A New Springfield: Behind the Numbers

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Opinion

Editorial

Since Kevin Kennedy took over as Springfield’s chief Development officer in 2011, he has staged annual “economic-development updates,” as he calls them, in conjunction with the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce. The latest one, as you likely know, was staged late last month.

These sessions are, quite obviously, very positive in tone — and there is a discernable cheerleading quality to the proceedings. Some have said this exercise is more of a pep rally than it is an update.

Whatever. The bottom line in this case is the bottom line, as in the total amount of public and private investment in the city since the June 2011 tornado. And that number is now $3.76 billion, which is impressive no matter how you slice it.

It is that large, and that impressive, because of a confluence of eight- and even nine-figure projects that are truly generational in size and scope. These include the $950 million MGM project, certainly, but also the $250 million I-91 viaduct project, and the Union Station renovation initiative and the CRRC railcar factory in East Springfield, both nearly $100 million projects.

But maybe the most impressive thing about that investment total is how much it has grown since last year — more than $450 million, a number that includes large projects announced by MassMutual ($50 million in Springfield, $300 million statewide), Big Y ($35 million), among others.

But what’s more impressive, in our view, are all the smaller but still very significant six- and seven-figure projects that contribute meaningfully to that investment total but also to something even more important — that non-qualitative measure known as momentum.

That list of smaller projects is large and includes everything from the new Dr. Seuss Museum and planned expansion of the Basketball Hall of Fame to new solar-energy plants; from Stearns Square renovation efforts to the restoration of Pynchon Park; from a host of infrastructure projects to a new library in East Forest Park; from the purchase of the old Willys facility in the so-called ‘blast zone’ to the new branch of the UMass Medical School.

It all adds up, and, as we said, not just to a big number that planning officials can toss out at their annual gathering. It also adds to all-important momentum and the sense that Springfield is putting its recent past behind it.

And those numbers do something else, too. They corroborate and validate a broad economic-development strategy — one that uses public investment in everything from transportation to infrastructure; from park projects (like Pynchon Park) to development and cultural districts to generate private investment.

Moving forward, it’s highly improbable that the city will see that investment total increase by nearly a half-billion dollars, although that’s certainly possible.

Smaller increases are far more likely moving forward, and the key is to keep them coming. Now that the city has laid the track, if you will, a phrase Kennedy himself likes to use, the challenge (actually the mandate) is to keep traffic moving on those tracks.

That’s why plans for an aggressive marketing plan are so important. There were a few hundred people at CityStage to hear the economic-development update. A much larger audience needs to hear all they heard — about new building projects, employers choosing to come here, school dropout rates falling, and a city enjoying a huge comeback.

The headlines about this latest update were all about the numbers — or that one big number, $3.76 billion. And that’s understandable. As we said, it’s impressive.

More impressive, though, it’s what’s behind those numbers — a solid strategy that is working.

Opioids: A Study in Lifelong Learning

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Opinion

Opinion

By Dr. Henry L. Dorkin

It was only a few short years ago that the opioid crisis emerged across the country, with particular ferocity here in the Commonwealth. In retrospect, we realize the signs were clearly there. Unfortunately, many of them were missed.

Looking back, the role of the physician in this was clear. While our goals were laudable in trying to assuage our patients’ pain, some wrote too many prescriptions and, in those prescriptions, authorized too many pills.

This is not to cast blame. This is to focus on the problem and appreciate just how far we have come since the epidemic was first noted. The medical community quickly recognized that we had a more important role to play moving forward — as part of the solution. The Massachusetts Medical Society led the charge.

We have improved our prescribing practices. Data from the state show a 23% reduction in opioid prescriptions since 2015 and a nearly 50% reduction in prescribing to patients who had not previously received an opioid script.

We are working to improve patient access to life-saving care, from naloxone to medication-assisted treatment. Of course, we are looking to ensure that those in need of pain management are able to get the help they require.

Now, while law enforcement tackles the larger issue of non-prescription illicit narcotics, we physicians must continue to address the numerically smaller, yet no less critical, issue of overprescribing opioids for pain, and the diversion of medications. Progress has been made; more needs to be accomplished.

We all know the value of lifelong learning as physicians. This crisis, and our response to it, shows how quickly we can learn and how much we can change. May we continue to do so until this epidemic is over.

Henry L. Dorkin, MD, FAAP is president of the Massachusetts Medical Society. This article first appeared in the MMS publication Vital Signs.

The Golf Business Faces Some Formidable Hazards

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Cover Story Golf Preview Sections

Grinding It Out

Two decades ago, people were clamoring to get into the golf business. It was seen as an almost can’t-miss proposition, and individuals and municipalities alike were looking to cash in. Things changed in a hurry, of course, and today, operations are struggling to stay in the black. To do so, they must be imaginative, flexible, and diverse.

For several years now, area golf-course operators have been saying there’s at least one too many courses in this region for the collective good, especially given the downward trajectory of the business as overall play has declined.

With the accent on ‘at least.’

Well, now there is actually one less track in the Greater Springfield area with the sale last fall of Southwick Country Club to an area developer. Where once there were fairways, greens, and tee boxes, there will soon be homes priced at roughly $300,000 and above.

Just what kind of impact this development will have on the region’s golf industry remains to be seen — Southwick was a relatively small operation, but the course had several leagues, was popular with women and seniors, and had a loyal core of regulars.

“Those people and those leagues will have to play somewhere,” said Ted Perez Jr., long-time pro and co-owner of East Mountain Country Club in Westfield, a truly family-run operation launched 55 years ago by Ted Sr. “They’re not going to stop playing, they’re not going to quit the game, so they’ll have to go somewhere else; that much is clear.”

What is also abundantly and even painfully clear is that the problems facing all golf-course owners and operators, public and private, are not going to be solved or even remotely dented by one course closing its doors. Those problems are far too systemic for that.

That’s why Perez and others we spoke with believe it’s not a case of whether other courses will join Southwick as casualties of a changing landscape, but when. While there is no consensus on when it will actually happen, the overriding sentiment is ‘soon,’ which is obviously a relative term.

Meanwhile … in professional golf, when a player has to work exceedingly hard to make pars and keep from falling down the leaderboard, those analyzing the action on TV like to say that he or she is ‘grinding it out.’

And that’s exactly what area courses are doing — working exceedingly hard so as not to lose ground, as in revenue or profits.

These exercises in grinding it out take many forms, and the efficiency of some of them can certainly be debated. And one large realm that falls in that category is pricing.

The back wall of Dave Fleury’s office

The back wall of Dave Fleury’s office — the one crammed with posters promoting events at Crestview Country Club — speaks to how golf operations have to focus on much more than golf.

Many courses are actually lowering theirs, even as the cost of everything from fertilizer to health insurance for employees continues to rise. Meanwhile, others are adopting what is now a common practice among airlines and hotels — dynamic pricing.

In these scenarios, open stretches on the tee sheets can be filled by discounting those slots in the same way that hotels will let unsold rooms go at below-rate prices on the theory that an occupied room is better than a vacant one.

Jamie Ballard, head pro at Crumpin-Fox Golf Club in Bernardston, said the club is now using dynamic pricing, and it is helping to fill in more lines on tee sheets and get people on the course.

“The margins in golf are so thin now, you have to value every tee time,” he noted while explaining why the club utilizes a company called Golf Now to handle its tee sheet use dynamic pricing to fill slots that may otherwise go unsold. “We don’t ever want to cheapen our brand by giving things away, but if I have a block of tee times on a weekend from 10 to 12 that we’re telling to sell our $100 rack rate that’s not booked, we have to find a way to fill that tee sheet more.”

But others, like Perez, who called such tactics part of what he termed the ‘race to the bottom,’ and Dave Fleury, owner of Crestview Country Club in Agawam and Elmcrest Country Club in East Longmeadow, see inherent dangers in discounting the product, especially the fear that people will be reluctant to pay full price.

“Sometimes it gets like a market in Morocco,” said Fleury, referring to the growing amount of price negotiating going on in golf now. “Golfers are much more emboldened to basically try to demand the price they want to pay, and that’s not really good for the game.”

Meanwhile, there are other elements to grinding it out. These include changes and improvements to make clubs more customer-friendly and especially family-friendly. And this involves both public and private courses; among the latter, Springfield Country Club initiated a massive makeover last year coinciding with new ownership, and stoic Longmeadow Country Club is making nearly $5 million in improvements this year (see related story, page 28).

And then, there’s diversification.

Diversification? Yes, there’s always been some of that at golf operations — from weddings in the clubhouse to snowshoeing on the course. But now, there’s much, much more of it, out of necessity. And it comes in all forms — from Easter brunches to bands to comedy nights, as we’ll see — in an effort to create critically needed revenue streams.

At Waubeeka Golf Club in Williamstown, in the far northwest corner of the state, diversification and grinding it out are being taken to new and intriguing levels. Indeed, Mike Deep, a real-estate business owner who bought the club five years ago to keep it from closing, is advancing plans for an elaborate resort at the course.

Plans are still in the developmental stage, but he can envision dozens of small cabins, a large conference facility, a banquet hall, and more. It’s an ambitious plan, he said, but the current landscape demands such boldness.

“You can’t stand still in this business — you’ll get run over,” he said, speaking for everyone involved in golf. “You have to change, and you have to think differently.”

Setting a New Course

The wall behind the desk in Dave Fleury’s office at Crestview goes a long way toward explaining all of what’s happening in golf today.

Indeed, space that years ago would probably have gone toward pictures of Fleury with many of the golf pros he’s met during a long career in course design (and he has a few of those around) now boasts posters announcing different events Crestview has staged over the past several years.

And the depth and diversity of these events gives new meaning to ‘diversification’ in the golf business.

There are appearances by bands, a Harley night, brunches, comedy nights, a Kentucky Derby party, cruise nights … you name it.

Fleury displays these posters … well, because he’s proud of them; he helped design them. But as a group, these events show in a powerful fashion just how much this operation has changed.

Years ago, Crestview was a private course, and the focus was on golf and the membership. Period. There were no Harley nights and no U2 tribute bands playing there.

Scenic Waubeeka Golf Club in Wlliamstown

Scenic Waubeeka Golf Club in Wlliamstown may soon add a destination resort and conference facilities in an effort to create a more diverse, profitable business operation.

But today, more than 70,000 people make their way down the winding road to the Crestview clubhouse annually, by Fleury’s estimates, and only a small percentage of them will take golf clubs out of the trunk.

The rest will be going to the restaurant, using the pool, checking out vintage cars, or taking part in what Fleury called “block parties,” events that become important revenue streams. Ton sum up how it works and what it means for the operation, he borrowed terms from baseball, not golf.

“There are very few home runs in this business,” he explained. “So if you can hit a lot of singles and doubles, then you can stay in business. If you look at every event like that, as long as we make a reasonable profit and we’re doing a good job of what we do, then they’re well worth doing.”

This is how it is now and will be moving forward, said those we spoke with.

Why? Well, let’s start by going back to where we started — the now-closed Southwick Country Club. A visit there provides some some intriguing perspective, geographically and otherwise, on a changed but still-crowded golf landscape.

