Springfield Science Museum Receives $750,000 in Federal Funds

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Museums announced the receipt of a $750,000 federal earmark in support of upgrading the Springfield Science Museum.

“The funded project is called Equitable Access to the Night Sky,” said Jenny Powers, director of the Science Museum. “And it is going to be a game changer for the Museums, our community, and our region.”

The public announcement of this federal earmark underscored the united effort to secure these funds by U.S. Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, and the Massachusetts congressional delegation. Museums staff learned about the federal earmark from Markey’s office.

“The federal funds will help us leap into the 21st century,” Powers said.

The Science Museum is already evolving at a fast pace. In 2019, the Museums added the Smithsonian Spark!Lab, a hands-on innovation space facilitated by a science educator, the only Spark!Lab in the Northeast. In 2021, the staff renovated the Seymour Planetarium, upgrading seating and refurbishing the historic star ball. Projected to open in June 2022, the International Space Station gallery will spotlight STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning with a series of interactive stations that mimic those in the space station orbiting our planet. All these changes are helping the Science Museum take huge strides toward the vision of being an essential, informal STEM-learning hub for this region.

As part of a three-year strategic plan, the Museums are prioritizing relevance, diversity, inclusion, equity, and access. “The Science Museum must respond to community interest. We must provide relevant opportunities that draw everyone into the new, tech-savvy, multi-dimensional world,” Powers said. “This money will help us bridge equity and access gaps. We are already a beloved institution; we will have an even greater impact as a public asset with the upgrades this money will provide.”

Plans for improvement include a full-dome, digital projection system with state-of-the-art software for the planetarium to augment the historical star ball and add multi-cultural perspectives to the night sky; digitization of the observatory to allow full access to the stars for anyone, anywhere via online projection; and tactile, multi-sensory astronomy exhibits for visitors who are blind or have low vision.

“Regional educators, students, community partners, and user experts have helped us identify flexible, essential, inclusive educational technology,” said Larissa Murray, director of Education for the Springfield Museums. “The recent upgrades to our science workshop include accommodations for students with special needs and systems for remote access. These changes are increasing our ability to impact a wider audience than ever before.”

For more than 160 years, the Science Museum has nurtured curiosity, fueled discovery, and transformed lives, said Kay Simpson, president and CEO of the Springfield Museums. “The Museums provide opportunities — joyful, exciting, and relevant opportunities. These funds will support new pathways to wonder for visitors of all ages and provide inclusive, impactful museum experiences with 21st-century technologies. Plus, our newly upgraded museum will be a dynamic driver of visitation to Western Massachusetts.”

Markey noted that “this federal funding for Massachusetts means we can initiate, strengthen, and expand community-based projects that serve our families, businesses, and cities and towns every day. These projects will spur our economy, strengthen our resiliency, expand access to important healthcare, promote clean energy and climate solutions, and help feed and house our most vulnerable in every region of our Commonwealth. I am proud that my delegation partners and I were able to secure this critical funding, and I will continue to fight for the resources Massachusetts communities need to thrive and grow.”

McGovern Auto Group Opens McGovern Chevrolet of Greenfield

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Daily News

GREENFIELD — McGovern Auto Group, which operates 19 dealerships across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York, announced the opening of McGovern Chevrolet of Greenfield. The new dealership, which replaces Dillon Chevrolet, employs 25 people across its sales, leasing, and maintenance teams, with plans to increase headcount to at least 40 by the end of 2022.

The opening was enabled by McGovern Auto Group’s acquisition of Dillon Chevrolet, located at 54 Main St., from longtime owners Tom and Jay Dillon. Under the McGovern brand, the new dealership will feature a lot with more than 125 new and used cars, plus a completely reimagined customer experience including comfortable, clean, and modern waiting areas with free coffee and high-speed WiFi. To mark the transition to new ownership after 60 years in the Greenfield area, McGovern Chevrolet is also offering all Greenfield area residents an express detail — a $100 value — with any service.

Founded in 2016, McGovern Auto Group is a full-service dealer group with four collision centers in addition to a commercial and municipal division. Known for luxury vehicles such as Ferrari and Porsche, the company also brings deep expertise working with brands including Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, Hyundai, Honda, and Toyota.

“We have enormous respect for Tom and Jay’s commitment to Greenfield and the business they’ve built together over the last 60 years. We’re honoring that legacy with a modern, tech-forward dealership featuring the largest inventory of pre-owned vehicles in the Greenfield area,” said Matt McGovern, owner of McGovern Auto Group. “Every single Dillon employee will become part of the McGovern family, and we’ll create plenty more jobs in the coming months as we expand operations and keep working to serve the local community.”

Ben Muenzberg, general manager at McGovern Chevrolet of Greenfield, added that “I’m a longtime Central Massachusetts resident, and I know the Greenfield community is eager to work with a team that delivers great prices, honest and straightforward customer service, and amazing after-market support. As a 19-year industry veteran, I’m looking forward to leveraging McGovern’s infrastructure, technology, and expertise to give all our customers the best possible service.”

DA David Sullivan to be Honored with Friends of Children 2022 Changemaker Award

By
Daily News

FLORENCE — Friends of Children Inc. will present Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan with the 2022 Changemaker Award at a dinner on Friday, March 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Garden House in Look Park.

Sullivan is being presented with the Changemaker Award to celebrate his accomplishments, advocacy, and impact. He has been a steadfast advocate for vulnerable people in the Pioneer Valley, including children and young people served by Friends of Children, since 2003.

Sullivan has led initiatives to address child abuse and domestic violence. He co-founded the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin Region and serves as an advisor to its board, as well as to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hampshire County. Sullivan was part of the core team that helped establish the Franklin County Family Drug Court. He co-founded and co-chairs Hampshire HOPE and the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and North Quabbin Region to address the opioid epidemic and its devastating impact on children and families. He is a board member of the Massachusetts Children’s Trust, an organization dedicated to ending child abuse. He also testified twice to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities in support of bills that would establish external oversight of the state’s child welfare system.

Friends of Children is dedicated to improving the lives of children and young adults impacted by foster care or juvenile-justice involvement. It addresses the needs of high-risk children who are not readily supported by systems designed to protect them and encourage their full participation in society.

For more information and tickets to the March 25 event, visit www.friendsofchildreninc.org.

American International College to Offer Graduate Open House on March 22

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) will host a graduate open house on Tuesday, March 22 beginning at 6 p.m. in the Sprague Cultural Arts Center on the AIC campus located at 1000 State St. in Springfield.

The open house is for the working professional looking to attend graduate school and is designed to give prospective students access to all the information they need in one convenient location while providing an opportunity to meet faculty, staff, and other students in order to gain insight to AIC’s programs, admission processes, college financing, and housing.

According to Vice President for Admissions Kerry Cole, “AIC offers an array of master and doctoral degree programs in business, psychology, education, and the health sciences, including nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, with blended and online programs, to help advance career opportunities. We know that time is extremely valuable between demanding work schedules and family life. Our goal is to offer an open house that welcomes working professionals and makes it easy for them to gather helpful information as they consider next steps in their career aspirations.”

To register for this event, visit go.aic.edu/portal/grevents. More information regarding graduate-degree programs at AIC is available online at www.aic.edu or by calling the Admissions Office at (413) 205-3700.

Social Justice Awards to Honor Life, Legacy of Ronn Johnson

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services (MLKFS) announced that this year’s Social Justice Awards will honor the organization’s former President and CEO Ronn Johnson, who passed away in January. The organization also announced that the Justice Resource Institute has stepped forward as the first event sponsor.

“The Social Justice Awards generated the support every year that Ronn needed to help MLKFS continue to be keepers of the dream,” said Calvin Hill, chairman of the MLKFS board of directors. “Now it is an opportunity for the community and area organizations to honor Ronn’s work and help keep that dream alive.”

The 2022 Social Justice Awards will continue to be a virtual event this year and will take place Saturday, April 23 at 11 a.m. Michael Weeks, president and CEO of the Providers Council, will be the keynote speaker. The awards will honor individuals and organizations that met, if not exceeded, King’s challenge: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘what are you doing for others?’”

This year’s honorees are Barbara Gresham (education), Bishop Bryant Robinson Jr. (lifetime achievement), Bishop Talbert Swan II (race relations), CMSS and Eileen McCaffery (arts and culture), Doris Harris (health advocacy), First Church of Christ in Longmeadow UCC (faith-based initiative), MassHire Springfield and Kevin Lynn (economic development), and Thomas Morrow and Julius Lewis (entrepreneurship).

Individuals and organizations interested in supporting Johnson’s work at MLKFS through sponsorship or a donation should contact Lenise Williams at (413) 736-3655 or [email protected], or visit mlkjrfamilyservices.org/donate.

Girls Inc. of the Valley to Host Tour of New Home Before Holyoke Road Race

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Girls Inc. of the Valley is inviting the community to join the organization at its newly acquired building for a brief insiders’ tour before the annual Road Race on Saturday, March 19 between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Girls Inc. of the Valley recently continued its 40-year history in Holyoke by purchasing the original O’Connell building. Renovations are slated to begin this spring.

“What we need now is the next generation place for Girls Inc.,” said Cynthia Medina Carson, co-chair of the Her Future, Our Future campaign. “As a proud alumna of Girls Inc., I can state with certainty that this facility will do that, enabling our programming to match up to where we want and need to be for girls.”

Added Girls Inc. Executive Director Suzanne Parker, “when renovations are complete, we will have a truly unique program space specifically designed to bring girls ages 5 to 18 together in one building. This will enable our staff to serve over 1,000 participants annually.”

Those who join the tour can learn what Girls Inc. of the Valley has planned for the building while enjoying refreshments and taking advantage of off-street parking in the lot at Hampden and Linden streets to watch the road race afterward.

All Girls Inc. facilities are mask-required spaces. For those who don’t have a mask, Girls Inc. will provide one upon entrance.

WNE Law Professor Tina Cafaro Confirmed as Associate Justice of the District Court

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University (WNE) School of Law announced that Professor Tina Cafaro was unanimously confirmed to serve as associate justice of the District Court.

“I am deeply humbled and honored by my appointment,” said Cafaro. “I have enjoyed every minute of the past two decades working at WNE School of Law. My colleagues are talented and skilled educators, and our student body is made up of engaged, bright, and committed students who constantly make WNE and the legal profession proud. I am blessed to have been a part of each one of their lives. I am excited to take on a new role in the justice system, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.”

Cafaro began her legal career in 1995 as a clerk for the Hon. Justice Kent Smith of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. She then joined the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney in 1996. Since 2001, she has been a clinical professor of Law and director of Criminal Law Clinics at the Western New England University School of Law. In this role, she instructs students in both prosecution and defense clinics, and has served as a special assistant district attorney for the Hampden District Attorney’s Office. She has been an instructor for the Massachusetts Police Training Committee, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Massachusetts Trial Court Academies since 1999.

Cafaro has been a member of the Hampden County Bar Assoc. education committee since 2015 and is active in her community. She has been a basketball and lacrosse coach with the East Longmeadow Youth Sports Program for nearly two decades, and previously served on the East Longmeadow Basketball Assoc. board of directors. She received her bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst in 1992 and her juris doctorate from Western New England University School of Law in 1995.

“Although we will miss her very much once she ascends to the bench, we collectively take pride in her accomplishment and look forward to the wisdom, integrity, and thoughtfulness that she will bring to the bench,” said Law School Dean Sudha Setty in an announcement to the WNE community.

The District Court hears a wide range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental-health, and other types of cases. District Court criminal jurisdiction extends to all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years and many other specific felonies with greater potential penalties, as well as all misdemeanors and all violations of city and town ordinances and bylaws. The District Court is located in 62 courts across the Commonwealth.

All Out Adventures, BFAIR to Distribute Bike Helmets for Brain Injury Awareness Month

By
Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month, and BFAIR and Greylock Federal Credit Union are teaming up with All Out Adventures to distribute bike helmets in Northampton to promote brain health and safety. In the U.S., more than 5.3 million children and adults (or about 1 in 60) have a brain injury.

The helmets to be distributed are adult-sized. Those interested in acquiring a new helmet can stop by All Out Adventures at 297 Pleasant St., Northampton on Tuesday, March 29 from noon to 5 p.m. Thanks to funding from Greylock Federal Credit Union, the helmets will be distributed at no cost.

Properly wearing a bike helmet can significantly reduce the risk of a head injury in a bicycle crash. Helmets should be replaced after a crash or if they are more than five years old. All Out Adventures staff and volunteers will ensure that anyone picking up a helmet on March 29 knows how to properly fit and wear their helmet.

Founded in 2001, All Out Adventures operates about 180 outdoor programs each year for people with disabilities, seniors, and veterans throughout Massachusetts. Programs are offered to participants for no or low cost and are funded by grants, contracts, individual contributions, and fundraisers. All Out Adventures also sells and services recumbent trikes from its office/shop at 297 Pleasant St. in Northampton.

Since 1994, BFAIR has provided adult family care; residential, in-home clinical services; employment; and day services for adults and children with developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury, and autism.

Flexibility Is the Watchword as Workers Go Back to the Office

By
Chris Viale, president and CEO of Cambridge Credit Counseling
Cover Story

The Great Return

Chris Viale, president and CEO of Cambridge Credit Counseling

Chris Viale, president and CEO of Cambridge Credit Counseling

Over the past year or so, most companies have set — and then pushed back — the date when workers would return to the offices they left when COVID-19 arrived in March 2020. Now, such a return seems more real. But what’s also real is a commitment to flexibility among area employers, who recognize not only that employees can work effectively from home, but that hybrid, or fully remote, work schedules are becoming ever-more critical when it comes to attracting and retaining a workforce.

There was the Great Depression. And 75 years later, there was the Great Recession. We’re still struggling with what’s being called the Great Resignation, and now … we have what some are referring to as the Great Return.

This would be the return to the office of all those workers — tens of millions of them — who went home to work right around this time two years ago. Some have already returned, but many haven’t. There have been several scheduled returns over the past two years — indeed, most major corporations have moved back their return dates several times due to surges and new variants — but this time, by most all accounts, it seems real. Very real.

And it also seems complicated, or at least far different than most would have thought a return would look like two years ago.

That’s because the world of work has changed in a profound way, with the matter put in its proper perspective by Kristin Morales-Lemieux, senior vice president and chief Human Resources officer at Baystate Health.

“When we first sent everyone home, no one wanted to be there,” she said, adding that roughly 4,000 of the system’s employees were told to work remotely, if they could. “And for the first six months, we spent all of our time trying to hold back the tide of employees and managers who wanted to come back into the building, and, quite frankly, walking around and finding people who should not be there and shooing them back home again.

“As our employees come back together, our goal is to combine the flexibility and convenience we’ve had working remotely with the energy, connection, and collaboration that comes from being together in person.”

“But somewhere around that six-month mark …. there was a shift, and people starting saying, ‘I don’t want to go back,’ or ‘I certainly don’t want to go back full-time,’” she went on. “And in a few areas where we started to transition departments back, we started to notice that, not in large numbers, but here and there, we began losing people who were taking jobs with other organizations that allowed them to work remotely full-time.”

Kristin Morales-Lemieux

When they first went home, Kristin Morales-Lemieux says, employees were clamoring to come back to the office; six months later, most no longer wanted to.

This phenomenon explains why ‘flexibility’ is the watchword as the Great Return commences, and why the hybrid schedule — whereby people work in the office at least a few days of the week and remotely for the remainder — is becoming the norm among employers, and, increasingly, expected when it comes to employees.

At Monson Savings Bank, employees now have a number of options when it comes to working schedules, including a hybrid model that has them in the office at least two days a week, and a four-day work week. MSB President Dan Moriarty said such flexibility, at a time when most have proven they can work effectively from home, is a practical response to the changing work climate.

“We wanted to create some culture for retention for existing employees,” he said, echoing the thoughts of many we spoke with. “And as we compete against other companies in this region, but also well outside, that offer flexibility and remote working, we thought it was a good balance — for the organization and the employee.”

Meanwhile, MassMutual has put in place what it calls a “flexible workplace approach” that is comprised of three work arrangements — full-time in the office, full-time remote, and a hybrid of the two, with the majority of the financial-services giant’s employees working a hybrid arrangement.

“Flexibility is at the heart of our approach,” said Sue Cicco, head of Human Resources and Employee Experience for the company. “As our employees come back together, our goal is to combine the flexibility and convenience we’ve had working remotely with the energy, connection, and collaboration that comes from being together in person.”

Elaborating, she said the flexible-workplace approach has been in place since last summer with employees “testing” it over the past several months. They are now being asked to be at “a more regular cadence” by the beginning of April.

At Cambridge Credit Counseling, Chris Viale, president and CEO of the company, plans to bring employees back to work a hybrid schedule starting later this month. But the longer-term plan is to bring most employees back five days a week, he told BusinessWest, adding that he’s expecting some pushback, will listen to those giving it, and may ultimately change his mind.

“If people thought the labor market was tight going into COVID, we haven’t seen anything yet.”

But for now, that’s the plan, and for reasons that would resonate with many employers across the region.

“We’ve been grappling with this for quite some time,” Viale explained. “Right before the pandemic, we secured a much larger office space with a state-of-the-art call-center environment, and we committed to a seven-year lease, so we have that financial expense baked in to trying to do what’s right for everyone, trying to make sure the company is functioning as we need it to, trying to make sure we’re serving the consumers we’re serving, and meeting the needs of our staff. We’re trying to balance all that — somehow.”

Overall, there are many forces driving the flexibility being exhibited at most workplaces, but perhaps the most significant is common sense when it comes to the matter of attracting and retaining talent, especially at a time when businesses in virtually sector are struggling to do so.

Dan Moriarty says Monson Savings Bank is focusing on flexibility

Dan Moriarty says Monson Savings Bank is focusing on flexibility with its return-to-the-workplace strategies, including hybrid schedules and the option of a four-day work week.

Morales-Lemieux noted that Baystate Health, which regularly employs roughly 13,000 employees, currently has about 1,900 vacancies, three times what might be considered normal and a powerful motivating force when it comes to establishing return-to-the-workplace strategies.

“If people thought the labor market was tight going into COVID,” she said, “we haven’t seen anything yet.”

 

Work in Progress

It’s called ‘Corporate Tuesday.’

That’s the name Monson Savings Bank has attached to the second day of the work week, a day when most, if not all, employees will be in the office, said Moriarty, adding that this is the day, considered better than Monday, or any other day, for that matter, when people would schedule in-person meetings, department meetings, and collaborations.

“The parking lot is pretty full,” he explained, adding that Corporate Tuesday has been in effect since Jan. 1, and has thus far been greeted with a generally positive response.

Beyond Corporate Tuesday and some similar initiatives, there is now unprecedented amounts of flexibility when it comes to work and work schedules, at companies both large and small, a new landscape that has been years (and not just the past two years) in the making.

Indeed, Morales-Lemieux echoed others when she said there was some movement in this direction before the pandemic, especially as the unemployment rate dropped and it became steadily more challenging to attract and retain talent.

Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan says employees at Health New England have shown they can be effective working remotely.

“Even pre-COVID, we were really starting to feel the pressure to move into a variety of more flexible work arrangements, even as it relates to our frontline workers,” she told BusinessWest. “As the unemployment rate had dropped over the past decade, coupled with our own unique challenges in Western Massachusetts, such as our aging population and the number of healthcare-related — and non-healthcare-related — companies that we compete with for workers, we had, in the year prior to the pandemic, been talking in earnest about how we needed to change in order to make sure that we could keep a workforce.”

Elaborating, she said this talk involved, among other things, remote-work scenarios not only for attractive job candidates from other states who do not wish to relocate to Massachusetts, but also candidates and existing employees already in the 413.

