New Facility Represents the Evolution of Remote Work

By
Chris Orszulak, left, and Bill Laplante
Commercial Real Estate Cover Story

Improving on the Model

Chris Orszulak, left, and Bill Laplante

Chris Orszulak, left, and Bill Laplante at the Modern Workspace facility they are building in East Longmeadow.

 

Before going into some detail about the new co-workspace initiative he’s part of in East Longmeadow, Chris Orszulak first wanted to talk about another project he partnered on in the town next door.

Specifically, he referenced restoration of the historic Brewer-Young mansion in the center of Longmeadow and, even more specifically, conversion of its third floor into what has become known as 734 Workspace, to match the mansion’s address on Longmeadow Street.

He started there because it was success in that endeavor that ultimately inspired the East Longmeadow project and, before it, something similar on the Cape.

Indeed, when they conceived the new co-work facility in Longmeadow in the year before the pandemic, Orszulak, a financial planner by trade, and partners Andrew Lam, Henry Clement, and Jason Pananos were not exactly sure what they would find.

What they found — and it took a while for things to fully shake out because the pandemic hit just after they opened, and it changed the dynamic in many respects — is that there are professionals, and a healthy number of them, who don’t want to work in a large office, but also don’t want to work at home — at least all the time.

Many need a place where they can bring clients; where they can access reliable, high-speed internet; where they can have some privacy; where they can get some work done; and where they can have their mail sent.

“What this has turned into is the evolution of working from home and remote work that is permanent now in the workforce, post-pandemic.”

And, yes, 734 Workspace became that place — a place where there is remote work, but with some twists and some style. There are 17 small offices there, all of them are leased out, and there is a good-sized waiting list, Orszulak noted.

“What I found attractive about the model, pre-pandemic, was simply its flexibility,” he explained. “When you have a membership with us, it’s month to month, and we include everything with your membership. But what this has turned into is the evolution of working from home and remote work that is permanent now in the workforce, post-pandemic.

“And the reasons why people would join a place like ours are what you might expectm” he said. “You can’t get everything you want to get done at home; you’re distracted by your pets, your kids, your husband, your wife; you need a change of scenery — you’re not productive at home.”

Brewer-Young mansion in Longmeadow.

Modern Workspace was in many ways inspired by the success of an earlier venture on the third floor of the Brewer-Young mansion in Longmeadow.

This model, this change of scenery, has worked so well that Orszulak, partnering with Pananos and East Longmeadow-based luxury homebuilder Bill Laplante, moved with confidence and optimism to create something similar in a commercial condominium in Chatham on the Cape.

Further inspired by success there, they are moving forward aggressively with construction of a unique co-working space on a small lot owned by Laplante in East Longmeadow that will be branded Modern Workspace — a name that will eventually go on all the facilities in the portfolio.

Unique — and modern — for several reasons, starting with energy efficiency. Indeed, this will be a net-zero building, said Laplante, adding that it features a solar array on the roof that will provide 100% of the electricity for heating, cooling, and hot water; a car-charging station; and more.

It also features 24 individual spaces across two floors; multiple conference rooms; printing, scanning, and copying equipment; 24/7 access; and more, said Orszulak, adding that the doors are expected to open late in the spring of 2024.

There has been considerable interest in the East Longmeadow facility already, said the partners, adding that results there will help determine if and where this concept might go next.

Indeed, Orszulak stressed that Modern Workspace is certainly scalable, but the model will likely work only in communities like Longmeadow and East Longmeadow, which don’t have existing co-workspace but do count large numbers of professionals among the population base.

The partners are considering Wilbraham and some communities in Northern Conn., such as Suffield and Simsbury. But for now, they are focused on the new East Longmeadow facility, getting it off the ground and on a path to success.

“We’re really excited to see how it does here in East Longmeadow,” Laplante said. “And if does well, and we expect that it will, we’ll see where we can go from there.”

For this issue and its focus on commercial real estate, BusinessWest talked with Orszulak and Laplante about this latest venture in the broad and ever-changing co-work realm, and what it might lead to down the road in terms of further expansion.

 

Right Time, Right Place

As he talked about this expansion of the model forged in Longmeadow, Orszulak first addressed the larger topic — the elephant in the room, if you will — of remote work and its long-term future.

And he was direct in his opinion that there is a large degree of permanence to what is being seen in most workplaces in terms of not simply flexibility, remote work, and hybrid schedules, but also the notion that, for many professionals, there will be a need for a place that isn’t home and isn’t the office, at least in the traditional sense.

“The hybrid model is the model of the future, where there’s partial work from home, and you also work from an office space,” he explained, adding that, in his estimation, this office space will not be in an office building or office park, but a smaller space in a co-working facility that will be used a few days a week, often with the employer reimbursing for space rental.

Chris Orszulak, left, and Bill Laplante

Chris Orszulak, left, and Bill Laplante say Modern Workspace was conceived and designed to reflect changes in the workplace they believe are permanent.

“This is a permanent thing,” he went on. “We’re in the very early innings of complete generational change to the way people work; it will never revert back completely.”

It is with this mindset, as well as the high degree of success recorded at the Brewer-Young mansion, that Orszulak and his partners are moving forward with the facility in East Longmeadow, which is quickly taking shape.

As they offered a tour of the work in progress, Orszulak and Laplante pointed to rows of studs outlining future individual offices and other facilities, such as a conference room and common space, and gestured to where flat-screen TVs, standing desks, and storage would be in those offices.

“You can basically come in with your laptop and immediately work,” said Orszulak, adding that he expects some tenants will come in several days a week, others a few, and still others maybe just one.

He expects this new facility will attract roughly the same demographic as the Brewer-Young mansion, which includes several lawyers, a few financial advisers, several entrepreneurs with various types of small businesses, and other professionals. There are men, women, both younger and older professionals — “it pretty much appeals to everyone.”

Also appealing are the various levels of membership — from simply having a mailing address to a 10-day membership, to a ‘common-space membership,’ which enables members to come in as many days a week or month as they want to use a common space that includes soft chairs, high-top tables, and stand-up desks and use of the conference room; from a ‘dedicated common-space membership’ (a member has his or her own desk) to rental of an office. The rates vary accordingly, from $150 for a mailing address to $850, on average, for office rental.

The lawyers within the membership base provide an effective snapshot of the type of client the partners are attracting there, and expect to attract at the East Longmeadow facility.

“In many cases, it’s attorneys who had office space, but they didn’t require as much office space as they had rented,” Orszulak said. “Some of them might be winding down the practice, but they don’t want to stop working, so they’ve reduced the size of the practice, and this facility gives them an area they can go to, one that gives them a great deal of flexibility.”

Like the 10-day membership, which, as that name suggests, enables members to use the various facilities 10 days a month.

“There are many people who permanently work from home, but they would prefer not to have their home be the place where they meet clients,” he explained. “So they’ll just use our conference room for meetings, and we have a really simple app on your phone where you can book time and meet clients. There’s a handful of attorneys that just do that; they’ll use the conference room half a dozen times a month.”

Meanwhile, some members just want a business address, he went on, adding that there are mailboxes for these individuals, as there will be in East Longmeadow.

 

Getting Down to Business

Overall, each of the successful elements of the model created in Longmeadow and followed in Chatham — where the partners have found a strong market for co-work space among permanent residents, professionals with summer homes in that area, and even those on vacation for two weeks who need a place to take a Zoom meeting — will be used in East Longmeadow, where the setting will be decidedly different.

Indeed, while the Brewer-Young mansion is more than a century old, historic, and in most all ways energy-inefficient, the facility under construction in East Longmeadow will be anything but.

“This will be a net-zero project; we will not be purchasing any electricity or gas — there will no gas to the property,” Laplante explained, adding that the building will be ultra-modern in many other ways as well, from reliable, high-speed internet to the car-charging stations.

And while they proceed with construction of the East Longmeadow facility, the partners are already thinking about where they might go next with the concept, although they obviously want to see how this space does before expanding further.

Overall, they believe it will work in mostly residential communities with many working professionals, scenarios where people can live and work in the same town, but not necessarily in the same place.

“We don’t see someone from South Hadley jumping in the car and going to the Brewer-Young mansion for their co-working office space,” said Orszulak, adding that several members at the facility actually bike or walk to the ‘office.’

Elaborating, he said there are co-work spaces that people can get on a highway and drive to, but there is an increasing need for something right around the corner.

Given those patterns, the concept could work in other area communities in Western Mass., such as Wilbraham, as well as Connecticut, he went on.

“We think Simsbury in Connecticut is a great market,” he noted, adding that other communities in that area, such as Suffield, may be attractive landing spots as well. “The towns are very similar to Longmeadow and East Longmeadow, and we see great potential there.

“We want to be smart about where we grow; I think we’re learning more as we talk to more people, and we’re learning a lot here,” he said, adding that there are certainly challenges to expansion, including finding appropriate locations and building facilities, often from scratch. “It’s a scalable model.”

For now, though, they are laser-focused on opening the doors in East Longmeadow. They said they have already received a good amount of interest and expect there will be much more as the facility starts to take shape.

Co-working is not a new concept, per se, but it continues to evolve, and this model represents what would be considered state-of-the-art.

It represents work in progress — in every sense of that phrase.

 

 

Some Concerning Trends Continued in 2023 — but There Was Good News, Too

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Features Special Coverage

A Year of Challenge and Progress

By Joseph Bednar and George O’Brien

Way Finder CEO Keith Fairey

Way Finder CEO Keith Fairey says the housing crisis has been years in the making and results from several factors, including a lack of investment in new housing.

One one hand, every year removed from the pandemic of 2020 is a step toward normalcy, and, for the most part, business rolled on in 2023 — but the effects of that pivotal year still linger, through persistent challenges like inflation, workforce shortages, the deepening roots of remote work, and behavioral-health crises.

But other trends have emerged as well, from a harsher landscape for cannabis businesses to actual movement on east-west rail, to positive developments in downtown Springfield.

As 2024 dawns, undoubtedly bringing a new host of challenges and opportunities, BusinessWest presents its year in review: a look back at some of the stories and issues that shaped our lives, and will, in many cases, continue to do so.

 

The Housing Crisis Deepens

One of the more poignant stories of 2023 was a deepening housing crisis that is touching virtually every community in this region, the state, and many parts of the country.

“We got here over decades of underinvesting in housing production nationally, and not tuning that production to the needs and demographic changes of communities,” Keith Fairey, president and CEO of Springfield-based Way Finders, told BusinessWest in an interview this fall, adding that a resolution to this crisis won’t come quickly or easily, either.

“One of the things we have to do is make sure Massachusetts remains a competitive state for years to come. And one of the main indicators of whether you are competitive is ‘can people afford to live in this state?”

The major challenges involve not only creating more housing, because not much was built over the past few decades, but housing that fals into the ‘affordable’ category.

Indeed, state Rep. John Velis, a member of the Senate’s Housing Committee, said there are many side effects from the housing crisis, especially when it comes to the state’s ability to retain residents. “One of the things we have to do is make sure Massachusetts remains a competitive state for years to come. And one of the main indicators of whether you are competitive is ‘can people afford to live in this state?’”

 

Inflation and Interest Rates

The Fed was on a mission in 2023 — to tame inflation but without putting the country into recession, as it famously did in the ’80s. By and large, it was mission accomplished.

Indeed, the latest data on inflation showed a 3% increase over last year in November, a significant improvement on the numbers from late last year and early this year. Meanwhile, the country seems to have avoided a recession, with the economy expanding at a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 5.2% in the third quarter, after generating 2.2% annualized growth in the first quarter and 2.2% in the second quarter. In short, the economy actually accelerated, rather than slowing down, due to persistently strong consumer spending.

Efforts to stem inflation by raising interest rates were not without consequences, though, as the housing market cooled tremendously, if not historically. And commercial lending cooled as well, as many business owners took a wait-and-see approach with regard to where interest rates were headed.

 

New Challenges for Cannabis

Is the ‘green rush’ over for the cannabis industry in Massachusetts? If so, the Bay State is simply following the pattern of every other state that legalizes the drug.

According to that well-told story, the first dispensaries on the scene are bouyed by a favorable supply-and-demand equation — and long lines of customers. But as the market is flooded with competitors — not only locally, but from across state lines — not everyone survives, as a series of business closings this year demonstrates. In fact, according to the Cannabis Control Commission, 16 licenses in Massachusetts have been surrendered, not been renewed, or been revoked by the agency.

The heightened competition has caused retail prices to plummet for an industry already beset by profit-margin challenges. Unfavorable federal tax laws surrounding the growth, production, and sale of cannabis, coupled with local and state tax obligations and continued federal roadblocks to financing, transport, and other aspects of business have made it increasingly difficult to turn a profit. On the latter issue, federal decriminalization would ease the challenges somewhat, but progress there has been frustratingly slow.

Steven Weiss, shareholder at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin

Steven Weiss, shareholder at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, says he’s surprised lawmakers haven’t moved more quickly toward decriminalizing cannabis on the federal level.

Workforce Challenges Continue

While many businesses and institutions, including the region’s hospitals, reported some progress in 2023 when it comes to attracting and retaining talent, workforce issues persisted in many sectors, especially hospitality.

Indeed, across the region, many restaurants have been forced to reduce the number of days they are open, and some banquet facilities have been limiting capacity due to challenges with securing adequate levels of staff.

Those are some of the visible manifestations of a workforce crisis that started during the pandemic and has lingered for a variety of reasons, from the retirement of Baby Boomers to an apparent lack of willingness to accept lower-wage positions in service businesses.

The ongoing crisis has led to stiff battles for help in certain sectors, including manufacturing, the building trades, engineering, and healthcare, among others, resulting in higher wages, more benefits, and greater flexibility when it comes to where and when people work, which brings us to another of the big stories in 2023…

 

Remote Work, Hybrid Schedules Gain More Traction

While some larger employers succeeded in bringing everyone back to the office in 2023, most have decided not to even try. Indeed, there was more evidence in 2023 that remote work and hybrid schedules have become a permanent part of the workplace landscape.

In interviews with employers large and small, a persistent theme on this topic has been the need to be flexible when it comes to schedules, and especially where people work. Many businesses, from banks to architecture firms to financial-services companies, have found that employees can be effective and productive working remotely, with many favoring a hybrid schedule that brings people to the office a few days a week. Such flexibility makes employees happier, they said, making it easier to attract and retain talent.

This pattern is causing some anxiety in the commercial office market amid speculation that companies will be seeking smaller spaces moving forward, but the full impact of the shift to remote work and hybrid schedules may not be known for years.

 

Movement on East-west Rail

This story might continue to inch down the tracks, so to speak, for years before the engine really starts moving, but after many years of debate, planning, and crunching the numbers, actual progress is emerging in the effort to connect Pittsfield with Boston by rail, with stops in Springfield, Palmer, and Worcester, among others.

“We can also make progress in breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty by helping residents complete their higher-education credentials so they can attain good jobs and build a career path.”

The big news this past fall was a federal grant of $108 million to Massachusetts for rail infrastructure upgrades, and Gov. Maura Healey also signed off on $12.5 million in DOT funding in the state’s FY 2024 budget toward the effort.

The additional east-west service would complement passenger trains now running north-south through Springfield’s Union Station, offering access to points from Greenfield to New Haven.

“The facts are simple: improving and expanding passenger rail service will have a tremendous impact on regional economies throughout Massachusetts,” U.S. Rep. Richard Neal said. “That is why we will continue to invest in a project whose framework has the potential to serve as a model for expanding passenger rail service across the country.”

 

Free Community College

Almost 2 million Massachusetts residents are over age 25 without a college degree. MassReconnect aims to change that, by offering free tuition and fees — as well as an allowance for books and supplies — at any of Massachusetts’ community colleges for residents over age 25.

Gov. Maura Healey pitched it as a strategy to generate more young, skilled talent in the workplace at a time when businesses are struggling to recruit and retain employees (more on that later). “We can also make progress in breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty by helping residents complete their higher-education credentials so they can attain good jobs and build a career path,” she added.

New HCC President George Timmons

New HCC President George Timmons says “community colleges are, to me, a great pathway to a better life.”

Holyoke Community College President George Timmons called the initiative “an exciting moment for HCC and all Massachusetts community colleges,” adding that “MassReconnect will enable our community colleges to do more of what we do best, which is serve students from all ages and all backgrounds and provide them with an exceptional education that leads to employment and, ultimately, a stronger economy and thriving region.”

 

New Higher-education Leadership

Speaking of Timmons, he was among the new presidents at the region’s colleges and universities, taking the the reins from Christina Royal, who had been at HCC since January 2017. Timmons was previously provost and senior vice president of Academic and Student Affairs at Columbia Greene Community College in Hudson, N.Y.

Meanwhile, Danielle Ren Holley, a noted legal educator and social-justice scholar, became the first Black woman in the 186-year history of Mount Holyoke College to serve as permanent president. Since 2014, Holley had served as dean and professor of Law at Howard University School of Law.

And at UMass Amherst, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy stepped down after 11 years leading the university, to be succeeded by Javier Reyes, who had been serving as interim chancellor at the University of Illinois Chicago.

“You’re not coming in to repair something, but to build on the shoulders of giants — and that is a very attractive opportunity,” Reyes said. “You’re not trying to catch up; you’re really trying to move and set the direction and be a forward leader. It comes with more pressure, but it’s more exciting.”

 

Thunderous Impact for the T-Birds

The Springfield Thunderbirds released the results of an economic-impact study conducted by the UMass Donahue Institute that shows the team’s operations have generated $126 million for the local economy since 2017.

The study included an analysis of team operations data, MassMutual Center concessions figures, a survey of more than 2,000 T-Birds patrons, and interviews with local business owners and other local stakeholders. Among its findings, the study shows that the T-Birds created $76 million in cumulative personal income throughout the region and contributed $10 million to state and local taxes.

The impact on downtown Springfield businesses is especially profound. Seventy-eight percent of T-Birds fans spend money on something other than hockey when they go to a game, including 68% who are patronizing a bar, restaurant, or MGM Springfield. The study also found that median spending by fans outside the arena is $40 per person on game nights and that every dollar of T-Birds’ revenue is estimated to yield $4.09 of additional economic activity in the Pioneer Valley. Meanwhile, since the team’s inaugural season, it has doubled the number of jobs created from 112 in 2017 to 236 in 2023.

 

Big Y Opens Downtown

In fact, despite the speed bump posed by the pandemic, downtown Springfield seems to have some momentum again. One of the more intriguing stories of 2023 was the opening during the summer of a scaled-down Big Y supermarket on the ground floor of Tower Square.

The new Big Y Express

The new Big Y Express represents an imaginative use of ARPA funds, addresses a food desert, and contributes to momentum in downtown Springfield.

The development was noteworthy for several reasons. First, it continued the reimagination of Tower Square, which now boasts the Greater Springfield YMCA, White Lion Brewing, two colleges, and other institutions. It also brings a supermarket to what had been a food desert. And it represents an imaginative, community-building use of ARPA funds.

The store opened its doors in June to considerable fanfare, and early results have been solid, with the store becoming a welcome addition to the downtown landscape. Combined with the Thunderbirds’ success, some of MGM Springfield’s strongest revenue months, and the ongoing residential development at the former Court Square Hotel, there’s a lot to be excited about.

 

New Home Sought for ‘Sick Courthouse’

Not all downtown news emerged from a positive place. Another developing story in 2023 was the ongoing work to secure a replacement for the Roderick Ireland Courthouse on State Street in Springfield, whose dilapidated conditions have been under scrutiny for years and have earned it the nickname the ‘sick courthouse,’ because many who have worked there have contracted various illnesses.

Gov. Maura Healey has called for investing $106 million over a five-year period to construct a new justice center in Springfield, and in November, the Healey administration issued an official request for proposals involving a least two developable acres on which to build a new courthouse. Proposals are due Jan. 31.

While redevelopment of the current site remains an option, Springfield officials are intrigued by the possibility of building not only a new courthouse, but also redeveloping the current site, which is right off I-91 in the heart of downtown.

 

Weather Challenges for Farmers

It’s called the Natural Disaster Recovery Program for Agriculture, and it exists because Mother Nature hit Massachusetts — in particular, its farmers — hard in 2023.

The state program provides financial assistance to farmers who suffered crop losses as a result of any of three natural disasters: the Feb. 3-5 deep freeze that impacted a large amount of peach and stone-fruit production, the May 17-18 frost that impacted a large amount of apple production and vineyards, and the July 9-16 rainfall and flooding that impacted a large amount of vegetable crops, field crops, and hay and forage crops.

But the government wasn’t alone in the effort to help farmers sustain this triple body blow. Area banks and other oranizations created funds, as did philanthropist Harold Grinspoon — a long-time and notable advocate for farmers through his foundation’s Local Farmer Awards — swiftly pledged $50,000 toward flood-relief efforts following the July rains, distributing checks to 50 farmers impacted by the floods.