Indeed, one can actually see another course from what used to be Southwick’s first fairway — the Ranch is right down the road, although it is a world away when it comes to price, quality, and amenities. And there are two more public courses within just a few miles of Southwick’s driveway — Shaker Farms Country Club in Westfield and Edgewood Country Club in Southwick. Tekoa Country Club, also in Westfield, is maybe three and a half miles away, and there are three more public courses just over the line in Agawam — Oak Ridge, St. Anne’s, and Agawam Country Club. East Mountain Country Club is only six miles away.

Things aren’t quite as crowded on the east side of the Connecticut River, but there are plenty of choices there as well.

There is simply an oversupply, said Fleury, adding that it would have been hard to imagine such a scenario 20 years ago. That’s when Tiger Woods was creating huge amounts of energy and interest in the game — and the business — of golf.

A stroll through the BusinessWest archives puts things in perspective. The headline on the cover of the May 1997 issue (this was a monthly back then) said it all: “Going for the Green: Round Numbers Are Adding Up for Golf Entrepreneurs.” One of the principals behind the Ranch project, talking about a surge in play at area courses, said at the time: “all you have to do is open the cash register and point to the first tee; everyone wants to play these days. You’ve got to get that $20 bill out of your pocket fast … because there’s a guy in line behind you who has his out already.”

But things changed relatively quickly, from a business-cycle perspective, and there’s no better evidence of this than the Ledges Golf Club in South Hadley, arguably the poster child for a struggling industry.

A municipal course — meaning it’s owned by the town — the Ledges was conceived just as Tiger and the game of golf were booming and it seemed like things would stay that way forever. Golf wasn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, per se, but for many private developers and even towns like South Hadley, it was something close to that.

Until it wasn’t.

Which, in the case of the Ledges, was essentially right away; from the start, it has been a losing proposition. The town’s manager said last fall that it has lost almost $9 million since the first foursome went off in 2001. And, remember, this was sold as a can’t-miss revenue generator!

The Ledges is still operating, but it is on the golf-business equivalent of life support. Town officials have said that, if things don’t turn around this year, they will pull the plug, and the course will close and revert to parkland.

If that happens, there will less competition for area courses, but the region will still be saturated, if not oversaturated.

And those in the business will still be grinding it out — or not. As noted earlier, more casualities are expected.

In the meantime, course operators will continue looking for ways to bring more people to their doorsteps — for golf or anything else that will generate revenue and help keep people employed.

Rough Estimates

This is the broad topic that is dominating regional and national meetings of golf-course operators, said Deep, adding that he has now attended many such gatherings.

“We have to change how people think about golf,” he said while summing up the broad assignment, which is even more daunting in Berkshire County, which has, as Deep noted, among the highest rates of golf courses per capita. There are 14 of them, by his count, and they are all fishing in a pool that seems to get smaller each year.

There might be only 13 if Deep had not stepped in five years ago. Waubeeka was losing about $400,000 a year at the time, he said, adding that he was confident (and now he has no idea why) that he could turn things around quickly and profoundly.

Instead, he could do neither, although he did make progress, reducing those losses consistently to where the club is now maybe $100,000 in the red. “We’re going in the right direction, but there’s no way anyone can continue to lose that kind of money,” he went on, adding that this reality prompted the plans for a destination hotel and convention facility, something the area lacks and needs.

Preliminary plans call for what Deep called a “village,” with a new clubhouse, a dining facility for 300 or more, and cabins scattered around the property. The project would be built in phases, and 2020 is the goal for the first stage.

To borrow another phrase from those television analysts, this ambitious move is, like a reachable par 5, a risk-reward scenario. There is considerable risk, but also potential rewards. And this is what is going on across the industry, albeit on a generally much smaller scale: Taking risks to realize rewards.

Put another way, and to paraphrase those we spoke with, the biggest risk comes in doing nothing and simply hoping the golf gods (ask anyone who plays) will smile on your operation.

One of the risks being taken is lowering prices, a difficult step at a time when other costs are escalating, but a necessary one for many clubs.

Crumpin-Fox is in that category, said Ballard, noting this step wasn’t taken lightly and is considered a calculated response to the changing landscape.

“Whether you like it or not, this is a business,” he told BusinessWest. “We might love our golf course and say, in our opinion, that we don’t have any competition, but the reality of it is we do. And if you have options, price is one thing that people consider.”

Other risks are more minor in nature and reflect Fleury’s comments about hitting singles and doubles — a discussion that prompts Perez to talk about ‘upstairs.’

That would be East Mountain’s expansive yet flexible ballroom.

“My brother, Mark (also a partner in the EMCC operation), talked about this six or seven years ago — he said we had to start using upstairs more,” said Perez, adding that, while the facility had always played host to weddings, chamber breakfasts, Rotary meetings, and more, it was clear that it was still being underutilized as a revenue generator.

Not anymore.

To get his point across, Perez referenced Trivia Night, or the latest in a series of them, staged on the Thursday night before he spoke with BusinessWest.

“We do it from the first Thursday in October until the last Thursday in March — that’s six months,” he said, adding that an average turnout would be 40 players, or about eight teams.

That’s not a large number of people, but most of them order food and drinks, and thus it becomes well worth turning the lights on. The goal, obviously, is to do this as many nights of the year as possible. And East Mountain does this with bands, comedy, and more.

“Pretty much every Friday, we’ve got something going on upstairs,” he said. “You don’t make a lot of money with it, but you keep people coming here, and you keep a few dollars going through the system.

“You realize why nightclubs open and close all the time,” he went on, referring specifically to the decidedly hit-or-miss nature of booking bands. “It’s nice to have, but thank God we don’t have to make a living with that.”

In many ways, though, golf-course operators do have to make a living with such events — or at least a part of their living.

“That’s part of the new reality,” said Fleury, noting that, if clubs do not adjust to it, then they increase their risk of being the next casuality.

Course Correction

As he talked with BusinessWest, Deep offered an observation that many in golf have made over the past few months: Tiger is back.

Indeed, he is playing on the tour again after almost three years of being sidelined by back ailments and surgeries to correct them. And he’s not only playing, he’s competing at a high level, with a few top-10 finishes.

His presence has been noticed in a number of ways: TV ratings have soared, attendance at the tournaments he’s played in has skyrocketed, competitors paired with him are complaining about how hard is to play in front of such huge galleries, and anticipation about the upcoming Masters is off the charts because he’s listed among the favorites.

“Tiger coming back is good for the game,” said Deep, expressing, without actually saying as much, the hope that maybe Woods’ comeback can fuel some sort of resurgence for the industry.

Maybe, but what’s more likely is that Tiger’s return will be like the closing of Southwick Country Club — it will help, but it won’t change the big picture.

No, course operators are going to have to keep grinding it out.

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

Longmeadow Country Club Undertakes a Multi-faceted Makeover

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Golf Preview Sections

Course of Action

This rendering shows the new pool and addition to LCC’s stately clubhouse.

This rendering shows the new pool and addition to LCC’s stately clubhouse.

Longmeadow Country Club will turn 100 in a few years (the easy-to-remember 2022, to be more specific).

It is a venerable institution with considerable history, much of it focused on two of the most famous names in the history of golf: Donald Ross and Bobby Jones.

The former designed the course, and it is considered one of his best — in this region if not the country (he designed more than 400 courses worldwide). The latter is considered the greatest amateur in the history of the game. The winner of seven major championships, he played Spalding clubs, and the Chicopee-based company put his name on some of its equipment. When he visited the plant, he would often play Longmeadow Country Club and became a member there.

The club has hosted a number of tournaments over the years, including several Massachusetts Amateurs and the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur, won by current PGA Tour pro Kevin Tway. Popular current players Rickie Fowler and Sam Saunders (Arnold Palmer’s grandson) also competed that year.

Meanwhile, the club has long been the only one in the region to have caddies, and its program has involved young people who would become captains of industry — and even captains in the military (an admiral, actually) — who would proudly recall their time at LCC.

There’s so much tradition and lore here that you often see adjectives placed before the club, like historic, fabled, and storied. And while those still apply, all that doesn’t make LLC immune from the powerful forces impacting the game — and business — of golf and private clubs everywhere, said current President Patrick O’Shea, a lawyer by trade and avid golfer.

“We no longer have a situation where the younger generation aspires, as a sign of success, to join a country club,” he said, summing up a complex matter rather simply. “The family money is going to a lot of places other than a country club.”

The need to respond to this sea change was the catalyst for a nearly $5 million renovation at the club. There is some work taking place on the course itself, O’Shea noted, adding that several hundred trees have been taken down, mostly in an effort to bring sunlight into areas of the course that sorely need it. But the most sweeping changes will be in and around the stately clubhouse.

Indeed, the facility is being made more casual and more family-friendly, he said, citing everything from a completely new look and feel inside the clubhouse to a new pool and patio area outside.

The plans call for demolishing the old tap room and nearby patio area and replacing that with a new 19th-hole/bar area with seating for about 50 people, with an adjacent casual dining space for nearly 100 people, with an open, family-friendly design.

Those we spoke with would wear out those words ‘open’ and ‘casual,’ in large part because these are things the old clubhouse wasn’t, but needs to be moving forward, because this is the environment members want.

“The focus is on the casual, fun social-gathering spaces,” said Rod Clement, LCC’s general manager, adding that the club is moving away away from the ‘white linen’ look and feel — although there will still be some of that if it’s appropriate. “People want spaces where they can see each and other and interact; they don’t have to be segregated in different venues of the club. People want to be part of a community and see people coming in and out.”

The Donald Ross-designed course at LCC

The Donald Ross-designed course at LCC is among the region’s finest. This view is from the back of the par-3 16th hole.

The extensive renovations bring with them a discernable level of risk for the club — it has lost some members as a result of the assessment levied to help pay for it, and replacing them is challenging in this environment, even for LCC.

But all those we spoke with said it was something the club needed to do as it strives to thrive not only in its second century, but in a new environment for private country clubs.

For this issue and its focus on sports and leisure, BusinessWest toured the new clubhouse and talked with several of those involved with this ambitious project to gain some insight into the latest chapter in the club’s long history.

Reshaping History

That tour took place on St. Patrick’s Day, when the club scheduled an open house at which members could see the work in progress.

More than 100 people would come through the new front door at the course that day, said Jim Kennedy, the club’s vice president, adding that this number reflects the size and scope of this project, as well as the level of investment on the part of the membership.

renovated clubhouse at LCC

This rendering shows the renovated clubhouse at LCC. The two words used most to describe it are ‘open’ and ‘casual,’ qualities it did not possess before the makeover.

Longmeadow is one of only two member-owned clubs left in this region (Ludlow is the other), and every aspect of this project had to be approved by committee — actually, two of them. First, the long-range planning committee, which took ownership of the project, and then the membership as a whole.

“I think it went quite smoothly,” said O’Shea, tongue firmly planted in cheek as he talked about what became several years of planning, revising plans, and revising them some more.

He said talks concerning a serious makeover at the club actually began about five or six years ago, and escalated over time. The talks commenced because the scene was changing at private clubs regionally and across the country.

