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Why Alternative Dispute Resolution Is Growing in Popularity

Dispute Resolution

Dispute Resolution

Parties in legal matters ranging from divorce and child custody to business contracts are increasingly opting for alternative dispute resolution to settle their differences. Proponents of this model note that conflicts can be settled more quickly and amicably — especially important when children are involved — but also in a way that gives both parties more control over the outcome, and at far less cost.

A judgment of the court — whether on a divorce settlement, child custody, breach of contract, or ownership of a business — is final. And that can be a frightening thought for parties on both sides of a dispute.
“You’re handing these issues over to a third party who, in the best of circumstances, is going to have a day or two in trial to understand all the aspects of a business that may have been going on for 100 years or a marriage that has gone on for 30 years,” said Carla Newton, an attorney with Robinson Donovan, P.C. in Springfield.
“No matter how studious or attentive or learned the judge may be,” she added, “he doesn’t understand as much as the parties themselves about all the details and nuances of the needs of a child or the management of a business. When you use alternative dispute resolution, you’re making your own determination how the issues are going to be resolved.”
Alternative dispute resolution, or ADR, is a growing niche in the legal world that bypasses litigation before a judge and instead encourages parties to work out issues themselves, typically with the help of one or more neutral parties.
“In the past few years, it’s grown tremendously,” said Michael Grilli, an attorney with Springfield-based Bacon Wilson, P.C. “It first gained acceptance because of the potential cost savings, as opposed to having to litigate things in a traditional sense. And it’s a cleaner way to do things, especially with issues involving children. People acknowledge that, although their relationship is broken, they still need to maintain some sort of civility to parent their children together to some extent.”
But Grilli also echoed Newton’s point about the desire for control on both sides of the table.
“When you take things in front of a judge, the judge is going to make a lifetime, life-altering decision for you and your children,” he said. “In alternative dispute resolution, you own the outcome because it’s something you arrive at.”
In this issue, BusinessWest examines the various types of ADR and the benefits they provide to opposing parties who, in many cases, just want to stop fighting and work it out.

Common Goals
Alternative dispute resolution can take several forms. In mediation, a neutral professional guides the discussion, with or without counsel present, and helps the parties reach consensus on all issues. However, they cannot force any resolution; the opposite is true if the parties choose arbitration, in which a mutually agreed-upon third party is authorized to make binding decisions.
Meanwhile, collaborative law involves both parties, their attorneys, and one or more experts in various fields, from finance to behavioral health, in a group effort to reach consensus.
“The attorneys are still advocating for their clients, but also working as a team to resolve the issue in a way that involves the expertise of everyone at the table,” Newton said, adding that this is a particularly beneficial model for dealing with issues of business law. “You have more time to explore all the issues, and there’s a transparency of information that’s crucial. All the information is on the table and shared in a way that people can make thoughtful and meaningful decisions about resources, income, and property distribution.”
Neutral experts weighing in on, say, the value of a business or piece of real estate “reduces the cost of having my expert go up against your expert,” she added. “It doesn’t mean that everyone always agrees on the valuation, but it does provide a more open forum to explore these questions and come to a resolution in terms of how that asset is going to be valued.”
A fourth model of ADR, conciliation, is similar to mediation but focuses on compromise and concessions to reach resolutions with a minimum of rancor. Grilli has been on both sides of ADR cases, as an attorney representing one of the parties, and as a conciliator working for both.
“We can’t force the outcome on anyone,” he said of his role as a conciliator. “They don’t have to trust us with their stories, and they don’t have to litigate their case with us. It’s more of a dialogue than a litigation.
“I encourage people to use it,” he continued. “Very often, in cases I have of a contentious nature, I’ll ask judges to make referrals to use alternative dispute resolution. I think the people appreciate it and get the sense that I’m pursuing all avenues to solve their case. And the other attorneys like it; at least in the family-law field, they’re getting very experienced mediators and conciliators who know what they’re doing. I’ve had a lot of good experiences with it.”
A good conciliator, he explained, can examine a case and tell both parties how a judge would likely rule on certain matters. “It opens their eyes. They think, ‘well, doesn’t it make more sense to see if we can reach some sort of settlement that mirrors that, with less money, time, and pain?’”

Cut to the Chase
An aversion to spending years in legal proceedings, with steadily escalating bills, is, in fact, one of the driving factors in the increasing popularity of ADR, Grilli noted. Take, for example, a damage claim in a personal-injury case — say, an automobile rear-ending accident — in which liability is not an issue.
“Instead of a long, drawn-out process for damages, you can submit the medical bills to an arbitrator or mediator, and the case expenses are significantly less, and cases are resolved more quickly,” he said.
“It’s all about cost and time. You could be looking at a couple of years after filing a case to get before a judge, as opposed to a couple of months, not to mention that much more money spent litigating. Claimants think, ‘I don’t want to wait two years to have my case resolved.’”
Overloaded dockets have lent a new appeal to ADR, Newton said.
“Our courts are very crowded, and there are limitations on the amount of personnel and resources available to move cases through the court process,” she told BusinessWest. But other factors take into account the long-term emotional health of the parties, especially in divorce and custody disputes.
“People are becoming more sensitive to the fact that there is a benefit to being able to resolve family matters in a way that preserves what can be preserved of these family relationships, especially in families with children, where the parties are going to be connected for the rest of their lives through the children,” Newton said.
“They want to maintain a respectful communication with the other party,” she added. “They want to sustain that after the proceeding is over, and many people feel they have a better chance of doing that through an alternative dispute process as opposed to a situation where they’re resolving arguments by testifying against the other person.”
Grilli agreed. “I’ve heard a lot of judges say they consider it a more child-centered way to handle things, as long as you can get everybody on the same page,” he said. “If we want the end result that is best for the child, then people should be able to put their own selfish solutions aside and work for the best interest of the child.”

Not for Everyone?
Brad Spangler, a former research assistant at the University of Colorado Conflict Research Consortium, notes, in an online article for the university’s Beyond Intractability Project, that ADR has some potential drawbacks if used inappropriately.
“Some critics have concerns about the legitimacy of ADR outcomes, charging that ADR provides ‘second-class justice,’” he writes. “It is argued that people who cannot afford to go to court are those most likely to use ADR procedures. As a result, these people are less likely to truly ‘win’ a case because of the cooperative nature of ADR.
In addition, Spangler notes, “compromise can be a good way to settle some disputes, but it is not appropriate for others. In serious justice conflicts and cases of intolerable moral difference, compromise is simply not an option because the issues mean too much to the disputants.”
Another concern is the private nature of ADR settlements, which are off the public record and not exposed to public scrutiny. “This could be cause for concern in some cases. For example, using ADR to settle out of court could allow a company to resolve many instances of a defective product harming consumers, without the issue getting any public exposure. On the other hand, a court ruling could force the company to fix all problems associated with the bad product or even to remove it from the market.”
On the other hand, that privacy aspect is an attractive quality of ADR when dealing with a family matter or a business issue that affects only the individuals in dispute, Newton said.
“It’s starting to gain more acceptance in the areas of business disputes, home repairs, and contract litigation,” Grilli added. “I think what makes it attractive to people are the time savings, the cost savings, and the sense that you’re a little more actively involved in the process than you would be with traditional litigation.”
As for those family-law matters often marked by bitterness and resentment, Newton stressed that no alternative to litigation can totally suppress the bad feelings that led the parties to court. But maintaining a sense of control over the proceedings, she noted, can significantly reduce their level of anxiety.
“The process itself is innately difficult,” she said. “But in the case of a custody dispute, it’s a given that both parents love the child dearly, and you’re asking someone who doesn’t know them at all to make a decision that is going to impact them for the rest of their lives. That’s an overwhelming responsibility for any judge.”
Individuals who opt instead for alternative dispute resolution, on the other hand, maintain more control over the situation even as they trust the other party with an equal measure of control, she noted. “They’re acknowledging that they, who love this child dearly, can make this decision. And the vast majority of people do have the ability to reach these agreements and, with the right guidance, understand that not every divorce resolution has to be one where someone wins and someone loses.”
At what is often the most difficult point in two people’s lives, that’s a goal worth fighting for.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at
[email protected]

Departments

UMass Amherst Sees Largest First-year Class
AMHERST — An academically outstanding group of first-year students and the largest-ever class to enter the UMass Amherst has been welcomed to the campus, according to Chancellor Robert C. Holub. The Class of 2014, numbering approximately 4,500 students, was selected from a record 31,000 applicants. Maintaining its commitment to state residents, the university expects total enrollment of in-state students to increase slightly, totaling more than 16,000. Meanwhile, a larger number of out-of-state students, which has gone from 800 to 1,150, constitutes about one-fourth of the entering class. The academic profile of the incoming class is strong, about the same as last year with SAT scores of 1167 and a high school GPA of 3.61, added Holub. The demographic characteristics of the entering class are similar to last year. The percentage of African, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American students is 21%, and women make up slightly more than half of the class.

AIC Sees Growth Spurt
SPRINGFIELD — The first decade of the new millennium was a period of growth at American International College, and with the arrival of the Class of 2014, it looks like the growth spurt is continuing into the new decade, according to AIC President Vince M. Maniaci. He noted that, for the fifth consecutive year, overall undergraduate enrollment is at an all-time high for the institution. Since 2001, undergraduate enrollment has nearly doubled, and under Maniaci, the graduate enrollment figures have increased from fewer than 300 students to more than 1,600. Peter J. Miller, vice president of admission services, added that the Class of 2014 will come from 24 states and 10 countries including Canada, China, Afghanistan, England, Nigeria, Ghana, St. Lucia, Bermuda, Sweden, Japan, and Vietnam. Miller noted that nursing is the most popular major among the incoming freshmen.

Laboratory Receives Accreditation
WARE — Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, a member of Baystate Health, has been awarded reaccreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), based on the results of a recent on-site inspection. The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program is recognized by the federal government as being equal to or more stringent than the government’s own inspection program. The CAP is an advocate for high-quality and cost-effective medical care. The stringent inspection program is designed to ensure the highest standard of care for the laboratory’s patients, according to John Olinski, laboratory supervisor. Mary Lane’s lab currently processes more than 240,000 tests per year.

Balise Supports Glendi Festival Raffle
SPRINGFIELD — Balise Motor Sales contimued its strong support of the Glendi festival this year, sponsoring the grand prize of the event’s raffle, a vintage 1968 red Chevy Impala convertible. Proceeds from the raffle benefit scholarships and church programs of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Western Massachusetts. The Glendi Festival was staged September 10-12 on the church grounds on Main Street in Springfield.

Realtor Receives Green Designation
LONGMEADOW — Brenda Flower, a sales associate in the local Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office, has been awarded the National Assoc. of Realtors (NAR) Green Designation, the only green professional real-estate designation recognized by NAR. The designation provides Realtors with comprehensive knowledge about green homes and buildings and issues of sustainability in relation to real estate. As part of the course, Flower was trained in understanding what makes a property green, how to help clients evaluate the costs and benefits of green-building features and practices, and how to distinguish between industry rating and classification systems. Additionally, Flower received training on financial grants and incentives that are available to homeowners seeking an eco-friendly living environment.

Games2U Entertainment Franchise Enters Area
SPRINGFIELD — Games2U Entertainment, a state-of-the-art game theater and entertainment franchise, is bringing futuristic parties to homes, companies, and schools, according to Paul Jenney, who has launched a franchise in New England. Games2U features video games, laser tag, hamster balls, and more, delivered to the door of the party location. Jenney noted the franchise offers everyone the chance to have a “rock-star” party at an affordable price. Trained game coaches oversee the entire experience and manage each Games2U party throughout the event, allowing parents and event coordinators the chance to relax and enjoy the party, added Jenney. For more information, visit www.g2u.com.

$1M Grant to Enhance History Education
WESTFIELD — A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will help area school districts improve history teaching in grades 7 through 12 with innovative programs and new technology. The Center for Teacher Education and Research at Westfield State University collaborated with the Gateway Regional School District, the lead school district, to acquire the grant. The other participating public school districts are Chicopee, Hampshire Regional, Pittsfield, Westfield, and West Springfield. Also included in the grant program are the Amherst-based Veteran’s Education Project, the Westfield Athenaeum, and the History Department at Westfield State, along with the Historical Journal of Massachusetts, which is published by the university. The grant, titled “Memorializing Promise and Conflict: A Monumental History of American Democracy,” is part of the federal Teaching American History (TAH) program. The TAH grants program seeks to increase teacher content knowledge in American history, develop historical thinking skills, and develop strategies and skills in implementing content into the classroom. Funded projects for the teachers will include travel, book discussions, and work with the Historical Journal of Massachusetts.

MassMutual Earns Top Rating from Research Group
SPRINGFIELD — In Boston Research Group’s recently released 2010 DCP Retirement Advisor Satisfaction and Loyalty Study, MassMutual’s Retirement Services Division ranked first overall among all providers in eight key categories important to adviser satisfaction. Advisers rated MassMutual number one in “offers competitive advantages,” scoring 21 points higher than the industry average and seven points higher than the nearest competitor. Notably, compared to the norm, advisers who work with MassMutual have 42% more plans in force, have 54% more defined-contribution-plan assets under management, and have sold more than twice as many plans in the past two years, indicating that advisers who are heavily focused on the institutional retirement-plan market have identified MassMutual as a provider of choice. The nationwide survey of 649 retirement advisers was conducted from February to April 2010 and represents 20 defined-contribution retirement-plan providers. MassMutual was also ranked first by advisers among all providers surveyed for: wholesaler partners for success, participant education program, Internet capabilities for plan sponsors, Internet capabilities for participants, participant statement, seminar assistance, and product education for the adviser. Boston Research Group is a strategic market-research and consulting firm that specializes in the financial-services industry.

Departments

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

AGAWAM

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

CHICOPEE

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

GREENFIELD

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

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

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

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

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

HADLEY

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

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

HOLYOKE

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

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

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

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

LUDLOW

Verizon
131 Winsor St.
$133,000 — Alterations

NORTHAMPTON

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

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

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

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

PALMER

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

SOUTH HADLEY

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

SOUTHWICK

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

SPRINGFIELD

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

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

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

WESTFIELD

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

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

WEST SPRINGFIELD

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

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

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

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

Departments

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

AGAWAM

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

CHICOPEE

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

GREENFIELD

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

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

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

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

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

HADLEY

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

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

HOLYOKE

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

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

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

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

LUDLOW

Verizon
131 Winsor St.
$133,000 — Alterations

NORTHAMPTON

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

 

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

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

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

PALMER

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

SOUTH HADLEY

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

SOUTHWICK

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

SPRINGFIELD

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

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

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

WESTFIELD

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

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

WEST SPRINGFIELD

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

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

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

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

Sections Supplements
Knowledge of the Law Can Be Your Best Asset When Coping with These Issues

Gina Barry

Gina Barry

Certain ideas with respect to estate planning are widely accepted, yet unfortunately, inaccurate. This article will reveal and explain the most commonly stated estate planning myths.

Myth No. 1: ‘If I have a valid will, my estate does not have to go through probate.’
Many people believe that having a will means that their estate will not have to be probated when they pass away. A will is a document that, in part, gives instructions as to the distribution of the assets in the decedent’s probate estate. The assets in the probate estate are those assets that are held in the decedent’s name alone that do not have a designated beneficiary. Thus, whether or not probate is needed is not based upon whether or not the decedent had a will; rather, it is based upon how the assets are owned by the decedent.
If the decedent left probate assets, then in order for their will to ‘speak,’ a probate estate must be opened. If all the assets held in the decedent’s name are jointly owned with a right of survivorship or have named beneficiaries, then there is no need for probate.

Myth No. 2: ‘I can give away $10,000 to as many people as I want each year, but if I give more, then I have to pay gift tax.’
This myth emanates from the gift-tax system. In 2010, the rule with respect to gift tax is that you may give up to $13,000 to as many people as you want without having to file a gift-tax return. Note that the amount that can be gifted is stated incorrectly in the myth because most people remain unaware of the ongoing increases to the allowable gift amount.
Also under the current rules, even if a gift-tax return must be filed because more than $13,000 is given to one person, the giver of the gift will not pay any gift tax until he or she has gifted more than $1 million during their lifetime. Thus, if a person has $100,000 and gives all of it away in one year to one person, they will need to file a gift tax return, but they will not owe any gift tax because the gift does not exceed the lifetime threshold.

Myth No. 3: ‘I can give away assets when I enter a nursing home and still obtain Medicaid benefits.’
When faced with a nursing home bill of approximately $8,000 per month, many people wish to obtain Medicaid benefits to pay for this care. In order to obtain Medicaid benefits, an asset limit must be met; therefore, assets valued above this amount must be reduced to the asset limit before benefits will be granted. In their efforts to reduce the excess assets, many people believe that they can gift the excess assets due to the gift-tax exclusion explained in Myth No. 2. While a person can make a gift of up to $13,000 per person in 2010 without filing a gift tax return, the Medicaid program is not governed by the gift tax rules.
The Medicaid program imposes a penalty when any assets are given away within five years of the application for benefits, except in very specific circumstances. This penalty results in being unable to obtain Medicaid benefits for at least five years after such a gift is made. Thus, a gift of any amount will typically result in a penalty being imposed even if the gift does not have to be reported on a gift-tax return.

Myth No. 4 – ‘If I need nursing home care, Medicare will pay for my care.’
In part, this myth is perpetuated due to the fact that “Medicare” sounds very much like “Medicaid,” which does pay benefits for nursing home care for approved applicants. Medicare Part A will pay for medically necessary inpatient care in a skilled nursing facility, but only following a three-day hospital stay. Medicare will pay for up to 100 days of skilled nursing care or rehabilitation services. The actual length of benefits could be much shorter than 100 days if those services are no longer required.
When Medicare benefits are paid, Medicare pays 100% of the cost for the first 20 days, but only 80% of the cost of the next 80 days. Most Medicare recipients also have Medigap insurance, which will pay the balance not paid by Medicare. When Medicare benefits are exhausted, an alternative payment source is needed to pay for ongoing nursing home care.

Gina M. Barry is a partner with the law firm of Bacon Wilson, P.C., Attorneys at Law. She is a member of the National Assoc. of Elder Law Attorneys, the Estate Planning Council, and the Western Mass. Elder Care Professionals Association. She concentrates her practice in the areas of estate and asset-protection planning, probate administration and litigation, guardianships, conservatorships and residential real estate; (413) 781-0560; [email protected].

Cover Story
A New Potential Developer, Renewed Optimism for State School Site

Cover August 30, 2010

Cover August 30, 2010

To date, efforts to redevelop the former Belchertown State School property have been met with only frustration and some embarrassing moments — the last lead development team bounced a check on the town as it proceeded with initial steps in the process. But there is renewed, if cautious optimism as another outfit, Pennsylvania-based Weston Solutions, goes through the due diligence process on the challenged but opportunity-laden property. Said a Weston executive: “Let’s look at the canvas, see what we’ve got. Then we can figure out what brushes and paint we want to use, and then we move forward.”

Bill Terry made a show of knocking on his wooden conference table when introducing the latest unfolding chapter in the redevelopment of the former Belchertown State School property.
Perhaps he did so because, after more than a decade of stalled or failed plans, the Belchertown Economic Development and Industrial Corp. (BEDIC), current owner of the site, may have finally found the right people for the right job.
And that’s on both sides of the negotiating table.
Terry is the chair of the BEDIC, and he said Weston Solutions, a Pennsylvania-based remediation and redevelopment firm signed a letter of interest this past July, giving it full rein over all past documents, research, and findings from the BEDIC.
That letter of interest begins a relationship between town officials and the employee-owned Weston, and while the process of due diligence is carefully underway, both sides expressed reserved, and not-so-reserved, enthusiasm.
One of the Weston officials on the site these days is Valarie Ferro, senior technical director for the Northeast Division. She told BusinessWest that “there are many fine assets to the property.
“Yes, there’s contamination there,” she continued. “But hospitals are not a new thing to us. We’ve looked at many, and were involved in a couple in various roles. When we walked onto the Belchertown property for the first time, we had a pretty good idea of what the project might entail, and when we got here, it was, ‘yup. That’s what we thought.’”
And that’s the attitude that has local officials betraying their reservations on the potential for redevelopment of the property. A 50-year-old firm with a long and successful history, Weston is no stranger to projects of this magnitude and degree of difficulty.
Weston now has 90 days to assess the property and the scope of the job. The BEDIC, meanwhile, also has 90 days of due diligence on Weston to see if its capabilities and track record are in line with the town’s master plan.
Terry acknowledged that, thus far, he is “reservedly excited.”
“They didn’t just come in and say, ‘we’re interested; we heard about this property from a developer,’” he said. “Their approach is, let’s crawl before we walk, and let’s walk before we run, and make sure that there is a good fit here for all parties involved.”
While others have come before and failed, Weston Solutions is not, as Terry said, “just some guy out of the wooly West who says he’s a developer. This company, they know what they’re doing.”
The halfway point for both parties’ pro forma on this job hasn’t yet been reached. But in separate conversations with BusinessWest, the hope for all involved is to no longer knock on wood when talking about the future of the Belchertown State School.

Strength in Numbers
The last time a developer took on the prospect of repurposing the Belchertown property, a grand resort and spa was envisioned for the remaining buildings and land at the state school, comprising just under 100 acres. Famously, the developer bounced the deposit check for the job, and the BEDIC found itself bounced back to square one — no development, a blighted property, and scant opportunity for a project to move forward.
But that’s history, and what is unfolding has those involved far more excited about prospects in tune with the community.
The details at this stage of Weston Solutions’ examination of the property is purely within the realm of speculation, but Terry allowed himself optimism when expounding on the current players involved on both sides of the property’s negotiations.
For starters, Belchertown has a crack team in its court, and Terry said that, going forward, it’s not now just him and his colleagues, all of whom have full-time jobs in addition to their role with the BEDIC. “We on the board have talents,” he explained, not diminishing whatsoever the solid work he and his colleagues have accomplished over the years, “but it is good to have these professionals in our camp.”
Among those professionals is MassDevelopment, with whom the BEDIC has been in collaboration since this past May. That signed memorandum of agreement, Terry said, puts all the resources of the state agency into play for the Belchertown property.
“These are dedicated professional real-estate people and engineers — big players,” he continued. “We need only write out a request for service, provide some sort of budget, and they get right to work.”
In addition, the town’s state legislators are all on board with any and all help that can be garnered from Beacon Hill, and Terry singled out Sens. Stan Rosenberg and Gale Candaras, and State Reps. Tom Petrolati and Stephen Kulik.
“It’s finally the time where we have the right team assembled to make this happen,” he said.