 

Behavioral Health at the Forefront

In August, Baystate Health and Lifepoint Health celebrated the opening of Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital, a 122,000-square-foot, four-story facility in Holyoke featuring 150 private and semi-private rooms for inpatient behavioral healthcare for adults and adolescents.

It’s yet another development — the opening of MiraVista Behavioral Health Center in Holyoke in 2021 was another one — that aims to fill an access gap in behavioral health, at a time when the mental-health and addiction needs remain high. The pandemic caused a spike in both, the effects of which are still being felt today.

Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, said Valley Springs increases the inpatient behavioral-health capacity in the region by 50%. “Until now, about 30% of behavioral-health patients needing care would have to go outside the region. Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital will allow us to provide top-quality care for more patients right here in Western Massachusetts.”

 

Holyoke Celebrates Its 150th

One of the more fun stories of 2023 was Holyoke’s year-long 150th-anniversary celebration. BusinessWest printed a special edition in March to coincide with the St. Patrick’s Day parade, which included stories and photos that celebrated the past and present, while speculating on the future. The many interviews captured the unique essence and character of Holyoke, a close-knit community with a proud history and many traditions.

“There’s been a lot of change over the years, but what hasn’t changed is the spirit of the people,” Jim Sullivan, president of the O’Connell Companies and a Holyoke native, said. “There is a very proud heritage in Holyoke, and it still exists today.”

Said Gary Rome, another native of the Paper City and owner of Gary Rome Auto Group, “there’s a saying … as Holyokers, we can talk bad about Holyoke, but you can’t talk bad about Holyoke.”

Pickup Sales Are, Well, Picking Up Across the Board

By
Ben Sullivan, seen here beside the Chevy Silverado ZR2
Autos Special Coverage

Keep on Truckin’

Ben Sullivan, seen here beside the Chevy Silverado ZR2

Ben Sullivan, seen here beside the Chevy Silverado ZR2 he’s now driving, says demand for trucks is up across the board, especially in the compact category.

Before relocating to the 413 and a job with Balise Motor Sales, Ben Sullivan lived in Texas for 15 years.

In the Lone Star State, he said, one of every four vehicles sold is a half-ton pickup or larger. There, parking lots and parking garages are designed specifically to accommodate large pickups, with wide-open spaces and yellow lines that are farther apart. Pickups, he said, are part of the culture.

“Here, people drive diesel, heavy-duty trucks because they’re pulling a landscape trailer behind them or they’re going to a construction site,” said Sullivan, chief operating officer at Balise. “In Texas, people drive them because they want to look cool.”

Western Mass., and much of the rest of the country, is a long way from Texas — at least when it comes to pickups — but there is considerable movement in that direction, he said, adding that pickups are becoming increasingly popular with just about all age groups, and especially young people.

And part of the reason why is the wide range of options now on the market — from large trucks to the mid-range, half-ton offerings, to a growing number of smaller, modestly priced trucks that are especially popular with active, outdoor-loving young people.

These include Ford’s Maverick, which came out in 2022. This is a compact truck that seats five, boasts hybrid power, and has an XL trim with a base sticker price of $23,400, but also offers a Lariat model with leather seats.

“When you look at the truck market, there’s work trucks, there’s people who need them for towing boats, you have people who use them for leisure activities, and then, you have people who drive them for lifestyle — ‘I like the look of a truck.’”

That makes this an attractive option for people who don’t necessarily want to tow a boat or trailer and don’t work in construction, but do want everything else a pickup can provide, said Mike Marcotte, president of Holyoke-based Marcotte Ford.

“It’s been doing really well since it came out,” he said, adding that it’s become a solid option for many constituencies. “It’s popular with people right out of college, but also with contractors who want a vehicle they can go out and quote with, or people who may not need the size of F-150; it has the capability for multiple purposes.”

Marcotte said he’s selling a lot of Mavericks, but also a number of Rangers (another smaller truck) and F-150s, the ever-popular half-ton truck; the larger 250s and 350s; and even the Lightning, the all-electric version of the F-150, as well. With inventories improving, sales have been strong across the board.

Sullivan, whose company, Balise, sells several different nameplates, concurred, noting that there are a number of increasingly popular truck models on the market, with standard bearers Ford, Chevy, and Ram leading the way, but many others also doing well in this space, including Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda, especially with the smaller models.

Many of these ‘compact’ offerings now come with the descriptive phrase ‘adventure truck’ attached to them, said Sullivan, adding that, when these vehicles are on area lots, they’re usually not there for long.

In many ways, the current scene is reminiscent of the early and mid-’80s, when the market was flooded with smaller truck models.

“There were little trucks everywhere,” he said of those days. “Cheap little trucks, get-around trucks were very, very popular back then, and we’re seeing a return to those times; these smaller trucks are getting a lot of interest from young people.”

Mike Marcotte says Ford’s Maverick, a smaller truck

Mike Marcotte says Ford’s Maverick, a smaller truck, has been a hot seller, but there is demand for trucks in every category.

There are some differences between now and then, though, especially when it comes to accessibility. Indeed, while some makes and models are readily available — Marcotte said he has more than 150 trucks on his lot — others are not.

Indeed, Rob Pion, president of Bob Pion Buick GMAC, said he’s on his fourth year of struggles with truck inventory, especially the larger models needed by contractors and snow plowers, and especially toward year-end, when their accountants are urging them to make such purchases to take advantage of tax incentives, rather than in the new year.

“I have inventory, but not the right inventory,” he said, noting that he has several half-ton models, such as the Sierra 1500, on the lot. These are not what most of his contractor and snow-plowing customers are looking for. Meanwhile, what he does have is generally vanilla when most of his customers want something specific.

He said the market for the 1500 is somewhat soft at the moment, with those vehicles being “more of a want than a need.” Meanwhile, GM continues to struggle to supply him with the trucks for which there is a need, such as the larger 2500s and 3500s.

For this issue and its focus on auto sales, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the burgeoning truck market and what will happen down the road, as they say.

 

Bedding Down

Sullivan isn’t a dealer, per se, but like most executives in the auto-sales business, he takes full advantage of an industry perk — driving some of the latest models with dealer plates attached.

He has a hard and fast rule that he follows, though: “I drive what doesn’t sell,” he said, noting that he’s not going to hamstring any of the GMs at Balise by driving a vehicle that is in demand and could be easily sold.

So right now, he’s driving a white Chevy Silverado ZR2, which is, as they say in this business, fully loaded.

“It has the 6.2-liter engine, the big tires, the big wheels — it gets up and goes,” he said, adding that the price tag is roughly $80,000, which, in these days of higher interest rates and less-readily-available incentives, helps explain why it had been in inventory for more than six months at Balise’s Chevy story in Rhode Island and became a prime candidate for his next ride.

But while this particular Silverado wasn’t moving off the lot, trucks in many different categories (especially the smaller trucks) and across most makes and models are.

That’s because the manufacturers are making models that are, in some cases, affordable, versatile, comfortable, and fun to drive.

Rob Pion

Rob Pion says demand for trucks is growing, but there are still issues with availability.

All those adjectives apply to several Ford models, said Marcotte, adding that he’s enjoying robust sales of the Maverick, the Ranger, the F-150, and most other truck lines put out by Ford, which has been the top seller of trucks for 46 years running, he said — and, with just a few days left in 2023, appears to be headed for a 47th.

Sullivan agreed, noting that, while soaring interest rates and higher price tags — several higher-end models now go for $100,000 or more — have slowed some segments of the market, pickup sales are still strong across the board.

“When you look at the truck market, there’s work trucks, there’s people who need them for towing boats, you have people who use them for leisure activities, and then, you have people who drive them for lifestyle — ‘I like the look of a truck,’” he said, adding that all these elements are fueling sales.

Marcotte agreed. “Trucks are more versatile now — you can use them for multi-purposes,” he said. “You can use them for casual driving or also for work; the F-150 drives like a car these days.”

Meanwhile, many of the incentives that made trucks a ‘value play,’ as he called it, such as low lease rates, attractive financing offers, and more, are coming back — slowly — and availability is improving as well.

Perhaps the biggest growth in this segment is in the mid-size and smaller categories, he went on, adding that these are for people who don’t necessarily use a truck for work or towing, but for adventures and “utilitarian use.”

“They don’t need the big platform and the big motors,” he said, adding that there are many models now in the mid-size category — the Tacoma, Chevy’s Colorado, GMC’s Canyon, Nissan’s Frontier, Ford’s Ranger, and others.

And there is perhaps even more growth in what he called the “compact truck” segment — trucks built essentially on a car platform — with models like the Maverick, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, the Honda Ridgeline, and others, said both Sullivan and Marcotte.

“Those Mavericks sell the day that they land. It’s a small truck, it’s got a hybrid powertrain in it, it can carry stuff in the back, but it’s less expensive, it gets better gas mileage, and it rides better,” Sullivan noted, adding that the same things can be said of other trucks in this category; indeed, there is a lengthy waiting list for Santa Cruzes at Balise’s Hyundai store. “These trucks are a good value play, they’re not overly expensive, they’re good-looking … and there are a lot of young people who like all that they have to offer.”

And given the popularity of this segment, there will certainly be more of them in the future, said Sullivan, adding that Toyota is expected to come out with a smaller truck soon, and other makers will likely follow.

Meanwhile, with the larger trucks, there are still some lingering supply issues, said those we spoke with, citing everything from supply-chain issues — yes, still — to the recent UAW strikes.

For Pion, inventory has been a long-standing problem. He told BusinessWest that, if a customer isn’t too specific with their needs, he can probably find them something on the lot or order it, but the narrower the request, the more difficult it gets.

“If someone’s willing to work with you and just wants a 1500 pickup, you can probably find something,” he said. “But if they want something specific, like a Sierra Denali with a specific motor and a specific package, that can be very difficult to get, still.”

This environment has created great demand — and higher prices — for used trucks, he said, adding that “the value on a used one is almost as much as brand-new one because you can’t find a new one.”

With Ford, availability has greatly improved over the past year or so, said Marcotte, noting that they are, by and large, back to pre-pandemic levels. The recent UAW strikes certainly threw a scare into all dealers, he added, but production seems to already be back to what would be considered normal, meaning there are trucks being delivered regularly.

 

Towing the Line

Referencing the long-standing ‘truck war’ between Ford and Chevy — with Ram a close third — Sullivan said those hostilities took on much quieter tones during the pandemic and its aftermath as availability became a lingering issue.

“During COVID, there was no reason for a pickup-truck war; every truck that they could make — and they could only make some percentage of what they used to make — was sold before it hit the lot,” he said, adding that, as availability improves and the portfolio of in-demand models increases, the truck wars will heat up again.

And that’s only one aspect of a developing story in the truck market, one with some ongoing shifts and movement to a higher gear when it comes to overall interest and the laws of supply and demand.

Western Mass. probably won’t ever be like Texas when it comes to pickups, but there is movement in that direction.

 

How Umbrella Insurance Protects Against Catastrophic Loss

By
Insurance Special Coverage

Shelter from the Storm

Beth Pearson (left, with Alex Bennett) says a dog bite (not from this good boy, of course) could leave a homeowner without proper coverage in a bad spot for a long time.

Beth Pearson loves dogs as much as anyone else.

Working in the insurance world, she also knows people can be careless.

“If you have a dog, and that dog bites a dog walker or bites a child, if you’re sued, that’s a catastrophic impact that can affect your life for a very, very long time,” she said. “Or let’s say a teenage driver gets behind the wheel while impaired, and an accident ensues.”

In situations like this, she added, “I always say one thing: ‘I hope you have an umbrella policy.’ It’s that important.”

An umbrella policy, as its name suggests, essentially sits atop existing auto, home, or commercial insurance policies to deliver an additional layer of protection, especially against catastrophic liability loss, noted Pearson, president of Pearson Wallace Insurance in Amherst and Pittsfield.

Alex Bennett, vice president of Business Development at Pearson Wallace, suggested another example: an inground swimming pool.

“The neighbor’s child comes over, hops the fence, jumps in the pool, and even though he’s not permitted to get on your property, the owner can still be essentially responsible for the death — or responsible for someone who’s badly injured from a diving board, a slide, or any sort of pool-related incident on your premises.”

In short, personal liability coverage of $500,000 or $1 million is simply not enough when real tragedy — accompanied by soaring liability — strikes, said Nathan Lee, a Commercial Lines producer at Rush Insurance Group in Chicopee.

“We live in a litigious environment these days,” he noted. “One million does not go nearly as far as it did five or 10 years ago. It’s not a lot of money these days.”

Bennett said agents on his team look at the property and unique situations of each client and make recommendations based on their general net worth and the specific exposures they might have.

“You have to consider the potential impact of what could happen in a life-changing event, in a lawsuit, when you find yourself in a hole for something that insurance could have protected against.”

“Things can happen to anyone. If someone broke into your house and fell down the stairs, they can sue you,” he said, citing what most people would consider a particularly unfair example of liability. “You have to consider the potential impact of what could happen in a life-changing event, in a lawsuit, when you find yourself in a hole for something that insurance could have protected against.”

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of an umbrella policy is its cost — maybe $300 to $400 per year for $1 million in coverage, with additional layers of coverage available beyond that, typically in increments of $1 million.

“In its most basic form, an umbrella policy is an additional layer of liability insurance,” Lee said. “It’s additional layers above and beyond the primary, underlying policy, and its intent is to protect against catastrophic losses that exhaust that primary policy’s limits.

“If I have, say, $1 million in underlying protection, general liability, and I have an accidental death in an auto claim that comes to be a judgment of $3 million, that would exhaust the primary underlying policy, and I would look for that $2 million above and beyond that. The umbrella policy is really just an additional layer of liability.”

 

Know the Difference

On the commercial side, Lee said, there’s a difference between an umbrella policy and what’s known as an excess insurance policy. Essentially, excess policies provide coverage only when the underlying policy responds to a particular situation, like major injuries or death. Umbrella insurance, on the other hand, does expand terms and provides broader coverage for losses not outlined in the underlying policy. It also covers legal defense costs.

Nathan Lee

Nathan Lee says he recommends umbrella insurance to “absolutely everyone.”

“An umbrella policy is much broader, more comprehensive, and frankly, we don’t see it a lot in the commercial space,” he explained. “Excess liability policies are more common in the high-hazard businesses, like fuel dealers and aircraft machine shops.”

But it’s the unexpected nature of life that should cause all business owners to consider umbrella insurance, Pearson said.

“We know that the cost of insurance is expensive and continues to rise every year. But not having the umbrella is one of the major liabilities of running a business,” she added. “A commercial umbrella gives you excess coverage over the general liability limits, the auto limits, as well as workers’ compensation. If someone is gravely injured by a machine and the underlying workers’ comp is a million dollars, but this person is dismembered for life, it’s important for the umbrella to be in place to reach down and provide an additional million to the liability.”

Lee stressed that he recommends such a policy to “absolutely everyone.”

“It’s really the broker’s job to examine the historical claims of the individual, see where the trends are, and build a program that’s priced conscientiously to the customer around how much excess umbrella they can afford and what they need,” he told BusinessWest. “We make recommendations to the customer — they make their own decisions, but it’s up to us to recommend the overall program.”

Clients can also purchase multiple layers of umbrella insurance, each carrying a less costly premium than the one below it. The key is to make sure the underlying policy limit is high enough to trigger the umbrella with no gap in coverage.

“If the umbrella policy says they need an underlying limit of $1 million and you only have a half-million dollars, it may not respond because of that half-million gap,” Lee said. “In some instances, you can pay that half-million gap personally, but those are very critical components when building a program.”

On the personal-lines side, an umbrella policy sits on top of primary home insurance, primary auto insurance, or other underlying policies, Pearson noted.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a small businesses with few employees or an employer with 100 people. Businesses are not exempt from accidents. This can provide coverage against losing everything.”

“Say, for example, you have a car accident and someone is seriously injured in your vehicle and loses a limb or some other body part, and you’re brought into a lawsuit for medical expenses well as any liability issues. If another person is injured and can’t go back to work or has a long-term disability, your auto insurance becomes exhausted in situations like that. The umbrella comes down and covers costs above and beyond those limits, and defense costs as well.”

She agreed with Lee that $500,000 or even $1 million in primary coverage can disappear quickly in a catastrophic event. “When those become exhausted and completely paid out, the umbrella gives additional coverage if they need it.”

Most people, Bennett added, “can’t afford not to have one. It starts at $1 million, but it can go as high as $25 million or $50 million.”

Those numbers may seem exorbitant, he added, but clients should consider what they’re putting at risk without one, especially considering the reasonable cost of premiums.

“With the nature of our world and our country, you can’t have enough of it these days. I think of umbrella insurance as peace of mind and asset protection,” he said. “We look at the account holistically. We want to understand what the net worth is, and we want the umbrella to be equal to, or more than, the family’s net worth.

“God forbid something happens,” Bennett went on. “The question we never want to hear is, ‘why didn’t I have an umbrella policy, if there was a policy that could have covered me?’ In a death or a large lawsuit, all kinds of different things can come into play in a situation. You’ll sleep better at night knowing that you have protection.”

 

Critical Questions

In Massachusetts, most umbrella policies provide coverage for the policyholder and their immediate family members living in the same household, with some exceptions.

Meanwhile, on the commercial side, the nature of the business would impact the risk exposure and, hence, the level of coverage needed. While a $1 million umbrella might be fine for a storefront florist or clothing store, a business owner with a fleet of heavy trucks would likely need more.

In addition, the level of coverage should reflect not only one’s net worth, but future earning potential as well. A doctor who just graduated from medical school and plans a career in brain surgery might have little more than debt to show right now, but a lawsuit could put significant future earnings at risk.

The keys are to “make sure you have minimum underlying limits, and make sure that the excess umbrella policy responds. Those are critical,” Lee said. “And you really need to pay attention to whether it’s an umbrella policy or excess.”

Pearson said business owners of all kinds need to consider their exposure. While a new business might be trying to keep initial costs down, liability can rear its head at any time, and for often-unexpected reasons.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a small businesses with few employees or an employer with 100 people. Businesses are not exempt from accidents. This can provide coverage against losing everything,” she said.

“I’ve seen businesses have catastrophic events and not have an umbrella, and it’s a very tough situation to dig out of. This saves money because, even though you’re spending a little extra, you’re protected from the storms that may occur.”

Despite No Changes in Tax Law, It’s Still a Good Time to Craft a Strategy

By Contributor
Accounting and Tax Planning Special Coverage Wealth Management

Planning Is Key

By Kristina D. Houghton, CPA

 

Surprisingly, 2023 was a year with no tax-law changes. Congressional members of both parties introduced major tax policy legislation, but so far, most of those bills were partisan. For Congress to pass tax legislation, it will need to be the product of bipartisan compromise. Any tax-policy legislation should also adhere to core values of fostering domestic economic growth, providing support for workers and their families, and prioritizing fiscal responsibility.

Despite the lack of legislation, year-end is still the optimal time for tax planning. But you must be careful to avoid potential pitfalls along the way.

We have prepared the following 2023 year-end tax article divided into three sections:

• Individual Tax Planning;

• Business Tax Planning; and

• Financial Tax Planning.

Be aware that the concepts discussed in this article are intended to provide only a general overview of year-end tax planning. It is recommended that you review your personal situation with a tax professional.

“If you come out ahead by itemizing, you may want to accelerate certain deductible expenses into 2023.”

INDIVIDUAL TAX PLANNING

Itemized Deductions

When you file your personal 2023 tax return, you must choose between the standard deduction and itemized deductions. The standard deduction for 2023 is $13,850 for single filers and $27,700 for joint filers. (An additional $1,850 standard deduction is allowed for a taxpayer age 65 or older.)

YEAR-END MOVE: If you come out ahead by itemizing, you may want to accelerate certain deductible expenses into 2023. For example, consider the following possibilities:

• Donate cash or property to a qualified charitable organization.

• Pay deductible mortgage interest if it otherwise makes sense for your situation. Currently, this includes interest on acquisition debt of up to $750,000 for your principal residence and one other home, combined.

• Make state and local tax (SALT) payments up to the annual SALT deduction limit of $10,000.

 

Charitable Donations

The tax law allows you to deduct charitable donations within generous limits if you meet certain record-keeping requirements.

YEAR-END MOVE: Step up charitable gift giving before Jan. 1. As long as you make a donation in 2023, it is deductible in 2023, even if you charge it in 2023 and pay it in 2024.

• If you make monetary contributions, your deduction is limited to 60% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). Any excess above the 60%-of-AGI limit may be carried over for up to five years.

• If you donate appreciated property held longer than one year (i.e., it would qualify for long-term capital-gain treatment if sold), you can generally deduct an amount equal to the property’s fair market value (FMV) on the donation date, up to 30% of your AGI. But the deduction for short-term capital-gain property is limited to your initial cost.

 

Higher-education Credits

The tax law provides tax breaks to parents of children in college, subject to certain limits. This often includes a choice between one of two higher-education credits.