“We had different national consultants come in and talk with the members and let them know that there are changes on the horizon in the country-club scene,” he told BusinessWest. “They said that it’s more family-centric, with women making more of the decisions about joining clubs, where before it was men.

“We have a spectacular golf course here — everyone knows that, we know that, we love it, we appreciate it, we’re stewards of it,” he went on. “But we realized that we need more than that; we recognized that we need to enhance the family and social gathering places. Some of the spaces we had were more set up for the 1950s dining and dancing culture than the culture of today.”

By late 2015, a plan emerged — and was actually approved by the members — for a $7.4 million renovation focused entirely on the clubhouse, with nothing slated for the course or pool and related facilities.

After much consideration, and despite approval from the membership, the panel created for this initiative decided to “tap the brakes,” as O’Shea put it, and consider something on a smaller yet broader scale. What eventually emerged is what members toured on St. Patrick’s Day.

As they drove in, they could probably see some of the changes on the course itself, undertaken in accordance with a 54-page golf-course master plan prepared by golf architect Ron Prichard, a well-known Donald Ross restoration specialist (changes to Ross-designed courses are not undertaken lightly).

While there will be repair work to the cart paths and installation of improved drainage on holes 9,12, and 17, the biggest change involves the removal of trees.

This is a movement taking place across the golf landscape, literally and figuratively, said Tim Quirk, head pro at LCC, noting that, while trees can define a golf hole, some trees don’t contribute to a course’s design or degree of difficulty but do keep areas in almost constant shade, thus impacting turf condition.

It is trees of this latter variety (more than 300 of them by the latest count) that the club has taken down since late last fall. A good number of trees have come down on the right side of the 10th fairway, but the biggest change is the removal of a large stand of trees between the 3rd and 6th holes.

Indeed, as they walked BusinessWest out for a look, Kennedy and Quirk stopped at the tee of the par-3 7th and gestured out to something that could never be seen from that spot before — the 3rd green.

But as dramatic as the on-course changes are, those inside and around the clubhouse are even more so. Overall, though, they were blueprinted in a way that would change the look and feel of the interior of the clubhouse, but yield what O’Shea called “minimal exterior transformation to make sure it looks like it’s been here for 100 years.”

Bill Laplante and his father, Ray, principals with East Longmeadow-based Laplante Construction, were assigned the task of designing and undertaking the renovations. But as long-time members, they were already heavily invested in it — in every way.

As he walked BusinessWest through the new clubhouse-in-progress, Bill Laplante also used the words ‘open,’ ‘casual,’ and ‘family-friendly,’ but he added some others that hadn’t been used to reference to the LCC facilities historically — like ‘modern,’ ‘flexible,’ and ‘energy-efficient.’

“We tried to marry the new with the old to make sure that it’s consistent with regard to the original design of the building,” he explained. “But at the same time, we’re trying to modernize the space.”

By modernize, he meant amenities like an elevator for handicap accessibility between the main level, pool-deck level, and the pool locker-room level below it. But he was also referring to foam insulation, new windows, and new roofing in some sections for increased efficiency.

And also to how everything has been designed — with the goal of creating an environment that is open, bright (there’s much more natural light), and easy to navigate.

The Next Chapter

Overall, this is an extensive makeover that includes everything from that new front door to a new private dining room; from a new and expanded kitchen with energy-efficient equipment to a new audio-visual system. As LaPlante said, it’s a marriage of the old and the new, which is important here.

Indeed, from the road, the clubhouse still says ‘1922,’ which is what the members want and demand.

But inside, it says ‘2018,’ and in all the important ways, that is also what is wanted and needed.

Thus, a course and a club steeped in tradition and lore is writing an important new chapter in its history.


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

Why Is Online Learning Seeing a Surge in Popularity?

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Education Sections

Screen Test

Amanda Gould

Amanda Gould says online education is a natural outgrowth of Bay Path’s efforts to serve non-traditional students.

This year marks the 15th consecutive year of growth in what’s known as online, or distance, learning at U.S. colleges and universities. But a newer trend is seeing students fresh out of high school — not just the working adults that have dominated the online-learning world — logging on as well. At a time of changing demographics in higher education, area schools that have embraced the distance model simply say they’re meeting students where they want to be.

Before online college courses were a thing — heck, before ‘online’ was a thing — attending college was tougher for some than others, and for many, finding a path to a degree while working and raising a family was too high a scheduling hurdle.

Amanda Gould, chief administrative officer for the American Women’s College (TAWC) at Bay Path University, said Bay Path has long been responsive to that need — specifically, the Saturday programs it started offering in 1999 for students who had work or family responsibilities during the week.

“It was intended to be an additional entry point to higher education, for students who didn’t enroll right after high school, or tried to go to another college but never actually completed,” she told BusinessWest. “The options at the time — evening programs and traditional semester-based models — were not conducive to working adults supporting a family.”

Around 2007, she went on, the concept of online learning (also known as distance learning) started to gain traction, and when Bay Path made forays in that direction, feedback was positive. The American Women’s College — which offers a host of online degree programs, from accounting to criminal justice; from child psychology to food science and safety — was founded in 2013 with a mission to expand access to higher education to working women who do not have a college degree.

“You can manage your own time and work on your own schedule, as opposed to trying to keep to a certain schedule every week. It gives you that flexibility,” Gould noted.

Online classes allow students to engage in classroom activity — much of which takes place on forums and discussion boards — on their own schedule. And that ‘additional entry point’ isn’t just anecdotal: 70% percent of TAWC students are first-generation college attendees, one-third are single mothers, and more than half are Pell-eligible, which speaks to economic need.

At American International College (AIC), a host of degree programs in the health sciences — a master’s degree in nursing, an RN-to-BSN program, and an occupational therapy doctorate, to name a few — meet similar scheduling needs, particularly for professionals already working in those fields who seek advanced degrees without having take time away from work.

“Obviously, the clinical piece has to be on the ground, but all the didactic coursework occurs online,” said Cesarina Thompson, dean of AIC’s School of Health Sciences.

Karin Moyano Camihort, dean of Online Programs at Holyoke Community College (HCC), said her department understands the importance of work, family, and other commitments, and the college’s online degree and certificate programs make it easier for busy people to earn a degree without sacrificing priorities.

“Our students choose online for a variety of reasons,” she told BusinessWest. “Some are working adults that are looking for flexibility; some are college students from other institutions that join our summer or accelerated courses, and some are high-school students starting their college experience ahead of schedule.”

HCC’s three most popular degrees — business administration, liberal arts, and criminal justice — can all be completed fully online, on campus, or both, by taking some courses online and some on campus. “Plus, our partnerships with four-year colleges and universities make transfer easier,” she noted.

In short, online learning at the college level is expanding at a rapid rate, both locally and nationally — and, increasingly, it’s more than just working adults logging on.

Clicking with the Public

In the 2017 study “Tracking Distance Education in the United States,” the Babson Survey Research Group revealed that online student enrollments increased for the 14th straight year in 2016-17, with more than 31% of all college students taking at least one distance-education course — and all evidence suggests the uptick has continued this year.

“The growth of distance enrollments has been relentless,” wrote study co-author Julia Seaman, research director of the Babson Survey Research Group. “They have gone up when the economy was expanding, when the economy was shrinking, when overall enrollments were growing, and now when overall enrollments are shrinking.”

Public institutions command the largest portion of distance-education students, with 67.8% of all students studying online. And a handful of colleges and universities have broadly embraced the model, with 5% of institutions accounting for almost half of all distance-education students.

The study also showed that distance learning doesn’t necessarily mean actual distance: 52.8% of all students who took at least one online course also took a course on-campus, and 56.1% of those who took only online courses reside in the same state as the institution at which they are enrolled. Fewer than 1% of all distance students are located outside the U.S.

“Online has really grown quite a bit over the years and become very sophisticated in how the whole learning experience is managed,” Thompson said, explaining that AIC uses a platform called Blackboard, one of several management systems in use today, that offers multiple ways for professors and students to interact online, from message boards to videoconferencing. “It can be asynchronous, with students logging in whenever they want to, and can also be arranged as a synchronous experience, with all students online at a certain time.”

Cesarina Thompson

Cesarina Thompson says AIC’s online programs offer opportunities for face-to-face interaction, but enough tools that those meetings aren’t always necessary.

For those who might wonder how engaged students are, that’s something instructors can easily track.

“The technology is advanced nowadays, and you really can engage students much more frequently; in an online learning environment, I might say to a student, ‘I want to see you’re logging in at least twice a week and entering responses to these questions,’” she explained. “In a classroom setting, a student can stand in the shadows and never say a word, but with analytics, we who know who’s logging in, when, and how many times.”

Gould said classes at TAWC are run in a cohort model, meaning the students navigate through the courses together, although they don’t necessarily have to be online at the same time. Often, the lecture-hall experience is replaced by reading offline, while online ‘classroom’ time is spent on projects, group work, active learning, and lab-based activities.

However, this model not always the easiest option, she said.

“What people don’t realize is the time-management piece is actually very tricky,” she noted. “It takes a lot of self-motivation and a certain skill set to be able to block out times. Some folks end up doing a lot of work when they’re exhausted, late in the evening. So, I don’t think it’s easy by any means, but it appeals to people who want to feel in control of when they work.”

Meanwhile, recognizing that person-to-person interaction is a big part of college life, Bay Path has created a series of social-engagement opportunities for its online students, from Facebook communities to support from peer mentors who can answer questions and provide feedback, to national learning communities online, where students learn about organizations in their field, job postings, and area events. “We want to keep them engaged as much as possible both inside and outside the classroom.”

Moyano Camihort said HCC offers fellowship programs for faculty where they enhance their online-instruction skills and share best practices.

“Our online faculty also teach on campus, so there is a real connection to our college,” she went on. “We have a brick-and-mortar building. We also have a dynamic and innovative online learning environment where students connect with instructors and peers, access lectures and materials, submit assignments, work in groups, and learn online.”

The results, she went on, are evident in enrollment figures — one-third of all credits currently available at HCC are online. “Our students prefer online courses, and even though they will tell you that our courses are challenging, they continue to choose online.”

Virtual Revolution

The flip side, of course, is the effect on colleges when it comes to on-campus enrollment, and the long-term impacts remain unclear. According to the Babson study, the number of students studying on a campus dropped by almost 1.2 million, or 6.4%, between 2012 and 2016.

Jeff Seaman, co-director of Babson and a co-author of the study, expects this trend to persist in 2018 and beyond. He also believes the number of students who only take on-campus courses will probably keep dropping, in part because more students are combining online and in-person learning.

Susan Aldridge, president of Drexel University Online, says online degree programs in 2018 will increase their use of modern technologies to enhance their curriculums, including a move toward virtual and augmented reality, which can allow students to learn in simulated environments, and remote technologies, such as videoconferencing and robotic telepresence, to allow for more face-to-face interaction among students and instructors.

At the American Women’s College, the demographics still largely favor a mix of working mothers and professionals who want to advance in their careers, but there has also been an increase in students under age 25, who now account for 10% of online enrollment.