Finding a Solution
Of course, those players are an important step in maneuvering the Belchertown project toward a positive outcome. But an ace team alone doesn’t get a project of this size and scope closer to a finished product.
Weston’s history of engineering, procurement, property remediation, and development spans several countries and countless properties that were in far worse shape than the Belchertown site. From complex wetland locations to defunct chemical plants, Weston has a stated goal of “zero tolerance for unethical behavior” while working within communities.
Ferro quoted her company’s logo at the beginning of her conversation with BusinessWest: “The trusted integrator for sustainable solutions.”
“We do integrate, we pull it all together,” she explained, “but before that, we sort it all out. It’s an art, and it’s a science, and it’s an art and science at the same time. That’s where developers stumble with blighted or underutilized assets. There are just so many components to these projects.”
Like the team assembled by the BEDIC, Weston has mobilized its own bevy of seasoned professionals. At the Belchertown property that day, Ferro, who has a background in redevelopment planning and community planning, said that in addition to herself, there are three others with specialized interests.
A green deconstruction expert, “not just a landfill expert, but someone who knows how to safely and successfully repurpose any material,” she explained, was on hand along with Weston’s LEED-licensed site professional, to evaluate the environmental aspect. Rounding out the team was the LEED green-development expert, who also happens to be leading Weston’s Northeast efforts in a green-roof technology company it owns.
“That’s just three of maybe four or five other components that we have to sort together,” she emphasized.
When asked about the complexities of the Belchertown site, Ferro said, “by and large we are attracted to challenges. The projects we take on, and are successful at, are where others have failed before us. Or they were just not interested because of the inherent difficulties.”
In addition to all those difficulties, however, is a site that she said comes with just as many, if not more, attributes. She described the brick buildings as “stately,” but it’s the landscape that holds more promise than other projects Weston has overseen.
“The rolling topography, the views, the fact that it’s also a very valuable critical mass of land … you don’t know how much we struggle when working in urban environments, and we have to cobble together eight or 10 property owners just to sew together three acres. Here, we have a great big glob of land, and the surrounding land use is compatible.”
That was a word often repeated in her conversation, and in which lies a core value for Weston Solutions. She said that’s a major difference between her firm and a more traditional property developer, which customarily has a book of clients and end users for projects of this size.
“For us, we might want it, whatever it is,” she said of potential use at the site, “but if it’s not compatible with the town, or consistent with our core values, then we don’t pursue it. We just don’t go there.
“And that’s why, frankly, there’s not a lot of talk up front for us right now,” she continued, “because we’re just trying to understand what the context is — both the town and the property. What’s our canvas? Let’s look at the canvas, see what we’ve got. Then we can figure out what brushes and paint we want to use, and then we move forward.”
That canvas, however, has some underpainting already.
When asked if Weston has been given an understanding on issues of core importance for the BEDIC, town hall, and the voting population of Belchertown, Terry stated unequivocally, “absolutely.”
“They have our master development plan, and they have the 43D plan,” Terry said, referring to the site work made possible through MassDevelopment. “Not only that, we’ve verbally told them what is important to us. We told them we’re not building a new town center here. We’re not being disrespectful, but there are clear things that the community wants and doesn’t want.
“Our development plan says no big-box stores,” he added. “Nothing against ‘Wally World,’ we all go there, but we’re not a community that wants them. Weston knows that too, and knows that we won’t entertain that idea. That could have happened years ago, but we didn’t want it.”

Sense Break
Looking ahead, Terry said the BEDIC has some clear hopes for what might unfold at the state school property. As a town resident with roots that trace back to the earliest settlers, he said that it is important for him, and many others, to keep that intergenerational component in Belchertown.
To accomplish that, he sees health and wellness, specifically assisted living, as a good use for some of the property. He cited a similar project in Ludlow that had designs on full occupancy five years after construction, but successfully met capacity in two.
Belchertown, he maintains, is a middle-class community with good schools and a strong commitment to public services. In keeping with that tradition, he said, is the need to “take care of mom and dad.”
An assisted-living developer has expressed interest in parts of the property for several years, he continued, but has lacked the resources to tackle anything beyond his own slice of real estate.
To further substantiate the possibility of a successful market for that style of development, he noted that several other assisted-living builders have looked at the site and weighed in with their own vote of confidence and an interest in buildable property.
In a separate conversation, Ferro brought up a similar train of thought, giving evidence to her prior comments on collaboration. Weston has looked at the conceptuals for wellness and assisted-living development on the property, and while one of the things it is doing during this period is “going with their gut feelings and considerable contacts,” she agreed with that facet to Terry’s vision.
“I really am attracted to their idea of inter-generational living,” she said. “Right next door there’s the police station, the teen center, and maybe some of this can be expanded so that it represents Belchertown as a whole. I think there’s real potential there.”
But again, she tempered her enthusiasm with restraint. “I think we all wish there was a CliffsNotes on what to do about the Belchertown property. We’re sorting through an enormous amount of information and just literally sopping it up like sponges.”
Just like everyone working on both sides of the project, however, restraint gave way to hope. “My gut feeling is that, seeing what’s there, there is potential to pull this off,” she said.
From his office in Springfield, Terry echoed that sentiment.
“We’re conservatively excited,” he said again. “It’s going to take a lot of care, but it seems like we’re working with the right folks, and this is the best shot we have had since I’ve been on the board.”
Noticeably, he didn’t knock on wood this time. n

Departments Incorporations

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

BELCHERTOWN

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

FEEDING HILLS

AW Real Estate Corp., 74 Bessbrook St., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Alfredo Improta, same. Real estate.

FLORENCE

Bidwell ID, 30 North Maple St., Florence MA, 01062. John Bidwell, same. Full-service advertising and marketing agency.

Click Workspace Inc., 109 High St., Florence, MA 01062. Ali Usman, 109 High St., Florence, MA 01062. Non-profit economic development organization through collaboration of entrepreneurs.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Ecaerus Inc., 80 Brush Hill Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Brian Sutton, same.
Consulting services.

GREENFIELD

Cold River Inc., 55 Main St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Peter White, 55 Main St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Retail store, sales of beer, wine, and liquor.

LENOX

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

LONGMEADOW

Change in Action Inc., 184 Edgewood Ave., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Susan Choquette, same. Organization established to promote the ideals of respect, compassion, and mutual responsibility through the cooperative efforts of parents children and schools.

PITTSFIELD

1 Berkshire Strategic Alliance Inc., 75 North St., Suite 350, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Michael P. Daly, 14 Lynne Court, Lanesborough, MA 01237. Economic development agency serving the business community of Berkshire County.

Bella Terra Festival Inc., 1270 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Jeffrey Schneider, same. Entertaining event planning.

Chestnut Tree Trauma and Attachment Center Inc., 150 North St., Suite 220, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Wendy Aunitch, 121 Edward Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Center providing therapeutic services to children, young adults, and non-offending family members who have experienced trauma or neglect.

SOUTHBRIDGE

Advanced Concepts in Tiles Inc., 43 Quail Run, Southbridge, MA 01550. Michael Paul Durocher, same.

 

Complete Technology Resources Inc., 317 Pleasant St., Southbridge, MA 01550. Jamie Stafslien, same. Computer services.

SPRINGFIELD

16 Acres Computers Inc., 115 Corey Road, Springfield, MA 01128. Mary Radogiewicz., same. Computer sales and service.

Bhutanese Society of Western Massachusetts, 67 Johnson St., Apt #1 Left, Springfield, MA 01108. Hari Khanal, same. Provides support for any Bhutanese family when someone dies, and for the treatment of any medical conditions as a result of an accident or major disease.

Charles Kearse Co., Andrew M. Scibelli Enterprise Center, One Federal St., Bldg. 101, Springfield, MA 01105. Charles Kearse, 30 Bowdoin St., Springfield, MA 01109. Non-profit and business development consulting.

WASHINGTON

Harmony Building Consultants Inc., 204 Johnson Hill Road, Washington, MA 01223. Georgette Keator, same. Building and construction consultation.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

AAA Pioneer Valley Driver Training School Inc., 150 Capital Dr., West Springfield, MA 01089. Chris Mensing, 12 Echo Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Automobile driver instruction services.

Bart Truck Equipment Company Inc., 358 River St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Martin Tourtelotte, 47 Wild Grove Lane, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Sales and service of truck equipment.

DSVT Inc., 81 Humphrey Lane, West Springfield, MA 01089. Valerity Kolodzinskiy, same. Transportation services for food, commercial goods and vehicles via flatbed, container and heavy-duty hauling vehicles.

Hannahneena Inc., 217 Elm St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Sarabjit Chawla, 3050 Mountain Road, West Suffield, CT 06093. Restaurant and bar.

WESTFIELD

358 Southwick Inc., 358 Southwick Road, Westfield, MA 01805. Rachid Messoudi, 14 Willard St., Apt. 1, Quincy, MA 01085. Convenience store.

Direct Auto Realty Inc., 300 East Main St., Westfield, MA 01085. David Dicienzo, 90 Southwood Dr., Ludlow, MA 01056. Purchase, develop, manage, and maintain real estate properties.

WORTHINGTON

Arts Alive in the Hilltowns Inc., 4 Sam Hill Road, Worthington, MA 01098. Mary Pulley, 128 Old Post Road, Worthington, MA 01098. Association of artists to network, promote, showcase and support artistic and cultural endeavors.

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

HSW Inc., 63 Springfield St., Agawam, MA 01001. Abdul S. Chaudhry, 4 White Brook Lane, South Hadley, MA 01075. Retail Sales, home furnishings and merchandise.

Quick Mart Inc., 283 Main St., Agawam, MA 01001. Fawad Khawaja, same. Convenience Store.

Malfetano Cigars Inc., 378 Walnut St., Ext. Agawam, MA 01001. Michael L. Beaudry, same. Cigar sales.

Stegall Renovators Inc., 880 Main St., Agawam, MA 01001. Penn Stegall, same. Contractor specializing in rehabilitation of homes.

BRIMFIELD

Elmore Realty Services Inc., 74 Monson Road, Brimfield, MA 01010. Jennifer Elmore, same. Residential and Commercial real estate.

CHICOPEE

John’s Asphalt Paving & Construction Inc., 900 Chicopee St., second floor, Chicopee, MA 01013. Sherry Kezer, same. Paving concrete excavation

Kaeble Oil Inc., 11 Casey Dr., Chicopee, MA 01020. Michael Kaeble, same. Heating oil sales.

Shine Services Inc., 82 Chestnut St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Clecia Mara Marques, same. Janitorial services.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Faith Builders of New England Inc., 31 Hillside Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Church.

J & B Brush Corp., 44 Harkness Ave., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Jessica L. Imbriglio, 17 Laurelridge Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Salon and spa

Main Street Parking Inc., 301 Pease Road, East Longmeadow, Ma, 01028. Michael Biscaldi, same. Metered parking lot.

Master Han’s Olympic Taekwondo Inc., 50 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Yunhee Han, 167-169 Pinewood Ave., Springfield, MA 01108. Martial arts studio.

Medisize Us Inc., 200 Main St., Unit 1203, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Eric Kroon, same. Sales and distribution of medical devices.

Sattler Auto Sales Inc., 12 Nottingham Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Edward Sattler, same. Auto sales.

EASTHAMPTON

Stratus EMR Inc., 116 Pleasant St., Unit 448, Easthampton, MA 01027. Peter Cleary, same. Computer software development.

The American Dreamer Inc., 4 Chapman Ave., Easthampton, MA 01027. Kevin Sahagian, same. Restaurant.

FLORENCE

PS191 Inc., 719 Park Hill Road, Florence MA, 01062. Daniel Touhey, same.

GREENFIELD

Hamiltonbrooke Corporation, 489 Bernardston Road, Greenfield, MA 01301. Ebony Sterbinski, same. Purchase real estate and solicit government contracts.

HADLEY

Hampshire County Farm Bureau Inc., 30 Roosevelt St., South Hadley, MA 01035. Promote, protect and represent the business, economic and social interests of the farmers of Hampshire County.

HATFIELD

Hitpoint Inc., 59 North St., Hatfield, MA 01301. Paul Hake, same. Video game development.

HOLYOKE

Cell Pavilion Inc., 513 Whitney Ave., #14A Holyoke, MA 01040. Mohammad K. Hossain, same. Retail sales and service of cell phones and accessories.

 

HUNTINGTON

Down to Earth Excavating Inc., 3 Goss Hill Road, Huntington, MA 01050. Paul LaPointe, same. Excavation services.

LONGMEADOW

Neutral Corner Inc., 36 Belleclaire Ave., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Patrick Ireland, same. Non-profit organization founded to promote good fitness, health, self-esteem through education.

Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Group, PC., 44 Farmington Ave., Longmeadow, 01106. Pediatric medical offices.

LUDLOW

TLS Landscaping Inc., 754 Center St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Daniel DeGray, same. Landscaping service.

NORTHAMPTON

Northampton Community Arts Trust Inc., 44 Munroe St., Northampton, MA 01060. Kathy Couch, 693 Bridge Road, Northampton, MA 01060. Acquisition of land and buildings suitable for performance, exhibition and development of the arts.

Timothy C. Abbot, Do P.C., 30 Locust St., Northampton, MA 01061. Timothy Abbot, same.

Sammi’s Mart and Deli Inc., 1365 Main St., Palmer, MA 01069. Andriana Kostaras, 1359 Main St., Palmer, MA 01069. Convenience store and deli.

PITTSFIELD

CFR Operating Corp. Inc., 6 Kathy Way, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Chad Mazza, same. Barbershop.

Rolling Studios Inc., 7 Club Circle, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Ed Synder, 7 Peters Path, Pittsfield, MA 01201.

SOUTH HADLEY

Ib Cleaning Inc., 315 Hadley St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Waldemar Binczyk, same. Cleaning services.

Poltrans Inc., 315 Hadley St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Waldemar Binczyk, same. Truck transportation.

SPRINGFIELD

JPC Pet Sales & Marketing Inc., 78 Glenoak, Dr, Springfield, MA 01129. James Carmody, same. Manufacturers representative.

Kenny Tax Services & Company Inc., 510 Armory St., Springfield, MA 01104. Non-transferable.

Mesiti Media Group Inc., 125 Main St., Springfield, MA 01105. Rocco A. Mesiti, same.

Safe Futures for Children Foundation Inc., 195 Lang St., Springfield, MA 01104. Maria Huertas, same. Non-profit organization to help better every child’s condition all over the world.

Tong Tong Beauty Center II Corp., 127 Parkside St., Springfield, MA 01104. Tong Wand, same. Auto body work.

STURBRIDGE

Garfield Inc., 33 Main St., Sturbridge, MA 01566. Robert Cassim, 2 Main St., Sturbridge, MA 01566. Used auto sales.

WORTHINGTON

RHC Community Education Center Inc., 184 Cudworth Road, Worthington, MA 01098. Vanessa Lewis, same. Organization established for charitable, educational and scientific purposes.

Building Permits Departments

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

AGAWAM

LRB Realty Trust
1804 Main St.
$15,000 — Six upgraded antenna panels

AMHERST

Merkos L’InyoneI Chinuch Inc.
30 North Hadley Road
$13,000 — Kitchen ventilation and suppression system

Rt. 9 Real Estate, Inc.
213 College St.
$3,000 — Building separate entry for Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Trustees of Hampshire College
731 West St.
$5,500 — Re-shingle

CHICOPEE

New Ludlow, LLC
59 New Ludlow Road
$9,000 — Repair fire damage in laundry room

Rivershore Real Estate, LLC
628 Center St.
$16,500 — Install new entry door and build handicap ramp

GREENFIELD

Fenwick LLP
111 Hope St.
$2,500 — Roof repair

Fenwick LLP
4 Woodard Rd.
$2,500 — Roof repair

Greenfield Savings Bank
35 Federal St.
$490,000 — Construction of a drive-up teller machine and teller building

HOLYOKE

South Hadley Realty Trust
36-40 Bobala Road
$57,000 — Add new offices, electrical, and fire protection

LUDLOW

Ludlow Housing Authority
37 Chestnut St.
$114,000 — Re-roof

NORTHAMPTON

7 Bravo Two, LLC
162 Old Ferry Road
$167,000 — New commercial building

Alka Kanoujia
45 State St.
$4,000 — Pour concrete basement floor

 

Bobo LLC
88 King St.
$20,500 — Interior Renovations

CFP Properties LLC
320 Riverside Dr.
$9,000 — Emergency repairs

Coolidge Northampton LLC
249 King St.
$1,200 — Remove non-bearing walls

Edwards Church of Northampton
297 Main St.
$6,000 — Repair stairs

Kathleen Maiewski
91 Crescent St.
$9,000 — Interior renovations

SPRINGFIELD

ESIBC
211 Carando Dr.
$99,500 — Renovations for home infusion and respiratory services

HAP Inc.
322 Main St.
$102,000 — New non-structural walls in handicap bathroom

Jacob Hannoush
1655 Boston Road
$20,000 — Interior renovations

John Salema
350 Cottage St.
$75,000 — Cosmetic remodel of the sales area, restrooms, and exterior facade at Dunkin Donuts

Tinkham Management
112 Industry Ave.
$9,500 — Interior renovations

WESTFIELD

Berkshire Bank
31 Court St.
$18,000 — Interior renovations

Floyd Pease, Jr.
101 Springdale Road
$26,000 — Renovation

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Diversified Realty Corp.
935 Riverdale St.
$55,000 — Renovation of 9,119 square feet of retail space

Peoples Savings Bank
547 Memorial Ave.
$750,000 — Renovation of 30,455 square feet of commercial building

St. Thomas School
47 Pine St.
$20,000 — Strip and re-roof

Departments Incorporations

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

BECKET

Technology Empowering Rural Individuals Inc., 23 Prentice Place, Becket, MA 01233. Steven Craig Schatz, same. Educational organization.

BELCHERTOWN

Quality Fleet Service Inc., 625 State St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Nicholas J. Moynihan, 25 Summit St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Mobile repair service.

CHCIOPEE

American Legion Auxiliary Fairview Unit 438 Inc., 29 New Ludlow Road, Chicopee, MA 01020. Edna Delsautels, 22 Pleasant St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Organization designed to preserve the memories and incidents of the association.

DALTON

The Home Shop Inc., 757 Dalton Division Road, Dalton, MA 01226. Colleen B. Maffuccio, same. Real estate agent.

LUDLOW

Seli’s Deli and More Inc., 223 East St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Ginger A. Seligman, 53 Mariana Way, Ludlow, MA 01056. Restaurant.

HOLYOKE

Tardy Foundation Inc., 4 Scott Hollow Dr., Holyoke, MA 01040. Alan Tardy, 4 Scott Harlow Dr., Holyoke, MA 01040. Fundraising for educations, charitable, benevolent, and religious purposes.

NORTHAMPTON

Baystate Metal Solutions Inc., 668 North Farms Road, Northampton, MA 01062. Anthony Fernandez, 668 North Farms Road, Northampton, MA 01062. Metal manufacturer.

Bustle Media Inc., 377 Prospect Street, Northampton, MA 01060. Anthony Sean Cahillane, same. Computer software application development.

PALMER

RLR Development & Management Inc., 45 Squier St., Palmer, MA 01069. Raymond J. Remillard, same. Land planning and construction-project management.

 

SPRINGFIELD

Pump Tech Inc., 127 Thompson St., Springfield, MA 01109. Robin Babineau, same. Pump repairs.

Renacidos En Cristo De Dios Es El Poder, 93 Mill Park, Springfield, MA 01105. Jose Juan Cabezudo, 299 Lexington, Springfield, MA 01104. Teach the word of God.

Roberto’s Sports Bar & Grille Inc., 272 Worthington St., Springfield, MA 01103. Paul Ramesh, 26 Nottingham St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Restaurant.

Roy’s Towing and Service Inc., 1130 Bay St., Springfield, MA 01109. George H. Roy Jr., 489 Trafton Road, Springfield, MA 01108. Towing Service.

Sound Performance Inc., 265 Mill St., Springfield, MA 01108. Hector L. Davila, same. Retail audio installation.

World Telephone Network Inc., 9 Gunn Square, Springfield, MA 01109. Darnel Ali, same. Low-cost Internet telephone service.

SOUTHWICK

Vinee Corp., 587 College Highway, Southwick, MA 01077. Dave Nitin, 22-B Maple St., Westfield, MA 01085. Convenience store.

STURBRIDGE

Wasp Audio Technologies Corp., 50 Main St., Sturbridge, MA 01566. David Tschirpke, 124 Fabyan Woodstock Road, North Grosvenordale, CT 06255. Consumer electronics.

Yankee Purchase Corp., 376 Main St., Sturbridge, MA 01566. Donald F. Cimini, 251 Mapleshade Ave., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Package stores.

WEST STOCKBRIDGE

Queensborough Liquors Inc., 26 Main St., West Stockbridge, MA 01266. Leslie Mickle, 45 Garland Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Package store.

WESTFIELD

Red Dog Realty Inc., 18 Country Club Dr., Westfield, MA 01085. Denise J. Calvo-Berndt, same. Realty services.

Sackett Brook Sand & Gravel Inc., 162 Union St., Westfield, MA 01085. Dawn Antonuzzo, same. Manufacture, purchase, and sale of sand, gravel, and related materials.

Departments People on the Move

Attorney David Webber of Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. of Springfield was one of eight local attorneys who recently volunteered their time to answer questions from veterans at the Holyoke Soldiers Home. Veterans from across Western Mass. turned out to ask personal legal questions. In addition, veterans received information on particular state laws and appropriate court procedures. Webber practices law in the areas of business transactions, estate and succession planning, taxation, and nonprofits.

•••••

Brian Smith has joined Cambridge College in Springfield as an Admissions Counselor. He is responsible for educating individuals, health care professionals, and businesses in Connecticut and Western Mass. about the Master of Management Program for working adults.

•••••

Jan Steven Martell has joined UMassFive College Federal Credit Union as a Financial Adviser in the Financial and Investment Services Department for the Northampton and Worcester branches.