YEAR-END MOVE: When appropriate, pay qualified expenses for next semester by the end of this year. Generally, the costs will be eligible for a credit in 2023, even if the semester does not begin until 2024.

Typically, you can claim either the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) or the Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC), but not both. The maximum AOTC of $2,500 is available for qualified expenses for four years of study for each student, while the maximum $2,000 LLC is claimed on a per-family basis for all years of study. Thus, the AOTC is usually preferable to the LLC.

Both credits are phased out based on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). The phase-out for each credit occurs between $80,000 and $90,000 of MAGI for single filers and between $160,000 and $180,000 of MAGI for joint filers.

TIP: The list of qualified expenses includes tuition, books, fees, equipment, computers, etc., but not room and board.

 

Miscellaneous

• Install energy-saving devices at home that result in either of two residential credits. For example, you may be able to claim a credit for installing solar panels. Generally, each credit equals 30% of the cost of qualified expenses, subject to certain limits.

• Avoid an estimated tax penalty by qualifying for a safe-harbor exception. Generally, a penalty will not be imposed if you pay 90% of your current year’s tax liability or 100% of your prior year’s tax liability (110% if your AGI exceeded $150,000).

• Empty out flexible spending accounts for healthcare or dependent-care expenses if you will forfeit unused funds under the ‘use it or lose it’ rule. However, your employer’s plan may provide a carry-over to 2024 of up to $610 of unused funds or a two-and-a-half-month grace period.

 

BUSINESS TAX PLANNING

Depreciation-based Deductions

As the year draws to a close, a business may benefit from one or more of three depreciation-based tax breaks: the Section 179 deduction, first-year ‘bonus’ depreciation, and regular depreciation.

YEAR-END MOVE: Place qualified property in service before the end of the year. If your business does not start using the property before 2024, it is not eligible for these tax breaks.

Section 179 deduction: Under Section 179 of the tax code, a business may currently deduct the cost of qualified property placed in service during the year. The maximum annual deduction for 2023 is $1.16 million, provided your total purchases of property do not exceed $2.89 million.

Be aware that the Section 179 deduction cannot exceed the taxable income from all your business activities this year. This rule could limit your deduction for 2023.

First-year bonus depreciation: The first-year bonus depreciation applicable percentage for 2023 is 80% and is scheduled to drop to 60% in 2024.

 

Qualified Retirement Plans

The new SECURE 2.0 law includes a number of provisions affecting employers with qualified retirement plans.

YEAR-END MOVE: Position your business to maximize available tax benefits and avoid potential problems. Consider the following key changes of particular interest:

• For 401(k) plans adopted after 2024, an employer must provide automatic enrollment to employees. Certain small companies and startups are exempt.

• Beginning in 2023, employers with 50 or fewer employees can qualify for a credit equal to 100% of their contributions to a new retirement plan, up to $1,000 per employee, phased out over five years. The 100% credit is reduced for a business with 51 to 100 employees. This tax break is in addition to an enhanced credit for plan startup costs.

• Beginning in 2024, employers may automatically provide employees with emergency access to accounts of up to 3% of their salary, capped at $2,500.

• Beginning in 2024, an employer may elect to make matching contributions to an employee’s retirement-plan account based on student-loan obligations.

• The new law shortens the eligibility requirement for part-time workers from three years to two years, beginning in 2023, among other modifications.

• Any catch-up contributions to 401(k) plans must be made to Roth-type accounts for employees earning more than $145,000 a year (indexed for inflation).

TIP: This last provision was initially scheduled to take effect in 2024, but a new IRS ruling just delayed it for two years to 2026.

 

Employee Bonuses

Generally, employee bonuses are deductible in the year that they are paid. For instance, you must dole out bonuses before Jan. 1, 2024 to deduct those bonuses on your company’s 2023 return. However, there’s a special rule for accrual-basis companies. In this case, the bonuses are currently deductible if they are paid within two and a half months of the close of the tax year.

YEAR-END MOVE: If your company qualifies, determine bonus amounts before year-end. As a result, the bonuses can be deducted on the company’s 2023 return as long as they are paid by March 15, 2024. Keep detailed corporate minutes to support the deductions.

This special deduction rule does not apply to bonuses paid to majority shareholders of a C-corporation or certain owners of an S-corporation or a personal-service corporation.

TIP: Note that the bonuses are taxable to employees in the year in which they receive them — 2024. Thus, the employees benefit from tax deferral for a year even if the company claims a current deduction.

 

Miscellaneous

• Stock the shelves with routine supplies (especially if they are in high demand). If you buy the supplies in 2023, they are deductible this year even if they are not used until 2024.

• Maximize the qualified business interest deduction for pass-through entities and self-employed individuals. Note that special rules apply if you are in a ‘specified service trade or business.’ See your professional tax advisor for more details.

• If you buy a heavy-duty SUV or van for business, you may claim a first-year Section 179 deduction of up to $28,900. The luxury-car limits do not apply to certain heavy-duty vehicles.

 

FINANCIAL TAX PLANNING

Securities Sales

Traditionally, investors time sales of assets like securities at year-end to maximize tax advantages. For starters, capital gains and losses offset each other. If you show an excess loss for the year, you can then offset up to $3,000 of ordinary income before any remainder is carried over to the next year. Long-term capital gains from sales of securities owned longer than one year are taxed at a maximum rate of 15%, or 20% for high-income investors. Conversely, short-term capital gains are taxed at ordinary income rates reaching as high as 37% in 2023.

YEAR-END MOVE: Review your portfolio. Depending on your situation, you may want to harvest capital losses to offset gains, especially high-taxed short-term gains, or realize capital gains that will be partially or wholly absorbed by losses.

Be aware of even more favorable tax treatment for certain long-term capital gains. Notably, a 0% rate applies to taxpayers below certain income levels, such as young children. Furthermore, some taxpayers who ultimately pay ordinary income tax at higher rates due to their investments may qualify for the 0% tax rate on a portion of their long-term capital gains.

However, watch out for the ‘wash sale rule.’ If you sell securities at a loss and reacquire substantially identical securities within 30 days of the sale, the tax loss is disallowed. A simple way to avoid this adverse result is to wait at least 31 days to reacquire substantially identical securities.

Note that a disallowed loss increases your basis for the securities you acquire and could reduce taxable gain on a future sale.

 

Net Investment Income Tax

When you review your portfolio, do not forget to account for the 3.8% net investment income tax, which applies to the lesser of net investment income (NII) or the amount by which MAGI for the year exceeds $200,000 for single filers or $250,000 for joint filers. (These thresholds are not indexed for inflation.)

The definition of NII includes interest, dividends, capital gains, and income from passive activities, but not Social Security benefits, tax-exempt interest, and distributions from qualified retirement plans and IRAs.

You may consider investing in municipal bonds (‘munis’). The interest income generated by munis does not count as NII, nor is it included in the MAGI calculation. Similarly, if you turn a passive activity into an active business, the resulting income may be exempt from the NII tax.

TIP: When you add the NII tax to your regular tax, you could be paying an effective 40.8% tax rate at the federal level alone. Factor this into your investment decisions.

 

Required Minimum Distributions

For starters, you must begin ‘required minimum distributions’ (RMDs) from qualified retirement plans and IRAs after reaching a specified age. After the SECURE Act raised the age threshold from 70½ to 72, SECURE 2.0 bumped it up again to 73 beginning in 2023 (scheduled to increase to 75 in 2033). The amount of the RMD is based on IRS life-expectancy tables and your account balance at the end of last year.

YEAR-END MOVE: Assess your obligations. If you can postpone RMDs still longer, you can continue to benefit from tax-deferred growth. Otherwise, make arrangements to receive RMDs before Jan. 1, 2024 to avoid any penalties.

Conversely, if you are still working and do not own 5% or more of a business with a qualified plan, you can postpone RMDs from that plan until your retirement. This ‘still-working exception’ does not apply to RMDs from IRAs or qualified plans of other employers.

Previously, the penalty for failing to take timely RMDs was equal to 50% of the shortfall. SECURE 2.0 reduces it to 25% beginning in 2023 (10% if corrected in a timely fashion).

TIP: Under the initial SECURE Act, you are generally required to take RMDs from recently inherited accounts over a 10-year period (although previous inheritances are exempted). These rules are complex, so consult with your tax advisor regarding your situation.

 

Estate and Gift Taxes

During the last decade, the unified estate- and gift-tax exclusion has gradually increased, while the top estate rate has not budged. For example, the exclusion for 2023 is $12.92 million, the highest it has ever been. (It is scheduled to revert to $5 million, plus inflation indexing, after 2025.)

YEAR-END MOVE: Reflect this generous tax-law provision in your overall estate plan. For instance, your plan may involve various techniques, including bypass trusts, that maximize the benefits of the estate- and gift-tax exemption.

In addition, you can give gifts to family members that qualify for the annual gift-tax exclusion. For 2023, there is no gift-tax liability on gifts of up to $17,000 per recipient (up from $16,000 in 2022). You do not even have to file a gift-tax return. Moreover, the limit is doubled to $34,000 for joint gifts by a married couple, but a gift-tax return is required in that case.

TIP: You may ‘double up’ again by giving gifts in both December and January that qualify for the annual gift-tax exclusion for 2023 and 2024, respectively.

 

Miscellaneous

• Contribute up to $22,500 to a 401(k) in 2023 ($30,000 if you are age 50 or older). If you clear the 2023 Social Security wage base of $160,200 and promptly allocate the payroll tax savings to a 401(k), you can increase your deferral without any further reduction in your take-home pay. Note that SECURE 2.0 further enhances catch-up contributions for older employees after 2023.

• If you rent out your vacation home, keep your personal use within the tax-law boundaries. No loss is allowed if personal use exceeds the greater of 14 days or 10% of the rental period.

• Consider a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). If you are age 70½ or older, you can transfer up to $100,000 of IRA funds directly to charity, free of tax (but not deductible). SECURE 2.0 authorizes a one-time transfer of up to $50,000 to a charitable remainder trust or charitable gift annuity as part of a QCD.

 

CONCLUSION

This year-end tax-planning article is based on the prevailing federal tax laws, rules, and regulations. Of course, it is subject to change, especially if additional tax legislation is enacted by Congress before the end of the year.

Finally, remember that this article is intended to serve only as a general guideline. Your personal circumstances will likely require careful examination.

 

Kristina D. Houghton, CPA is a partner at the Holyoke-based accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

 

HCC Offering Pickleball Classes in January, February

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Ready to pick up pickleball as a new hobby or improve your game while outdoor courts are closed for the winter? Holyoke Community College (HCC) is running a series of pickleball classes in January and February for beginners, intermediates, and tournament-level players in the college’s indoor athletics facility.

The group classes will be led by pickleball coach and racquet sports instructor Kelly Canniff, who has 25 years of experience educating children, adolescents, and adults.

Sessions run on both Tuesday and Thursday mornings on the pickleball courts inside the David M. Bartley Center for Athletics & Recreation on the main HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave. Each class runs 90 minutes. The cost for each three-week, three-session series is $90.

• Pickleball 101: Tuesdays, Jan. 16-30, or Thursdays, Jan. 18 to Feb. 1. Classes start at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. These classes are geared toward beginners or those who have played a few times, and covers topics such as serving, developing a forehand, scoring, basic rules, positioning, and strategy.

• Pickleball Intermediate Level: Tuesdays, Feb. 6-20, or Thursdays, Feb. 8-22. Classes start at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. This series is designed for players who have taken beginner classes or already have some familiarity and experience with the game and want to advance their play by improving their groundstrokes, overhead shots, volleys, and serves, while adding direction, control, and accuracy.

• Pickleball Tournament Ready Prep: Tuesdays, Feb. 27 to March 12, or Thursdays, Feb. 29 to March 14. Classes start at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. These classes are designed for players who want to prepare for tournament-level play, with practice that will help them improve shot variety and accuracy and develop better strategies for playing doubles.

To register, visit hcc.edu/health-and-fitness.

Market Mentors Welcomes Two Account Professionals

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, LLC, a fully integrated marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, announced the addition of two Enfield, Conn. residents to its account-services team. Chelsea Shelander has joined the agency as an account executive, and Kaitlyn Smith has joined the agency as an account coordinator.

“We are delighted to welcome Chelsea and Kaitlyn to our team,” said Michelle Abdow, president and CEO of Market Mentors. “In the short time they’ve been on board, their contributions have been notable; their passion and energy are contagious. We love having them here and are excited about all we can accomplish together.”

Shelander provides client support and ongoing communication and research as well as proposal and presentation development. Prior to joining Market Mentors, she worked in public relations and brand management at BioSafe Systems and as a service and retention consultant for the Aspire Group at UConn Athletics. She earned an MBA at the University of Dayton in Ohio after receiving two bachelor’s degrees — one in business administration with a concentration in marketing, and one in sports management — from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.

Smith liaises with the agency’s internal teams to identify client needs and develop and implement strategies to achieve their goals, using her organizational skills, attention to detail, and creative flair. Before coming to Market Mentors, she spent several years as an account manager for ADESA Boston, as well as a social-media manager for the DiGrigoli Companies. She earned her bachelor’s degree in media arts and analysis from Westfield State University.

bankESB Named a Top Place to Work

By
Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — bankESB has been named one of the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work in Massachusetts.

“We’re so proud to be named one of the Commonwealth’s Top Places to Work and humbled that it’s the direct result of positive feedback by our own employees,” bankESB President and CEO Matthew Sosik said. “I’m inspired every day by our talented employees, who are passionate about helping our customers unlock their potential while fostering a work environment that’s inclusive, innovative, team-oriented, and fun.”

The Globe’s list recognizes the most admired workplaces in the state, according to the people who know them best — their employees. Rankings are based on a confidential survey of more than 137,000 employees at 347 Massachusetts-based organizations, administered by employee engagement and retention firm Energage. Winners are selected based on employees’ opinions of their company’s direction, execution, connection, management, work, pay and benefits, and engagement.

Earlier this year, bankESB also was named a Top Financial Services Industry Workplace by Energage for the second year in a row, as well as a Top Charitable Contributor and Corporate Citizenship Award winner by Boston Business Journal for the ninth consecutive year.

Hampden District Attorney Supports Hope for the Holidays Campaign

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni visited United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) headquarters this week, bringing with him a large donation of toys. The donation from the District Attorney’s Office capped off UWPV’s annual Hope for the Holidays campaign, a holiday gift drive for children in the region.

“We have the unique opportunity to distribute toys to the families we serve weekly in our Springfield food pantry,” said Megan Moynihan, UWPV interim president and CEO. “Without the support of our corporate partners and community members, we would not be able to give our families the extra help they may need this holiday season.”

Thanks to a local businessman, a vintage Fiat sat inside the TD Bank building in downtown Springfield for the past several weeks. UWPV invited donors to help “Fill the Fiat” with educational toys this holiday season. UWPV collected new, unwrapped toys appropriate for children ages 0-12, such as games, trucks, dolls, sports equipment, books, and puzzles.

Picture This

By
Elite Company
Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]

 

Elite Company

The Springfield Museums recently celebrated reaccredition by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for museums. Only 3% of the nation’s 33,000 museums can claim this distinction.

Elite Company

Pictured, from left: state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez; U.S. Rep. Richard Neal; Springfield Museums President Kay Simpson; Cynthia Campbell, chair of the Museums’ board of trustees; Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; and state Sen. Adam Gomez. (Photo by Ed Cohen)

 

 

Brighter Future

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) recently donated $5,000 to Girls Inc. of the Valley, a gift that will help support the youth-development organization’s teen center renovation as part of its “Her Future, Our Future” campaign.

Girls Inc. of the Valley

Pictured: after a tour of the new Holyoke location for Girls Inc., STCC administrators, staff, and faculty, including President John Cook (second from right), join representatives from Girls Inc. of the Valley, including Dee Ward and Ruth Roy.

 

Ice Out Hunger

Florence Bank has partnered with UMass Sports Properties and the UMass Amherst hockey team to Ice Out Hunger in the Valley. Through this innovative new program, the bank will provide $9,500 in $500 grants to each of 19 food pantries across the region.

Florence Bank

Pictured: Robin Bialecki, executive director of the Easthampton Community Center, one of the 19 recipients, attends a UMass hockey game on Oct. 14 and accepts the $500 check on the ice at intermission.

Agenda

By
Agenda

Christmas by Candlelight

Through Dec. 30: Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village is now open select Fridays, Saturday, and Sundays through Dec. 30. Unique, Village-made holiday items are available at the Miner Grant Store during the event, as well as the Ox & Yoke Mercantile, which opens daily at 10 a.m. and does not require admission to the Village. Visitors who would like to give the gift of something handmade can learn about crafts made throughout the Village, purchase craft kits for gift giving, or try their skill at hand-dipping candles. Attendees will find themselves enchanted as they step back in time to celebrate Christmas in New England in the 19th century. They can enter Village households to watch traditional craft-making demonstrations; stroll through the Christmas Tree Trail, featuring over 80 cut trees; and take in 4,000 candles and lanterns and more than 2,000 yards of garland dressing up the Village in its holiday finest. A lighting ceremony takes place at 4:30 p.m. each day. And Santa Claus himself makes a nightly appearance, allowing the little ones to tell him their Christmas wishes. Visit www.osv.org/event/christmas-by-candlelight to purchase tickets.

 

Bright Nights

Through Jan. 1: The 29th season of Bright Nights at Forest Park will be lit every night from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and holidays, which include Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. Tickets are available at brightnights.org. Over the past 29 years, a lot has changed, but many iconic displays have stayed the same. The Cat in the Hat still waves at the entrance to Seuss Land as he has been doing since 1995. The deer in Winter Woods bound across the road. Toy Land is still a storied land for children to dream of living in. Santa’s Magical Forest continues to grow with activities, attractions, and Santa himself, who will be in residency through Christmas Eve. He has a cozy cottage to welcome visitors, listen to holiday wish lists, and pose for photos, whether visitors take their own or purchase a photo package.

 

40 Under Forty Nominations

Through Feb. 16: BusinessWest is currently accepting nominations for the 40 Under Forty class of 2023. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Feb. 16. Launched in 2007, the program recognizes rising stars in the four counties of Western Mass. Nominations, which should be as detailed and thorough as possible, should list an individual’s accomplishments within their profession as well as their work within the community. Nominations can be completed online at businesswest.com/40-under-forty-nomination-form. Nominations will be weighed by a panel of judges, and the selected individuals will be announced and profiled in the April 29 issue of BusinessWest and honored at the 40 Under Forty Gala in June. Event sponsorship opportunities are available.

 

Red Sox Winter Weekend

Jan. 19-20: Red Sox Winter Weekend will take place at MGM Springfield and its neighboring facility, the MassMutual Center. The event will include a welcome and introduction of participating Red Sox players and roundtable discussions on a variety of baseball topics, as well as autographs and photos. The weekend also includes a full baseball festival for fans of all ages. Weekend passes for Winter Weekend are available now at redsox.com/winterweekend. Passes provide access for the entire event and cost $95 for adults ($85 for season-ticket holders) and $40 for children age 14 and under ($35 for season-ticket holders). Children age 2 and under are free. Information about discounted hotel rooms in the area is available on the website. Mastercard is the preferred payment of the Boston Red Sox. Members of the 2024 Red Sox, including coaching staff, are invited to attend. Red Sox alumni, Wally the Green Monster, and his sister, Tessie, will also be in attendance. The weekend will begin Friday night with a welcome and introduction of the participating players. Throughout the day on Saturday, fans will have an opportunity to get autographs and take photos with players and alumni and see the 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018 World Series trophies, as well as Red Sox artifacts such as Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, MVP, and and Cy Young awards. Family-friendly activities include Wiffle ball on the indoor field, a virtual-reality experience, batting and pitching cages, and the chance to meet Wally and Tessie. Panel discussions will also take place throughout the day on Saturday, with the return of the popular favorites including the kids-only press conference.

People on the Move

By
People on the Move
Shandra Richardson

Shandra Richardson

Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) promoted Shandra Richardson to chief operating officer and senior vice president. She will direct all aspects of the bank’s operations, which include compliance, retail banking, marketing, deposit, electronic, and consumer loan operations, as well as developing and implementing new policies and procedures for the organizational systems management. Richardson has worked in the banking industry for more than 17 years. A UMass Amherst graduate, she received a bachelor’s degree in marketing and then went on to earn an MBA along with completing leadership and lean methodology executive education courses. She prides herself on being a lifetime learner and is continuously looking for ways to enhance her skills and those of the teams that she leads. Since joining GSB and moving to Western Mass. from Boston, Richardson has volunteered in numerous local causes, and in October, she joined the board of directors of Safe Passage. She also serves as a member of the Harvard Business Review advisory council, an opt-in research community of business professionals.