Suffice it to say the pandemic has served to open more eyes to this need to change and add several layers of urgency to the matter, despite the delayed nature of the return to work.

But change comes hard to many companies, said Meredith Wise, president and CEO of the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast, noting that, in this case, most employers she’s talked with have seen the wisdom of embracing flexibility and not trying to put in place a one-size — or one-schedule, to be more precise — fits-all policy or strategy.

Indeed, even most old-school managers who would certainly prefer to have everyone back in the office eight hours a day, five days a week, are recognizing the need to embrace the changing landscape and not fight it — for a number of very practical reasons, especially those workforce issues, she said.

“We’re advising people to be flexible and talk with employees about what’s going to work for them. And one of the big reasons why is the retention problem that most employers are facing right now.”

“We’re advising people to be flexible and talk with employees about what’s going to work for them,” she explained. “And one of the big reasons why is the retention problem that most employers are facing right now; there are enough employers that are offering hybrid arrangements that you could easily lose people if you put your foot down and say, ‘I need you here five days a week.’ Those workers can easily find someone who will be flexible and more accommodating.”

 

Balance Sheet

Those we spoke with said there have been a number of fits and starts when it comes to returning employees to the workplace. Most were ready to start the process last spring or last fall, but Delta and then Omicron ultimately pushed back those timetables.

Now, most are looking at later this month or early next month as a return date, although it appears the vast majority of workers will still be working remotely at least a few days a week.

At Health New England, Sarah Morgan, director of Human Resources and Organizational Development, said all but a handful of the company’s 385 employees are currently working remotely, and there is no set date for a return. As for a plan, it involves being flexible, giving employees an opportunity to “volunteer” to return if they should desire to do so and if the conditions with regard to the pandemic warrant such a return.

For many reasons, she said, returning everyone to the office full-time — essentially turning back the clock to early March 2020 — is not practical. For starters, even with COVID subsiding in many respects, the company is no rush for a return to pre-pandemic density levels in its office space in Monarch Place. But over the past two years, employees have shown they can effectively work remotely, she went on, which more than justifies flexible or hybrid work schedules.

“Our associates have proven that they’re capable of working remotely for quite some time; they’re meeting the standards and expectations and doing very, very well,” she told BusinessWest. “They’re meeting all the needs of our members, and so we’ve said that people like to work at home, we understand that, and we’re going to enable a certain amount of flexibility within teams and a hybrid approach.”

Like others, she said such flexibility is becoming ever-more critical when it comes to attracting and retaining employees, but also widening the pool of talent to include those from other regions of the country.

“We recognize that flexibility around remote work and hybrid work schedules is a way to honor the needs of people,” she said, using that word ‘needs’ in reference to everything from family matters to physical disabilities. “We’re seeing more people ask for that flexibility when they apply.”

And at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which employs roughly 150 people, 100 at the Agawam Corporate Center, there will be similar amounts of flexibility, said Jennifer Murphy, director of Human Resources, adding that the employees now working remotely, and that’s most of them, are slated to return in a hybrid format on April 4.

“Part of our new flexible-work policy involves a hybrid work model; when we return, people will be required to work 60% of the time in the office,” Murphy said, adding that this plan of action has been generally well-received by employees. Overall, it represents acknowledgement of both the emergence of remote work as being popular and effective and the importance of face-to-face interaction when it comes to office culture.

“What COVID has taught us is that, given the nature of our work, we can operate our business successfully remotely,” she explained. “But we also feel it’s important for our culture that we work together and collaborate together; there’s real value in those face-to-face interactions. Overall, we’re trying to balance the value and importance of in-person work and collaboration with employees’ desire to also have that flexibility to work remotely.”

Jennifer Murphy

Jennifer Murphy says the 100 employees working at the offices of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation will be returning on April 4 and working hybrid schedules.

At Cambridge Credit Counseling, Viale said his plan to bring employees back to a hybrid schedule was greeted with a generally positive response. Overall, he’s not expecting the same when it comes to his plans to bring all or most employees (there will be exceptions for health considerations and other factors) back full-time.

Elaborating, and echoing Morales-Lemieux’s comments, he said that, as the months went by, employees became increasingly comfortable with working remotely, and increasingly uncomfortable with the thought of returning to the office.

But after weighing all the factors, including that seven-year lease on a significantly larger footprint and other considerations, he decided that bringing everyone back is the best course. But, as noted earlier, he will listen, and he may be open to changing his plans.

And what may be a deciding factor in his ultimate decision is his ability to maintain his workforce.

“What’s really challenging is just finding people to work,” he said. “I just heard an ad coming in to work this morning that Target is hiring people for $24 an hour; our starting wage is between $16 and $18 an hour.”

At Ware-based Country Bank, most all employees have been back to the office since last fall, said Miriam Siegel, first senior vice president and chief culture officer for the institution, adding that she believes that the bank is among the first, if not the first, business of its kind to put a flexible work policy in place.

The employees who have returned are working three days in the office and two remotely, she said, adding that the new policy, or strategy, is not the result of COVID, necessarily, but rather recognition that times and needs are changing, and flexible schedules are the logical, responsible response to the current landscape.

“One of the big things we’ve learned at the bank is that we have to recognize that we don’t live in a one-size-fits-all working world anymore,” she said. “That has become our mantra in many ways.”

Elaborating, she said the pandemic helped drive home the need to communicate with employees, have them articulate their challenges and needs, and then work with them to the extent possible to accommodate those needs.

“What COVID has taught us is that, given the nature of our work, we can operate our business successfully remotely. But we also feel it’s important for our culture that we work together and collaborate together; there’s real value in those face-to-face interactions.”

This is the right thing to do, Siegel said, but it’s also what many companies are willing to do, which is critical during what could only be called an ongoing workforce crisis.

“When you couple this remote-work situation with the Great Resignation, shifting priorities, and our challenge to retain people … we need to be listening to our employees and accommodate them when we can,” she said. “Because they’ll very quickly go somewhere else right now.”

At Baystate, as Morales-Lemieux noted, efforts to bring back — to the extent they are coming back — those 4,000 employees who left for home two years ago have been underway for some time.

There is now an organization-wide communication plan and strategy that will be launched in early April, she said, adding that there are still 3,000 people working “completely or largely” remotely.

 

Bottom Line

At all the workplaces we talked with, the new policies and strategies are in place for what would be called the time being.

Indeed, each company said it reserved to right to re-evaluate and change what is in place, depending on how things work out.

“The program we put in place — we keep the option open to revise or revoke if we don’t see good results,” Moriarty said. “But so far, so good.”

Murphy concurred. “When we initiated this policy and rolled it out, we said we would try it for one year and see how it works, and that we reserve the right to revisit it,” she said, adding that, while there is general confidence that this strategy will succeed given what’s happened over the past two years, it is still, on some levels, an experiment.

But overall, she’s not expecting many changes to the new policies — or to the current landscape in the workplace, for that matter.

“Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see the trend turning back to fully in-person work for most people, especially those who work at a computer all day,” she said. “We’ve shown that that the remote model works; I think it’s here to stay.”

Morgan agreed. “We’re trending in that direction; HR professionals are talking about the trends, and the ‘new normal,’ and what will be the future of work,” she explained. “For so many reasons, we’re engaging in work in a different way; we’re fitting it into our lives in a different way than we could if we had a 30-minute commute to the office — and we’re finding that we can be even more productive.”

Those sentiments are among the many that make it clear that work has changed over the past two years — and probably changed forever.

And this will make the much-anticipated Great Return something to watch.

 

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

Home-improvement Contractors Stay Busy Despite Challenges

By Contributor
Infinity Construction Corp.
Home Improvement Special Coverage

Space Race

Infinity Construction Corp.

Infinity Construction Corp. has stayed busy with excavation and site-preparation work.

The past two years have been challenging for most sectors of the economy, and home improvement is no exception, beset as it has been with material shortages and soaring costs. But customer demand has certainly been a positive story, as people suddenly spending more time in their homes found plenty of reasons to call a contractor. Now, however, with inflation not receding and the economy still in flux, the question is whether those phones will continue to ring with such regularity.

By Mark Morris

 

Two years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic and a sudden shift to remote work drove people across the country into their homes, and they didn’t always like what they saw. So, instead of spending money on vacations or luxury items, many people chose to address long-ignored projects around the house. It was a good year for the home-improvement industry.

“Because so many people were working from home, they decided to tackle problems instead of continuing to put them off,” said Ger Ronan, president of Yankee Home Improvement in Chicopee. “The pandemic definitely changed people’s buying patterns.”

The problem today is that those patterns have continued, and in some cases, customers have had to wait for their contractor to start catching up on all the work they scheduled — while professionals are still dealing with price hikes and material shortages caused by global supply-chain issues.

“Because so many people were working from home, they decided to tackle problems instead of continuing to put them off. The pandemic definitely changed people’s buying patterns.”

Siervo Jimenez, owner of ProBuilders Home Improvement (ProBHI) in Springfield, said some of his current customers first called when the pandemic started. “We’re still finishing the projects we received from that time.”

As area contractors told BusinessWest, the projects homeowners have been asking about run the gamut from flooring and bathrooms to whole additions. “People have told us the housing market is so expensive right now, they want to make their house bigger instead of buying a new one,” Jimenez said.

Early in the pandemic, there was a time when people were nervous about having outside workers in their homes. Jake Levine, design associate with Advanced Rug and Flooring Center, said this phenomenon caused orders to decline for a time in 2020 — but it didn’t last long.

“We’ve come full circle, and now the phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” he said, noting that the most popular flooring these days is luxury vinyl planks (LVP), which click together and look like hardwood floors.

Ger Ronan says his company has avoided some supply-chain issues

Ger Ronan says his company has avoided some supply-chain issues by anticipating shortages and buying a considerable amount of materials in advance.

For the last two years, weather has taken a toll on Western Mass., as the amount of rain each year has increased. Fixing drainage issues for homeowners has been a big part of Kyle Rosa’s recent activity. Rosa owns Infinity Construction Corp., which handles commercial and residential site development.

“People who have been living in the same home for 20 to 30 years were suddenly finding leaks from the basement floor and concrete walls cracking from moisture,” he said. “That’s been the number-one problem we’ve been helping people solve.”

The most popular improvement project for Ronan involves people getting rid of their bathtub for a dedicated shower installation. While that’s been a strong trend for retired and older homeowners, Ronan said they are not his only customers.

“I’ve been seeing people make more practical choices. We’re seeing projects where the emphasis is less on making it beautiful and more on what’s practical.”

“Our younger customers are doing shower conversions because they just aren’t using their tubs,” he explained. “For many people, the idea of sitting and lounging in a bath just isn’t as popular as it once was.”

Ronan was able to get around some of the supply-chain issues because his production manager anticipated there might be shortages last year and ordered a considerable amount of tub and shower materials to have on hand at the warehouse.

“When most people had to wait three to six months for a shower conversion, we could do the job within a week,” he said. “We were able to circumvent many of the supply-chain issues because we had materials in stock.”

 

Life Improvements

Sometimes a simple home improvement can change someone’s life. When the child of one of Yankee Home Improvement’s construction managers suffered a paralyzing accident, the old shower and tub set up at his home was no longer feasible. Before Ronan could even offer, his crews came to him with a plan to help the family.

Siervo Jimenez

Siervo Jimenez says the cost of new homes has caused many homeowners to invest in additions instead.

“On their own time, our crews jumped into action and converted the bathroom to make it easier for the child to shower,” he said. “I encouraged them to take whatever materials they needed, and in short order, they got rid of the tub and installed a shower setup that would accommodate a wheelchair.”

Like many contractors, Ronan admits that finding replacement windows has been tough. He will work only with vendors who can assure they have stock, and that’s what he offers to customers.

“I will only market products that I can get,” he said. “If there is a long wait list for a product, I won’t offer it because I don’t want to inflict that on the homeowner.”

Jimenez uses a similar strategy of stocking up when items are available. When prices dropped a while back on electrical outlet boxes used for plugs and light switches, he bought them in bulk.

“These are now hard to find, and when you can, they cost two or three times more than before,” he said, adding that every cost savings makes a difference when bidding for new work. “If you have to keep increasing your estimates from project to project, you might lose out on jobs because your prices are too high.”

Not surprisingly, hardwood floors became much more expensive when lumber prices everywhere increased. While the supply of the popular LVP flooring has been steady, so are price hikes, with manufacturers increasing prices 20% to 30% in the past year.

“As a result, traditional laminate flooring is making a comeback,” Levine said. “It has remained affordable as an option that hasn’t gone up 30%.” Laminate floors are known for their durability but are prone to water damage, making them a poor choice in kitchens and bathrooms.

Ceramic flooring is one product in short supply. Levine said consumers who want the durable floor are faced with limited choices. “Many of these companies are still running at half capacity, so they are producing their most popular selections, and that’s all.”

Rising inflation on everything in the economy is causing a shift in customer attitudes when they sign up for a home improvement.

“I’ve been seeing people make more practical choices,” Ronan said. “We’re seeing projects where the emphasis is less on making it beautiful and more on what’s practical.”

“These days. I’m definitely seeing more people who are careful about spending their money.”

Rosa noted that his customers have stopped asking for add-ons. “Back when people were receiving stimulus checks, they wanted esthetic projects like retaining walls, and they would often request an extra project like hydroseeding their lawn. Now that things are getting tight, lots of people are pulling back on the extras, and I get it.”

Levine believes there are two types of customers, those who watch what they are spending and those who get what they want, no matter the price.

“These days,” he said, “I’m definitely seeing more people who are careful about spending their money.”

 

Up and Down

Jimenez and his crews continue to stay busy with projects from their current customers, but lately his phone is ringing less. “I have seen a decrease in calls coming from new customers,” he noted.

While he expects the commercial side of his business to remain busy, Rosa predicts that high prices will cause a slowdown in residential work as consumers delay home improvements such as re-grading their yards.

Sometimes, however, when one side of the business decreases, the other increases. Rosa may be doing less work at older homes, but he has been preparing building sites for new homes “like they are going out of style” and does not see that trend slowing down anytime soon. He believes the high prices of established homes are making new construction more desirable.

“New houses are selling before they even hit the market,” he said. “In fact, people are making offers to buy the homes we’re building while we are still on the job site.”

Overall, even in this up-and-down business environment in many sectors of the economy, home-improvement contractors remain busy and always on the lookout for what will drive new business.

“We follow the market trends,” Ronan said — however unexpectedly they may shift.

These New Laws and Recent Cases Should Be on Your Radar

By Contributor
Law Special Coverage

An Employment-law Roundup

By Marylou Fabbo, Esq. and John S. Gannon, Esq.

Here is a quick review of a noteworthy new employment law that was signed by President Biden earlier this month, along with a summary of two significant cases that impact businesses in Massachusetts and beyond.

 

Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act

On March 4, the president signed a new law that will prohibit agreements between employees and their employers that required them to settle sexual-harassment disputes by arbitration. For those who do not know, an arbitration agreement requires the people who signed the agreement to resolve any disputes by binding arbitration, rather than in court in front of a judge and jury. Employers often require employees to sign arbitration agreements at the beginning of their employment, but will no longer be able to enforce these agreements if an employee alleges they were sexually harassed.

Marylou Fabbo

Marylou Fabbo

John Gannon

John Gannon

“Forced arbitration silences survivors of sexual assault and harassment,” Vice President Kamala Harris said about the new law. “It shields predators instead of holding them accountable and gives corporations a powerful tool to hide abuse and misconduct.”

The law applies retroactively, meaning it applies to agreements signed before March 4. This means employers should revise old arbitration agreements to remove references to sexual-harassment claims. The new law does not impact cases that are already in arbitration, nor does it prohibit mandatory arbitration agreements in employment disputes that do not involve sexual-harassment allegations, such as race- or religious-discrimination claims, or disputes over payments of wages.

 

U.S. Supreme Court Decision Blocking Vaccine Directives

As many readers are likely aware, earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Biden administration in the back-and-forth legal battle over the OSHA ‘shot-or-test’ rule that required larger employers to put policies and procedures in place to ensure employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing.

Does that mean employers do not have to worry about taking steps to protect workers against COVID? Absolutely not. Although OSHA announced it was withdrawing the shot-or-test rule in light of the Supreme Court’s decision, OSHA “strongly encourages vaccination of workers against the continuing dangers posed by COVID-19 in the workplace.” The agency also announced it will continue its COVID enforcement efforts through the “general duty clause,” which is a catch-all provision that allows OSHA to cite employers for failing to provide a work environment free from recognized hazards.

In order to protect against citations and fines from OSHA, employers should implement workplace-safety policies aimed at stopping the spread of COVID. This includes masking requirements consistent with CDC guidance and protocols that require employees to notify their employer immediately if they test positive for COVID. Finally, if employers want to mandate that employees get vaccinated and boosted, that is perfectly fine, as long as exceptions are made for employees who cannot get vaccinated for medical or religious reasons.

 

In Massachusetts, New Employee Protection Against Retaliation

Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled that employees who contradict negative information in their personnel files may be protected against unlawful retaliation. The case stems from an employee who disagreed with his supervisor’s assessment of his performance issues, so he wrote a lengthy rebuttal to be included in his personnel file. The very same day, he was fired. The employee sued, claiming he was wrongfully discharged for writing a rebuttal to negative comments in his personnel file.

Like the employee in this case, most employees in Massachusetts are employed at will, which means they can be terminated for any reason (or no reason) as long as the reason does not violate a statute or other established rule of law, such as laws against discrimination. Prior to this recent case, the SJC had recognized a few narrow exceptions to this general rule based on certain public-policy interests, including the assertion of a legally guaranteed right. Under Massachusetts’ Personnel Records Law, employees have the legal right to respond in writing.

While the SJC has been reluctant to limit employment at will, it concluded that the right to rebut negative information in a personnel file is of considerable public importance. It relates not just to someone’s current employment, but also their ability to seek other employment. It assists potential employers in making informed hiring decisions, “thereby preventing terminated employees from becoming public charges.” In the SJC’s view, having a complete personnel file — reflecting both sides of an issue — also facilitates the evaluation of an employer’s compliance with the Commonwealth’s many other employment laws, including those that require timely payment of wages and forbid discrimination in the workplace.

This decision recognizes a new legal claim that a terminated employee can bring in court against their former employer. Obviously, this creates a new source of potential liability for employers. But it also creates a new source of protection for employees, and as a result, it may incentivize employees to exercise their right to file rebuttals more often, especially when their performance has been poor or they have other reasons to suspect that their employment is not secure. This makes it all the more important for employers to be diligent about performance management, as creating a documented record of performance problems (and efforts to address them) before pulling the trigger on termination is the best way to defend against any wrongful-termination claim.

 

Marylou Fabbo and John Gannon are attorneys at Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. in Springfield; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]; [email protected]

Bay Path’s Women’s Leadership Conference Makes Its Return April 1

By
Special Coverage Women in Businesss

Reimagine the Possibilities

 

In many respects, the Bay Path University Women’s Leadership Conference that will unfold on April 1 at the MassMutual Center is the same one that was put together for early spring 2020 and then canceled by COVID-19 — and then canceled again amid a surge in early 2021.

Indeed, most all the speakers, including keynoter Tyra Banks, the model and media maven, are the same as those originally scheduled probably 30 months ago.

But the day-long event, expected to bring more than 1,300 people to downtown Springfield, simply can’t be the same as the one blueprinted back in 2019, said Sandra Doran, the school’s sixth president, who took the helm just a few months after the 2020 event was canceled.

And that’s because the world has changed so much in the interim, she told BusinessWest, and the conference needs to reflect that.