•••••

Carla Oleska was recently chosen as a delegate to the Vision 2020 National Convention. Vision 2020 is a national project focused on advancing gender equality by energizing dialogue about women and leadership. The national search for delegates focused on finding women with a demonstrated commitment to helping women and girls.

•••••

Brendan Neal has accepted a position with Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He will serve as Senior Officer involved in institutional development, planning and managing institutional development, and advancement activities with local and international partners, stakeholders, and alumni.

•••••

Kathleen Krisak, an employee in the Nuclear Medicine Department at Holyoke Medical Center, was elected Secretary of the Society of Nuclear Medicine’s technology section at the society’s 57th annual meeting in Utah. A member of the society for more than 30 years, Krisak received fellowship status in 2008 and recently completed her second term as president of the New England Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine.

•••••

Claudine Parent recently joined Prudential Connecticut Realty in Enfield, Conn. as a Sales Executive. Parent will focus on residential real estate and providing service in Connecticut and Massachusetts. She is licensed in both states.

•••••

Robin Ann Bienemann of Touchstone Advisors in Enfield, Conn. has been named the first entrepreneur in residence at the UConn School of Engineering. At Touchstone Advisors, Bienemann advises companies looking to increase their value through improved business processes and innovation. She is also Chairman and Founder of Crimson Rook, a Connecticut-based firm specializing in helping small and medium-size businesses increase value through improved processes.

•••••

James B. Heffernan has joined Bacon Wilson P.C. as an Associate Attorney in the Springfield and Amherst offices. He will handle a variety of corporate transactional matters, bank financing, and Chapter 11 work.

•••••

Chicopee Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Chicopee Savings Bank, announced the following:
• Guida R. Sajdak has been appointed Chief Financial Officer;
• Lisa Crowley has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of Accounting;
• Maria Lopez has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of Residential Lending;
• Cidalia Inacio has joined the organization as the Senior Vice President of Retail Banking;
• Alyse Ramalho has joined the organization as Senior Vice President of Retail Lending; and
• Henry Downey has joined the organization as Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lending.

Sections Supplements
Demographics, Economics, and Going Green Impact How the Office Looks and Feels

Ron Gordenstein

Ron Gordenstein says many of today’s offices are designed to facilitate a new culture of collaboration.

With the modern workplace operating much differently than it has in the past, today’s office spaces are steadily being reinvented from the inside out. To thrive in these changing times, office-design professionals have to stay atop trends ranging from environmental concerns to a shift away from cubicles to a more collaborative work culture, and create workspaces that reflect and facilitate these changes.

It’s no longer as simple a job as picking out the color of paint on the walls and the type of carpet in the hallway, says Debra Freedman.
As senior designer for Corporate Designs NE, she and Maria Czupryna, vice president of operations, said that interior design comes with an ever-increasing and shifting set of demands for the 21st-century office.
Many of these changes are strictly aesthetic, they said, with professional spaces mirroring current residential design. “There’s more of a ‘Pottery Barn’ quality to people’s aesthetics now,” Freedman explained.
But the modern office is reinventing not only the look based on current designs found in shelter magazines, but the very way that business within those walls is conducted.
Mary Wilczynski, design principal of Spec’s Design in Springfield, said that “jobs are changing so rapidly, and there’s a lot of movement within an organization. Current design reflects those needs.”
The days of the Dilbert-style cubicle are a thing of the past, said Ron Gordenstein, referring to that comic-strip portrayal of life in a droning example of corporate America. As president of Broadway Office Interiors of Springfield, Gordenstein said that his firm designs efficient and smaller work areas, “either to fit more people into that square footage,” he explained, “or to allow collaborative areas to happen, so that the business doesn’t have to find larger real estate.”
Such redesign of the nature of the workplace maintains an important concept of flexibility, he said, and furnishings and partitions are requested to maintain that goal. Reversible, L-shaped returns on desks and other modular concepts are a good means to allow furniture to be moved around the office.
“Let’s face it,” he said. “Office furniture is expensive. You want to make sure you’re making the best possible investment.”
Many trends have been introduced into the modern workplace, not the least of which is the concept of making the office greener. While finishes and furnishings can assist in a non-toxic environment, architect Steve Jablonski looks outside of the box — at the ‘box’ itself.
Using the term “adaptive reuse,” Jablonski is a local proponent of renovating existing, older structures to become contemporary workplaces. There are challenges to integrating high-tech and code-compliant infrastructure to these buildings, but he is committed to seeing these projects as the best possible use of resources.
For this issue, BusinessWest spoke to several design professionals to help get a better look at the specifics of the modern office, and how that institution is being reinvented, from the inside out.

Opening the Floor
Wilczynski said that, for the first time in her 25 years in the industry, some major changes are underway in how offices are designed, furnished, and, in some cases, how they operate.
“We used to have private offices in cubicles,” she explained, “but what we’re now seeing are those cubicle heights coming down, a lot more collaboration with project-driven teams, and less distinction between workstation designs. Before you’d have a supervisor, a manager with two side chairs, a technical person with one side chair, a data-entry person with a very small workstation. But now that footprint of the workstation is getting smaller and is being more universally designed.”
At Broadway Office Interiors, Gordenstein agreed that the changing nature of work practices has dictated a significant change in the workplace itself. He said that one of the most common terms he uses in meetings with clients is ‘collaboration.’
“When I first started in this industry,” he said, “I don’t think we ever used that term in a sales presentation. But today, I often ask, ‘tell me how your staff works with each other, and how they interact. How do they collaborate with one another to solve the problems of your business?’”
While this phenomenon would seem to be the style of creative-based offices and smaller boutique firms, Gordenstein said it is becoming common across all industries and among businesses of all sizes. “Companies aren’t staffed the way they once were,” he continued. “You have fewer people doing the same amount of work. In many cases there’s also a crossing over of traditional job descriptions. No longer does Mary do this and John does that. Now Mary and John do the work of three or four people.
“Inherently you have a need for better communication,” he added.
To illustrate this point, Gordenstein referred to one of his larger clients, a firm with more than 200 employees. Everyone in the office, from the president on down, sits within a space framed by panels that are 42 inches high.
“You can’t help but see, hear, and feel everything that’s going on around you,” he said.
Elise Irish of Spec’s Design added that, for companies operating with less staff, employee retention is more important than ever. “If you want to hold onto them, and you want them to do as much as possible, then you’ve got to give them the right environment.”
Across the table, Wilczynski added, “especially with Gen X and Gen Y, who might look to move through companies more rapidly, employers recognize that they have to design to a younger population.”
Addressing that workforce, with younger ages and attitudes, Wilczynski said that more ‘fun’ is being introduced to the office environment. Employers strive to fashion workspaces that closely mirror a more residential formula, with lounge areas and designated areas for staff to congregate and interact.
Explaining the benefits of such an office, Irish said that “you spend more time in your work environment than you really do in your home, and I think employers are aware of that. If you’re in a creative environment, you are more likely to think outside of the box.”
To help create a workplace that is less stressful, employers are looking for more ways to look after the health and well-being of their staff. Freedman says that in-house gyms have become more common, and one of her rural clients landscaped hiking trails around the facility.
“It’s very important for the employer to satisfy the needs of the employees,” she explained, “to show that they are valued, and that the boss is looking after them. They’ll do better work, and in the end, there’s better productivity.”

Trade Talk
The evolving workforce, with increased numbers of telecommuters, has introduced a new lexicon to the design trade.
It’s not just people who work from home, Wilczynski added, but staff that are encouraged to be out in the field, without the requirements of a full office.
These types of workers might share workspace, she said, “and the name for this style of space is the ‘touch down’ spaces — where your storage is separate, but you share a workstation. When you come in those one or two days per week, you bring your wheeled storage station to the work area, and it’s plug and play … no more leaning under the desk to get to outlets.”
But these aren’t restricted to non-traditional employees, Gordenstein said, but rather a non-traditional style of work. “A lot of employees today don’t sit at their desk all day long,” he said. “They have mobile technology, they’re walking around … they are in another employee’s office. So we create generic meeting spaces that are accessible and quick. They can be a simple table in the department, or a quiet meditative space for someone to read a trade journal, also.”
He added ‘hotelling’ to the new vocabulary of his industry.
“If you’re an outside salesperson,” he explained, “I as the employer don’t pay you to sit at your desk all day long. I need you out meeting clients and selling. If I make it too comfortable, you’re going to stay at your desk.”
Green Is Good
Another measure of creating a healthy workplace is the renewed importance of building and maintaining a green office.
When sales reps show her the latest in furniture and accessories, Irish said that the green option is always the first to be presented. “Because those questions do come up more and more now with our clients: what chemicals are used, were the components sustainably produced,” she explained.
Her colleague agreed with her, and added that tax breaks don’t exist for green office design to a great extent, so clients aren’t pursuing LEED certification, “but they are designing to it,” Wilczynski said.
“And we’ve been designing to it for about three years now,” she continued. “All of our specifications are written for finishes with low VOCs — we are very conscious about the products that we put into spaces. Regardless of whether a client wants to pursue the LEED plaque, we’re still finding a strong movement to designing greener spaces.”
Czupryna said that, while her office has also been seeing an increased use of green components in design, that consciousness extends to any material removed during office rehab. “It’s important to take it another step and take the older materials that have been removed and then recycle them,” she said. “The clients appreciate that we too are doing our bit.”
But going green can often come at a price that clients cannot carry. Gordenstein agrees that green is a popular phenomenon, yet, he added, “customers will ask me about ‘green,’ but they don’t really understand what it means, nor are they prepared to pay for what it means, or make the commitments for what it means.”
But greening the office often is a measure of changing technology as well. Wilczynski said that, as large central copy stations have been rendered irrelevant by desktop, all-in-one printers, those large spaces are now turned over to central recycling stations.
“And it’s the first time in my career that we are seeing the realization of the paperless office,” she continued. “It’s been a buzzword since I started 25 years ago, but it’s finally here. Technology has caught up.”

Everything Old Is New Again
Steve Jablonski sees the movement toward greener office spaces from a different perspective. The Springfield architectural firm that bears his name is well-known for its interest in historical redevelopment.
“With the emphasis on the environment and carbon footprints,” he said, “people are finally starting to say, ‘what’s the greenest thing you can possibly do?’— well, how about reusing what is already there?”
He agrees that it is easier to tear down and build from scratch; “that way, when you design a square, you get a square,” he said, simplifying the complexity of redeveloping older structures. But, he added, these resources are not only a link to history, but also to project cost.
“It’s a matter of enlightening the client to get over the hump of thinking it’s cost-prohibitive,” he explained of adaptive reuse of older buildings. “To knock down an existing building isn’t cheap. And all the hazardous waste has to go somewhere. So people are saying, ‘wait, I have to pay that much to throw it all away?’
“If you take the long-term picture,” he continued, “let’s say that in ten to 20 years you might come out ahead with the cheaper, bland office structure. But if you take the 50- to 100-year approach, that cheap and bland structure is going to need to be replaced itself. Whereas these buildings with character that have been modernized at first might be 10% to 20% higher in cost overall, but then after 50 years it’s still going strong.”
Admittedly, such a timeline is not suited to the budget concerns of every client, but for higher education, this is not only good for the schools’ mission to go green, but in many cases an important link to honoring their own history.
Jablonski unfurled the plans for a building project currently underway at Springfield College. Formerly called the Judd Gymnasium, the elegant, 19th-century brick structure is being converted to office and museum space, and has been rechristened the Stitzer YMCA Center.
The building’s older warren of rooms was quirky, he said, but he praised the vision of college President Dr. Richard Flynn, who had the initiative to make this the new showpiece of the campus.
It can often be a hybrid of architecture and archaeology, Jablonski said, during these projects. Pointing to a large room at the Stitzer Center, he said, “we took out the drop ceiling and restored the truss roof. People walk in and say, ‘this is beautiful, what you’ve done.’ But really, all we did was bring back what was already there.”
Springfield College joins the ranks of many other campuses across the country in the successful adaptive reuse of buildings, he said, adding quickly that “it takes leadership on the part of design people to take the initiative to use these spaces.”
He emphasized the importance of good office design as an important role for people like himself, and the people who furnish those rooms. But, ultimately, he credits the client for their acceptance of these reinvented workplaces.
“There’s only so much you can do as a designer to lead people along,” he said. “But if they’re not following, you’re not going to get far.”

Features
His Job Description? Holding Down the Fort

Rudi Scherff, co-owner of the Student Prince restaurant

Rudi Scherff, co-owner of the Student Prince restaurant

Rudi Scherff started washing dishes at the Student Prince restaurant, then co-owned by his father, Rupprecht, when he was 12 years old. This means that, among many other things, he has a half-century’s worth of perspective on downtown Springfield.
He’s seen quite a bit of change in and around the central business district over that time, with much of it, by his estimation, being not exactly good for business.
“Years ago, people had to come downtown to see their lawyer or their dentist,” he said, noting that, while doing so, they would often stop in for lunch. “Now, that’s pretty much disappeared. When I was a teenager, I’d walk to the bank with my dad, and maybe 60% of the men you saw were wearing a sportcoat and tie, even in July; now, collars are a rarity, never mind ties.”
There have been other changes beyond dress and an outmigration of professionals, he added. There are fewer stores and far fewer restaurants downtown, and where once many white-collar workers lived downtown, now, the vast majority of housing is of the subsidized variety.
Through all of this change and societal evolution, the Student Prince, or the Fort, as it’s called colloquially, has been a constant (this year marking its 75th anniversary), when so many other establishments fail to keep the doors open even a tenth that time. When asked to articulate on the landmark’s longevity, the soft-spoken but opinionated Scherff said it comes down to consistency but also flexibility and adjusting to those changing times.
Elaborating, he said that, where once most customers and potential customers were content to simply have a nice meal and perhaps some accompanying liquid refreshment, many people today want “an experience.”
“As a result, we’re a little more in the entertainment business and less in the basic sustenance business,” Scherff explained. “Some people just want to come out and have something to eat, but I think more people are looking for that experience, they’re looking a novelty, for more than just stomach filling.
“So we change our menus a lot more, we’ll do many more seasonal specials, we’ll do a lot of different desserts,” he continued. “We try to give people reasons to come in, be it with soft-shell crabs in July or native corn; we try to have some variation of products. Sometimes things succeed, and sometimes they don’t.”
For this, the latest installment of its Profiles in Business series, BusinessWest turns the spotlight on one of Springfield’s most noted restaurateurs, who may not be quite the institution his father was, but has been equally successful in holding down the Fort.

A Lot on His Plate
Scherff never expected to follow in Rupprecht’s considerable footprints, even though he practically grew up in the restaurant and held just about every job in the place.
The plan was to become a lawyer, and, by and large, things went according to script. Scherff earned his juris doctorate from Boston College and settled into private practice in Springfield in the early ’80s. He focused on criminal work and handled some real estate. “Some of it I enjoyed, but all that paperwork … I didn’t really care for that.”
He had been in practice about a decade, and doing reasonably well, when his father’s failing health forced him to eventually slow down. Rudi, who would work in the restaurant on occasion, especially during peak times of the year, found himself having to pitch in much more and attempt to juggle two vocations.
“I tried to do both for a year,” he said, “but decided that I wasn’t being fair to the law practice, the restaurant, or myself.” So he left the legal profession in the early ’90s, and, with his sister, Barbara, brother, Peter, and nephew, Michael, now the kitchen manager, he continues the Fort tradition, which began in 1935.
When asked for his job description, Scherff said there are many elements to it. “I keep my eyes open, see what’s happening, and see if the customers are enjoying themselves,” he said, offering first the long view of what occupies the 60 or so hours a week he spends at 8 Fort St. “I do the scheduling and the ordering, and supervise menu development — all the little things that don’t fit in the pigeonholes.”
Also on that list is listening to stories about his father, who passed away in 1996, and there is no shortage of them coming from the Fort’s legion of long-time and sometimes very long-time customers.
“Some of these stories are true, some of them are not true,” he said, “but far be it for me to ruin someone’s memories.”
Scherff has many of his own memories from five decades on Fort Street. He’s watched the restaurant, famous for its collection of beer steins, stained-glass windows, and Roquefort dressing, expand and evolve, while also gaining a place in both the local lexicon and the national trade media.
Indeed, when, in 2008, Gourmet magazine printed its list of “legendary restaurants,” establishments that had been in business since before the magazine started publishing in 1941, the Student Prince was on it.
“We didn’t know it was coming,” Scherff said of the listing in Gourmet. “They just said, ‘we’re doing an article … you may or may not be in it.’ They were kind enough to send us a copy of the magazine, and it came the same day as we were having our Hampden Street Octoberfest. It was a very exciting day for us.”
Scherff said the Student Prince has hosted its share of celebrities over the years. John Kennedy frequented the restaurant when he was a senator, and his brother, Ted, did as well. Wilt Chamberlain dined there, as have others from the world of basketball visiting the birthplace of the game. Roy Rogers stopped in a few times, John Ratzenberger paid a visit when he was in town several weeks ago (and ordered a bologna sandwich), and Scherff has fond memories of when John Denver came in for dinner.
“Some of the guys in the kitchen wanted autographs,” he recalled. “When I asked him if he would sign a few, he said, ‘no, I’m not going to do that here,’ and promptly went out to the kitchen, thanked everyone, and signed them back there. He was a real gentleman.”
But while having stars in the dining room is great for any restaurant in terms of creating lasting memories for staff and patrons alike, Scherff said one doesn’t build a business and keep it open for 75 years because a few singers, politicians, and hoop legends stop in on their way to somewhere else. “All that’s wonderful,” he said of the celebrities, “but the guy who comes in once a week and has bratwurst and a beer or two is much more important to me.”
Such customers have been the lifeblood of the Student Prince, and while Scherff says there are still enough of them to keep the business humming, times are changing in the area, and they are making life more challenging for the current generations managing the landmark.
For starters, there are those changing trends and demographics downtown, which combine to create fewer of the kinds of customers the Fort has always thrived on. Also, the Fort, like all establishments downtown, has to contend with the negative perceptions of the area and the lack of free parking. In the meantime, there is considerable competition, both in the suburbs (much more than in decades past) and along Springfield’s riverfront.
On the brighter side, Scherff says he seeing some signs of a comeback in downtown Springfield, although he keeps his optimism guarded. He notes with enthusiasm the retenanting of the old federal building and other efforts to bring more workers to the central business district. Meanwhile, he sees some signs of progress bringing more professionals into the area to live.
“Hopefully we’re starting to see downtown come back a little bit,” he told BusinessWest. There are some things happening that give you reason to think that things are going to get better.”

Check, Please
When asked what he does when he’s not keeping an eye on things at the Student Prince, Scherff says he works, often in frustration, in his garden, and that he’s trying — that’s trying — to take up woodworking.
“I bought a lot of equipment, and I still have all my fingers, so I guess that’s good,” he joked, before admitting that, between his family (and especially twin 16-year-olds) and the family business, there simply isn’t time for much else.
And while he’s thinking about somehow trying to pare some of those hours he spends at and on the restaurant, he knows he can’t pull back too much. “I’d go crazy if I wasn’t here a lot,” he said.
Which means that he’ll log many more years of reflections on downtown Springfield. Times may never be as they were when the sidewalks were crammed with people and all the men wore suits and ties, but Scherff can easily envision much better times for the downtown that’s been his real home for the past 50 years.

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

Departments People on the Move

Bay Path College President Carol A. Leary, Ph.D., has been selected by the Massachusetts American Council on Education – National Network for Women Leaders as the woman leader in 2010 who has proven leadership in higher education and promotes the advancement of women in the field. She was honored by the organization with the 2010 Senior Leadership Award on June 9 in Milton.

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Douglas Guthrie, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Western New England Region, was recently inducted into the Connecticut Business Hall of Fame and recognized as Business Leader of the Year at an event at the Connecticut Laborer’s Council offices in Hartford, Conn. Guthrie oversees 2,000 employees and serves as the top executive responsible for operations, financial performance, and customer service for more than 800,000 customers in Connecticut, Western Mass., Vermont, and New York.

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Stephanie Fisk, Business and Finance Officer for the Gateway Regional School District in Huntington, was elected as Vice President of the Massachusetts Assoc. of School Business Officials. Fisk has served three years on the organization’s board of directors and chaired several committees for the board. At Gateway, she handles all financial operations, food services, student transportation, grants management, and maintenance operations of the school district.

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Tammy Richards of Pieciak & Co. has been recognized as an Outstanding Member by the National Assoc. of Certified Valuation Analysts, a global, professional association. She holds an accredited valuation analyst designation from the association as well as a certified mergers and acquisition professional designation from the Middle Market Investment Banking Assoc.

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Patrick Leonardo, a long-time Paramedic Supervisor with American Medical Response, was recently honored with the American Ambulance Assoc. Stars of Life Award in Washington, D.C. The Stars of Life program is an annual event that recognizes and honors outstanding individuals in the emergency medical services industry throughout the nation. Leonardo has been employed in the field for more than 13 years.

•••••

Robert P. Molta’s Carlson/GMAC Real Estate announced the following:
• Robert E. Thomas has joined the agency’s Wilbraham office;
• Heather Thomas has joined the agency’s Wilbraham office; and
• Christine Magnacca-Moran has joined the agency’s Wilbraham office.

•••••

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) announced the following:
• Ronald D. Grodsky was honored at recent commencement exercises with an honorary degree. Grodsky is President of Harry Grodsky and Co. of Springfield. He has served as president since 1995, and has worked full-time at the company since 1968. Grodsky was recognized for his service to the community and at STCC;
• Franklin D. Quigley Jr., a 1977 graduate of the Civil Engineering program at STCC and founder of FD Quigley & Associates, received the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award at commencement exercises. Quigley was recognized for his distinguished career in engineering as well as an exceptional record of service to the community; and
• Tamson M. Ely, recently retired Dean of Library Services at STCC, has been inducted into the Mass. Library Assoc. Hall of Fame. The honor is bestowed on practicing or retired librarians who have made a substantial, sustained contribution to advancing the cause of Massachusetts librarians or librarianship over a career of at least 10 years.