•••••

Kylie Brown

Kylie Brown

Jessica Rodger Yim

Jessica Rodger Yim

Marcia Macklin

Marcia Macklin

Quincy Ryans

Quincy Ryans

The Royal Law Firm recently welcomed four new additions to its team: attorneys Kylie Brown and Jessica Rodger Yim and paralegals Marcia Macklin and Quincy Ryans. Brown is a litigator who focuses her practice on employment and other commercial litigation. She has successfully tried several cases to verdict and is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Yim has many years of experience in bankruptcy, commercial lending, banking, and commercial real-estate matters, and will work out of Boston. She is a graduate of Tufts University and Boston College Law School, and is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Macklin and Ryans also recently joined the Royal Law team as paralegals. They both have extensive experience in the court system.

•••••

Kuhn Riddle Architects (KRA) recently welcomed Mallory Nurse to the firm as a member of its interior-design team. Having previously designed corporate workplace interiors and larger-scale projects, Nurse was interested in the slightly more intimate type of design at KRA. She loves projects that have a beneficial impact through education, community-oriented organizations, and residential buildings of all types. Nurse chose to study interior design in college and has never looked back. She is a graduate of Suffolk University with a bachelor’s degree in interior design and was awarded the Design Excellence commendation for her senior thesis project. She loves to pay close attention to the details of a project: lighting, scale, texture, and color. Her holistic approach to design focuses on fostering connection between people and the spaces in which they thrive.

•••••

Karen-Louise Walker

Karen-Louise Walker

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) appointed Karen-Louise Walker as assistant vice president of Advancement and executive director to the STCC Foundation. Walker began her appointment at STCC on Dec. 4. She will be responsible for managing all aspects of STCC’s fundraising, philanthropy, alumni relations, and foundation-supported work, including overseeing communications and branding functions. She will work with President John Cook, administrators, and faculty to support the mission of STCC. Walker most recently served as vice president for Advancement at Alliance University in New York City. She previously served as vice president of Development at Ascentria Care Alliance, a nonprofit agency serving Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut. Prior to that, she served as executive director of Advancement at Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) in Worcester, where she was responsible for the management and oversight of all aspects of institutional advancement. During her tenure at QCC, she secured more than $45 million in grants, increased private giving by 30%, and tripled the QCC Foundation revenue. Her professional experience also includes serving as vice president of Programs for MLK Jr. Family Services, a nonprofit social-service agency supporting families and children throughout Western Mass.; executive director of the Council of Churches of Greater Springfield; and assistant EEO administrator for the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services. She serves on various boards in Western and Central Mass.

•••••

Brett Smith

Brett Smith

Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced the addition of attorney Brett Smith to its team of lawyers. Smith concentrates his practice on commercial finance and real estate, business organizations and planning, and land-use regulation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Bentley University in 2019 and his juris doctorate from Western New England University School of Law in 2023. He previously served as a legal intern at New Mexico Local Government Law LLC in Albuquerque. In 2022, Smith received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in corporate finance law. He co-founded and served as treasurer of the Sports and Entertainment Law Assoc. at Western New England University School of Law.

•••••

Conval, a global manufacturer of high-performance severe service valves, recently announced the appointment of Andrea Bedard as HR manager and Mike Mikaelian as inside sales engineer. Bedard graduated from Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. She has enjoyed a solid career in human resources, including stints at TTM Technologies in Stafford Springs, Conn., as well as Health New England, E Ink Corp., KBE Building Corp., and Paychex. Mikaelian holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Western New England University and earned a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification from Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I. He previously served as design engineer at Judd Wire in Turners Falls, senior sales engineer and production manager at Dipwell Techware in Northampton, route service representative at Quest Diagnostics in Marlborough, and in various engineering and sales positions at BETE Fog Nozzle in Greenfield.

•••••

Tiffany Raines

Tiffany Raines

bankESB recently promoted Tiffany Raines to vice president, retail administration. Raines joined bankESB in 2018 as assistant vice president, branch officer of the Holyoke branch and was promoted to vice president, branch officer in 2021. She has nearly 25 years of banking experience, including her previous roles as assistant vice president and banking center manager at PeoplesBank in West Springfield and Amherst. Raines brings extensive management and supervisory experience to her new role, with a focus on forging new customer relationships, customer service, training, and compliance. In this role, she will serve as the liaison between the bank’s branch network and as other departments across bankESB and its parent company, Hometown Financial Group, in order to foster communication, develop organizational awareness, and achieve operational excellence. She will also be responsible for managing the bank’s suite of deposit products. Raines currently serves on the board of the Care Center of Holyoke.

•••••

Dr. Seth Gemme

Dr. Seth Gemme

Dr. Seth Gemme has been named the new chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Baystate Health. Upon approval by the provost and dean, he will also chair the Department of Emergency Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School-Baystate. He most recently served as vice chair of Clinical Operations for the Baystate Health Department of Emergency Medicine. Gemme earned his MD degree from the University of Buffalo prior to completing his residency training in emergency medicine at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, R.I. He joined the Department of Emergency Medicine at Baystate Health in 2017 and has held progressive leadership positions since that time, including associate chief and Education director, Emergency Department, Baystate Noble Hospital; chief, Emergency Department, Baystate Wing Hospital; system vice chair of Clinical Operations for Emergency Medicine, Baystate Health; and as board member of Baystate Medical Practices. Gemme has earned several scholastic and teaching awards in his career to date, including the prestigious President’s Excellence Award in 2022 at Baystate Health. He has continued to serve for more than a decade as a member of the clinical policy committee of the American College of Emergency Physicians, contributing to the development of national consensus guidelines in emergency medicine. Most recently, he led the design and successful implementation of the ‘vertical model’ of care at Baystate Medical Center. This model of care utilizes oversized leather recliners for patients who can sit upright during their care while in the Emergency Department. Gemme will start in this new role in early January 2024. Dr. Niels Rathlev, who has held the position of chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Baystate Health for the past 15 years, will be staying on as a faculty member.

•••••

Robert Gilbert Jr. has banged his last gavel as chair of the Holyoke Community College (HCC) board of trustees. After serving as a trustee for 12 years, including the last eight as chair, the retired chairman of Dowd Insurance Agencies of Holyoke retired after presiding over his last board meeting on Nov. 28. Gilbert was first appointed to the board in April 2011 by Gov. Deval Patrick, serving in various capacities, including chair of the audit committee and member of the finance committee. In October 2015, Gov. Charlie Baker named him board chair, succeeding Helen Caulton-Harris, commissioner of the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services. In his eight years as chair, Gilbert served alongside three HCC presidents: William Messner, who retired in 2016, Christina Royal, who retired in July, and George Timmons, HCC’s fifth and current president. Until Gov. Maura Healey names a successor, HCC trustee Vanessa Smith will serve as interim chair.

•••••

Patrick Arguin

Patrick Arguin

Lathrop Community announced the appointment of Patrick Arguin as its new CEO. Arguin brings nearly 20 years of professional experience, starting his career as a physical therapist and then working for many years as a nursing-home administrator (NHA). His most recent position was NHA for Mary’s Meadow at Providence Place in Holyoke, which provides both short-term rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing. Under Arguin’s leadership, that community achieved high-performing recognition in support categories, effective staffing, and best practices in resident safety. He was responsible for various aspects of the community, including managing staff, organizational finances and budgets, reporting to the board, and upholding the quality of service and attention to residents. Arguin, who has a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy and an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, officially joined the community on Nov. 27.

•••••

The board of directors of Big Y Foods Inc. announced the appointment of Christian D’Amour as district director for 16 markets throughout Connecticut. In his new role, his focus will be to provide a best-in-class customer shopping experience and to create an environment in which Big Y employees grow and develop. His responsibilities include staffing, training and development, operational execution, sales strategies, and results. D’Amour began his career at Big Y at the age of 14 as a part time service clerk. After college, he was a sales and marketing representative for an insurance company based in Providence, R.I. He re-joined Big Y as a store director trainee in 2014. One year later, he was appointed assistant store director in Wilbraham. In 2016, he was promoted to store director in Southampton. He next went on to manage the Wilbraham market before being tapped as store manager at Table & Vine’s flagship location in West Springfield. In 2019, he was appointed a district sales and merchandising mentor for Big Y’s supermarket 15-store district throughout Western Mass. In this role, he was responsible for all sales, merchandising, and store team development across all departments. He also continued to oversee the operations of the company’s Table & Vine flagship, and most recently directed the company’s e-commerce platform.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook

Liberty Bank Opens First Branch in Massachusetts

EAST LONGMEADOW — On Dec. 5, Liberty Bank officially opened its first bank branch in Massachusetts, located at 94 Shaker Road in East Longmeadow. As part of the grand opening, teammates from Liberty Bank, which is headquartered in Middletown, Conn., presented two grants totaling $10,000 to representatives from the East Longmeadow Food Pantry and Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity. As part of Liberty’s growth strategy to build its presence along the I-91 corridor from New Haven to Hartford and now into Greater Springfield, it established a commercial loan production office in East Longmeadow in 2021. The relationship managers and support teams based in this market have been successful in maintaining and building new relationships within East Longmeadow and Greater Springfield, attracting new customers to the bank, networking with prospects, and building a strong community presence. This nearly 3,000-square-foot, full-service branch includes a drive-up banking lane, ATM, and night drop. The branch team, led by Teresa Parker, have been entrenched in the Western Mass. and Greater Springfield communities for many years, working, volunteering, and residing in the area.

 

Thunderbirds Contribute $15,000 to Mayflower Marathon

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds announced, in collaboration with Rock 102 and the Mayflower Marathon, that the team successfully generated more than $15,000 for this year’s Marathon. A contribution of $10,000 in cash was made by the Thunderbirds to Open Pantry, a result of generous donations throughout November and the funds raised during the T-Birds’ celebrity bartending event at White Lion Brewing earlier this month. Additionally, Ray Berry, founder of White Lion Brewing, will contribute an extra $800 from the proceeds of Thunderboom beers and burgers sold at White Lion. The Mayflower Marathon achieved another historic milestone, amassing a record-breaking total of $234,733.71 in food and monetary contributions. The non-perishable food donations filled four full-size Mayflower trailers and an additional one-and-a-half box trucks, marking a remarkable increase of more than $55,000 from the 2022 Marathon. Throughout November, the Thunderbirds actively collected donations at the team office and during home games inside the MassMutual Center. Leading up to Mayflower Marathon Night on Nov. 22, fans making contributions were rewarded with tickets to the T-Birds game.

 

Merged Agency to Be Called Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western Massachusetts

WESTERN MASS. — The mentorship agencies of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Franklin County and BBBS of Hampden County, both founded in 1967, announced they will merge into one organization. The combined agencies, operating under the name Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western Massachusetts (BBBSWM), will become the largest mentorship organization in the region. David Beturne, executive director of BBBS of Hampden County, who has been acting as interim executive director in Franklin County since April, will lead the new agency. Beturne brings 23 years of experience with BBBS and plans to maintain all staff at both locations. Both agencies have a long history of fostering connections in their respective counties, and plan to grow to serve areas without an established BBBS office. The merger does not include the Center for Human Development’s BBBS program, which will continue to serve the Hampshire County area. BBBS creates connections between children (Littles) with qualified and vetted mentors (Bigs) in the community to create fulfilling relationships. BBBS monitors all matches to ensure safety standards are upheld and that the relationship is positive and empowering for the children involved.

 

UMassFive Employees Support Local Nonprofits

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union announced that its employees have raised more than $18,000 for two local nonprofits during the fall of 2023: $13,677 in support of the UMass Cancer Center via participation in the UMass Cancer Walk and Run, and $4,800 for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts via participation in Will Bike 4 Food. A longstanding and top supporter of the UMass Cancer Walk and Run event for more than 20 years, UMassFive employees join together annually as Team UMassFive to raise funds for the cause, both personally and in branch locations. In 2023, fundraising efforts included raffle baskets, bake sales, candy sales, and art and jewelry sales. Donations were also sought from credit union corporate partners, whose support helps bolster efforts each year. Including the $13,677 raised in 2023, Team UMassFive has raised over $186,600 in donations to the UMass Cancer Center over the lifetime of its participation. Since 2020, UMassFive employees have also jumped on their bicycles in support of Will Bike 4 Food, a major fundraising event for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. In 2023, seven riders teamed up to raise $4,800 in support of their cumulative 300-mile ride. Including the 2023 efforts, Team UMassFive has raised $17,500 in just four years of participation, which equates to providing 70,332 meals to neighbors in need.

 

Smith Brothers Insurance Merges with the Quintal Agency

NORTHAMPTON — The Quintal Agency, an independent insurance agency led by Lynne Quintal-Hill and located in Plainfield, Conn., has merged its operations with Smith Brothers Insurance. Smith Brothers has offices across Connecticut, Massachusetts (including Northampton), New Jersey, and New York. Quintal-Hill will be fully engaged in client service and business development, and will continue to serve clients as she and her team members join Smith Brothers. The team will continue to work from their office in Plainfield while leveraging the resources of Smith Brothers.

 

Westfield Bank Donates Food to Local Communities

WESTFIELD — Westfield Bank invited its customers and community members across Western Mass. and Northern Conn. to help fight hunger in local communities as part of its 2023 food drive. From Oct. 25 through Nov. 18, all Westfield Bank branches collected non-perishable food items and monetary donations. Food items included items for Thanksgiving meals, including canned fruit, boxed stuffing and potatoes, gravy, jelly, cranberry sauce, and more. Each branch donated to a food pantry or community kitchen local to their service area. Some branch managers also gathered to cook for a local soup kitchen with the donated food items, donating a total of 126 pounds of food, which would be able to feed about 100 people that day.

 

Freedom Credit Union Supports Unify Against Bullying

SPRINGFIELD — Throughout the month of October, Freedom Credit Union and its members raised more than $1,000 for Unify Against Bullying. “Unify Against Bullying is an organization we are very proud to support,” said Debra Mainolfi, the credit union’s West Springfield branch officer and a member of the Unify Against Bullying executive board. “Every year in the U.S., over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying, and Western Massachusetts is no exception. Most children who experience bullying don’t report it. Unify Against Bullying makes a positive impact in our schools and communities to bring people together to speak out against bullying in a unified voice.” Unify Against Bullying pledges to bring an end to bullying through the celebration of true diversity. The organization works to ensure that victims of bullying know they are not alone — that they are, in fact, supported by a loving, caring community of fellow students, teachers, parents, siblings, business leaders, and many others.

 

Easthampton Learning Foundation Invests in STEAM Program at Mountain View School

EASTHAMPTON — The Easthampton Learning Foundation is investing significantly in enhancing the STEAM program at Mountain View School. Priscilla Kane Hellweg, founder of the Arts Integration Studio, and Megan Kelley-Bagg, Easthampton Public Schools STEAM teacher, are collaborating to expand STEAM opportunities for K-5 students. STEAM, an educational approach integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, fosters 21st-century skills like creative thinking and collaboration. Hellweg and Kelley-Bagg aim to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, elevate arts education within STEAM, and develop replicable content for teachers. A dedicated STEAM cohort has been formed, starting with fifth-grade teachers engaging in collaborative professional development. The focus is on weather, climate, and earth systems, with two hands-on curriculum units created for fifth grade. New STEAM content units will be developed monthly during the pilot year. With the success of the fifth-grade team, the program aims to inspire more teachers to embrace creative arts integration in the coming years. The STEAM program, launched last year, aims to promote collaboration among educators and introduce captivating, project-based learning opportunities into the academic day.

 

MCLA Receives $306,000 Grant to Fund Mental-health Support

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announced it has received the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Suicide Prevention Grant for $306,000 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Over the next three years, this funding will launch the MCLA Cares Project, an initiative to build campus-wide infrastructure to support student mental health. The MCLA Cares Project will utilize a multi-pronged approach to address mental-health support deficits across campus. This project will engage a health promotion coordinator, a new position designed to plan and implement the grant’s activities as well as produce additional mental-health and wellness programming. Grant funds will contribute significantly to training the student-facing faculty and staff in suicide awareness and prevention. The MCLA Cares Project was developed in accordance with MCLA’s mission to provide an accessible liberal-arts education to students traditionally underrepresented in higher education, such as first-generation students, students of color, and LGBTQIA+ students. The health promotion coordinator will collaborate with these groups to identify their specific needs and challenges in order to create responsive programming.

 

 

Springfield College Awarded $240,000 for Mental-health Needs

SPRINGFIELD — In partnership with the city of Springfield, Springfield College was awarded $240,000 to help assist in combating the growing mental-health needs among college students and the local community. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan announced the partnership as part of the Sarno administration’s Higher Education ARPA Fund at City Hall on Dec. 6. Sarno had previously announced the creation of the $750,000 Higher Education ARPA Fund as part of his 13th round of ARPA awards in July, as Springfield College was joined by American International College and Western New England University as recipients of the funding. The $240,000 allocation that Springfield College received will create additional opportunities to further support youth and families in the city of Springfield and provide collaboration between Springfield College students and Springfield Public Schools to enhance their learning and simultaneously support the community. With the funding, Springfield College intends to hire case managers to provide support and advocacy for both college students and children and families in Springfield Public Schools who have difficulty navigating the often-complex web of available resources, hire a psychiatric nurse practitioner to support critical needs within area colleges and the community, and strengthen relationships between school counseling and clinical mental-health counseling student interns at Springfield College and Springfield Public Schools to provide additional community-based mental-health services and support.

 

Incorporations

By
Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Gammi Logistics Inc., 10B Mansion Woods Dr., Agawam, MA 01001. George Ammirato, same. Delivery distribution services.

CHICOPEE

Blue Elephant Home Buying Inc., 387 Springfield St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Joel Coelho, same. Real estate.

Sign Dynamics Inc., 48 White Birch Plaza, Chicopee, MA 01020. John Lemanski, same. Design, fabrication, and installation of various types of signage and marketing items.

 

EASTHAMPTON

Massachusetts Perinatal Team Inc., 43 West St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Brian Couchon, same. Not-for-profit consortium promoting the health and well-being of mothers and infants in Massachusetts by providing peer support and networking opportunities related to perinatal care.

FLORENCE

The Sphere Northampton Inc., 29 North Maple St., Florence, MA 01062. Megan Allen, same. Provides support training and education for individuals to advance business-development skills and training as well as incubator space for new business endeavors.

HOLYOKE

Kay-Mana Aloha Inc., 24 Maple Crest Circle, Apt. H, Holyoke, MA 01040. Irene Thornton, same. Transportation services.

NORTHAMPTON

HES Advisors Inc., 69 Lyman Road, Northampton, MA 01060. Samuel Levitt, same. Healthcare consulting services.

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Integrative Psychiatry, P.C., 16 Alpine Trail, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Anthony Giovanone, same. Medical services.

DML Painter Inc., 82 Wellington Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Miguel Perez, same. Painting and minor construction.

Justt Fintech Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Ofir Tahor, same. Fintech company.

SOUTHAMPTON

Mountain View Mechanical Inc., 30 Pleasant St., Southampton, MA 01073. Timothy Girouard, same. Plumbing services.

SPRINGFIELD

Friendly Construction Inc., 782 Sumner Ave., Springfield, MA 01108. Lorenzo Lopes, same. Construction, carpentry, and remodeling services.

McKnight Merchants and Artists Assoc. Inc., 1030 Worthington St., Springfield, MA 01109. Elisha Colgram, same. A nonprofit association established to develop, provide, and maintain a supportive environment, programming, and awareness of retail and artistic activities within the McKnight National Register Historic District in Springfield.

Tony’s Pizza and Grinders Inc., 108 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01109. Aniello Gisolfi, same. Restaurant.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

West Side Landscaping Inc., 90 Allison Lane, West Springfield, MA 01089. Dartanyan Gasanov, same. Landscaping services.

WILBRAHAM

ABCJ Holdings Inc., 27 Mcintosh Dr., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Robert Balicki, same. A holding company by owning stock or controlling interests in another corporation, and to conduct other business activities.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the months of November and December 2023.

AMHERST

Align and Inspire
1151 South St.
Heather Ernest

Amherst Flag Football League
19 Research Dr., Suite 10
Makenna Raymond Rodgers

Caseybakes
18 Canterbury Lane
Sue Casey

Cotton and Quill Advisory
6 Grantwood Dr.
Mari Schwartzer

Izote Mexican and Salvadoran Cuisine by El Comalito
460 West St.
Ana Artiga Paredes

Jena Schwartz
173 Mill Lane
Jena Schwartz

Latino Counseling Center Inc.
500 Sunderland Road
Jonathan Alice

Master Essentials Consulting LLC
85 Cowls Road
Paula Mason

Mill Valley Estates
420 Riverglade Dr.
Cristina Gonzalez

Open Boat Booksellers
23 Stagecoach Road
Donald Lippincott

Primo Too Inc.
255 Triangle St.
Oscar Rodas

Red Cardinal
328 College St.
Salvatore Carabella

Touch Points
16 South Sunset Ave.
Katrina Hallon

Valley Stoned Clips
6 Duxbury Lane
Valley Stoned Clips

Valley Winds Publishing
9 Hedgerow Lane
Steven Ehrler

BELCHERTOWN

Grown Up Farm
296 South St.
Michael Madden

KCB Painting
29 Westview Dr.
Christy Breen

Morrit Meadows Farm
141 Blue Meadow Road
Kathleen Bernardin

Planet Fitness
40 Turkey Hill Road
Sam Giannelli

RJM Carpentry
507 South Washington St.
Gary Decoteau

HADLEY

Chunglo Farm
183 Bay Road
Daniel Chunglo Jr.