“Before the pandemic, people talked about being adaptive, they talked about thinking outside the box; the pandemic has changed the way people think about all those things,” said Doran, adding that the changed landscape, and the response to it, is reflected in the new theme for the conference: Reimagine. “What was considered adaptive two years ago is now considered routine today. This concept of really being prepared, with a plan A and a plan B … in the past, we might have had a couple of different strategies; now we have 10 different strategies because we know people’s needs are changing, the needs of employers are changing.”

“Before the pandemic, people talked about being adaptive, they talked about thinking outside the box; the pandemic has changed the way people think about all those things.”

Karen Woods, assistant vice president of Brand Strategy, Marketing, and Integrated Communications at Bay Path, agreed.

The original theme was ‘Own Your Now,’ she explained. “The idea was, ‘wherever you are in your life … own it, move forward, make decisions, and decide what’s next.’ But the pandemic changed a lot for people, so to ask people to ‘own their now’ seemed trite; the past two years not only affected the Women’s Leadership Conference, they affected women.

“And so this year, we have the theme of ‘Reimagine,’ and reimagine is really a gift,” she went on. “Because no matter where you are and what you’ve been through, you have this opportunity to come together, to network, to connect, to be with other women, and really start to think about what is the future, not just for you as an individual, but for our community.”

Sandra Doran, president of Bay Path University

Sandra Doran, president of Bay Path University

That theme, ‘Reimagine,’ will be threaded through a full day of programming that will include Banks’s keynote address at 3:15 p.m.; a luncheon talk featuring Patrice Banks, founder of Girls Auto Clinic; and the morning keynote, featuring Suzy Batiz, founder of Poo~Pourri and supernatural (more on them later). And it will also be incorporated into a series of break-in sessions, with titles ranging from “The Misfit’s Guide to Managing, Surviving, and Thriving at Work” to “Staying Sane with Disruptive Personalities in the Workplace.”

 

Face to Face

The return of the Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC), especially in its in-person format, is an important development for the region, said Doran, noting that, during its 25-year history, it has not only brought provocative speakers and historic figures to Springfield — a list that includes Margaret Thatcher, Madeline Albright, Rita Moreno, and many others — it has given attendees invaluable insight to bring back to their homes and offices.

Doran told BusinessWest that, while some thought had been given over the past two years to staging a WLC remotely, it was quickly determined that such a presentation would simply not be in keeping with the many goals — and expectations — for this conference, which has become a tradition in Western Mass.

“We made the decision that this was an event that was really focused on professional development, networking, and helping senior leaders in the grow,” she explained. “And the real power of this particular conference is in the face-to-face component of it.”

As organizers of the event saw COVID easing, with cases declining across the country, the decision was made to move forward with a live event, one that will have some restrictions, including proof of vaccine or a negative test to enter the MassMutual Center, as well as masking up when not eating or drinking.

Woods said ticket sales have been brisk, and a turnout similar to what has been the norm over the past several years is expected.

“We’ve been following the trends and the local, state, and federal guidelines,” she said. “Normally, we would start our advertising in the fall, and we were really looking at this spring. In speaking with our sponsors, exhibitors, and those buying tickets, we sense that people are feeling comfortable and ready to come back out for a gathering like this.”

As noted earlier, the overall lineup of speakers for the 25th WLC hasn’t changed since that event was originally blueprinted in 2019. But what has changed are the times, and some of the challenges being faced by women — and all those in the workforce.

And the speakers have been asked to reflect on what has transpired and incorporate these changes and mounting challenges into their presentations, said Doran, noting that the 25th WLC, like those before it, will leave attendees with plenty to think about as they consider how to reimagine their own lives and careers.

Indeed, the three keynoters are all successful entrepreneurs and innovators, who took decidedly different paths to success.

“Before the pandemic, people talked about being adaptive, they talked about thinking outside the box; the pandemic has changed the way people think about all those things.”

The day will start with what promises to be an inspirational, and entertaining talk by Batiz, founder of Poo~Pourri and supernatural, brands she has transformed into a more than $500 million business empire.

Featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur, Batiz has been named one of Forbes’s “Richest Self Made Women in America” (2019) and EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year (2017). But to get there, she had to overcome some of life’s lowest lows — poverty, sexual abuse, depression, two bankruptcies, and a suicide attempt — which led to what she calls “the luxury of losing everything.”

The luncheon keynote speaker, Patrice Banks, is credited with opening up the male-dominated automotive industry and bringing a fresh perspective to that business. Girls Auto Clinic offers automotive buying and repair resources, services, and products by women to women. Prior to establishing GAC, she worked for more than 12 years as an engineer, manager, and leader at DuPont, a science and technology company.

Karen Woods

Karen Woods says the conference was rethemed from the one canceled two years ago to better reflect pandemic realities.

Frustrated with the lack of resources educating women on car care and her inability to find a female mechanic in the Philadelphia area, Banks enrolled in automotive- technology school to learn how to work on cars. Her mission with Girls Auto Clinic was to create a place she wanted to bring her car for repair and maintenance. She has since made it her mission to educate and empower women through their cars.

By telling her story, she continues to make history, through engaging talks, interactive workshops, authoring an informative car-care guide, and the successful running of a repair garage with female mechanics and a nail salon.

The day’s programing will conclude with a keynote talk by Tyra Banks, the supermodel who has become a serial entrepreneur as well. She created and executive produces America’s Next Top Model, has an Emmy Award-winning talk show (The Tyra Banks Show), hosted America’s Got Talent, and is consistently ranked by Time magazine as one of the world’s most influential people.

Banks is CEO of the Tyra Banks Company, a multi-faceted corporation focused on beauty and entertainment. In 2012, she graduated from the Owner/President Management program at Harvard Business School, from which she created her one-of-a-kind cosmetics experience, TYRA Beauty. She recently developed Fierce Capital, the investment arm of the Tyra Banks Company, which invests in early-stage companies, including firms that are female-led or female-focused.

Her passion is the TZONE Foundation, a nonprofit organization that invests in young women to help them realize their ambitions and approach life’s challenges with fierce determination. The TZONE now takes residence at the Lower Eastside Girls Club Center for Community in New York City and focuses on five core pillars: entrepreneurship; financial literacy; elocution and self-presentation; health and wellness; and self-esteem, beauty, and body image.

 

Breaking Out

As noted earlier, the conference will also feature a number of breakout sessions designed to both inform and inspire.

Session 1 takes the title “The Misfit’s Guide to Managing, Surviving, and Thriving at Work,” and will be led by Jennifer Romolini, a writer, speaker, senior digital-media strategist, and author of the book Weird in a World That’s Not: A Career Guide for Misfits.”

She will essentially debunk the theory that office-politicking extroverts are best set up for success. The session will help attendees understand, among other things, how to stop feeling like a freak at work, how to start using one’s misfit nature as a strength in the workplace, and how one’s sensitivity and empathy can make her a boss who not only succeeds, but effects real change.

Session 2 is called “The Power of Meaning: Making Your Life, Work, and Relationships Matter,” and will be led by Emily Esfahani-Smith, author of the book The Power of Meaning, which outlines four pillars essential to living a life that matters: belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling.

In this breakout session, Smith will present the latest in psychology and neuroscience (as well as the wisdom of great philosophers) to help attendees live more satisfying lives, and focus in on those four pillars.

“We made the decision that this was an event that was really focused on professional development, networking, and helping senior leaders in the grow. And the real power of this particular conference is in the face-to-face component of it.”

Session 3, titled “The Real Role of Gut Instinct in Managing Complexity and Extreme Risk,” will be led by Laura Huang, a professor at the Harvard Business School and author of the book EDGE.

In her talk, Huang will discuss her research on decision-making in organizations and why the question shouldn’t be about data-driven decisions versus gut-feel-based decisions. Instead, effective organizational outcomes are the result of understanding the set of rules that are inherent in any complex decision, which dictates whether more data actually helps us make better decisions. Bringing her diverse work and research background (having conducted dozens of interviews with investors and observing pitch meetings with entrepreneurs) to analyzing the role of gut instinct in making choices, Huang developed an in-depth understanding vital role that gut feel plays in managing complexity and risk — and the difference between big wins and playing it safe.

Session 4 is titled “Staying Sane with Disruptive Personalities in the Workplace,” and will be presented by Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a licensed clinical psychologist in Los Angeles and professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. In 2019, her book, titled Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility, was released. She is also the author of the modern relationship survival manual Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With a Narcissist, and You Are WHY You Eat: Change Your Food Attitude, Change Your Life.

Session objectives include understanding what a disruptive personality style looks like and how it may affect oneself; learning how to manage disruptive personalities in the workplace, and what works (and doesn’t work); understanding how systems and people enable disruptive personalities in the workplace, and becoming familiar with a 10-step plan designed to provide the tools to manage disruptive personalities.

For more information on the conference, visit www.baypath.edu/events-calendar/womens-leadership-conference.

 

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

For Architects, It’s a Time for Being Flexible, Opportunistic

By Contributor
River Valley Co-op
Architecture Special Coverage

Building Momentum

By Mark Morris

River Valley Co-op

The outdoor seating area at River Valley Co-op before it opened last spring.

Curtis Edgin says his business is all about flexibility and constantly making adjustments. This is the case when times are ‘normal,’ he noting, adding that the pandemic and its many side-effects have only added new dimensions to this equation.

Edgin is a principal at Caolo & Bieniek Associates architecture firm in Springfield, and he appreciates that his firm has stayed busy for the last two years, a time when adjusting and remaining flexible became the norm for everyone, not just architects.

“We were fortunate to have a backlog going into the pandemic; because projects were at different phases, we’ve continued to stay busy throughout,” said Edgin said, noting that municipal projects such as schools, libraries and public safety facilities make up more than two-thirds of Caolo & Bieniek’s portfolio.

Much of the design work handled by Kuhn Riddle Architects in Amherst involves colleges and universities. When campuses switched to online learning during the height of the pandemic, they also put many of their building projects on pause, said Aelan Tierney, president of Kuhn Riddle, adding that this began to change this past fall and her firm has been extremely busy since then.

“Colleges felt more confident about the future in terms of bringing students back to campus, so all the on-hold projects came back to life,” she told BusinessWest. “It’s been a complete turnaround from where we were in 2020.”

Meanwhile, it was two years ago that daily headlines generated speculation about if and how area restaurants, pummeled by the pandemic and draconian restrictions, would survive. They have survived — and many are thriving — by adapting to changing times, said Thomas Douglas, principal of Thomas Douglas Architects in Northampton, a firm that specializes in the restaurant and hospitality sectors.

Kuhn Riddle Architects President Aelan Tierney

Kuhn Riddle Architects President Aelan Tierney

“Our restaurateur clients put their focus on refiguring their spaces with less seating and shifted to a different type of service model geared more toward takeout,” said Douglas, adding that these adjustments kept this sector — and his firm — busy at a time when such vibrancy seemed unlikely.

Together these stories convey a time of challenge and opportunity for area architecture firms — a time when some projects were scrapped or delayed, but when others came onto and then off the drawing board as different types of clients adjusted to what the pandemic brought to their doorsteps.

And for many, what it brought was a pressing need to improve the air circulation.

Indeed, design plans for the River Valley Co-op in Easthampton were drawn up long before COVID was on anyone’s radar, said Douglas. From its inception, the plan was for the co-op to run nearly net zero, with most of its heating and air conditioning provided by an array of solar panels covering a large portion of the parking lot. With much of the actual construction of River Valley occurring during the height of the pandemic, he noted that the firm made several changes on the fly. The original plan called for a grab-and-go food area that was nixed after contemplating the idea of people touching food in an open area. At the same time, air quality, took on a new urgency.

“In the middle of the project we needed to shift gears and upgrade the HVAC system with more-robust filtering capacities,” Douglas said. “We made these changes to better address the effects of the pandemic.”

The pandemic has brought other changes and adjustments, especially when it comes to needed materials, said those we spoke with, adding that supply chain shortages combined with steady price hikes for building materials and mechanical equipment have become a constant challenge.

Because architects plan projects that won’t break ground until months later, figuring out what materials will be available and what they will cost has become a big ongoing concern. Tierney said right now mechanical equipment such as generators are delayed up to 12 months before they are available.

“It’s very unsettling for clients and contractors to not know how long it will take to do a project,” Tierney said. “No one feels confident about cost estimates that are put together today because you don’t know if they will be relevant in three to six months when you actually start construction.”

“Any new project plan has to evaluate how it will impact the environment.”

For this issue and its focus on architecture and engineering, BusinessWest talked with several area architects about the many ways the pandemic has impacted business — and how this sector has responded as it always has, by making adjustments and positioning itself effectively for the day when the storm clouds move out.

 

Blueprint for Success

It’s called a ‘Zoom booth’ — by some people, anyway.

Like the name suggests, it’s a small space, like a phone booth, only instead of phone calls, it’s for the Zoom meetings that have now become part of day-today life in the modern workplace.

“It’s a place where someone in an open office setting can pop into a quieter space to take part in a remote online meeting,” said Tierney, adding that while her firm has included such spaces in many of its plans, it has also converted several conference rooms to accommodate meetings where some people attend in-person while others take part virtually.

Curtis Edgin (left) and James Hanifan

Curtis Edgin (left) and James Hanifan say the pandemic has thrown extra layers of complexity into renovations, particularly with HVAC.

Zoom booths and altered conference rooms would be among the more subtle changes to the landscape resulting from the pandemic, said those we spoke with, adding that the more dramatic adjustments, as noted, involve air flow and a recognized need to improve it.

And the amount of work — and redesign — needed generally depends on the age and condition of the building.

Indeed, unlike making a design change in new construction, planning a retrofit with existing buildings brings another level of challenge, said Edgin, citing, as one example, a school client looking to replace its old rooftop heating unit with an upgraded unit that would add cooling to the system.

“First we look at structural considerations, such as whether the building support the new unit if it weighs more than the old one,” Edgin said.

The next step according to James Hanifan, also a principal at Caolo & Bieniek, concerns the duct work in the building.

“Many older facilities don’t have the ventilation systems that are required by today’s building codes,” he explained, adding that older buildings often depend on operational windows for ventilation which cannot be relied on in cold weather and can invite mold into the building during rainy times of the year.

Schools may opt to purchase stand-alone air filtering units to install in every classroom but that can be complicated, too.

“Sometimes they find out the electrical system can’t support all that additional equipment,” said Hanifan. “Now they’ve got a different issue.”

Recent funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) has certainly helped municipalities in budgeting for these projects. Edgin anticipated that many will use their ARPA funds for improved HVAC and energy projects in their schools and other public buildings.

Overall, energy efficiency and sustainability are built into architecture plans. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is one standard that has provided what Tierney called a great baseline for architects when considering sustainability standards.

Last year Gov. Charlie Baker signed Executive Order 594 which requires all state buildings to meet strict energy efficiency and emission standards going forward.

“Any new project plan has to evaluate how it will impact the environment,” Tierney said. “The goal is to reach carbon-neutral and net-zero emissions by 2050.” Independently, organizations are increasingly focused on reducing energy consumption and on the types of materials they use when constructing their buildings.

“It’s great to see Massachusetts as one of the strongest states in terms of energy code,” Tierney said. “They are aggressively increasing energy requirements every three years when they update state building codes, which is fantastic.”

Thomas Douglas

Thomas Douglas says River Valley Co-op had a strong emphasis on sustainability from the start.

While the River Valley Co-op had a strong emphasis on sustainability from its inception, Douglas suggested a creative addition to the plan that maintained the spirit of the project.

“My first college degree was in landscape architecture, so I worked with the coop to create a large outdoor patio that has a view of Mt. Tom,” Douglas said. With easy access from inside the building as well as outside, the layout can also accommodate a food truck next to the patio.

“We wanted to create a vibrant, exciting, and yet cozy outdoor atmosphere for the patio.”

 

Drawing on Experience

Meanwhile, both public and private spaces are being adjusted to provide employees and visitors with larger and, in many ways, different spaces.

Indeed, a few years ago, companies had begun planning office layouts that were open and airy to encourage more collaborative workspaces. The arrival of COVID caused a change to some of those plans.

“After designing for an open-office concept, the pandemic came along, and we had clients who wanted to go back to individual cubicles,” Edgin said.

Kuhn Riddle is still creating collaborative areas, while at the same time staying conscious about air exchange and filtration.

“As we begin opening back up and taking off our masks people remain concerned about air quality,” Tierney said. “The last two years have definitely influenced how we think about design.”

When the Westfield Boys and Girls Club was planning a childcare wing, it increased the size of the project from 11,000 to 15,000 square feet because the state had increased minimum space standards per child from 35 to 42 square feet after COVID hit, said Tierney, adding that her firm was brought in as the schematic design architect to work on this part of the project with Chris Carey, the architect of record on the building expansion.

“We don’t know if the state will ever go back to a smaller square-foot-per-child standard, but we wanted to be ready in the future for another pandemic or other event that requires keeping children spaced apart,” she explained.

Add to these challenges and adjustments the ongoing supply-chain issues and escalating prices of materials, which together bring new levels of complexity — and stress — to designing projects and seeing them to completion

As part of a dormitory renovation at Elms College, Hanifan was planning for a certain type of carpet only to be told that, if it even gets produced (and that’s a big if), there will be a 16-24 week lead time. He has already begun adjusting the plan because the project must be completed before the fall semester in September.

“We will look at other colors and if we can’t get those, we will have to look at other manufacturers.”

This constant uncertainty often puts his municipal clients in a tough spot.

“No one wants to hear that prices have spiked and everyone knows prices don’t tend to go down,” Hanifan said. “So, there is a lot of indecision on whether to go ahead with the project or wait to see if prices come back down at some point.”

While supply chain delays and rising costs are still part of daily life, a sense of optimism creeps in as the weather becomes warmer and COVID mandates get relaxed.

“It’s been a tough couple of years, but I think we’ve turned the corner,” Tierney said.

Hanifan acknowledged that in the immediate short-term, supply chain issues will continue because manufacturers are under pressure to get materials out as fast as they can.

“Eventually they will be able to re-stock and fill their warehouses once again,” Hanifan said. “It may be a few years out but I’m optimistic it will happen.”

All it takes is remaining flexible and making adjustments when necessary.

IT Firms Help Clients Navigate an Increasingly Complex Landscape

By
Technology

All Systems Go

 

 

One of the surprises of the pandemic’s early days was how quickly companies of all kinds were able to move their workers to remote, home-based setups. Much of the credit for that goes to the IT teams who helped them achieve that transition quickly. It’s just one way IT firms help clients navigate changes in technology, defend against constantly evolving cyberthreats, and make regular assessments of what a business needs to be efficient and effective.

 

 

It can start with a cyber breach. Or questions from an insurance company. Or a business simply realizing it needs a hand with its technology.

“Different clients call for different assessments,” said Joel Mollison, president of Northeast IT in West Springfield. “They might say, ‘we don’t know where we are with our technology,’ or maybe they have an outsourced IT department, but they’re having an ongoing issue, which triggers a call. ‘What are we doing right, what are we doing wrong?’ They want a second set of eyes on something.”

What they often find, he added, is “they don’t know what they don’t know,” and the conversation turns to this: what is the desired IT outcome?

“Every client is obviously unique,” Mollison said. “We want to work with them and understand how their business operates. We’re just an extension of their business. Our solutions need to be in line with their technology and business goals. So normally, when we work with a new business, we assess what they have currently and discuss what kind of issues they may be having or sticking points — maybe they’re not able to conduct business as fast as they would like, or their technology doesn’t work for them.”

“We’re just an extension of their business. Our solutions need to be in line with their technology and business goals.”

