Mirante, who has worked in the banking industry for more than 20 years, is senior vice president of Branch Administration at Greylock Federal Credit Union in Pittsfield. He joined Greylock in 1998 and has served in numerous management positions. Prior to joining Greylock, he worked for Patten Corp. and then Berkshire Bank.

Mirante holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the former North Adams State College. He has a long history of community service and currently serves on the boards of the Northern Berkshire United Way, Berkshire Family & Individual Resources, Berkshire Compact for Education, and North Adams Parks & Recreation.

Darlene Rodowicz, who was recently reappointed board chair by Gov. Charlie Baker, noted that “the new board members bring a wealth of knowledge from their respective roles in the community. We are happy to have them join the BCC board of trustees as we continue to advance the mission of the college.”

WNEU School of Law to Host Open House Jan. 30

By BusinessWest Staff January 27, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University School of Law will host prospective students at an open house on Saturday, Jan. 30 from noon to 3:30 p.m. at the Blake Law Center. This free event is open to the public, but advance registration is encouraged. To register or for more information, call (800) 782-6665 or (413) 782-1406, or e-mail [email protected].

The open house will feature tours of the Blake Law Center conducted in small groups by current students, discussions about how to apply to and pay for law school, a mock law class conducted by a faculty member, and sessions on lawyering in law school. There will also be opportunities to speak informally with professors, students, and admissions officers.

Western New England University School of Law offers both full-time and part-time programs leading to the juris doctor (JD) degree, along with six dual-degree programs: a JD/MBA, a JD/MSA, a JD/MRP (with UMass Amherst), a JD/MSW (with Springfield College), a JD/MSOL, and a JD/MSEM. The School of Law also offers a master of laws degree in estate planning and elder law, and a master of science degree in estate planning and elder law.

PeoplesBank Announces Nine Promotions, Appointments

By BusinessWest Staff January 27, 2016

Daily News

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank announced the promotions and appointments of nine associates.

Matthew Bannister has been appointed to vice president, corporate responsibility. He possesses more than 30 years of brand management and corporate social-responsibility experience. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from UMass Amherst. His prior experience includes advertising, public relations, and event marketing for top advertising agencies and major nonprofit organizations.

Paul Hillsburg has been promoted to vice president, PeoplesFinancial and Insurance Services. With more than three decades of financial, sales, and business-development experience, he first joined the bank in 2008 and previously served as assistant vice president, PeoplesFinancial and Insurance Services. He holds an associate degree in business management from Springfield Technical Community College. He holds Series 7 and Series 66 licenses.

Kristen Hua has been promoted to vice president, secondary market. She possesses more than a decade of banking experience. She first joined the bank in May 2001 and previously served as assistant vice president, secondary market. She holds an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst and a bachelor’s degree from Providence College. She also is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies.

Craig Kaylor has been appointed to vice president, compliance. He brings more than a decade of banking and financial experience to his new position, where he will be responsible for overseeing all compliance regulations and policies. He holds a juris doctor degree from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and a bachelor’s degree from the University at Albany, SUNY.

Denise Lamory has been promoted to vice president, commercial loan administration. She possesses close to four decades of banking experience. She first joined the bank in August 1976 and previously served as assistant vice president, commercial loan administration. She holds several business and financial certificates from the Western Massachusetts Institute of Management Education Inc. and Holyoke Community College.

Trisha Leary has been promoted to vice president, internal control. She possesses more than a decade of financial experience. She first joined the bank in 2013 and previously served as risk oversight officer. She holds a master’s degree in accounting and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

Karen Sinopoli has been appointed to vice president, controller. She brings a decade of banking and audit experience to her new position, where she will be responsible for maintaining and supervising the financial record of the bank in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. She holds a master’s degree in accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at the UMass Amherst and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Pennsylvania State University.

Donna Wiley has been promoted to vice president, regional manager. She possesses close to four decades of banking experience. She first joined the bank in 1979 and previously served as assistant vice president, regional manager. She holds an associate degree in business administration from Holyoke Community College and graduated with honors from the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. School for Financial Studies.

Brian Rheaume has been promoted to assistant vice president, information technology. He possesses more than a decade of information-technology experience. He first joined the bank in 2002 and previously served as information technology officer supervisor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Westfield State University and is an A+ certified professional IT technician.

Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.

By BusinessWest Staff January 26, 2016

Class of 2016 Difference Makers

His Career Has Been All About ‘Embracing the Challenge’

Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.
Leah Martin Photography

Since taking office back in January 1975, Michael Ashe has spent roughly 15,000 days as sheriff of Hampden County.

The one everyone remembers was that Friday in October 1990 when he led what amounted to an armed takeover of the National Guard Armory on Roosevelt Avenue in Springfield. It was mounted in response to what Ashe considered dangerous overcrowding at the county jail on York Street, built in 1886 to house a fraction of the inmates he was hosting at the time.

The incident (more on it later) garnered headlines locally, regionally, and even nationally, and in many ways it finally propelled Hampden County’s commissioners to move toward replacing York Street — although nothing about the process of siting and then building the new jail in Ludlow would be considered easy.

While proud of what transpired on that afternoon more than 25 years ago, Ashe, now months away from retirement, hinted strongly that he would much rather be remembered for what transpired on the 14,999 or so other days. These would be things that didn’t land him on the 5 o’clock news, necessarily (although sometimes they did) — but did succeed in changing lives, and in all kinds of ways.

Summing up that work, he used the phrases “embracing the challenge” and “professional excellence” for the first of perhaps 20 times, and in reference to himself, his staff, and, yes, his inmates as well.

Elaborating, he said professional excellence is the manner in which his department embraces the challenge — actually, a whole host of challenges he bundled into one big one — of making the dramatic leap from essentially warehousing inmates, which was the practice in Hampden County and most everywhere else in 1974, to working toward rehabilitating them and making them productive contributors to society.

This philosophy has manifested itself in everything from programs to earn inmates a GED to the multi-faceted After Incarceration Support Systems Program (AISSP), to bold initiatives like Roca, designed to give those seemingly out of options one more chance to turn things around.

Slicing through all those programs, Ashe said the common denominator is making the inmate accountable for making his or her own course correction and, more importantly, staying on that heading. And the proof that he has succeeded in that mission comes in a variety of forms, especially the recently released statistics on incarceration rates in Hampden County.

They show that, between September 2007, when there were 2,245 offenders in the sheriff’s custody — the high-water mark, if you will — and Dec. 31, 2015, the number had dropped to 1,432, a 36% reduction.

Some of this decline can be attributed to lower crime rates in Springfield, Holyoke, and other communities due to improved policing, but another huge factor is a reduction in the number of what the sheriff’s office calls “recycled offenders” through a host of anti-recidivism initiatives.

Like the Olde Armory Grille. This is a luncheon restaurant and catering venture (a break-even business) operated by the Sheriff’s Department at the Springfield Technology Park across from Springfield Technical Community College, and in one of the former Springfield Armory buildings, hence the name. It is managed by Cpl. Maryann Alben, but staffed by inmates engaged in everything from preparing meals to cashing out customers.

‘Bill’ (rules prohibit use of his last name) is one of the inmates currently on assignment.

He’s been working on the fryolator and doing prep work, often for the hot entrée specials, and hopes to one day soon be doing such work in what most would call the real world, drawing on experiences at the grille and also while working for his uncle, who once owned a few restaurants.

He said the program has helped him with fundamentals, a term he used to refer to the kitchen, but also life in general.

“I went from being behind the wall to being out in the community,” he said. “And now I’m into the community.”

Bill’s journey — and Ashe’s life’s work — are pretty much defined by something called the “Hampden County Model: Guiding Principles for Best Correctional Practice.”

There are 20 of them (see bottom), ranging from No. 4: “Those in custody should begin their participation in positive and productive activities as soon as possible in their incarceration” to No. 15: “A spirit of innovation should permeate the operation. This innovation should be data-informed, evidence-based, and include process and outcome measures.”

But it is while explaining No. 2 — “Correctional facilities should seek to positively impact those in custody, and not be mere holding agents or human warehouses” — that Ashe and his office get to the heart of the matter and the force that has driven his many initiatives.

“It is a simple law of life that nothing changes if nothing changes,” it reads.

By generating all kinds of change, especially in the minds and hearts of those entrusted to his care, Ashe is the epitome of a Difference Maker.

Coming to Terms

Sheriff

The old and the new: above, Mike Ashe at the old York Street Jail, which was finally replaced in the ’90s with a new facility in Ludlow, bottom.

Ashe told BusinessWest that, when he first took the helm as sheriff in 1975, not long after a riot at York Street, he was in the jail almost every day, a sharp departure from his current schedule.

Perhaps the image he remembers most from those early days was the white knuckles of the inmates. They were hard to miss, he recalled, as the prisoners grasped the bars of their cells, an indication, he believed, of immense frustration with their plight.

“There was a great deal of tension, and you see it in those knuckles.” he said. “Inmates had a lot of time on their hands; people were just languishing in their cells. I think the only program they had at the time was a part-time education program conducted with the Springfield School Department, an adult basic-education initiative. That was it, and it was only part-time.”

Doing something about those white knuckles has been, in many ways, his personally written job description. As he talked about everything involved with it, he spent most of his time and energy discussing how one approaches that work, using more words that he would also wear out: ‘intensity’ and ‘focus.’

Together, those nouns — as well as the operating philosophy “firm but fair, and having strength reinforced with decency” — have shaped a remarkable career, one that he freely admits lasted far longer than he thought it would when he took out papers to run for sheriff early in 1974. It’s been a tenure defined partly by longevity — since he was first elected, there have been seven U.S. presidents (he had his photo taken with one — Jimmy Carter); eight Massachusetts governors (nine if you count Mike Dukakis twice, because he had non-consecutive stints in office); and eight mayors of Springfield — but in the end, that is merely a sidebar.

So too, at least figuratively speaking, are the takeover of the Armory and the building of a new Hampden County jail, although the former was huge news, and the latter was a long-running story, as in at least 20 years, by most accounts.

Recalling the Armory seizure, Ashe said it was a back-door attempt — literally, the sheriff’s department officials gathered at the front door while the inmates were brought in through the back — to bring attention to the overcrowding issue, because all other attempts to do so had failed to yield results.

“We were trying to get people to listen, because it was clear to us that they weren’t listening,” he explained. “We went to the Armory that Friday afternoon and basically evoked a law that went back to the 1700s. Getting into the building was key; once we did that, we knew we’d get everyone’s attention.”

No, the sheriff’s story isn’t defined only by the Armory takeover or his long tenure. It involves how he spent his career working to give his staff less work to do — or at least fewer inmates to guard.

To explain the philosophy that has driven the many ways Ashe has worked to lessen that workload, one must go back to guiding principle No. 2.

“If incarceration is allowed to be a holding pattern, a period of suspended animation, those in custody are more likely to go back to doing what they have always done when they are released,” it reads, “because they will be what they have always been. The only difference may be that they have more anger and more shrewdness as they pursue their criminal career.”

Elaborating on what this principle and the others mean in the larger scheme of things, Ashe said most inmates assigned to his care have been given sentences of seven to eight months. Relatively speaking, that’s a short window, but it’s an important time. And what the sheriff’s office does with it — or, more importantly, what that office enables the inmate to do with it — will likely determine if the individual in question becomes one of those recycled offenders.

So we return once more to the second principle for insight into how Ashe believes that time should be spent.

“Most inmates come to jail or prison with a long history of social maladjustment, carrying a great deal of baggage in the form of histories of substance abuse; deficits in their educational, vocational, and ethical development; and disconnectedness to the mores and values of the larger community,” it reads. “Given the time and resources dedicated to corrections, it is absolute folly in social policy not to seek to address these deficit areas that inmates have brought to their incarceration.”

And address them he has, through programs that have won recognition nationally, but, more importantly, have succeeded in bringing down the inmate count by reducing the number of repeat offenders.

Sentence Structure

As he talked about these programs, Ashe began by offering a profile of his inmates, one of the few things that hasn’t changed much in 40 years.

“Roughly 90% come there with drug or alcohol problems,” he explained. “You’re looking at a seventh-grade education, on average; 93% of them lack any kind of marketable skill; and 70% of the people are unemployed at the point of arrest.

“Everyone knows that, in the state of Massachusetts, no one just happens to end up in jail — they land there after a long period of what I call irresponsible behavior,” he went on, adding that, likewise, no one just happens to correct that behavior and rehabilitate themselves.

Instead, that comes about by addressing those gaps he mentioned, or doing something about addiction, the lack of an education, the shortage of marketable skills, and the absence of a job.

In a nutshell, this is what the sum of the programs Ashe and his staff have created — both inside and outside the prison walls — is all about.

“What I’m most proud of, I think, is that we never waved at those gaps,” he told BusinessWest. “We put together strategies to deal with these issues.”

And as he likes to say — in those principles, or to anyone who will listen — re-entry to society begins on the first day of incarceration.

That’s when an extensive, seven- to 10-day orientation program and testing period begins, one designed, as Ashe said, to let staff “get to know the inmate — let’s find out who this guy is.”

Such steps are important, he went on, because even amid all those common denominators concerning education, addiction, and lack of job skills, there is still plenty of room for individualization when it comes to correctional programs.

Orientation is then followed by a mandatory transitional program, during which the sheriff says he’s trying he capture the inmate’s heart and mind. Far more times than not, he does, although sometimes it’s a struggle.

And as he said, the work has to begin immediately.

“I didn’t want them to languish,” he explained. “In years past, we would have programs, but they would have a beginning and an end, so you had waiting lists; to get into the GED program would take three weeks, to get into anger management would take four weeks, and I didn’t want that.

“If they come in and just languish in a cell for four, five, or six weeks, I’ve lost them,” he went on. “The subculture wins out — the inmates take over.”

There are always those reluctant to enter the mandatory transition program, the sheriff noted, adding that these individuals are sent to what’s known as the ‘accountability pod,’ a sterile environment where there are fewer rights and privileges. In far more cases than not, time spent there produces the desired results.

“Inevitably, what happens is, at the end of two to four weeks, they say, ‘Sheriff, I get it,’” Ashe told BusinessWest. “They say, ‘this is a coerced program … mainstream me; I’ll go to your programs.’ Not all the time, but a lot of the time, inmates will look back and say, ‘Sheriff, I’m glad you forced me to go through this.’”

Elaborating, he said ‘this’ is the process of addressing the various forms of baggage identified in principle 2 — addiction, lack of education, and a lack of job skills. Initiatives to address them include intense, 28-day addiction-treatment programs; GED classes; an extensive vocational program featuring graphics, welding, carpentry, food service, and other trades; and more.