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The Western New England College School of Law in Springfield announced the following:
• Professor René Reich-Graefe recently received the Catherine J. Jones Excellence in Teaching Award. Reich-Graefe serves as Associate Professor of Law; and
• Benjamin Rajotte was recently named Adjunct/Visiting Professor of the Year. Rajotte serves as Assistant Visiting Professor of Law.
Students nominate winners of the prestigious honors for outstanding contributions as educators and advisors.

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Danielle Grosse has received top honors from lia sophia and its Excellent Beginnings Program Achievers for outstanding sales accomplishments and professionalism.

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Jeré Dittrich has been named Director of Nursing at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke. He is responsible for overseeing the nursing staff at Providence, as well as developing and implementing high-quality patient-care services, and various administrative duties regarding policies, procedures, and programs.

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The Springfield Housing Authority (SHA) announced the follwing:
• Michele Decoteau has been promoted to Accounting Manager. She is responsible for managing the daily operations of the Accounting Department and its staff. She also prepares and supervises the financial statements required for compliance with HUD and DHCD;
• Ivette Otero to Assistant District Manager. She is responsible for enforcing lease requirements and regulations, showing units to prospective residents, resolving resident complaints, and performing inspections.

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Park Square Realty in Westfield announced the following:
• Kristine Cook has joined the Westfield office as a Sales Associate; and
• Peter Curtin has joined the Westfield office as a Sales Associate.

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The Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co. announced the following:
• Director Jonathan Fitch, Manager of the Princeton Municipal Light Department, was elected Chairman of the Board;
• Gary R. Babin, Director of the Mansfield Municipal Electric Department, was elected to a three-year term as a Director; and
• Jeffrey R. Cady, Manager of the Chicopee Municipal Light Department, was elected to a three-year term as a Director.

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Vicki Evans was recently promoted to Vice President and Controller at W.F. Young Inc. of East Longmeadow.

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Gregory B. Chiecko, Sales Director at the Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, was recently elected President of the New England Assoc. of Amusement Parks and Attractions. He will lead an 18-member board of directors from across New England to fulfill the association’s mission of promoting safe operations, regional development, professional growth, and commercial success of the amusement industry in the region. He is also the Chairman of the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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Ken Toong, Executive Director of Dining Services at the UMass Amherst, was recently named a leader in retail food service by Fare magazine. The award will be presented at the Foodservice at Retail Exchange Conference in Chicago. During the conference, Toong and the other award recipients will participate in a panel discussion titled “Gold Standard: Insights from the Best in Channel.”

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Bart Bales has joined Tighe & Bond of Westfield as a Mechanical Engineer and Manager of its mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work.

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Rick Stolarik, Produce Manager at the Big Y World Class Market in Tolland, Conn., has received an award from the United Fresh Foundation’s Center for Leadership Excellence. Stolarik was honored among 25 produce managers representing 20 supermarket chains, commissaries, and independent retail stores within the U.S. and Canada. Stolarik has been a produce manager for close to 30 years.

Sections Supplements
A Chance for You to Advocate for Your Child

By DENNIS G. EGAN JR., Esq. and MELISSA R. GILLIS, Esq.

Dennis G. Egan

Dennis G. Egan

It is universally recognized that a child’s first five years of life are the most important in his or her overall development. As such, having your child assessed for special-education eligibility can be an intimidating and scary process.
If your child is going through the assessment process, someone — either you or your child’s teacher or day care provider — at some point questioned whether or not your child has a disability requiring special education. However, knowing the basics of the assessment process can alleviate a great deal of this fear and help equip you with the tools necessary to advocate on behalf of your child.
The federal special-education law is the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which dictates how municipalities and state governments must provide early intervention, special education, and related services to those children who qualify. IDEA mandates that each child receive a ‘free, appropriate public education.’ This means that state and local governments must provide such services as determined to properly meet a particular child’s needs.
The first step in the IDEA is the determination that your child should be assessed. The next step is the assessment process itself. This process involves your child and you meeting with a team of special-education professionals. IDEA provides that “the evaluation must gather relevant functional, developmental, and academic information about the child, including information provided by the parent.” As such, it is essential that you not only take part in the assessment, but also that you understand your role as a parent. Oftentimes, parents feel that they are not experts in the field and should simply leave the assessment process to the professionals. Nothing could be further from the truth.
After the evaluation process is complete, the evaluation team, including you, will determine eligibility. This point in the process is crucial in that, if the evaluation team determines that your child is not eligible for special services, the process stops and your child is placed in a traditional classroom. While a determination that your child is not eligible for special services may seem like the best possible outcome to some parents, the only better determination is that a child in need of services is eligible for those services, and ultimately receives them.
If the evaluation team determines that your child is eligible for special-education services, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting is scheduled. IDEA mandates that the IEP meeting take place within 30 days of the eligibility determination. You play a very important role in the IEP process, because out of this meeting comes the IEP plan, which is a written plan outlining your child’s needs and goals as well as the strategies to be implemented to achieve these goals. Once again, your input is critical, because you are your child’s best advocate.
Once the IEP is written, it becomes the road map by which your child’s education is conducted. It is important to note that once written, the IEP is not set in stone. Instead, it is reviewed at least annually in order to ensure that your child’s educational needs are being met and his goals are capable of being attained. If it is determined that your child’s needs are not being met, modifications are made to the IEP. This provides an ongoing opportunity for you to assure that your child’s best interests are furthered.
Melissa R. Gillis

Melissa R. Gillis

It is important to note that one of the outcomes of the re-evaluation process may be that your child is no longer eligible for services under IDEA, but you must consider each step an additional opportunity to advocate on behalf of your child.
It should be noted that you hold your child’s educational rights until (1) your child reaches the age of majority; (2) parents’ rights are terminated; or (3) one parent is awarded educational decision-making rights under a divorce decree or separation agreement.
In the end, knowing your rights, as well as your child’s rights, as they apply to the special-education assessment and IEP process will alleviate a great deal of stress and confusion. As a result, your child’s needs and interests will be better served.
While the information outlined above is meant to serve as a broad overview of this very intimate and important topic, further information can be obtain by contacting an education-law attorney, special-education advocate, special-needs assessment professionals, and/or your city or town’s school department.

Dennis Egan Jr. is an associate with Bacon Wilson, P.C. concentrating his practice in business and corporate law; (413) 781-0560; [email protected]. Melissa Gillis is an associate with Bacon Wilson, P.C. in the family law and real estate departments; (413) 781-0560; [email protected]

Departments

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

June 28: WRC 7th Annual Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. Call the chamber for more information.

July 6: Springfield Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Meeting, 12 noon to 1 p.m., TD Bank Conference Center, Springfield.

July 9: ACCGS Legislative Steering Committee, 8 to 9 a.m., TD Bank Conference Center, Springfield.

July 15: ACCGS Board of Directors Meeting, 8 to 9 a.m., TD Bank Conference Center, Springfield.

July 21: ERC Board of Directors Meeting, 8 to 9 a.m., the Gardens of Wilbraham, Community Room, Wilbraham.

July 21: Diplomats’ Meeting, 4 to 5 p.m., EDC Conference Room, Springfield.

July 26: ACCGS Golf Tournament, all day, Springfield Country Club, Springfield. Cost: $160 per player or $640 for a foursome.

July 27: WRC Board of Directors Meeting, 8 to 9 a.m., Captain Leonard House, Agawam.

Young Professional
Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com   

July 15: Third Thursday, hosted by The Delaney House, Holyoke.

Amherst Area
Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

June 23: After Five New Member Reception, 5 to 7 p.m., recognizing J.F. Conlon & Associates; Prudential Sawicki Real Estate; Ziomek & Ziomek; Blair, Cutting & Smith Insurance. Sponsored by Whirlwind Fine Garden Design, the Center for Extended Care, and Greenfield Savings Bank. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members.

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

July 15: Red Sox Bus Trip to Fenway Park vs. Texas Rangers, 7:10 p.m. Cost: $105 per person includes ticket to the game, round-trip bus fare, and tip for the driver. Call the chamber for more information or to purchase tickets.

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

See chamber’s Web site for information on upcoming events.

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

July 14: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, “Water Ski Show Night,” 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Oxbow Water Ski Show Team, 100 Old Springfield Road, Northampton. Sponsored by Bay State Gas. Gala water-ski show, door prizes, hors d’ouevres, host beer and wine. Cost: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.

July 30: 26th annual Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce Golf Tourney, 9 a.m. shotgun start, scramble. Hosted by Southampton Country Club, Southampton. Major sponsor: Easthampton Savings Bank. Golf with cart, lunch, dinner, gift, contests. Cost: $100 per person or $400 for a foursome. Win a Buick Hole-in-One sponsored by Cernak Buick. Win $10,000 Hole-in-One sponsored by Finck & Perras Insurance.

Greater Holyoke
Chamber of Commerce
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376
See chamber’s Web site for information on upcoming events.

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

July 7: Arrive@5, 5 to 7 p.m., Seth Mias Catering at Northampton Country Club. Cost: $10 for members

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

July 11: NAYP Party with a Purpose Family Day, 1 to 5 p.m., Look Memorial Park, Willow Brook Shelter. Cookout, games, and fun. Cost: $5 for NAYP members, $10 for guests, $2 for children.

Quaboag Hills
Chamber of Commerce
www.qvcc.biz
(413) 283-2418
See chamber’s Web site for information on upcoming events.

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

July 19: 7th Annual Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, hosted by Hickory Ridge Country Club, benefiting Amherst Regional High School business-education programs. Registration and putting contest at 11 a.m., light lunch at 12:30 p.m., shotgun start, scramble format, dinner reception and raffle at 5:30 p.m. Cost:  $125 per person or $500 for a foursome.

Three Rivers
Chamber of Commerce
www.threeriverschamber.org
(413) 283-6425
See chamber’s Web site for information on upcoming events.

Greater Westfield
Chamber of Commerce
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618
See chamber’s Web site for information on upcoming events.

Departments

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

ADAMS

Greylock Realty Group Inc., 233 Columbia St., Adams, MA 01220. Erik Pizani, same. Real estate services

AMHERST

Amherst Area Publications Inc., 232 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002. Carlton Brose, 36 Triangle St., Amherst, MA 01002. Non-profit charitable organization.

Fonhoh-USA Inc., 990 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002. Marky Jean-Pierre, same. Non-profit charitable organization designed to address the problems and provide educational resources for the people of Haiti.

CHICOPEE

Charles Kennedy Unit No. 275 American Legion Auxiliary Inc., 41 Robbins Road, Chicopee, MA 01020. Carolyn Baranowski, 6 Gardens Dr., Springfield, MA 01119. American Legion Auxiliary.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Arbors Home Health Associates Inc., 200 North Main St., Suite 204, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Ernst Gralia III, same. Home health care.

G & A Verdile Landscaping Inc., 81 Millbrook Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Alberto Verdile, same. Landscaping services.

GREENFIELD

Amenita Ventures Inc., 33 Shattuck St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Linda Koonz, same. E-Commerce.

HADLEY

Atlaua Inc., 83 Rocky Hill Road, Hadley, MA 01035. Eric Lyons, Apt. 2, Pomeroy Ter., Northampton, MA 01060. Build, manufacture, fabricate, construct, assemble, design, and develop hydroelectric power generation.

HOLYOKE

AMSC Corp., 589 High St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Marek Wieczorek, same.

LUDLOW

The Boston New Music Initiative Inc., 193 Chapin St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Timothy Davis, same. A network of individuals and groups comprised of composers, performers, conductors, directors, and champions of new music designed to generate new music concerts, compositions, and collaboration.

 

NORTHAMPTON

Every Pet’s Dream Inc., 94 Pleasant St., Northampton, MA 01060. Jessie Byrnes, 552 Old West Brookfield, P.O. Box, 368, Warren, MA 01083. Retail sale of pet foods and pet related products and services.

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Capital Resources, 65 Bartlett Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Thomas Hamel, same. Provides resources, capital and borrowing capabilities to small closely held businesses.

Green River Farms Inc., 57 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Franklin Lewis, 12630 NE 243rd Ave., Salt Springs, FL 32134. Farming and sale of farm related products.

SOUTH HADLEY

Architectural Roof Management Inc., 17 Canal St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Linda Boisselle, same. Consulting and project management.

SPRINGFIELD

Amarantus MA Inc., 3601 Main St., Springfield, MA 01107. Gerald Commissioning, 6200 Stoneridge Mall Road, #300, Pleasanton, CA 94588. Biotechnology company developing treatments for ALS, Diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

Borinquen Apartments Manager Corporation, 2460 Main St., Suite 112, Springfield, MA 01107. John Motto, same. Acting as a general partner and property manager.

Brotherhood on the Move Inc., 1500 Main St., Tower Square, Springfield, MA 01115. Andrew Keaton, 176 Garland St., Springfield, MA 01115. Organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes.

Eden Investments Inc., 154 Chapel St., Pittsfield, MA 01202. Mathew Bishop, same. Investment firm.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

The B.A.B.B.I.T.T. Syndicate, 98 Ashley St., West Springfield, MA 01089-3168. Dave Babbitt, same. Web development.

Elephant for Dollar Inc., 935 Riverdale St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Liselo Walker, same. Discount retail store.

Departments

Michael Seward has joined Prudential Sawicki Real Estate in Amherst. He has been a Real Estate Agent since 2003 and a Real Estate Broker since 2005.

•••••

Emily Bryant has been promoted to Director of Sales at the Hampton Inn Springfield-South in Enfield, Conn.

•••••

Margaret A. Wheeler has joined the Law Practice of Attorneys Joseph P. Curran and Dan H. Berger. Wheeler has been an Immigration Attorney since 1997.

•••••

Alice E. Pizzi has joined the management employment law firm of Sullivan, Hayes & Quinn in Springfield.

•••••

David G. Ahearn has joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank as Vice President for Commercial Loans.

•••••

Paul Nicolai has been named to the Executive Committee of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council Board of Directors. He is President of the Nicolai Law Group in Springfield.

•••••

The WFCR Foundation announced the following:
• Marc Berman has been named President of the Board;
• Paul Friedmann has joined the board as a Director;
• Michael Miller has joined the board as a Director;
• James V. Staros has joined the board as a Director;
• Eva Thompson has joined the board as a Director; and
• Sarah Tanner has joined the board as an Adviser.

•••••

The Landmark Companies announced the following:
• Christopher Woods has joined the Wilbraham office;
• Nancy Hunt has joined the Wilbraham office;
• Ela Gomes has joined the Ludlow office;
• Elizabeth DeGray has joined the Ludlow office; and
• Gina Gelineau has joined the Dot Lortie-Springfield office.

•••••

W. F. Young Inc. of East Longmeadow announced the following
• Molly H. O’Brien has been named Advertising Supervisor, Equine Health Care Products. She will be responsible for the creation, execution, and media placement for Absorbine horse-care products, as well as the Equine America brand. She will also collaborate with the company’s advertising agency and creative team to implement strategic branding and creative execution to promote the company’s equine products throughout the world; and
• Vicki Evans has been promoted to Vice President, Controller.

•••••

Michael J. Roy, Esq. has joined Easthampton Savings Bank as the Compliance Officer. He will be responsible for overseeing the bank’s compliance program. His responsibilities will include implementing, amending, or creating compliance policies and assisting with federal and state regulator compliance exams. Roy will also function as the in-house expert for all applicable federal and state banking laws and regulations.

•••••

Chicopee Savings Bank announced the following:
• Cidalia Inacio has joined the organization as the Senior Vice President of Retail Banking;
• Alyse Ramalho has joined the organization as the Senior Vice President of Retail Lending; and
• Henry Downey has joined the organization as an Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lending.

•••••

Susan Dixon, M.D. has been appointed to the medical staff at the Brattleboro Retreat in Brattleboro, Vt. Dixon is board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry and will spend the majority of her clinical time working with adolescent inpatients.

•••••

Bertram W. Gardner IV, AIA, of Caolo & Bieniek Associates Inc. in Chicopee, recently was granted reciprocity as an Architect by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Gardner is also a licensed Architect in New Jersey.

•••••

The Home Builders Assoc. of Mass. announced the following:
• Walter Tomala Jr. will serve as President of the organization from now through 2011;
• John DeShazo will serve as President-Elect of the organization;
• Michael McDowell will serve as Senior Vice President of the organization;
• Christopher Lund will serve as Vice President of the organization;
• Dwight Thompson will serve as Treasurer of the organization; and
• Robin Ward will serve as Secretary of the organization.

Chamber Corners Departments

ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555
n June 28: WRC 7th Annual Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. Call the chamber for more information.
n July 6: Springfield Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Meeting, 12 noon to 1 p.m., TD Bank Conference Center, Springfield.
n July 9: ACCGS Legislative Steering Committee, 8 to 9 a.m., TD Bank Conference Center, Springfield.
n July 15: ACCGS Board of Directors Meeting, 8 to 9 a.m., TD Bank Conference Center, Springfield.
n July 21: ERC Board of Directors Meeting, 8 to 9 a.m., the Gardens of Wilbraham, Community Room, Wilbraham.
n July 21: Diplomats’ Meeting, 4 to 5 p.m., EDC Conference Room, Springfield.
July 26: ACCGS Golf Tournament, all day, Springfield Country Club, Springfield. Cost: $160 per player or $640 for a foursome.
n July 27: WRC Board of Directors Meeting, 8 to 9 a.m., Captain Leonard House, Agawam.

Young Professional
Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com
n July 15: Third Thursday, hosted by The Delaney House, Holyoke.

Amherst Area
Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com
n June 23: After Five New Member Reception, 5 to 7 p.m., recognizing J.F. Conlon & Associates; Prudential Sawicki Real Estate; Ziomek & Ziomek; Blair, Cutting & Smith Insurance. Sponsored by Whirlwind Fine Garden Design, the Center for Extended Care, and Greenfield Savings Bank. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members.

Chicopee Area
Chamber of Commerce
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101
n July 15: Red Sox Bus Trip to Fenway Park vs. Texas Rangers, 7:10 p.m. Cost: $105 per person includes ticket to the game, round-trip bus fare, and tip for the driver. Call the chamber for more information or to purchase tickets.
 
Franklin County
Chamber of Commerce
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463
See chamber’s Web site for information on upcoming events.

Greater Easthampton
Chamber of Commerce
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414
n July 14: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, “Water Ski Show Night,” 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Oxbow Water Ski Show Team, 100 Old Springfield Road, Northampton. Sponsored by Bay State Gas. Gala water-ski show, door prizes, hors d’ouevres, host beer and wine. Cost: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.
n July 30: 26th annual Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce Golf Tourney, 9 a.m. shotgun start, scramble. Hosted by Southampton Country Club, Southampton. Major sponsor: Easthampton Savings Bank. Golf with cart, lunch, dinner, gift, contests. Cost: $100 per person or $400 for a foursome. Win a Buick Hole-in-One sponsored by Cernak Buick. Win $10,000 Hole-in-One sponsored by Finck & Perras Insurance.

Greater Holyoke
Chamber of Commerce
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376
See chamber’s Web site for information on upcoming events.

Greater Northampton
Chamber of Commerce
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900
n July 7: Arrive@5, 5 to 7 p.m., Seth Mias Catering at Northampton Country Club. Cost: $10 for members

Northampton Area
Young Professional Society
www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900
n July 11: NAYP Party with a Purpose Family Day, 1 to 5 p.m., Look Memorial Park, Willow Brook Shelter. Cookout, games, and fun. Cost: $5 for NAYP members, $10 for guests, $2 for children.

Quaboag Hills
Chamber of Commerce
www.qvcc.biz
(413) 283-2418
See chamber’s Web site for information on upcoming events.

South Hadley/Granby
Chamber of Commerce
www.shchamber.com
(413) 532-6451
n July 19: 7th Annual Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, hosted by Hickory Ridge Country Club, benefiting Amherst Regional High School business-education programs. Registration and putting contest at 11 a.m., light lunch at 12:30 p.m., shotgun start, scramble format, dinner reception and raffle at 5:30 p.m. Cost:  $125 per person or $500 for a foursome.

Three Rivers
Chamber of Commerce
www.threeriverschamber.org
(413) 283-6425
See chamber’s Web site for information on upcoming events.

Greater Westfield
Chamber of Commerce
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618
See chamber’s Web site for information on upcoming events.

Departments People on the Move

Michael Seward has joined Prudential Sawicki Real Estate in Amherst. He has been a Real Estate Agent since 2003 and a Real Estate Broker since 2005.
•••••
Emily Bryant has been promoted to Director of Sales at the Hampton Inn Springfield-South in Enfield, Conn.
•••••
Margaret A. Wheeler has joined the Law Practice of Attorneys Joseph P. Curran and Dan H. Berger. Wheeler has been an Immigration Attorney since 1997.
•••••
Alice E. Pizzi has joined the management employment law firm of Sullivan, Hayes & Quinn in Springfield.
•••••
David G. Ahearn has joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank as Vice President for Commercial Loans.
•••••
Paul Nicolai has been named to the Executive Committee of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council Board of Directors. He is President of the Nicolai Law Group in Springfield.
•••••
The WFCR Foundation announced the following:
• Marc Berman has been named President of the Board;
• Paul Friedmann has joined the board as a Director;
• Michael Miller has joined the board as a Director;
• James V. Staros has joined the board as a Director;
• Eva Thompson has joined the board as a Director; and
• Sarah Tanner has joined the board as an Adviser.
•••••
The Landmark Companies announced the following:
• Christopher Woods has joined the Wilbraham office;
• Nancy Hunt has joined the Wilbraham office;
• Ela Gomes has joined the Ludlow office;
• Elizabeth DeGray has joined the Ludlow office; and
• Gina Gelineau has joined the Dot Lortie-Springfield office.
•••••
W. F. Young Inc. of East Longmeadow announced the following
• Molly H. O’Brien has been named Advertising Supervisor, Equine Health Care Products. She will be responsible for the creation, execution, and media placement for Absorbine horse-care products, as well as the Equine America brand. She will also collaborate with the company’s advertising agency and creative team to implement strategic branding and creative execution to promote the company’s equine products throughout the world; and
• Vicki Evans has been promoted to Vice President, Controller.
•••••
Michael J. Roy, Esq. has joined Easthampton Savings Bank as the Compliance Officer. He will be responsible for overseeing the bank’s compliance program. His responsibilities will include implementing, amending, or creating compliance policies and assisting with federal and state regulator compliance exams. Roy will also function as the in-house expert for all applicable federal and state banking laws and regulations.
•••••
Chicopee Savings Bank announced the following:
• Cidalia Inacio has joined the organization as the Senior Vice President of Retail Banking;
• Alyse Ramalho has joined the organization as the Senior Vice President of Retail Lending; and
• Henry Downey has joined the organization as an Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lending.
•••••
Susan Dixon, M.D. has been appointed to the medical staff at the Brattleboro Retreat in Brattleboro, Vt. Dixon is board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry and will spend the majority of her clinical time working with adolescent inpatients.
•••••
Bertram W. Gardner IV, AIA, of Caolo & Bieniek Associates Inc. in Chicopee, recently was granted reciprocity as an Architect by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Gardner is also a licensed Architect in New Jersey.
•••••
The Home Builders Assoc. of Mass. announced the following:
• Walter Tomala Jr. will serve as President of the organization from now through 2011;
• John DeShazo will serve as President-Elect of the organization;
• Michael McDowell will serve as Senior Vice President of the organization;
• Christopher Lund will serve as Vice President of the organization;
• Dwight Thompson will serve as Treasurer of the organization; and
• Robin Ward will serve as Secretary of the organization.