Or, these days, they have questions about maintaining and securing remote-work connections. Whatever the case, the high-tech side of the business world isn’t getting less complicated, highlighting the role that IT firms play for their clients.

“The goal for us is to act like your internal IT department,” said Jeremiah Beaudry, president of Bloo Solutions in Chicopee, and that means learning the ins and outs of a client’s business and how it uses hardware and software, so Bloo can make holistic recommendations about its technology needs.

Jeremiah Beaudry

Jeremiah Beaudry says his goal is to act like a client’s internal IT department, in every facet that may entail.

“Every business is different, and their needs are different. They all serve their clients differently,” Beaudry added. “Not every solution is right for every business, so one-size-fits-all packages don’t really work. We also want to know what tools you’re using now: are there redundancies that overlap, or are there other tools that are more unified and give you a more collaborative, one-pane-of-glass solution?”

Sean Hogan, president of Hogan Technology in Easthampton, recently published a blog post citing a report that worldwide IT spending is projected to total $4.5 trillion in 2022, an increase of 5.5% from 2021.

“This is a monumental amount of growth which can likely be attributed to employers embracing work-from-home or hybrid-work environments, security concerns over cybersecurity breaches, and the world’s desire to utilize cloud technology,” he wrote. “For small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs), this means that they will have more access to enterprise-level technology solutions, which will empower them to drive productivity and increase their bottom line, if they position themselves properly.”

 

Serve and Protect

It all starts with the basics, Beaudry said, with security topping the list.

“What data do you have now? How are you securing data to keep it out of bad actors’ hands, while making it easy for employees to access it? Balancing access with security is the hardest part.”

For example, people may dislike retyping a password every time they wake their computer up from screen-saver mode, but there’s a reason for that vigilance. And because passwords need to be complex — and people generally use a lot of them — he stresses the use of a password vault. “We’re getting people to adopt them instead of leaving Post-It notes all over their desk, which is a pretty huge fail.”

Bloo is putting more emphasis on end-user access in general, he went on — teaching people how to spot phishing attempts and e-mails from bad actors, and knowing what files are safe to open and download, and which aren’t. “That was important before the pandemic, but once people started working remotely, it added on variables to the mix.”

Mollison said a lot of IT security-tightening measures are being driven by the insurance industry.

“They’ve clamped down on organizations, requiring you to fill out a lengthy statement of your current security. That’s a big thing that’s happening, so there’s been a lot of discussion around that. A lot of times, folks come to us — they get that questionnaire and don’t even know how to answer it. They have an internal IT person, but it’s not their day job, just a hat they wear. So a lot of times, they come to us to make sure their business insurance is going to cover them. Actually, I’ve heard from a few firms that are paying an additional premium because they don’t have basic security pieces in place.”

Besides security and maintaining the network, Northeast also works with clients on replacement cycles for hardware and technology updates. “When Windows 7 went away in January 2020, all our clients knew about it well in advance, and had years to prepare for it and make changes. Those are the types of things we’re continuously doing to put clients in the best position in regard to technology and compliance.”

All of this has become increasingly difficult for businesses to handle in house, he added. “There are so many pitfalls, so much change. It takes a team of experts who understand the technology, the security levels, who understand all the concepts and how they relate to a particular organization.”

Joel Mollison

Joel Mollison says helping clients navigate cybersecurity is part technology, part behavior training.

Some services deal with the human side of IT and cybersecurity, Mollison noted.

“We’ve done training sessions with clients to go over common phishing techniques and what to look for to distinguish whether an e-mail is credible or not. Obviously, we promote spam filters and other security measures, but we’ll still do a phishing campaign and training videos, making sure our end users are keeping up with what they may see in the real world. Even spam-filtering technologies are not foolproof — things still get through.”

Small businesses shouldn’t assume they’re not targets, Hogan wrote — quite the contrary, actually. “For most small businesses, their IT defense strategy is to simply hope they aren’t a target; however, as larger enterprises increase their spending and become tougher to break into, unprepared SMBs will unfortunately become an ideal target.”

Sean Hogan

Sean Hogan

“All of this increased IT spending is reflective of a world that is accelerating its migration into a fully digital world, when we thought things were already moving in that direction as fast as they could.”

Mollison said Northeast doesn’t conduct free assessments with potential clients because he wants companies to be committed to the process.

“We want to develop a relationship with an organization and be their outsourced IT department and provide these types of services and help them grow, and that starts with being invested in participating in their assessment,” he told BusinessWest. “I’ve seen a lot of boilerplate, free assessments from other IT firms, and there’s not much to it, and they don’t do much for the clients.”

 

From a Distance

The shift to remote work over the past two years kept IT firms busy, but the ease of transition varied, Beaudry said.

“Working remotely is so different for each business; some clients just use Microsoft Word and Office docs, and working remotely is a pretty easy-to-accomplish task, versus some companies, which have a line of business applications and complex software, and you have to set up secure, virtual private networks to allow employees to access them.”

Businesses that weren’t already set up to work remotely found challenges early on, but they soon adapted — as the still-ongoing work-from-home revolution has made obvious.

“Most of our clients already had the technological components to work remotely, so it wasn’t a big issue,” Mollison said. “Numerous insurance agencies were remote within 48 hours. It really wasn’t a big deal for most companies — it usually boiled down to licensing and multiple security steps and VPNs.”

Whether at a business site or remotely, Beaudry said Bloo handles a wide range of IT issues for clients, including supporting the servers, hardware, and software applications; creating file shares; managing the servers; and maintaining security measures and patches.

“It’s a constant process; you have to be vigilant with those things,” he said. “We’re also dealing with end-user issues — ‘oh, my app won’t run,’ or ‘this program is giving me an error.’ It’s a lot of stuff to deal with, and now that this all stuff going remote, it’s evolving — instead of monitoring hardware, we’re having to monitor the dashboards for multiple cloud servers and take a look at 100 or 200 alerts a month; do these alerts all need action? Is it just an informational alert, or is there a pattern of things happening constantly?

“We’re a managed service provider,” he went on, “which means we are proactively doing all these things just as if you had an internal IT department. If the user is constantly pushing the limits of performance of that machine, we can see that on our dashboard.”

Speaking of which, Beaudry makes sure hardware assessments happen on a regular basis, “but we do a good job monitoring these things proactively, so we can avoid too many surprises,” he said, thereby avoiding unexpected downtime and loss of productivity. “Those surprises are what cost you the most money.”

And the bottom line matters, Hogan said, which is why companies of all kinds are investing in IT to boost efficiency and protect their assets.

“IT spending has increased so dramatically because the pandemic forced decision makers to make their organizations more flexible. They’re starting to understand the increased potential that they have to become more efficient with the latest in technology,” he wrote. “All of this increased IT spending is reflective of a world that is accelerating its migration into a fully digital world, when we thought things were already moving in that direction as fast as they could.”

 

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

WNE’s Jessica Marcellino to Speak at Women’s Fund Event on March 31

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Staff Attorney Jessica Marcellino of Western New England University School of Law’s Center for Social Justice will join a panel of local service providers on Thursday, March 31 in a virtual discussion presented by the Women’s Fund. “Wait … What?! International Transgender Day of Visibility” will reveal important and affordable services for trans and gender-diverse communities in Western Mass.

Marcellino is the founder of GAIP, the Gender Affirming Identification Project, which is the newest project of the Center for Social Justice.

“The center is honored to be able to contribute to the LGBTQ+ community in such an essential way,” Marcellino said. “Unfortunately, many in the LGBTQ+ community face significant barriers to obtaining something as fundamental as accurate government identification. The center recognized this need, and that was the impetus behind GAIP.”

The Gender Affirming Identification Project is a pro bono legal program that provides comprehensive guidance to people seeking gender-affirming legal services and assists Massachusetts adult residents seeking gender-affirming changes to their state and federal identification documents. In addition, GAIP is able to assist with non-legal recommendations for gender-affirming-related services, such as access to health insurance or finding a primary-care physician. Outreach and resources are focused on Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties.

Marcellino joined the center in March 2021 and graduated from WNE Law School in 2012 as a public-interest scholar. Her law-school and professional experience has centered on assisting those in need, including positions with CPCS public defenders in the Springfield Superior Court, as a law clerk for the Springfield Housing Authority, and as counsel at a private injury firm in Springfield for seven years prior to joining the center. She currently serves as co-chair of the Access to Justice Commission’s consumer-debt subcommittee. She oversees the Center for Social Justice’s client-facing initiatives and serves as the lead attorney of each of the center’s free legal-services programs.

“We are excited to help those in need, and we have pro bono legal volunteers and attorneys ready to assist,” Marcellino added. The GAIP is made possible by the support of the Gervino-Ward LGBTQ+ annual summer stipend.

Since its launch in 2019, the Center for Social Justice has achieved success in its mission to advance justice through research, education, advocacy, innovation, and public engagement. The center’s pro bono initiatives assist marginalized and underserved, BIPOC, low-income, women, LBGTQ+, and immigrant communities.

Bulkley Richardson Supports Baystate Children’s Hospital’s Youngest Patients

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Throughout the course of a year, the Davis Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Baystate Children’s Hospital cares for more than 800 newborns. These babies are fighters, but they require essential care. Many have come into the world too early; others emerge with medical challenges that need to be addressed in the moments after birth. All of them deserve the best chance for a healthy life.

Bulkley Richardson, a Springfield-based law firm, recently made a $10,000 gift to support that essential care through the purchase of a transcutaneous CO2 monitor. This device provides a non-invasive and efficient way to monitor newborns’ exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) when they require a ventilator to assist their breathing. It also allows the team to review and respond to important health details in real time instead of through multiple painful blood draws.

“We are so appreciative of Bulkley Richardson for their generous support of this technology,” said Stephanie Adam, manager of the NICU and Continuing Care Nursery. “For newborns in our care, being able to monitor and respond to changes in a way that does not put them in any discomfort is one more way that we can provide the highest level of compassionate care. This technology is a game changer for our sickest infants.”

With one in 10 families needing the NICU in their lifetime, this type of equipment will be used by many and provide a more comfortable experience for Baystate’s youngest patients.

“We wanted to contribute to the care of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Peter Barry, partner at Bulkley Richardson. “These CO2 monitors provide essential data in a non-invasive manner, eliminating additional pain and discomfort to newborns who may already be struggling. I understand the helplessness of seeing your child or grandchild in distress and hope that our gift will bring some peace of mind to those with children in need of monitoring.”

Anyone who would like to support care for infants in the NICU, can contact the Baystate Health Foundation at (413) 794-5444 or [email protected].

American International College Named to 2022-23 Military Friendly Schools List

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) announced it has earned the 2022-23 Military Friendly School designation.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2022-23 survey, with 665 recognized for going above the standard.

The 2022-23 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May and October issue of GI Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher-education and military-recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer), and loan-default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

“American International College is proud to be recognized as an institution that assists individuals who serve our country,” said Nicolle Cestero, chief operating officer, executive vice president, and chief of staff at AIC. “As an institution that provides access and opportunity in a diverse community, we appreciate the opportunities and experiences provided by the Armed Forces for personal growth and leadership. Recognizing the solid foundation provided by military service, the college offers transfer credits for students’ time in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard, helping active-duty service members and veterans get a head start on earning their degrees.”

Kayla Lopez, national director of Military Partnerships for Military Friendly, added that “Military Friendly is committed to transparency and providing consistent, data-driven standards in our designation process. Our standards provide a benchmark that promotes positive outcomes and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the military community. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to evolve and invest in their programs consistently. Schools who achieve awards designation show true commitment in their efforts, going over and above that standard.”

Greenfield Cooperative Bank Offers Assistance to Homebuyers

By
Daily News

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Cooperative Bank has been selected to participate in Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s Equity Builder Program, which assists local homebuyers with down-payment and closing costs as well as homebuyer counseling and rehabilitation assistance.

The program provides grants to financial institutions to assist households earning up to 80% of the area median income. Borrowers are eligible to receive up to $22,000 in assistance on a first-come, first-served basis. Buyers must also complete a homebuyer counseling program.

“This grant program is designed to ease some of the challenges associated with a home purchase, particularly in areas where home prices are on the rise. We are pleased to participate to help borrowers become homebuyers, while also supporting the financial stability and vitality of our communities,” said Jane Wolfe, senior vice president of Residential Lending for Greenfield Cooperative Bank.

The bank is eligible to receive up to $220,000 in 2022 through the Equity Builder Program depending on availability of funds. Since 2003, the Equity Builder Program has awarded more than $48.9 million in funds, assisting 4,251 income-eligible households in purchasing a home.

To learn more about applying for assistance, call the Greenfield Cooperative Bank Residential Loan Origination department at (413) 772-5000, ext. 490.

Work Has Changed — Forever

By
Opinion

Editorial

 

Flash back exactly two years ago, to a time when employees of companies across the region — from banks to nonprofits; hospitals to health plans — packed up their computers and whatever else they needed and went home to work.

Initially, we thought two things that never really happened the way we expected. The first was that these workers wouldn’t be gone for long — maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months, depending on how things went. The second was that, just as everyone left en masse, so would everyone return en masse.

Indeed, two years later, many still haven’t returned. And they certainly haven’t returned all at once.

And most importantly, most of those who have returned — and will return in the coming weeks and months — won’t be going to the office five days a week.

Suffice it to say the world of work has changed considerably since COVID-19 entered our lives — and there is simply no way things will go back to the way they were. The genie is out of the bottle, if you will, and there is no getting it back in.

But except for the long-term implications of this new world order on office properties, the restaurants and bars located around them that count these workers as patrons, and cities like Boston, New York, and even Springfield — and that’s another story — these developments are mostly positive.

In many ways, the move to flexible schedules and greater concern for the needs of employees is something businesses should have been thinking about long ago — and a few of the more progressive ones certainly were.

What the pandemic did, among other things, was show the business community that it could be done — that employees could work remotely and be just as effective as they were in the office, if not more effective — and that it should be done.

Miriam Siegel, first senior vice president and chief culture officer at Ware-based Country Bank, probably said it best when she told BusinessWest, “one of the big things we’ve learned at the bank is that we have to recognize that we don’t live in a one-size-fits-all working world anymore.”

For the 200 or so years leading up to the pandemic, one size did fit all — at least in most cases. Almost everyone worked at the office. Almost everyone worked Monday through Friday. Almost everyone worked roughly 9 to 5.

One-size-fits-all worked for employers before the pandemic, and it worked for most employees, although they learned over the past two years that flexible schedules work better.

And what employers are learning now is that flexible schedules work better for them as well. They work because employees are generally happier. They work because, in some cases, productivity actually improves when people work remotely or in hybrid schedules. And they work because the biggest challenge facing all employers right now is attracting and retaining talent, and they’ve already found that they fare much better with those challenges if they can be accommodating to their employees.

Six months into the pandemic, most workers were still looking forward to the day when they could return to the office full-time. Not long after that, most were looking forward to perhaps not returning at all.

That’s how much the world of work has changed. And while we can’t say definitively what the future will bring, it seems almost certain that these changes are here to stay.

Picture This

By
Picture This

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

 

 

 

Meeting a Critical Need

Baystate Health and Kindred Behavioral Health, a division of LifePoint Health, broke ground on March 8 in Holyoke on a new, state-of-the-art behavioral-health hospital. Baystate Behavioral Health Hospital will be located on 45 Lower Westfield Road and will feature 120 semi-private rooms and 30 private rooms for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. The 23,230-square-foot, four-story facility will feature a wide range of programs to meet patients’ varying treatment needs, as well as large activity and therapy rooms, a gym for therapy services, multiple courtyards, and outdoor recreation spaces where patients can interact with each other and their family members. The $72 million project is estimated to take 16 months to complete, with an expected opening in August 2023.

 

 

Grand Opening

Amherst welcomed the newest player in cannabis retail with a grand opening and ribbon cutting at Pleasantrees, located at 422 Amity St., on March 5. Pictured, from left: Paul Bockelman, Amherst town administrator; Zach Wilson, director of Retail at Pleasantrees; Koby Gardner-Levine from U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern’s office; Pleasantrees employees Nasya Dobbins and Kimmy Burlak; and Claudia Pazmany, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce.

 

 

Campus Tour

State legislators visited Greenfield Community College on Feb. 28, to tour the campus and learn how support from lawmakers can help GCC continue to provide quality, affordable education and workforce development. Visiting lawmakers included state Sens. Jo Comerford and Adam Hinds and state Reps. Lindsay Sabadosa, Natalie Blais, Susannah Whipps, Mindy Domb, and Paul Mark. The contingent explored the GCC campus, discussing the evolution of the college during the COVID-19 pandemic and changes the college is making to better prepare students for the workforce.

 

 

Agenda

By
Agenda

Difference Makers

March 24: Since 2009, BusinessWest has been recognizing the work of individuals, groups, businesses, and institutions through a program called Difference Makers. The 14th annual Difference Makers celebration will be held at the Log Cabin in Holyoke from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets cost $75 and can be ordered at businesswest.com/difference-makers/difference-makers-tickets. The 2022 Difference Makers include Tara Brewster, vice president of Business Development at Greenfield Savings Bank; the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts; Heriberto Flores, president of the New England Farm Workers’ Council; John Greaney, retired State Supreme Court justice and senior counsel at Bulkley Richardson; Ruth Griggs, president of the Northampton Jazz Festival and principal at RC Communications; Ted Hebert, owner of Teddy Bear Pools and Spas; I Found Light Against All Odds and Its Founder and CEO, Stefan Davis; and Roca Holyoke and Springfield. Their stories are told in the Feb. 16 issue of BusinessWest and at businesswest.com. The sponsors for this year’s program are Burkhart Pizzanelli, the New England Farm Workers’ Council, the Royal Law Firm, TommyCar Auto Group, and Westfield Bank.

 

Drive-thru Food Drive

March 26: The Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society, the nonprofit organization that manages the Three County Fair, the oldest ongoing agricultural fair in the country, will conduct a drive-thru food drive outside its main office at 54 Fair St. in Northampton. The fair held its last food drive in the spring of 2020 during the onset of the pandemic and delivered more than 2,000 pounds of food to area pantries. The fair is seeking non-perishable foods such as canned fruit, soup, tuna, and vegetables, plus cereal, pasta, pasta sauce, and peanut butter for area food pantries that have partnered with the fair, including the Easthampton Community Center, the Franklin County Meals Program, the Helping Hands Cupboard Food Pantry at BOCC in Belchertown, and the Westhampton Congregational United Church of Christ food pantry. Each vehicle that donates will be supplied with a pair of complimentary tickets to the 2022 Three County Fair, scheduled for Sept. 2-5. Donations can be dropped off at the fair’s main office at 54 Fair St. in Northampton between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The fair requests that donations be compiled in disposable bags or boxes for volunteers to easily accept them from vehicles.

 

UMass 5K Dash and Dine

April 9: After a two-year hiatus, UMass Dining Services will host its 11th annual UMass 5K Dash and Dine on campus starting at 9 a.m. The goal of the event is to promote health and wellness at the university while raising funds for the Amherst Survival Center. In total, UMass dining has been able to raise more than $50,000 for the Amherst Survival Center. The 5K features a USA Track and Field certified course to runners, walkers, and wheelchair participants. When race participants are finished, all are welcomed to have lunch at the award-winning dining commons on campus. The race fee is $10 for all UMass and Five College students, $15 for UMass Amherst faculty and staff, and $20 for the general public. Children age 8 and under may participate for free. This race fee includes registration and the complimentary meal. Online registration ends at midnight on Wednesday, April 6. Walk-up registration is available on race day. To register for the event or make a donation, visit runumass.com.