Countryside Farm
199 Russell St.
Alex Rytuba

Exotic Clouds Smoke Shop
367 Russell St.
Exotic Clouds 5 Corp.

Fil Realty
127 West St.
Ginny Fil

Grace Films
7 Arrowhead Dr.
David Grace

Great Spirits Tattoo of Greenfield LLC
216 Russell St.
Vincent Pernice

Hadley Home Improvement
106 Middle St.
Kevin Royko

Interskate 91
367 Russell St.
Rinky Dink Inc.

Johnny’s Roadside Dinner
458 Russell St.
Edison Yee

My Health Matters Fitness
1 Mill Valley Road
My Health Matters Fitness/Wellness LLC

Planet Fitness
367 Russell St.
Sam Giannelli

Popeyes
3 South Maple St.
MT Farms Chicken LLC

Preservation Orchard & Farm
295 River Dr.
Ava Blum-Carr

Twin Oaks Farm
116 Stockbridge St.
Edwin Matuszko

Warvik Enterprises LLC
134 Rocky Hill Road
Christian Rahn

MONSON

Apex Window Cleaning
14 Ely Road
Cameron Currier, Jeremiah Boulter

Avant Consulting & Training LLC
20 Old Stagecoach Road
Gerardo Zoyas Jr.

Babies of the Dollar
12 Washington St., Apt 3
Kevin Hepburn

Bacon Garage Door Services LLC
46 East Hill Road
Matthew Bacon

Hacienda Oasis
44 Beebe Road
Jailyn Gonzalez

James E. Arooth Farms
22 Macomber Road
James Arooth

Labonte Storage
250 Boston Road West
Eva Labonte, Raymond Labonte Jr.

Love-N-Care
210 Bumstead Road
John Geer

Luminous Energy
225 Moulton Hill Road
Amelia Leonard, Keith Leonard

Massachusetts Electric Co.
134 Palmer Road
National Grid

Mr. J’s Polishing
6 Homer Dr.
Jarrad Lane

National Grid USA Service Company Inc.
134 Palmer Road
National Grid

North Orchard Farm
76 Town Farm Road
Charles Adams, Lisa Adams

Quartz Consulting
154 Maxwell Road
Tami Prince

Richardson Farms
89 Carpenter Road
Robert Richardson

S&K Lawncare
223 Wilbraham Road
Kyle Metcalf

Ultimate Alignment
117 East Hill Road
Lisa Ronaldson

Walgreens #19421
117 Main St.
Brian Brown

Wieland Diversified
49 Main St.
Benjamin Grant

PALMER

Burke Enterprises
115 River St.
Matthew Burke

Canna Retreat
1240 Park St.
Michael Harris

Diamond Junction Bowling Lanes
1446 North Main St.
John Havens

Ding Restaurant Inc.
1033 Thorndike St.
Ding Bin Chen

Eric’s Repair & Radiator
1281 South Main St.
Eric Gilbert

Expert Garden Service
1 Maple Terrace
Kyle Roissing

Mark Gilbert’s Auto Repair
24 Orchard St.
Mark Gilbert

MG Janitorial Services
405 Springfield St.
Margaret Guberow

Ocean State Job Lot #234
1178 Thorndike St.
John Donforti

Office Care of New England
55 Beacon Dr.
Kathleen Dyer

Osterman Propane
1 Blanchard St.
Ruby Taylor

PTS Truck Trailer Construction Equipment Supply
1158 Park St.
Elaine Boone

Strickly Customs
2140 Baptist Hill St.
Christopher Strickland

Superior Plus Propane
1 Blanchard St.
Ruby Taylor

SOUTH HADLEY

Antonio Santiago LICSW
607 Newton St.
Antonio Santiago LICSW

Downey, Pieciak, Fitzgerald & Co., P.C.
488 Newton St., Unit 5
Downey, Pieciak, Fitzgerald & Co., P.C.

Food 101 Bar & Bistro
19 College St.
Village Food 101

“I Do” Love a Rental
260 East St.
“I Do” Love a Rental

Jay’s CNC and Die Shop
3 Main St., Unit B
Jason Garvulenski

Minmin Kitchen
532 Newton St.
Chunjin Chen

New England Wetland Plants Inc.
231 Hadley St.
New England Wetland Plants Inc.

O’Connell Care at Home
19 College St., Unit 7
O’Connell Professional Nurse Service Inc.

Thai Place
480 Granby Road
77 Number Mon Corp.

Tiger Martial Arts
8 Pasadena St.
Justin Cherry

White Wing
568 Newton St.
AARYNA Inc.

Yankee Cycle Works
510 New Ludlow Road
David Bernier

SOUTHWICK

Billy C’s Raw Honey
18 Klaus Anderson Road
William Crawford III

Della’s Property Services
23 North Longyard Road
Paul Della Giustina

JJORP Enterprises
1 Noble Steed Crossing
Jason Perron

Priority Skin Boutique LLC
208 College Highway
Cassandra St. Jean

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Andrea Renee Creations
616 Main St.
Andrea Renee Creations

Balise Kia
122 Doty Circle
Balise K2 LLC

Bradley Auto Car Wash
1039 Memorial Ave.
4 Children LLC

Capital Enterprises
172 Harwich Road
Capital Enterprises

Crayata LLC
70 Windsor St.
Crayata LLC

Flash Car Wash
30 Wayside Ave.
Balise Riverdale LLC

Guns Inc.
1050 Main St.
Guns Inc.

Holistic Care Mental Health Assoc. LLC
425 Union St.
Holistic Care Mental Health Assoc. LLC

Jimbob Aviation
122 Doty Circle
Balise Management LLC

Nippon Grill
935 Riverdale St., Unit 105-107
Riverdale Cuisine Inc.

Raymour & Flanigan
1406 Elm St.
Raymours Furniture Co. Inc.

Raymour & Flanigan
895 Riverdale St.
Raymours Furniture Co. Inc.

Sono Bello
171 Park Ave.
Body Contour Centers LLC

Steve’s Piping & Heating
180 Farmer Brown Lane
Steve’s Piping & Heating

Real Estate Transactions

By
Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

Barnes Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $680,000
Buyer: Franklin Land Trust Inc.
Seller: June L. Heideman
Date: 11/15/23

Phillips Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $680,000
Buyer: Franklin Land Trust Inc.
Seller: June L. Heideman
Date: 11/15/23

BUCKLAND

97 Elm St.
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $405,600
Buyer: Zachary R. Mazzone
Seller: Grandison Int.
Date: 11/15/23

COLRAIN

78 East Colrain Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Aaron Thompson
Seller: North N. Nartowicz NT
Date: 11/21/23

141 Franklin Hill Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $895,000
Buyer: Leslie Frazier
Seller: Allen Dewing Jr. TR
Date: 11/17/23

60 Jurek Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Kaitlyn R. Williams
Seller: Jean M. Baczek
Date: 11/16/23

DEERFIELD

638 Greenfield Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Marc Weller
Seller: Christopher Mason
Date: 11/13/23

5 Hillside Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Michael R. Gretzinger
Seller: Susan Brandts RET
Date: 11/15/23

18 Keets Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Vladimir Agapov
Seller: Komosa, Kevin C., (Estate)
Date: 11/21/23

GREENFIELD

17 Chestnut Hill
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Thomas Bledsoe
Seller: Jesse R. Duquette
Date: 11/17/23

127 Franklin St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Christopher Lemay
Seller: John F. Merrigan
Date: 11/15/23

28 High St.
Greenfield, MA 01376
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Newlife LLC
Seller: 28 High Street LLC
Date: 11/15/23

23 Laurel St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Raymond Cusson
Seller: Arpc LLC
Date: 11/13/23

141 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Benjamin Stafford
Seller: Douglas S. Creighton
Date: 11/17/23

35 Lillian St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Joan McWilliams Int.
Seller: Powell IRT
Date: 11/16/23

157-159 Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Jorge A. Quintanilla
Seller: Judith B. Stein RET
Date: 11/14/23

LEYDEN

19 Brattleboro Road
Leyden, MA 01301
Amount: $524,900
Buyer: Adam Cormier
Seller: Neville Int.
Date: 11/15/23

MONROE

146 Main Road
Monroe, MA 01247
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Layla M. Rougeau
Seller: Nathan H. Cote
Date: 11/22/23

MONTAGUE

149-151 3rd St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Third Place Garage LLC
Seller: David J. Larue
Date: 11/15/23

345 Federal St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Justin D. Killeen
Seller: Thomas J. Mitchell
Date: 11/21/23

76 Montague St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $352,500
Buyer: Neville Int.
Seller: Lorraine B. Mauran
Date: 11/15/23

114 Montague St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: EDS Enterprises LLC
Seller: Seth D. Recore
Date: 11/22/23

NORTHFIELD

33 Lower Farms Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Cheryl Fragione
Seller: Donna L. Mercer
Date: 11/22/23

1026 Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $177,500
Buyer: David L. Dresser
Seller: Indymac Imsc Mortgage Loan TR
Date: 11/21/23

50 South Mountain Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $1,095,000
Buyer: John Loranger
Seller: Nancy H. Ames
Date: 11/17/23

50-C South Mountain Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Benjamin Paly
Seller: Nancy H. Ames
Date: 11/17/23

ORANGE

95 Adams St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Scott Parkinson
Seller: Elaine J. Inman
Date: 11/13/23

414 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $302,000
Buyer: Jaqueline C. Davis
Seller: Moses S. Ajunwa
Date: 11/14/23

241 Hayden St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Shamus P. Gorman
Seller: Jay M. Guilmette
Date: 11/14/23

193 Royalston Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Kelly Zweben-Kelley
Seller: Emma Ellsworth
Date: 11/16/23

SHUTESBURY

33 Wendell Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $505,700
Buyer: Brian A. Kolb
Seller: Hoyack, Constance M., (Estate)
Date: 11/17/23

WARWICK

11 Wheeler Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Stephen L. Orbe
Seller: Astrella FT
Date: 11/20/23

WHATELY

196 Christian Lane
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $459,900
Buyer: Joseph Strzegowski
Seller: Patricia A. Jablonski
Date: 11/15/23

207 River Road
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $1,415,000
Buyer: J. Bysiewski Farm LLC
Seller: Pasiecnik, James M., (Estate)
Date: 11/16/23

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

39 Barn Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Chad M. Richburg
Seller: Poulos FT
Date: 11/17/23

31 Bradford Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Andrew Rice
Seller: Debra G. Ritchie
Date: 11/20/23

80 Broz Ter.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Stanislav Petrov
Seller: Seth E. Bertone-Gross
Date: 11/15/23

44 Colonial Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Seller: Timothy J. Dobek
Date: 11/17/23

56 Coronet Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Peter Harand
Seller: Kristin A. Letendre
Date: 11/17/23

43 Federal St. Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: William J. Leblanc
Seller: Frederick Vollrath
Date: 11/17/23

60 Howard St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Max S. Berg
Seller: Joyce A. Berg
Date: 11/21/23

32 Leonard St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Seth E. Bertone-Gross
Seller: Max W. Hallmark
Date: 11/15/23

49 Logan Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: Olga M. Toskaj
Seller: Pavel Yusenko
Date: 11/13/23

78 North Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Avery A. Greene
Seller: Deanna M. Leblanc
Date: 11/17/23

304 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $303,000
Buyer: Ahmet Gunay
Seller: 716 Spring Valley LLC
Date: 11/16/23

65 South Park Ter.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jordyn L. Michaelson
Seller: Patnaude, Mary E., (Estate)
Date: 11/09/23

616 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Kristina Wegryn-Timmons
Seller: Timothy A. Bates
Date: 11/21/23

64 Sunnyslope Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: Scott Main
Seller: Raymond M. Pronovost
Date: 11/09/23

73 Zacks Way
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Douglas J. Dichard
Seller: Rena M. Geoffroy
Date: 11/17/23

BLANDFORD

50 Chester Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Ryta Gavrilyuk
Seller: PHH Mortgage Corp.
Date: 11/20/23

49 North St.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Kelsey M. McGinley
Seller: Aaron J. Labrecque
Date: 11/09/23

55 Russell Stage Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Stone Mitchell
Seller: Amanda R. Rudzik
Date: 11/09/23

BRIMFIELD

297 Brookfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $860,000
Buyer: David A. Lepzelter
Seller: Robert W. Olson
Date: 11/16/23

1477 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $186,550
Buyer: Resi Asset Mortgage Pro
Seller: Nickolas J. Digrregorio
Date: 11/17/23

265 Dunhamtown Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $210,500
Buyer: Billy J. Krukowski
Seller: Secretary Of Veterans Affairs
Date: 11/20/23

121 Haynes Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Adam Gorzynski
Seller: Krystine A. O’Connor
Date: 11/20/23

56 Tower Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Adam Blais
Seller: Andrew T. Truax
Date: 11/21/23

152 Warren Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Danielle Lussier
Seller: Mark A. Lacombe
Date: 11/17/23

CHESTER

70 Ingell Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Dale M. Weaver
Seller: Kurt E. Showalter
Date: 11/14/23

CHICOPEE

106 Academy St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Scarlett R. Gianei
Seller: Rozanski, Waclaw, (Estate)
Date: 11/21/23

50 Barre Circle
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Pavlo Nesterchuk
Seller: Viktor Bondar
Date: 11/16/23

14 Blanchwood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: CAC Marketing LLC
Seller: Evelyn H. Kennedy
Date: 11/13/23

356 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Richard P. Beaulieu
Seller: Jisa Properties LLC
Date: 11/21/23

4 Daniel Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Marcos Santiago
Seller: Luis Sumba
Date: 11/22/23

238 East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: 21 Shawmut Avenue LLC
Seller: Courageous Lion LLC
Date: 11/20/23

75 Fairview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Skyspec Holdings LLC
Seller: Jennifer W. Yergeau
Date: 11/22/23

40 Francis St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $318,500
Buyer: Joanne M. Kellogg
Seller: Antionio R. Morgado
Date: 11/22/23

12 Greenpoint Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Marta Sudol
Seller: Donald M. Howell
Date: 11/21/23

20 Hawthorn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $285,500
Buyer: Zackary Auman
Seller: Carol J. Cisek
Date: 11/15/23

8 Highland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Merrill V. Champlin
Seller: Andrew J. Rice
Date: 11/17/23

61 Kimball St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Orlando S. Gonzalez-Santos
Seller: Joejoe Properties LLC
Date: 11/09/23

735 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Jacqueline F. Vazquez
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 11/20/23

129 Moreau Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Jerome T. Weldon
Seller: Regina M. Nowak
Date: 11/21/23

106 Muzzy St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Muneer A. Alkhayyat
Seller: Yomaris Ramos
Date: 11/21/23

179 Narragansett Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $283,000
Buyer: Raphael J. Rivera
Seller: John J. Mango
Date: 11/14/23

30 Nash St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $291,000
Buyer: Rebecca L. Kelly
Seller: Mathew Post
Date: 11/14/23

25 Ruth Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Juan D. Rodriguez
Seller: Michael T. Beecher
Date: 11/14/23

224 School St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Luis Capellan
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 11/09/23

67 Searles St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: George Hall
Seller: Roger H. Roy
Date: 11/17/23

166 Shepherd St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Maritza Baez
Seller: Tavernier Investments LLC
Date: 11/17/23

6 Tolpa Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Ronald A. Heroux RET
Seller: Lohnes, Muriel, (Estate)
Date: 11/14/23

16 Woodcrest Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Pedro Sanchez
Seller: Elaine Bourgeois
Date: 11/10/23

EAST LONGMEADOW

243 Allen St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Shane R. Hope
Seller: William R. Gorman
Date: 11/16/23

61 Devonshire Ter.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: David Vikhovoy
Seller: William A. Brown
Date: 11/17/23

131 Dwight Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Casey B. Hallowell
Seller: Suzette Cruz
Date: 11/17/23

167 Dwight Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $5,100,000
Buyer: 167 171 & 175 Dwight LLC
Seller: Workers Credit Union
Date: 11/17/23

171 Dwight Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01108
Amount: $5,100,000
Buyer: 167 171 & 175 Dwight LLC
Seller: Workers Credit Union
Date: 11/17/23

175 Dwight Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01108
Amount: $5,100,000
Buyer: 167 171 & 175 Dwight LLC
Seller: Workers Credit Union
Date: 11/17/23

Maple St. (rear)
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $5,100,000
Buyer: 167 171 & 175 Dwight LLC
Seller: Workers Credit Union
Date: 11/17/23

138 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Christopher Bruno
Seller: Rosalind Lader
Date: 11/15/23

240 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Alexander Buendo
Seller: David C. Hardy 2014 RET
Date: 11/17/23

HOLLAND

117 May Brook Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Kyle Guillet
Seller: Maybrook Cottage LLC
Date: 11/17/23

4 Vinton Way
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Dennis & Sheryl Hutton LT
Seller: Sczurek Family Funding TR
Date: 11/13/23

HOLYOKE

9 Charles St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Naishka Rivera
Seller: B&B Realty Partners LLC
Date: 11/20/23

88 Columbus Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Kate Nadel
Seller: Justin D. Hollinger
Date: 11/14/23

24 Fairfield Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Gallagher Capital Group LLC
Seller: Weiss Family LLC
Date: 11/22/23

364-366 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Brian Jarrett
Seller: Woodlawn Construction LLC
Date: 11/17/23

82 Knollwood Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Corbin H. Chicoine
Seller: Bachand FT
Date: 11/22/23

14 Longwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: RM Blerman LLC
Seller: Craig J. Boutin
Date: 11/15/23

77 Meadow St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $352,500
Buyer: Red Branch Real Estate LLC
Seller: Donald L. Kooken
Date: 11/20/23

125 Mountain View Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Adam A. Lamee
Seller: Cathy J. Thomas
Date: 11/14/23

1222 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $471,500
Buyer: Susan Fritz
Seller: Donoghue, Stephen, (Estate)
Date: 11/10/23

1784 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: 20 Gregory Farm LLC
Seller: Congregation Rodphey Shol
Date: 11/13/23

216 West Franklin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $227,971
Buyer: Federal National Mortgage Assn.
Seller: Ruth E. Willemain
Date: 11/13/23

246 West Franklin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Meghan Carroll
Seller: Miguel Colon
Date: 11/09/23

274 West Franklin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Rosa D. Garcia
Seller: Murphy, Eileen, (Estate)
Date: 11/14/23

2 Willow St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Michael Sanchez
Seller: Maria Rivera
Date: 11/10/23

LONGMEADOW

10 Caravelle Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $161,763
Buyer: Andrew Stackhouse
Seller: Catherine Demetros
Date: 11/13/23

70 Dover Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $666,000
Buyer: Talal Dahhan
Seller: Robert J. Castellanos
Date: 11/20/23

827 Frank Smith Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $512,500
Buyer: Shou C. Ni
Seller: Hillary S. Shivers
Date: 11/15/23

125 Hillcrest Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $583,000
Buyer: Maksym Kutsevol
Seller: Susan Arnet
Date: 11/22/23

86 Lincoln Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Jennifer B. Creelman
Seller: Colee Curtis
Date: 11/21/23

77 Osceola Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: K. K. Stillwell-McHugh
Seller: Richard A. Joseph
Date: 11/13/23

17 Park Dr., South
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $788,000
Buyer: Jazlinda M. Navarro
Seller: Patrick J. McHugh
Date: 11/13/23

158 Wenonah Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Christopher Kempf
Seller: Steven Creelman
Date: 11/20/23

LUDLOW

Balsam Hill Road, Lot 69
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Hemlock Ridge LLC
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 11/17/23

260 Colonial Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Todd C. Rodrigo
Seller: Ramiro D. Rodrigo
Date: 11/17/23

840 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Justin Enriquez
Seller: Danielle Clark
Date: 11/14/23

46 Guertin Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Justin Dabsky
Seller: Antonio D. Quiterio
Date: 11/22/23

32-34 Joy St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Selpan Holdings LLC
Seller: Francisco Maria
Date: 11/15/23

63 King St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Lawrence Ochs
Seller: Judith A. Rice
Date: 11/21/23

35 McKinley Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: S. & C. Investors LLC
Seller: Cannamela, Audrey J., (Estate)
Date: 11/20/23

64-66 Oak St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $374,000
Buyer: Joel Mata
Seller: Mario G. Carneiro
Date: 11/09/23

17 Oakridge St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Justin B. Sepulveda
Seller: Joejoe Properties LLC
Date: 11/14/23

7 Parker Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $533,000
Buyer: Anthony Ortega
Seller: James C. Wyllie
Date: 11/13/23

Turning Leaf Road, Lot 86
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Dans Construction Service Inc.
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 11/21/23

Turning Leaf Road, Lot 87
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Dans Construction Service Inc
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 11/21/23

