Page 32 - BusinessWest May 11, 2026

Mill >>Continued from page 7
Food for Thought
As they talked with BusinessWest, Jose Diaz and
Matias Martinez, owners of Three Amigos, the next
stop on the tour, were gearing up for Cinco de Mayo.
They were putting together a special menu for
the occasion and were expecting a strong turnout for
what has become a day of celebration for many in the
region.
But most days have produced good crowds at this
unique eatery, which, as noted earlier, blends dishes
from Puerto Rico, Chile, and Mexico, with many
offerings inspired by meals prepared by the owners’
mothers.
“My mom has some really good recipes, and Jose’s
mom has really good recipes from Puerto Rico; we
take both and we put together a good menu,” said
Martinez, a native of Chile, adding that Diaz also
brings knowledge of Mexican cuisine to the table —
literally and figuratively.
This knowledge and deep menus will have even
more local flavor, said Diaz, adding that the partners
are now committed to buying more locally produced
vegetables, meats, eggs and more, and are further
committed to bringing different kinds of experiences
to the venue, such as karaoke nights.
And, like other business owners in the Mill Dis-
trict, the two partners (there was a third, hence the
name, but he is no longer involved) said the location
brings a diverse mix of patrons across all age groups.
As Jones’ tour of the Mill District left Three Ami-
gos, it made a quick stop in the vacant space adja-
cent to Provisions and below housing units. As noted
earlier, it has high ceilings and what she considers
“My mom has some really good recipes,
and Jose’s mom has really good recipes
from Puerto Rico; we take both and we
put together a good menu.”
enormous potential as home to a small grocery store,
an indoor play space for kids, or similar that will be
compatible with and complementary to everything
else that exists on the property.
From there, the tour would continue to several
existing and emerging businesses, such as Provi-
sions, Futura Coffee Roasters, Carefree Cakery, Ever-
bloom Salon, the Balanced Birch Studio, the Mill Dis-
trict General Store and the art gallery inside its walls,
and the Herrell’s now taking shape.
Not on the tour, but technically part of the Mill Dis-
trict are businesses in a mall on Route 63, including
Amherst House of Pizza, Big Guys Liquors, Mindy’s
Barber Shop, and the Harp Irish Pub.
Collectively, these businesses provide ample rea-
sons to get off the highway, whether one is heading
home from work or planning a day trip, said Jones,
adding that the Mill District comes as advertised,
with that mix of food, fashion, and fun, including sev-
eral play areas for children and families.
Herrell’s will make an intriguing addition to the
mix, she said, adding that the pop-up facility has
Alexander >>Continued from page 29
father.
But the dream was resurrected — and put on a
path to fruition by the Workforce Planning & Develop-
ment team at Baystate Health and an ‘earn-and-learn’
initiative that blends education, hands-on experience,
and paid employment, enabling individuals to enter
and advance within healthcare careers without the
traditional financial barriers.
In Alexander’s case, she was paid her salary as a
cardiac monitor tech while attending the LPN pro-
gram at Holyoke Community, from which she will
graduate this June and then begin the next chapter in
her career.
As she tells the story, when she was ready to come
back to work full time in 2023, her unit supervisor
encouraged her to attend a networking event off cam-
pus with someone involved with workforce develop-
ment at Baystate.
I blindly went into it not knowing what it was all
about,” she recalled. “Eventually, I learned it was
about a grant they were trying to receive to help some
employees get through LPN training.
“That was perfect for me, and it was perfect tim-
ing,” she went on, adding that the grant was secured,
and she soon started in the LPN certificate program
at HCC, thus becoming part of larger initiatives at
Baystate and elsewhere to put more nurses in the
pipeline at a time when many are retiring from the
profession.
She noted that LPNs (licensed practical nurses)
do not earn as much as registered nurses (RNs), who
must complete a two- or four-year degree program to
“It’s exciting, but at the same time, I’m
a little nervous about it, just knowing
that now, I’m the one who’s going to
have to make those critical decisions.
It’s more exciting than anything, but
also a little intimidating.”
receive that designation, but the salary represents a
significant step up from her present work. Meanwhile,
LPNs handle most, but not all, of the same duties as
RNs, she noted, adding that this change represents a
significant step forward for her.
And she’ll take that step in a familiar setting, her
current cardiac unit. There was an opening there, she
applied for it, and was hired, she said, adding that she
expects to start in mid-August.
“It’s exciting, but at the same time, I’m a little
nervous about it, just knowing that now, I’m the one
who’s going to have to make those critical decisions,”
she said of her next challenge. “It’s more exciting than
anything, but also a little intimidating.”
And while this has been a rewarding experience on
many levels, it is certainly not without its challenges,
said Alexander, adding that balancing life and school
is difficult, and she could not have taken this step for-
ward career-wise if Baystate didn’t pay her to learn.
“Every day I got up I said, “I’m not going today,
32 << CONTINUED >>
MAY 11, 2026
attracted solid numbers of visitors, and the larger,
permanent space is expected to bring more.
Herrell told BusinessWest that the new location
needs to be open by summer, for obvious reasons,
and it is on track to do so.
She said the location in the Mill District brings
the brand closer to other markets, such as Franklin
County, and also closer to UMass Amherst, where
she teaches a course — a lab on how to make ice
cream “from a chemistry point of view” — and part-
ners with the university on an ice cream competition,
which is the final exam, if you will, for the that class,
with Herrell’s featuring the winner’s flavors in its
stores.
“We try to make all of them if we can, but we defi-
nitely make the four top finishers,” she said. “We’ve
had some incredibly great, creative ideas from that
group, and their lab is one mile from here.”
Beyond that partnership, Herrell’s is looking to tap
into a broad base of loyal customers that know the
Northampton store and now have something that for
many will be more convenient.
And then, there’s the Tilted Orbit Arcade, which
will present a novel new use for the Cow Barn, and
an interesting addition to the mix.
For McDonough, it’s her first real entrepreneurial
venture, which means there’s a mix of excitement and
trepidation.
Overall, she’s optimistic that she can make some-
thing a little different work out in a big way. And in
many respects, that’s been the goal at the Mill District
from the very beginning. BW
I’m not going through this, it’s too stressful,’” she
recalled, adding that she was balancing her classes
with parenting responsibilities and helping to manage
her father’s care. “It’s a lot, but it’s more manageable
not having to work full time; that’s the biggest helpful
piece in this program.”
While looking ahead, Alexander also did some
looking back, noting that she got her start at Bay-
state nearly 20 years ago through something called
the Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership, or
BSEP, as it’s called. This is a health school career
pathway program for high school students in Spring-
field. It includes exploration of health careers, a teen
mini-medical school, and summer work employment
opportunities to give students interested in healthcare
careers direct access to people currently employed
in the field and health careers training, which often
leads to internships and employment.
That was the case with Alexander, who partici-
pated in the program as a springboard to her work as
a CNA, and now, two decades later, her daughter is
participating in the BSEP program.
“She had an introduction to many units within the
hospital to see if she had interest in those,” Alexan-
der explained, adding that she will be involved again
next year as a senior, with the goal of landing an
internship.
And then possibly taking one of many pathways
into a career in healthcare, as her mother did.
This latest pathway has enabled her to take a
dream that was delayed and turn it into a dream real-
ized. BW
Business W est