 

MOSSO Chamber Music Series

April 14: The Westfield Athenaeum continues its three-concert chamber music series at 7 p.m., with musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, known as MOSSO, providing the music. A woodwind quintet of MOSSO musicians will be showcased, and Guy McLain, executive director of the Westfield Athenaeum, will offer a pre-performance talk at 6 p.m., which is free to ticket holders. Ann Bobo, principal flute, and Nancy Dimock, principal oboe, will be joined by their colleagues Ian Greitzer, clarinetist, Ron Haroutunian, bassoonist, and horn player Robert Marlatt. The MOSSO season at the Westfield Athenaeum opened on March 10, and will conclude with a concert on May 19, with a program to be announced soon. Tickets for the concert cost $20 and must be purchased in advance at the Westfield Athenaeum during business hours, or online at www.westath.org. Audience members will be required to wear masks.

 

Springfield Symphony Orchestra Spring Concerts

April 22, May 13: The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) Board announced two spring concerts will be hosted at Springfield Symphony Hall with former SSO Music Director Mark Russell Smith serving as guest conductor. Smith is music director and conductor of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. He previously served as music director for the SSO from 1995 through 2000. He has worked as director of New Music Projects for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and artistic director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Minnesota, and has also served as music director for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra. Details about the concerts, program, and availability of tickets will be forthcoming and available at springfieldsymphony.org.

 

sheLEADS Conference

May 20: The Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce will host sheLEADS, a woman’s conference aimed at building a bold, brave community of women in the 413 with an eye on professional development and beyond. “This is a high-energy day filled with professional development, relationship- and leadership-building opportunities. Our focus is on providing attendees tools and connections that they didn’t have when they walked in,” said Moe Belliveau, the chamber’s executive director. The day begins at the Boylston Room in Easthampton at noon and ends with networking at Abandoned Building Brewery. In between, attendees can look forward to “Activating Your Leadership Strengths,” facilitated by Colleen DelVecchio of Colleen DelVecchio Consultants; “The Language of Leadership,” a panel discussion featuring Pia Kumar, chief strategy officer at Universal Plastics, Lynnette Watkins, president and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Health Care, and Waleska Lugo-DeJesus, CEO of Inclusive Strategies; and “Be Great Where Your Feet Are,” featuring keynote speaker Robyn Glaser Sr., vice president, Business Affairs for the Kraft Group. For tickets and details, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org.

Chamber Corners

By
Chamber Corners

1BERKSHIRE

(413) 499-1600; 1berkshire.com

 

March 22: Berkshire Economic Recovery Project Kickoff Workshop: “Maximize Your Business Communications,” 4-6 p.m. In this workshop, Dr. Michael Miller will work to improve communications capabilities and events for small-business leaders to support their marketing, sales, and branding activities, including pitch, sales, and other presentations; formal speeches; the so-called ‘elevator speech’ for business networking; and event planning and production. Based on the business types and needs of the individuals participating in this cohort, the following are among the topics that will be reviewed and discussed in an interactive 2-hour session: setting goals, knowing your audience, the power of stories, and how to be confident and authentic. Register at bit.ly/3tZUp2n.

 

March 23: 1Berkshire Entrepreneurial Meetup, 9-10:30 a.m., Ward’s Nursery & Garden Center, 600 South Main St., Great Barrington. Reconnect with your colleagues over coffee and hear from Greg Ward about his experience operating this multi-generational family business. Sponsored by Pittsfield Cooperative Bank. Visit 1berkshirestrategicalliancemacoc.weblinkconnect.com/events to register.

 

April 6: Berkshire Economic Recovery Project Kickoff Workshop: “Essentials of Digital Marketing,” 4-6 p.m. Francesca Olsen is a writer and consultant with more than a decade of experience in marketing and communications, from branding to digital strategy. She works with small-business owners and creative professionals who want to sharpen their digital marketing strategy, build a following online, launch new projects, and more. She also advises and supports businesses, artists, nonprofits, and startups on social media, content marketing, digital advertising strategy, and general PR and communications. She regularly gives workshops on digital marketing for artists and small business owners, including as a trainer for MASS MoCA’s Assets for Artists program. Register at bit.ly/3AEWO3W.

 

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 253-0700; amherstarea.com

 

April 7: 10th Anniversary Margarita Madness, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Interskate 91 at the Hampshire Mall. Mix, mingle, and network at our largest signature event of the year, featuring live music, food, games, and a raffle. Enjoy an evening of tasty margaritas and vote for your favorite. Local restaurants showcase their fare, and there are dozens of raffle prizes donated by Amherst Area Chamber members. Cost: $35 pre-registered, $45 at the door. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Dakin Humane Society.

 

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 534-3376; holyokechamber.com

 

April 6: Holyoke Leaders Reception, 5:30-8 p.m., International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Join us to mingle and connect with our state senator, state representative, mayor, treasurer, city clerk, City Council, and School Committee. Let your voices be heard by those representing our city and state and hear how they plan to foster and grow a more inclusive Holyoke. Cost: $25 for one, $40 for two. Register at holyokechamber.com.

 

April 13: Power Hour with Canna Provisions, 9-10 a.m. Join us for coffee and treats from Blue Door Gatherings while we learn from Meg Sanders, COO and co-owner of Canna Provisions, who will educate attendees on the power and benefits of cannabis, the provisions it offers, and how it is economically driving our community. Plus, a guided tour of Canna’s eclectic dispensary in one of Holyoke’s old mills. No cost, but register in advance at holyokechamber.com.

 

May 18: Spring Fling at Westfield Bank, 4:30-7 p.m. Join us for an lawn party at Westfield Bank, enjoy the feel of spring, and make new connections. Hearty hors d’oeuvres, open bar, raffles, and more. Cost: $10 for members, $20 for non-members. Registration to open April 1.

 

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

(413) 787-1555; springfieldregionalchamber.com

 

March 24: Fire & Ice, 5:30-8 p.m., Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. Join us for our annual craft cocktail competition featuring area establishments mixing up creative fire- and ice-themed cocktails. Sample the concoctions and vote for your favorite. Cost: $75 for SRC members ($85 at the door); $85 for non-members ($95 at the door). Non-sampling ticket cost is $30. Sponsored by Florence Bank. Register online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

 

April 13: Government Reception 2022, 5-7 p.m., U.S. Courthouse, 300 State St., Springfield. Meet socially with local, state, and federal officials, including state representatives and senators, area mayors, and City Council members. Cost: $60 for members in advance, $70 for non-members in advance, $75 at the door. Sponsored by Comcast, Baystate Health, MassMutual, and AMR. Register online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

 

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 426-3880; www.ourwrc.com

 

March 23: Job Fair 2022, 4:30-7:30 p.m., Storrowton Tavern/Carriage House, West Springfield. The West of the River Chamber will be hosting a local job fair. West Springfield and Agawam businesses, along with other employment opportunities from around Western Mass., will be showcased for the public. High-school students, college students, and adults will be attending this event looking to begin or advance their careers. This event is free and open to the public. To be a participating vendor, register at business.ourwrc.com/events.

Lessons in Social Mobility

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By James F. Birge

 

This isn’t another COVID think piece written by a college president. This is a story about upward mobility in the face of the most significant public health crisis of our lifetime.

In fact, the faculty and staff at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) are so dedicated to this mission that we’ve received national recognition for it — MCLA ranks 21st on U.S. News and World Report’s list of the 50 public and private “Top Performers on Social Mobility,” which measures how well schools graduate students who receive federal Pell Grants. These grants are typically awarded to those whose families make less than $50,000. The publication also ranked MCLA as a 2021 Top Ten College for the third consecutive year, and the ninth time in the past 11 years.

Nearly half of MCLA students are Pell Grant recipients, the highest percentage across the Massachusetts state-university system. More than 40% are the first in their families to go to college. Nearly 85% of students receive some kind of financial aid.

These are students who need support in their academic journey. Many are balancing work and family commitments. Many are coming from urban areas and are discovering what it is like to live in a rural area for the first time. Many have no frame of reference for what a college experience is like. They are discovering who they are, and who they want to be, in a time of global upheaval, and many of them have seen increased economic insecurity as a result of COVID-19.

What does a commitment to social mobility look like during a pandemic? Here are some examples.

• In 2020, MCLA kicked off its TRiO Program, supported by a $1.2 million federal grant, which works toward increasing the retention, good academic standing, and graduation rates of low-income, first generation, and students with disabilities. This program serves up to 160 students a year;

• MCLA’s Office of Admission adopted a test-blind policy in 2020 and waived SAT requirements for students applying for the fall 2021 and 2022 semesters;

• In 2020, in response to economic uncertainties brought on by the pandemic, MCLA established the Resiliency Fund, which has to date distributed nearly $300,000 to 296 students in need;

• The MCLA Food Pantry combats student food insecurity, supported with student volunteer work and donations; and

• MCLA boasts more than 100 of its own private scholarships, including five new additions since 2020.

Like all other schools, MCLA has seen its enrollment decline as a result of the pandemic. Still, we continue to serve these students well. We continue to graduate our high-need students at higher rates than the national average, and the vast majority of MCLA graduates — 93% — land jobs or get accepted into some of the finest grad schools in the country. Helping our under-resourced students achieve a college education will help them earn more in their lifetimes, find fulfilling careers, and live meaningful lives. Public colleges help contribute to furthering economic equity every day, and we are proud to make this part of our mission as an institution.

I’m incredibly proud of all our students, as well as our incredible faculty and dedicated staff, who are changing individual lives and working toward a more equitable future.

 

James F. Birge is president of MCLA.

People on the Move

By
People on the Move

Lora Wondolowski, the founding executive director of Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV), and the organization’s leader since 2011, will leave her post on April 1. Her leadership has been integral to all aspects of LPV’s operations, with notable successes including the growth of the core LEAP program, the Leaders on Board initiative, building strategic partnerships, and improving and stabilizing operations and organizational processes. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the first graduating class. Upon her departure, the board plans to appoint an interim executive director until finding a permanent executive director. Wondolowski and the LPV board of directors are working with staff and stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition for LEAP participants, partners, and supporters.

•••••

Tech Foundry, with a mission to support the region’s growing need for a qualified technology workforce and elevate underrepresented groups into sustainable careers in information technology, announced the appointment of Tricia Canavan as its CEO effective March 21. Canavan will succeed Bruce Dixon, who resigned to pursue new opportunities. Founded in 2014, Tech Foundry has offered internships, networking opportunities, and instruction to traditionally low-income, underserved populations, preparing graduates for entry-level IT work in the Pioneer Valley. These programs are offered free of charge to participants through donations from area businesses and members of the local community. With a background in nonprofit and business management, workforce development, and adult education, Canavan currently serves as executive vice president of corporate relations and advocacy for Masis Staffing Solutions. Previously, she served as CEO of United Personnel, which was acquired by Masis in May 2021. She chairs the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, co-chairs Springfield Business Leaders for Education, and serves on the boards of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, MassHire Hampden County, and the Springfield Public Forum.

•••••

Mount Holyoke College President Sonya Stephens announced that she will step down in August to become president of the American University of Paris. Stephens joined Mount Holyoke in 2013 and served as vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of faculty before being appointed acting president in 2016 to replace Lynn Pasquerella. In 2018, the board of trustees voted to remove the ‘acting’ title. In a letter to the Mount Holyoke community, Stephens said her new role in Paris is a “unique opportunity to advance a contemporary expression of the liberal arts in France — one that brings together so many of my intellectual and administrative interests and commitments.” She added that “it has been an extraordinary honor and a privilege to serve you and Mount Holyoke since 2013 and to work in concert with brilliant and exacting students, with a faculty that is as devoted to outstanding scholarship as it is to cultivating inquiry in others and with a leadership team and staff so exceedingly devoted to our mission. It has been inspiring and motivating to work with such an engaged, thoughtful, generous, and dedicated board of trustees, and to come to know, admire, and deeply appreciate the wider alum community. While I have held different roles over these nine years, I see our work together as a continuum — one focused resolutely on the future strength of the college, on enhancing the exceptional educational experience it offers, and on the community that makes this possible, here on campus, across the nation, and worldwide.”

•••••

Jaclyn Stevenson

Jaclyn Stevenson

Jaclyn Stevenson has been appointed director of Marketing and Communications at Shakespeare & Company, a nonprofit theater performance, education, and actor-training organization based in Lenox. In her position, Stevenson directs all marketing and communications efforts for the company and supervises the Graphic Design and Patron Services departments, including in the areas of audience engagement, retail operations, and concessions. She also serves as co-chair of the communications subcommittee of the IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility) committee, and as liaison to the Lenox Cultural District steering committee. Stevenson brings more than 20 years of communications experience to the position, having worked with a wide range of clients, including Toyota Motor Corp., CIGNA Healthcare, Disney World Sports, Spalding, and many others. Most recently, she served as director of Marketing and Communications for Columbia-Greene Community College, part of the State University of New York system. A BusinessWest 40 Under Forty honoree in 2012, she holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Bridgewater State University and a master’s degree in organization development from American International College, as well as several certifications relative to web accessibility, social-media management, and risk management.

•••••

Susan Henrichon

Susan Henrichon

American International College (AIC) has appointed Susan Henrichon dean of the School of Education. Henrichon joined American International College in 2018, bringing more than 30 years of experience in PK-12 public education, with more than 15 years spent in senior leadership roles. Most recently, she served as the associate dean of academic programs while teaching extensively in the School of Education, and additionally serving as a senior instructor and program supervisor for graduate students. Prior to coming to AIC, Henrichon was an assistant superintendent of schools in Oxford and director of Special Education and Student Services for the Oxford Public Schools system. Before that, she was the director of Pupil Personnel Services in Monson, director of Special Education in Easthampton, director of Student Services for the Southwick-Tolland-Granville school district; special-education team leader in the Holyoke Public Schools; and assistant department head of Quality Assurance at the Monson Developmental Center. Henrichon has been recognized by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for her work. Her professional affiliations include the Massachusetts Assoc. of School Superintendents, the Worcester County Superintendents Assoc., Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education, the Western Massachusetts Special Education Directors Assoc., the Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the Council for Exceptional Children. She received a doctor of education degree in educational administration at Northcentral University in Phoenix; her certificate of advanced graduate studies in educational administration from the University of Massachusetts; a master’s degree in education, special education, from Westfield State University; and a bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State University in Plymouth, N.H.

•••••

Michelle Jarvis-Lettman joined Elms College as director of Financial Aid in January. She has 15 years of experience within student financial services with positions at Worcester State University, Springfield Technical Community College, Wesleyan University, University of Hartford, and Ironbridge Resources, LLC. She has presented on the topic of financial aid to many audiences, including the Massachusetts Assoc. of Student Financial Aid Administrators in 2019. Jarvis-Lettman received her master’s degree in higher education administration from Bay Path University after completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Worcester State. She was recently appointed to Worcester State’s Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. She also coaches basketball. In addition, the Elms College Graduate Admission Office recently announced the promotion of Stefany Scliopou to director of Graduate and Continuing Education Admission. She is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management. After working in the hotel industry for nine years, she transitioned into higher education, where she completed her MBA degree with Elms College. For the last six years, Scliopou has worked in a graduate admission role helping non-traditional adult students embrace their next-level education endeavors. She has worked alongside students and program directors to ensure exceptional student support. In addition, she is the academic coordinator for the Elms-HCC business-degree-completion programs as well as a part-time adjunct. She serves on the board of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce events committee, and the parish council board for St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Springfield.

•••••

Tahirah Amatul-Wadud

Tahirah Amatul-Wadud

The Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR Massachusetts) announced that Tahirah Amatul-Wadud has been chosen to serve as its new executive director. Amatul-Wadud is an attorney based in Springfield with more than 16 years of experience in corporate, family, and civil-rights law. A former staff attorney with Western Massachusetts Community Legal Aid before entering private practice, she served as a commissioner with the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women from 2014 to 2020. In 2016, she rose to national prominence serving as the principal attorney on behalf of the residents of Islamberg, N.Y. against Robert Doggart, an anti-Muslim conspiracy theorist who had planned a violent attack against the community. In 2018, she ran for Congress in Massachusetts’ first district, securing 30% of the vote. She served as vice president of the board of directors at CAIR Massachusetts from 2016 to 2018 and its president since 2018, and during her tenure has overseen the organization’s restructuring and rapid growth. CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

•••••

Darcy Young

Darcy Young

The Irish Echo, the premier news title in Irish America since 1928, presented Darcy Young with a Top 40 Under 40 award at its 15th annual event at Rosie O’Grady’s in New York City on Feb. 25. The popular event is a celebration of the Irish and Irish Americans who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields of work before reaching age 40. Young was selected for her service to Irish community. A former Colleen, she currently serves as the communications chair for the Springfield St. Patrick’s Parade Committee and has served on the board and many of the subcommittees. The Springfield St. Patrick’s Parade Committee promotes and celebrates Irish heritage in Western Mass. through enriching experiences for its members, yearly honorees, and scholarships for students. One of her favorite volunteer efforts is chaperoning the Colleen and her court every year as they travel to a variety of public presentations to share their Irish heritage. She is also a member of the John Boyle O’Reilly Club. Young has served as a media professional for more than a decade, first at ABC and FOX news affiliates and most recently as director of Digital Public Relations at Garvey Communication Associates Inc. and a video producer at New England Corporate Video. She also serves on the executive board of the Children’s Study Home.

•••••

ArchitectureEL Inc. (AEL) recently welcomed a new member, Marco Crescentini, to its team as senior project architect. ArchitectureEL Inc. provides professional design services on a wide range of projects, including both new buildings and renovations to existing structures. The firm boasts significant experience in accessibility, historic preservation, educational and commercial design, as well as extensive experience in both private and multi-family residential development. “I am thrilled to hold a position on the AEL team, as they are a group of creative and hardworking individuals,” Crescentini said. “I hope to contribute to the success of the company and to collaborate on some of the intriguing and influential jobs we have before us.”

•••••

Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) announced new campaign co-chairs for the LEAP 2023 campaign, Jason Randall and Ayanna Crawford. Both are alumni of the class of 2013. They will be leading the effort to connect with businesses and potential applicants about the benefits of LPV’s LEAP program. Randall is director of Human Resources at MGM Springfield and a current LPV board member. He is involved with Springfield Works and Springfield Business Leaders for Education. Crawford is president of AC Consulting and Media Services and specializes in communications workshops in the New England area. She currently leads an after-school program for girls, positions herself as an educator in the Springfield Public Schools, and works for state Rep. Orlando Ramos. In its 11 years, more than 300 individuals representing more than 100 companies, organizations, and municipalities have participated in LEAP. The program has filled a critical need for a leadership program that builds a network of emerging leaders to address the challenges and opportunities of the region. LPV will begin accepting LEAP applications in April, with an application deadline of July 1.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook

Country Bank Gives Back with $1.1 Million in Donations in 2021

WARE — Country Bank reported that its community donations for 2021 totaled more than $1.1 million. The bank’s philanthropic efforts supported local nonprofits throughout the communities it serves, with more than 300 organizations receiving grants in 2021. In addition, the bank’s staff volunteered 478 hours of service. The bank’s annual meeting at Polar Park created a buzz when it surprised the executive directors of two regional food banks by pledging a total of $1 million to the Worcester County Food Bank and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. The bank didn’t stop there; recognizing the need to address hunger throughout its markets, in addition to the $1 million pledge, it provided an additional $100,000 in donations to food programs throughout the region. Other organizations receiving donations included Behavioral Health Network, Hanover Theater, Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp., Revitalize Community Development Corp., Springfield Rescue Mission, the Children’s Trust, Provision Ministry, United Way of Central Massachusetts, Ronald McDonald House, and YWCA. During its annual Season of Giving campaign, Country Bank supported more than 2,500 local individuals with gifts of meals, toys, winter hats, mittens, and other essential items for those in nursing homes, shelters, and local schools.