Many of those who take part in the culinary-arts program will then move on to work at the Olde Armory Grille, an example — one of many — of how the work that begins inside the walls can lead to a productive life when one moves outside those walls.

Indeed, roughly 80% of the women who work in various capacities at the grille — and statistics show women enter the county jail with even fewer marketable skills than men — are finding work in the hospitality sector upon release, said Ashe.

To find out how that specific program works, and how it exemplifies all the programs operated by the Sheriff’s Department, we talked to Alben and Bill.

Food for Thought

The grille, which opened its doors in 2009, is in many ways an embodiment of that line explaining principle 2 regarding change. Indeed, there was a good deal of apprehension about this initiative at first, the sheriff recalled, adding that those attitudes had to change before the facility could become reality.

Over the years, it has become one of the most visible examples of the Sheriff’s Department’s focus on providing inmates with a fresh start — and a popular lunch spot for the hundreds of employees at the tech park and the community college across Federal Street.

Sheriff Ashe with Maryann Alben, catering and dining room manager at the Olde Armory Grille.

The restaurant is designed to provide real work experience and training for participants returning from incarceration as they re-enter communities, said Alben, adding that it involves inmates from the Ludlow jail, the Western Mass. Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee, and the Western Mass. Correctional Alcohol Center. These are inmates in what is known as ‘pre-release,’ meaning they can leave the correctional facility and go out into the community and work.

When asked what the program provides for its participants, who have to survive a lengthy interview process to join the staff, Alben didn’t start by listing cooking, serving, making change, or pricing produce — although they are all part if the equation. Instead, she began with prerequisites for all of the above.

“Self-esteem is huge,” she said. “When most women come in here, they have slouched shoulders … many of them have never had a job before,” she explained, adding that this is reality even for individuals in their 40s or 50s. “You bring them in here, and you try to build them up. Some of them will catch on sooner than others; some of them worked in restaurants way back when.

“We help them understand how to work with customers and leave the jail behind them,” she went on, adding that inmates don’t often exercise their people skills inside the walls, but must hone those abilities if they’re going to make it in the real world.

And many do, she went on, adding that there are many employers within the broad restaurant community who are able and, more importantly, willing to take on such individuals.

In fact, roughly 87% of those who take part are eventually placed, usually in kitchen prep work, she said, a statistic that reflects both the need for good help and the quality of the program.

Bill hopes to be a part of the majority that uses the grille as an important stepping stone.

“This is the next step in getting back into the community 100%,” he explained. “Not only with getting up early with a job to go to five days a week, but in the way it prepares me mentally and fundamentally for the next step into the real world.”

Such comments explain why an inmate’s final days at the grille involve more emotions than one might expect.

Indeed, the end of one’s service means the beginning of a new and intriguing chapter, which translates into happiness tinged with a dose of apprehension. Meanwhile, there is some sadness that results from the end of friendships forged with customers who frequent the establishment. And there is also gratitude, usually in large quantities.

“We’re giving them a chance to prove themselves,” said Alben. “And when they leave here, most of all them will say, ‘thank you for believing in me.’”

If they could, they would say the same thing to Sheriff Ashe. He not only believed in them, he challenged them and held them accountable, a real departure from four decades ago and what could truly be called white-knuckle times.

No Holds Barred

When asked what he would miss most about being sheriff of Hampden County, Ashe paused for a moment to think back and reflect.

“I think I would have to say that it’s the challenges, embracing the challenges,” he said one last time. “I’ll miss the work of recognizing the problems that our society faces and trying to come up with solutions.”

That answer, maybe as much as anything that he’s done over the past 41 years and will do over the next 11 months, helps explain why Ashe will be remembered for much more than what happened at that National Guard Armory.

And why he’s truly a Difference Maker.

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

Guiding Principles of Best Correctional Policy

(As developed by the Hampden County Model, 1975-2013)

1. Within any correctional facility or operation, there must be an atmosphere and an ethos of respect for the full humanity and potential of any human being within that institution and an effort to maximize that potential. This is the first and overriding principle from which all other principles emanate, and without which no real corrections is possible.

2. Correctional facilities should seek to positively impact those in custody, and not be mere holding agents or human warehouses.

3. Those in custody should put in busy, full, and productive days, and should be challenged to pick up the tools and directions to build a law-abiding life.

4. Those in custody should begin their participation in positive and productive activities as soon as possible in their incarceration.

5. All efforts should be made to break down the traditional barriers between correctional security and correctional human services.

6. Productive and positive activities for those in custody should be understood to be investments in the future of the community.

7. Correctional institutions should be communities of lawfulness. There should be zero tolerance, overt or tacit, for any violence within the institution. Those in custody who assault others in custody should be prosecuted as if such actions took place in free society. Staff should be diligently trained and monitored in use of force that is necessary and non-excessive to maintain safety, security, order, and lawfulness.

8. The operational philosophy of positively impacting those in custody and respecting their full humanity must predominate at all levels of security.

9. Offenders should be directed toward understanding their full impact on victims and their community and should make restorative and reparative acts toward their victims and the community at large.

10. Offenders should be classified to the least level of security that is consistent with public safety and is merited by their own behavior.

11. There should be a continuum of gradual, supervised, and supported community re-entry for offenders.

12. Community partnerships should be cultivated and developed for offender re-entry success. These partnerships should include the criminal-justice and law-enforcement communities as part of a public-safety team.

13. Staff should be held accountable to be positive and productive.

14. All staff should be inspired, encouraged, and supervised to strive for excellence in their work.

15. A spirit of innovation should permeate the operation. This innovation should be data-informed, evidenced-based, and include process and outcome measures.

16. In-service training should be ongoing and mandatory for all employees.

17. There should be a medical program that links with public health agencies and public health doctors from the home neighborhoods and communities of those in custody and which takes a pro-active approach to finding and treating illness and disease in the custodial population.

18. Modern technological advances should be integrated into a correctional operation for optimal efficiency and effectiveness.

19. Any correctional facility, no matter what its locale, should seek to be involved in, and to involve, the local community, to welcome within its fences the positive elements of the community, and to be a positive participant and neighbor in community life. This reaching out should be both toward the community that hosts the facility and the communities from which those in custody come.

20. Balance is the key. A correctional operation should reach for the stars but be rooted in the firm ground of common sense.

Mike Balise (1965-2016)

By BusinessWest Staff January 26, 2016

Class of 2016 Difference Makers

His Legacy of Generosity, Inspirational Living Will Carry On

Mike Balise, September 2015

Kathleen Sullivan was doing fine, talking in calm, measured — you might even call them precise — tones about Mike Balise and his many forms of support for the Homer Street School, which she serves as principal, until…

Until the conversation turned to the events of last fall — specifically, Mike’s latest, but certainly not last, gesture regarding what has become known simply, and famously, as the ‘coat thing.’ That’s when the dam holding back the emotions broke.

And with very good reason.

To explain, one needs to go back two more Octobers. That’s when Mike first entered the Homer Street School as a celebrity reader with the Link to Libraries program. As he walked down the main hallway, he noticed a number of winter coats, department-store tags still on them, hung on hooks along one wall.

Upon asking what this was all about, he learned that many students’ families cannot afford winter coats, so the school has long been proactive in soliciting donations of coats and money to buy more. But need had traditionally exceeded supply, he was told.

According to Homer Street School lore, Mike then asked what he could do to help close the gap, and soon commissioned a check for $2,000 — much more than was requested.

A year later, and a few weeks after he was diagnosed with incurable stomach cancer, Mike was back at the school — to read and present another $2,000 check for coats. And last October, after already living longer than his doctors told him he probably would, he was back again, to read and do a lot more than cover another year of coats.

“He said to me, ‘I might not be here next year, but those kids will be here, and some of them will need coats, so I want to give the students at Homer Street School $2,000 for an additional five years,’” said Sullivan, her voice cracking before she had to stop for a minute and compose herself. “And later, he wrote me an e-mail a few days before he passed away to thank me for an inspirational message I had sent to him, and for allowing him to be part of something special here at the school.

“That’s the kind of person he was,” she went on. “He was always thinking of others and how he could help, even while battling cancer.”

The coat thing is one very literal example of how Mike’s generosity, his ability to make a difference, will live on long after his passing. There are many others, from the donation the Balise company made to the expansion of the Sister Caritas Cancer Center in Springfield, to his work supporting efforts to assist autistic children and their families (one of his daughters has autism).

Mike Balise began his relationship with Homer Street School as a celebrity reader with Link to Libraries; it soon evolved into much more.

Indeed, Mike made Community Resources for People with Autism, an affiliate of the Assoc. for Community Living, the primary beneficiary for those wishing to honor him following his death. Jan Doody, the recently retired executive director of the center, said it’s far too early to know how the funds received in Mike’s memory will be used, but she does know they will certainly advance the agency’s mission for years to come, and help fill recognized gaps in support for individuals with autism.

While effectively filling such gaps is certainly one reason to call Mike a Difference Maker, another was the inspiration he provided to those across the area through the courageous manner in which everyone says he fought cancer and the death sentence he was given.

Everyone, that is, except his brother, Jeb, who took a departure from the rhetoric that usually accompanies such a battle, and offered a different, quite profound take on what went down over the 15 months after Mike was diagnosed.

“What he did, and I think he did it better than most people in that situation, is that he didn’t really battle cancer,” Jeb explained. “What he did was focus on positive things, enjoying life, and making a difference.

Jeb Balise says his brother, seen here with his family, didn’t battle cancer; rather, he fought to get the most out of every day.

“His battle was making sure that he got the most out of every moment, and not allow himself to fall into the trap of ‘how much longer do I have?’ and ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” he went on. “He had one very bad day, as I recall, but otherwise he did an amazing job of focusing on life, not his condition. And that’s what I mean when I say that he didn’t really fight cancer.”

By focusing on life, not only for those 15 months after his diagnosis, but for all 50 of his years, Mike Balise remains an inspiration to all those who knew him. For that reason, and for spending much of that time devoted to finding ways to help others, he was — and indeed always will be — a true Difference Maker.

Warm Feelings

Mike died early in the evening on Dec. 23, roughly a week after entering hospice care, and several days into Homer Street School’s two-week winter break.

Thus, the staff at the facility didn’t have a chance to collectively grieve until a meeting after school let out on Jan. 4, their first day back. It was an emotional session, said Sullivan, noting that there was literally not a dry eye in the room. People shared their thoughts on the many ways he supported the institution, she went on, and initiated talks on how best to honor him.

A statue of a man reading a book to children — a non-personalized model that Sullivan had seen on some Internet sites — was one early proposal, but the concept now gaining serious traction is a plan to name the school’s library after him.

That would certainly be fitting, because although he actually read to students there only a few times, Homer Street, a nondescript school in the city’s Mason Square neighborhood that opened its doors in 1896, and is thus the city’s oldest elementary school, has become a kind of symbol of Mike’s work within the community.

The building itself is slated to be replaced over the next few years, said Sullivan — work to identify a site in the area, near American International College, is ongoing — and there will very likely be a new name as well.

But the ‘coat thing’ and the way in which Balise attached himself to the needs of the students at the school will long outlive both the man and the structure.

Indeed, in many ways, his work there epitomizes not just what he did, but how, and the enthusiasm and tireless energy he brought to such endeavors, said Susan Jaye-Kaplan, co-founder of Link to Libraries (LTL) — she was among BusinessWest’s first Difference Makers in 2009 in recognition of her efforts — and a self-described friend of Mike’s.

Upon that first visit to Homer Street School in late fall 2013, she recalled, he adopted the facility in a manner that went well beyond reading on the rug at the front of a third-grade classroom.

“He told me that he would read at other schools over the course of the year,” she said, “but he said, ‘I have to go to Homer Street in the fall for the coats.’”

And the need for such items there was acute, as poignantly explained by Nancy Laino, the school’s instructional reading specialist, who was happy to use the past tense as she talked.

“Kids wouldn’t come to school when it was very cold outside because they didn’t have a coat,” she told BusinessWest. “And sometimes, two siblings would share a coat; one would come to school one day, the other would come the next day.”

This reality explains why teachers would pitch in money themselves and work with a host of service agencies to purchase coats — and why Mike saw several along the wall of the main hallway on his first visit to the facility.

But, eventually, his commitment to the school went behind the coat thing. Indeed, last fall, Mike told Jaye-Kaplan he wanted Balise to sponsor the school as part of LTL’s Business Book Link program. She told him it already had a sponsor, albeit one on a one-year contract, a reply that drew a response she said she won’t ever forget.

“He said, ‘I don’t care if there’s six sponsors at Homer Street; we want to sponsor them,’” she recalled. “He said it had nothing to do with the coats, that they would take care of themselves. He said the company wanted to sponsor a school and he would have members of his team read there.”

And this aggressive form of attachment to a cause was hardly isolated, she went on, using the word ‘humble’ and ‘committed’ frequently as she talked about him.

“When he saw a need, he was always quick to act,” Jaye-Kaplan recalled. “There was no hesitation, and he always followed through. When he said he was going to do something, you could count on him to do it.”

Wear There’s a Will…

Mike Balise, second from left, presents a check to Community Resources for People with Autism to, from left, James Foard Jr., former president of the board of directors of the Assoc. for Community Living, parent of Community Resources; Jan Doody, recently retired director; Nancy Farnsworth, educational advocate; and Kaitlyn Holloway, projects manager.

Such character traits explain why, even though the Balise company’s many and diverse philanthropic efforts were and are undertaken by a team, and Mike was simply a part of that team, he nonetheless stood out when it came to work in the community, said Jeb.

He was, in most respects, the face of the company — even if it was his voice, heard on countless Balise radio commercials, that most people knew, Jeb went on. But his work at Homer Street School and many other places went well behind that.

“When Mike saw the ability to make a meaningful difference, he would step in and do it,” Jeb explained, adding that his contributions often came with causes that fell between the cracks, groups that could use his organizational — and entertainment — skills, and with filling gaps in funding.

He cited a number of examples, starting with the many requests the company receives for donations of vehicles to help individuals, families, or nonprofits in various types of need. Summing up the corporate response to such requests, he said there are many social-service agencies that, among their many other responsibilities, handle such matters, and Balise will step in only if such needs can’t be met through such channels.

“There are so many great services that will handle such requests,” he explained. “It takes time, there’s bureaucracy, and you have to go through paperwork, but there are agencies that meet these needs. If we believed the system provided for these people, we would tend to say ‘no.’

“But quite often, Mike would give a vehicle to a person who didn’t fall into any of those categories,” he went on. “It would be a mom whose husband died … she had four kids … one of the kids has a job but now he’s going to lose his job because he has no transportation to it, that kind of thing. It was people like this, people who fell under the radar screen, that he sought to help — and he helped a lot of them.