“I do think we’re going to see a shift in higher-education enrollment for these types of alternative models, for a number of reasons,” Gould said. “Financially, the residential experience is becoming outpriced for a number of students. I think we’ll see younger working students who are juggling school and life, and as we see future generations becoming college-ready, expectations around technology and virtual engagement will only be on the rise.

“I think,” she went on, “we are only going to see continuous, growing demand for online options.”

Thompson agreed that online courses aren’t limited to working adults, and some younger students prefer a blended model, mixing online with traditional or hybrid courses, the latter being programs that require some physical classroom time amid the online coursework.

“We’re online, but we still draw from a local market, so there’s still the possibility of face-to-face contact between faculty and students,” she said. “If they want to stop by and have a meeting, we can do that, but there are enough tools online that it’s not always necessary.”

One positive for colleges, she noted, is that, at a time when the region’s demographics are shifting older, the ability to capture working adults will be a boon for colleges that embrace online and distance models.

“With an aging population, a decline in birth rates, and an outmigration to other states, it’s going to be a challenge for institutions of higher education going forward,” she said. “With a declining high-school-graduate population, we have to adapt to other populations who may not be able to make it to class as a full-time student — and utilizing online and other flexible modes of delivery is certainly one way to do that.”

It’s all about adapting to a 21st-century student body, Gould said, that is far more comfortable with high-tech solutions than previous generations.

“Students are becoming so dependent on technology to do so much in their lives, but trying to figure out how to fit all those things together is not an easy task,” she said. “It takes time to figure out, and it takes finances. It’s expensive to integrate technology; it’s not a cheap pursuit if you want to do it well. But, from a mission perspective, that’s the only way to do it.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

‘Dancing with the Stars’ Event Goes Well Beyond the Routine

By
Education Sections

Positive Steps

Maria Rodriguez-Furlow

Maria Rodriguez-Furlow says her ‘dancing with the stars’ appearance is much like her decision to pursue a college degree later in life — a leap of faith.

Maria Rodriguez-Furlow says she isn’t exactly sure why her name came up — although she has some theories — but she’s ultimately glad it did.

Indeed, her participation in the upcoming Dancing with the Stars-like competition — which will certainly comprise the defining moments of Bay Path University’s second annual President’s Gala on June 2 at the Sheraton in Springfield — will be fun and support a very good cause: college scholarships for women and men who need them.

But it will also be poignant, if not symbolic, on several levels.

And this brings us back to that question about why she was chosen as a contestant.

While Rodriguez-Furlow likes to dance and her colleagues at Bay Path’s American Women’s College recognize that — “they know that when there’s music and there’s me, I’m moving,” she said — there’s more to her selection, she believes.

And it comes down to the fact that she embodies just the type of individual who will likely receive one of these scholarships — she’s a non-traditional student in every sense of that phrase — and this dance competition, like her decision to go to college somewhat later in life, was a leap of faith.

“I decided to complete my undergraduate degree as an adult — I was in my mid-30s at the time, I had a full-time job, I had two young kids,” said Rodriguez-Furlow, adjunct faculty hiring manager for the American Women’s College. “And I enrolled in what was called the Saturday program; you went for 12-hour days. I was scared, but I knew that earning a degree was something I needed to do for myself.”

In press releases from the university concerning the event, Rodriguez-Furlow’s name is followed by ’10 G’12. Roughly translated, that means she earned her bachelor’s degree from Bay Path in 2010 and her MBA two years later. It also means she’s already ‘danced a mile in their shoes,’ the name given to the president’s gala and a nod to the challenges facing those who will receive the scholarships it generates.

We’ll get back to Rodriguez-Furlow for more thoughts on that later, but first, her competition for that night in June: two members of the business community who have agreed to step out of their comfort zones — way, way out, if you listen to them.

Indeed, Patty Faginski says the woman who called to ask her to participate let her know something intriguing was up by prefacing her query with another one: “are you sitting down?”

She was, which helped, Faginski told BusinessWest.

As for Delcie Bean, who really needs no introduction in this space, but we’ll do it anyway — he’s the founder and president of Paragus Strategic IT and also a Bay Path trustee — he said his participation in this event came about not with a single phone call, but maybe six to nine months of “gentle prodding and light encouragement” by his estimates.

To put things in perspective, when asked just how far out of his comfort zone Bean was stepping with this assignment, he kept his answer short, sweet, and direct.

“As far as you can imagine.”

But like his two competitors, he never really considered saying ‘no,’ because, and we’re paraphrasing here, the cause is that good, the challenge is that intriguing, and the message sent by taking part is that compelling.

“I think it’s relatively easy to donate one’s time or even money to an organization you support,” said Bean. “However, being willing to step well outside of your comfort zone and learn a brand new skill in order to help support the organization felt more meaningful and impactful to me, and aligns with my desire to support the organization in any way that I can.”

Elaborating, he said it did take all those months of prodding to get him to do this. And while he already considers himself a winner just by participating, should be win the coveted mirror-ball trophy that goes to the champion?

“I would proudly display it right on my desk,” he told BusinessWest, “as it would represent me overcoming my fear, stepping outside my comfort zone, and, in the end, being successful.”

Faginski echoed those thoughts. She said she was first approached a few months ago and said her one of her first thoughts was ‘I always wanted to take dance lessons,’ or words to that effect.

And now, she is, along with her fellow competitors. Those lessons are being provided by Daryll (a Bay Path graduate) and Gynnar Sverrisson. There’s one a week, said Faginski, adding, with a laugh, that such a volume of instruction is certainly needed as she learns a dance called the ‘jive.’

As for Rodriguez-Furlow, she said having already walked a mile in the shoes of those for whom the scholarships are intended made it easy to agree to dance another mile.

“That’s why I didn’t hesitate when I was asked,” she explained, adding that, through her experiences with first gaining her bachelor’s degree and then her MBA, Bay Path has enabled her to believe she can accomplish pretty much anything she sets her mind to.

And that includes winning the mirror-ball trophy.

She’s not sure that will happen, but she is sure, as are her competitors, that they’ve already won something important just by competing.

The real winners, of course, are those who will receive the scholarships generated by this truly unique event.

For more information on the event, visit www.baypath.edu/gala.

—George O’Brien

Businesses Connect and Grow at the Orange Innovation Center

By
Franklin County

Hive of Activity

Mary Winzer Canning, owner of Follow the Honey.

Mary Winzer Canning, owner of Follow the Honey.

The movement toward innovation centers and collaborative maker spaces might be hot right now across Western Mass., but the Orange Innovation Center was on the cutting edge when it opened 20 years ago in this small Franklin County town. Under its current ownership, the complex has doubled its tenant roster over the past five years, in turn boosting perhaps its greatest calling card — the built-in support of a business community invested in seeing each other succeed.

Mary Winzer Canning characterizes her business, Follow the Honey, as a “human-rights honey company” that creates products with honey sourced from beekeepers and small-batch producers around the world. So she knows a little something about bees — and their habitats.

“No bee in isolation is effective because it operates as a superorganism,” she explained. “It’s about what’s best for the whole.”

The same can be said for the Orange Innovation Center (OIC) and the 48 businesses that call the complex — nestled in the woods in this Franklin County town of 4,500 residents — home.

“It’s a hive,” Winzer Canning said. “There’s a sense of egalitarianism here, where everyone is really rolling together. We want this to be a place where people are not in their silos. It’s the whole idea of having an open hive where everyone can learn from each other and help each other. It’s about giving; it’s about problem solving.”

And it’s about community, tenants repeatedly pointed out when BusinessWest spent the better part of a morning at the complex recently.

“I love that fact that I get to pamper the people with businesses here in the community, just building those bonds and really cross-advertising each other,” said Danalynn Stockwood, who owns the Fun Fancy Nails salon, just a quick walk down the hall from other personal-care businesses.

“I tell my customers, ‘hey, if you need your hair done or colored, we have a little salon right around the corner, and if you need a facial or waxing, go down the hall,’ and it’s just nice to have that support amongst each other,” she said. “We’re always saying, ‘hey, have you tried the Valley Farm Café?’ or ‘have you tried the gym?’ and ‘have you seen the honey?’ It’s just such a great family.”

Then-building owner Noel Vincent launched the Orange Innovation Center as a mixed-use destination 20 years ago, but occupancy really began to soar under its current owner, Jack Dunphy, who bought the complex in 2013 and has increased its tenant roster from 26 to 48.

“The mill owners had just left these abandoned buildings in the post-industrial era, so Noel started converting it into offices and multi-purpose suites,” said Brianna Drohen, the center’s development director. “He was actually a visionary; this is one of the first innovation centers in the state, if not the country.”

When Dunphy, who also owns Dunphy Real Estate, purchased the property, about 75,000 of its 128,000 square feet were rented, and he saw plenty of potential in the rest — but, more than that, an investment he could truly enjoy.

Brianna Drohen and Jack Dunphy

Brianna Drohen and Jack Dunphy have seen tenancy surge to nearly 50 businesses at the Orange Innovation Center.

“I met some of the tenants and saw a real sparkle in their eye and realized this could be fun,” he recalled. “And if you can do something fun and maybe make a little money along the way, that’s an exciting business venture — and it has been.”

The tenants, several of whom were enthusiastic about speaking with BusinessWest, range from a clinical psychologist to a photographer; from a career-services center to the Literacy Project, and even the Center for Human Development, which houses a branch on the ground floor.

“The kinds of businesses we concentrate on tend to be in the service industries, so they’re bringing in foot traffic — a brewery, a nail salon, a hair salon, a gym, a massage therapist, and there are also lot of professional offices. There’s a really healthy mix of businesses. And we’re strategic about who we let in here,” Drohen said, noting that she and Dunphy don’t allow competing businesses unless an existing tenant doesn’t mind.

“It’s about revenue,” she went on, “but at the end of the day, it’s more about growing this business community and having all the businesses be able to work with each other and sustain each other and support each other in any way they can.”

They certainly do, and in many ways, as we were quick to discover.

Food for Thought

Matt Buzzell has been in the food-service industry for almost a quarter-century, working in establishments in New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. He said he wouldn’t have recognized the potential of the OIC, where he opened Valley Farm Café in July, just by looking at the understated old mill.

“Driving by, you have no idea what’s going on. But this place has a heartbeat — there’s a pulse when you walk in the doors and look around and see these businesses … it’s very energizing.”

He was introduced to the center by Jay Sullivan and Sean Nolan, the proprietors of Honest Weight Artisan Beer, who gave him their spent grain to feed the hogs on his nearby farm. “I found out through them that this opportunity was going to come up — the previous café owner didn’t want to do it anymore — so, long story short, I got together with Bri, had a meeting, and proposed a business plan.”

It turned out to be a successful one; the enterprise — which serves up salads, sandwiches, Tex-Mex fare, smoothies, and more, with ingredients sourced from local farms — draws a long line during the lunch rush, and virtually everyone who spoke with BusinessWest mentioned the café, not just for the food, but for its role as a nexus for making connections and hanging out with other business owners.

“I believe in the economic-development renaissance going on in the area, and that’s what was attractive about coming here,” Buzzell said. “I’m very thankful for the reception I’ve received from the tenants, the sense of community — the support from them is very humbling.”