Ventura St., Lot 106
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Hemlock Ridge LLC
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 11/17/23

52 West Belmont St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Natalie A. Colapietro
Seller: Emilio Santos
Date: 11/09/23

83 Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $763,700
Buyer: Mass Postal Holdings LLC
Seller: H. P. Rum LLC
Date: 11/15/23

MONSON

17 Country Club Heights
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Jennifer Degnan
Seller: Bonita M. Miller
Date: 11/17/23

4 Upper Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $649,900
Buyer: Brad Goodier
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 11/15/23

MONTGOMERY

22 Pomeroy Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $417,500
Buyer: Dale M. Weaver
Seller: Jane R. Thielen
Date: 11/16/23

PALMER

9 George St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Michael W. Marcinowski
Seller: April Kubaska
Date: 11/20/23

120 Longview St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $282,800
Buyer: David Dubreuil
Seller: Castledine, Sylvia W., (Estate)
Date: 11/21/23

RUSSELL

70 Fairview Ave.
Russell, MA 01085
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Anthony C. Diaz
Seller: Decoteau 3rd, Robert S., (Estate)
Date: 11/10/23

70 Overlook Dr.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $361,000
Buyer: Laura S. Oconnor
Seller: Aleksander A. Solokhin
Date: 11/16/23

SPRINGFIELD

11 Aberdeen Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Marcos G. Sevilla
Seller: Nres LLC
Date: 11/17/23

1318 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Logan Crowell
Seller: TM Properties Inc.
Date: 11/15/23

41 Alwin Place
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Travis D. Taylor
Seller: Chantal Ayotte
Date: 11/21/23

203 Arthur St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jaime Casiano
Seller: Gail T. Cutler
Date: 11/09/23

99 Bacon Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Carole Pose
Seller: Lussier, Sally A., (Estate)
Date: 11/17/23

3 Balboa Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Kirsyann Segarra
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 11/17/23

3 Beacon St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: JHN Investments LLC
Seller: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Date: 11/14/23

55 Beaufort Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Dustin R. Rhodes
Seller: Lukasz M. Jacek
Date: 11/09/23

131 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Cathryn E. Boucher
Seller: 73 Warren St. LLC
Date: 11/22/23

20-22 Berkshire St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $423,000
Buyer: Ana M. Paulino
Seller: Berkshire RT
Date: 11/16/23

68 Birchland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Ramon L. Morales
Seller: Debra A. Gomes
Date: 11/16/23

4 Birnie Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: New North Citizens Council
Seller: Hann Realty Berkshire LLC
Date: 11/21/23

73 Bremen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Dylan Sliech
Seller: Elizabeth Imelio
Date: 11/10/23

35 Bronson Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $310,500
Buyer: Clive Anderson
Seller: A-O-K RT
Date: 11/22/23

19 Brookline Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Nancy E. Figuereo
Seller: Scott Balfour
Date: 11/14/23

26-28 Calhoun St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $177,500
Buyer: Rehab Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Brvsa Associates LLC
Date: 11/22/23

14 Cherryvale Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Denise E. Moccia
Seller: John M. Miller
Date: 11/14/23

43 Chesterfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $316,000
Buyer: Christine Landry
Seller: Patrice L. Housey
Date: 11/16/23

86-88 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Revampit LLC
Seller: Robert W. Rzeszutek
Date: 11/15/23

28 Chilson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Patriot Living Properties LLC
Seller: Walter R. Kubacki
Date: 11/10/23

63 Clifton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Marcus E. Rivera
Seller: Angel Villar
Date: 11/13/23

38 Collins St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Nicholas Avery
Seller: 38 Collins LLC
Date: 11/10/23

67 Colonial Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Christofer Diaz
Seller: Urquhart, Alice M., (Estate)
Date: 11/16/23

187 Connecticut Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jose A. Rivera
Seller: Nereida Rivera
Date: 11/09/23

202 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Alexander Gonzalez
Seller: Jazmin Montes
Date: 11/17/23

28 Dutton St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Alicia G. Nieves
Seller: Patricia A. Heathcote
Date: 11/14/23

26 East Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Handyflippers Inc.
Seller: Joseph V. Ferrero
Date: 11/17/23

71 Edgeland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Munir Khawaja
Seller: Kristopher C. Richards
Date: 11/21/23

76 Embury St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $274,000
Buyer: Dorothy M. Stovall
Seller: Sunni McCoy
Date: 11/22/23

38 Hadley St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Timothy Callahan
Seller: Donna M. Toupin
Date: 11/17/23

164 Hampden St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Katherine Ramos
Seller: Ruby V. Jones
Date: 11/09/23

269 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jjj17 LLC
Seller: Corfou LLC
Date: 11/16/23

16 Ivan St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Nassar Cheema
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 11/17/23

50 Joan St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Bryan J. Carney
Seller: Justin B. Dabsky
Date: 11/22/23

65 Joan St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $271,000
Buyer: Carleigh Kuhn
Seller: Francis A. Drost
Date: 11/17/23

97 Kane St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Vicky J. Ortiz
Seller: Yolanda Delacruz-Perez
Date: 11/14/23

80 Keddy St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Rosalinda Hernandez
Seller: Lor V. Yang
Date: 11/09/23

61 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Sebastian O. Garcia
Seller: Long River Realty LLC
Date: 11/09/23

38 Kittrell St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Michael Kiely
Seller: Laura E. Taylor
Date: 11/21/23

19 Knollwood St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Abigail Theberge
Seller: Andrea Mastrofillippo
Date: 11/20/23

21 Lang St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Extremely Clean 2 LLC
Seller: Courageous Lion LLC
Date: 11/14/23

82 Lebanon St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Jonathan Flores
Seller: Maximino Navarro
Date: 11/13/23

172 Mallowhill Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Taylor T. Tran
Seller: Paula J. Scherpa
Date: 11/20/23

73 Massachusetts Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Family & Developments LLC
Seller: Wicked Deals LLC
Date: 11/24/23

52 Mattoon St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: SASA LLC
Seller: Jordan Edwards
Date: 11/16/23

63 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Alicia Diaz
Seller: Robert Gauthier
Date: 11/17/23

488-490 Newbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Yordalicia L. Florian
Seller: Angelo A. Gomez
Date: 11/14/23

727 Newbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Ramon M. Fernandez
Seller: Michael Jolicoeur
Date: 11/21/23

94 Newhall St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Taneisha Gasque
Seller: Brenda Sanchez
Date: 11/17/23

65 Newland St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: More Than Conquerors Mini
Seller: Greater Love Church Of God
Date: 11/21/23

3 Ogden St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Ashley Preston
Seller: Robert L. Preston
Date: 11/20/23

322 Old Farm Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $286,500
Buyer: James A. Moore
Seller: Rhae A. Kennedy
Date: 11/14/23

208 Osborne Ter.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Wicked Deals LLC
Seller: Paul G. Bernardes
Date: 11/24/23

52 Osgood St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Gabriel Martinez
Seller: Daniel Rivera
Date: 11/14/23

784 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: H&F Properties Inc.
Seller: CCM Property Management Inc.
Date: 11/22/23

788 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: H&F Properties Inc.
Seller: CCM Property Management Inc.
Date: 11/22/23

75 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Alliha Malcolm
Seller: Anthony F. Lefemine
Date: 11/17/23

123 Patricia Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: Yndy J. Laurent
Seller: MA NH Home Buyers LLC
Date: 11/17/23

169 Penrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Robin L. Youmans
Seller: Kennedy Acquisitions LLC
Date: 11/09/23

258 Pine St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Alisha White
Seller: Marvin White
Date: 11/17/23

109 Pinecrest Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Isaac D. Cruz
Seller: Arthur Acerra
Date: 11/17/23

601-603 Plainfield St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Auris E. Done
Seller: Jacqueline Martinez
Date: 11/09/23

156 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $289,868
Buyer: Michael T. Beecher
Seller: Jessica Sepulveda
Date: 11/15/23

21 Princeton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: LKN Realty Investments LLC
Seller: Watson James
Date: 11/20/23

10 Rollins St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Roberto Rivera-Negron
Seller: Secretary Of Housing & Urban Development
Date: 11/22/23

1225 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Rose Cash
Seller: Fab Holdings LLC
Date: 11/09/23

68 Savoy Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $248,500
Buyer: Neil T. Cote
Seller: Janet Matos
Date: 11/13/23

51 Stocker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Lisa M. Malone
Seller: Keith N. Walsh
Date: 11/21/23

461-469 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Chois Property Management LLC
Seller: NRL RT
Date: 11/17/23

73 Sunapee St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Jouly T. Yang
Seller: Florence N. Fay
Date: 11/09/23

33 Tacoma St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Brandon W. Natal
Seller: Stephen F. Powell
Date: 11/21/23

44-46 Talcott St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: Juan Rivera
Seller: Luis Maldonado
Date: 11/17/23

56 Temple St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Marjahan Begum
Seller: J. Norbert Properties LLC
Date: 11/21/23

64 Temple St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Hope Rt
Seller: Remianna Hearns
Date: 11/17/23

95 Upton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Extremely Clean 2 LLC
Seller: Courageous Lion LLC
Date: 11/14/23

138 W. Crystal Brook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Jose E. Caminero
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 11/13/23

37-39 Warriner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Giovany Diaz
Seller: Hsiu-Li Kelly
Date: 11/22/23

123-125 Westford Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Jennifer Clarke
Seller: Miriam L. Wilkins
Date: 11/21/23

197-199 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Milagros A. Medina
Seller: Ajn Rentals LLC
Date: 11/22/23

556 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Leanny Puello
Seller: Thomas F. Rivers
Date: 11/10/23

800 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jobmtc LLC
Seller: Ianello, Joanne E., (Estate)
Date: 11/20/23

28 Wildwood Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Joseph F. White
Seller: Constance L. Gale
Date: 11/14/23

21 Woodlawn St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Hazardville Realty Group LLC
Seller: Charlotte Provost
Date: 11/20/23

23 Woodside Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: NMG Realty LLC
Seller: Richard R. Righetti
Date: 11/17/23

989 Worcester St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Deven Massarone
Seller: Riley Pontz
Date: 11/15/23

SOUTHWICK

2 Falcon Crest
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: Mark Plasse
Seller: Jason Rocca
Date: 11/20/23

27 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Bethany A. Dirocco
Seller: Brown, Susan L., (Estate)
Date: 11/22/23

18 Meadow Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $775,000
Buyer: Vincent Petrangelo
Seller: Craig S. Miller
Date: 11/10/23

16 Shore Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Robert Z. Dunn
Seller: Deborah Dunn-Fields
Date: 11/16/23

TOLLAND

84 Lakeview Lane
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $549,000
Buyer: Howard S. Hoffman
Seller: Spidal NT
Date: 11/10/23

219 Owls Nest Lane
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Federica Piccioni
Seller: Dl Homes LLC
Date: 11/17/23

WALES

12 Sichols Colony Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: David M. Miller
Seller: Adam Blais
Date: 11/21/23

WEST SPRINGFIELD

130 Allston Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $343,000
Buyer: V&K Realty LLC
Seller: Gama RT
Date: 11/16/23

76 Armstrong St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Neera Ghaley
Seller: Jorge R. Vellon
Date: 11/22/23

34 Belle Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Nickolas R. Rodriguez
Seller: Skyspec LLC
Date: 11/10/23

366 Ely Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $392,500
Buyer: Mark Lussier
Seller: Carl W. Peterson
Date: 11/20/23

132 Grandview Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $317,000
Buyer: Arpana Rai
Seller: Jahjan LLC
Date: 11/09/23

103 Hillside Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $322,000
Buyer: Felipe Torres
Seller: Viktor Stelmakh
Date: 11/20/23

64 Homestead Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01090
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Viktor Y. Tishchenko
Seller: Carmen R. Rosa
Date: 11/22/23

126 Lancaster Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Sareen Properties LLC
Seller: Ruta, Frederick J., (Estate)
Date: 11/16/23

286 Lancaster Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Prem Rai
Seller: Larkspur LLC
Date: 11/14/23

93 Lewis Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Mula Chery
Seller: Rossmeisl Jr., George A., (Estate)
Date: 11/17/23

55 Lyman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $351,000
Buyer: Dustin K. Russo
Seller: Lee Johnson
Date: 11/20/23

326 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Benjamin M. Ward
Seller: Tiberiu Poshtaru
Date: 11/09/23

154 Pease Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Beau D. Salamon-Davis
Seller: James P. Galica
Date: 11/10/23

774 Prospect Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Ddmns Realty LLC
Seller: Mary A. Ventulett
Date: 11/17/23

136 Queen Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: ML Saleh Holdings Inc.
Seller: Citigroup Mortgage Trust
Date: 11/16/23

139 Upper Beverly Hills
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Derek J. Murray
Seller: Casondra A. Johnson
Date: 11/16/23

185 Virginia Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Ram B. Rai
Seller: Oleksandr Demyanchuk
Date: 11/22/23

29 Webster Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Arianna R. Polazzi
Seller: Bret Biram
Date: 11/17/23

WESTFIELD

32 Atwater St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Ryan M. Roberts
Seller: Noris Cuevas-Nova
Date: 11/17/23

184 Birch Bluffs Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Seth T. Philipp
Seller: Holden Canty
Date: 11/09/23

29 Cedar Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $224,500
Buyer: Mass. Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Residential Asset Mortgage
Date: 11/21/23

55 Crown St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Jorge Vellon
Seller: Beatrice J. Szenda
Date: 11/24/23

57 Day Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Andrey St Ours
Seller: Michael D. Moran
Date: 11/14/23

67 Elm St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Morizio Brothers Mgmt. LLC
Seller: Anne K. Woodson
Date: 11/17/23

27 Furrowtown Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Gabriel Lopez
Seller: Steven J. Sheldon
Date: 11/10/23

2 Grant St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Aurora Holdings LLC
Seller: Lucy B. Campbell
Date: 11/15/23

194 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: EDC Real Estate LLC
Seller: Kenneth J. Hall
Date: 11/22/23

125 Joseph Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $306,500
Buyer: Noah D. Hennessey
Seller: Stephen C. Connors
Date: 11/14/23

111 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Patidar Developers LLC
Seller: Sico Sr., Fred A., (Estate)
Date: 11/21/23

Montgomery St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Fitzgerald Home Solutions LLC
Seller: Bilodeau, Lydia, (Estate)
Date: 11/17/23

65 Montgomery St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $305,175
Buyer: Salvatore J. Depalma
Seller: Fitzgerald Home Solutions LLC
Date: 11/17/23

175 North Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,025,000
Buyer: David L. Baron
Seller: Mildred J. Carignan
Date: 11/13/23

73 Northridge Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Indra Shankar
Seller: Amy M. Varner
Date: 11/22/23

Notre Dame St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Fitzgerald Home Solutions LLC
Seller: Bilodeau, Lydia, (Estate)
Date: 11/17/23

100 Park Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Caitlyn N. Champagne
Seller: Archie F. Hogue
Date: 11/09/23

80 Putnam Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Roman Protsun
Seller: Stephen E. Dowd
Date: 11/22/23

519 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Japan LLC
Seller: Richard K. Adams
Date: 11/13/23

918 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Manhan River Enterprise LLC
Seller: T. & M. Morin Properties LLC
Date: 11/21/23

259 Steiger Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Michael Wheeler
Seller: Kathryn L. Buttrick RET
Date: 11/09/23

5 Stephanie Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $499,999
Buyer: Mathew W. Post
Seller: Matthew P. Thompson
Date: 11/14/23

5 Whispering Wind Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Cynthia McDonald
Seller: Trevor B. Eckhart
Date: 11/17/23

61 Yankee Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Michael Latour
Seller: Jeffrey Trant
Date: 11/20/23

WILBRAHAM

9 Brookside Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Joseph Hutchison
Seller: Thomas J. Courtney
Date: 11/20/23

24 Carla Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $677,500
Buyer: Przemyslaw Szura
Seller: Jonathan S. Weibel
Date: 11/22/23

37 Dalton St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Jonathan A. Hernandez
Seller: Deborah A. Burnham
Date: 11/16/23

5 East Colonial Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Wade R. Jackson
Seller: Brian P. Blakesley
Date: 11/14/23

5 Hemlock Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $627,000
Buyer: Jonathan A. Wietecha
Seller: Curt L. Hamakawa
Date: 11/17/23

3 Hickory Hill Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Custom Home Development Group LLC
Seller: Cynthia J. Vickers
Date: 11/14/23

12 Iroquois Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: That Matters LLC
Seller: Indymac Index Mortgage TR
Date: 11/17/23

21 Jewell Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Trevor J. Ziomek
Seller: Gregory A. Coutu
Date: 11/09/23

243 Manchonis Road. Ext.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Judy Bergdoll
Seller: Francine M. Simonoko
Date: 11/17/23

1 Nicola Way
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $329,900
Buyer: Kathy Murphy
Seller: HRD Holdings LLC
Date: 11/17/23

3 Pleasant View Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Karin J. Lauria
Seller: Gail M. Harris 2019 FT
Date: 11/17/23

7 Rice Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Matthew A. Gay
Seller: Teresa M. Strandberg
Date: 11/09/23

10 Ruth Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $483,000
Buyer: Sunni B. McCoy
Seller: Joan C. George
Date: 11/22/23

27 Stonegate Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $711,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Knowles
Seller: Joseph Bottone
Date: 11/17/23

36 Stonegate Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: Rebecca M. Householder
Seller: Thomas A. Salomone
Date: 11/13/23

3 Valley View Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $867,000
Buyer: Kristina M. Kort
Seller: Eric H. Wietsma
Date: 11/22/23

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

850 Belchertown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: 80 Acres
Seller: Steve A. Ozcelik
Date: 11/15/23

94 Lessey St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $1,075,000
Buyer: Brian Murphy
Seller: Roses Supposes Magical NT
Date: 11/20/23

180 North Whitney St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: 180 North Whitney LLC
Seller: Francis R. Fox
Date: 11/17/23

161 Pondview Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Erika P. Yunga
Seller: Mark C. Luce
Date: 11/21/23

424 Potwine Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $263,500
Buyer: Gazit C. Nkosi
Seller: Scott Tundermann
Date: 11/13/23

BELCHERTOWN

166 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $725,000
Buyer: Geisha I. Uroza
Seller: Robert A. Dufresne
Date: 11/15/23

63 Gold St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Richard R. Gibbs
Seller: Wendy A. Iozzo
Date: 11/17/23

148 Metacomet St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Shelly A. Galloway
Seller: Nichole L. O’Hearn
Date: 11/15/23

329 Mill Valley Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $363,000
Buyer: Connor Doran
Seller: Janine M. Connor
Date: 11/20/23

257 Old Enfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $255,500
Buyer: David Lesiege
Seller: Groux, Wilfred A., (Estate)
Date: 11/13/23

421-A South Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Marsia M. Nogueira
Seller: Simon K. Joseph
Date: 11/17/23

CHESTERFIELD

87 Cummington Road
Chesterfield, MA 01084
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Collin Stevenson
Seller: Shane M. Wickland
Date: 11/20/23

EASTHAMPTON

4 East Green St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Alexander W. Kwolek
Seller: Kessler, Phillip M., (Estate)
Date: 11/14/23

13 Everett St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Robin Haueter
Seller: Nancy A. Hicks IRT
Date: 11/13/23

37 Hannum Brook Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Greenberg
Seller: James & Donna Britton RET
Date: 11/15/23

1 Sandra Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $387,000
Buyer: Bertram W. Gardner
Seller: James M. Dean
Date: 11/16/23

15 Steplar Xing Lot 15
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $610,000
Buyer: Peter Albero
Seller: Loudville Condominiums LLC
Date: 11/17/23

17 Steplar Xing, Lot 17
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $576,550
Buyer: Daniel D. Johnson
Seller: Loudville Condominiums LLC
Date: 11/17/23

18 Steplar Xing, Lot 18
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $597,400
Buyer: Robert Dufresne
Seller: Loudville Condominiums LLC
Date: 11/17/23

34 Ward Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $363,000
Buyer: David Terkanian
Seller: Sarah A. Sullivan
Date: 11/14/23

GRANBY

418 Miller St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Jessica L. Bean
Seller: Jonathan Mastalerz
Date: 11/17/23

54 North St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Tobias E. Wilson
Seller: Ronald J. Pete
Date: 11/14/23

17 Smith Ave.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $302,000
Buyer: Eve B. Jenkins
Seller: Nicholas E. Lacasse
Date: 11/20/23

47 Taylor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Connor Z. McClaflin
Seller: George R. Bissel RET
Date: 11/17/23

HADLEY

6 Adare Place
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $855,000
Buyer: Balbir Singh
Seller: W. Marek Inc.
Date: 11/16/23

HATFIELD

26 Chestnut St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: David Zononi
Seller: David Zononi
Date: 11/20/23

HUNTINGTON

15 East Main St.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $259,300
Buyer: Joshua D. Munson
Seller: David J. Prats
Date: 11/16/23

24 Worthington Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $221,600
Buyer: Daniel A. Delisle
Seller: Adam J. Cormier
Date: 11/15/23