“That’s what Mike was good at — finding people who really needed the help,” Jeb continued, adding that one of the causes he attached himself to years ago was autism.

This work has taken many forms, from working with his friend Doug Flutie to stage a free-throw-shooting competition at the Basketball Hall of Fame to raise money for Flutie’s foundation, which assists those with the condition, to taking an autistic child to visit New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick last fall.

But the main beneficiary (literally and figuratively) of his time, talents, and desire to help was Community Resources for People with Autism.

Founded in 1989 by a group of parents with autistic children, this state-funded organization, as the name suggests, is focused on providing resources to a host of constituencies. These range from individuals diagnosed with the condition to their families to the school systems tasked with providing them with an education.

The resources provided by the Easthampton-based agency, one of seven across the state with the same mission, vary as well, from information and referrals to a resource library; from training and education to educational advocacy.

It is with the last item on that list that Mike (whose family received various forms of support from the agency), acting as part of that aforementioned team at Balise, decided to step in and fill another critical gap.

Indeed, educational advocacy, which involves guiding parents though the individualized education program (IEP) and special-education processes, is the only service not funded by the state. But it’s something many parents need, said Doody, adding that it is very difficult for them to articulate and then fight for all the services their child needs and is entitled to.

“It’s hard for a parent to know how the law works, let alone possess the negotiating skills needed, to advocate for their child in front of school officials,” she explained, adding that Nancy Farnsworth, the agency’s educational advocate, has both parts of the equation covered.

The rate for her services generally runs about $45 per hour, although there is a sliding scale, Doody went on, noting that families sometimes need help meeting such costs. Various forms of support have been secured over the years, she explained, but, as with the coats at Homer Street School, there was a gap between need and the help available.

“Sometimes we would try to divert some of our fund-raising toward that project and cobble money together somehow,” she told BusinessWest. “But it was always underfunded.”

It was roughly 16 months ago, or just after Mike was diagnosed with stomach cancer, that the Balise company was first approached by the agency about helping to close that gap.

The $20,000 the company eventually donated last fall — Mike presented the ceremonial check at one of the company’s dealerships — will provide scholarships and assistance for roughly 10 to 15 families, said Doody, making this a substantial gift that will have a lasting impact.

The same can certainly be said for Mike’s decision to name the agency his beneficiary of choice.

“We were surprised but very pleased that they chose Community Resources as the beneficiary,” she said. “Knowing how many people he was connected to and the many ways he was involved in the community, this is a real honor, and I’m imagining that a lot of people will want to remember him with a gift.”

Doody placed herself in that category, noting that she dropped off a check in Mike’s name early this month.

She said it certainly isn’t known yet how her gift and all the others will be put to use by the agency to support its mission. But there is already some sentiment toward using at least a portion of those funds to expand the educational-advocacy program — Farnsworth currently works part-time — and provide more help to those who need such services.

If that is what transpires, it will be just one example of how Mike and the Balise company will be closing gaps long after his passing.

Clothesing Thoughts

There is just one coat hanging in the hanging in the hallway at Homer Street School, said Principal Kathleen Sullivan, because everyone who needs one has one.

Today, there is just one winter coat, a large blue one with gold accents, hanging in the main hallway at Homer Street School, just a few feet from a large collection of hats, mittens, and gloves.

And it’s been there for a while, said Sullivan, adding that this is because every student who needs a coat has one, a departure from years past.

Mike Balise saw to it that this was the case, and he will continue to see to it, even though his fight with cancer has ended.

This is an example of how his work as Difference Maker continues to live on. And there are many more where that came from.

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

Elms College Programs Keep Pace with Community Needs

By BusinessWest Staff January 26, 2016

Education Sections

In Perfect Alignment

Elms College President Sr. Mary Reap

When Sr. Mary Reap took the helm at Elms College in 2009, she arrived with a reputation for identifying needs and building the partnerships necessary to meet them. She has done all that and more at Elms, launching a number of new degree programs, expanding enrollment and employment at the Chicopee institution, and maintaining the service- and community-oriented character that its students have long valued.

Some might regard Sr. Mary Reap’s inauguration as president of Elms College in Chicopee as, well, a godsend.

After all, the former president of Marywood University in Pennsylvania had retired after serving at the first Catholic women’s university from 1988 to 2007 and establishing a wide variety of new programs at every level, including majors in physician’s assistant, art therapy, aviation management, biotechnology, information sciences, sports nutrition, and exercise science.

She came out of retirement to take the helm at Elms amid expectations that she could, and would, do the same for that Chicopee institution.

Indeed, soon after her 2009 arrival, Reap began to initiate positive change. But at that point seven years ago — as well as today — she simply viewed the position as an opportunity to put her honed skills to work.

“I arrived just in time; when I took office, Elms needed some updates, including new programs and structural work to the facilities,” Reap told BusinessWest. “Nineteen years of experience allows you to see things that can be changed, and the college was not only ready, they trusted me.”

From the first day she set foot on the Chicopee campus, she was highly impressed by the integrity of the staff and faculty and their willingness to do whatever it takes to help students succeed. In fact, it was one area where no improvements were needed.

“I viewed the job as a wonderful opportunity to take a very dedicated, caring group of individuals and move forward,” Reap said. “Our faculty is really dedicated to student success; we have a high retention rate, and it really amazes me to hear stories of what people here have done,” she continued, citing examples that include faculty members who have purchased books for students who could not afford them, cafeteria and housekeeping staff who know every student by name and give them “a little hug when they need it or make special food for them,” and others who have shouldered the expense of clothing needed by graduates for job interviews when they couldn’t afford it themselves.

Reap said these acts of kindness are done quietly behind the scenes, and she hears about them from grateful students. She attributes the altruism to an attitude that pervades the campus and its many new satellite locations and is passed from staff to students, infusing them with the desire to make an impact.

“Our students often begin their Elms careers with a passion for positive change and leave with the tools necessary to make change happen,” she said.

Her initial goal was to help individuals and the community by making it possible for more people to earn a four-year-degree in subjects that met the requirements of employers who were recruiting outside the area due to a lack of qualified local candidates.

“I looked at the demographics and found that less than 20% of the population in Western Mass. has a four-year degree,” she recalled.

These goals were bolstered by Reap’s belief that it is critical for her to be a good steward of the college and its resources — a commitment she takes seriously.

Her efforts to increase the numbers of graduates with bachelor’s degrees has been successful, and today, enrollment has increased by 400 students. Every building on the Elms campus has undergone renovations to keep up with the changing face of education, and 40 new jobs have been created, thanks to new programs at every level that resulted from collaborations and meetings with business owners, healthcare providers, representatives from the state’s community colleges, and data culled from the government and surveys that have been conducted in the community.

“Every new program has filled a need,” Reap said, using a word that surfaced repeatedly throughout the interview. For this issue’s focus on education, BusinessWest takes a look at the expansion that has occurred at Elms since Reap’s inauguration and how new collaborations have led to success.

New Programs

Reap said that, after she arrived in Chicopee, she met with Holyoke Community College President Bill Messner and was pleased to discover he shared her vision of helping more HCC graduates earn a four-year degree.

“We formed a partnership in 2010-11 and launched our first completion program in the fall of 2010 in psychology, management, and accounting,” Reap recalled. “It’s a cohort model in which students start together and finish together on their own campuses. Classes are held on Saturdays, which makes things easier, and since that time, the program has expanded into other community colleges across the state.”

It is a popular program, and more than 90% of students who enroll graduate. “Right now, 230 students are enrolled, and we believe we have done a great service by making it possible for so many people to complete degrees, which enhances the workforce and puts graduates in line for job promotions,” Reap said.

Another new program instituted after Reap arrived at Elms allows registered nurses who are working in the field to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The RN-BS degree-completion program came about as a result of a partnership with Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) in Pittsfield, and was launched in 2007. Classes are held on the hospital ’s Hillcrest Campus.

Reap said more than 100 people have received their four-year degrees, enhancing the level of care patients receive, and since 2007, RN-BS programs have expanded and are in place at four community colleges.

Reap noted that the baccalaureate program at BHS led to a master’s program, then a doctor of nursing practice program that was launched in the fall of 2014. Students can choose from two tracks and become a family nurse practitioner or adult gerontology acute-care practitioner.

Sr. Mary Reap says the new Center for Natural and Health Sciences was built in response to needs for more graduates with science and nursing degrees.

The inaugural class included nine students from BHS and and nine from Baystate Medical Center, whose tuition was underwritten by the hospitals, and 22 additional students.

“We have helped fill the need for nurses with advanced degrees in a number of local hospitals,” Reap explained. “It was a natural area to grow, especially since the population here is aging. And these programs have an added value as many of the students are bilingual. It’s a great asset as there are so many Spanish-speaking people in the area.”

She noted that Elms received a $650,000 Health Resources and Services Administration grant to provide undergraduate scholarships for deserving, financially eligible Hispanic nursing students.

“We gave out eight awards last year, and 16 students will receive them this year in addition to other help they receive. It’s a wonderful way to meet the needs of the community,” she continued. “Last fall, we also began offering an undergraduate degree in Ethical Healthcare Management, which can be completed online or at some of our satellite sites.”

Elms College has also focused on expanding its science programs. “We know that more young people are needed today in these careers,” Reap said, adding that this knowledge spurred the construction of a new, $13 million Center for Natural and Health Sciences, which contains classrooms and laboratories.

And three years ago, the college responded to another need with a new post-baccalaureate science program for students who want to apply to medical or dental school. It can be completed in one or two years, depending on the student, and Reap said it attracts candidates from around the world in need of additional coursework.

“We’re drawing graduates from Ivy League schools, and they have been getting accepted at the best medical and dental schools in the country,” she noted. “It’s another area that was underserved where we think we are adding value.”

The needs of employers in the business community have also been addressed, and three years ago Elms launched an MBA program. Fifty students are enrolled this year, and they are taking classes on campus and online, which allows them the flexibility to work and earn a degree simultaneously. And, thanks to a generous gift from a benefactor, Elms is in the process of launching a new business center that will provide entrepreneurial and leadership programs at the certificate and degree level. Reap said the center will open officially next fall.

Download a PDF chart of the region’s colleges HERE

“There are many small businesses in the area, and more open every day, and we were getting requests from them for workshops,” she told BusinessWest, adding that slots in the MBA program filled quickly and the school felt it was important to provide other types of education to business owners and employees working in an entrepreneurial environment.

Elms has always had a strong social-work program, and in the spring of 2012, it launched a bachelor’s-degree program in criminal justice. It was created in response to requests from students and an increased need for people to fill crimina-justice positions in the area.

“We work closely with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, local law-enforcement agencies, and the governor’s office, and have a nice relationship with the Soldier On program in the Berkshires,” Reap said, noting that Elms also has a strong legal-studies program and takes an interdisciplinary approach to these fields of study.

“The need is increasing for homeland security, and there are new approaches to criminal justice,” she continued. “Our emphasis is on helping to lower the recidivism rate of people released from prison, and the programs were driven by our mission to have a system of education with our philosophy and values. Respect for the individual is paramount, and it’s important to teach these people how to gain dignity as well as the skill sets they need to enter society again.”

Mirroring the Community

Reap said the student body at Elms and its satellite locations is representative of the community. About 20% of their students are Hispanic, and close to the same number are African-American.

“We also have a lot of religious diversity on campus, and most women feel very comfortable here because it’s a place where they feel safe and respected; plus, they like the idea of coming to a school with a value system similar to their own,” Reap said. “And we have been very entrepreneurial and flexible in adapting, maintaining, and enhancing our reputation for quality and excellence.”

Core values at Elms include faith, community, justice, and excellence, and part of the college’s mission is to educate students and inspire them to help others. It’s a practice that starts at the top and filters down to students who absorb the value, then pay it forward.

“Staff members take turns providing meals for students who can’t go home for the holidays or come back to campus early; I’ve had them in my own home on Thanksgiving,” Reap said, citing just one example of the support the students receive.

“It’s part of our culture, our expectation, and our environment, and we have nursing students who volunteered to use their spring break to serve the poorest of the poor in Jamaica rather than going somewhere like Florida,” she said, noting that they will pay their own travel costs.

In fact, community outreach is such an integral part of the Elms nursing curriculum that, in January 2013, a new program to serve the homeless was launched by Br. Michael Duffy, an assistant clinical professor in the School of Nursing.

It’s called the Elms caRe vaN, and free healthcare services are administered by students in the bachelor’s-degree program out of a 32-foot van that contains two treatment stations, a full exam room, and a five seat-waiting area, which doubles as a warming area. The care is offered in conjunction with St. Stanislaus Basilica’s Sandwich Ministry in Chicopee, and free lunches are distributed every week during the van’s stop in Chicopee Center. In addition, traditional undergraduate nursing students work with Duffy at Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry every Tuesday.

Reap said the majority of majors at Elms College are service-oriented in keeping with the school’s tradition. For example, its communication sciences disorders program is very strong and was designed to serve the increasing number of children who are diagnosed on the autism spectrum or have speech-language problems.

“Every program we offer was developed in response to need,” Reap repeated. “Before we started our nursing-degree programs, Berkshire Medical Center was going to other states to recruit qualified nurses. We wanted to prepare young people who grow up here to take higher-level positions and raise their own standard of living, while meeting job requirements in the area.

“And we plan to add more flexible programs and formats,” she went on. “We will also continue to gather information from the Department of Labor and conduct needs assessments, surveys, roundtables, and talk to people, not only at the community colleges, but in the business world and at the Economic Development Council, which has been very helpful.”

Moving Forward

In short, Elms has done a good job keeping up with the times.

“We know where we are going, and I am confident that whatever we do will be done well and successfully because of our staff and the strong ethical and value-based approach to education that the college provides,” Reap said. “We continually seek out scholarships and grants for disadvantaged students as they comprise the majority of the population in our community; 90% of our student body gets some type of financial aid, and we’re always looking for assistance to help students, many of whom have financial challenges.”

She told BusinessWest that, when she asks students what makes Elms special, the answer is always the same. “It’s the strong sense of community we have here. Commencement can be difficult because this is a place they call home, and it’s hard to walk away from such a supportive setting.”

So, as Reap enters the spring semester of her seventh year at Elms, she feels satisfied with the growth that has occurred. It has aligned perfectly with her own goals, and she is confident that need-based growth will continue.

Which is, indeed, a true godsend to students seeking the education they need to get a job that pays well — and has helped establish a pipeline of new, local, well-educated graduates for employers.