Carly Mongeau has worked in the hair-salon business all her professional life, mostly in the Worcester and Marlborough areas, but once she settled in Petersham, she fell in love with the Franklin County culture. She stumbled upon the Orange Innovation Center two years ago, and the timing wasn’t right, but when she took a second look last year, she couldn’t stop thinking about the potential. One of the newer tenants, she opened Salon Nouve in January.

“It’s a great opportunity for someone who’s starting a new business to have space versus having to find a whole building — it’s a little more affordable, and a great way to get started,” she explained.

That’s partly because the tenants, especially those in similar fields, not only patronize each other, but also create a one-stop shop of sorts, which they all benefit from.

“Around the corner is a nail salon and a skin-care business, so we’re a good trio,” Mongeau explained, noting that her last client that day, a business owner in Athol, had told her she couldn’t regularly get her nails and hair done if she didn’t have a place to schedule everything at once.

Meanwhile, she added, a handful of women business owners at the OIC meet regularly for lunch. “We all brainstorm and bounce ideas off each other. We’re all different businesses, but we all have common ground in one way or another.”

She also appreciates the way different business owners talk each other up to customers.

“I recommend people to Matt all the time, and Matt recommends people to me. They smell the food as they’re walking up and say, ‘that smells amazing,’ and I say, ‘you have to go check out Matt.’ Or, ‘now that you’re all beautiful, you’ll have to go stop and get a drink at Honest Weight.’ It’s a great one-stop shop, and that’s what most of my clients love — that they can come here and get everything taken care of in a very accessible way.”

Matt Buzzell has seen Valley Farm Café become a hub of sorts

Matt Buzzell has seen Valley Farm Café become a hub of sorts at the OIC, where small-business owners make connections over breakfast or lunch.

Phil Simon is one of the veteran tenants at the OIC, having headquartered his music booking and publicity company, Simon Says Booking, there for a dozen years. Meanwhile, his wife, Angel Simon, and her mother, Lynn England, operate Old 78 Clothing — which makes upcycled and refashioned music-festival wear — elsewhere in the building.

Simon, who previously lived in Oregon, ran his company — which represents about 20 bands doing up to 1,500 shows a year, in addition to representing venues and festivals — from Boston and then Greenfield before moving to Warwick and finding ideal office space in Orange.

“I was an early adopter; it was a matter of convenience for me,” he said, adding that he appreciates the balance between a quiet workspace and the ability to chat with other tenants when he wants to.

“Even though we have our privacy in our office, I could walk down and get something in the café, there’s a gym here, and we can interact with a variety of other local businesses and talk about the things we’re doing. We don’t have to be locked in our box all day long.”

Those neighbors aren’t just friends and sounding boards, however; they’re also resources. For example, he was able to locate a tow-behind generator, to be used at an event this summer, through another OIC tenant. “It’s not surprising; there’s quite a network going on here. We get people knocking on the door all the time.”

Launching an Idea

Like Simon, Alec MacLeod has been at the OIC for a long time; in fact, he was one of Vincent’s earliest tenants, running a wetlands and watershed consultancy. Today, he’s teaming up with Drohen on a project to turn 10,000 square feet in a currently unusable building in the complex into LaunchSpace, a ‘community workshop’ that will provide resources, equipment, training, and support to a broad spectrum of people.

To explain it, MacLeod broke down the endeavor into three tiers. First is a community-based set of shops with three rooms: an arts room for paper arts, fabric arts, pottery, etching, glass blowing, and photography; a large room entirely devoted to robotics and information technology; and a third room divided between metalworking and woodworking.

The second tier is an emphasis on workforce development and education, aimed at improving the employability and salary of members who may, for instance, learn how to operate CNC (computer numeric control) machinery, an important skill in manufacturing. MacLeod has reached out to both local manufacturers about what their workforce needs are, and the region’s colleges and universities about developing courses for the space.

The third tier is entrepreneurial support, he added. “If you would like to be a cabinetmaker or some other type of woodworker, for instance, but you don’t have $30,000 or the room at your own place to set up your own shop, you can buy an entrepreneurial membership here, month to month, and come use our equipment.”

He noted that members will also access storage, marketing services, help with writing a business plan, and the services of board members including two local credit-union representatives and the head of the North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce. As small businesses develop, they may incubate into spaces at the OIC or, better yet, need more space out in the community.

Carly Mongeau, who loves the Franklin County lifestyle

Carly Mongeau, who loves the Franklin County lifestyle, found in the OIC an ideal spot to grow Salon Nouve.

“This is economic development at the most basic,” MacLeod said. “This is grass-roots, town-scale economic development without needing to invite Apple to build a big factory.”

Drohen noted that Jay Ash, the state’s secretary of Housing and Economic Development, supported a recent $250,000 MassDevelopment Collaborative Workspace Initiative grant to improve the LaunchSpace site, because Ash is a believer in what’s happening in this corner of Franklin County.

“He sees how one business owner, Jack, can host all these businesses, and the state sees this whole collaborative workspace as the new way of doing business. This is where people can grow and can incubate and collaborate.”

Dunphy envisions LaunchSpace as the sort of environment where a middle-schooler might work alongside an 80-year old on woodworking equipment. “There will be interaction that normally doesn’t happen in a community, where different people who wouldn’t otherwise associate with each other are suddenly working together on a project.”

That also, in a way, describes the entire ecosystem at the Innovation Center.

“We’re all here earning our own livings,” MacLeod said, “but when we meet in the café, we have conversations, and we talk about what’s going on — ‘how is your business going? How are you doing? What are the hard parts?’ — and we help each other out. It’s a business community, and it really does foster innovation.”

Bee Ambitious

In a sense, innovation has been happening at the OIC since it housed Minute Tapioca in the early days of the 20th century. It was a multi-use complex in the middle of the century, hosting a sewing company, a shoemaker, and a retail store, among other businesses, before the Bedroom Company, a furniture manufacturer, set up shop in the 1960s.

Today, it’s back to multi-use, but the original tapioca vat is still in the basement, too expensive to remove. On the roof is a 93-kilowatt solar array, with plans to install another on the building that will house LaunchSpace.

That combination of old and new, historic and cutting-edge, isn’t unlike what Adam Suzor brings to the OIC, running two separate businesses: his own information-technology outfit, Suzor Enterprises, LLC — he also maintains the Innovation Center’s Internet service — and a fitness center, where he has incorporated digital technology into the equipment and is gratified when senior citizens join Snapchat to check out the gym’s activities there.

Some business relationships, however, are strictly old-fashioned, such as the bartering that goes on; for example, the resident photographer recently paid for massage services with a photo session.

Meanwhile, Dunphy is emphasizing the complex’s natural surroundings, planning a shuttle service for people who want to kayak or canoe on Millers River, right outside the OIC’s back door. A system of hiking and bike trails, stretching to New Hampshire, is equally accessible.

“We’re trying to offer more amenities to encourage people to come here,” he said. “We put a shower in just for that reason — if you take a bike ride or go to the gym, and then have to go to a meeting.”

In short, it’s a place to enjoy being at work, grow a business, and, in many cases, outgrow the space and have to find other digs, as North Quabbin Food Co-op, which incubated at the Innovation Center, did when it changed its name to Quabbin Harvest and moved into a building in downtown Orange, a short walk up the road.

Stockwood, on the other hand, who lives in Athol and used to rent a booth at a nail salon in Fitchburg before finding the OIC, believes she’ll thrive there for the foreseeable future.

“I absolutely love being here. It’s a cozy atmosphere for my clients,” she said, adding that she maintains a ‘party room’ one door down, where girls and women can get together for baby showers, birthday parties, or other events.

“Everyone gets to paint their nails and do some artwork and have some fun,” she said, adding that “this is my haven. My 11-year-old says, ‘are you going up to your castle?’ I call it my getaway, my quiet space, and it’s just nice to have.”

Winzer Canning feels that way, too, knowing she can throw open her doors any time to make her quiet space a little more social. She operated a yoga studio at the OIC a decade ago and was happy to return to build her bee-based business.

“There’s definitely beauty in numbers; it builds morale. Just go into the hallway — it’s like Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood. There’s Matt, smoking his pork out back. There’s Shawn and Jay doing things with their hops, and there’s Brianna talking with the film crew down the hall. She’s the queen bee,” she said with a laugh.

“People are doing their own daily grind, but at the same time, you’re not working in isolation,” she went on. “It really is a hive where you can feel connected to something greater.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

GCC’s Bob Pura Made the Community-college Mission a Career

By
Franklin County

Living the Dream

Bob Pura

Seen here with two of many works of art created by GCC students and faculty, Bob Pura says he knew early on that he wanted to make the community-college mission his career.

Bob Pura couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head as he talked about it. And that’s because the whole idea of it was so, well, foreign to him — in every way.

He and his wife will be flying into Edinburgh, Scotland in July to visit their daughter, who’s studying there. “And we bought one-way tickets,” he said, uttering those last three words slowly for emphasis and in a voice that conveyed as much as three exclamation points.

“We might stay a week, we might stay two … we don’t know,” said Pura, president of Greenfield Community College (GCC) since 2000, adding that this is one of the many perks of a retirement that will start in two months — and a radical departure from a 40-year career marked by crammed calendars, countless appointments, and rigid schedules.

And something else as well — extreme devotion to the community-college mission.

In fact, you might say Pura bought the equivalent of a one-way ticket to a career in the community-college realm back in 1980 when he came to the Bay State and took a job on the Massachusetts Board of Regional Community Colleges.

By the time he was working toward his doctorate in educational administration at the University of Texas in Austin a dozen years later (a setting chosen specifically because of its commitment to work in the community-college domain) he was, as they say at that school, hooked.

“I knew by then that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my career — the community-college mission,” he told BusinessWest. “That mission about opening your doors to everyone and holding our high standards is a noble mission, and people who are part of the community-college movement feel a special passion for social and economic mobility.

“It’s a bit of a cliché, but it still brings great meaning to many of us —that American dream where someone can start without much of a background and still have an opportunity to create a better life for themselves and their families,” he went on. “It’s part of what motivates us every day.”

Pura said his passion for the community-college mission stems in large part from the fact that he is a product of that system. In fact, he calls himself the “classic community-college poster child of the Baby Boom age.”

“My father was an immigrant; he never graduated from high school — worked in a deli his whole life,” Pura told BusinessWest, adding that he was the first in his family to attend college — Miami Dade Community College in Miami, to be more specific.

It was, in large part, the only door open to him at the time, he went on, and once through it, he created a host of career options and paths to follow.

It started by going through that door, he said, adding that, for millions of people across the country, it’s the same today. But aside from opening doors for students, community colleges play a huge role in their respective communities, he said, listing everything from workforce-development initiatives to simply being one of the area’s largest employers. And in Franklin County, it goes well beyond that, to a realm that couldn’t be appreciated anywhere else in the state.

Indeed, as he talked with BusinessWest during spring break, Pura, asked about a parking lot half-full of cars, replied that students and other members of the community were on campus simply because they can’t get Internet access at home.