NORTHAMPTON

25 Birch Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $525,500
Buyer: Heather A. Bell
Seller: R. A. Ryan
Date: 11/13/23

781 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Zachariah G. Clayton
Seller: Pioneer Valley Habitat For Humanity
Date: 11/17/23

785 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Patrick P. Samok
Seller: Pioneer Valley Habitat For Humanity
Date: 11/17/23

789 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Joseph H. Weddell
Seller: Pioneer Valley Habitat For Humanity
Date: 11/17/23

187 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Diane Stock
Seller: Sovereign Builders Inc.
Date: 11/21/23

17 Glenwood Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Eds Enterprises LLC
Seller: Bear Stearns Alt-A TR
Date: 11/20/23

574 Haydenville Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Sixth Studio LLC
Seller: Haydenville Road LLC
Date: 11/15/23

50 Hubbard Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Gail E. Murray
Seller: Thomas A. Sayre
Date: 11/16/23

640 Kennedy Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $830,000
Buyer: Stanley A. Hunter
Seller: Carly Everhart
Date: 11/17/23

61 Kensington Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $535,333
Buyer: Kate Smith
Seller: Katherine Jenkins
Date: 11/21/23

12 Lawn Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $975,000
Buyer: Cole Archambault
Seller: Joseph Curran
Date: 11/20/23

36 Lyman Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $780,000
Buyer: Brendan Ciecko
Seller: Elizabeth C. W. O’Connor RET
Date: 11/16/23

459 Pleasant St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,100,000
Buyer: Alloy LLC
Seller: Robert P. Kalish
Date: 11/17/23

16 Spruce Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Laura M. Registrato
Seller: Sloan, Inge B., (Estate)
Date: 11/21/23

11 Valley St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $366,000
Buyer: Equity Trust Co.
Seller: Jonathan Lander
Date: 11/17/23

SOUTH HADLEY

19 Charon Ter.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: Iraz Medhi
Seller: Justin W. Hansen
Date: 11/15/23

124 Ferry St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Five Sticks LLC
Seller: MF Properties LLC
Date: 11/17/23

168 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Sara Benson
Seller: Stephen Sergeiko-Marcotte
Date: 11/21/23

304 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $1,250,000
Buyer: Nicole V. Carter
Seller: James M. Niedbala
Date: 11/15/23

475 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $151,144
Buyer: Jason T. Novak
Seller: James D. Bothwell
Date: 11/20/23

33 Lyon Green
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Seller: Mountain Brook LLC
Date: 11/13/23

37 Lyon Green
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Seller: Mountain Brook LLC
Date: 11/13/23

376 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Natalia Klymenko
Seller: Kmak LLC
Date: 11/17/23

70 Pittroff Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Kathryn Brawn
Seller: Dwyer Jr., Arthur J., (Estate)
Date: 11/16/23

8 Scott Hollow Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Sarah Showalter
Seller: Alice E. Shevlin LT
Date: 11/20/23

75 Silver St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Justin B. Solomon
Seller: Gaulin, J. Guy, (Estate)
Date: 11/16/23

34 Upper River Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Eva M. Dion
Seller: Sourdiffe, Estelle T., (Estate)
Date: 11/14/23

SOUTHAMPTON

120 East St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Berkshire County Arc Inc.
Seller: Kristine P. Canton
Date: 11/16/23

6 Kingsberry Lane
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $364,500
Buyer: Amanda Womeldorf
Seller: Janice L. Sparko-Frey
Date: 11/20/23

WARE

98 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Jonathan Ruggiero
Seller: Shonn K. Monday
Date: 11/22/23

55 Highland St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Lindsey Stasiowski
Seller: Mackenzie L. Godbout
Date: 11/17/23

30 Horseshoe Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $489,500
Buyer: Gustave Romano
Seller: Lisa Yeisley
Date: 11/13/23

Lower Cove Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $489,500
Buyer: Gustave Romano
Seller: Lisa Yeisley
Date: 11/13/23

30 Meadow Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Greggory B. Cooper
Seller: Herbert A. Hamborg
Date: 11/13/23

8 Oakridge Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Laurence Levesque
Seller: John M. Skutnik
Date: 11/15/23

229 Osborne Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $225,800
Buyer: Aaron W. Epstein
Seller: Edward J. Perrot
Date: 11/15/23

WORTHINGTON

110 Capen St.
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Joshua Flanagan
Seller: Luke D. Ratcliffe
Date: 11/17/23

 

 

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the months of November and December 2023.

CHICOPEE

Blue River Properties
924 Chicopee St.
$15,000 — Roofing

Marc Cusano
50 Springfield St.
$7,000 — Air sealing

Nexius LLC
824 Chicopee St.
$16,000 — Insulation, air sealing

RCMC Grape Street Realty LLC
362 Front St.
$21,615 — Insulation

EASTHAMPTON

North Harlow 3 LLC
29-9 West Lake St.
$35,000 — Replace existing windows with new vinyl windows

HADLEY

Town of Hadley
230 Middle St.
N/A — Repair stairs at Department of Public Works

LEE

Fairview Associates LP
65 Fairview St.
$12,000 — Add bathroom

Prime Retail LP
50 Water St.
$9.932 — Replace two gas-fired RTUs on roof

LENOX

North Sandy Brook LLC
29 Church St.
$2,500 — Repair exterior stair/egress

NORTHAMPTON

Black Sheep Development LLC
32 Perkins Ave.
$53,000 — Repairs to balcony

Blue Mountain Properties LLC
76 Maple St.
$9,000 — Renovate two bathrooms

Branna LLC
23 Randolph Place, #112
$3,404 — Replace three windows

Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$62,302 — Create stretcher holding and break room in CT scan area on ground floor

GPD 20 Industrial Drive LLC
29 Industrial Dr. East
$612,501 — Interior renovation for new offices and bedrooms for Clinical & Support Options

Hess Retail Stores LLC
215 King St.
N/A — Remove canopy at fuel island

Look Memorial Park
300 North Main St.
$76,235 — Install bar on south porch

ServiceNet Inc.
131 King St.
$66,300 — Roofing

Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence
220 Main St.
$177,982 — Install seven heat pumps

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Retirement Home Inc.
89 South St.
$14,850 — Remove and replace fencing

Clip Shop LLC
58 Elm St.
$46,000 — Rework floor plan, add partitions, electrical work, HVAC, plumbing, flooring

Cross Development Berkshires LLC
41 Cherry St.
$18,400 — Remove and replace shingles

Cross Development Berkshires LLC
236 Columbus Ave.
$12,590 — Roofing

SPRINGFIELD

658 Berkshire Avenue LLC
644 Berkshire Ave.
$5,000 — New foundation for storage tank

ADG Mason Square LLC
605 State St.
$19,853 — Insulate and air seal throughout African Diaspora Mental Health Assoc.

American International College
1059 State St.
$1,252,431 — Repair fire damage to Lissa Building and new interior build-out with updates and modifications

American International College
1067 State St.
$615,031.80 — Interior build-out with updates and modifications for AIC Health Sciences

Arrha Credit Union
145 Industry Ave.
$68,830 — Roofing

Balise Properties LLC
1333 Boston Road
$18,000 — Alter portion of first-floor interior assembly area for conference and storage room use

DM Renaissance Development LLC
443 State St.
$625,000 — Alter interior space in former Kavanaugh Building for mixed business and residential use

J&N Salema Family LP
694 Page Blvd.
$190,150 — Alter interior space at Dunkin’ Donuts for corporate modifications and updates

Nuccios Inc.
477 Page Blvd.
$60,000 — Erect patio addition to left side of Two Guys Pizza property

SCP 2001 A-CSF-27 LLC
970 St. James Ave.
$23,100 — Remove and replace shingles over CVS entryway

Springfield Boys Club
481 Carew St.
$477,000 — Alter interior locker rooms, relocate bathroom fixtures, create offices

Food Bank Grows Its Mission

By
Opinion

Editorial

 

The main reason the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts opened a long-awaited distribution center in Chicopee this month is that it distributes millions of pounds of food each month, and more space means doing more of that critical work, and in a more streamlined way, thanks to Chicopee’s proximity to two interstates.

The nonprofit’s new, larger, greener food-distribution center is twice the size of its previous Hatfield location, with an additional 18,000 square feet in the warehouse alone. Floor-to-ceiling warehouse racks and expanded refrigeration and freezer sections enhance efficiencies and enable the Food Bank to store and distribute more healthy food than ever before to 175 member food pantries, meal sites, and emergency shelters of the food-assistance network across all four counties of Western Mass.

The new site also features a dedicated community space with a working kitchen for cooking and nutrition classes and other educational events. Other efficiencies include electric charging stations, an expanded member pick-up area, and ample parking for staff and volunteers. In 2024, the Food Bank will add a solar array on the roof and a canopy over part of its parking, along with backup battery storage that will fully support all electricity needs of the building.

“The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ new, state-of-the-art facility will allow their dedicated team to provide greater access to healthy, nutritious foods to thousands more of our neighbors in need and expand service routes to partners throughout the area,” U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern said. “I’m proud of the Food Bank’s 40 years of history serving our community and their continued leadership on the national stage in our movement to end hunger now.”

The Food Bank certainly isn’t alone in those efforts, but the sheer scale of its work to connect food-collection sources through distribution channels to reach people in need is nothing short of remarkable, and its shepherding of tens of millions of dollars to build the new Chicopee location testifies to the firm belief in its work held by individuals, businesses, and government.

“I want to express my gratitude to our incredible community of supporters and donors who made our vision a reality,” Food Bank Executive Director Andrew Morehouse said.

No, thank you.

T-Birds Promote Be the One Initiative

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Henry Howard

 

There is nothing minor about the support the American Legion Department of Massachusetts receives from the Springfield Thunderbirds.

For years the Thunderbirds have supported Massachusetts Legion programs such as Boys State, Junior Law Cadet, American Legion Baseball, and the developing softball program. The hockey team honors a Veteran of the Game and regularly conducts a jersey raffle, with proceeds going to a Legion program.

Department of Massachusetts NECman Jodie Pajak raves about the support. “There’s no question, no feedback, no static when we ask them for anything. There is no hesitation from anybody on their staff. I’ve never been to any establishment where they are that welcoming. They want to be part of the community, and it definitely shows. The relationship is phenomenal.”

The Legion-Thunderbirds partnership was on full display on Dec. 1, the Legion’s Be the One Day. American Legion members set up a booth inside the arena to educate fans about the organization’s primary mission to reduce the number of veteran suicides. Legion family members handed out customized brochures to thousands of fans. Additionally, a special Be the One jersey, signed by the entire team, was revealed. It will be raffled off at the end of the season, with proceeds going to the Veterans & Children Foundation to support Be the One.

The Be the One mission is especially meaningful for Pajak. “Veterans suicide is a cancer that should not be,” she said. “There are way too many resources, way too many programs to help veterans and their families, to help combat these needs and feelings that these veterans develop in their military careers and come across as they try to transition out of service and back to civilian life. You can’t just flip a switch and go from structured to unstructured. You have to have some help. After a few years, you find you just can’t cope. With this program, we hope that they see us and seek us out.”

Be the One was a natural tie-in this season for the Thunderbirds, which have regularly honored veterans. Their nickname, appropriately enough, is related to the Air Force Thunderbirds.

The team “wanted to get more involved with the community, and they are wonderful to work with,” said Pajak, who, along with her husband, Drew, are members of Post 185 in Agawam. “They felt the need, and they did want to help. They have been phenomenal in promoting this as a way to reduce the stigma. We have a partner that loves putting the Legion first.”

The Thunderbirds highlight the American Legion at all 36 home games. The Legion staffs a table inside the arena, promoting timely programs and initiatives. Over the course of a season, that outreach connects the Legion with at least 220,000 fans.

“At this level, specifically, I thought it was crucially important for us to build our business to open our doors to community projects and give it back to a number of programs, specifically the Legion,” said Nathan Costa, Thunderbirds team president. “Part of the vision from the very beginning was how we can do things to make an impact on the community while also trying to do the right thing.”

Ryan Smith, who manages the team’s media, community relations, and broadcasting, said his grandfather served in World War II. “It’s wrenching for me that there are so many of these military folks who come back and, for a variety of reasons, are not able to reacclimate to society,” he said, adding that he is thankful for the freedom he enjoys thanks to generations of veterans.

“This is a chance to thank them for all that they do, because without them, who knows what we could be doing on a day-to-day basis?” he said. “There is no amount of thanks that we can give them for all that they do for us.”

Strong community partners embolden the Be the One mission.

“It should be important to everybody,” Pajak said. “Everybody should be aware. The Thunderbirds are family-oriented and community-oriented. It’s not only veterans; it’s the community itself. It could be your neighbor. It could be your friend. It could be your co-worker that might need some help. They are willing to help us spread the word and make sure that it is known that is it OK to not be OK.”

 

Henry Howard is deputy director of Media and Communications for the American Legion.

Florence Bank Welcomes Andrew Sullivan as Vice President, Commercial Lender 

By
Daily News

Andrew Sullivan

FLORENCE — Florence Bank announced that Andrew Sullivan has joined the staff as vice president and commercial lender.

Sullivan began his banking career as a credit analyst at a mutual bank in the region, but soon discovered an affinity for relationship building and helping commercial customers achieve their goals. Prior to joining Florence Bank, he served as a portfolio manager, small business loan officer, and commercial loan officer. He began his new role at Florence Bank in mid-October.

“I like the challenge of meeting customer expectations, all while staying within our bank policy guidelines and adapting to the ever-changing economic environment,” he said. “Our commercial lenders, credit analysts, and support staff members work seamlessly to provide our business customers with the best possible banking experience. I appreciate the team atmosphere at Florence Bank.”

The founder of the Andrew Sullivan Swing for a Cure Golf Tournament, which benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Sullivan holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business management and an MBA from Elms College. He is the chairman of the West of the River Chamber of Commerce.

Conval Appoints Joseph Ford as Engineering Manager 

By
Daily News

Joseph Ford

ENFIELD, Conn. — Conval, a global manufacturer of high-performance severe service valves, recently announced that Joseph Ford has been appointed Engineering manager.

Ford is a seasoned engineering leader with more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of product life cycle, including research and development, project management, product design, configuration control, and lean manufacturing.

He previously served in similar capacities at Linde Advanced Materials Technologies (formerly Praxair) in Manchester, Conn.; CIRCOR Aerospace & Defense in Warren; and Baker Hughes, a General Electric company, in Oklahoma City. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Villanova University.

MassNAELA Honors Mary Paier Powers, E. Spencer Ghazey-Bates 

By
Daily News

NEWTONVILLE — At its annual meeting on Dec. 6, the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (MassNAELA) honored Mary Paier Powers and E. Spencer Ghazey-Bates with awards for their service and advocacy for seniors.

Powers won the Deborah H. Thomson Advocacy Award, which recognizes a MassNAELA member’s efforts in advocating for elder issues in state government. She co-chairs the MassNAELA advocacy committee, establishing its legislative priorities. She was integral in hosting the organization’s first-ever legislative briefing at the State House in Boston and served as the event’s primary presenter.

The John J. Ford Litigation Advocacy Award, which honors a member’s litigation efforts on behalf of seniors and MassNAELA, was bestowed on Ghazey-Bates for his dedicated involvement in MassNAELA’s MassHealth life estate valuation workgroup. He helped clients contest MassHealth’s valuation of their life estate in Superior Court, which led to MassHealth’s return to using the IRS valuation of a life estate.

HCC Receives $600,000 to Expand Free Child Watch Program

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation to expand its Itsy Bitsy Child Watch program to serve more student-parents.

Itsy Bitsy Child Watch is a free center on HCC’s main campus for parents in need of short-term childcare while they attend class, study, or meet with tutors and advisers. It opened as a pilot program for the fall 2022 semester with a $100,000 state allocation. At the time, HCC was only the second community college in Massachusetts, and the only one in Western Mass., to offer a free campus child-watch service. The center is open to HCC student-parents with children 3 months to 12 years old.

Since its launch, the program has proven to be popular and transformational for many HCC students. Without it, “I could not come to school,” said biology major Alondra Serrano, one of the first HCC student-parents to sign up for the Itsy Bitsy Child Watch program last year for her daughter, Anna, now 3.

“Our first semester, we had 19 students enrolled,” said Kimm Quinlan, director of HCC’s Early Childhood Initiatives, which includes Itsy Bitsy Child Watch. “Now we have more than 40. After just one year, it has become clear that there is a demonstrable need and demand for expansion.”

The $600,000 grant will enable HCC to relocate the center to a larger, fully renovated new space; hire additional staff; and extend its hours of operation to accommodate more children, especially during public school vacations, which do not always align with the college calendar.

“HCC remains at the forefront of pioneering innovative pathways to enhance educational accessibility for every student,” said Paul Belsito, executive director of the Davis Foundation. “At HCC, the concept of community is a verb in action, and the success of the Itsy Bitsy Child Watch is a testament to this commitment. Here at the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, we are honored to be able to contribute to the growth of this vibrant and impactful program, which not only offers the highest-quality childcare support to student-parent,s but also positions HCC as a proactive leader in early education and care as well as higher education.”

Sometime in 2024, the Itsy Bitsy Child Watch center, now located on the first floor of the Marieb Science Building, will move to a renovated space on the second floor of the Frost Building, closer to other student service and support programs, such as the Thrive Student Resource Center and Food Pantry; Homestead Market, which accepts SNAP benefits; CHD Mental Health Services; Financial Aid; and the new Elaine Marieb Adult Learner Success Center (also scheduled to open in 2024).

“This investment will enable our early-childhood team to provide high-quality early-learning experiences for more children,” HCC President George Timmons said. “The remodeled space will provide the youngest members of our campus community with ample opportunities to explore, play, and learn. Dozens more HCC student-parents will be able to attend classes and access campus-based student resources without having to worry about child care.”

BusinessTalk with Vitek Kruta and Lori Divine-Hudson, owners of Gateway City Arts

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Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest has launched a new podcast series, BusinessTalk. Each episode will feature in-depth interviews and discussions with local industry leaders, providing thoughtful perspectives on the Western Massachuetts economy and the many business ventures that keep it running during these challenging times.

Go HERE to view all episodes

Episode 192: December 18, 2023

Joe Interviews Vitek Kruta and Lori Divine-Hudson, owners of Gateway City Arts

Since opening Gateway City Arts 12 years ago, Vitek Kruta and Lori Divine-Hudson have seen it blossom into a robust center for the arts, live music, and community, and a true destination in downtown Holyoke. They’ve also seen struggles, especially since the pandemic disrupted the model, with ripple effects continuing today. And now, the Race Street property is for sale. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Vitek and Lori talk with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about their experiences at Gateway City Arts, the emotional decision they’ve made, and why they hope the future owner recognizes and continues their vision. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest and sponsored by PeoplesBank.
 

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BusinessWest Calls for 40 Under Forty Nominations

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest is currently accepting nominations for the 40 Under Forty class of 2024. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Feb. 16.

Launched in 2007, the program recognizes rising stars in the four counties of Western Mass. Nominations, which should be as detailed and thorough as possible, should list an individual’s accomplishments within their profession as well as their work within the community. Nominations can be completed online at businesswest.com/40-under-forty-nomination-form.

Nominations will be weighed by a panel of judges, and the selected individuals will be announced and profiled in the April 29 issue of BusinessWest and honored at the 40 Under Forty Gala in June. Event sponsorship opportunities are available.

Jeannie Boudreau Joins Westfield Bank as Mortgage Loan Officer

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Daily News

Jeannie Boudreau

WESTFIELD — James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank, announced that Jeannie Boudreau has been appointed to the position of mortgage loan officer. She is responsible for Westfield, Holyoke, Huntington, and the surrounding communities, and will be based out of the bank’s 560 East Main St. location in Westfield. Boudreau will develop and maintain business relationships with prospective home buyers, Realtors, builders, and colleagues.

Boudreau has more than 40 years of experience in the mortgage industry, holding multiple roles, including area manager and producing branch manager, prior to joining Westfield Bank. She is very involved in her community, serving as an affiliate member to the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley while also volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and Springfield Rescue Mission.

MountainOne Promotes Dick Kelly to SVP, Senior Commercial Risk Officer

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Daily News

Dick Kelly

NORTH ADAMS — MountainOne Bank announced the recent promotion of Richard ‘Dick’ Kelly, who has assumed the role of senior vice president, senior commercial risk officer. This newly created position supports MountainOne’s commitment to asset quality while enhancing its loan-approval process.

Kelly now provides direct oversight of credit administration and of all portfolio managers across both of MountainOne’s geographic regions of the South Shore and the Berkshires. Additionally, he works directly with all commercial lenders on new and existing business loan relationships to help provide experienced guidance, perspective, and management of these credits. He originally joined MountainOne Bank in 2020 as senior vice president, commercial team leader for the Berkshires region and is a member of the bank’s senior leadership team.