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff January 26, 2016

Court Dockets Departments

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

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Town of Montague v. Penta Corp.
Allegation: Costs incurred for correction of defects in construction at wastewater-treatment plant: $100,000
Filed: 10/9/15

Dovi, LLC v. Verizon Online, LLC
Allegation: Incidental claim for damages, lost rent, and utility costs: $3,000
Filed: 10/30/15

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Daniel Hammock v. Clarkdale Fruit Farms Inc. and Bostley Sanitary Services Inc.
Allegation: Negligence, carelessness, and breach of duty in maintenance of porta-potties, causing the plaintiff to be trapped inside when a porta-potty tipped and fell over, dumping human waste onto the plaintiff: $24,999.99
Filed: 12/28/15

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Colony Hills Capital Residential Fund, LLC v. Riverchase Holding, LLC and UC Riverchase, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contractual obligations and breach of fiduciary duties: $500,000
Filed: 12/9/15

Intercity Lines Inc. v. Ferris Auto Transport and Christopher Ferris
Allegation: Breach of a contractor non-disclosure agreement and non-compete provision: $75,000+
Filed: 12/10/15

Plimpton & Hills Corp. v. Dependable Heating and Cooling Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $45,666.39
Filed: 12/4/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

J. Polep Distribution Services v. Washington Square Package Store and Joseph Lobo
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $11,263.54
Filed: 12/17/15

J. Polep Distribution Services v. Star 50 Convenience and Sohrab Khan
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $3,410.63
Filed: 12/17/15

Janet Webster v. Aeropostale Inc.
Allegation: Over-filled display rack fell on plaintiff, causing injury: $24,999.99
Filed: 12/30/15

Kelley Robles v. Clinical Support Options Inc.
Allegation: HIPAA violation, causing emotional distress: $24,999.99
Filed: 12/30/15

WNEU School of Law Speaker to Explore Love, Contracts, and Families

By BusinessWest Staff January 22, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Western New England University School of Law Clason Speaker Series will host a talk by Martha Ertman on Thursday, Jan. 28 at noon in the Blake Law Center Commons. The talk, titled “Love and Contracts,” is free and open to students, alumni, the university community, as well as the general public. Pizza will be served.

Ertman is a research professor at the University of Maryland School of Law. She researches and writes about the role of contracts in family relationships, polygamy homemaking, labor, and reproductive technologies.

Ertman will discuss her book Love’s Promises: How Formal & Informal Contracts Shape All Kinds of Families, which combines memoir and legal analysis to argue that love comes in different forms, each shaped by different contracts and nini-contracts that she calls “deals.” After telling her own moving and often irreverent story about becoming part of what she calls a “plan B” family of two moms and a dad raising a child, Ertman shows that all kinds of people — straight and gay, married and single, related by adoption or by genetics — use agreements to shape their relationships. Recognizing this reality, common contractual core shows that uncommon families are neither unnatural nor unworthy of legal recognition.

The Clason Speaker Series presents expert lectures to the School of Law. The series is named for Charles Clason, a prominent local attorney and member of the U.S. House of Representatives, who held the position of dean of the School of Law from 1954 to 1970. Today, the purpose of the Charles and Emma Clason Endowment Fund is to host speakers who will enhance the academic environment of the School of Law at the university.

For more information, call (413) 782-1405 or e-mail Professor Erin Buzuvis at [email protected].

Buzz Travers Appointed Managing Director at Aaron Smith, P.C.

By BusinessWest Staff January 22, 2016

Daily News

EAST LONGMEADOW — Aaron Smith, P.C., a certified public accounting firm serving individuals and businesses in the Pioneer Valley for more than 80 years, announced that certified public accountant Bernard “Buzz” Travers III will assume the role of managing director.

In that role, Travers will provide leadership and direction to achieve the goals of the firm. He will oversee day-to-day management and will continue to cultivate the talents of all accountants and staff at Aaron Smith.

“My goals for the firm are to continue to develop the abilities and strengths of our team. We have a solid group of people that are being groomed to become future leaders at the firm,” he said. “I believe this is a great time to be a CPA; the profession is going to be experiencing significant opportunity as Baby Boomers retire both from the profession and from businesses, thus providing opportunities for firm growth. I look forward to leading the firm into this period of development and growth.”

Travers joined the firm in 1999 as a tax specialist. He is a certified public accountant in both Massachusetts and Connecticut. His areas of expertise include corporate, individual and fiduciary income tax; state and local income and sales and use taxation; federal and state tax audits; mergers and acquisitions; estate and gift taxation; nonprofit taxes; and bankruptcy taxation. In addition, he has assisted numerous business owners in the sale and purchase of businesses.

He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bentley University and his juris doctor from Western New England University School of Law. He is past president of the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County Inc., past president of the Field Club of Longmeadow Inc., an officer and director of the Sportsmen’s National Land Trust Inc., and past treasurer of the Longmeadow High School hockey and lacrosse booster clubs.

State & Bond, LLC Gains Membership in International Trade Group

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — State & Bond, LLC, has become a member of ACA International, a association of credit and collection professionals.

ACA membership demonstrates that State & Bond is dedicated to advancing quality and professionalism in the credit and collection industry. As an ACA member, State & Bond has agreed to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, as well as the ethical standards and guidelines established by the association. State & Bond is also a member of the New England Collectors Assoc.

Founded in 1939, ACA brings together third-party collection agencies, law firms, asset-buying companies, creditors, and vendor affiliates, representing more than 230,000 industry employees. ACA establishes ethical standards; produces a wide variety of products, serices, and publications; and articulates the value of the credit and collection industry to businesses, policymakers, and consumers. For more information, visit www.acainternational.org.

Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe Joins Anti-stigma Movement

By BusinessWest Staff January 13, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe is known across the Commonwealth as a leader and innovator in law enforcement. Now, he’s become the first sheriff in Massachusetts to join the NAMI Mass CEOs Against Stigma campaign, pledging to create a mentally healthier work environment for the employees of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department.

“As sheriff of Hampden County for over 41 years, with 900-plus employees and over 1,500 inmates in our custody, I know all too well the stigma surrounding mental illness,” Ashe said. “My staff is committed to treating these afflictions and removing the stigma that surrounds this critical issue in the workplace as well as in the community.”

The campaign is designed to put an end to stigma in the workplace, employing top-down leadership to change misconceptions about mental-health disorders and encouraging people to open up and speak freely about the conditions that affect them and their immediate families. Mental-health disorders affect one in five adults and are the single greatest cause of lost productivity at work.

“We all know the stigma surrounding mental-health issues prevents many from seeking treatment,” Ashe said. “That is why I’m committed to this effort.”

Bernice Drumheller, president of NAMI Western Mass., noted that, “unlike physical conditions, mental illness is often not discussed in the workplace. Sheriff Ashe understands the importance and positive impact that the CEOs Against Stigma campaign brings to the work environment.”

By signing the CEOs Against Stigma pledge, Ashe makes the commitment to open up dialogue about mental-health conditions without fear of disclosure as well as making employees aware of the benefits available to them. He will also bring into his workplace NAMI’s In Our Own Voice presentations, an effective anti-stigma program.

The goal of CEOs Against Stigma is to have 250 chief executives — including elected officials — join the campaign and to reach a half-million employees. Any Massachusetts company or organization with at least 50 employees can take part. For more information about CEOs Against Stigma, visit ceos.namimass.org. To contact NAMI Western Mass., call (413) 786-9139.

L. Alexandra Hogan Joins American Bankruptcy Institute Subcommittee

By BusinessWest Staff January 13, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Local law firm, Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., serving Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, announced that attorney L. Alexandra Hogan was selected to serve on the emerging insolvency professionals subcommittee of the American Bankruptcy Institute.

“Alex has quickly become a rising star in our bankruptcy department. She is dedicated and is already helping other professionals establish themselves in the insolvency field,” said attorney Steve Weiss, supervisor of the firm’s bankruptcy division.

As a new member of the emerging insolvency professionals subcommittee, Hogan will help bankruptcy professionals find different avenues to network and develop as experts. The mission of this new subcommittee is to create a forum for developing leaders to exchange ideas to better aid clients and further cultivate the insolvency field.

Hogan graduated in 2008 with cum laude honors from Western New England University School of Law, where she was also appointed assistant editor and became a published author of the Western New England Law Review. She graduated from Bay Path University with summa cum laude honors in 1996. She has been selected by Super Lawyers to the Rising Stars list and as a Top Women Attorney (2011-15).

Hogan concentrates her practice primarily in business, litigation, and bankruptcy law. She has an extensive bankruptcy practice that includes both debtor and creditor representation in individual and business cases, including Chapter 7 and Chapter 11. Additionally, she acts as counsel to Chapter 7 trustee Steven Weiss in bankruptcy litigation advanced in adversary proceedings.

“I am honored to be a member of this new committee,” Hogan said. “It is very important for developing professionals to find ways to network with insolvency experts and to discuss emerging trends in the bankruptcy field.”

Hogan maintains several professional memberships. She is the vice chair of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation, and is also a member of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. and the Young Professional Society of Greater Sringfield. She volunteers for the Financial Literacy Program of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts and the Boston Bar Assoc. to aid high-school students in personal finance, and also provides pro bono services through the Law Consortium for Western Massachusetts.

Founded in 1982, the American Bankruptcy Institute is the largest association of bankruptcy professionals in the country, with more than 12,000 members.

Children and Adolescents Are Simply Not Getting Enough Sleep

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Health Care Sections

Waking Up to a Problem

Dr. Wendy Chabot says lack of sleep can cause behavior problems in children that range from temper tantrums to a lack of impulse control to hyperactivity.

Experts say many children and adolescents don’t get enough sleep.

The reasons vary from family to family, but since parents often work long hours and evening meetings range from Girl Scouts to sporting events, it can be difficult to establish and maintain the same bedtime every night.

But research shows that a lack of sleep or a schedule that is out of sync with the child’s natural biological rhythms can lead to short- and long-term problems that include behavioral difficulties such as acting out in school, as well as academic issues such as poor grades or an inability to remember as much as their well-rested peers.

“Kids are really not getting enough sleep, and this has significant consequences for their mental and physical health. It’s not an optional activity; it’s essential because it is the third leg on the stool to optimal health, which includes exercise and eating a healthy diet, ” said Dr. Wendy Chabot, pediatric coordinator for Sleep Medicine Services of Western Mass. in Amherst and Springfield.

She cited research that shows it only takes a sleep deficit of 30 to 60 minutes each night to affect behavior and result in poor thinking skills and problems with attention, memory, decision making, organization, and creativity.

“When I talk to parents and kids, I tell them sleep is important if they really want to bring their ‘A’ game to life, whether they are learning to walk or play the piano. I can’t think of any aspect of a child’s life that isn’t affected by lack of sleep, and although many people get by on less than they need, if it becomes routine, they do so at their own peril,” Chabot continued, adding that sleep restores the body and the mind.

Rebecca Spencer agrees. “Sleep is important for memory,” said the assistant professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at UMass Amherst, who conducts studies on sleep and cognition. “Our research shows if you teach preschoolers something in the morning and they take a nap, they remember all of it later on. But if they don’t have a nap, they forget 15% of what they learned. The same argument can be made for adolescents; the more sleep they get, the more they remember what they learned the previous day.”

She added that the law regarding naptimes for preschoolers in Massachusetts was modified recently, and children are now required to have a 45-minute “rest opportunity.”

“There used to be stronger language, and some preschool directors have told me the requirement used to be two hours,” Spencer continued, adding that the Montessori School in Amherst has a “no-nap room” for children who don’t want to sleep, and the Jewish Community Center Preschool in Springfield offers swimming or French lessons for children who don’t nap.

“The preschool curriculum has become very competitive, and there is not enough time for them to do everything they want, so they find ways to get around naptimes,” she told BusinessWest.

But napping — or not, as the case may be — at preschool is just one of many issues involved with the larger issue of children and sleep.

“If a child is sleep-deprived, they tend to have behavior problems; they may have frequent temper tantrums or be non-compliant and have poor impulse control,” said Chabot. “In younger children, the signs and symptoms of a lack of sleep resemble the signs of ADHD, and many children who are diagnosed with it actually have an underlying sleep disorder, which is their main problem.”

Chabot conducts sleep studies on children as young as age 3 when there is reason to believe they may have obstructive sleep apnea. The potentially serious disorder occurs when the person is sleeping and involves 10- to 20-second pauses in breathing that occur frequently throughout the night due to some type of airway blockage or obstruction, such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids.

“Although we used to think it was really rare in children, studies are showing it’s not uncommon in kids age 5 and older,” Chabot told BusinessWest.

She added that children who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to sleepwalk or have night terrors or nightmares, in addition to unwanted behaviors during the day.

The Rest of the Story

Experts say most adolescents are sleep-deprived.

“They live in a state of persistent jetlag,” said Spencer, adding that they need nine to 10 hours of sleep each night, but a 13-year-old’s biological clock isn’t set to allow them to fall asleep before midnight.

So even though they may have a 10 p.m. bedtime, their circadian clock won’t allow them to fall asleep that early, which bumps up against the time they need to start school.

“However, studies show if the school start time is delayed and they get more sleep, their grades improve,” she went on, adding that such data has led some school districts, including Northampton and Amherst, to hold discussions about having a later start time.

Rebecca Spencer says sleep is important for memory, which affects how well students retain what they learn in school.

But Spencer said many teachers don’t like the idea, and it can be difficult to implement due to sports schedules, although some cities, including Worcester, have made the change.

Williston-Northampton School in Easthampton also switched its start time, and students now begin classes a half-hour later than they did in the past.

“A year after they made the change, they reported more students were eating breakfast and taking medications they need,” Spencer said, explaining that since 50% of students live on campus, they need to get to the nurse’s office before school starts to get any drugs that have been prescribed for them.

Getting more sleep for adolescents is critical because research shows that those who don’t get enough also have less control over their emotions.

“They’re more temperamental, and it’s easier to set them off,” Spencer noted. “Plus, we also know that teens who sleep six hours are more likely to get the flu or colds than those who sleep eight hours, and as we get into cold and flu season, it makes a pretty big difference.”

Chabot concurred, and said sleep is more than a time for the body to heal and fight off infections; studies show young adults don’t respond as well to vaccines when they are sleep-deprived.

“Teens who miss out on one to two hours of sleep a night during the week can’t make up for it on the weekends; they need nine to nine and a quarter hours of sleep, but most get only seven hours, so they would have to sleep almost all weekend to make up the difference,” said Cabot. “There just aren’t enough hours in the day, and if they try to do it, their biological clock will get out of sync.

“When the biological clock keeps getting reset, it’s as if the teens have traveled to California and back,” she went on. “They have ‘social jetlag,’ which makes you irritable and causes headaches and stomachaches. But a lot of teens live like this.”