Departments Incorporations

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

ADAMS

Greylock Realty Group Inc., 233 Columbia St., Adams, MA 01220. Erik Pizani, same. Real estate services

AMHERST

Amherst Area Publications Inc., 232 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002. Carlton Brose, 36 Triangle St., Amherst, MA 01002. Non-profit charitable organization.

Fonhoh-USA Inc., 990 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002. Marky Jean-Pierre, same. Non-profit charitable organization designed to address the problems and provide educational resources for the people of Haiti.

CHICOPEE

Charles Kennedy Unit No. 275 American Legion Auxiliary Inc., 41 Robbins Road, Chicopee, MA 01020. Carolyn Baranowski, 6 Gardens Dr., Springfield, MA 01119. American Legion Auxiliary.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Arbors Home Health Associates Inc., 200 North Main St., Suite 204, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Ernst Gralia III, same. Home health care.

G & A Verdile Landscaping Inc., 81 Millbrook Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Alberto Verdile, same. Landscaping services.

GREENFIELD

Amenita Ventures Inc., 33 Shattuck St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Linda Koonz, same. E-Commerce.

HADLEY

Atlaua Inc., 83 Rocky Hill Road, Hadley, MA 01035. Eric Lyons, Apt. 2, Pomeroy Ter., Northampton, MA 01060. Build, manufacture, fabricate, construct, assemble, design, and develop hydroelectric power generation.

HOLYOKE

AMSC Corp., 589 High St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Marek Wieczorek, same.

LUDLOW

The Boston New Music Initiative Inc., 193 Chapin St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Timothy Davis, same. A network of individuals and groups comprised of composers, performers, conductors, directors, and champions of new music designed to generate new music concerts, compositions, and collaboration.

NORTHAMPTON

Every Pet’s Dream Inc., 94 Pleasant St., Northampton, MA 01060. Jessie Byrnes, 552 Old West Brookfield, P.O. Box, 368, Warren, MA 01083. Retail sale of pet foods and pet related products and services.

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Capital Resources, 65 Bartlett Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Thomas Hamel, same. Provides resources, capital and borrowing capabilities to small closely held businesses.

Green River Farms Inc., 57 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Franklin Lewis, 12630 NE 243rd Ave., Salt Springs, FL 32134. Farming and sale of farm related products.

SOUTH HADLEY

Architectural Roof Management Inc., 17 Canal St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Linda Boisselle, same. Consulting and project management.

SPRINGFIELD

Amarantus MA Inc., 3601 Main St., Springfield, MA 01107. Gerald Commissioning, 6200 Stoneridge Mall Road, #300, Pleasanton, CA 94588. Biotechnology company developing treatments for ALS, Diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

Borinquen Apartments Manager Corporation, 2460 Main St., Suite 112, Springfield, MA 01107. John Motto, same. Acting as a general partner and property manager.

Brotherhood on the Move Inc., 1500 Main St., Tower Square, Springfield, MA 01115. Andrew Keaton, 176 Garland St., Springfield, MA 01115. Organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes.

Eden Investments Inc., 154 Chapel St., Pittsfield, MA 01202. Mathew Bishop, same. Investment firm.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

The B.A.B.B.I.T.T. Syndicate, 98 Ashley St., West Springfield, MA 01089-3168. Dave Babbitt, same. Web development.

Elephant for Dollar Inc., 935 Riverdale St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Liselo Walker, same. Discount retail store.

Cover Story
STCC/UMass Partnership Created to Take Incubator to
the Next Level

COVERart6.10a

COVERart6.10a

Springfield Technical Community College and UMass Amherst have announced a partnership involving the Springfield Incubator in the Scibelli Enterprise Center on the STCC campus. The collaborative effort is expected to breathe new life into a facility that has struggled — due in large part to the economy and the loss of a $500,000 state subsidy — while also increasing the university’s presence in Springfield.

Marla Michel and Ira Rubenzahl were trying — but not ultimately succeeding — in their efforts to come up with a single word to describe what they’re doing with the Scibelli Enterprise Center in the Technology Park at Springfield Technical Community College.
Both thought ‘reinvent’ was too strong a word and, overall, not accurate, since the basic operating model for the facility won’t change appreciably. Also cast aside were ‘reposition’ and ‘rebrand’ — they don’t really tell the whole story, they said — and while Michel appeared to like ‘rejuvenate,’ the two ultimately decided they would need phrases, not a single word, to convey their intentions.
“We’re going to take things to a much higher level,” said Rubenzahl, STCC’s president, as he talked about the Enterprise Center and the Springfield Incubator it houses, home to a few small businesses (clients) and several business-support agencies, and which will now be operated in partnership with UMass Amherst.
Michel, who works for the university as executive director of Strategic Communications and Outreach, and who also now directs the incubator as a shared executive, went further.
“We want this to be the entrepreneurial hub of Western Mass.,” she said, noting that her broad plan is to take the center, which opened a decade ago but has struggled in recent years with declining occupancy, from being a purely mixed-use facility — meaning that it has incubated ventures across many business sectors — to a ‘modified mixed-use’ center, or home to only IT-enabled companies and different kinds of ‘green’ enterprises.
She’ll start with a venture called Texifter, LLC, a spinoff company based on text-analysis research conducted by Stuart Shulman, a professor of Political Science at UMass Amherst. Describing his business in broad, simple terms, Shulman said they are “power tools for language” that, as the company’s contrived name indicates, allow users to sift through text — large amounts of it.
Texifter software and techniques can help government officials, academic and legal researchers, non-governmental organizations, and corporate employees make searching, sorting, and analyzing large numbers of documents far more manageable, he explained, adding that the company now has a small staff and is moving out of the research-and-development stage and into the contract-procurement stage, said Shulman, who spoke with BusinessWest from Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington after talking with representatives from several government agencies about how his products can help them.
This makes Texifter exactly the kind of venture with which Michel is hoping to fill the many available suites at the incubator.
To grow the tenant population, Michel intends to aggressively market the incubator, which many small businesses, operating in basements, attics, and garages, probably don’t know about. While making them aware through a variety of vehicles, from social-media outlets to direct communication with area colleges whose students and faculty members have become entrepreneurs, Michel will also work to inform them about the benefits of incubation. And she says there are many.
“Research shows that 67% of companies that are incubated succeed, while for those that are not, it’s less than half,” she said. Thus, a part of her job description will be work to convince entrepreneurs looking for space to grow to look for an incubator and not simply square footage in an office building.
For this issue, BusinessWest looks at how the new partnership between STCC and UMass Amherst evolved, and why officials at both schools believe the collaboration will enable Michel to achieve that goal of making this the entrepreneurial hub of Western Mass.

Schools of Thought
Rubenzahl said there were a number of factors that brought the two schools together several months ago in discussions about the enterprise center. Chief among them was the fact that the facility had hit a wall of sorts in its efforts to attract and effectively incubate clients, and for several reasons.
First, STCC lost its $530,000 state subsidy for the center — which paid for staff and operating costs — in the wake of massive budget cuts across the public college system stemming from the economic downturn and its harsh impact on revenues to the Commonwealth. Meanwhile, the recession also took a toll on entrepreneurs trying to take their companies to the proverbial next level; many were slowed in their development due in large part to difficulties obtaining financing, and thus were not willing to take on the costs of moving into commercial real estate, he continued.
“Companies can’t get started without financing,” he said. “We would have more startups if entrepreneurs could get the money they need to get started.”
There were also some staff changes and turnover in leadership positions at the center, said Rubenzahl, adding that, collectively, these factors provided what he called “an opportunity to revisit” the facility and plan its future.
And as he did so, Rubenzahl recalled reading somewhere that in the original legislation for the technology park at STCC, opened in 1996, there was wording to the effect that UMass Amherst should be considered as a potential partner in that venture. This recollection, reinforced with suggestions from others to initiate a dialogue with the state university, prompted Rubenzahl to commence talks with Tim Milligan, executive vice chancellor for University Relations, and John Mullin, dean of the university’s graduate school, director of the Center for Economic Development, and point person for the so-called Springfield Initiative, the university’s ongoing efforts to increase its visibility and impact in the City of Homes.
Mullin told BusinessWest that the incubator project touches on at least a few of the primary goals for the initiative, including the twin desires to be more visible and to bring more of its spinoff companies to Springfield and its suburbs (see related story, page 9).
He recalls meeting last fall with Paul Stelzer, president of Appleton Corp., which manages the SEC and tech park, about ways to partner on the incubator and create momentum there. “Very gradually, a couple of things morphed,” he said, “including the idea of the university directing startups to the incubator, and the other was providing someone who would be a coordinator or manager.”
Fast-forwarding a little, Rubenzahl and Michel said these initial talks eventually led to the creation of a formal partnership that involves a ‘what,’ a ‘who,’ and a ‘how.’ The ‘who’ would be Michel, who has been part of several economic-development-related initiatives at UMass, including efforts to take research from the laboratories to area communities. She will now split her time between the university and the incubator, with the institutions splitting her salary.
The ‘what’ would be a collaborative effort between the college and the university to make the incubator a bigger economic force in the region. Doing so would serve many different purposes, said Michel, listing everything from potential job growth to giving the university a still-greater role in economic-development efforts in the region.
As for the ‘how,’ as in how to make the facility the entrepreneurial hub of Western Mass., Michel says she plans to utilize all the resources and connections available to her to bring more, and higher-quality, clients to the incubator. Creating this critical mass will achieve many goals, from making the facility far more self-sustainable (more on that later) to making the incubator a desired landing spot for entrepreneurs.
Moving forward, the operating model will remain essentially the same, said Michel, noting that this means attracting clients with sound business plans and growth potential, properly incubating them, or giving them the help they need to get to the next level through the agencies in the SEC and three-person advisory boards assigned to each client, and then ‘graduating’ them into the community in two or three years and using their spaces to assist more small businesses.
“This is the model that (former STCC President) Andrew Scibelli created,” said Michel, “and we don’t have to change it; it works.”

Getting Down to Business
What will change, however, is the makeup of the incubator’s clientele. Indeed,
to make her vision for the incubator become reality, Michel wants to recruit more companies like Texifter, which fits the profile for the preferred client in a number of ways. For starters, it can take advantage of the extensive fiber-optic infrastructure that runs through the technology park. Also, it is technology-enabled, has strong growth potential, is ready to move from R&D into the sales and marketing phase, can clearly benefit from being in the incubator and around business-support agencies, and may soon to be in a position to hire STCC students and graduates.
“This is the kind of company we’re trying to attract, and we believe there are many that fit this profile,” Michel said, noting that UMass Amherst probably has several spinoffs that already meet this description or soon will. Technology-related companies are a prime target, as are certain types of ‘green’ ventures, she said, noting that what are known as ‘green-technology companies’ may not be suitable for this type of incubator because of the long periods of time it takes to move products from the drawing board to reality.
Shulman has spent a number of years in the R&D stage, perhaps 10 by his count, but is now ready to move forward. He has one employee at present, but he hopes to have five within a year and perhaps 15 in two years. The growth rate will largely be determined by how many clients, especially government agencies, the company can add as either a primary contractor or subcontractor with other text-analysis companies. That’s why he was in Washington the day he spoke with BusinessWest.
“I was making presentations to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Labor & Statistics, and others,” he said. “They all have one form or another of a common problem: either large piles of small documents or small piles of large documents. We’re trying to build search engines to get around document piles.”
One challenge facing Michel as she sets out to lease up the incubator is finding such companies. There are many out there, but some keep a low profile, she said, adding that UMass spinoffs like Texifter will obviously be among the primary targets.
Another challenge will then be to convince such companies to come to Springfield and the incubator, she continued, noting that it will be her job to sell the entrepreneurs in question on the benefits of incubation. Overall, she doesn’t think it will be a hard sell.
For starters, she said that, while operating out of one’s basement or garage may be cheap, it’s not an effective way to grow a business. The Springfield Incubator provides clients with facilities they simply couldn’t have in their home, such as a shared receptionist and conference rooms, and close access to agencies such as the Small Business Administration, the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network, and SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives.
There are also more far-reaching advantages. Quoting statistics provided by the National Business Incubator Assoc. (NBIA), Michel said that incubation substantially reduces the risk of small-business failure. According to a report called “Incubation Works,” “historically, NBIA-member incubators have reported that 87% of all firms that have graduated from their incubators are still in business.”
There are benefits for the community, as well, she continued, citing more MBIA stats showing that, in 2005 alone, “North American incubators assisted more than 27,000 start-up companies that provided full-time employment for more than 100,000 workers and generated annual revenue of more than $17 billion.” Also, research has shown that 84% of incubator graduates stay in their communities.
The primary goal at the SEC will to make the incubator self-sustainable, or at least much more so than it has been historically, said Michel, noting that most incubators receive some sort of support — be it state, federal, or both — and the Springfield facility will certainly be aggressive in pursuit of such support.
And this is a good time to be doing so, she continued, adding that the federal government is putting additional emphasis on supporting innovation, and is making funds available to incubators and also companies like Texifter.
Indeed, Shulman said his venture will soon receive funding from the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which he expects will help the company add staff and gain government contracts.
“The way the program manager describes it, the U.S. governments wants to invest in companies it wants to see succeed, but without taking any equity,” he said. “We’ll get $100,000 on July 1, and that could grow to $150,000 by the end of a six-month period. Then we’ll be eligible to get another $50,000 if we can bring in $50,000 from another source between now and Oct. 15. All told, we can get $200,000 from SBIR that will allow us to hire some programmers and pay lawyers to do something other than borrow cash.”
Meanwhile, Rubenzahl said the timing is also right as far as entrepreneurs stepping forward with new concepts, many of them out of sheer necessity, with the recovery taking on a decidedly jobless look and feel.

Room for Growth
At a packed press conference at the SEC to announce the partnership between STCC and UMass, Shulman was one of the final speakers to reach the podium. He talked at some length about what his company does (always a fairly difficult task), and then about what brought him to the incubator, specifically the physical space, but also, more importantly, the support he’ll find inside the facility.
Then, speaking for every entrepreneur who’s ever signed the front of a paycheck, he said that getting a venture off the ground isn’t anywhere near as easy as it might look.
“It is scary being a startup,” he told those assembled. “I have to admit that there was a month or two there when I woke up every morning sick to my stomach. I suppose it’s only going to get worse, but having this resource here has made it possible to forge on.”
In many ways, those last few words can also be used to describe how the STCC/UMass partnership will breathe new life into a facility that has always had vast potential.
One term won’t suffice, but ‘forge on’ does it nicely.

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

Opinion

Stuart Shulman got it right.
It is scary being a startup. Very scary. It’s also daunting and quite humbling. The odds, as they say, are stacked against you.
Which is why the partnership forged by UMass Amherst and Springfield Technical Community College concerning the incubator at the Scibelli Enterprise Center on the STCC campus is such an important development for the region. In short, it can significantly improve those odds.
The collaboration, announced late last month, makes the schools full partners in the work to operate the incubator and, in essence, take some of the fear, heartache, and headache out of the process of being an entrepreneur and trying to take a company to the next level.
Shulman, a professor of Political Science at UMass, is one such person. He has started a company, a spinoff from research at the university, called Texifter, which, as the name implies (sort of), creates software that will help users, especially government agencies, sift through large amounts of text. He is the newest tenant in the incubator and a poster child of sorts for the kind of company that Ira Rubenzahl, STCC president, and Marla Michel, the new director of the facility, want to see as clients. His venture is technology-oriented, has growth potential, can take advantage of the benefits of incubation, and it may someday soon be able to hire STCC students and graduates.
And Shulman’s story points up why a successful incubator is so important for this region. Ventures like his need help getting to where they want to go, and they can’t find that help, or support system, working out of their garage, attic, or office at UMass.
Before elaborating, we’ll note that the UMass/STCC partnership does a lot of things. For starters, it will breathe some new life into a facility that has struggled in recent years — especially with the loss of a $500,000 state subsidy and some key leaders — and has, by many accounts, underachieved since opening a decade ago. By bringing UMass in as a partner, STCC will likely gain better access to UMass spinoffs as potential clients, and more clout across the state.
Meanwhile, the collaboration represents another large step forward in the university’s efforts to be visible and involved in Springfield. This has been a priority for Chancellor Robert Holub, who has focused many efforts on helping fill vacant real estate. The incubator initiative could have more far-reaching implications.
Why? Because, as we’ve said many times, growth in this region is almost certain to come organically far more than it will from importing companies and jobs. While it’s always possible to recruit companies that will hire hundreds of people (it happed last year with Liberty Mutual), this isn’t anything anyone should plan on happening in this day and age.
Progress is far more likely to come from growing new businesses, and especially those with strong growth and employment potential. Statistics show that companies that are incubated, where they can benefit from the help of professionals and also learn from those two doors down or across the hall, stand a better chance of surviving and thriving.
The incubator at the Enterprise Center never has taken all the fear out of being a startup, and it never will. But it can take some of the anxiety out of the equation and better those long odds.
And that’s why the UMass/STCC partnership is such an important win/win for this region.

Opinion

By GERRY FITZGERALD
Now that it’s certain that casinos are coming to Massachusetts, it may be time to start considering seriously where a Western Mass. casino should be sited. In spite of the constant PR drumbeat coming out of Palmer over the past year, the siting of a local casino is an important issue and should not be decided by the noise level generated by developers with an entirely vested interest in the decision.
The Western Mass. location where a casino would bring the greatest benefit to the area as a whole, and to a host community with the greatest needs and the greatest payback, is readily apparent. And it certainly isn’t Palmer. Granted, Palmer is a nice little town with the same problems of many other little towns in Western Mass., but simply having a large tract of open land somewhere near a turnpike exit doesn’t make it the optimum site for a casino.
Springfield is the economic engine that powers Western Mass. A financially healthy Springfield of rising property values, a vibrant school system, rising employment opportunities for its growing minority population, and a revitalized downtown benefits all of Western Mass. These are benefits that a well-conceived, well-managed, visionary casino relationship could bring to Springfield.
With an agreement that the casino gives job preference and training opportunities to Springfield residents first, the people and neighborhoods most in need of an economic hand up — not a handout — will receive it, with dignity and a sense of pride, and just as importantly, they get the opportunity to work in their own community, with the ability to get to work every day by public transportation.
A revitalized, vibrant downtown community can also come with the new casino development. This is the hard part. Locating an $800 million casino in downtown Springfield requires vision and fortitude. But it should be the easiest part, because the key component that satisfies all the requirements of an optimum Western Mass. casino site has been sitting vacant for more than 40 years, waiting for an opportunity big enough to match its economic potential — Union Station.
A huge parcel of prime downtown real estate, Union Station sits unused and undeveloped — but not for lack of trying. Countless commissions have taken a crack at designing a future for Union Station, with a new proposal coming along every few years, complete with the same artist renderings and vague notions of intermodal transportation and retail and commercial office ventures. Mercifully, the latest plan at least spared us the farmers’-market component of previous proposals. But the fact is that nothing will ever go on that site that will generate 2,000 construction jobs, 3,000 permanent jobs, and a multi-million-dollar annual contribution to the city’s treasury, and bring an average of 10,000 visitors per day to downtown Springfield. A casino would.
It is also a unique and exciting opportunity for a casino operator. Come to Springfield and build an $800 million, 40-story, luxury resort hotel and casino, and we’ll give you the site at Union Station, and you’ll also have an Amtrak station in your hotel lobby, with ‘casino trains’ running on the hour from New York City, bringing in gamblers from New York, Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford.
A Union Station casino (it even comes with a perfect brand name) wouldn’t be the demise of Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun, but it would most certainly take a very serious gouge out of Fox-Mo’s significant I-91, Southern Conn./ New York business, turn their Albany traffic to a trickle, and keep at home the important Western Mass business. From New York, Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Albany, and points beyond, Springfield is far easier and faster to get to by car, train, or airplane, and has much more to offer gamblers beyond the tables and slots than does a clearing in the woods. A world-class, major resort casino in downtown Springfield is an absolute nightmare for Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.
A Union Station casino brings people and business to downtown Springfield and the surrounding area. It brings convention business to the Mass Mutual Center (instead of losing it a to Palmer facility), brings visitors to the Basketball Hall of Fame and its restaurants, and attracts people to the museums, Symphony Hall, CityStage, Six Flags, the Big E, and area restaurants, hotels, and stores. And most of all, it puts Springfield’s citizens to work, in their own community, at a location at the heart of the public-transportation system. An opportunity like this will never again be available to Springfield.

Gerry FitzGerald is president of FitzGerald & Mastroianni Advertising Inc. in Springfield.

Departments

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

u June 9: ACCGS After 5, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by the Delaney House, Holyoke. Cost: members $10, non-members $15.

u June 10: ACCGS Annual Meeting, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Springfield Marriott. Keynote speaker: Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal. Cost: members $40, non-members $60.

u June 28: WRC 7th Annual Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. Call the chamber for more information.

Young Professional
Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com

u June 17: YPS Third Thursday, hosted by Pazzo Restaurant, Springfield. See Web site for details.