 

Berkshire Bank Foundation Gives $596,800 to 87 Nonprofits in Q4

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced $596,800 in philanthropic investments from its foundation during the fourth quarter of 2021. The grants awarded cover a wide range of projects that help foster upward economic mobility, support overall well-being, and enhance opportunities for individual success in the communities the bank serves. The investments also support the company’s BEST Community Comeback, which includes a planned $15 million in community contributions by the end of 2024. Eighty-seven local nonprofit organizations received grants at the end of last year to assist with a wide range of critical projects in the areas of housing, education, economic revitalization, and health. The Berkshire Bank Foundation is committed to supporting programs that work toward providing equitable opportunity for economic prosperity.

 

Valley Vodka Supports Ukraine; Founder Paul Kozub Visits Border

HADLEY — Valley Vodka Inc., maker of V-One Vodka, announced it will donate $1 for every bottle sold in the month of March, according to founder Paul Kozub. Kozub also visited the V-One distillery located in Kamien, Poland on March 6 and brought $5,000 directly to the border to support refugees. The distillery is located about two hours from the Ukraine border. “My life was forever changed for the better when I made my first trip to Eastern Poland 17 years ago to start my craft-vodka business,” Kozub said. “In 2019, I purchased a distillery in Kamie, Poland. It is just a few hours from the Ukrainian border. I feel compelled to do something to help the people of Ukraine.” V-One Vodka has been crafting small-batch vodka in Eastern Poland since 2005, and in 2019, it purchased its own distillery in Kamien, about two hours southeast of Warsaw.

 

Three Western Mass. Firms Take Home Impact Awards

WATERTOWN — MassEcon, the state’s private-sector partner in promoting business growth in Massachusetts, recently announced its 18th annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Award winners, recognizing 14 companies for their outstanding contributions to the Massachusetts economy, including three based in Western Mass. The companies were selected for establishing new operations in Massachusetts or expanded existing operations. Each employer added new jobs and facility investment; pursued social impact through community involvement or philanthropic efforts; and embraced equity, diversity, and inclusion practices. The winners will be honored at Gillette Stadium on April 7. The winning companies from Western Mass. include Big Y Foods of Springfield (gold), which, since January 2020, has added 52 new jobs and invested $50.9 million in a 232,000-square-foot expansion in Springfield for its Fresh & Local Distribution Center; White Lion Brewing Co. of Springfield (silver), which reactivated 8,000 square feet of space that sat vacant for more than 15 years and on-boarded an additional 3,000 square feet of storage, marking a total expansion of 11,000 square feet in Springfield, as well as adding 13 new employees and donating close to $25,000 to the community; and United Aircraft Technologies of Pittsfield (bronze), which plans on investing in 7,000 square feet of vacant office space in Pittsfield and is looking to hire four new team members in 2021 in addition to the five already onboarded earlier this year.

 

Phillips Insurance Agency Named 2021 Elite Agent by Liberty Mutual

CHICOPEE — Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. was named a 2021 Elite agent by Liberty Mutual Insurance. The award recognizes the contributions of the top-performing agencies in the country. Phillips is the only agency in Massachusetts to win the award for 15 straight years, and was recognized at the President’s Club award ceremony at the Four Seasons in Kapolei, Hawaii in December. Phillips Insurance Agency, established in 1953, is a full-service risk-management firm with a staff of 31 professionals and the largest independently owned agency in Western Mass. The agency handles the personal and commercial insurance needs for thousands of individuals and businesses throughout the Northeast.

 

Pittsfield YMCA to Modernize, Expand Child Care

PITTSFIELD — MassDevelopment has partnered with Lee Bank, Adams Community Bank, and Greylock Credit Union to provide $6.5 million in loan financing to Berkshire Family YMCA, which is using the proceeds to renovate and expand its main facility at 292 North St. in downtown Pittsfield. Constructed in 1909, the historic building’s last major renovation took place in 1981. As part of this new renovation, Berkshire Family YMCA is building an accessible indoor track for exercise and rehabilitation purposes for use by people of all abilities, adding a youth basketball court, and upgrading its fitness center. The organization is also creating newly configured program spaces and updating restrooms, improvements that will increase capacity of its nationally accredited child-development program to serve an additional 25 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. MassDevelopment provided a $5 million loan, with Adams Community Bank, Greylock Credit Union, and Lee Bank each providing $500,000 loans. The project is also supported by a $1 million Massachusetts Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) grant. Berkshire Family YMCA consists of three branches serving Berkshire County and Southern Vermont: the Pittsfield branch at 292 North St., a Northern Berkshire branch located at 22 Brickyard Court in North Adams, and the Bennington Recreation Center branch located at 655 Gage St. in Bennington, Vt.

 

BFAIR, Greylock Federal Credit Union Promote Brain-injury Awareness

NORTH ADAMS — BFAIR and Greylock Federal Credit Union have partnered together to raise awareness during the month of March to promote brain-injury awareness. March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month. In the U.S., more than 5.3 million children and adults have a brain injury, or about one in 60. Acquired brain injuries (ABI) are those that happen after birth and can result in physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive impairments. The primary causes of ABI are trauma, stroke, tumors, degenerative diseases, alcohol and other toxins, and lack of oxygen to the brain, according to the Brain Injury Assoc. of America. With support from presenting sponsor Greylock Federal Credit Union, BFAIR will be distributing bike helmets to promote brain health and safety. More information on distribution will be available on the BFAIR website at www.bfair.org/brain-injury-awareness-month.

 

Amherst College Music Department Donates Steinway Piano to the Drake

AMHERST — The Drake, the Downtown Amherst Foundation’s (DAF) soon-to-open arts and cultural venue, will be the permanent home of a Steinway & Sons piano, thanks to a gift from the Amherst College Department of Music. The department donated the instrument after the college made a $100,000 gift to the Drake project in January 2022. Steinway pianos are widely recognized as the best pianos made. The specific model the college is donating, the Steinway B, is considered the finest high-resolution piano in the world, and is generally used in mid-sized venues like the Drake, according to the Steinway & Sons website. The instrument will arrive after construction is complete in April. The Downtown Amherst Foundation is in the final stages of fundraising for the Drake, Amherst’s first dedicated live performance and music venue. In addition to the music-loving supporters who have donated to the Drake’s Patronicity page, Amherst College, the town of Amherst, and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development have offered support to the project.

 

Bradley International Airport Welcomes Back Air Canada

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) announced that Air Canada will restore its non-stop service between Bradley International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport this summer. The airline last operated the flight in the spring of 2020, before international travel was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting June 1, the flights will operate daily, year-round. “After nearly two years of international travel disruptions, we are thrilled to welcome back Air Canada to Bradley International Airport,” said Kevin Dillon, executive director of the CAA. “Air Canada has been an important partner for many years at our airport, facilitating seamless connectivity between our regions. The resumption of the Toronto service is a major milestone on our road to recovery. Today, we extend our thanks to Air Canada for their continued commitment to Bradley International Airport and for underscoring the importance of this route with their return to Connecticut.”

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

MA Basics, Inc., 44 River St., Agawam, MA 01001. Muhammad M. Taqi, same address. Online marketplace sales.

BELCHERTOWN

Nick’s Waves of Change Inc., 378 Rockrimmon St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Jennifer Boileau, same address. Memorial scholarship fund.

CHICOPEE

Cloud Pearl Inc., 140 Padgette St., Unit D., Chicopee, MA 01022. Shahid Habib, 19 Spring Meadows, South Hadley, MA 01075. Retail services.

Lama Palmer Chapter Inc., 25 Nassau St., Chicopee, MA 01013. George Estrada Jr., same address. Motorcycle membership association.

EASTHAMPTON

Bikes Fight Cancer Inc., 258 Park St., Easthampton, MA 01027. John Morin, same address. Cancer awareness organization.

HAMPDEN

The Broussard Solution Inc., 27 Stony Hill Road, Hampden, MA 01036. Joseth M. Broussard, same address. Commercial and residential contracting.

HOLYOKE

The Wellness Drip Inc., 98 Lower Westfield Road, Suite 101, Holyoke, MA 01040. Alyssa R. McKenna, same address. IV hydration services.

MONSON

Double-A-Molding Inc., 26 Munn Road, Monson, MA 01057. G. Ross Wulfing, same address. Designing and manufacturing injection molded parts.

SPRINGFIELD

Chicken & Shrimp, Corp., 39 Virginia St., Apt. B, Springfield, MA 01108. Christopher Charles, same address. Fast food restaurant.

Conde Technology Systems, Corp., 1111 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01008. C. Whitaker Battle, same address. Research and development.

Elite Trucking and Logistics Inc., 73 Bessemer St., Springfield, MA 01104. Ramon Eduardo Tapia, same address. Trucking and logistics.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Maher Logistics, 555 Main St., 1st Floor, West Springfield, MA 01089. Maher Awkal, same address. Long-and short-haul trucking.

Naples Waste Removal Inc., 150 Front St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Lucas Giusto, 444-A North Main St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Commercial dumpsters.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the month of February 2022. (Filings are limited due to closures or reduced staffing hours at municipal offices due to COVID-19 restrictions).

DEERFIELD

Bergeron Drain Pro
18 Stillwater Road
Derek Bergeron

Deerfield Auto Body
43 North Hillside Road
Scott Kolakoski

Eaglebrook School
271 Pine Nook Road
Bridget Hale

HADLEY

Allard’s Farm
41 South Maple St.
Wayne Goulet

Alligator Brook Farm
42 Lawrence Plain Road
James Gnatek

Be Vital Wellness
226 Russell St.
Jeanette Wilburn

Burke Farm
241 Russell St.
Lisa Sanderson

Czepiel Aert & Design
15 Sunrise Dr.
Patricia Hayes

Henell Tax & Business Services
195 Russell St., B10
Karen Henell

Howard Johnson
401 Russell St.
HJ Lodge LLC

Moe’s Southwest Grill
379 Russell St.
Sagar Shah

Out of This World Cleaning
116 Rocky Hill Road
Lindsey St. Laurence

 

NORTHAMPTON

Adventure Clothing Co.
20 West Parsons Lane
Harry Jessup, Cook Goldberg

Black Orchid Jewelry Inc.
162 Main St.
Katelyn Rennie

Daily Hampshire Gazette
115 Conz St.
H.S. Gere & Sons Inc.

Ernie’s Towing
376 Easthampton Road
Frank Fournier III

Everything Is Life
65 Roe Ave.
Patrizia de Libero

Groundings
7 Main St.
Lauren Pacosa

Hazy Cosmic Drive Healing
200 Main St., #2A
Jolie Therrien

Integral Guesthouse
73 Willow St.
Christopher Spicer

Jackson & Connor
150 Main St., Suite 2250
William Brideau

Kairos Pilgrimges
65 Roe Ave.
Patrizia de Libero

Kathleen Doe Creative Design
39 Garfield Ave.
Kathleen Doe

Many Graces
150 Main St.
Kel Komenda

Measured Marketing Lab
152 Crescent Ave.
Christopher Chaput

Nature Mind Coaching
179 North Maple St.
Melinda Dow

Pinocchio Pizzeria
122 Main St.
Oscar Saravia

Sarah Crawford, LICSW
24 North Maple St., #1
Sarah Crawford

Simply Chic Crafts
200 Main St., #2A
Desirae Palmer

Simply Skin
41 Locust St.
Sarah Zawalick

Skyblue Pink Calligraphy & Design
71 Sheffield Lane
Anya Malkin

Soham Yoga School
65 Roe Ave.
Patrizia de Libero

VIVE Collision
220 King St.
Scott Leffler

Wayside Auto & Truck Sales
376 Easthampton Road
Frank Fournier III

SOUTHWICK

Hope – ODAAT
29 Lexington Circle
Rachael Kowal

J. Rad Excavating
Joshua Radwilowicz
261 South Loomis St.

WESTFIELD

Designing Women Craft Retreats
3 Pearl St.
Mary Jane Smith

Ellen A. Latour, DNP, LLC
88 Yeoman Ave.
Ellen Latour

Fran Bozak Electro Mechanics
306 Russell Road
Francis Bozak

Hampden County HVAC Inc.
108 Wild Flower Circle
Diogo Blanco

JDG Painting
247 Elm St.
Jason Garwacki

John Clark Construction
621 West Road
John Clark

RJ Sanding
26 Pontoosic Road
Roger Cortis Jr.

Thayer Street Publishing
303 Steiger Dr.
Heidi Colonna

VM Construction & Millwork
43 Sabrina Brook Lane
Slav Mokan

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Advanced Repair and Design
90 Butternut Hollow
Tod Kopyscinski

Alnassir International Market
205 Elm St.
Abdullah Nassir

Anthony Bedinelli Photography
2052 Westfield St.
Anthony Robert

Dolce Vita
1020 Memorial Ave.
Sarah Perez

Gelz by Mels
2260 Westfield St.
Melissa Nguyen

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

A Tiny Studio
Grover, Jeanne Elizabeth
PO Box 141
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/15/2022

Burhoe, Curtis A.
Burhoe, Claudia D.
10 Tob Hill Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/04/2022

Clapper, LouAnn M.
193 Elberon Ave., Apt 6D
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/31/2022

Correa, Freddy
Correa, Susan Ann
1271 St. James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Date: 02/09/2022

Corsino, Glorimar
874 Beacon Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/31/22

Hamel, Amanda
24 Barber St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/31/2022

Lafosse, Jason S.
245 Park St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/01/2022

Martinez, Joseph A.
Sanchez, Jennifer
169 Prospect St., Apt. 2
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/31/2022

Mruk, Rosemary S.
1351 Old Keene Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/15/2022

Nye, Eric
78 Main St.
Blandford, MA 01008
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/04/2022

Quintero, JeanPierre
52 Herman St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/10/2022

Renaud, Steven F.
5 Brainard Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/11/2022

Rosa, Christina Ann
141 Robbins Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/07/2022

Washington, Robert C.
111 Manchester Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/15/2022

Whitley, Tyena Athena
49 Sylvester St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/02/2022

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

335 Beldingville Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Kyle L. Taylor
Seller: Lynn M. Taylor
Date: 02/18/22

335 Hill Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Kyle L. Taylor
Seller: Lynn M. Taylor
Date: 02/18/22

BERNARDSTON

27 Gill Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Matthew M. Rogowski
Seller: Elizabeth A. Jacobs
Date: 02/07/22

BUCKLAND

44 Green St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: John Lawson
Seller: DC Cote Properties LLC
Date: 02/14/22

CHARLEMONT

14 Harmony Heights
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Grey
Seller: Bradley J. Rice
Date: 02/15/22

181 Main St.
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Parsonage LLC
Seller: Charlemont Federated
Date: 02/08/22

COLRAIN

49 Fairbanks Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $223,100
Buyer: Joshua Breitner
Seller: William Watkins
Date: 02/18/22

CONWAY

36 Upper Baptist Hill Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Arthur P. Hardigg
Seller: James S. Hardigg RET
Date: 02/14/22

DEERFIELD

6 King Philip Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Matthew D. Donaldson
Seller: Charlene A. Chmura
Date: 02/11/22

ERVING

2 Forest St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Travis D. McKelvey
Seller: Camilla D. Lusco IRT
Date: 02/11/22

40 West Main St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Zachary R. Richards
Seller: Nelson Nieves
Date: 02/11/22

GILL

80 Center Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Benjamin Woodard
Seller: Frederick W. Sheard
Date: 02/18/22

180 Main Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Michael J. Leva
Seller: Joseph M. Parzych
Date: 02/17/22

12 West Gill Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $555,000
Buyer: David Edelman
Seller: Bernier, Marc J., (Estate)
Date: 02/09/22

GREENFIELD

9 Bowles St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Stephen A. Hermann
Seller: James Richards
Date: 02/08/22

8 Cooke St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Robert L. Kidder
Seller: Deborah L. Deskavich
Date: 02/18/22

36 Colrain St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Alexia Manin
Seller: Jeffrey T. Hendricks
Date: 02/07/22

259 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Shahid D. Habib
Seller: Bruce J. Bednarski
Date: 02/07/22

22 High St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $366,000
Buyer: Jared D. Mallet
Seller: Wilhelmi, Dorota, (Estate)
Date: 02/07/22

30 Main St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Ray A. Newton
Seller: Lisa Ashcraft
Date: 02/07/22

70 Main St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: MAG Real Estate Holdings of Greenfield
Seller: Melissa A. Winters
Date: 02/09/22

125 Maple St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Matthew Goglin
Seller: Jackson T. Powers
Date: 02/07/22

20 McLellan Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: A Plus Enterprise Inc.
Seller: Dunn, Roger F., (Estate)
Date: 02/18/22

58 Smith St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $239,999
Buyer: Kim Yap
Seller: Bartos, Dorothy M., (Estate)
Date: 02/11/22

60 Washburn Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Michele M. Waters
Seller: Elaine A. Perchak
Date: 02/11/22

39 Wildwood Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Nicole M. Moore
Seller: Kaye To
Date: 02/11/22

9 Willow St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Nathan J. Sugerman-Castle
Seller: James P. Curtis
Date: 02/17/22

HAWLEY

292 East Hawley Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Hawley Preserve LLC
Seller: Cheryl A. Yates
Date: 02/18/22

LEYDEN

838 Greenfield Road
Leyden, MA 01301
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Oscar R. Cornejo
Seller: Saline 2019 RET
Date: 02/17/22

 

MONTAGUE

38 1st Ave.
Montague, MA 01347
Amount: $238,500
Buyer: Curtis Weaver
Seller: John H. Stewart
Date: 02/16/22

104 4th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Nash
Seller: 104 Fourth St. LLC
Date: 02/17/22

5 Kingsley Ave.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Toni Costa
Seller: Brian Costa
Date: 02/18/22

52 Montague St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Ethan Sicard
Seller: Matthew D. Donaldson
Date: 02/11/22

119 Old Sunderland Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Ryan Richards
Seller: Suzanne Webber
Date: 02/08/22

NORTHFIELD

28 Hamilton Dr.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $234,500
Buyer: S&A RT
Seller: William S. Robinson
Date: 02/18/22

88 Mount Hermon Station Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jason R. Bassett
Seller: Black, Lois M., (Estate)
Date: 02/07/22

271 West Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: David W. Leduc
Seller: Michael Wasilauski
Date: 02/15/22

ORANGE

42 Cheney St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jarad May
Seller: Edward J. Berte
Date: 02/17/22

564-566 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Kanchana Fernando
Seller: Wayne D. Whitmore
Date: 02/15/22

54 East Myrtle St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Kyle A. Carr
Seller: Daniel Carr
Date: 02/16/22

140 Memorial Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Keri L. Barros
Seller: Tracey Weed
Date: 02/07/22

72 North Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Jet Investment LLC
Seller: Ames Rental Properties LLC
Date: 02/11/22

864 North Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Richard Wilson
Seller: Pamela Kessler
Date: 02/08/22

85 Pleasant St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Efrin Troche
Seller: William P. Brown
Date: 02/16/22

195 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Michael R. McGehee
Seller: Ashley Warner
Date: 02/18/22

35 Summer St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Homestead Real Estate Investments LLC
Seller: Stephen E. Cody
Date: 02/07/22

SUNDERLAND

70 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $373,000
Buyer: Robert L. Hesseltine FT
Seller: Nancy R. Gesualdi
Date: 02/18/22

49 South Silver Lane
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Seller: Nhu L. Nguyen
Date: 02/07/22

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

100 Columbia Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Jeffrey B. Correia
Seller: Dawna Fuller
Date: 02/18/22

108 Franklin St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Hassan Saleh
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/10/22