However, there are things that parents can do to help children get enough sleep, which is important, because habits formed at a young age often continue into adulthood.

The place to start is with learning how much shuteye your child should get.

Toddlers ages 1 to 3 need between 11 and 13 hours of sleep a night; preschoolers ages 3 to 5 need between nine and 11 hours of sleep; children ages 6 to 12 need between 10 and 11 hours of sleep; and adolescents age 13 to 18 need between nine and 9 ¼ hours of sleep.

Consistency is critical, and once a bedtime has been set, it shouldn’t differ more than an hour each night, whether it’s a weeknight or weekend.

“Many parents let adolescents go to bed super late on weekends and free sleep in the morning,” said Spencer. “But if they sleep from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m., when Monday morning arrives, the shift will be difficult for them, and they will feel jetlagged all day.”

Chabot agreed. “There are two main things that control sleep — one is the biological clock, and the other is called sleep drive, which simply means the longer you are awake, the greater your drive is to sleep,” she explained.

Experts say exercise can help children and adolescents fall asleep more easily, but exercising within a few hours of bedtime can interfere with a person’s ability to fall asleep, which is an unavoidable problem for teens who have sports practices and games in the evening.

Caffeine should be avoided late in the day, and children and adolescents shouldn’t go hungry, although eating a full meal an hour before bedtime is not a good idea either.

Maintaining a good sleep environment is also important. An ideal setting is a comfortable, dark, quiet, cool room. In addition, experts advise parents not to put TVs or computers in their children’s rooms because late-night television viewing, playing computer games, Internet use, and text messaging can result in problems falling and staying asleep.

“It’s important to have a media curfew,” Chabot said, explaining that, when there is a lack of bright light, the body begins to release the hormone melatonin, which helps the body sleep.

In the morning, shades or blinds should be pulled up right away because getting as much access to sunlight as possible stops the body from continuing to release melatonin and allows people to wake up.

As for preschoolers and changes in policies on napping, this is troublesome, said those we spoke with, because it plays into some of the myths surrounding sleep. For example, parents often assume that, if their child isn’t voluntarily taking a nap, they don’t need one.

“But research shows that if preschoolers are encouraged to take a nap, they will, and it’s important because many are not getting enough sleep at night,” Spencer noted.

Many parents also mistakenly think that, if their child takes a nap, they won’t be able to get to sleep at night, but research doesn’t support that belief. Spencer said the key is consistency: it’s only when naps are sporadic that it makes a difference, and if a child takes a nap at the same time every day, they will fall asleep as easily at night as they would without one.

“The extra sleep is so important, and it’s beneficial to memory, although it’s not something many parents are aware of,” she added.

In addition, young children who nap exhibit more control over their emotions than those who stay up all day.

“If they haven’t gotten enough sleep, they can become defiant and switch between being grumpy to aggressive. They can also become hyperactive and giddy due to a lack of sleep,” Spencer said, adding that children differ from adults, who tend to get lethargic when they are tired.

Field of Dreams

Chabot said sleep studies are relatively new in the field of medicine, and it was only after the first EEGs were performed in the ’50s that researchers began to realize that sleep is an active time for the brain.

“It’s taken a long time for knowledge to filter down into medical education and training,” she told BusinessWest, adding that, when she was in medical school at Tufts University between 1980 and 1984, the curriculum did not contain a single lecture about sleep.

But in subsequent years, research has shown there are consequences to not getting enough shuteye, which include increased risk for type II diabetes, obesity, depression, and anxiety.

“It’s important for families to make sleep a priority if they want their children to function at their best,” Chabot said, adding that it can be prudent to have a child cut down on activities if their schedules are really busy.

There’s an easy way to tell if your child is getting enough sleep, she continued.

“They should wake up on their own at the same time every day without an alarm clock, get out of bed right away, and be in a good mood and feel rested,” she said. “If you need to drag your child out of bed, they are not getting enough sleep.”

It’s a simple measure that’s easy to follow for parents who want to increase their child’s chances of excelling in all aspects of their life.

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff January 12, 2016

Court Dockets Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Jose Rodriguez v. Ruby Tuesday Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of earned vacation time and lost wages: $20,840
Filed: 11/9/15

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Jaime Serrano v. Karen Kupfer, M.D. and New England Surgical Group
Allegation: Medical malpractice:
$1 million
Filed: 10/21/15

Rebecka St. Peter v. Baystate Gas d/b/a Columbia Gas of MA
Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury: $31,500
Filed: 11/3/15

Schletter Inc. v. Bach Towing, James E. Lawrence, and Leonard Eremento
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $100,000
Filed: 10/23/15

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Energy Electric Co. Inc. v. James J. Welch and Co. Inc. and Cottage Square Apts., LP
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $78,000
Filed: 11/9/15

Nadine Mazard v. Gengras Motors Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $88,000
Filed: 11/25/15

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

American Express Bank, FSB v. Joanne Puc and Bar-Tini
Allegations: Default on balances owed: $8,673.06
Filed: 12/9/15

American Zurich Insurance Co. v. Dependable Drywall Inc.
Allegations: Recover insurance premiums and account annexed: $13,928
Filed: 12/5/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Charles Greenhaus v. NER Investments, LLC
Allegation: Failure to pay severance: $25,000
Filed: 12/9/15

Jose Reyes v. City of Springfield
Allegation: Negligence in road maintenance causing vehicle damage: $3,433.14
Filed: 11/9/15

UWM Holdings Inc. v. Consolidated Waste Water Services, LLC
Allegation: Failure to pay for use of transfer station and disposal services: $12,241
Filed: 11/5/15

Minore’s Meats Inc. v. Mason Market, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $10,146.93
Filed: 11/5/15

Community Enterprises Elects New Board Officers and Members

By BusinessWest Staff January 8, 2016

Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Richard Venne, president and CEO of Community Enterprises Inc., announced the election of new officers to one-year terms at the recent board of directors meeting.

Elected to officer positions for one-year terms are William Donohue, chair, Children and Family Law, Springfield; Donald Miner, vice chair, Loomis Communities, South Hadley; Joanne Carlisle, clerk/secretary, Stop & Shop Inc., Springfield; and Brittney Kelleher, treasurer, Westfield Bank, Springfield. Deborah Omasta-Mokrzecki, Amherst College, was elected as a new member for a three-year term.

Existing members elected to additional three-year terms include Donohue; Carlisle; Miner; Mary Beth Davidson, Travelers, Hartford, Conn.; Kate LaMay-Miller, Multi-Media Impact, Hadley; and Albert Lognin, HARC, Hartford, Conn.

Community Enterprises is a human-service organization that provides employment, education, housing supports, and day supports for people with disabilities. It is headquartered in Northampton and maintains 27 service locations throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Kentucky. The nonprofit organization, which started as a small program at Northampton State Hospital, has grown to a $22.5 million business.

Six Reasons to Update Your Employee Handbook in the New Year

By BusinessWest Staff January 7, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — According to Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., one of the best ways employers can improve business operations is by updating or creating an employee handbook. Just as a company grows and changes, so do federal and state laws, and employee handbooks should be updated annually to reflect these changes.

Each company is unique, and one of the biggest mistakes employers make is to print a generic employee handbook from the Internet. Businesses should consider developing a handbook that includes policies specifically tailored to the company’s industry. A company handbook also needs to carefully outline policies that will help decrease the risk of both litigation and liability. Properly drafted, an employee handbook can be a valuable document in the workplace, for both employers and employees.

Companies that already have an employee handbook must be sure that the handbook is completely up to date. Employers creating a handbook for the first time should carefully consider the structure and policies to incorporate into the handbook. Here are six reasons why your handbook needs an update in 2016:

• Changes to Massachusetts law. Paid sick time and domestic-violence leave are two of the major changes to Massachusetts law that have resulted in revisions to company handbooks. If your handbook does not include these policies, it’s out of date.

• E-mail, social-media, and technology policies. In this day and age, it is important for an employer to outline social media and technology expectations. Employers should properly delineate how to use electronic communications, and employees should be notified if the company plans on monitoring computers and phones. Although it is important for employers to outline best practices for social media, companies should not be overly restrictive, as this could potentially violate employee rights in the workplace.

• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Companies with 50 or more employees must grant an eligible employee up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the birth and care of a newborn child of the employee, for placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care, to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition, or to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition. If a company is covered by the FMLA, it is important to properly outline employee eligibility requirements, procedures, and guidelines for when the employee returns to the workplace to make the transition well-organized for both the employer and employee. FMLA regulations changed in 2010. If your handbook has not been revised since then, your FMLA policy is out of date.

• At-will statements. All employment in Massachusetts is ‘at will,’ which means that either the employee or the employer can choose to end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice. But if the employee handbook doesn’t clearly indicate this important status at the beginning of the handbook, it can create problems down the road. Outlining at-will employment expectations in your handbook will help clear up any confusion about the nature of employment and potentially prevent costly litigation.

• Overtime, vacation, and sick time. It is also important for employers to clearly outline attendance policies in the workplace. The employee handbook should address which employees are eligible for overtime pay and also the internal process for approval of overtime. It is also important to stipulate that excessive absences are grounds for termination to avoid any ambiguity with the employee.

• Anti-harassment and discrimination policies. Not only is it vital that employers make it clear that no unlawful harassment will be tolerated in the workplace environment, but they should also clearly outline avenues for employees to report complaints of harassment or misconduct. Employees who have witnessed or experienced harassment should know there will be no retaliation for reporting complaints in good faith. Employers should specifically address this in employee handbooks to prevent being held vicariously liable.

“If your employee’s handbooks are collecting dust, updating them for 2016 is a perfect way to review policies new and old,” said attorney Marylou Fabbo, an active partner in the firm. “Not only does an updated employee handbook serve as an outline for managing employment conflicts, it can also serve as legal evidence that company policies are up to date.”

For more information and news about employment law, visit skoler-abbott.com.

Bacon Wilson Announces Kevin Maltby as New Shareholder

By BusinessWest Staff January 5, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Kevin Maltby has been named a shareholder of the firm.

Maltby’s practice is focused on litigation, employment law, and criminal defense. He is a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Standing Advisory Committee on Professionalism and also serves on the board of the Hampden County Bar Assoc. He has extensive jury-trial and courtroom experience and is a former prosecutor for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office. He is also an adjunct professor of Legal Studies at Bay Path University in Longmeadow, where he teaches litigation, advanced litigation, criminal law, and evidence.

In 2014, Maltby was named as one of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty. In 2013, he received the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Community Service Award, and in 2012, he was honored with the Hampden County Bar Assoc. Access to Justice Pro Bono Publico Award for vision and implementation of the Springfield District Court Lawyer for the Day program. Kevin has received the Super Lawyers Rising Star distinction each year from 2009 to 2015.

Maltby earned his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 2001, and his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from UMass in 1998.

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff December 29, 2015

Briefcase Departments

MGM Springfield Wins Final License Approval

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield announced it has received its final state license approval from the Mass. Gaming Commission (MGC), clearing the way to begin construction. The MGC specifically found that all feasible measures have been taken to avoid or minimize impacts of the project and damage to the environment. “We are grateful to the MGC commissioners for their detailed deliberations and patience with this process,” said Michael Mathis, MGM Springfield president. “This comprehensive review has helped MGM Springfield evolve into the most community-facing and integrated property MGM Resorts has ever built.” Separately, the proposed design changes must still be approved by the city and the MGC. Updated MGM Springfield design plans were made public in September, and company executives appeared at a public presentation in Springfield in November to outline the design plan, highlighting changes that allowed for both design and cost efficiencies, as well as to provide a new project cost estimate of more than $950 million. “This approval has been a year in the making,” Mathis said. “We are eager to bring this back to Springfield and work with the city to get final signoff for impactful demolition and construction.” The Springfield City Council is expected to discuss and vote on a casino overlay district on Monday, Dec. 21. MGM Springfield representatives will be at the meeting. The new year will be busy for MGM with the commencement of active construction. MGM Springfield construction-management representatives will host ongoing information sessions with interested minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses, and the opening of the relocated MGM Springfield Community Office.

Massachusetts to See Income-tax Decrease

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced that the final economic trigger was met in order to lower the state’s income tax from 5.15% to 5.10%. The income-tax cut for all Massachusetts residents will become effective on Jan. 1. “Meeting the requirements needed to reduce the income-tax rate is a sign that the Massachusetts economy remains strong,” Baker said. “Allowing citizens across the Commonwealth to keep more money in their pockets will allow the state’s economy to continue growing in 2016.” Added Polito, “the will of the voters has persevered. It’s been 15 years since the voters first made this decision, and every chance we get to provide more discretionary income is a good day for the Commonwealth and the taxpayers.” Kristen Lepore, secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, noted that “the fiscal year 2016 budget revenue assumed effects of the lower tax rate to 5.10% and has been accounted for in the balance sheet. This is good news for the taxpayers with no new impact on the state’s fiscal outlook.” A ballot initiative passed in 2000 called for the state’s income tax to be reduced to 5% over time. Legislation was passed in 2002 that tied reducing the tax rate by 0.05% each tax year (until the Part B income tax rate is 5%) to certain economic triggers. First, the inflation adjusted growth in baseline tax revenues for the preceding fiscal year has to exceed 2.5%. The second trigger, completed on the 15th of each month between September and December, certifies that the inflation-adjusted growth in baseline tax revenues over the previous three months of the current calendar year compared to the same periods of the prior calendar year is greater than zero. Once the statutory triggers are met, the rate is lowered by 0.05% until it reaches 5% percent. The charitable deduction will be restored the year after the tax rate is lowered to 5%. The last time all growth thresholds were met was in 2014.

DevelopSpringfield Issues Grants for Façade Improvements

SPRINGFIELD — DevelopSpringfield recently awarded several façade-improvement grants through the Corridor Storefront Improvement Program (CSIP), which provides grants of up to $10,000 per storefront for exterior improvements to first-floor businesses located on State and Main streets in Springfield. A grant of $30,000 was provided to Boynton Property Group for work related to its rehabilitation of the shopping plaza located at 666 State St. in the city’s Mason Square area. Funds provided were allocated toward new signage, enhanced lighting, and new windows to the plaza, home to a restaurant and beauty salon. Silverbrick Group has been making major renovations to the former Morgan Square property at 1593-1607 Main St. The project includes redevelopment of the apartments, creating Silverbrick Lofts as well as renovations to first-floor commercial space. A grant of $60,000 was provided to support installation of new, energy-efficient windows and doors for six units on the ground floor. This contribution augmented the substantial investment by the project’s developers which, in addition to the newly refurbished apartments, also includes major repairs to masonry work on the upper stories of the property. Silverbrick is located in Springfield’s downtown Innovation District, a priority redevelopment area. Finally, as a part of Nadim’s Mediterranean Grill’s recent redesign, DevelopSpringfield provided a $10,000 grant to aid in the façade enhancement, including new windows, signage, and awning. The restaurant, located at 1380-1390 Main St., has undergone a major redesign inside and out. Nadim’s made further investments to improve the inside dining room as well as the patio dining experience. “DevelopSpringfield is pleased to support these Springfield businesses in their efforts to make lasting improvements, which impact not only their own activities, but also benefit neighboring businesses as well,” said Jay Minkarah, president and CEO of DevelopSpringfield. “We are proud to be among the partners working to support and strengthen longtime and new business ventures in our city.” DevelopSpringfield’s Corridor Storefront Improvement Program was established in 2009 with the support of the city of Springfield and other private funders, to enhance the visual appeal of State and Main streets while providing assistance to businesses making investments in these two key corridors within the city. For more information on CSIP, visit www.developspringfield.com and click on ‘programs,’ or contact Minkarah at (413) 209-8808 or [email protected].