“So much of our West County still doesn’t have service,” he said matter-of-factly, referring to communities such as Heath, Rowe, and Conway. “You can’t get connectivity up there, so people come here more. It’s a serious challenge to the economic and social development of the area; it’s hard to get young families to move here if they can’t have high-speed Internet access.”

“Community colleges have a most significant impact on the communities they serve,” he explained while putting that aforementioned mission, and his career, into some proper perspective. “A long time ago, a college friend of mine said that if Amherst or Williams College were to close, those students would find somewhere else to go. If a community college were to close…”

He didn’t give a full answer to that question because he didn’t have to. And in retrospect, he’s spent his whole career reminding people of the answer.

For this edition and its focus on Franklin County, BusinessWest talked at length with Pura as he winds down that career. There were many talking points, including GCC and its ever-widening role, the community-college mission, and, yes, that one-way ticket he bought. Actually, both of them.

Class Act

The unknown student might have been born almost 30 years after they broke up, but he or she obviously knows the Beatles and their song lyrics.

“Help! I need somebody,” it said on one side of the card positioned on a stand sitting on a table in GCC’s Math Studio, with “Help! Not just anybody” on the other side.

That message was eventually seen by one of the math professors at GCC — not just anybody — and help was administered, said Pura, adding that this was just the scenario that was envisioned when this studio (actually the second such facility at the college) was created several years ago.

“This is a unique learning environment,” said Pura as he stopped at the studio during an extensive tour of GCC’s facilities, noting that the studio model, envisioned by the math faculty, creates a learning area surrounded by faculty offices.

the learning studios at GCC

Bob Pura says the learning studios at GCC are symbolic of broader efforts at the institution to build community and come together to solve problems.

“Those faculty members said, ‘we want to have our math students with us, with our offices right around that room, so we can check in on them,’” he explained. “They embraced their commitment to having students close to them; the students didn’t have to make appointments or wait two weeks — the faculty were right there. And then the Business Department said, ‘hey, we want one of those,’ and then the sciences, and on it went.”

The college now has studios all throughout the campus, said Pura, adding that these facilities have become symbols of the community-building work that has more or less defined his administration at GCC (more on that later).

First, Pura likes to tell the story about how a group of students were enjoying their time at the Math Studio so much, they didn’t want to leave — and didn’t — prompting security to call the president’s office and request instructions on what to do.

“I got the call at 5 o’clock on a Friday night — and no president wants to get a call from security at 5 o’clock on Friday night,” he recalled. “They said students in the studio don’t want to leave; they have a math test on Monday, and they just ordered a pizza. I said, ‘that’s exactly the kind of problem we want.’”

Pura has a large collection of stories amassed from more than four decades of work in higher education, all of it in Massachusetts.

But our story, as noted earlier, begins in Florida. After graduating from Miami Dade Community College, he transferred to the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1973. Four years later, he would add a master’s in human resources administration at St. Thomas University in Miami.

As he contemplated where to pursue a career in higher education, he applied some logic to the process.

“If you’re in theater, you go to Broadway; if you’re in movies, you go to Hollywood,” he explained. “If you want to be in higher ed, you go to Massachusetts.”

He did, starting in 1978 at the Massachusetts Board of Regional Community Colleges as program coordinator of something called Title XX. Based in Boston, he worked with all 15 community colleges. Later, he joined one of them, Massasoit Community College in Brockton, as chair of the Division of Career Studies, and over the next 14 years, he worked his way up to chair of the Health and Human Services Division and then assistant dean of Academic Affairs.

In the summer of 1995, he became dean of Academic Affairs at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield and served in that capacity for five years, until he was urged to apply for the position of interim president at GCC. He did, and he prevailed in that search and later earned the job on a permanent basis.

Over the past 18 years, he’s presided over a number of impressive changes to the campus infrastructure, while broadening its already considerable role within the community.

A major expansion of the core building roughly a decade ago, which includes a new dining commons, a new library, considerably more glass (and, therefore, natural light), and works of art created by students and faculty on every wall (the school is renowned for its art programs), is a very visible transformation, he said.

But he put things in perspective, while also bringing the discussion back to where he likes it — the community-college mission — by saying, “we finally have a building that matches the excellence of our faculty and staff.

“The values of the institution are found in the design of the building,” he went on. “We had great architects to work with, and they listened, but it was all about the values of the institution.”

School of Thought

And this brings Pura back to those studios he mentioned and the community mindset they symbolize.

“There’s a clarity of focus on relationships and community here,” he explained, referring to the studios but also the college as a whole. “And when relationships are powerful and community is powerful and people know they belong somewhere, then learning is powerful.

“The transformative nature of higher education is at its best in that environment,” he went on. “And we’ve been able to crystalize that here; it’s always been part of the core, but we were able to really make it an explicit part of our commitment.”

Continuing with that theme of the studio as a microcosm of what goes on at GCC, he said students in them work together in teams, helping each other work through problems.

“They realize they’re not alone in their learning,” he explained. “And so, when you think about that, it reinforces what will happen when they leave the higher-ed environment; they’re going to go into a work environment where they’re going to work with others in teams and solve problems.”

The progress GCC has made in this regard — in building community and forging relationships within the campus and across the region it serves — bodes well for the school and the president who will succeed him, said Pura. But there are some considerable challenges ahead — for that school, all the community colleges, and public higher education itself, he went on.

Most of these challenges involve resources, he continued, adding that all public schools suffer as the state’s commitment to public higher education wanes, but especially the smaller ones like GCC.

“The struggle is to maintain the kinds of services that are needed for each student,” he explained. “Right now, the strength of the college is that we still have the capacity — and the passion — to form-fit education around each individual; we don’t believe that one size fits all.

“Somewhere along the line I heard that getting an education at GCC is like getting a suit from a tailor and not one off the rack, and I think that’s a special privilege that comes from a small school,” he went on, adding that maintaining this type of custom-tailored education will become ever more challenging in the future, especially as the state continues to shift the cost of public education to students and their families.

As for community colleges as a whole and that mission he embraced 40 years ago, Pura said these institutions have certainly found their place in higher education today. The assignment moving forward is to build on the momentum that has built and make community colleges an attractive option not only to first-generation college students, but second- and third-generation students as well, especially as the cost of higher education continues to soar.

To get his point across, he went back 45 years to when he was a community-college student, a situation that gave him an opportunity to “explore,” as he put it, while trying to chart a path.

“When you’re paying $70,000 a year for a bachelor’s degree, it’s hard to explore,” he said. “At $5,000 or $6,000 a year, you have a lot more breathing space.”

Overall, he’s more than content with how community colleges have registered gains when it comes to overall acceptance and their role within society and the economy. And he’s proud to be a part of it.

“We’ve been accepted in the higher-ed landscape,” he told BusinessWest. “We have a seat at table; great gains have been made over the years, and the future of work is going to be honed and shaped by good conversations at community colleges in consult with the employers in their communities.

“We’ve come a long way,” he said in conclusion. “But there’s more work to be done, because, in many ways, the associate’s degree has become the new entry level into society and work; 12 years and a high school is not enough to develop the kinds of skills needed to succeed given the way society has changed and technology has changed.”

Plane Speaking

As he was wrapping up his tour, Pura noted that, while he has only a few months left at the helm at GCC, his talk with BusinessWest amounted to his first real exercise in reflection upon his career.

“I haven’t given myself the opportunity to look back much — there’s still too much to look forward to,” he said. “But it’s been a privilege to be part of that mission — a real privilege.”

With that, he noted that, despite their differences in education and career paths, he shares something very important with his father — love for their respective chosen fields.

“I have a picture of my dad — one picture of him on our wall,” he said. “It’s a picture of him at work with five salamis in his arms behind the counter, and the most natural, wonderful smile on his face. The man was happy. So I tell students at orientation that I’m going to look for that smile — that authentic, real, ‘I’m happy, I’ve found what I want to do’ smile.”

Pura’s been wearing one of those for about 40 years now, ever since he bought his first one-way ticket — the one to a career fulfilling the community-college mission.

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

WNEU School of Law Selects Sudha Setty as Its Next Dean

By
Law Sections

‘A Zealous Advocate’

Western New England University School of Law Dean Sudha Setty

Western New England University School of Law Dean Sudha Setty

Sudha Setty wasn’t sure where her initial interest in law would take her — she simply wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. Her current role as a professor certainly fits that bill, though it’s not a path she expected to take early on. Now, as she prepares to take over the dean’s chair at Western New England University School of Law, she’s ready to navigate a still-challenging climate for law schools and help other young people achieve their world-changing goals.

Sudha Setty entered the field of law wanting to make a difference, and she has — only, in much different ways than she first imagined.

So she understands the passion of students enrolling in law school today with the same passion and desire to change society for the better, but admitted that all lawyers make a difference, even if it’s for that one individual client struggling with a difficult time in their life.

“Most of the applications we’ve seen are focused on the idea of working on issues people really care about, and how being a lawyer will provide them with the tools to make a difference on a national or global scale, or even helping one person,” she told BusinessWest. “This is something you have to believe in if you want to be an effective lawyer — you have to be a zealous advocate, regardless of whom the client is.”

Starting in July, Setty will bring that spirit of advocacy to her new role as dean of the Western New England University School of Law after 12 years as a professor there. She will succeed Eric Gouvin, who is returning to the WNEU faculty after a five-year stint as dean.

“Professor Setty is a fine teacher and scholar who understands fully the challenges we currently face in higher education and those which we will continue to confront in these times of unprecedented change in legal education,” said WNEU President Anthony Caprio. “Her wisdom, intellect, training, experience, and energy will serve the law school — its faculty, staff, students, and alumni — the university, and the legal community very well for many years to come.”

Setty called the appointment an honor, noting that law schools are in a unique position to impact the future of a just society, and she has always seen WNEU as a place that launches the careers of thoughtful lawyers who work for the betterment of both their clients and society as a whole.

“I’m really looking forward to leading a group of faculty so dedicated,” she told BusinessWest. “They impress me on a regular basis, this community of teachers and scholars who really believe in what a law school does. I have mixed feelings cutting back on teaching, which I absolutely love. I’ll miss that aspect of being able to interact with students as a classroom teacher. But I’ll be seeking ways to connect with them and work with them and be an active part of the community that drew me to this law school in the first place.”

Courting Change

Setty planned to be a lawyer from her high-school days, through a combination of extracurricular experiences like mock trials and a deep interest in social justice. But her undergraduate work focused not on pre-law, but on the humanities, with the goal of honing her critical thinking and writing, skills that would serve her well no matter what field she worked in.

After graduating from Stanford University with a history degree, she taught overseas and contemplated different options. When she did return to the States and enrolled in Columbia Law School, it was with the belief that she’d build a career as a civil-rights advocate.

“I recognized the ability of lawyers to speak for people who are powerless, or to work as prosecutors seeking justice for victims. I had some ideas about what I wanted to do, but nothing concrete,” she said, adding that many people enter law school with a different career in mind than the one they eventually pursue.