Amherst Area
Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

u June 18: Breakfast, 7:15 yo 9 a.m., Town Common under the Taste Tent; sponsored by Dr. Hauschka Skin Care and Museums10. Cost: members $12, non-members $15. 

u June 23: After Five New Member Reception, 5 to 7 p.m. Recognizing J.F. Conlon & Associates; Prudential Sawicki Real Estate; Ziomek & Ziomek; Blair, Cutting & Smith Insurance. Sponsored by Whirlwind Fine Garden Design, Center for Extended Care, and Greenfield Savings Bank. Cost: members $5, non-members $10.

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

u June 9: Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. shotgun start, hosted by Chicopee Country Club. Cost: $125 per golfer, includes 18 holes with a cart, lunch with a beer or soda, dinner, and golfer’s gift; $20 for golfer’s package, includes 25 raffle tickets and one mulligan; $115 for sign up to golf; $135 for sign up to golf and golfer’s package.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

u June 9: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted and sponsored by Promark Graphics, Easthampton, co-sponsored by Riff’s Joint. Door prizes, hors d’ouevres, host beer and wine. Cost: members $5, non-members $15.

u June 18: Wine and Microbrew Tasting, 6 to 8 p.m., One Cottage Street (corner of Cottage and Union streets), Easthampton. More than 50 wines and microbrews, fine food, raffle. Wine and microbrew sponsor: Westfield Spirit Shop. Food sponsor: the Log Cabin and Delaney House. Benefactor: Finck & Perras Insurance Agency. Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Purchase online at www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber. Proceeds to benefit community programs.

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

u June 16: Chamber After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Wistariahurst Museum Carriage House, Holyoke. Sponsored by Vin’s Cloth Car Wash and Holyoke Gas & Electric. Presented by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. Cost: members $5, non-members $10.

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

u June 15: Meet & Eat, 7:30 to 9 a.m., hosted by Union Station, Northampton. To register, contact Jenna at (413) 584-1900 or [email protected]

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.
Quaboag Hills
Chamber of Commerce
www.qvcc.biz
(413) 283-2418
See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

u June 9: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce WestNet (After 5) Networking Event, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Stevens 451, Westfield. Participants are invited to bring a friend and a door prize to highlight their business. Cost: members $10, non-members $15. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]

u June 11: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Spring Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by Stanley Park Pavilion, Westfield. Guest Speaker: Charlie Baker. Head Greeter: state Sen. Michael Knapik. Participants are invited to bring a friend and a door prize to highlight their business. Cost: members $20, non-members $25. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]

Departments

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

June 9: ACCGS After 5, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by the Delaney House, Holyoke. Cost: members $10, non-members $15.

June 10: ACCGS Annual Meeting, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Springfield Marriott. Keynote speaker: Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal. Cost: members $40, non-members $60.

June 28: WRC 7th Annual Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. Call the chamber for more information.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com   

June 17: YPS Third Thursday, hosted by Pazzo Restaurant, Springfield. See Web site for details.

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

June 18: Breakfast, 7:15 yo 9 a.m., Town Common under the Taste Tent; sponsored by Dr. Hauschka Skin Care and Museums10. Cost: members $12, non-members $15. 

June 23: After Five New Member Reception, 5 to 7 p.m. Recognizing J.F. Conlon & Associates; Prudential Sawicki Real Estate; Ziomek & Ziomek; Blair, Cutting & Smith Insurance. Sponsored by Whirlwind Fine Garden Design, Center for Extended Care, and Greenfield Savings Bank. Cost: members $5, non-members $10.

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

June 9: Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. shotgun start, hosted by Chicopee Country Club. Cost: $125 per golfer, includes 18 holes with a cart, lunch with a beer or soda, dinner, and golfer’s gift; $20 for golfer’s package,  includes 25 raffle tickets and one mulligan; $115 for sign up to golf; $135 for sign up to golf and golfer’s package.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

June 9: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted and sponsored by Promark Graphics, Easthampton, co-sponsored by Riff’s Joint. Door prizes, hors d’ouevres, host beer and wine. Cost: members $5, non-members $15.

June 18: Wine and Microbrew Tasting, 6 to 8 p.m., One Cottage Street (corner of Cottage and Union streets), Easthampton. More than 50 wines and microbrews, fine food, raffle. Wine and microbrew sponsor: Westfield Spirit Shop. Food sponsor: the Log Cabin and Delaney House. Benefactor: Finck & Perras Insurance Agency. Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Purchase online at www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber. Proceeds to benefit community programs.

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

June 16: Chamber After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Wistariahurst Museum Carriage House, Holyoke. Sponsored by Vin’s Cloth Car Wash and Holyoke Gas & Electric. Presented by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. Cost: members $5, non-members $10.

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

June 15: Meet & Eat, 7:30 to 9 a.m., hosted by Union Station, Northampton. To register, contact Jenna at (413) 584-1900 or [email protected]

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

June 9: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce WestNet (After 5) Networking Event, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Stevens 451, Westfield. Participants are invited to bring a friend and a door prize to highlight their business. Cost: members $10, non-members $15. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]

June 11: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Spring Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by Stanley Park Pavilion, Westfield. Guest Speaker: Charlie Baker. Head Greeter: state Sen. Michael Knapik. Participants are invited to bring a friend and a door prize to highlight their business. Cost: members $20, non-members $25. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]   

Departments

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

AGAWAM

Community Laundromat
305 Springfield St.
Pierre H. Mouchette

Dirty Dancing Entertainment
50 South Park
Jason Biagetti

N.E. Waste
28 Moylan Lane
James A. Ricco

Supreme Scratch & Chip
34 Corey St.
Raymond Gobeille

Trumpets of Light Ministry
76 Hope Farms Dr.
Robert Whitman

AMHERST

East Coast Radon
57 Glendale Road
Kellie Baker

Sei’s Bella Salon
598 Boltwood Walk
Katrina Irwin

Women’s Health Physical Therapy
495 West St.
Patricia Young

CHICOPEE

Ovation Renovations
14 Lafond Dr.
Nevson DaCosta

T & L’s Pre-Owned Furniture & Antiques
8 Montgomery St.
Lisa Mark

Westover Heating & Cooling
53 Deslauriers St.
Kristopher Kelley

GREENFIELD

Amenita Ventures Inc.
33 Shattock St.
Linda Koonz

Mixed Media Workshop
13 Pierce St.
Lisa Henry

Quality Cleaning & Restoration
134 S. Shelburne Road
Vladimir Agapov

Salon 107
114 Wells St.
Debra Mathey

The Oak Shoppe
352 Deerfield St.
Gloria Easton

HOLYOKE

Homewood Suites
375 Whitney Ave.
David H. Baldauf

Van’s Pizza Inc.
510 Westfield Road
Charlene M. Fantaki’s

LUDLOW

Bio Links of New England
438 Ventura St.
Leslie Lindsey

Rubbo & Son Construction & Cleaning
329 East St.
Gustavo Rubbo

W. N. Woodworking
100 State St.
Woitek Nowicki

Your Choice Insurance Agency
120 East St.
Beatrice DaSilva

NORTHAMPTON

Hurricane Millworks
31 1/2 Lyman Road
Chadd Merberger

Robinson Real Estate
35 State St.
Steven J. Slezek

TAO Associates
142 Riverside Dr.
Theresa O’Connor

Turkey Hill Hobbies
267 Turkey Hill Road
Andrew Chambers

Uniquepeople.net
2 High St.
Shana Hirananoani

PALMER

Computer Training of America
1448 North Main St.
Thomas Gingras

Opielowski Appraisal Services
67 Summer St.
Michael Opielowski

Palmer Recycling Corporation
2 Fenton St.
Pamela Douthwrigth

PMX Asset Management
5 Converse St.
Maurice Denner

The Field House
1701 Park St.
Elizabeth Weidler

WJS Associates Realty Service
34 State St.
Walter Solzak III

SOUTHWICK

Jay’s Lawn and Yard Care
29 South Longyard Road
Jason Couture

T & J Construction Inc.
3 George Loomis Road
John R. Tortoriello

The Parrot & Bird Emporium
610 College Highway
Alfred Surprenault

SPRINGFIELD

ADC Prevention Services
22 Bacon Road
Arnold D. Cox

Allen St. Realty Trust
295 Allen St.
Yasir Osman

ATS Motor Sports
542 Page Blvd.
William Spriggs

B & E All in 1
2652 Main St.
Erica Ruth Andino

BMT Lock and Key
306 Hermitage Dr.
Walter Kulas

Buddies Express Pizza
27 St. James Blvd.
Mohammad Z. Iqbal

Dynasty Restaurant
5 Locust St.
Xiu G. Zheng

Eavargas Photography
40 Pasadena St.
Edward A. Vargas

Elegant M
3 Lexington St.
Elvira Delgado

Gemini’s Barber Shop
303 Bridge St.
Benjamin Parrilla

Global Spectrum Charities
1277 Main St.
Philip I. Weinberg

Ingy Cons
18 Prescott St.
Hector Grullon

International Auto Sales
715 Liberty St.
Ryan M. Conway

JJ Mini Mart
468 Bridge St.
Jabir Khan

James Cleaning Services
24 Greencare Square
Watson E. James

Jerome A. Brown Associates
102 Cambridge St.
Jerome Brown

WESTFIELD

Easy Ride Repo
107 Court St.
Joseph Canfield

Meeting Strategies Unlimited
1 Roderick Dr.
Kathryn DeLand

Quality Consultant
8 Pilgrim Dr.
Ingeborg M. Hurley

RT 202 Antiques
869 North Road
Edwin Odabashian

Spring Valley Power Equipment
188 Tannery Road
John Ladue

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Energia Escape Massage Therapy
1111 Elm St.
Yesenia Camareno

M & S Transportation
171 Falmouth Road
Mark C. Masi

Majestic Theater
131 Elm St.
Danny Eaton

Menard Electric
322 Morgan Road
Bryan Menard

Native Lands
919 Elm St.
Stephen C. Piatt

Primitive Friends Country Crafts
235 Forest Glen
Erin Rogers

Turkish Cultural Center Western
507-509 Union St.
Arif Yilmar

Verizon Wireless
1123 Riverdale St.
Bell Atlantic Mobile Corporation, LTD

Departments

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

Alcaide, Joyann M.
78 Gilbert Ave
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/10

Alicea, Gennille J.
194 Prospect St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Allan, Tracy J.
74 Oregon St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Allen, Harry N.
Allen, Charlene E.
63 Bridge St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/10

Bailey, George William
38 Virginia St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/10

Baillargeon, Alan John
10 North Main St.
SouthHadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/10

Barfitt, Evelyn Gertrude
213 Birnam Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/10

Bernazki, Michael D.
21 Saugus Ave.
EastLongmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/10

Bessarabov, Andrey Mihaylovich
a/k/a Bessara, Andrey Mikhaylovich
a/k/a Bessarabou, Andrey
7 Park St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Birch, Rachael D.
a/k/a Lee, Rachael D.
3 W. Center St. #4
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/10

Boldyga, Deborah M.
800 Stockbridge Road
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Bouchard, Michelle A.
22 Meadowbrook Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Boyce, Richard I.
32 Linden St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/10

Bruscoe, Jeffrey J.
108 West St.
West Hatfield, MA 01088
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/13/10

Buckley, Shirley
53 Foucher Ave.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Bushey, Edward Charles
118 Manchester Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/10

Call, Kevin A.
Call, Maryanne
144 Park Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085-3415
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/10

Champagne, Jean A.
71 Vermont St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/11/10

Cintron Rivas, Wilfredo
Cintron, Victoria Lynne
a/k/a Gomez, Victoria L.
95 Marten St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Comtois, Michael A.
Comtois, Kathleen S.
158 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Creative Real Estate
Diaz, Anthony David
Julianelle-Diaz, Toni Catherine
10 Grant St.
Millers Falls, MA 01349
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

D & L Home Improvement
Lussier, Ralph Emile
Lussier, Diane
a/k/a Gaghon, Diane
a/k/a Lusslen, Diane
16 Ducharme Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Druzhkova, Valentina
126 Union St.
Bldg. 11, Apt.11
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/10

Dukette, Sandra Ann
95 Prentice St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/10

Edwards, Joseph D.
253 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/06/10

Feeney, Sharon M.
341 Chapman St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/10

Ferguson, Cassandra L.
a/k/a Curtis, Cassandra L.
P.O. Box 3438
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/11/10

Fillion, Brian T.
350 West St., Lot #39
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Fortier, Jesse A.
Fortier, Leanne M.
a/k/a McMenimen, Leanne M.
7 Applewood Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/29/10

Fuller, Allan F.
Fuller, Sharon E.
10A Quaboag Valley Co-op
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/10

Galipeau, Michael J.
Galipeau, Donna M.
54 Farnsworth St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/10

Gaynor, Cheryl A.
46 Fern St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/10

Germain, Tonya
196 Main St.
Apartment 2
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Gilbert, Karen
79 Chiswick St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/10

Gilbert, Paul V.
79 Chiswick St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/10

Gonzalez, Carmen R.
139 N Blvd.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/10

Goodrow, Bruce N.
366 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/10

Gumlaw, Linda M.
28 Pleasant St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Guzman, Milagros
8 Forest St., Apr. 2R
Springfield, MA 01103
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/10

Halpy, Emra A.
38 Asinof Ave., Apt. 41
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/10

Holland, Betty F.
35 Goldenrod St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/10

Jang, Hak Y.
Chung, In S.
12 Riviera Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Jean-Claude Hardwood Floors
Koffi, Jean-Claude Didier
9 Pearl St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/12/10

Johnson, Loretta M.
91 Will Palmer Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Kane, Aaron F.
Kane, Jeanne C.
56 Pineridge Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/10

Kelleher, Daniel F.
Kelleher, Lorin
33 Benedict Ter.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Khomyak, Yelizaveta A.
a/k/a Orlova, Yelizaveta A.
9 East Bartlett St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/10

Kittler, Arthur J.
Kittler, Barbara M.
25 Park Ave.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/10

Kosisky, Sara H.
a/k/a Kosisky, S. Holly
85 Maple St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/10

Kozlowski, Stephanie L.
6A McBride Road
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

LaBonte, Christopher Joseph
LaBonte, Cathy Ann
82 Telephone Road
EastOtis, MA 01029
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Lafromboise, Anthony S.
155 River St.
Apartment E3
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Landry, Robert W.
7 Montello Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/10

Langevin, Normand A.
170 Oak St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/10

Lapine, Jeanne M.
472 Union St., Apt. B
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/10

Leavitt, Kimberly M.
480 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/10

LeDuc, Sandra M.
30 Springmeadow Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/10

Lesieur, Christopher Joseph
198 Brainerd St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/10

Litwak, Brian F.
99 Southwick Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Lynch, Bradley C.
236 Old Keene Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/10

Lynch, James M.
P.O. Box 691
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/10

Maddox, Heather A.
a/k/a Maddox Holmes, Heather A.
19 Laurel Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/10

Maronn, Jennifer M.
850 Westhampton Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/10

Martins, Edgar Pires
469 Alden St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/10

McBride, Brian G.
44 Marble St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/10/10

McDonald, Kevin
236 Laurelton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/14/10

McGrath, Brian E.
PO Box 21
Ashland, MA 01721
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/10

Melcher, Darren L.
172 Allen St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Munson, David Allen
Munson, Kathi Jane
107 Britton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/04/10

Nunez, Mildred
150 Green St., Apt. 1
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/10

O-Neil, Helen M.
a/k/a Tefft, Helen M.
30 Wildemere St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Patruno, Jason J.
Patruno, Sara E.
23 A High St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/10

Pendrick, Joshua
80 Boileau Ter.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/10

Perfito, Paula M.
25 Crestwood St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/10

Phommasith, Vorasinh
Phommasith, Michelle L.
1448 State St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/10

Pierson, Pamela M.
72 Colony Dr.
E. Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Platanitis, Paul Michael
Platanitis, Ann Marie
8 Honeysuckle Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/10

Price, Patricia A.
24 Harrison Ave., Apt. #2
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/10

Racca, Maria Coreen
138 West St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/10

Raymond, Jeffrey
Raymond, Denise
586 Riceville Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/04/10

Richards, Deborah A.
85 Maple St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/10

Rondeau, Joseph F.
Rondeau, Therese A.
333 Eagle St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/10

Roney, Linda Ellen
3C Heritage Way
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Ruark, William Ashland
Ruark, Christine Mary
44 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Ryan, Adam D.
Ryan, Kristin L.
a/k/a Keenan, Kristin L.
95 Western Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/10

Santiago, Annette
18 Fitzpatrick Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/10/10

Shattuck, Theresa M.
26 Coolidge Ave.
TurnersFalls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/11/10

Shaw, Richard J.
177 Stafford Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Soto, Angela D.
529 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/10

Stuart, Vivian Y.
331 General Knox Road
Russell, MA 01071
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/10

Sullivan, Cynthia Helene
368 Florence Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/10

The Antioch Churches
Anderholm, Linda E.
a/k/a Muzzey, Linda E.
483 Pleasant St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Thomas, James A.
45 Eagle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Wall, Brent T.
36 Rivers Ave., Apt. 4
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/10

Walter, Willie R.
48 Mobile Home Way
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/10

Wright-Partyka, Vicki-Crysta A.
a/k/a Partyka, Crystal
a/k/a Wright, Vicki A.
P.O. Box 247
Blandford, MA 01008
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/10

Young, Stanley C.
Young, Gail
83 Edbert St., Apt. D
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/12/10

Zollo, Daniel J.
Zollo, Mary L.
14 Macomber Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/10

Features
Glenn Edwards Believes the Time Is Right for His Springfield Properties
Main Street Building Block

Glenn Edwards is taking a glass-full-half outlook on prospects for commercial real estate in downtown Springfield, and especially his block.

It took Glenn Edwards a few years to put the entire block of buildings on Main Street in Springfield between Harrison Place and Court Street into his portfolio. He’s enjoyed mixed results since then, with the recession leaving ‘for lease’ signs in many windows along that stretch. And while the local market remains quite sluggish, he believes the time is right for him to fill some of those vacancies.

Glenn Edwards has his office in New York City, but he keeps close tabs on what’s happening in Springfield — and he should. After all, he owns all the buildings along the east side of Main Street between Harrison Avenue and Falcon Drive.

And for the most part, Edwards, who acquired those parcels between 2005 and 2007, likes what he’s hearing and reading about the City of Homes and especially its central business district. He’s actually pleased that the nearly vacant federal building will soon be almost full with Springfield School Department offices and other tenants (some downtown property owners were miffed that their buildings were not even given an opportunity to vie for that business).

Meanwhile, he’s encouraged by progress in Court Square, especially UMass Amherst’s decision to take one of the buildings there for one of its programs. He’s buoyed by some anecdotal evidence that the worst appears to be over for both the economy in general and the real estate market in particular, and, while he wasn’t thrilled to lose the Dennis Group as a major tenant in Harrison Place, he’s even finding something positive about that company’s relocation to the Fuller Block and the filling of that structure.

He believes all or most of the recent news bodes well for his efforts to lease up his properties, which include — in addition to Harrison Place, which has three vacant floors — what’s known as the Johnson’s Bookstore Building, Marketplace, the so-called Northwestern Mutual Building, and also 1341 and 1319-1331 Main St.

New life for the federal building and Fuller Block will add vitality to the downtown and leave two fewer options for companies that are looking to downsize, rightsize, find a better deal, or take an expansion plan off the back burner its been on since the recession hit high gear, said Edwards, noting that he believes there are many businesses in all these categories.

“As the economy improves, we fully expect Springfield to be part of the renaissance,” he told BusinessWest. “We expect to ride the next wave of real-estate activity.”

And within Edwards’ block of buildings, which together comprise around 45,000 square feet of available space in various shapes and sizes, there is “something for just about everyone,” said John Williamson, president of Williamson Commercial Properties, which is now handling leasing activities for the properties.

“We’ve have full floors in Harrison Place, including the first and second, which is some of the most visible space in downtown Springfield,” he said. “And we have a lot of other spaces with which we can be very creative.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talks at length with Edwards and Williamson about why they think they have the right places at the right time.

New Lease on Life?

Williamson joked that his new assignment with Edwards, for whom he handled the Harrison Place transaction in 2007, is essentially to “lease his way out of a job,” meaning to fill the properties in question.

As he goes about that task, he’ll face a good number of challenges, especially competition for tenants. Indeed, while some properties, like the Fuller Block and the federal building, are now effectively off the market, there are countless others in or near downtown with ‘for lease’ signs in their windows.

And, in many respects, this is still very much a tenants’ market, a phrase used repeatedly by brokers to imply that businesses that are ready and able to make moves can play those landlords with space to lease against one another and get some attractive deals.

But the biggest challenge may be that there are still not enough business owners and nonprofit managers ready to make those moves. In recent months, area brokers have used words like ‘quiet,’ ‘frozen,’ and ‘dead’ to describe the state of the local commercial real-estate market, and some have said that conditions now are even worse than during the prolonged recession of 20 years ago, when brokers could at least stay busy working for banks trying to rid themselves of properties on their OREO (other real estate owned) files.

However, the usually optimistic Edwards is seeing the picture a different way — with the glass half full, or at least approaching that level.

He said that activity has picked up in many of the markets in which he owns properties (that list includes municipalities ranging from Lynnbrook, N.Y. to Park City, Kan. to Clifton, Colo.), and that he fully expects that Springfield, home to perhaps the centerpiece of his portfolio, will eventually follow suit.

“It’s not going to be a tenants’ market forever,” he said, noting that, as bad as this downturn has been, it will be followed, like others before it, by a period when the laws of supply of demand will eventually begin to work in favor of property owners.

And he believes his block is well-positioned for the day when the pendulum starts to swing.

Granted, he has only what would be considered Class B space, or perhaps B+ in the case of Harrison Place, available to lease, but he notes that most Class A space in both the suburbs and downtown Springfield is occupied, and what isn’t — the vast majority of it is in 1350 Main St. or One Financial Plaza — is mostly being reserved for larger tenants.

So he believes this leaves opportunities for those properties across Main Street with the odd numbers, starting with Harrison Place.

Edwards acquired that landmark from the Picknelly family in late 2007, putting the entire block in his portfolio. The building was nearly full at that time, but the scene changed dramatically when Tom Dennis — who acquired the property in the late ’90s, built out the first two floors for his engineering firm, and later sold the property to the Picknellys — desired to once again own his space.

He departed for the rehabbed Fuller block in the summer of 2009, leaving one of those aforementioned ‘for lease’ signs in the front window at Harrison Place, through which countless pedestrians and motorists look every day.