More Than 140 Become U.S. Citizens at Ceremony in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently presented more than 140 candidates for naturalization to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson administered the Oath of Allegiance to America’s newest citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the UMass Center at Springfield. Guests and speakers included Robertson; Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Daniel Montagna, director of Operations at the UMass Center at Springfield; and Luis Chaves, director of the USCIS Lawrence Field Office. The citizenship candidates originate from the following 44 countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Somalia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vietnam. For more information on USCIS and its programs, visit www.uscis.gov.

State Legislation Establishes Workforce Investment Board

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker recently signed legislation establishing the Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board to improve the public workforce system and enhance regional economies around the Commonwealth by focusing on employers’ growing need for skilled workers. “With changes to the federal workforce-investment laws, we now have an opportunity as a state to redefine and reimagine how we create skill-building programs,” Baker said. “Creating strong regional economies by designing programs that meet the demands of workers and businesses in each region is important to driving economic growth and new job opportunities for our residents.” Required by federal law and currently defined by state statute, the Massachusetts Workforce Development Board advises the governor and the secretary of Labor and Workforce Development with the mission to build a strong workforce system aligned with state education policies and economic-development goals. “To help people find good jobs, we are flipping the model to be demand-driven for employers, which, in turn, will help more people find jobs that suit their skill sets,” Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Ronald Walker II said. “We need to create a system that better meets the needs of employers who struggle to find talented workers.” The legislation, “An Act Establishing a State Workforce Development Board,” is based on a bill introduced Baker in June reconstituting the state’s Workforce Investment Board, reducing its membership from 65 members to 33, and ensuring the makeup of its membership continues to comply with federal requirements under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). WIOA was signed into law by President Obama on July 22, 2014, reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 after more than a decade to transform the nation’s workforce system, and to invest in a skilled workforce. The Workforce Development Board is charged with developing plans and policies, which are approved by the governor, to coordinate services through one-stop career centers and workforce boards. The board also issues policy recommendations to align the public workforce system and improve performance accountability, and will develop strategies to promote workforce participation of women, people of color, veterans, and people with disabilities across industry sectors.

Unemployment Rates Down in Massachusetts

BOSTON — Seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates are down in all labor markets in the state, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics compared to October 2014, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported. During the month of October, seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates went down in eight labor market areas, increased in six areas, and remained the same in 10 other areas of the state. Twelve areas added jobs over the month, with the largest gains in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Springfield, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, and Worcester areas. The Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford area had no change in its jobs level over the month, while seasonal losses occurred in the Barnstable and Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead areas. In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for October remained at 4.5%. Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.6% for the month of October. The unemployment rate is down 0.9% over the year. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed an 11,000-job gain in October and an over-the-year gain of 80,600 jobs. Meanwhile, the New England Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released New England and state unemployment numbers for October 2015. The New England unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.6% in October. One year ago, the New England jobless rate was higher, at 5.6%. The U.S. jobless rate was essentially unchanged from September (5.0%).

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff December 29, 2015

Court Dockets Departments

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

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Coyote Realty LLC v. Total Wellness Center d/b/a Clean Slate
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $220,000
Filed: 10/9/15

Vincent P. Traina Jr. v. People’s United Bank, Jill DeSouza, and Anthony Ferraro
Allegation: Defamation and slander: $1,300,000
Filed: 11/10/15

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Building Specialties/Architectural Hardware Inc. v. James J. Welch & Co. Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $86,450
Filed: 10/28/15

Catherine O’Neill v. Quik Foods Inc., d/b/a Burger King
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing personal injury: $14,294.10
Filed: 11/18/15

Dietz Construction Co. v. James J. Welch & Co. Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $102,392.98
Filed: 11/16/15

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Ernesto Jaimes, by his mother Omayra Gonzalez v. Motor Realty Co., d/b/a Townline Motel
Allegation: Bedbug infestation causing personal injury: $5,000
Filed: 12/9/15

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Alexis Levesque v. Horizon’s Restaurant & Bar
Allegations: The plaintiff bit into a plastic object in her sandwich causing painful oral and dental injuries: $5,000+
Filed: 12/10/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Estelle Moses v. Columbia Gas of MA
Allegation: Breach of duty of care and negligence causing personal injury: $11,780.50
Filed: 11/18/15

Jamy and Teresa Lazarack v. Warren Truck and Auto Repair
Allegation: Fraud and unfair and deceptive trade practices: $3,937.61
Filed: 12/3/15

Luz Lazala v. Columbia Gas of MA
Allegation: Negligence causing explosion and loss of rental income: $23,000
Filed: 11/17/15

New England Industrial Uniform Rental Service v. Siemon Co.
Allegation: Breach of contract for rental and cleaning of industrial garments: $9,685.33
Filed: 12/8/15

Real Estate Transactions

By BusinessWest Staff December 29, 2015

Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

161 Bald Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $144,300
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Patrick K. Russell
Date: 11/23/15

BUCKLAND

34 Franklin St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Rebecca Deyo
Seller: Anna J. Humbert
Date: 11/23/15

3 Hillside Ave.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Patricia R. VanSchoyck
Seller: Viola Lyons RET
Date: 11/16/15

15 Monroe Ave.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Jesus Borra
Seller: Wendy S. Hodgdon
Date: 11/13/15

COLRAIN

123 Foundry Village Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: 123 Foundry Road NT
Seller: Bayview Loan Servicing
Date: 11/23/15

2 Phillips Dr.
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Keith L. Hedlund
Seller: Luigi Ottaviani
Date: 11/16/15

CONWAY

317 Hart Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jill B. Craig
Seller: Chris E. Singley
Date: 11/13/15

DEERFIELD

717 Greenfield Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $234,439
Buyer: Peoples United Bank
Seller: Lawrence E. Jason
Date: 11/27/15

141 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Sonam Lama
Seller: Kathleen A. Rowe-Clapp
Date: 11/13/15

169 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Michael J. Pancione
Seller: Diana J. Tardif
Date: 11/19/15

3 Yellow Farm Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Amy V. Laroche
Seller: John R. Merantza
Date: 11/30/15

ERVING

19 East Main St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: John M. Spence
Seller: John McAuley
Date: 11/30/15

4 Moore St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $168,750
Buyer: David E. Finn
Seller: Douglas M. Finn
Date: 11/16/15

GREENFIELD

82 Barton Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $146,200
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Todd Baker
Date: 11/20/15

32 Cleveland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Lively
Seller: Priscilla R. Chadwick
Date: 11/30/15

17 Factory Hollow
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: George Murphy
Seller: Elizabeth D. Adams
Date: 11/13/15

14 Greenway Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Paul J. Rotkiewicz
Seller: Rachael A. Katz
Date: 11/18/15

18 Linden Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Ryan S. Hellwig
Seller: Jessica D. Gordon
Date: 11/18/15

127 Shelburne Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Moira Taylor
Seller: Nancy L. Orth
Date: 11/30/15

77 Smith St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Verlander FT
Seller: Munsinger, Jeanne C., (Estate)
Date: 11/25/15

LEVERETT

125 Dudleyville Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Alexis Kuhr
Seller: Matthew J. Howell
Date: 11/13/15

LEYDEN

151 River Road
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $284,388
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Harry C. Kuenzel
Date: 11/13/15

MONTAGUE

9 Bernardo Dr.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Stefanie Holmes
Seller: JLM Builders Inc.
Date: 11/13/15

66 Greenfield Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: James P. Bartus
Seller: William F. Allis
Date: 11/25/15

219 Turners Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: William B. Stratford
Seller: Joshua R. Sawin
Date: 11/30/15

177 Turnpike Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Sara L. Burgess
Seller: James P. Bartus
Date: 11/25/15

NORTHFIELD

8 4 Mile Brook Road
Northfield, MA 01354
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Craig E. Bodenstein
Seller: Vearling INT
Date: 11/25/15

ORANGE

66 Congress St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Paul G. Gil
Seller: Trista M. Dupell
Date: 11/20/15

73 East Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Douglas A. Cote
Seller: Peter K. Lyman
Date: 11/30/15

34 North Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Bombadillo LLC
Seller: Wallace M. Yohan
Date: 11/17/15

SHELBURNE

55 Frank Williams Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Josiah J. Simpson
Seller: Linda Gramse-Macdonald
Date: 11/20/15

SHUTESBURY

286 Montague Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Ann E. Brigham
Seller: Sarah Patton
Date: 11/30/15

SUNDERLAND

142 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Monterey Rose LLC
Seller: Hoynoski RT
Date: 11/30/15

149 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $715,000
Buyer: Monterey Rose LLC
Seller: Hoynoski RT
Date: 11/30/15

32 North Bears Den Dr.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Robert T. Cartelli
Seller: John M. Snyder
Date: 11/17/15

56 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Vincent J. Tran
Seller: Herman Copen RET
Date: 11/16/15

WHATELY

14 Swamp Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $257,500
Buyer: Stephen D. Gross
Seller: Earl E. & E. P. Morton RET
Date: 11/30/15

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

342 Adams St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Justin M. Pitoniak
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 11/30/15

1775 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Clark Gore
Seller: 3B Realty Corp.
Date: 11/24/15

57 Poplar St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $177,387
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Barbara E. Bush
Date: 11/20/15

54 Raymond Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $219,635
Buyer: USA HUD
Seller: Susan Gaughan
Date: 11/12/15

127 Roosevelt Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Michael A. Devine
Seller: Robert E. Bushey
Date: 11/13/15

Rowley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: VIP Homes & Associates LLC
Seller: Joseph A. Morris
Date: 11/23/15

331 Rowley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: John R. Conte
Seller: Scott E. Skolnick
Date: 11/13/15

10 Royal St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $147,500
Buyer: Jesse E. Redmond
Seller: Justin Bard
Date: 11/30/15

29 Royal St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Michael J. Moriarty
Seller: Sarah L. Baker
Date: 11/30/15

16 Scherpa St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Jinhong Ma
Seller: Jackie Y. Tang
Date: 11/16/15

34 Sunrise Terrace
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Jeffrey A. Trauschke
Date: 11/27/15

94 White Fox Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Citizens Bank
Seller: Janice L. Conlin
Date: 11/12/15

94 Witheridge St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Roman Gurskii
Seller: Marie L. Viens
Date: 11/20/15

BLANDFORD

16 Julius Hall Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Leighton King
Seller: Arthur Hernandez
Date: 11/30/15

2 Sperry Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $128,715
Buyer: LNV Corp.
Seller: Lori A. Benedict
Date: 11/13/15

BRIMFIELD

70 1st St.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Elizabeth E. Crosby
Seller: Russell J. Omer
Date: 11/17/15

74 1st St.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Elizabeth E. Crosby
Seller: Russell J. Omer
Date: 11/17/15

144 Old Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Kathleen M. Gallant
Seller: Nicholas C. Truax
Date: 11/13/15

83 Sutcliffe Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Jacob W. Roche
Seller: Timothy J. Senecal
Date: 11/25/15

CHESTER

101 Middlefield Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Jeffrey S. Wundt
Seller: Wade A. Whitaker
Date: 11/24/15

CHICOPEE

174 Ashgrove St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Merrill V. Champlin
Seller: Kos, Chester J., (Estate)
Date: 11/27/15

79 Casey Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Melissa M. Weibel
Seller: Brenda L. Kroeber
Date: 11/30/15

30 Cherryvale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $254,900
Buyer: William J. Snow
Seller: Scott R. Saville
Date: 11/20/15

247 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $139,400
Buyer: USA HUD
Seller: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Date: 11/18/15

38 Dorothy Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jessica Ojeda-Tarrats
Seller: Adam T. Tetrault
Date: 11/30/15

15 Gaylord St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: College Of Our Lady of the Elms
Seller: Marjorie C. Balicki
Date: 11/18/15

149 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Lillian R. Gamelli
Seller: Randy Recchia
Date: 11/16/15

207 Jacob St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Francisco Rodriguez
Seller: Peter A. White
Date: 11/23/15

161 Lafayette St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Kyle Laplante
Seller: Donald R. Chapdelaine
Date: 11/23/15

22 Mill St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Ana I. Colondres
Seller: Jennifer R. Rurak
Date: 11/25/15

455 Oldfield Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Gustavo A. Santos
Date: 11/25/15

242 Rolf Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $129,500
Buyer: Heather J. Jagodowski
Seller: Rose Lukiwsky
Date: 11/20/15

76 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Orange Park Management
Seller: HY Management LLC
Date: 11/27/15

51 Waite Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $239,500
Buyer: John Wilkie
Seller: Gail A. Kosiorek
Date: 11/18/15

176 Wildermere St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Douglas W. Prive
Seller: Geraldine A. Kasulinous
Date: 11/30/15

EAST LONGMEADOW

113 Brookhaven Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Timothy P. Crimmins
Seller: Mark C. Penndorf
Date: 11/20/15

65 Brookhaven Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Mark A. Jones
Seller: Stanley R. Shaw
Date: 11/13/15

Capri Dr. #27
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Kent Pecoy & Sons Construction
Seller: Bella Vista Land Holdings
Date: 11/18/15

15 Frankwyn St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Caitlin O’Brien
Seller: Racicot, Carole, (Estate)
Date: 11/20/15

81 Hillside Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Samantha J. Carey
Seller: Brandon O’Dell
Date: 11/25/15

393 Pease Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $352,000
Buyer: Michelle Segura
Seller: Dianne K. Jordan
Date: 11/20/15

271 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $231,500
Buyer: Christopher M. Eckers
Seller: Maria Damico
Date: 11/20/15

292 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Russell Doane
Seller: Gerald N. Lantaigne
Date: 11/18/15

31 Yorkshire Place
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $296,200
Buyer: Aniello Gisolfi
Seller: Douglas Fisher
Date: 11/20/15