Graduating with six figures of debt, however, changed Setty’s initial priorities a bit, and she went to work at a corporate firm in New York City, spending seven years at Davis Polk & Wardwell as a litigator in anti-trust disputes, securities fraud, and internal investigations of companies. Meanwhile, she took up extensive pro bono work litigating federal civil-rights cases and mentoring city high-school students.

“I had never envisioned myself doing these various aspects of corporate litigation, but I really appreciated my time at the firm,” she said. “I not only gained tremendous skills, but I was working with people who were really top-notch in terms of demanding critical thinking in representing clients.”

law schools are still challenged by depressed enrollment

Sudha Setty’s promotion comes at a time when law schools are still challenged by depressed enrollment, but there are signs the trend might be turning a corner.

Moreover, she was able to repay her law-school debts, which got her thinking about what the next phase of her career might be, and what options made sense.

“Many friends and mentors at Columbia encouraged me to think about teaching and the idea of an academic career,” she recalled. The interview process for jobs was eye-opening, and during a visit to WNEU, she was impressed with what Gouvin has called “student-centered professional education.”

“During the interview process, you see different approaches to legal education. As a student, you only see where you go to school as evidence of what a law school can be like,” she said, noting that she was struck by how friendly the WNEU professors were and how openly they interacted with students outside of class. “That was not my experience at law school, and I found it very appealing, and a selling point for coming here.”

Setty joined the faculty in 2006, eventually serving as professor of Law and associate dean for Faculty Development and Intellectual Life. In the latter role, one goal has been to improve the law school’s scholarly profile, both by helping colleagues to publicize the research they publish, and through workshop exchanges with other regional law schools to present scholarship to each other and get feedback to improve it. “All these help improve the profile of the law school and add vibrancy to the intellectual life at Western New England.”

As an active scholar herself in the areas of comparative law, rule of law, and national security, she recently published a study called “National Security Secrecy: Comparative Effects on Democracy and the Rule of Law.”

“Through the Bush and Obama administrations, I’ve focused on the notion that we don’t have enough institutional accountability,” she explained. “When it comes to national-security matters, both administrations kept telling us, ‘we know what we’re doing.’ My argument is that we need more accountability measures. Obviously, we don’t want to have classified information thrown out there, but we need the power to push back against the executive branch. We’ve set up a system where the president gets to make all these decisions without oversight, and we’ve been willing to accept that with the last two presidents.”

Some of those same people who accepted that paradigm are worried now that the power rests in the hands of a president who can often seem, well, erratic.

“The thing about setting up systems is they apply to whoever is in office. That’s the situation we’ve created,” she said. “I view many things happening under this administration as unsurprising. But if I can win more people to my views for the long term, and we get better institutional controls in place, that would be great. We’ll see what happens.”

Setty has received numerous awards for her work, including the Tapping Reeve Legal Educator Award from the Connecticut Bar Assoc. and two Western New England University School of Law Professor of the Year honors. She co-founded the School of Law’s Color of Law Roundtable speaker series, bringing attorneys and judges of color to campus to speak about their experiences and career paths. She also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of National Security Law and Policy, the executive committee of the American Society of Comparative Law, and was a Fulbright senior specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law.

Making a Case

Even as she amassed those accomplishments and began taking on more administrative responsibility over the past few years, Setty never thought about a deanship at WNEU, simply because Gouvin was entrenched there and doing a solid job. But when he decided to return to the classroom full-time, Setty was approached by several colleagues about the position.

“They said, ‘we’d really like you to apply for this position; you’d be great.’ I gave it a lot of thought, because taking on the responsibilities of a deanship would be a big shift, but at the same time, taking on this responsibility at a school I know well, a place I love, is an exciting opportunity.”

The school conducted its internal search before looking outward, and Setty found strong support through the entire process. But she knows the job won’t be easy. Nationally, law-school enrollment plummeted by nearly half between 2003 and 2014, due in part to a declining job market for lawyers, one exacerbated by the 2008 financial crisis. By 2012, graduates were finding it very difficult to secure positions right out of school, and that impacted interest in the field.

“The last few years have been very challenging for law schools everywhere,” Setty noted. “They’ve had to examine their budgets and think hard about the choices they’ve been making. In some senses, I think Western New England has been fortunate. We’ve been careful with financial stewardship such that we weren’t trying to expand too very quickly, even when we had very large enrollments.”

Part of WNEU’s strategy focused on giving students more return on investment, including a tuition freeze, instituted during the 2013-14 school year and extending through 2017-18. With the lowered revenues, the school had to keep a close eye on expenses, and it was able to shrink staff through retirements, while avoiding debt from costly capital improvements.

“When times were hard, we had the ability to contract our student body and not have the financial hit be as bad as it could have been, because of our fiscal stewardship and a very careful hand on the budget,” Setty explained. “That’s not to say it has been easy — we’ve seen a lot of colleagues, wonderful teachers, retire and not be replaced, but with the student body shrinking, we could give them the same type of education, offer the same courses, with a smaller cohort of faculty.”

However, she said, an uptick in applications nationally — between 8% and 10%, similar to what WNEU is seeing — is spurring some cautious optimism in law-school leaders, she said, that the field may be turning a corner. “The landscape looks much brighter than it has for a number of years.”

Western New England also benefits from its position as the only accredited law school in the Commonwealth west of Greater Boston, which ensures a broad range of opportunities in the form of internships and clerkships.

The law school also continues to expand its use of clinics — in areas such as criminal defense, criminal prosecution, elder law, and family-law mediation — in which students blend classroom instruction with work on real cases, under the guidance of local attorneys. The vast majority of students get involved in clinics and externships, understanding the value of developing not only real-world legal knowledge, but the soft skills that will make them more employable.

They also provide a social benefit, Setty said, as in the case of the immigration clinic, which helps real-world clients navigate what can be a difficult path in today’s climate.

“It’s a win-win,” she told BusinessWest. “These individuals are in dire need of representation, and they get that representation, and the students receive invaluable experience they can take with them from these clinics.”

Closing Statement

Setty recalled her own clinic experiences from Columbia Law School — in landlord-tenant disputes and small-claims court — with gratitude. “The skills you develop from that aren’t necessarily transferable to the corporate-law environment or working as an academic, but it helps build who you are as a lawyer.”

The career Setty has built is, in many ways, different from the one she envisioned as a high-school student with a passion for social justice. But she’s happy to be impacting the lives of hundreds of students preparing to change the world — or, at least, make life a little better for a client in need.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Sick-leave Law Continues to Present Challenges for Employers

By
Law Sections

Taking the Pulse

By Kimberly A. Klimczuk, Esq.

Kimberly A. Klimczuk, Esq.

Kimberly A. Klimczuk, Esq.

It’s been almost three years since Massachusetts’ Earned Sick Time Law went into effect (how time flies), but employment-law attorneys still frequently receive questions about the law and the administration of earned sick leave.

Like any leave law, the sick-leave law presents unique challenges to employers. Here are some of the questions encountered most often:

Does the sick leave law apply to my organization?

This is an easy one. Unless your organization is a federal or municipal employer, it must provide earned sick leave to all employees (including part-time, temporary, per diem, and seasonal employees), regardless of the size of your organization. If the employer has 11 or more employees, the sick leave must be paid at the employee’s regular hourly rate (with the exception of tipped employees, who must receive at least minimum wage).

As a reminder, the law entitles employees to earn one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year, and employees may use the earned sick leave to attend routine medical appointments (for themselves or for a child, spouse, parent, or parent-in-law); to care for their own illness, injury, or medical condition or that of a child, spouse, parent, or parent-in law; or to address the effects of domestic violence.

Can I discipline employees for excessive absences?

It depends on what you mean by ‘excessive.’ The sick-leave law prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who use earned sick leave, so if an employee has earned sick leave available that applies to an absence, an employer cannot discipline the employee for taking the time off, nor can it consider the use of sick time as a factor in the discipline for non-sick-leave-related absences. Therefore, employers must be very careful when issuing attendance-related discipline.

Employers may discipline for absences exceeding the amount of sick leave to which the employee is entitled or for absences that occur before the employee has accrued sufficient sick leave to cover the absence. However, employers must make sure the employee’s use of sick leave is not a factor in the discipline. Although it seems obvious, this can be tricky.

Consider two employees. The first employee has one unplanned absence in a two-week period. The second employee has one unplanned absence in a two-week period and five sick-leave-related absences in that same two-week period. Which employee is a supervisor more likely to want to discipline?

While employers generally can discipline employees for unplanned absences unrelated to earned sick leave, they cannot take the use of sick leave into consideration when determining appropriate discipline. Thus, in the above example, it would be unlawful to discipline the employee who took sick leave if the employer did not also discipline the employee who had just the one unplanned absence.

Relatedly, employers should be sure to document any attendance-related discipline and make clear in that documentation that the discipline is not related to sick-leave-related absences. The best way of doing this is to note the specific dates for which the discipline is being issued. If an employer simply writes that the discipline is for “poor attendance,” and the employee had sick-leave-related absences, it will be difficult for an employer to demonstrate that the discipline for poor attendance did not take into account the absences due to sick leave. If the employer specifies the absences at issue, it can show that it considered only the non-sick-leave absences.

What if an employee is out sick but wants to save paid sick leave for later use?

We often hear of employees with accrued paid sick leave who call out sick but then ask the employer to count the absence as an unpaid day off so that the employee can save the paid sick for use later in the year. Employers should not grant these kinds of requests. First, because the sick-leave law requires employers to pay employees who are absent due to illness (assuming the employee has earned sick leave available), an employer who fails to pay an employee for a sick-leave-related absence violates the law, even if the failure to pay was at the request of the employee.

Second, if the employee saves the paid sick leave for use at a later time, the employer may lose the ability to discipline for excessive absences. The employer can discipline for excessive absences only after an employee has exhausted any available paid sick leave. If the employer allows the employee to save paid sick leave, it will take longer for the employee to exhaust the leave, and the employer will, in effect, be required to accept more absences than it otherwise would have.

The best practice for employers is to require the use of paid sick leave for all sick-leave related absences and then later decide whether it wants to allow unpaid leave once the paid leave is exhausted.

Kimberly A. Klimczuk, Esq. is an employment law attorney with Springfield-based Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C.; (413) 737-4753.

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of March 2018.