507 Franklin St. Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Robert A. Lisciotti
Seller: Edmunds, Mary E., (Estate)
Date: 02/16/22

71 Garden St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Vilkh Holding LLC
Seller: ASDA LLC
Date: 02/07/22

93 Joanne Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Bruce R. Corbiere
Seller: ZF SPV LLC
Date: 02/16/22

30 Logan Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Yuriy Havlytyuk
Seller: Andrew J. Fox
Date: 02/11/22

1166 North St. Ext.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Pedro Alicea
Seller: Joel Howe
Date: 02/15/22

55-57 North Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $284,500
Buyer: Logan Kruse-Leduc
Seller: E. Steven Damon
Date: 02/18/22

28 Oxford St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Edwan Alzuhairi
Seller: TLC Construction Inc.
Date: 02/18/22

207 Poplar St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Jane R. Beresford
Seller: Margo L. Vanzandt
Date: 02/09/22

12 School St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Jbella Realty LLC
Seller: Roland A. Ciocca
Date: 02/07/22

BRIMFIELD

54 Dearth Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $660,000
Buyer: Lawrence D. Simonetti
Seller: Michael W. Sheerin
Date: 02/11/22

36 Warren Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: 36 Warren Road RT
Seller: Christine Waible
Date: 02/11/22

CHESTER

104 Middlefield Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Hope Mauran
Seller: Kathleen A. Engwer
Date: 02/14/22

174 Route 20
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Randy A. Woodis
Seller: Dean Schmidt
Date: 02/14/22

CHICOPEE

28 Adams St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Mint Realty Group LLC
Seller: Gary M. Cloutier
Date: 02/17/22

106 Bell St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Maurice Turner
Seller: Ahmed Aljashaam
Date: 02/18/22

6 Charles St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Susana E. Chirino
Seller: Blue Sky Investment Group LLC
Date: 02/14/22

394 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $161,255
Buyer: Methuselah RT
Seller: Melanie M. Ethier
Date: 02/15/22

39 East Street Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Madeline Puma
Seller: Susan L. Gouin
Date: 02/11/22

21 Emery St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $334,000
Buyer: Karen Chi
Seller: Ryszard Starsiak
Date: 02/10/22

357 Hampden St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Drew Nalewanski
Seller: Eugene D. O’Shea
Date: 02/08/22

49 Harrison Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $322,000
Buyer: Brady Williams
Seller: Rudolph P. Lysick
Date: 02/17/22

107 Labelle Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Anton Zenchenko
Seller: Clifford W. Robinson
Date: 02/11/22

725 Lombard Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: EMI Investments LLC
Seller: Schutte, Dale R., (Estate)
Date: 02/11/22

51 Lorimer St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Chaz Carmichael
Seller: John H. Garvulenski
Date: 02/11/22

773 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Jonjay Elliott
Seller: Lawrence F. Army
Date: 02/18/22

783 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Elena Soboleva
Seller: Lawrence F. Army
Date: 02/15/22

63 Mellen St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Antonio Martinez
Seller: Timothy S. Beauchamp
Date: 02/08/22

297 Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $228,400
Buyer: John R. Stoddard
Seller: Lisa Donnelly
Date: 02/16/22

10 Rivest Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Grace E. Szydziak
Seller: Jennifer J. Wozniak
Date: 02/15/22

850 Sheridan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $1,300,000
Buyer: Procon Group LLC
Seller: BDF Realty Co. LLC
Date: 02/07/22

EAST LONGMEADOW

5 Cosgrove St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Jose Perozo
Seller: Fumi Realty Inc.
Date: 02/17/22

168 Denslow Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $3,045,000
Buyer: Lachenauer LLC
Seller: MTJ Realty LLC
Date: 02/14/22

696 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $364,000
Buyer: Gino J. Lopriore
Seller: AEM Property Investments LLC
Date: 02/18/22

18 Poplar St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Angelo Fabozzi
Seller: Olinda I. Trejo
Date: 02/14/22

330 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Joseph Melfi
Seller: Fredia L. Degray
Date: 02/18/22

5 Revere St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Amber M. Demaio
Seller: Carl R. Hindes
Date: 02/09/22

37 Taylor St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Gerardo Acosta-Barreto
Seller: Giovanni Montefusco
Date: 02/11/22

30 Vreeland Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Tyler J. Wheelock
Seller: Robert F. Sheehan
Date: 02/18/22

HAMPDEN

South Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $309,900
Buyer: Travis M. Phillips
Seller: Russell T. Cable
Date: 02/18/22

HOLLAND

4 Howlett Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $346,000
Buyer: Kate Meadows-Berti
Seller: Ontour Properties Inc.
Date: 02/09/22

HOLYOKE

17-21 Allyn St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,500,000
Buyer: Michael Dee
Seller: Blythewood Property Management LLC
Date: 02/14/22

40 Beacon Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Natalie Martinez
Seller: Donna Mathes
Date: 02/18/22

85 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Lauren Cook
Seller: James A. Ryan
Date: 02/18/22

147 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Aiden C. Moriarty
Seller: Graciela Rodriguez
Date: 02/16/22

19 Cherry St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Edward A. Cianci
Seller: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Date: 02/10/22

66 Elmwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Sherry Bowden
Seller: Shawn R. McNulty
Date: 02/14/22

249 Hampden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: 536 Worthington St. LLC
Seller: Harold F. Skelton
Date: 02/17/22

Mountain Road Lot 1
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Anna R. Evans
Seller: Adam J. Mulcahy
Date: 02/17/22

461 Mountain Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Daniel J. McColgan
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 02/18/22

161-1/2 Oak St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Laura M. Bogart
Seller: Alycar Investments LLC
Date: 02/11/22

27 Oscar St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Yomary Figueroa
Seller: Bey, Kim M., (Estate)
Date: 02/07/22

146-148 Pearl St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,500,000
Buyer: Michael Dee
Seller: Blythewood Property Management LLC
Date: 02/14/22

163 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Mary W. Nelson
Seller: Robert R. Kraus
Date: 02/18/22

9-11 Quirk Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: David Wodecki
Seller: Milton J. Wodecki
Date: 02/18/22

10 Robert Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $364,000
Buyer: Yaniana Mendoza-Torres
Seller: Oscar Reyes
Date: 02/08/22

436 Rock Valley Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Brian D. Buckley
Seller: Morrissey, Maureen, (Estate)
Date: 02/18/22

172 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Pcity LLC
Seller: Zafar Iqbal
Date: 02/18/22

259 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Christopher Dyson
Seller: Sandra Dias
Date: 02/18/22

LONGMEADOW

299 Concord Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $830,000
Buyer: Gerald Lazarus
Seller: Robert K. Costa
Date: 02/18/22

LUDLOW

52 Bluegrass Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Unyierie W. Idem
Seller: Sally A. Gwaiazdowski
Date: 02/18/22

700 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Paula Bogacz
Date: 02/07/22

89 Cislak Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: Eric A. Ellison
Seller: Norbert A. Pereira
Date: 02/18/22

26 Hampden St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Kaitlynn Monette
Seller: Indila RT
Date: 02/17/22

129 Lakeview Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $297,000
Buyer: Larsen Marcel
Seller: Marie I. Anderson
Date: 02/10/22

78 McKinley Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $280,500
Buyer: Sherri A. Plasse
Seller: Louise M. Sedelow
Date: 02/18/22

178 Prospect St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Adrian Aponte-Cruz
Seller: Jose L. Pederneira
Date: 02/15/22

260 Prospect St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Gina M. Forbes
Seller: Bryan J. Forbes
Date: 02/15/22

Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $306,500
Buyer: Cengiz Ibas
Seller: Inci Kavraz
Date: 02/15/22

MONSON

12 Hampden Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Real Estate Investment Northeast
Seller: Amber M. Demaio
Date: 02/09/22

340 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Cynthia Harris
Seller: James R. Young
Date: 02/18/22

178 Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Piper Lowe Real Estate
Seller: Ally Bank
Date: 02/18/22

42 Waid Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Adam Pafumi
Seller: Darnley, Carol P., (Estate)
Date: 02/09/22

PALMER

52 Flynt St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Benjamin Schenkman
Seller: Bruce R. Corbiere
Date: 02/15/22

121 Flynt St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Dylan A. Costa
Seller: Arthur L. Biron
Date: 02/08/22

3134 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: James Coyer
Seller: Sandra Gouvin
Date: 02/11/22

247 Thompson St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Brittany Thibeault
Seller: Paula L. Matukaitis
Date: 02/07/22

RUSSELL

55 Woodland Way
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Aleksandr P. Baraban
Seller: James E. Unger
Date: 02/14/22

SPRINGFIELD

29 Acton St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $275,500
Buyer: Betty Nakitto
Seller: Eagle Home Buyers LLC
Date: 02/17/22

40 Albee St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $261,000
Buyer: Rebecca A. Langlands
Seller: Michael R. Stamouli
Date: 02/17/22

1003 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Diane Kolman
Seller: Artie Berns
Date: 02/15/22

1451 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 02/14/22

3 Beacon St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 02/14/22

39 Bellevue Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $329,000
Buyer: Hommy Colon
Seller: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Date: 02/16/22

48-50 Blodgett St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Cottages By Lorraine LLC
Seller: Uriel Reyes
Date: 02/08/22

28 Bosworth St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Nextgen Construction Service Inc.
Seller: Fyxer Up Properties LLC
Date: 02/08/22

42 Brewster St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Etabav RT
Seller: Kenneth Lamoureux
Date: 02/14/22

22 Burr St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Sebastian A. Rodriguez
Seller: Sugandh Bhatia
Date: 02/11/22

270-272 Centre St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $351,000
Buyer: BRVS LLC
Seller: Siam Williams Investment Group LLC
Date: 02/17/22

157 Clearbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Daniels
Seller: Grahams Construction Inc.
Date: 02/17/22

65 Clydesdale Lane
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Fernando L. Figueroa
Seller: Waleska I. Burgos-Vega
Date: 02/14/22

50 Dawes St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Pratik Mandavgade
Seller: Andrew L. Rohan
Date: 02/07/22

87 Dorset St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Edwin Rodriguez
Seller: Jonathan J. Demars
Date: 02/11/22

54 Duryea St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Spring Park Properties Inc.
Seller: Plante, Elizabeth J., (Estate)
Date: 02/10/22

933 East Columbus Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $2,028,500
Buyer: Gandara Mental Health Center
Seller: East Columbus Avenue LLC
Date: 02/09/22

94-96 Edgewood St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: Abraham Merida
Seller: Novelette Coleman
Date: 02/08/22

41 Fairhaven Dr.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $322,000
Buyer: Brendaliz Vallejo
Seller: Denise D. Harper-Forde
Date: 02/11/22

196 Forest Park Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Arie Myrmo
Seller: Paige N. Derry
Date: 02/11/22

41 Garfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Emmanuel Marte
Seller: Heather M. Goodyear
Date: 02/07/22

81 Garvey Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Aguasvivas Realty LLC
Seller: Sullivan, Oscar Jr., (Estate)
Date: 02/14/22

321 Gilbert Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Shadina M. Johnson
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 02/07/22

64-66 Glenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Urbain Coly
Seller: Kelvyn Batia
Date: 02/16/22

132 Gresham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: 716 Spring Valley LLC
Seller: BRVS LLC
Date: 02/08/22

136 Gresham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: 716 Spring Valley LLC
Seller: BRVS LLC
Date: 02/08/22

165 Gresham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Jeniffer Vazquez-Nieves
Seller: Lester E. Johnson
Date: 02/07/22

364 Island Pond Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Miguel Vargas
Seller: James Coombs
Date: 02/07/22

34 Juliet St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Delson F. Nunez
Seller: Bukowski Construction LLC
Date: 02/18/22

69-71 Knollwood St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Knollwood Property Group LLC
Seller: Jahmeelah O. Bai-Grandson
Date: 02/07/22

22 Lancaster St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Floyd A. Roberts
Seller: Misty D. Phillips
Date: 02/18/22

8-10 Langdon St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Revitalized Renovations
Seller: Osullivan, John B., (Estate)
Date: 02/07/22

141-143 Leyfred Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Victor C. Alonso
Seller: Charles E. Gordon
Date: 02/18/22

76 Lorenzo St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Emmanuel Moran
Seller: Marwah Almidani
Date: 02/18/22

318-1/2 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Halastra
Seller: Edyta Halastra
Date: 02/15/22

14 Mandalay Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Alanna Bernstein
Seller: Michael C. Krobock
Date: 02/07/22

25 Manhattan St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Paul B. Mock
Seller: William M. Fossa
Date: 02/10/22

27 Margerie St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Jarvis Q. Lee
Seller: Joel A. Rapalo
Date: 02/11/22

74 Margerie St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 02/14/22

206 Mazarin St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Dylan T. Barkoski
Seller: Ramon J. Alvarez
Date: 02/17/22

217 Mazarin St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Everett Vaughn
Seller: Jesslyn Dejesus
Date: 02/14/22

32 Monrovia St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Daniel M. Reyes
Seller: Lisa M. Merriweather
Date: 02/15/22

29-31 Morris St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Carlos Rodriguez
Seller: Antonio Calabrese
Date: 02/09/22

68-70 Narragansett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 02/14/22

217 Oakland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Sulla M. Silva
Seller: Nathaniel T. Swift
Date: 02/18/22

5 Olney Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $160,946
Buyer: Wilmington Trust
Seller: Kate E. Irwin
Date: 02/17/22

85 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Janisette Silveira
Seller: CTL Realty LLC
Date: 02/14/22

55 Perkins St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Oluwakemi Crayton
Seller: Santana Real Estate Inc.
Date: 02/18/22

49 Prospect St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Athime Continual Wealth
Seller: Yuriy Rudenko
Date: 02/07/22

17 Rapalus St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Tracy Godbout
Seller: Jose Teixeira
Date: 02/18/22

15 Rencelau St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Lawrence Bystran
Seller: Jerry Torres
Date: 02/16/22

867 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Timothy Jackson
Seller: Crossover Corp. Inc.
Date: 02/18/22

15 Ruthven St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Marcial Rosado
Seller: Angel L. Munoz
Date: 02/18/22

20 Saint James Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Waleska I. Burgos-Vega
Seller: Peter E. Kratimenos
Date: 02/14/22

24 Schley St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $211,500
Buyer: Yadira R. Algarin
Seller: Juan C. Flores
Date: 02/17/22

48 Scott St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Luz Vargas-Natal
Seller: Martin J. Stevens
Date: 02/14/22

248 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Cherry Tree Realty LLC
Seller: Joan P. Kool
Date: 02/18/22

83 Sherbrooke St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Emily Torres-Figueroa
Seller: Daniela D. Urena
Date: 02/11/22

52-54 Somerset St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Michael A. Bisrat
Seller: Quang M. Nguyen
Date: 02/11/22

1427 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Novelette Coleman
Seller: Alfred J. Long
Date: 02/08/22

18 Stanhope Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Brital 1987 LLC
Seller: Kahlil Crittendon
Date: 02/09/22

352 Stapleton Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Sheila A. Harris
Seller: Brown, Walter N., (Estate)
Date: 02/14/22

34-36 Sterling St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Justin S. Correa
Seller: Jacey M. Rondeau
Date: 02/09/22

426 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: A. M. Estrella-Deurena
Seller: Agatha Worrell
Date: 02/09/22

309 Sunrise Ter.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: John R. Barnett
Seller: Blueline Management LLC
Date: 02/08/22

151-153 Trafton Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $244,900
Buyer: Vananh Nguyen
Seller: Thao Pham
Date: 02/15/22

259 Tremont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Melanie M. Martin
Seller: Cheryl A. Salamon
Date: 02/15/22

96-98 Wait St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Wait Street RT
Seller: James M. Moriarty
Date: 02/15/22

59 Wayne St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Romario O. Jackson
Seller: Shamichae D. Weidman
Date: 02/18/22

60 Wayne St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Platinum Homes LLC
Seller: Kevin M. Riddell
Date: 02/16/22

28 West Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Kiesha Cooley
Seller: Rodman Capital Group LLC
Date: 02/15/22

616-618 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Anthony M. Santaniello
Seller: Gary A. Daula
Date: 02/09/22

34 Wilbraham Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Knox Residences I. LP
Seller: James S. Hwang
Date: 02/11/22

42 Wilbraham Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Knox Residences I LP
Seller: James S. Hwang
Date: 02/11/22

48 Wilbraham Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Knox Residences I LP
Seller: James S. Hwang
Date: 02/11/22

1423 Worcester St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: Lirymar Rivera
Seller: Phillip Vivenzio
Date: 02/18/22

72 Wrentham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Rodman Capital Group LLC
Seller: Casey Roginski
Date: 02/09/22

SOUTHWICK

14 Babb Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: John P. Colucci
Seller: Maheux, Richard W., (Estate)
Date: 02/18/22

122 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Thomas R. Maynard
Seller: Norman H. Storey
Date: 02/07/22

11 Falmouth Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Ashley Garlo
Seller: Maksim Dzyubenko
Date: 02/07/22

23 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jose N. Barrios
Seller: Laelia LLC
Date: 02/16/22

20 Grandview St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Arthur F. Owen
Seller: Joan E. Boissonnault
Date: 02/18/22

103 Point Grove Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Jeno 103 LLC
Seller: Donna L. Maynard
Date: 02/07/22

79 Powder Mill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Colin B. Murphy
Seller: Russell E. Orne
Date: 02/15/22

7 Silvergrass Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Nicholas Byrnes
Seller: Hamelin Framing Inc.
Date: 02/15/22

TOLLAND

25 Fiddlehead Lane
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Joshua Bain
Seller: Kelsey Robare
Date: 02/18/22

219 Owls Nest Lane
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: DL Homes LLC
Seller: Keith J. Murphy
Date: 02/15/22

WEST SPRINGFIELD

44 Day St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Ulugbek Gusenov
Seller: Cascade Funding Mtg. T HB7
Date: 02/18/22

91 Hampden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Carmen Santos
Seller: Tara N. Adhikari
Date: 02/15/22

42 Houston Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Tamara Wozniak
Seller: Larkspur LLC
Date: 02/15/22

96 Labelle St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Kayla Bonafilia
Seller: Adam Pafumi
Date: 02/09/22

1236 Memorial Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Hussein A. Nuwab
Seller: Joseph A. Argiro
Date: 02/11/22

136 Queen Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $206,100
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Joseph A. Pieciak
Date: 02/17/22

132 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Emmanuel Ortiz-Sierra
Seller: Rosemarie Condarcuri
Date: 02/11/22

65 Van Horn St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Michael T. Hahn
Seller: Susan T. Frasca
Date: 02/11/22

WESTFIELD

41 Fowler St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $226,500
Buyer: Samuel N. Duffy
Seller: Samantha L. Pielock
Date: 02/07/22

237 Fowler Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $539,000
Buyer: Gregory Valentine
Seller: Christopher M. Dolan
Date: 02/14/22

33 Grenier Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Marilyn Oleksak
Seller: Martha M. Korostynski
Date: 02/18/22

25 Heritage Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Zachary B. Demers
Seller: Stanley J. Osowski
Date: 02/15/22

504 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Anthony Deven
Seller: Snow, Stanley M., (Estate)
Date: 02/15/22

5 Leonard Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Robare
Seller: Timothy R. Tierney
Date: 02/18/22

10 Llewellyn Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Stanley J. Osowski
Seller: Ashley A. Schultz-Emiliano
Date: 02/15/22

40 Maple Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Ross J. Lebo
Seller: Ashley R. Diduk
Date: 02/07/22

10 Noble Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Timothy M. Hayes
Seller: David J. Silvia
Date: 02/15/22

30 Old Farm Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Joshua J. Taylor
Seller: Malia Home Buyers LLC
Date: 02/18/22

89 Otis St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Melodie Perez-Roldan
Seller: Fumi Realty Inc.
Date: 02/08/22