HAMPDEN

239 Allen St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: William A. Kerr
Seller: New England Power Co.
Date: 11/23/15

41 Bennett Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Ronald A. Kempf
Seller: Sandra R. Schermerhorn
Date: 11/20/15

118 Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $276,094
Buyer: USA HUD
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 11/24/15

93 Somers Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $115,500
Buyer: Guy Dewolf
Seller: US Bank
Date: 11/12/15

HOLLAND

4 Cobham Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Richard Shonak
Seller: John M. Stevens
Date: 11/25/15

100 Maybrook Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Robert F. Terbush
Seller: Donna Pearson
Date: 11/30/15

20 Old Acres Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Douglas S. Columb
Seller: O’Connor, James B., (Estate)
Date: 11/17/15

26 Stony Hill Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Anne M. Villa
Seller: Stephen R. Dwyer
Date: 11/12/15

HOLYOKE

15 Clinton Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $214,500
Buyer: James M. Huston
Seller: Maria I. Neves
Date: 11/12/15

65 Lindor Heights
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $264,900
Buyer: Miguel Rivera
Seller: Susan J. Mikolajczyk
Date: 11/19/15

204-206 Locust St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $147,798
Buyer: Westvue NPL T
Seller: Michelle R. Gamache
Date: 11/18/15

10 Mackintosh Terrace
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Shepard Torres
Seller: Maria U. Griffin
Date: 11/25/15

179 Morgan St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Leonard A. Brouillette
Seller: Raymond Smalley
Date: 11/24/15

208 Southampton Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Eric D. Trompke
Seller: Michele M. Melnick
Date: 11/20/15

42 Washington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $119,790
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Miguel A. Ortiz
Date: 11/13/15

Whiting Farms Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $2,000,000
Buyer: New Holyoke Realty LLC
Seller: Holyoke Gas & Electric
Date: 11/23/15

LONGMEADOW

123 Crestview Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Laplante Construction Inc.
Seller: Todd M. Adelson
Date: 11/12/15

17 Crestview Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Rebecca Kwasnik
Seller: Eric G. Gorenstein
Date: 11/13/15

105 Fenwood Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Christopher D. Legiadre
Seller: Brochu, Judith E., (Estate)
Date: 11/18/15

145 Franklin Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Tracey Messina
Seller: John G. Dee
Date: 11/20/15

109 Greenacre Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Christy L. Parziale
Seller: James H. Stewart
Date: 11/19/15

89 Lincoln Park
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Donald A. Overson
Seller: Sally Sadak
Date: 11/24/15

28 Meadow Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Tomroc Holdings LLC
Seller: Hodesh, Virginia A., (Estate)
Date: 11/23/15

196 Meadowlark Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Ira Smolowitz
Seller: William Raleigh
Date: 11/20/15

17 Ridge Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $327,500
Buyer: Dat N. Dang
Seller: Harold F. Alston
Date: 11/24/15

29 Wimbleton Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Maureen E. Crowley
Seller: Gerald A. Silvestri
Date: 11/20/15

67 Wimbleton Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Wimbleton Drive RT
Seller: Lisa A. Maxey
Date: 11/16/15

LUDLOW

58 Beachside Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Susan Gamelli
Seller: William A. Alves
Date: 11/20/15

96 Clearwater Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: David Fernandes
Seller: Maria J. Goncalves
Date: 11/16/15

53 Davis St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: David G. Abdou
Seller: Ghislain R. Mathieu
Date: 11/13/15

45 Jackie Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Marco A. Alvan
Seller: Jose L. Marques
Date: 11/20/15

972 Poole St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Albert P. Witkowsky
Seller: Jorge J. Fonseca
Date: 11/16/15

21 Skyridge St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Randi E. Pereira
Seller: Gary G. Bourbeau
Date: 11/12/15

220 Ventura St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Gil E. Gomes
Seller: Paul E. Hillsburg
Date: 11/17/15

MONSON

206 Brimfield Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Karen Palmerino
Seller: Elizabeth T. Foucher
Date: 11/30/15

20 High St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Jessica L. Klisiewicz
Seller: Pamela M. Wentworth
Date: 11/30/15

372 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $237,213
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Jaime M. Miner
Date: 11/24/15

95 May Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Jeanne R. Guertin
Seller: Anthony J. Norbut
Date: 11/30/15

265 Silver St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $234,500
Buyer: Christine A. Champagne
Seller: Jeanne R. Guertin
Date: 11/30/15

25 State St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Robert L. Meacham
Seller: Mary A. Meacham
Date: 11/25/15

MONTGOMERY

184 Pitcher St.
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Frank Pietrasiuk
Seller: Theresa M. Farina
Date: 11/13/15

PALMER

295 Burlingame Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Samuel T. Gay
Seller: Victor J. Granger
Date: 11/13/15

174 Chudy St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Thomas A. Palazzi
Seller: Jones, Barbara E., (Estate)
Date: 11/25/15

36 Edgewood St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Annunziata Cardaropoli
Seller: Ania M. Waite
Date: 11/13/15

1760 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Audrey M. Wilcox
Seller: Chester J. Bogacz
Date: 11/13/15

1088 Pleasant St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Nicholas D. Lee
Seller: Michael D. Staples
Date: 11/24/15

51 Highland Ave.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Corey R. Sampson
Seller: Lee M. Kozikowski
Date: 11/30/15

52 Overlook Dr.
Russell, MA 01085
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: 52 Overlook Drive Land TR
Seller: John T. Leahy

581 Woodland Way
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Lee M. Kozikowski
Seller: Kyle A. Dulude
Date: 11/30/15

SOUTHWICK

4 Eden Hill
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Carmine B. Santaniello
Seller: Mark C. Placek
Date: 11/30/15

7 Falmouth Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Peter M. Merceri
Seller: Gertrude R. Raymond
Date: 11/18/15

100 Fred Jackson Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Walter E. Drenen
Seller: George L. Darm
Date: 11/25/15

31 George Loomis Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Kirsten Prouty
Seller: Jason A. Wyse
Date: 11/30/15

5 Junction Station Road #5
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: John E. Provencher
Seller: 20 Depot Square LLC
Date: 11/12/15

10 Oak St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jake Malkoon
Seller: Paul Troy
Date: 11/13/15

133 South Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Patrick T. Call
Seller: David P. Whalley
Date: 11/30/15

SPRINGFIELD

379 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: NDA 385 Allen St LLC
Seller: Michael J. Mastronardi
Date: 11/18/15

385 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: NDA 385 Allen St LLC
Seller: Michael J. Mastronardi
Date: 11/18/15

527 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Sonal Patel LLC
Seller: O’Connell Oil Associates
Date: 11/16/15

Allen St. (NES)
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: NDA 385 Allen St. LLC
Seller: Michael J. Mastronardi
Date: 11/18/15

32 Ashmont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Courtney Merkman
Seller: Patricia E. Garrigan
Date: 11/16/15

46 Barrington Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Tong Wang
Seller: Peter A. Maneen
Date: 11/23/15

45 Bartlett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Eddie Gonzalez
Seller: Nery Bernal
Date: 11/30/15

282 Breckwood Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Janyce L. Casey
Seller: Joseph Andrade
Date: 11/19/15

59 Chalmers St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Porfirio Agosto
Seller: Fitzgerald, Mary R., (Estate)
Date: 11/20/15

79 Chesterfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Rafael A. Vallejo
Seller: Mary A. Lynch
Date: 11/19/15

313 Christopher Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Schmaelzle
Seller: Jamary Rosa
Date: 11/12/15

76-78 Cleveland St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Susana Mercedes-Demota
Seller: Jose F. Urbieta
Date: 11/19/15

11 Colony Road
Springfield, MA 01106
Amount: $351,000
Buyer: Matthew C. Szostkiewicz
Seller: Kati T. Litten
Date: 11/12/15

162-164 Corthell St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Bobby Corona
Seller: MS Homes LLC
Date: 11/24/15

385-387 Eastern Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Springfield College
Seller: Save Our Kids Outreach
Date: 11/17/15

139 Ellsworth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Pauline Loiselle
Seller: Christopher G. Reed
Date: 11/23/15

61 Emerson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Tika Sharma
Seller: Georgia M. Fenderson
Date: 11/24/15

9 Emmet St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Marie Markham-Twana
Seller: Tiana Simmonds
Date: 11/20/15

59 Fox Hill Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Juan A. Lozada
Seller: Peoplesbank
Date: 11/30/15

9 Greenbrier St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Arbely Mejia
Seller: Lois A. Chase
Date: 11/16/15

45 Hadley St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Sandra A. Kelly
Seller: Erin M. Landers
Date: 11/30/15

60 Jeanne Marie St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $153,500
Buyer: Kofie Afriyie
Seller: TJM Properties LLC
Date: 11/12/15

43-45 Jenness St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Alix L. Hogu
Date: 11/16/15

56 Kazbeck St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Angela M. Burke
Seller: Jane Sokolowski
Date: 11/13/15

47 Kulig St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $158,500
Buyer: Rashad M. Evans
Seller: Thomas A. Murphy
Date: 11/23/15

155 Lucerne Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Diana Marte
Seller: Pamela M. Marsh
Date: 11/23/15

242 Mallowhill Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Aaron Law
Seller: Melro Assocs.
Date: 11/24/15

98 Manchester Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Michelle Connolly
Seller: Barbara A. Young
Date: 11/23/15

184 Marmon St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $215,200
Buyer: Bunthany Thap
Seller: Denis G. Normand
Date: 11/20/15

70 Martel Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $185,900
Buyer: Evelee Acevedo
Seller: Kevin Czaplicki
Date: 11/25/15

84 Mayfair Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Susan M. Cocchi
Date: 11/19/15

110 Melha Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Jose J. Salas-Delgado
Seller: Raefat Tleis
Date: 11/20/15

174 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Boysen M. Hodgson
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 11/17/15

181 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Maxine Allen
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 11/12/15

101 Old Farm Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $209,616
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Aaron P. Pieczarka
Date: 11/13/15

25 Parkin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Maritza Lozada
Seller: Maureen E. Crowley
Date: 11/20/15

304 Peekskill Ave.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Jamie Dupell
Seller: Albert P. Witkowsky
Date: 11/19/15

75 Penrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Jeannette Ortiz
Seller: Bernard F. Morris
Date: 11/30/15

51 Rencelau St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Anthony D. Sokoll
Seller: John Martin
Date: 11/30/15

47 Ridgewood Terrace
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: David R. Mosley
Date: 11/24/15

7 Signal Hill Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Daniil Hatsitski
Seller: Stanley Czaplicki
Date: 11/13/15

1515 State St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: COP Springfield LLC
Seller: Carlex Realty LP
Date: 11/17/15

570 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Sonal Patel LLC
Seller: O’Connell Oil Associates
Date: 11/16/15

60 Switzer Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $192,400
Buyer: Jason P. Whitehead
Seller: FNMA
Date: 11/16/15

53 Timothy Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Rosalyn Rodriguez
Seller: Angela Cosenzi
Date: 11/24/15

309 Trafton Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Aileen Delgado
Seller: Michael P. Sklarz
Date: 11/17/15

116 Wayne St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Florence C. Watson
Seller: Michelle A. Segura
Date: 11/20/15

40 Wayside St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $219,400
Buyer: Manuel Rodriguez
Seller: Kathleen M. Gagne
Date: 11/17/15

137 Whittum Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: David F. Nicoli
Seller: Anthony Nicoli
Date: 11/12/15

116 Willowbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $120,600
Buyer: Citimortgage Inc.
Seller: William Benoit
Date: 11/23/15

31 Winterset Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $197,425
Buyer: Jenna T. Collins
Seller: Cathie A. Schweitzer
Date: 11/25/15

201 Wollaston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $189,500
Buyer: Arturo M. Gonzalez
Seller: FNMA
Date: 11/27/15

WEST SPRINGFIELD

71 Avondale Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Joseph S. Wozniak
Seller: Leonor Gallant
Date: 11/16/15

141 Bonair Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $131,100
Buyer: Michael J. Giuggio
Seller: Lynn M. Usher
Date: 11/20/15

103 Circle Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Amber M. Bitso
Seller: John M. Rulnick
Date: 11/30/15

1215 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Ralph R. Schmidt
Date: 11/25/15

27 Lower Beverly Hills
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Matthew P. Marchetto
Seller: Casey S. Fuller
Date: 11/13/15

55 Maple Heights
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Viachaslau Lavar
Date: 11/16/15

660 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Kristen L. Mantoni
Seller: Paul J. Mantoni
Date: 11/13/15

186 Sikes Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $135,150
Buyer: MHFA
Seller: Sean D. Ginn
Date: 11/13/15

Tiara Lane #6
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Ryan P. Murray
Seller: Kolodziej Enterprises LLC
Date: 11/25/15

524 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Jose L. Cintron
Seller: Ima R. Semprebon
Date: 11/16/15

WESTFIELD

11 Brenda Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Christopher Barna
Seller: Robert H. Lepage
Date: 11/13/15

247 Buck Pond Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Semen Kovalyuk
Seller: William Brown
Date: 11/27/15

47 Christopher Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Andrew Woodbury
Seller: Scott C. Andrews
Date: 11/24/15

17 Clark St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Thomas C. Preuss
Seller: David Perez
Date: 11/20/15

12 Evergreen Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $251,500
Buyer: Adam T. Tetrault
Seller: Colin D. Tansey
Date: 11/30/15

8 Frank Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Jessica A. Tansey
Seller: David W. Dannolfo
Date: 11/30/15

11 Furrow St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Joshua A. Heath
Seller: Donna E. Dickinson
Date: 11/16/15

104 Glenwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,054
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Kathleen B. Jenks
Date: 11/25/15

38 Glenwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: James A. Borowiec
Seller: Daniel M. Kane
Date: 11/25/15

8 Heritage Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jennifer R. Rurak
Seller: Geraldine A. Brennan
Date: 11/25/15

287 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Greg J. Heath
Seller: Amanda M. Forgey
Date: 11/30/15

3 Locust St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $203,900
Buyer: David S. Weaver
Seller: Michael C. Ogilvie
Date: 11/19/15

84 Loomis Ridge
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Chelsie Cremona
Seller: David L. Halasi-Kun
Date: 11/18/15

15 McKinley Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Ronald C. Barry
Seller: John P. Douglas
Date: 11/30/15

30 Morgan Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $145,953
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Craig A. McLaughlin
Date: 11/16/15

30 Morgan Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Joseph Sampson
Seller: US Bank
Date: 11/24/15

N/A
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Krystal L. Ayala
Seller: Carl J. Ashley
Date: 11/20/15

N/A
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Vitaliy Skazhynyuk
Seller: Korrie Katsikis
Date: 11/30/15