That visibility, coupled with accessibility and pliable space, has attracted several tire-kickers, said Williamson, including a large law firm. He expects more tours in the weeks and months ahead as businesses look to take advantage of what is still, by and large, a tenants’ market.

The ultimate goal is to lease the first and second floors, both around 8,000 square feet, to one tenant. The best plan B is to find two full-floor tenants, he said, adding that there is flexibility for a number of other scenarios, but the preference is for larger tenants.

The same goes for the slightly smaller ninth floor, he said, adding that, overall, there is some 25,000 square feet, just over 33% of the total space, available in the building.

Moving south down what could now be called the Edwards Block, there are roughly 5,000 square feet available, or just under one-fifth of the total, in the Johnson’s Bookstore building, where Edwards and Williamson want to find more retail and office tenants to join FedEx Kinko’s, which moved in on the first floor last year.

There are nearly 6,000 square feet available (one-quarter of the inventory) at 1365 Main St., also called the Marketplace Building; all of the space, 5,298 square feet, in 1341 Main St., most recently occupied by Westfield Bank, which means it’s been vacant for some time; and just over 3,068 square feet in 1310-1331 Main, also known as the Peerless Building.

Overall, Williamson said his broad strategy for leasing up those buildings is “innovative,” and by that he means everything from imaginative lease deals that will serve both Edwards and his tenants to efforts to attract some of the many nonprofit groups operating in the Greater Springfield area, especially for the Westfield Bank building, which he believes is perfectly suited for one or, more likely, several such tenants.

“That property lends itself well to that kind of use,” he said, “and there are literally hundreds of these 501 C3s operating in this area.”

Space Exploration

When asked why he’s so bullish on the prospects for Springfield when others seem far less ebullient, Edwards says his attitude stems from seeing clear progress in several of the other markets in which he owns real estate.

“We’ve signed a number of leases over the past few months — there’s a lot of activity taking place,” he said. “We’re going to see that here, too. Tenants will be rightsizing and going from class C space to class B. Space will start to be absorbed again.”

Time will tell if — and when — he’s right about the Springfield market, but at the moment, Edwards likes what he sees. And he believes he’s well-positioned for when the turnaround begins.

George O’Brien can be reached at

[email protected]

Features
Slice California Caf? Looks to Rock in a Resurgent Holyoke
Star Quality

Chuck Hebler believes in the revitalization of Holyoke, and hopes Slice can be a part of it.

Chuck Hebler toured with some of the biggest names in rock ‘n’ roll. Today, he wants to be part of something big in Holyoke.

“We were one of the first backstage caterers that toured with bands back in the 1980s. We would go from city to city with a band,” said Hebler, who first prepared meals for musicians on the Rolling Stones’ Steel Wheels tour in 1989 and followed that with the U.S. tours of the Beastie Boys and Nirvana, among many others.

Hebler left the road in 1997 to settle down in his native Berkshires, opening the successful Napa restaurant in Lenox. But he was eventually drawn to downtown Holyoke — specifically, the growing Open Square development in a row of former mill buildings — where he opened Slice California Café last year, serving and delivering breakfast and lunch, with an eye to expanding to dinner service in the future.

“The goal is to take this from an obscure café in an obscure area and develop it into a Napa,” he said. “I want people to appreciate what I’m doing here and expand it as Holyoke expands.

“I feel like I’m in the right place at the right time,” he added. “Open Square will develop over the next 10 years, and we’re going to be part of that development.”

As part of its annual Restaurant Guide, BusinessWest takes a look at Hebler’s former life on the road and his plans for the future in a city he believes in.

That’s Entertainment

Hebler grew up around show business; his family did prop and wardrobe trailer rentals for ABC Studios in Los Angeles, and he spent a lot of time on TV sets.

“I saw the caterers on set, and I got interested in catering, the backstage side of it,” he told BusinessWest. But after graduating from culinary school, he turned to a different side of entertainment, cultivating opportunities to tour with rock bands as their backstage caterer, beginning with the Stones.

He wasn’t working directly for bands, but for production managers who represented a host of acts — and once that relationship was established, the sky was the limit. Hebler collected plenty of memories during those years, and also an appreciation for the professionalism of the artists who sat at his table.

“Mick Jagger liked steamed whitefish, steamed rice, steamed vegetables,” he said. “Red wine and white wine, but nothing in excess. He was super fit and had a personal trainer” — not surprising for someone who has since fronted a rock band well past middle age. Hebler also praised Jagger’s bandmate Keith Richards as “the nicest performer and most sincere person I worked with. He notices everyone, and he’s one of the truly genuine people.”

But he had similar words for a host of other artists — Billy Joel, Elton John, Kurt Cobain, Jerry Garcia, David Bowie, and Carlos Santana among them — and said most veteran stars are far more human, easygoing, and grateful than their public image might suggest. He recalled staying late after a Fleetwood Mac concert for an after-show dinner, and Christine McVie sent his staff a case of shirts and hats as thanks. “It’s 99% fun stories,” he said.

“Everyone in the industry realizes that, to keep your success and longevity, it humbles you. To hold on to what you have, I believe that humbles you. As soon as you start acting like, ‘hey, I’m a rock star,’ then you’re fading, you’re a one-hit wonder.”

On the contrary, the artists he worked with tended to be down-to-earth, Hebler said, remembering how Neil Diamond — sans toupee, cigar in hand, wearing a robe and Gucci slippers — would come around and ask, “Chuckie, what are we having for dinner tonight?”

When he wasn’t touring, he had plenty of opportunities to cater individual shows in the LA area, as well as for companies like Universal Studios and Western Digital.

But when Hebler’s daughter was ready to start kindergarten, he wanted to shift gears and settle down to a more consistent lifestyle. So in 1997 — following a catering gig at the 30th-anniversary Woodstock festival in New York — he bought a building in Lenox and turned it into Napa.

Taste of California

“We wanted to have some stability,” he said, and he found it — along with success, in the form of steady business at Napa for 12 years (with $1 million annually in sales) and an A rating from Zagat.

Napa was a medium-priced restaurant, with entrees selling between $14 and $26, and characterized by the California cuisine he was taught on the left coast. “It’s things like fresh salsas, avocados, seafood items, Cal-Tex food — which is Mexican-style food with a California twist — and regional foods.”

In fact, the emphasis on local foods that characterizes many restaurants in Western Mass. is a trend that began in California in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Hebler said, and it’s an ethos echoed in the Berkshires, as well as the Pioneer Valley.

“This region is amazing for its resources for local meats and local produce,” he said, adding that he’s in the process of choosing a local family farm with which to partner on vegetables for Slice. When his venture expands to a dinner menu, he hopes to get as much pork, beef, and chicken locally as possible, too. “I really want to be that kind of restaurant.”

But he also wanted to be part of something bigger. And when John Aubin, owner of Open Square, pitched him an open space, he was intrigued by the possibilities.

“He explained the area and what’s going on down here, and it was exciting. It seemed like something that was really starting to take off,” Hebler said, citing developments like the coming high-performance computing center and other ongoing efforts to breathe new life to the nation’s first planned industrial city.

“John has a vision, and we’re part of that vision,” Hebler said. “We’re trying to live the Open Square dream, so to speak.”

And he believes that small steps can make a big difference in a city, citing the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, whose redevelopment was a catalyst to bring the whole downtown to life. He sees similar potential in the ongoing restoration of Holyoke’s Victory Theatre.

“When that happens,” he said, “you’ll see a nice flow of customers from outside Holyoke, and I think that’s going to be beneficial to this whole area, and more restaurants will start popping up — maybe even restaurants that are tired of paying huge leases in Northampton, and want come be a part of what’s emerging here.”

He doesn’t think Holyoke will ever replace what Northampton brings to the region culturally and culinarily, but he believes its story might mirror what happened in the Paradise City, which was lined with empty storefronts only a generation ago.

“This would be such a complement to Northampton,” he said, “and everything in between is some of the best real estate in Massachusetts, and a great lifestyle.”

And Hebler is feeding those taking part in that rebirth, offering soups, sandwiches, burgers, salads, quesadillas, and daily specials ranging from pot roast to baby-back ribs — all marked by that emphasis on fresh ingredients he learned long ago in California.

Rocker at Heart

Hebler hasn’t sworn off the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle forever. Since settling in Massachusetts, he’s catered one-off shows for the likes of Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, and Bruce Springsteen — not to mention the Pope during his visit to Giants Stadium — and was offered a gig on the last Red Hot Chili Peppers tour.

He turned that down, choosing instead to continue focusing on cooking locally. But, having maintained connections with tour managers in New York and Boston, he doesn’t rule out future possibilities.

“You never know,” he said. “I could become a delinquent again. My midlife crisis.”

For the time being, “I want to develop this into something nice,” he said of Slice. “We have our great little breakfasts, lunches, and lattes, but that’s just the beginning. We need to keep on our game.”

Sales were adequate to sustain the endeavor over the first year, and as the customer base grows through word of mouth, Hebler is cautiously looking to the future — not just of Slice, but of Open Square and the vitality it could lend to this city.

“We have a seed in the ground, and we’re expecting it to grow,” he said. “No one knows what will happen next, but it’s been a pleasant surprise so far.”

For those invested in Holyoke’s future — both literally and figuratively — that’s a slice of good news indeed.

Joseph Bednar can be reached

at[email protected]

Chamber Corners Departments

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

u June 2: ACCGS Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by Springfield College. Cost: members $20, non-members $30.

u June 9: ACCGS After 5, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by the Delaney House, Holyoke. Cost: members $10, non-members $15.

u June 10: ACCGS Annual Meeting, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Springfield Marriott. Keynote speaker: Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal. Cost: members $40, non-members $60.

u June 28: WRC 7th Annual Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. Call the chamber for more information.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com

u June 17: YPS Third Thursday, hosted by Pazzo Restaurant, Springfield. See chamber Web site for more information.

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

u June 18: Breakfast, 7:15 yo 9 a.m., Town Common under the Taste Tent; sponsored by Dr. Hauschka Skin Care and Museums10. Cost: members $12, non-members $15. 

u June 23: After Five New Member Reception, 5 to 7 p.m. Recognizing J.F. Conlon & Associates; Prudential Sawicki Real Estate; Ziomek & Ziomek; Blair, Cutting & Smith Insurance. Sponsored by Whirlwind Fine Garden Design, Center for Extended Care, and Greenfield Savings Bank. Cost: members $5, non-members $10.

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

u June 9: Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. shotgun start, hosted by Chicopee Country Club. Cost: $125 per golfer, includes 18 holes with a cart, lunch with a beer or soda, dinner, and golfer’s gift; $20 for golfer’s package, includes 25 raffle tickets and one mulligan; $115 for sign up to golf; $135 for sign up to golf and golfer’s package.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

u June 9: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted and sponsored by Promark Graphics, Easthampton, co-sponsored by Riff’s Joint. Door prizes, hors d’ouevres, host beer and wine. Cost: members $5, non-members $15.

u June 18: Wine and Microbrew Tasting, 6 to 8 p.m., One Cottage Street (corner of Cottage and Union streets), Easthampton. More than 50 wines and microbrews, fine food, raffle. Wine and microbrew sponsor: Westfield Spirit Shop. Food sponsor: the Log Cabin and Delaney House. Benefactor: Finck & Perras Insurance Agency. Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Purchase online at www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office. Proceeds to benefit chamber community programs.

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

u June 16: Chamber After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Wistariahurst Museum Carriage House, Holyoke. Sponsored by Vin’s Cloth Car Wash and Holyoke Gas & Electric. Presented by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. Cost: members $5, non-members $10.

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

u June 2: Arrive @ 5, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Northampton Education Foundation, held at the Hotel Northampton. Sponsored by Dr. Hauschka Skin Care Inc., Greenfield Community College, and United Bank. To register, contact Jenna at (413) 584-1900 or [email protected]

u June 15: Meet & Eat, 7:30 to 9 a.m., hosted by Union Station, Northampton. To register, contact Jenna at (413) 584-1900 or [email protected]
Northampton Area Young Professional Society
www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900

u June 6: 11th Annual A Walk/Run to Remember, 8 a.m. to noon, hosted by Hampshire Regional YMCA, Northampton. The Garden: a Center for Grieving Children and Teens invites participants to walk (1 mile) or run (5k) in remembrance, for health, or just for fun. Register online at www.signmeup.com/69175

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

u June 9: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce WestNet (After 5) Networking Event, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Stevens 451, Westfield. Participants are invited to bring a friend and a door prize to highlight their business. Cost: members $10, non-members $15. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]

u June 11: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Spring Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by Stanley Park Pavilion, Westfield. Guest Speaker: Charlie Baker. Head Greeter: state Sen. Michael Knapik. Participants are invited to bring a friend and a door prize to highlight their business. Cost: members $20, non-members $25. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]

Departments

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

June 2: ACCGS Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by Springfield College. Cost: members $20, non-members $30.

June 9: ACCGS After 5, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by the Delaney House, Holyoke. Cost: members $10, non-members $15.

June 10: ACCGS Annual Meeting, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Springfield Marriott. Keynote speaker: Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal. Cost: members $40, non-members $60.

June 28: WRC 7th Annual Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. Call the chamber for more information.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com  

June 17: YPS Third Thursday, hosted by Pazzo Restaurant, Springfield. See chamber Web site for more information.

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

June 18: Breakfast, 7:15 yo 9 a.m., Town Common under the Taste Tent; sponsored by Dr. Hauschka Skin Care and Museums10. Cost: members $12, non-members $15.

June 23: After Five New Member Reception, 5 to 7 p.m. Recognizing J.F. Conlon & Associates; Prudential Sawicki Real Estate; Ziomek & Ziomek; Blair, Cutting & Smith Insurance. Sponsored by Whirlwind Fine Garden Design, Center for Extended Care, and Greenfield Savings Bank. Cost: members $5, non-members $10.

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

June 9: Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. shotgun start, hosted by Chicopee Country Club. Cost: $125 per golfer, includes 18 holes with a cart, lunch with a beer or soda, dinner, and golfer’s gift; $20 for golfer’s package,  includes 25 raffle tickets and one mulligan; $115 for sign up to golf; $135 for sign up to golf and golfer’s package.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

June 9: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted and sponsored by Promark Graphics, Easthampton, co-sponsored by Riff’s Joint. Door prizes, hors d’ouevres, host beer and wine. Cost: members $5, non-members $15.

uJune 18: Wine and Microbrew Tasting, 6 to 8 p.m., One Cottage Street (corner of Cottage and Union streets), Easthampton. More than 50 wines and microbrews, fine food, raffle. Wine and microbrew sponsor: Westfield Spirit Shop. Food sponsor: the Log Cabin and Delaney House. Benefactor: Finck & Perras Insurance Agency. Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Purchase online at www.easthamptonchamber.org  or call the chamber office. Proceeds to benefit chamber community programs.

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

June 16: Chamber After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Wistariahurst Museum Carriage House, Holyoke. Sponsored by Vin’s Cloth Car Wash and Holyoke Gas & Electric. Presented by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. Cost: members $5, non-members $10.

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

June 2: Arrive @ 5, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Northampton Education Foundation, held at the Hotel Northampton. Sponsored by Dr. Hauschka Skin Care Inc., Greenfield Community College, and United Bank. To register, contact Jenna at (413) 584-1900 or [email protected]

u June 15: Meet & Eat, 7:30 to 9 a.m., hosted by Union Station, Northampton. To register, contact Jenna at (413) 584-1900 or [email protected]

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

June 6: 11th Annual A Walk/Run to Remember, 8 a.m. to noon, hosted by Hampshire Regional YMCA, Northampton. The Garden: a Center for Grieving Children and Teens invites participants to walk (1 mile) or run (5k) in remembrance, for health, or just for fun. Register online at www.signmeup.com/69175

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

See chamber Web site for information about upcoming events.

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

June 9: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce WestNet (After 5) Networking Event, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Stevens 451, Westfield. Participants are invited to bring a friend and a door prize to highlight their business. Cost: members $10, non-members $15. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]

June 11: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Spring Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by Stanley Park Pavilion, Westfield. Guest Speaker:Charlie Baker. Head Greeter: state Sen. Michael Knapik. Participants are invited to bring a friend and a door prize to highlight their business. Cost: members $20, non-members $25. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]

Features
As Key Votes Loom, Palmer Casino Backers Put Their Chips on the Table
Trying to Better Their Odds

Paul Brody says the state needs a casino ‘outpost’ in Western Mass.

For years now, casino backers, including those pushing for a resort operation in Palmer, have said it’s a question of when, not if, such gaming operations are approved. They’re saying it again this year, and with a House vote to support casinos already secured, and confidence that the Senate will follow suit, attention is now focused more than ever on where casinos will be located. Mohegan Sun, which would develop the $1 billion Palmer facility, believes it has a winning hand, because it maintains that the state needs what it calls a “Western Mass. outpost.”

The storefront has been open for just over a year now. In fact, an open house was recently staged to mark the anniversary.

It’s right in the middle of Main Street in Palmer, clearly visible to those approaching downtown from Route 32. The Mohegan Sun sign is large and prominent in the window.

Visitors to the former retail space — now decorated in the motif of the casino in Uncasville, Conn. operated by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, complete with a few seats from the arena where the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun play — have a few primary objectives, said Paul Brody, vice president of development for that organization.

Some want to pose questions about the potential impact on their homes or businesses from a proposed $1 billion casino complex on land just off the exit 8 interchange of the Turnpike. “They want to know about traffic and how that will be and how it will be mitigated,” he said. But most are inquiring about jobs and, more specifically, what kinds of opportunities will be created. Mohegan Sun isn’t taking job applications, but it is signing people up, with the intent of calling them back if the complex becomes reality.

“And some others … they just want to know what’s going on with this thing,” said Brody, one of four Mohegan employees who staff the storefront. “They want to know if this is going to happen, and when — whether it will be one year, two years, or more.”

And Brody says he tells them basically what he also told BusinessWest when it stopped by the office: that these are certainly critical times for those who support — and oppose — organized gaming in Massachusetts, and especially for those who have invested considerable time (several years), energy, and emotion in Mohegan Sun’s proposed complex, which would be built on a hill high above the pike and Route 32 and include a 164,000-square-foot casino, a 600-room hotel, 12 restaurants, and 100,000 square feet of retail space.

The state House of Representatives has passed a bill calling for two casinos and several slot operations at racetracks (called racinos by some), and the Senate is due to vote on its own version later this month. There is strong sentiment that the Senate will also vote to support some kind of gaming package, but the devil is in the details, and Brody acknowledged that, while he is not conceding anything regarding the broad vote to green-light casinos, he said the conversation is, in many ways, shifting to where they’ll be located, not if.

And thus, Brody also tells visitors, as he told BusinessWest, that, in response to a request for data that might help legislators determine where, Mohegan Sun commissioned a study that shows that a casino in Palmer, or “Greater Palmer,” as she called it, would benefit the state more than one built in another proposed location (Milford), assuming that the second casino is built at the Wonderland complex in Boston.

The study, conducted by Morowicz Gaming Advisors, LLC, concludes that a casino in Palmer, instead of Milford in Central Mass., would result in $43.8 million in additional gaming revenue annually to the state, and nearly $100 million more in out-of-state dollars coming to the Commonwealth, primarily because it would lure more New York State residents than one farther east.

The study — which, to no one’s surprise, is being questioned by the backers of a Milford casino, who have a different take — is one of many ways backers of the Palmer resort are trying to build momentum at a time that many consider critical to the town’s future.

They’re presenting the proposal as more than a casino, but also as a way for an economically beleaguered community to replace manufacturing jobs that have left over the past two decades and provide long-term stability, while also bringing other types of development to nearby vacant or underutilized real estate. Meanwhile, they’re presenting it as the state’s best bet for a secondary resort outside Boston.

“This is not just a singular project on the hill, but potentially other kinds of development that will blend with the flow of traffic,” said Leon Dragone, president of the Northeast Resort Group, which owns the proposed casino property and leases it to Mohegan Sun, and now also occupies the space two doors down from Mohegan on Main Street. “There are several other properties we’re looking at.”

The Hand That’s Been Dealt Them

There’s a cluster of signs greeting motorists getting off the exit 8 interchange, most of them directing them to businesses and attractions in Palmer, to the right down Route 32, or in Ware, a few miles to the left.

But there are three relatively new additions that, along with a smattering of lawn signs along Route 32 supporting the casino effort, tell of the sense of urgency in Palmer these days and the importance of the casino to the town’s fortunes.

There’s the ‘Mohegan Sun — A World at Play’ sign in bright yellow, flanked by two signs of support, one for each of two recently formed groups: Palmer Businesses for a Palmer Casino and Citizens for Jobs & Growth in Palmer.

Robert Young is a member of both groups. He owns a landscaping company and has lived in Palmer most of his life, or at least long enough to see most manufacturing jobs leave and nothing of any substance to fill the employment void. Indeed, as he listed the manufacturers that have departed, including Tambrands, Zero Corp., Pearson Industries, and others, he said efforts to attract different kinds of employers, including those in high tech and the biosciences, have not met with success.

He acknowledged that the former Tambrands complex, seeking new tenants for more than a decade now, has attracted some new businesses, but few if any that are large employers.

“Palmer is a town that’s dying, and it’s been dying for a long time,” he said, noting that the ease with which Mohegan Sun and Northeast found vacant storefronts in the middle of downtown says something about the deterioration of the central business district. “We’ve lost tons of manufacturing jobs and support jobs, and nothing has materialized to replace them.

“We have no more jobs for a lifetime,” he continued, noting that, in his view and in the opinion of those who undertook a study on the subject at UMass, casino jobs are the new factory jobs that can support families for decades.

But jobs are not the only component of the argument being proferred by the support groups and other Palmer-site backers, who say a casino could lead to other kinds of economic development in the community and, in the process, fill a number of vacant parcels in and around Palmer with everything from additional hotels and restaurants to golf courses.

“There are a number of sites that could potentially be developed,” said Dragone, citing a 30-acre parcel once proposed for a Lowe’s and a 95-acre parcel in Ware as just two examples.

He said a North Carolina-based firm is being considered to create a master plan for nearby undeveloped parcels. Speaking broadly, he said a casino in Palmer could do for the town and surrounding region what the resort in Uncasville has done for Mystic, Conn., about a half-hour down the road, known for attractions such as its aquarium and Mystic Seaport.