180 Root Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $397,000
Buyer: Fredrick H. Knight
Seller: Neil Petrucelli
Date: 02/14/22

1 Saint Paul St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: John D. Bruce
Seller: Trisha M. Garcia
Date: 02/10/22

35 Skyline Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Vitaliy Y. Bardakov
Seller: Ronald D. Mack
Date: 02/14/22

315 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Davidson
Seller: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Date: 02/16/22

104 Woodside Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Benjamin Gordon
Seller: Zachery Demers
Date: 02/15/22

WILBRAHAM

18 Bruuer Ave.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $341,000
Buyer: Walter B. Robinson
Seller: Campagnari Construction LLC
Date: 02/09/22

20 Bungalow Point
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Ryan St.Germain
Seller: Marc G. Gaudreau
Date: 02/15/22

11 Sunnyside Ter.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Michael C. Malzenski
Seller: Edward M. Malzenski
Date: 02/14/22

 

 

 

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

416 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $1,125,000
Buyer: Plum Brook Farm LLC
Seller: Small Ones Farm LLC
Date: 02/15/22

74 East Leverett Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $612,500
Buyer: Yuqing Guo
Seller: Dugubrown Construction LLC
Date: 02/10/22

32 Hitchcock Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Amherst College
Seller: Martha M. Umphrey
Date: 02/07/22

52 Stagecoach Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: KS Real Estate Group LLC
Seller: Jeryl A. McGuire
Date: 02/18/22

19 Thayer St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: KGT Associates LLC
Seller: FNMA
Date: 02/11/22

BELCHERTOWN

296 Daniel Shays Hwy.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Kakas Cornelia
Seller: Amber K. Merceri
Date: 02/11/22

10 Keys Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Nicholas B. Daniel
Seller: Jared Newell
Date: 02/09/22

2 Rimrock Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $379,000
Buyer: Michael E. Guenette
Seller: Kenneth Line
Date: 02/18/22

190 Sabin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Nicholas P. Sheldon
Seller: Hilda I. Pons-Loud
Date: 02/07/22

25 Shea Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jessica Pacheco
Seller: Andrew I. Rainaud
Date: 02/15/22

216 Stebbins St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Andrea Guerron
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/17/22

50 West St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Wen X. Lian
Seller: John P. Labrecque
Date: 02/09/22

EASTHAMPTON

13 Elliot St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $346,500
Buyer: Shawn Toohey
Seller: James M. Welch
Date: 02/14/22

109 Everett St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Roman Catholic Bishop
Seller: Jeffrey J. Wolak
Date: 02/10/22

3 Fugere Court
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Anthony S. Tuck
Seller: Gleason Johndrow Rentals
Date: 02/16/22

85 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Malia Homebuyers LLC
Seller: Stephen J. Demerski
Date: 02/17/22

283 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Curtis L. Simpson
Seller: Nancy J. Hamelin RET
Date: 02/17/22

93-95 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $875,000
Buyer: Lilulo LLC
Seller: Pizzatronics Worldwide
Date: 02/16/22

Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: New England Remodeling
Seller: Mountain View Investments LP
Date: 02/08/22

GRANBY

122 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Richton & Wynne LLC
Seller: Herbert A. Everett
Date: 02/14/22

40 Greenmeadow Lane
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Luis Eugenio
Seller: Eric Jacobsen
Date: 02/17/22

14 Karen Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Lisa H. Berge
Seller: Berge 2009 Karen Dr. TR
Date: 02/17/22

HADLEY

11 Ladyslipper Lane
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $520,000
Buyer: Joshua Relin
Seller: Therese Fleming-Dudek
Date: 02/07/22

231 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $730,000
Buyer: One Northampton St. Enterprises
Seller: Tomlan Realty LLC
Date: 02/14/22

11 Sylvia Heights
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Aaron T. Soules
Seller: Mourad Belfakih
Date: 02/07/22

MIDDLEFIELD

100 Town Hill Road
Middlefield, MA 01235
Amount: $382,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Gauthier
Seller: Savery Family 2021 TR
Date: 02/15/22

NORTHAMPTON

113 Bliss St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $466,000
Buyer: Shalyn N. Kempema
Seller: Marsha Leavitt
Date: 02/18/22

866 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Nicholas S. Riggall
Seller: Brian Lienert
Date: 02/07/22

Federal St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Nu Way Homes Inc.
Seller: Suzanne M. Douville
Date: 02/15/22

5 Franklin St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $760,000
Buyer: Reliance Holdings Corp.
Seller: Viability Inc.
Date: 02/14/22

220 King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $2,282,400
Buyer: Store Master Funding XXV
Seller: Acme Realco LLC
Date: 02/17/22

89 Market St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: David S. Coburn
Seller: Jason N. Mark
Date: 02/17/22

83 North St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $450,500
Buyer: Danica Phelps
Seller: Nancy C. Chamberlin RET
Date: 02/07/22

54 Platinum Circle
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Choquette Capital Investments LLC
Seller: Wicked Deals LLC
Date: 02/11/22

52 Prospect Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $647,000
Buyer: Amy E. Mager
Seller: Glickman, Evalyn G., (Estate)
Date: 02/07/22

67 Riverbank Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Ian A. Wilson
Seller: Jesse L. Lang LT
Date: 02/17/22

428 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Jana Harvill-Correa
Seller: Steven Berlin
Date: 02/11/22

PELHAM

96 Daniel Shays Hwy.
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Warren K. Castonguay
Seller: Timothy R. Smith
Date: 02/11/22

SOUTH HADLEY

55 Judd Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Joseph Rosenbaum
Seller: Anthony J. Grey
Date: 02/15/22

645 Newton St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Min Realty LLC
Seller: Gaunt, Joseph H. Jr., (Estate)
Date: 02/15/22

10 Ranger St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Teresa Lewis
Seller: John A. Dent
Date: 02/09/22

SOUTHAMPTON

Cook Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: New England Remodeling
Seller: Mountain View Investments LP
Date: 02/08/22

11 Maple St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Alla Katsnelson
Seller: Stacey J. Piandes
Date: 02/11/22

117 Strong Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Kevin C. Netto Construction Inc.
Seller: Deborah A. Peters
Date: 02/10/22

WARE

29 Canal St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Amy Barry
Seller: Robert T. Jacques
Date: 02/07/22

79-1/2 East St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Karen M. Gallant
Seller: Eric D. Even
Date: 02/07/22

11 Grove St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Eleanor Mercure
Seller: Concepcion A. Wnek
Date: 02/08/22

11-13 Storrs St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jarad M. Chase
Seller: Brian W. Coulombe
Date: 02/17/22

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of February 2022. (Filings are limited due to closures or reduced staffing hours at municipal offices due to COVID-19 restrictions).

CHICOPEE

Chois Property Management LLC
551 East St.
$62,000 — Roofing

HADLEY

Sarah Khan, Henrey Drewal
68 Comins Road
Renovate chicken coop

Pyramid Mall of Hadley Newco LLC
367 Russell St.
Tenant fit-up for a trampoline park

LENOX

The Frederick LLC
2 Kemble St.
$4,500 — Select investigative demolition

NORTHAMPTON

American Tower Corp.
114 Glendale Road
$25,000 — Modify equipment

Colvest/Northampton LLC
303 King St.
$175,000 — Foundation

Cooper’s Dairyland of Northampton LLC
49 State St.
$41,800 — Replace 36 vinyl windows

Florence Congregational Church
130 Pine St.
$15,000 — Reinforce floor structure

Good View LLC
11 Michelman Ave.
$16,000 — Install Lally columns and open walls

Marsam LLC
132 Main St.
$175,500 — Repair limestone and bricks

PITTSFIELD

Susan Danahey
474 Tyler St.
$1,000 — Install four hardwired smoke/CO combo in common areas

Eagle Street Associates Nominee Trust
33 Eagle St.
$7,500 — Selective demolition of existing partition walls to create space for classroom

Ghes Realty LLC
652 East St.
$24,300 — Install new structural steel beam for new service reception area

SPRINGFIELD

1072 Estate Holdings LLC
1072 State St.
$40,000 — Divide former Imperial Super Grocery into four new tenant spaces

Back Spin LLC
785 Page Blvd.
$24,000 — Roofing

Baystate Medical Center Inc.
759 Chestnut St.
$1,982,588 — Alter roof covering for use as roof garden between south building tower and north building tower

Baystate Medical Center Inc.
759 Chestnut St.
$1,927,350 — Add pedestrian bridge connecting fourth floor of south building tower to north building tower

Baystate Medical Center Inc.
759 Chestnut St.
$47,800 — Alter interior office space in Springfield Building

Haymarket Square Associates LP
1686 Boston Road
$26,500 — Build separation wall turning former Chuck E. Cheese into two tenant spaces, install new doors and demolish stage

Kentucky Fried Chicken
3111 Main St.
$9,500 — Install fire/burglar alarm system

Loomis Communities
807 Wilbraham Road
$19,700 — Remove separation wall and bathroom fixtures and combine unit with adjacent unit at Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing

Poly-Metal Finishing Inc.
1 Allen St.
$33,000 — Verizon Wireless to remove and replace three roof-mounted cellular antennas and associated equipment

SBA Communications Corp.
1400 State St.
$110,000 — AT&T to install 12 new antennas on existing tower

Springfield Express Laundry
470 Main St.
$17,200 — Install security/burglar alarm system

Springfield Redevelopment Authority
55 Frank B. Murray St.
$2,300 — Alter interior space and install partition wall at Union Station

TD Banknorth NA
950 State St.
$52,730 — Alter interior office space for use as dental office

Vibra Healthcare Real Estate Co. II LLC
1414 State St.
$30,000 — Verizon Wireless to add six new cellular antennas and six new radios to existing monopole

 

Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy Announces New Shareholder, Associate

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy, P.C. (DWPM) announced that the firm has elected Angelina Stafford as a new shareholder and welcomed to its team attorney Justin Kissell as an associate.

Stafford, who was previously an associate attorney at DWPM, concentrates her practice on trust and estate matters, including estate and tax planning, estate and trust administration, business succession planning, and probate litigation.

Stafford earned her juris doctor degree summa cum laude from Western New England University and her bachelor’s degree with distinction from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Doherty, Wallace in 2013, she clerked for the Connecticut Appellate Court. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Kissell joined the firm in 2021 and became an associate attorney in January 2022 after being admitted to the bar. He is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School in Boston. While at Suffolk, he was the chief note editor for the Journal of Health & Biomedical Law. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, with a minor in political science, at the University of New Hampshire.

Kissell’s experience includes working as a law clerk at Rimon, P.C. in Boston, where he worked in trusts and estates, taxation, and general business. Prior to that, he was a summer intern at the Dedham District Court, working with the Hon. Judge Michael Pomarole. He is admitted to practice in the state of Massachusetts.

“We are proud to welcome Angie as a shareholder at Doherty, Wallace. She is a vital part of our estate planning and probate practice, and is ready to help individuals and families prepare for the future,” said W. Garth Janes, managing partner at DWPM. “Justin joins our business practice and adds depth to our corporate and real-estate practice.”

Massachusetts Unemployment Creeps Up in January

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Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s January total unemployment rate increased by two-tenths of a percentage points to 4.8%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate that Massachusetts gained 10,600 jobs in January. This follows the previous month’s revised gain of 14,500 jobs. The largest over-the-month private-sector job gains were in professional, scientific, and business services; leisure and hospitality; construction; and manufacturing. Employment now stands at 3,609,000. Since the employment trough in April 2020, Massachusetts has gained 558,000 jobs.

From January 2021 to January 2022, BLS estimates that Massachusetts gained 178,100 jobs. The largest over-the-year gains occurred in leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; and education and health services. Financial activities was the only sector to see job losses.

The January unemployment rate of 4.8% was 0.8% above the national rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The labor force increased by an estimated 15,700 from 3,751,500 in December, as 9,400 more residents were employed, and 6,200 more residents were unemployed over the month.Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 2.3%.

The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — was up three-tenths of a percentage point to 65.8%. Compared to January 2021, the labor-force participation rate was up 0.6%.

Holyoke Mall to Host Get Hired Job Fair on May 5

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Mall will host an in-person job fair on Thursday, May 5 from 3 to 6 p.m. on the lower level near Macy’s. Sponsored by Valley Opportunity Council, the Get Hired Job Fair is a convenient opportunity for Western Mass. employers to interview and hire workers, and to help job seekers connect with businesses who need their skills.

Employers from a variety of industries will be in attendance looking for candidates at all skill levels. Several stores and venues at Holyoke Mall will also be in attendance to fill open positions. The event is free to attend for all job seekers. Employers that have already signed up to staff a table include MGM Springfield, Holyoke Medical Center, Springfield College, Trinity Senior Communities, and Valley Opportunity Council.

Employers interested in participating in the upcoming job fair should contact Jim Geraghty, advertising representative for Holyoke Mall, at (617) 840-2998 or [email protected]. For full details regarding the job fair, visit www.holyokemall.com/event/get-hired-job-fair.

YPS, WRC to Host St. Patrick’s Day Networking Event on March 16

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS) will host an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration in partnership with the West of the River Chamber of Commerce (WRC) at West Springfield’s Irish House Restaurant & Pub, 429 Morgan Road, on Wednesday, March 16 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Presented by event sponsors LiftTruck Parts & Service and Haselkorn Inc., the event will support and encourage networking among area young professionals while also celebrating the St. Patrick’s day holiday. The event will include complimentary appetizers, networking opportunities, and a cash bar.

“Events like this will help retain individuals who are enthusiastic about the future of the community and their personal endeavors,” YPS President Heather Clark said. “YPS is here to exchange ideas, share common interests, and cultivate membership to serve as local leaders of tomorrow. We’re hopeful that our networking events will make it easier to make meaningful connections that will help local young professionals thrive.”

Springfield YPS concentrates its efforts on business and career development, networking, social and cultural involvement, and community activism. Its diverse membership comes from a wide range of professions and backgrounds united by a commitment to make Springfield a better place to work, live, play, and stay.

Registration is free for YPS and WRC members and $10 for non-members. Click here to register.

SSO to Produce Six Concerts for 2022-23 Season

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) announced it will produce a 2022-23 season that will include at least six concerts at Symphony Hall, and that tickets are now on sale for the first of two spring concerts to be held on Friday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m.

SSO interim Director Paul Lambert said the SSO is planning a season of at least six concerts at Symphony Hall. Performances are being scheduled while the SSO and the musicians’ union continue contract negotiations.

Lambert said tickets for the SSO’s first of two spring concerts, “Of Heroes and Poets,” are now on sale to the public. Tickets for the April 22 concert, featuring Cuban-American cellist Thomas Mesa, can be purchased at www.springfieldsymphony.org/event/of-heroes-and-poets or by calling the SSO box office at (413) 733-2291. The box office is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets for the SSO’s May 13 concert, “Dances of Spring,” are also on sale on the SSO website. More details about that concert will be forthcoming.

Mesa, the featured visiting artist on April 22, is a musician affiliated with the Detroit-based Sphinx organization. Focused on increasing representation of black and Latinx artists in classical music, Sphinx is a social-justice organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Mesa will perform Antonin Dvorak’s Cello Concerto. The symphony will also present William Grant Still’s Danzas de Panama and Robert Schumann’s Symphony #2.

Mesa has received numerous awards and recognitions and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in the U.S. and Mexico, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, Santa Barbara Symphony, Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Mark Russell Smith, who previously served as music director and conductor of the SSO from 1995 to 2000, will serve as guest conductor for both the April 22 and May 13 concerts. Smith is music director and conductor of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. He has worked as director of New Music Projects for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and artistic director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Minnesota, and has also served as music director for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra.

Forest Park Zoo to Host Eggstravaganza on April 16

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Zoo in Forest Park will host its annual Eggstravaganza on Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event will include grab-and-go stations for children with take-and-make activities, prize-filled Easter eggs, books, and candy while supplies last. There will also be animal encounters and enrichment to allow guests an up-close look at some of the animals, as well as free face painting and visits from Felix the Fox and Andy the Armadillo.

“While the Zoo hosts Eggstravaganza every year, the staff does an amazing job of creating a new, exciting atmosphere with crafts, activities, and fun for all eventgoers each season,” said Caroline Cay Adams, director of education at the Zoo in Forest Park. “We are so honored that we can host such a popular event for the Greater Springfield community and beyond.”

Pre-registration is required to attend. No additional tickets will be sold at the door. Registration closes April 11 or when all tickets are sold. To purchase tickets, visit www.forestparkzoo.org/eggs.

Elizabeth Román Joins NEPM’s Newsroom

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Elizabeth Román will New England Public Media’s newsroom as managing editor for news after reporting for nearly two decades at the Republican. In recent years, she has also edited El Pueblo Latino, co-founded Colectivo de Medios Latinos, and appeared as a panelist on NEPM’s “The Short List” and “Connecting Point.” In her role at NEPM, she will edit daily news stories, work to expand the diversity of sources in news coverage, and explore ways to create more Spanish-language news content.

“I am thrilled to welcome Liz to the newsroom,” said Sam Hudzik, NEPM news director. “She is a consummate professional with almost two decades of experience covering the stories of our region.”

Elizabeth is a lifelong resident of Springfield and the daughter of Puerto Rican parents who migrated to Massachusetts from the island more than 40 years ago. She is a graduate of Holyoke Community College and UMass Amherst. Throughout her career as a print journalist, it has been her objective to provide accurate representation of communities of color in Western Mass., and she is excited to continue that work at NEPM. She will join New England Public Media on Monday, March 14.

Pioneer Valley Credit Union Donates to CSO for Friends of the Homeless Shelter

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Pioneer Valley Credit Union donated $100 worth of thermal layers, hats, socks, sweaters, and sweatpants and an additional monetary donation of $500 for a grand total of $600 to Clinical & Support Option’s (CSO) Friends of the Homeless Shelter in Springfield.

The warm-clothing collection efforts were made at the Sixteen Acres and East Springfield branches throughout the month of February in addition to the option to donate over the phone.

“Pioneer Valley Credit Union is more than happy to support such a great local cause in efforts to help keep our community warm,” said Anabela Grenier, president and CEO.

CSO’s Friends of the Homeless program is more than an emergency shelter. In addition to offering more than 1,000 individuals with a warm bed and hot shower each year, the program also assigns case workers to each guest. It also serves three community meals each day, offers a robust resource center, and operates low-income housing units for those in need.

Asnuntuck to Hold Open House on April 7

By
Daily News

ENFIELD, Conn. — Asnuntuck Community College (ACC) will hold an open house on campus on Thursday, April 7. The event will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. and feature information about ACC’s credit and credit-free opportunities.

The evening will include an information session, including information about Asnuntuck’s free Children’s Cooperative Reading Room and small group tours of the campus, including the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center. A resource fair will also take place that night, and ACC’s Follett Bookstore will be open for business during the event.

There is a bonus for new students who attend the open house. Students who are accepted into a credit-bearing program for summer or fall and register that night for courses will be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship from the Asnuntuck Foundation.

Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended. Visit asnuntuck.edu/admissions/visit-us to learn more and reserve a spot.

BusinessTalk with Marc Joyce, chairman of the 69th Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade

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Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest, in partnership with Living Local, 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 104: March 14, 2022

George Interviews Marc Joyce, chairman of the 69th Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Marc Joyce

 BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien has a lively, wide-ranging discussion with Marc Joyce, chairman of the 69th Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The two talk about the long, three-year wait for the 69th parade, the impact of this institution on Holyoke and the surrounding region, and what’s on tap for highly anticipated 2022 parade and road race. It’s all must listening, so join us on BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest in partnership with Living Local and sponsored by PeoplesBank.

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