130 North Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: North Road TR
Seller: Ronald F. Conrad
Date: 11/18/15

44 Park St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Gerald J. Fratini
Seller: Muranko, Eanda, (Estate)
Date: 11/20/15

21 Phillip Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Michael J. Bokuniewicz
Seller: Dominick J. Blasioli
Date: 11/23/15

7 Sherman St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Florida Corp.
Seller: Nathan J. Wojcik
Date: 11/12/15

435 Southwick Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Chris A. Elliott
Seller: Irena Kozikowska
Date: 11/20/15

6 State St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Scott C. Andrews
Seller: Eric Eheander
Date: 11/24/15

127 Steiger Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $244,999
Buyer: Melissa L. Campana
Seller: Robert Mackay
Date: 11/19/15

WILBRAHAM

23 Carla Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $385,150
Buyer: Phillip Brousseau
Seller: AC Homebuilding LLC
Date: 11/30/15

3 Greenwood Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Freeman Knowlton
Seller: Cynthia M. Drobiazgiewicz
Date: 11/12/15

5 Highridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Stephen R. Welch
Seller: Jamshid A. Afnan
Date: 11/12/15

10 Hunting Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Michael P. Disa
Seller: Peter G. Meunier
Date: 11/30/15

12 Maple St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $164,157
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Irene L. Thornton
Date: 11/19/15

407 Monson Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Jason Caron
Seller: William J. Henaghan
Date: 11/25/15

247 Soule Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: F. Joseph Horacek
Seller: Judith Howard
Date: 11/13/15

6 Woodsley Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $592,000
Buyer: CIL Realty of Mass. Inc.
Seller: James H. Anderson
Date: 11/30/15

6 Wright Place
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Nathan T. Walker
Seller: Carol A. Meaney
Date: 11/30/15

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

15 Carriage Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Francine Krause
Seller: FHLM
Date: 11/20/15

26 Chesterfield Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Susan B. Cleary
Seller: Janet K. Price
Date: 11/20/15

111 Chestnut St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: David P. Lepak
Seller: Smith, Judy B., (Estate)
Date: 11/25/15

157 East Hadley Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $191,800
Buyer: Metin Yavuz
Seller: Terry G. Oppermann
Date: 11/24/15

132 Farmington Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Kevin P. Joy
Date: 11/25/15

328 Lincoln Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Patrick Conroy
Seller: GP Amherst LLC
Date: 11/27/15

137 Logtown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $235,300
Buyer: Nicholas E. Stern
Seller: 137 Logtown NT
Date: 11/24/15

35 Owen Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: James Bullock
Seller: John F. McCutcheon
Date: 11/17/15

90 Summer St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $627,300
Buyer: Karin N. Fischer
Seller: Sunwood Development Corp.
Date: 11/17/15

12 Teawaddle Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: Thomas I. White
Seller: Hilary J. Lombard
Date: 11/16/15

214 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: Michael Krebs
Seller: Izabela Sremac
Date: 11/24/15

BELCHERTOWN

15 Bay Path Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $348,250
Buyer: Aaron W. Gazaway
Seller: Stephen Smith
Date: 11/23/15

91 Eskett Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Cory M. McKenna
Seller: Eliza A. Summers
Date: 11/20/15

N/A
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Home Equity Assets Realty
Seller: Home Equity Assets Realty
Date: 11/17/15

369 South Gulf Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $563,400
Buyer: Jaber F. & Suzanne Gubrium TR
Seller: Marion S. Sulsky RET
Date: 11/20/15

12 Sarah Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Brian J. Long
Seller: Susan A. Bradway
Date: 11/19/15

368 Turkey Hill Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $568,000
Buyer: John S. Mastej
Seller: James F. Bachand
Date: 11/17/15

CHESTERFIELD

99 Cummington Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jesse P. Clark
Seller: David A. Fields
Date: 11/25/15

EASTHAMPTON

12 Ballard St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Philip L. Knight
Seller: S&C Homebuyers LLC
Date: 11/13/15

14-16 Clinton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $191,500
Buyer: Kuel McQuaid
Seller: Joanille A. Kmiecik
Date: 11/13/15

26-28 Clinton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Bethany Meyers
Seller: Jesse M. Meyers
Date: 11/19/15

17 Deerfield Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Kevin J. Wilby
Seller: Matthew C. Boudreau
Date: 11/20/15

62 Division St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Adam D. Grygorcewicz
Seller: Mary T. Hart
Date: 11/30/15

110 Florence Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Jonathan N. Kelley
Seller: Stanley A. Boszko
Date: 11/20/15

9 Kingsberry Way
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Aaron J. Damario
Seller: F&G Development Corp.
Date: 11/19/15

5-7 Oakdale Place
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $201,500
Buyer: Manhan Properties LLC
Seller: Pierre Orelus
Date: 11/30/15

37 Pine Hill Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $305,900
Buyer: John L. Morin
Seller: Neil J. Nusbaum
Date: 11/16/15

16 South St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Ketcham
Seller: US Bank
Date: 11/17/15

15 Wright St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Andrea Woodlock
Seller: David R. Root
Date: 11/20/15

GOSHEN

33 Phelps Lane
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: David E. Guido
Seller: Maria L. Lauretano
Date: 11/20/15

GRANBY

1 Cold Hill Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Katherine A. Kelly-Regan
Seller: Jeannette M. Kelly IRT
Date: 11/17/15

176 East St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Westover Metropolitan Development Corp.
Seller: Eric D. Trompke
Date: 11/19/15

31 Ferry Hill Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Linda M. Lapointe
Seller: Joshua Civelli
Date: 11/30/15

14 Griswold Circle
Granby, MA 01033
Buyer: National Equity Inc.
Seller: Susan C. Misiaszek
Date: 11/16/15

162 Kendall St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $131,250
Buyer: Home Improvement Assocs.
Seller: US Bank
Date: 11/18/15

HADLEY

46 Chmura Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Hughes
Seller: William J. Grabiec
Date: 11/25/15

HATFIELD

26 Chestnut St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Wickles
Seller: Steven P. Brunette
Date: 11/20/15

HUNTINGTON

7 Harlow Clark Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Brendon Schutter
Seller: Christopher Maddock
Date: 11/20/15

NORTHAMPTON

429 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Balbir K. Singh
Seller: Shutt, Nancy K., (Estate)
Date: 11/13/15

30 Burncolt Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Barbara J. Johnson
Seller: Sean M. Sexton
Date: 11/19/15

1261 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Keith R. Moors
Seller: Joann Toomey
Date: 11/16/15

20 Charles St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Black Sheep Development
Seller: Mary E. Walker
Date: 11/30/15

74 Chestnut Ave.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Nicholas M. Wojcik
Seller: Beaver Brook NT
Date: 11/19/15

145 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $580,675
Buyer: Cathleen O. Wilson
Seller: Rosemund LLC
Date: 11/18/15

53 Ford Xing
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $428,083
Buyer: Linda J. Baker
Seller: Kent Pecoy & Sons Construction
Date: 11/18/15

65 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Sandra K. Hanig
Seller: Kim J. Payne
Date: 11/24/15

175 Main St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: J. J. Marney LLC
Seller: Nali Associates LLC
Date: 11/19/15

6 Maple St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Johanna E. Radding
Seller: Michelle S. Dilts
Date: 11/16/15

50 Musante Dr.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $524,115
Buyer: Fernando M. Gorostieta
Seller: Kent Pecoy & Sons Construction
Date: 11/13/15

17 Perkins Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Claire M. Hill
Seller: Edmund D. Lennihan
Date: 11/13/15

28 Rick Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Debra Scoon
Seller: Elizabeth Jones

81 Ryan Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Susan C. Ashman
Seller: Stephen Hawley
Date: 11/25/15

171 South St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Gregory Schweitzer
Seller: Peter A. Pacosa
Date: 11/30/15

PELHAM

214 North Valley Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Zacharie A. Agnerto
Seller: Lippincott, Maureen V., (Estate)
Date: 11/13/15

PLAINFIELD

291 West St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Amount: $134,760
Buyer: Shane P. Daly
Seller: Bertha G. Higgins
Date: 11/24/15

SOUTH HADLEY

17 Bridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $737,500
Buyer: Laxmi Petroleum Inc.
Seller: Keya Petroleum Corp
Date: 11/20/15

19 Bridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $737,500
Buyer: Laxmi Petroleum Inc.
Seller: Keya Petroleum Corp.
Date: 11/20/15

6 Jacobs Way
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Stephen N. Black
Seller: Home Improvement Assocs.
Date: 11/16/15

169 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $275,900
Buyer: Mohammad A. Javaid
Seller: Brian J. Fitzgerald
Date: 11/20/15

404 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $118,800
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Harold D. Mentiphy
Date: 11/17/15

9 Parkview Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Ryan M. Cauley
Seller: Mark E. Cauley
Date: 11/19/15

27 Riverlodge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $382,507
Buyer: Kristine M. Maguire
Seller: Kimberly E. Spring
Date: 11/13/15

59 Searle Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Michael Jarmuzewski
Seller: William R. Graham
Date: 11/20/15

38 Washington Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Danielle M. Carey
Seller: Jared Carver
Date: 11/13/15

SOUTHAMPTON

182 Brickyard Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $393,000
Buyer: Mary T. Hart
Seller: David Garstka Builders
Date: 11/24/15

282 Fomer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Peter J. Pitoniak
Seller: Norton Garfinkle
Date: 11/19/15

73 Gilbert Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Benjamin J. Hogan
Seller: Edward H. Gwinner
Date: 11/16/15

11 Helen Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Laura A. Facteau
Seller: Benjamin J. Hogan
Date: 11/16/15

84 Strong Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Rachel L. Decker
Seller: Susan C. Ashman
Date: 11/25/15

121 White Loaf Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $366,033
Buyer: Joseph W. Westcott
Seller: Lisa M. Cruz
Date: 11/30/15

WARE

295 Palmer Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $121,000
Buyer: Ryan L. Cochran
Seller: Balicki, Mildred R., (Estate)
Date: 11/19/15

1 Walter Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Karla L. Cooper-Jordan
Date: 11/19/15

WESTHAMPTON

Lyman Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Bryan J. Balicki
Seller: Donald B. Lyman TR
Date: 11/18/15

WILLIAMSBURG

106 Ashfield Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Marika N. Gerhart
Seller: Lisa A. Hall
Date: 11/30/15

6 Nash Hill Place
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $282,500
Buyer: Jesse S. Camp
Seller: Bernard J. Superba
Date: 11/24/15

WORTHINGTON

24 Indian Oven Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $216,202
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Adam Leach
Date: 11/13/15

46 Old Post Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Steven W. Strom
Seller: Jared L. Phillips
Date: 11/24/15

Doing Business As Certificates

By BusinessWest Staff December 29, 2015

DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of December 2015.

AGAWAM

Servpro of Springfield
71 Ramah Circle
Olga Gold

AMHERST

Next Wave Power Technologies
131 Middle St.
Michael Biron

Round the Corner Brownie Company
3 Laurel Lane
Dawn Lepere

Solarpunk Press
58 North East St.
Faith Gregory

Visual Concepts
170 East Hadley Road
Yvonne Mendez

CHICOPEE

Connie’s Cuts
104 Lauzier Terrace
Connie Mendes

ELB Realty
239 Naragansett Blvd.
Bruce Topa

Harmony House
66 View St.
Judith Trudell

Odor is Gone
57 Clarendon Ave.
Oksara Bukansova

Royal Coach Sales, LLC
658 Fuller Road
John Garcia

The Ticket Master
28 Myrtle St.
Luke Vincente

HADLEY

63 East Realty, LLC
63 East Realty, LLC
Babak Gojgini

Advance Auto Parts
346 Russell St.
Michael Norona

Affordable Autos of Hadley
11 Railroad St.
Norman Wilber

Elements Massage
379 Russell St.
Marmich, LLC

Hadley Hops
83 Rocky Hill Road
David Moskin

Hadley Tax
229 Russell St.
Robert Lowney

Kentucky Fried Chicken
3 South Maple St.
Michael Houston

HOLYOKE

Dunkin Donuts
225 Whiting St.
Lori Martins

Heritage Auto Transport
49 Laurel St.
Nathan Charette

Jackson Law
573 Northampton St.
Karen Jackson

Paper City Tattoo
1735 Northampton St.
James D. Riddle

Shammas Pizza
172 Sargeant St.
Joseph Ortiz

NORTHAMPTON

Sage & Cedar Landscaping Home Improvement
284 Spring St.
Brian Eaton

The Research Group
51 Day Ave.
Nancy Mihevc

Urban Exchange
233 Main St.
Silvia Namburgev

PALMER

Fredette Construction
3 Fairfield Dr.
Andrew Fredette

M.G. Janitorial Services
405 Springfield St.
Margaret Guberous

Rogue Chocolatier
2022 Bridge St.
Colin Gasko

S.V. Cleaning
1084 Pleasant St.
Sergey Ukranets

SPRINGFIELD

Fraternity of Grace
1 Federal St.
Robert J. Greeley

Fresh Cut
56 St. James Ave.
Ernesto Padilla

Gentiva Health
2069 Roosevelt Ave.
Kim Hill

Hanna’s Diner
184 Main St.
Hanna Kucharzyk

Hiraldo Transport
244 Sumner Ave.
Miguel Hiraldo

Honor Foods
207 Liberty St.
Burris Springfield

JKJM Studios
115 State St.
Jamarri Kwame

LW Development, LLC
104 Dunmoreland St.
Lancelot Watson

MW Kitchen
81 Ranney St.
William Sanchez

Maxim Seamless Gutters
21 Cluster Circle
Maksim Barabolkin

Moda Lola
86 Renee Circle
Alice Gonzalez

O’Connell Care at Home
1 Federal St.
Francis P. O’Connell

Phenomenal Beauty
10 Orange St.
Ysabel Santana

Pipetek
49 Judson St.
Graham J. Boggis

Plus One Convenience
907 Carew St.
Sageer Nawaz

Presto Digital Transfer
472 Main St.
Christopher David

Primus Mason Credit Union
815 State St.
Greg Ellerbee

WESTFIELD

Direct Home Improvement
71 Wyben Road
Mark Sychev

SmokedBear Industreez
1 Crown St.
Kyle Thomas Smith

The Hairport
148 Elm St.
Mike’s Barber Shop

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Century Auto Service
1615 Riverdale St.
Peter Plantatis

Diamond Gold Connection
389 Park St.
Corporation GX

Maxim Healthcare Services
25 Capital Dr.
Centrus Premier Home Healthcare

S.T.A.N.
791 Piper Road
Stanley Zalewski

Storrowton Tavern
1305 Memorial Ave.
Vintage Inc.

True Crew
204 Baldwin St.
Jeffrey Gil

Wholesome Barn
78 Highland Ave.
Maksim Zhuk