“It’s quite legendary what’s occurred there, which has been a direct result of the blossoming of the gaming industry in the southeastern part of Connecticut,” he said. “It’s become much more of a year-round tourist attraction, where before, it was mostly seasonal.”

Doubling Down

While the Palmer casino support groups present their arguments about the benefits of resort casinos in general and a Palmer facility in particular, Mohegan Sun is devoting most of its efforts now toward pressing the case for a Western Mass. casino, said Brody, who is now splitting his time between Palmer and Boston, where he and lobbyists hired by the firm are trying to gain the ear of lawmakers.

The Morowicz Gaming Advisors’ numbers already have the attention of many legislators. They show that if there was one casino in Boston and a second in Palmer, the total gross slot and table revenues for the state in 2014 would be $1.168 billion, as opposed to $1.124 million for a Boston/Milford mix. Meanwhile, total out-of-state money coming into the Commonwealth would be $216.4 million with a Boston/Palmer scenario, compared to $119.1 million with a Boston/Milford combination.

The former numbers result from a Central Mass. facility essentially “cannibalizing” (the report’s authors’ word) the Eastern Mass. casino and racinos, while the latter is due largely to Palmer’s proximity to New York, resulting in reduced drive time for New York residents traveling to Palmer, as opposed to Central Mass.

Those in the industry say individuals will generally drive no more than two hours to frequent a casino, said Brody, which puts a Palmer resort in reach for people in Albany, Schenectedy, and Troy, and a Milford facility less so.

While Milford-resort backers have questioned the study’s results, Brody said that, objectively speaking, they are hard to argue with.

“There’s no outpost in the western portion of the state to attract the gaming revenue from this area and the New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire area,” he explained, adding that, in addition to that geographical logic, it’s clear, to him at least, that a Central Mass. casino would be far more vulnerable to cannibalism from existing facilities and ones that could come on the drawing board.

“What happens if New Hampshire launches gaming in the next few years at Rockingham and Seabrook?” he asked rhetorically. “That will have a profound impact on that whole Central Mass./ Eastern Mass. area. There’s a huge concentration of either existing or proposed facilities, all in or near Eastern Mass., and that’s why the math from this study is so compelling.”

Time will tell if the numbers and words coming out of the Mohegan camp will sway the decision makers in Boston, but Brody remains cautiously confident, and conveys this to visitors to the company’s storefront.

He said the volume of traffic increases when “something happens” like the House vote or when a key player endorses casinos. And that means the facility is quite busy these days.

“People sense that this is closer to reality than ever before,” he said. “We see it in the community, and we see it right here. There is still a ways to go, but people are excited; they sense that this is real.”

Roll of the Dice

Brody told BusinessWest that Mohegan Sun opened its storefront on Main Street to provide a resource for those with questions, opinions, and desires to land one of the projected 3,000 jobs to be created at the proposed resort. Meanwhile, the company wanted to provide a highly visible way of showing that, in some ways, it was already part of the Palmer community.

Whether Mohegan eventually assumes an exponentially greater presence and occupies a hilltop rather than a 1,000-square-foot storefront remains to be seen. The Legislature still has to decide if it will give the go-ahead for casinos, and then, if it does take that step, where to put them.

The Palmer site’s backers think they have a good hand, but they’re working hard to improve their odds in any way they can.

And in only a few weeks, they should find out if that hand is a winner.

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

Uncategorized
Officials Say City Is Positioned for a Comeback

From his office looking out on the sidewalks of Main Street in Springfield, Russell Denver can see firsthand what is happening in the downtown business district.

As president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, Denver knows that a lot of work needs to happen in the city he’s called home for most of his life — and, for all but four years since 1980, where he’s worked as well. But some of the biggest points to address can’t be solved quickly by a shovel in the ground or a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Like many others who talked with BusinessWest, he said that there’s a perception of Springfield’s safety and vitality that isn’t supported by hard evidence.

“Springfield is a big fish in a little pond,” he explained. “What happens is that the city gets magnified. For instance, do we have crime? Yes. But if those same statistics were reported in Boston, no one would even notice it.”

Addressing the empty storefronts downtown, he said, “I’m going to put a different spin on things. If you go around, you see a fair amount of vacant office and retail space. Well, that’s an opportunity, rather than a challenge. As things start to turn around, we’re going to have the locations ready so that people can move right in.”

Such glass-half-full enthusiasm is expressed by others as well.

Springfield’s chief development officer, John Judge, said that during the current down market, City Hall has been strategically addressing both strengths and weaknesses in order to make strides when the economy rebounds. He said that working toward a “21st-century downtown” is at the top of his priorities, and while the to-do list is not short for that goal, a few achievements have already been checked off as underway or complete.

In this, the latest installment of its Doing Business In series, BusinessWest takes an indepth look at the region’s unofficial capital. While there are problems shared by most every municipality across the nation after a couple of tough years, Springfield has had some of its own dark spots that are now relegated to the history books. The Finance Control Board left just under a year ago, turning the city’s red ledgers back on track, and in the recently-released budget for fiscal year 2011, Mayor Domenic Sarno unveiled plans for increased hiring in the public-safety departments and a priority for “strong and effective fiscal management,” according to the report written by Lee Erdmann, chief financial officer for the city.

Talking with various officials, a picture emerges of a city that has been maligned for what it both is and isn’t. And in the coming months, some of that will be changing, helping to drive home a important message, said Judge. “We’ve got to make sure that everything we do says that Springfield is open for business.”

The Center of It All

Denver identified one historic roadblock for business development in the city: a lack of developable real estate.

“But I think that a lot of people have done some great work, and now there is land for new construction,” he countered. “You have property at Smith & Wesson, Chicopee River Business Park, in Indian Orchard, for light industrial. So now, there’s plenty of land out there for new tenants, or for expansion and new buildings.”

Those commercial properties have been in good shape in the last year, and these pages have reported with due fanfare the addition of several big-ticket incoming businesses like Performance Food Group and the F.W. Webb Co., among others.

While those outlying properties are marketable and in the spotlight, downtown can also share some of that limelight. Denver called the four-acre York Street Jail site along the Connecticut River a “home run,” increasing developable land along what is rapidly becoming a true destination, featuring several popular restaurants bracketing the Basketball Hall of Fame.

He shifted his focus to the central business district, the area loosely defined by State Street and Court Square to the south up Main Street to the property north of the train station. “If there is only one thing that happens in 2010,” he said, “filling the vacant federal building is an absolute winner.”

Nick Fyntrilakis agrees. As the assistant vice president for Community Responsibility for MassMutual, he has been working closely on a variety of projects for the city, his hometown. He called the return of occupants to the federal building at 1550 Main Street “a key to revitalization for that section of the city.”

Plans are underway for the Springfield School Department and Baystate Health to become anchor tenants in the structure, turning the lights back on in the prominently located building that has been vacant for more than a year.

“One of the impacts from 9/11,” he explained, “is that the building was cordoned off from the street with Jersey barriers. Before that, the building was accessible via airwalks to Tower Square, it was accessible to the parking garage behind it, Uno’s was right next to CityStage, and it was a very active night spot. But all of a sudden, you lost those people that weren’t there having dinner, and the building became this real island, an air bubble of inactivity, really.

“Not only will the building in use again mean bodies downtown,” he continued, “but it flips the switch to make it another welcoming section of the city. I think the barriers and the access really had an impact on the psyche of that section of Main Street.”

Accentuate the Positive

Fyntrilakis said MassMutual is heavily invested in seven major revitalization initiatives in the city, four of which are moving “at various speeds and progressions.”

“The Corridor Storefront Improvement project is off the ground,” he continued. “Some grants were awarded last week, and you’re going to see more of that in the future. Basically any storefront along Main or State streets can receive up to $10,000 in grants, with a $2,500 match from the owners, to go toward improving their storefront — awnings, lighting, what have you. You’ll start to see pockets of those pop up.”

In addition, he mentioned projects at the former Indian Motocycle complex, market-rate housing at the building on State Street soon to be vacated by the School Department, infrastructure improvements along the State Street corridor, and the revitalization of Union Station for high-speed commuter rail.

While these are projects that will provide a much-needed boost in the right direction for retail and market-rate housing — two fundamental concepts for urban vitality — Fyntrilakis said that there are still specific, important building blocks that need to be addressed. In his opinion, the historic building at 31 Elm Street, directly across Court Square from City Hall, is a project whose importance can’t be understated.

“That property could potentially impact so much,” he said. “Moving north across Court Square, then to the MassMutual Center side, the lower part of State Street, and the beginning of the South End … getting that project online in some shape or form is absolutely critical.”

From a commercial real-estate perspective, William Low said that progress and revitalization at Elm Street “needs to happen.”

Low, senior vice president at NAI Plotkin on Taylor Street, said that, if that property is redeveloped, it will fundamentally change the landscape in downtown Springfield.

For reference, Low mentioned projects in Pittsfield that could very easily be duplicated for the vacant space, saying that, if it could happen there, Springfield can’t be far behind.

“Pittsfield has done a good job of revitalizing its downtown,” he began. “On the ground floor, you essentially just give away the real estate, just getting those spaces filled. Every time a third-tier city tries that, it works. Go to Pittsfield now and see how well it’s worked.

“Five or ten years ago,” he continued, “people in my business weren’t even considering that city. But now they are.”

Echoing just about everyone with an informed opinion, Low said that market-rate housing is of the utmost importance to foster a vibrant downtown economy. “And give them a reason to live there,” he said, counting off galleries, shops, and entertainment venues, “most of which are already here,” he added.

Citing the Quadrangle museums, Symphony Hall, Center Stage, and the MassMutual Center, he shrugged and said, “if housing has made a difference and has worked in other cities with so much less to offer, then it certainly could happen here.”

Denver said that, by realigning the income demographic for downtown with market-rate housing, the retail that consumers have long expected for the city might be a reality, but not until there are those numbers to support them.

“People complain sometimes about the type of retail that comes into downtown,” he said, “but look at the income demographics. No one should be expecting that Nordstroms will be coming to downtown — the market doesn’t support that. But should we be looking at the Gap or Old Navy types of stores, and start reaching for things like that? Absolutely.”

Eliminate the Negative

An important facet to reining in that desired demographic will be to change some perceptions concerning the downtown area. Low said that, when all one hears on the news are stories of violent crime in Springfield, the downtown becomes the symbolic hub for all of those ills.

“Sure, there’s crime in Springfield,” he said. “But it’s not in the central business district. The reality is that once you’re here, it’s nothing that you are even aware of.

“Having said that,” he added, “I would like to see more of a police presence. Every once in a while, you’ll hear talk about some kind of criminal activity, and for the next few days you’ll see police on the streets, walking around. I wish they would just stay there. That negative perception is a genuine challenge for the retail and restaurant sectors.”

From his desk at the chamber, Denver said that one of the biggest hurdles the city needs to address is the commercial real-estate tax rate, the highest in the state.

“We did a study that we handed to all city councilors last year showing that, consistently, for similarly sized properties in similarly-sized industries, you pay a higher per-foot real-estate tax than in any of the surrounding communities,” he said. “That needs to be addressed first and foremost.

He cited tax increment financing that was made available to a number of large commercial ventures in the city, among them Performance Foods, Titeflex, and Liberty Mutual. “My point to the city is that, if you can give those tax breaks — and I’m very happy you did — what about everyone else?” he asked.

Put into context, however, these hurdles don’t overshadow his feeling that the city is positioned for a comeback.

“I’m of the belief that there is a lot of good already going on downtown,” he said, “There have been nights this past winter where you had Symphony Hall sold out, CityStage sold out, and the Falcons with 5,000 people. Those people do go to restaurants, and there is the possibility that they could support strong retail.

“The product is there,” he added, “and it’s good. We need to make sure it continues to be good, and people will come.”

Features
Officials Say City Is Positioned for a Comeback

Springfield, Mass.

Springfield, Mass.

From his office looking out on the sidewalks of Main Street in Springfield, Russell Denver can see firsthand what is happening in the downtown business district.
As president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, Denver knows that a lot of work needs to happen in the city he’s called home for most of his life — and, for all but four years since 1980, where he’s worked as well. But some of the biggest points to address can’t be solved quickly by a shovel in the ground or a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Like many others who talked with BusinessWest, he said that there’s a perception of Springfield’s safety and vitality that isn’t supported by hard evidence.
“Springfield is a big fish in a little pond,” he explained. “What happens is that the city gets magnified. For instance, do we have crime? Yes. But if those same statistics were reported in Boston, no one would even notice it.”
Addressing the empty storefronts downtown, he said, “I’m going to put a different spin on things. If you go around, you see a fair amount of vacant office and retail space. Well, that’s an opportunity, rather than a challenge. As things start to turn around, we’re going to have the locations ready so that people can move right in.”
Such glass-half-full enthusiasm is expressed by others as well.
Springfield’s chief development officer, John Judge, said that during the current down market, City Hall has been strategically addressing both strengths and weaknesses in order to make strides when the economy rebounds. He said that working toward a “21st-century downtown” is at the top of his priorities, and while the to-do list is not short for that goal, a few achievements have already been checked off as underway or complete.
In this, the latest installment of its Doing Business In series, BusinessWest takes an indepth look at the region’s unofficial capital. While there are problems shared by most every municipality across the nation after a couple of tough years, Springfield has had some of its own dark spots that are now relegated to the history books. The Finance Control Board left just under a year ago, turning the city’s red ledgers back on track, and in the recently-released budget for fiscal year 2011, Mayor Domenic Sarno unveiled plans for increased hiring in the public-safety departments and a priority for “strong and effective fiscal management,” according to the report written by Lee Erdmann, chief financial officer for the city.
Talking with various officials, a picture emerges of a city that has been maligned for what it both is and isn’t. And in the coming months, some of that will be changing, helping to drive home a important message, said Judge. “We’ve got to make sure that everything we do says that Springfield is open for business.”

The Center of It All
Denver identified one historic roadblock for business development in the city: a lack of developable real estate.
“But I think that a lot of people have done some great work, and now there is land for new construction,” he countered. “You have property at Smith & Wesson, Chicopee River Business Park, in Indian Orchard, for light industrial. So now, there’s plenty of land out there for new tenants, or for expansion and new buildings.”
Those commercial properties have been in good shape in the last year, and these pages have reported with due fanfare the addition of several big-ticket incoming businesses like Performance Food Group and the F.W. Webb Co., among others.
While those outlying properties are marketable and in the spotlight, downtown can also share some of that limelight. Denver called the four-acre York Street Jail site along the Connecticut River a “home run,” increasing developable land along what is rapidly becoming a true destination, featuring several popular restaurants bracketing the Basketball Hall of Fame.
He shifted his focus to the central business district, the area loosely defined by State Street and Court Square to the south up Main Street to the property north of the train station. “If there is only one thing that happens in 2010,” he said, “filling the vacant federal building is an absolute winner.”
Nick Fyntrilakis agrees. As the assistant vice president for Community Responsibility for MassMutual, he has been working closely on a variety of projects for the city, his hometown. He called the return of occupants to the federal building at 1550 Main Street “a key to revitalization for that section of the city.”
Plans are underway for the Springfield School Department and Baystate Health to become anchor tenants in the structure, turning the lights back on in the prominently located building that has been vacant for more than a year.
“One of the impacts from 9/11,” he explained, “is that the building was cordoned off from the street with Jersey barriers. Before that, the building was accessible via airwalks to Tower Square, it was accessible to the parking garage behind it, Uno’s was right next to CityStage, and it was a very active night spot. But all of a sudden, you lost those people that weren’t there having dinner, and the building became this real island, an air bubble of inactivity, really.
“Not only will the building in use again mean bodies downtown,” he continued, “but it flips the switch to make it another welcoming section of the city. I think the barriers and the access really had an impact on the psyche of that section of Main Street.”

Accentuate the Positive
Fyntrilakis said MassMutual is heavily invested in seven major revitalization initiatives in the city, four of which are moving “at various speeds and progressions.”
“The Corridor Storefront Improvement project is off the ground,” he continued. “Some grants were awarded last week, and you’re going to see more of that in the future. Basically any storefront along Main or State streets can receive up to $10,000 in grants, with a $2,500 match from the owners, to go toward improving their storefront — awnings, lighting, what have you. You’ll start to see pockets of those pop up.”
In addition, he mentioned projects at the former Indian Motocycle complex, market-rate housing at the building on State Street soon to be vacated by the School Department, infrastructure improvements along the State Street corridor, and the revitalization of Union Station for high-speed commuter rail.
While these are projects that will provide a much-needed boost in the right direction for retail and market-rate housing — two fundamental concepts for urban vitality — Fyntrilakis said that there are still specific, important building blocks that need to be addressed. In his opinion, the historic building at 31 Elm Street, directly across Court Square from City Hall, is a project whose importance can’t be understated.
“That property could potentially impact so much,” he said. “Moving north across Court Square, then to the MassMutual Center side, the lower part of State Street, and the beginning of the South End … getting that project online in some shape or form is absolutely critical.”
From a commercial real-estate perspective, William Low said that progress and revitalization at Elm Street “needs to happen.”
Low, senior vice president at NAI Plotkin on Taylor Street, said that, if that property is redeveloped, it will fundamentally change the landscape in downtown Springfield.
For reference, Low mentioned projects in Pittsfield that could very easily be duplicated for the vacant space, saying that, if it could happen there, Springfield can’t be far behind.
“Pittsfield has done a good job of revitalizing its downtown,” he began. “On the ground floor, you essentially just give away the real estate, just getting those spaces filled. Every time a third-tier city tries that, it works. Go to Pittsfield now and see how well it’s worked.
“Five or ten years ago,” he continued, “people in my business weren’t even considering that city. But now they are.”
Echoing just about everyone with an informed opinion, Low said that market-rate housing is of the utmost importance to foster a vibrant downtown economy. “And give them a reason to live there,” he said, counting off galleries, shops, and entertainment venues, “most of which are already here,” he added.
Citing the Quadrangle museums, Symphony Hall, Center Stage, and the MassMutual Center, he shrugged and said, “if housing has made a difference and has worked in other cities with so much less to offer, then it certainly could happen here.”
Denver said that, by realigning the income demographic for downtown with market-rate housing, the retail that consumers have long expected for the city might be a reality, but not until there are those numbers to support them.
“People complain sometimes about the type of retail that comes into downtown,” he said, “but look at the income demographics. No one should be expecting that Nordstroms will be coming to downtown — the market doesn’t support that. But should we be looking at the Gap or Old Navy types of stores, and start reaching for things like that? Absolutely.”

Eliminate the Negative
An important facet to reining in that desired demographic will be to change some perceptions concerning the downtown area. Low said that, when all one hears on the news are stories of violent crime in Springfield, the downtown becomes the symbolic hub for all of those ills.
“Sure, there’s crime in Springfield,” he said. “But it’s not in the central business district. The reality is that once you’re here, it’s nothing that you are even aware of.
“Having said that,” he added, “I would like to see more of a police presence. Every once in a while, you’ll hear talk about some kind of criminal activity, and for the next few days you’ll see police on the streets, walking around. I wish they would just stay there. That negative perception is a genuine challenge for the retail and restaurant sectors.”
From his desk at the chamber, Denver said that one of the biggest hurdles the city needs to address is the commercial real-estate tax rate, the highest in the state.
“We did a study that we handed to all city councilors last year showing that, consistently, for similarly sized properties in similarly-sized industries, you pay a higher per-foot real-estate tax than in any of the surrounding communities,” he said. “That needs to be addressed first and foremost.
He cited tax increment financing that was made available to a number of large commercial ventures in the city, among them Performance Foods, Titeflex, and Liberty Mutual. “My point to the city is that, if you can give those tax breaks — and I’m very happy you did — what about everyone else?” he asked.
Put into context, however, these hurdles don’t overshadow his feeling that the city is positioned for a comeback.
“I’m of the belief that there is a lot of good already going on downtown,” he said, “There have been nights this past winter where you had Symphony Hall sold out, CityStage sold out, and the Falcons with 5,000 people. Those people do go to restaurants, and there is the possibility that they could support strong retail.
“The product is there,” he added, “and it’s good. We need to make sure it continues to be good, and people will come.”

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

3640 Main Street, LLP v. Eastfield Glass Inc. and Saloomey Construction Inc.
Allegation: Negligent installment of commercial window system and failure to honor warranties: $500,000
Filed: 4/11/10

Hammer & Steel Inc. v. Quaboag Transfer Inc.
Allegation: Contractual dispute regarding storage and handling: $25,000+
Filed: 3/31/10

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Robert P. Sullivan v. University of Massachusetts, Allison Berger, and Jo-Anne Thomas Vanin
Allegation: Violation of civil rights and First Amendment: $25,000+
Filed: 4/7/10

Silvia & Ronald Ash v. Instar Services Management, LLC
Allegation: Negligence and conversion of personal property and extreme emotional distress: $100,000
Filed: 3/25/10

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Inpro Corp. v. Creative Construction & Remodeling, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $3,758.16
Filed: 3/12/2010

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Cargill Animal Nutrition Inc. v. Arooth Brothers
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $18,082.93
Filed: 3/22/10

Citibank, N.A. v. LDH Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay for monies loaned: $18,098.98
Filed: 3/16/10

Majestic Masonry v. Aecon Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract by failing to pay for contracted work: $5,600
Filed: 3/17/10

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Atwood Fire & Security v. 380 Union St. Properties, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $6,605.29
Filed: 4/4/10

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Priore Design Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment for advertising services rendered: $10,603.51
Filed: 2/22/10

Elite Towing & Auto Repair v. Berkshire Bank
Allegation: Enforcement of mechanics lien: $8,991
Filed: 3/3/10

Marie Norgaisse v. Real Estate Renovations, LLC
Allegations: Failure to provide reasonable performance and breach of contract: $50,000
Filed: 2/22/10

USA Hauling & Recycling Inc. v. Pinocchio’s On the Go
Allegation: Non-payment for waste-removal systems: $7,406.77
Filed: 2/24/10

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Kelley Fradet Lumber Inc. v. Precision Panels Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $20,624.64
Filed: 3/24/10

Pioneer Valley Winnelson Co. Inc. v. Welch Plumbing & Heating
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $14,354.86
Filed: 3/11/10