“This organizational change streamlines MountainOne’s commercial loan-approval process while maintaining a focus on asset quality and portfolio management,” said Bob Fraser, MountainOne president and CEO. “Our commercial lenders can now have a greater focus on relationship management, including providing a suite of cash-management services.”

Kelly brings nearly 40 years of commercial lending, credit underwriting, and credit administration experience to this role. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y.

He is active in the Great Barrington community, currently serving on the Berkshire Community College Foundation board. Previously, he was involved with the United Way community representative), the Lions Club (member and past president), the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce (past treasurer), the town of Great Barrington, and the Wyantenuck Country Club (member and past president).

STCC Secures Funding for Decarbonization Efforts

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) received $791,694 from the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to support projects to advance decarbonization efforts, address deferred maintenance, and increase climate resilience.

STCC will use the funding for energy-efficiency projects that lessen the consumption of on-site fossil fuels or increase efficiency. STCC also will make repairs to campus buildings to increase efficiency, including but not limited to window replacements, door replacements, insulation, and weatherization.

On Dec. 11, state Sen. Adam Gomez joined the Healey-Driscoll administration in announcing that STCC received funding through Fair Share funds as part of the fiscal 2024 budget.

“Combating climate change and securing resources for environmental-justice communities continues to be a priority of mine for my district and our Commonwealth,” Gomez said. “The securement of this grant for STCC falls in line with two of my legislative priorities next year that ensure the state is able to meet net-zero carbon goals as set forth in the Climate Change Road Map Act of 2021.”

DCAMM provided $11,875,404 to be divided among the 15 community colleges, including STCC, to assist with meeting Massachusetts’ decarbonization goals and focus on energy-efficient measures where decarbonization is not possible. Each community college received $791,694.

Meyers Brothers Kalicka Announces Strategic Expansion with J.M. O’Brien & Co.

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) announced a significant expansion of its practice through the inclusion of J.M. O’Brien & Co., P.C. (JOB), a firm with three decades of service in the region. This expansion occurs as MBK celebrates its 75th anniversary.

Bringing J.M. O’Brien & Co. to MBK signifies a strategic move toward MBK’s growth and expansion in the accounting industry of Western Mass. MBK stands to benefit from the influx of new talent and a broader resource pool, enriching the firm’s already-substantial depth of resources. The merger is particularly advantageous for MBK’s tax services, which will be able to leverage J.M. O’Brien’s extensive expertise to enhance its range of tax-related services.

“I had the pleasure of working with Jay [O’Brien] for almost 10 years when we both were at the former Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC) in Springfield,” MBK Partner Kris Houghton said. “I am very excited to work with him again. This prior experience with him gives me great confidence in the quality of his team.”

Leadership and staff from both firms have already started to unite, fostering camaraderie at various mixers and annual tax training sessions.

“This partnership is rooted in a shared culture and similar client base, ensuring a seamless integration of J.M. O’Brien into MBK’s operations,” MBK Partner Kristi Reale said.

O’Brien echoed this sentiment. “Having known and worked with members of MBK over the years, we collectively bring a great resource of professional experience, a depth of professional knowledge in many aspects of servicing our client base and potential clients,” he said.

With the added depth of knowledge and resources, MBK is well-positioned to offer a broader range of specialized services, including advanced tax planning and compliance, audit and assurance services, and business consulting. Looking ahead, MBK is better equipped than ever to serve the evolving needs of its clients for generations to come.

“This move will allow MBK to increase our depth of resources within the firm, adding to the value of service that we strive to provide our clients,” MBK Senior Manager Matt Nash said. “Both firms are built around the core values of people, culture, community and service, making the addition of the J.M. O’Brien staff a great fit and addition to the MBK team.”

Further, the integration underscores MBK’s dedication to ensuring stability and succession planning. “Celebrating our 75th anniversary, succession is always at front of mind at MBK,” Partner Jim Krupienski said. “Not only will this alliance help to solidify the succession for the team and clients of JOB, but allow MBK to strengthen its own team and resources for future success.”

Partner Rudy D’Agostino added that, “at MBK, our goal is to remain independent and ensure that the next generation of leaders are being developed to continue as a local independent firm offering a full array of services to businesses and individuals. The addition of team members from J.M. O’Brien will assist in our succession process over the next five to seven years.”

This strategic move signifies MBK’s largest scale of expansion since the pivotal merger of 2004, marking a significant milestone in the firm’s trajectory.

“I’m really looking forward to adding their experience and expertise to our team and building upon the reputation that Jay has developed over his years in practice with his firm,” Partner Howard Cheney said. “MBK steadfastly upholds its enduring mission that has distinguished the firm for 75 years: to offer unwavering depth and quality in its team for every client, to consistently deliver superior work products, and to apply its extensive experience to effectively address the accounting and financial objectives of its clients.”

Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Celebrates Grand Opening in Chicopee

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Daily News

CHICOPEE — The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts celebrated the grand opening of its new facility on Dec. 14, which was attended by hundreds of donors and community partners, including U.S. Reps. Richard Neal and James McGovern. U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, along with Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, sent their congratulations via video.

“The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ new, state-of-the-art facility will allow their dedicated team to provide greater access to healthy, nutritious foods to thousands more of our neighbors in need and expand service routes to partners throughout the area,” McGovern said. “I’m proud of the Food Bank’s 40 years of history serving our community and their continued leadership on the national stage in our movement to end hunger now.”

The new, larger, greener food-distribution center, located at 25 Carew St. in Chicopee, is twice the size of its previous Hatfield location, with an additional 18,000 square feet (about four times the area of a basketball court) in the warehouse alone. Floor-to-ceiling warehouse racks and expanded refrigeration and freezer sections enhance efficiencies and enable the Food Bank to store and distribute more healthy food than ever before to 175 member food pantries, meal sites, and emergency shelters of the food-assistance network across all four counties of Western Mass.

“The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is at the forefront of efforts to combat food security amongst low-income families and communities throughout our region,” Neal said.” I am thrilled to join [Executive Director] Andrew Morehouse and his team as we celebrate the next chapter in what has been the remarkable story of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

“This project is also a reminder of the critical role the New Markets Tax Credit Program plays in incentivizing community development and economic growth in underserved communities,” he added. “Ensuring continuity of this program has been one of my top priorities on the Ways and Means Committee, and the Food Bank is just one of the many success stories that have been the benefactor of the New Markets Tax Credit.”

The new site also features a dedicated community space with a working kitchen for cooking and nutrition classes and other educational events. Other efficiencies include electric charging stations, an expanded member pick-up area, and ample parking for staff and volunteers. In 2024, the Food Bank will add a solar array on the roof and a canopy over part of its parking, along with backup battery storage that will fully support all electricity needs of the building.

“I want to express my gratitude to our incredible community of supporters and donors who made our vision a reality,” Morehouse said. “For the first time in many years, we now have the capacity to provide more healthy food to more people facing food insecurity when and where they need it.”

In January 2021, the Food Bank launched its “Feed, Lead, and Strengthen” capital campaign to raise funds to build and equip a larger, greener distribution center in Chicopee. More than $30 million dollars was raised through the generosity of government, corporate, and individual donors.

Elms College MSN Program Nationally Ranked by Forbes Advisor

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Daily News

CHICOPEE — The master of science in nursing (MSN) program at Elms College has been ranked by Forbes Advisor as one of the most affordable, high-quality online MSN programs in the U.S. The MSN program at Elms was one of nine programs ranked by Forbes Advisor and the only one located in Massachusetts.

Forbes Advisor is part of the Forbes organization and is dedicated to helping consumers make the best financial choices. A portion of its editorial content includes the ranking of higher-education institutions and programs.

“This ranking by Forbes Advisor shows that the programs we offer in the School of Nursing, such as the MSN program, are highly regarded across the country,” said Julie Beck, dean of Elms College School of Nursing. “A significant part of this recognition goes to our dedicated nursing faculty who provide our nursing students with an extraordinary healthcare experience.”

The MSN program at Elms is fully online and allows students to pursue one of four tracks, including nursing & health services management, nursing education, and an MSN/MBA dual-degree option. The fourth track, school nursing, is the only MSN school nursing program in the U.S.

“Our MSN students are experienced professional nurses who are looking to advance their careers,” said Emily Cabrera, director of the MSN program at Elms. “What makes our program unique is that we challenge our students to embrace the rapidly changing healthcare environment, while supporting their work-school-life balance.”

For the online MSN rankings, Forbes Advisor rated data from several sources in the categories of affordability, credibility, student outcomes, student experience, and the application process.

Berkshire Bank Welcomes Patsy Mullin as Senior VP of Cash Management Services

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Daily News

Patsy Mullin

BOSTON — Berkshire Bank recently welcomed Patricia “Patsy” Mullin as senior vice president of Cash Management Services. Mullin joins the bank with more than 45 years of experience in the financial and banking industry. She will cover the bank’s entire footprint.

“Patsy is a great addition to the commercial Berkshire Bank team as she brings more than four decades of knowledge and experience from the banking and financial sector that will be beneficial to both her colleagues and the clients we serve,” said Scott Houghtaling, senior managing director of Business Banking.

Greenfield Savings Bank Promotes Shandra Richardson

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Daily News

Shandra Richardson

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) promoted Shandra Richardson to chief operating officer and senior vice president. She will direct all aspects of the bank’s operations, which include compliance, retail banking, marketing, deposit, electronic, and consumer loan operations, as well as developing and implementing new policies and procedures for the organizational systems management.

“In the two years since Shandra joined Greenfield Savings Bank as senior Operations officer, she has been a leader in improving the efficiency and functionality of the many departments under her control,” said Thomas Meshako, president and CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank. “One of Shandra’s first successes was the complete transformation of the Customer Contact Center to dramatically shorten hold times, expand the team’s skill set, and implement technology to route calls to respective agents based on expertise and customer need. Shandra is helping our bank build the infrastructure it needs to improve the overall customer experience.”

Richardson has worked in the banking industry for more than 17 years. A UMass Amherst graduate, she received a bachelor’s degree in marketing and then went on to earn an MBA along with completing leadership and lean methodology executive education courses. She prides herself on being a lifetime learner and is continuously looking for ways to enhance her skills and those of the teams that she leads.

Since joining GSB and moving to Western Mass. from Boston, Richardson has volunteered in numerous local causes, and in October, she joined the board of directors of Safe Passage. She also serves as a member of the Harvard Business Review advisory council, an opt-in research community of business professionals.

Brooke Thomson to Become CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts

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Daily News

BOSTON — The Commonwealth’s largest business association will celebrate an historic leadership transition on Jan. 1 when Brooke Thomson becomes CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM).

Thomson succeeds John Regan, who announced earlier this year his intention to step down from the top post. The AIM board of directors named Thomson president of the 3,400-member organization in June and announced that she would become chief executive on Jan. 1.

Thomson will be the first woman to lead AIM since its founding by a group of forward-looking Massachusetts employers in 1915. More importantly, she brings to the position a far-reaching approach to economic development that seamlessly melds competitiveness for the business community with affordability for the residents who live and work here.

“Make no mistake, we must continue to prioritize the traditional pillars of economic development like advantageous tax rates, streamlined regulation, and efficient permitting that are the bedrock of business success and job creation. But economic development must also address the soaring cost of everything from housing to childcare to healthcare, which is driving some of our best and brightest employees to less expensive regions of the country,” Thomson said. “The exodus of working-age people, accelerated by the rise of remote work, is exacerbating an already-dire labor shortage that has employers struggling to fill their payrolls in an economy running at 2.8% unemployment.”

Before joining AIM’s leadership team more than four years ago as executive vice president of Government Affairs, Thomson was a member of the AIM board. Her tenure as head of AIM’s Government Affairs operation required her to design and advance AIM’s policy agenda and strengthen relationships with elected officials and business leaders on Beacon Hill and throughout the Commonwealth, all the while ensuring that employer needs were represented at every level of the public-policymaking process.

She has been successful on all counts and is committed to expanding the progress AIM has made in diversifying its membership, reflecting the statewide business-community needs and advancing policies that support both economic competitiveness and economic opportunity for the people of Massachusetts. Thomson previously served as vice president of Government Affairs for AT&T and is a former senior official with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office.

Patricia Begrowicz, AIM board chair and president of Onyx Specialty Papers, noted that “we are fortunate to have a leader of Brooke’s caliber and proven track record ready to advance to the position of president and CEO.  We are confident that she will build upon AIM’s many strengths in the role. I am confident that AIM is in outstanding hands with Brooke, our great team of senior leaders and professionals, and a committed board of directors.”

HCC Foundation Welcomes New Board Members, Officers

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — HCC Foundation Inc., the nonprofit fundraising arm of Holyoke Community College, has added nine new members to its board of directors, including six alumni, and also voted in a new slate of officers.

The new board members are Jasarah Burgos, program director of New North Citizens Council; Steven Clement ’11, a certified public accountant and former controller for ServiceNet; Kate Douglas, president emerita of SUNY Corning Community College; Luindy Espinal ’19, senior accountant at Colony Hills Capital; Dean Gallagher, retired; Johnnie McKnight ’10, founder and president of Massachusetts Scholars with a Goal; Matt McMahon ’06, senior technical advisor with Booz Allen; Ryan Rege ’08, director of Vocational Programs for Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg; and Jim Shevlin ’80, division president of ESIS, a Chubb company.

“When I first enrolled at HCC, I was not a very good student,” Rege said, explaining his interest in the HCC Foundation. “It took me 10 years to earn my associate degree. By the time I did, HCC had instilled in me a passion for learning that I still carry with me today. I’ve made a career working in education. HCC helped me find my path and supported me when I needed it.”

The foundation board approved the appointment of the new directors at its annual meeting on Dec. 5 while also welcoming a new slate of officers: Susan Goldsmith, president of Marcus Printing in Holyoke, will serve as chair; Lynn Starr ’95, executive vice president and chief information officer at bankESB will serve as vice chair; and Tiffany Madru, founder of Analytics Labs in Holyoke, will serve as secretary.

“We are thrilled to welcome such an impressive group of individuals to our board,” said Amanda Sbriscia, HCC’s vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the HCC Foundation. “The diverse perspectives and professional experiences they bring will further elevate the work of the foundation, and their passion really is a gift to the HCC community.”

The HCC Foundation has total net assets of $28.3 million and an endowment of $18 million, the largest of all 15 community colleges in Massachusetts, due in large part to nearly 200 endowed scholarships and other funds established by alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the college.

In January, the HCC Foundation board of directors was recognized by the Assoc. of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges with the John W. Nason Award, a national honor that recognizes exceptional leadership and initiative.

Bright Nights Named Among ‘Best of the Best’ by American Bus Assoc.

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — For the fourth straight year, Bright Nights at Forest Park has been recognized by the American Bus Assoc. (ABA) as one of the “Best of the Best for 2023.” The ABA acknowledges destinations and attractions from the U.S. and Canada that offer the “highest quality of group tour experience and amenities in the motorcoach, travel, and tourism industry.”

“We’re thrilled that ABA has recognized Bright Nights at Forest Park for something we already knew to be true — they are the best of the Best,” said Mary Kay Wydra, president of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. “As our premier winter event, Bright Nights puts Western Mass. top of mind for many visitors, and we’re grateful to the Spirit of Springfield for continuing to keep this attraction new and exciting.”

Prior to receiving “Best of the Best” honors in 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020, Bright Nights at Forest Park was recognized by the American Bus Assoc. as one of the Top 100 Destinations in North America. It features more than 700,000 lights along a three-mile drive that winds its way through the historic park.

“Peter Picknelly Sr., Peter Bus Lines former chair and a driving force behind Bright Nights at Forest Park, would be proud of this honor from the American Bus Association, as are we,” said Judy Matt, Spirit of Springfield president. “This year, we are expecting hundreds of buses to take their passengers on the magical tour through the lights while providing economic stimulation for our area.”

Since opening on Nov. 24, 1995, Bright Nights at Forest Park has entertained more than 7 million people. Annually, the economic impact has been calculated to be $15 million. The 29th season runs through Jan. 1, 2024.

Monson Savings Bank Welcomes Michelle Beaudette

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Daily News

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank recently announced the hire of Michelle Beaudette as assistant vice president, Residential Operations officer.

“Michelle’s background in banking and residential lending makes her an asset to not only our team, but also our customers and the surrounding communities as she helps to make home ownership possible for our neighbors,” said Dan Moriarty, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank. “Her positive attitude makes her an excellent fit for the Monson Savings Bank culture, and we are very fortunate to have her here.”

In her role as assistant vice president, Residential Operations officer, Beaudette will be responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the residential and consumer lending processing, closing, and operations. Additionally, she will help to foster an environment of teamwork and perform various loan-maintenance functions to ensure the accuracy and completeness of all records and documentation.

Beaudette comes to Monson Savings Bank with 18 years of experience in banking and finance. She is a graduate of the New Seminary and holds a financial management certification from the U.S. Army Reserve Command. Prior to joining Monson Savings Bank, she worked at Millbury National Bank.

“I have been in the banking industry for many years; it is my passion. I am excited to have the opportunity to continue to pursue my passion with the Monson Savings Bank team,” Beaudette said. “Monson Savings Bank’s focus and involvement with its surrounding communities, personable approach with customers, and emphasis on providing a great employee and customer experience are all things that attracted me to this team. I am looking forward to building lasting relationships with fellow employees and having a positive impact on the community through the work I do. It is so fulfilling to be in a role where I help members of our community achieve the goal of home ownership.”

Nathan Bill’s to Host Hockey for Heroes Celebrity Bartending Fundraiser

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — On Thursday, Dec. 14 from 5 to 9 p.m., Nathan Bill’s Bar & Restaurant will host a celebrity bartending fundraiser to support the Hockey for Heroes Foundation in its mission to help first responders in need.

Proceeds from this event will be donated to the Hockey for Heroes Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the families of first responders who have been injured or killed in the line of duty.

“Nathan Bill’s is a strong partner in the community, and is a well-known supporter of our military servicemen and women, as well as local police, fire, and first responders,” said Evan Donermeyer of the Hockey for Heroes Foundation. “We’re very grateful for their support.”

The celebrity bartending lineup includes Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi; Springfield Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood; Springfield Fire Commissioner B.J. Calvi; an array of area politicians, including state representatives and Springfield mayoral staff; as well as various local business owners.

Rocky’s Ace Hardware Invites Customers to Round Up for Pets This Month

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Rocky’s Ace Hardware, one of the country’s largest family-owned Ace Hardware dealers with 48 locations in nine states, has launched its 13th annual campaign supporting animal shelters. Through the Round Up for Pets fundraiser, which extends through Sunday, Dec. 31, customers are asked to round up their purchase total to the next dollar. The difference will be donated to local animal shelters.

“Our pets bring so much joy to our lives, and many of the people on our team have adopted from local shelters over the years,” Rocky’s Ace Hardware President and CEO Rocco Falcone II said. “We’re honored to support the work being done to provide these animals with love and care while they wait to find their forever homes.”

Participating Rocky’s locations include the stores on Island Pond Road and Liberty Street in Springfield and the stores in Agawam, East Longmeadow, Westfield, Ludlow, Palmer, and South Hadley.

Local shelters that will benefit from the year’s round-up include the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center and Dakin Humane Society in Springfield, Second Chance Animal Services in East Brookfield, and Westfield Animal Control and Shelter.

“It warms our hearts to be able to make a difference for these animals, especially at a time when they are more likely to be forgotten,” Falcone said. “We are lucky to have such generous customers who allow us to make this happen, and we are grateful for their support.”

Thunderbirds Collect Record 6,489 Stuffed Animals on Teddy Bear Toss Night

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds announced that a new record-high total of 6,489 stuffed animals were collected as part of Saturday’s annual Teddy Bear Toss at the MassMutual Center.

While the ‘toss’ portion of this annual event took place following Mathias Laferriere’s game-opening goal on Saturday, the most meaningful portion of the event occurred on Monday, when Laferriere, team Captain Matthew Peca, Malcolm Subban, and Zach Dean joined team mascot Boomer and T-Birds staff members on the team bus and delivered the stuffed animals throughout the Pioneer Valley.

Charitable benefactors of these donations include the Center for Human Development, the Springfield Boys & Girls Club, Square One, the Boys & Girls Club Family Center of Springfield, Ronald McDonald House, Square One, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, and the Springfield YMCA.

“Another sellout crowd on Teddy Bear Toss night showcased the generosity and warm hearts our fan base possess,” Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa said. “It’s hard to express how grateful we are for the outpouring of kindness from our fans and community. These stuffed animals will bring so much joy to children in Western Mass. The smiles on their faces make this event a worthwhile endeavor every year.”

Established during the Thunderbirds’ inaugural season in 2016, the Teddy Bear Toss has contributed more than 32,000 stuffed animals to local Springfield charities, all in the spirit of providing gifts and smiles to underprivileged and underserved youth in the Greater Springfield community.

Charitable organizations not listed above that have an interest in receiving teddy bears can contact the Thunderbirds by emailing [email protected].

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