AGAWAM

Joseph Baldarelli
314 Silver St.
$15,000 — Demolish building, remove debris, and level site

Dragon Paradise, LLC
270 Main St.
$5,000 — Build-out for a small office

Dragon Paradise, LLC
270 Main St.
$1,000 — Build-out for a small office

J & J Agawam Realty Associates, LLC
1282 Springfield St.
$5,250 — Install frozen chest in back room

LRB Realty Trust, LLC
1804 Main St.
$10,000 — Replace three existing remote radios with three new ones, and add three new remote radios to tower

Pine Creek Agawam, LP
67 Hunt St.
$28,000 — Rooftop solar array and staging of solar racking

AMHERST

Central Amherst Realty Trust
33-37 East Pleasant St.
$1,000 — Install smoke detector and CO detector

Route 9 Real Estate Inc.
213 College St.
$37,000 — Install cooler system and raise basement floor

Stavros Center for Independent Living
210 Old Farm Road
$68,820 — Install rooftop photovoltaic system

CHICOPEE

Liquors 44
1461 Memorial Dr.
$16,000 — Modify fire sprinkler system

Natasha Quiles, Hector Quiles
144 Broadway
$16,850 — Replace windows and door, install drywall, install suspended ceiling, install interior door at separation of business and storage garage

DEERFIELD

Deerfield Academy
18 Academy Lane
$15,155 — Install roof-mounted solar panels

Deerfield Academy
11 Wells St.
$19,610 — Install roof-mounted solar panels

EASTHAMPTON

City of Easthampton
Lownds Avenue
Replace 10 support posts to roof structure at ballfields

Norwich Properties, LLC
24 Briggs St.
$17,400 — Install new HVAC system with associated ductwork

GREENFIELD

Brycar, LLC
191 Shelburne Road
$4,800 — Install air-source heat pump consisting of one indoor unit and one outdoor unit

Erin Miner
469 Bernardston Road
$3,500 — Replace three windows, remove siding, and install new aluminum coil trim

R & D Vic Corp. Inc.
204 Main St.
Erect two signs onto building

R & D Vic Corp. Inc.
204 Main St.
$20,000 — Demolish section of interior wall to make doorway, replace ceiling tiles, extend hood, and frame walls in basement room

Sandri Realty Inc.
416 Federal St.
$8,000 — Repair damaged roof overhang

Sherman Realty, LLC
240 Mohawk Trail
$1,379.99 — Install new window and new opening

SMR Greenfield Trust
324 Main St.
$33,500 — Repair water-damaged drywall, ceilings, and finishes

Town of Greenfield
402 Main St.
$4,067 — Demolish five feet of wall for access to drinking fountain, construct five feet of wall to conceal plumbing for new fountain, and relocate horn strobe and emergency lighting

LONGMEADOW

The Longmeadow Mall, LP
827 Williams St.
$9,000 — Construct demising wall to separate future tenants

LUDLOW

Epiroc
151 Carmelinas Circle
$1,000 — Non-illuminated sign

NORTHAMPTON

City of Northampton
123 Haydenville Road
$2,000 — Modify telecommunications tower by replacing three antennas with three new antennas and adding ancillary equipment

City of Northampton
300 North Main St.
$85,000 — Replace roof on central building at Look Memorial Park, replace windows and exterior light fixtures

City of Northampton
300 North Main St.
$143,000 — Renovate two bathrooms at Pines Theater at Look Memorial Park

Crown Castle
22 Atwood Dr.
$25,000 — Replace three existing wire antennas and add three remote radio units on wireless facility

Ford of Northampton
968 Bridge Road
$1,200 — Non-illuminated logo sign

Ford of Northampton
968 Bridge Road
$1,200 — Non-illuminated wall sign

SPRINGFIELD

Amerco Real Estate Co.
88 Birnie Ave.
$32,200 — Temporary office and showroom renovations

Baystate Health
759 Chestnut St.
$72,583 — Interior renovation in wound-care unit of Baystate Medical Center

Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC
12 MGM Way
$12,052,274 — Interior tenant fit-out for Regal Cinemas at MGM Springfield

Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC
12 MGM Way
$838,696 — Interior tenant fit-out for Top Golf at MGM Springfield

Blue Tarp Redevelopment, LLC
12 MGM Way
$549,676 — Interior tenant fit-out for Indian Motorcycle at MGM Springfield

Crown Castle
90 Memorial Dr.
$25,000 — Install three replacement wireless antennas on AT&T cellular tower

Mercy Medical Center
299 Carew St.
$115,825 — Interior renovation to medical office space on third floor of Mercy Medical Center

Springfield College
263 Alden St.
$300,000 — Interior renovations at Judd Gymnasium for Admissions and YMCA relocation

WARE

Bari Sons Inc.
75 East St.
$5,000 — Double-sided aluminum sign with digital display

Bari Sons Inc.
75 East St.
$5,000 — Four-sided sign with aluminum composite material and vinyl graphics

Bari Sons Inc.
75 East St.
$5,000 — Double-sided sign with vinyl graphics

Bari Sons Inc.
75 East St.
$5,000 — Double-sided sign with vinyl graphics

Crown Castle
82 Coffey Hill Road
$20,000 — Remove and replace three antennas, add three antennas, and add three remote radio heads to existing Sprint antenna array

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Chris Nekitopoulos
91 Union St.
$48,000 — Roofing

Barry Park
1261 Westfield St.
$7,000 — Install a section of a walk-in cooler to left side of front vestibule

Peter Samberg
1346 Elm St.
$13,625 — Install rooftop solar photovoltaic system and all associated equipment

Saremi, LLC
456 Main St.
$43,000 — Repair damage to interior, including insulation, sheetrock, electrical, and plumbing; repair roof area

WESTFIELD

Constance Adams
354 Root Road
$7,600 — Erect two high tunnel greenhouses

Hinckley Holdings, LLC
City View Road
Construct tobacco barn

Savage Arms Inc.
100 Springdale Road
Construct new steel structure

Real Estate Transactions

By
Departments Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

CHARLEMONT

336 Legate Hill Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $177,500
Buyer: Tucker J. Mientka
Seller: Rockwell J. Lively
Date: 03/01/18

COLRAIN

261 Greenfield Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Lisa M. Bottego
Seller: Suzanne R. Warsaw
Date: 03/05/18

DEERFIELD

23 Lee Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $260,336
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Nancy J. Hayes
Date: 03/09/18

5 Memorial St.
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Andrew Shilling
Seller: Robert Hale
Date: 03/02/18

73 Sugarloaf St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Carol J. Gritz
Seller: Carol J. Gritz
Date: 03/02/18

Sugarloaf St. (off)
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Ragus LLC
Seller: Carol J. Gritz
Date: 03/02/18

GREENFIELD

109-113 School St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $352,000
Buyer: Noyes Properties LLC
Seller: DCTL LLC
Date: 03/01/18

LEVERETT

91 Long Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $359,900
Buyer: Gordon Kramer
Seller: Christopher J. Kusek
Date: 02/28/18

15 Number 6 Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jeremiah R. Berlin
Seller: Melanie Fletcher-Howell
Date: 03/08/18

7 Old Long Plain Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Ashley Winn
Seller: Diane E. Bella
Date: 02/28/18

LEYDEN

161 Eden Trail
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Peter B. Koppenheffer
Seller: Frederick D. Mesloh
Date: 03/02/18

MONTAGUE

7 Coolidge Ave.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $170,500
Buyer: Tracy M. Warner
Seller: Belinda Poirier
Date: 03/09/18

22 G St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Jade Gonzales
Seller: William Perry
Date: 03/09/18

34 Park St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Mary Siano
Seller: William R. Travis
Date: 02/28/18

2 Prospect St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Pamela B. Kennedy
Seller: Epis Missions Of Western Mass.
Date: 02/28/18

NEW SALEM

264 Wendell Road
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $326,000
Buyer: Elizabeth R. Goddard
Seller: Byron C. Masi
Date: 02/28/18

NORTHFIELD

198 Birnam Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Guy E. Gilbert
Seller: Paul W. Prest
Date: 03/09/18

61 East St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $237,500
Buyer: Denise A. Paquin
Seller: Lippack, S. Hope, (Estate)
Date: 02/26/18

638 South Mountain Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Emory K. Kristof
Seller: Stephen M. Cordery
Date: 03/01/18

ORANGE

131 Mechanic St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $167,900
Buyer: Thomas M. Boudreau
Seller: Kathleen J. Johnson
Date: 03/02/18

310 Walnut Hill Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: KDMK LLC
Seller: North Quabbin Brook RT
Date: 03/02/18

SHUTESBURY

309 Locks Pond Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Amanda D. Shaulis
Seller: Cabral RT
Date: 03/02/18

SUNDERLAND

500 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Dale Brown
Seller: Baoshan Xing
Date: 03/02/18

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

106 Channell Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Brian J. Perreault
Seller: Jamie N Mercadante
Date: 03/01/18

37 Charter Oak Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Joshua Merritt
Seller: Vitaliy V. Gladysh
Date: 02/28/18

30 Deering St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Sean Collins
Seller: Christine R. Morris
Date: 02/28/18

7 Jasmine Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Joseph Cardaropoli
Seller: Kot, Vadim, (Estate)
Date: 03/09/18

26 Jasmine Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $398,000
Buyer: Richard W. Fearn
Seller: Joseph Kot
Date: 02/28/18

15 King St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Michael Delaney
Seller: Linda S. Carestia
Date: 03/07/18

12 Lenox St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: NSP Residential LLC
Seller: James M. Lewis
Date: 02/27/18

803 North Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Vladimir Sidorovnin
Seller: John D. West
Date: 03/09/18

16 Norris St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $208,900
Buyer: Melissa Noonan
Seller: MS Homes LLC
Date: 02/26/18

79 Poinsetta St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Daniel Geiger
Seller: Denise A. Browne
Date: 03/09/18

89 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Don Donahue
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 03/08/18

117 Reed St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Joshua Meskill
Seller: William A. Garvin
Date: 02/26/18

639 Shoemaker Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Vitale Braxtanov
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/26/18

479 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $222,588
Buyer: V. Mortgage REO 3 LLC
Seller: Lucia Liquori
Date: 03/08/18

18-20 Summer St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: 716 Spring Valley LLC
Seller: Barbara Wojciechowski
Date: 03/01/18

BLANDFORD

5 Glasgow Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Jose O. Deleon-Gonzalez
Seller: Daniel J. Gelina
Date: 03/05/18

4 Huntington Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Dale M. Weaver
Seller: Citizens Bank
Date: 02/28/18

BRIMFIELD

91 Oakwood Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Vilandre
Seller: Michael R. Partlow
Date: 02/28/18

128 Old Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Christopher S. Elmore
Seller: Lester A. Barton
Date: 03/05/18

155 Old Palmer Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Kristy L. Kearns
Seller: Shaun T. Cadoret
Date: 02/26/18

CHICOPEE

145 Beauregard Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Erudite RT
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 02/28/18

4 Burton St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $388,000
Buyer: PPK LLC
Seller: Legacy Realty Associates
Date: 03/01/18

50 Carlton Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,400
Buyer: Anna S. Vlas
Seller: Edward S. Bury
Date: 02/28/18

5 Cox St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Luis A. Valdez
Seller: Margaret E. Beaupre
Date: 03/09/18

19 Czepiel St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Emily V. Trigilio
Seller: Frank Niemiec
Date: 03/02/18

62 Davenport St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Jessica Sanabria
Seller: Daniel E. Sliwa
Date: 02/28/18

23 Edward St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Catherine Lafortune
Seller: PP&R Properties LLC
Date: 03/01/18

70 Fletcher Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Desmond Farrell
Seller: Paul D. Menard
Date: 03/02/18

40 Fuller St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Donald J. Ruscoe
Seller: M&G Property Group LLC
Date: 02/28/18

27 Grant St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Lori Beaudry
Seller: Rivest, Marguerite M., (Estate)
Date: 02/27/18

88 Marcelle St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Elias R. Navarro
Seller: Gene A. Stelzer
Date: 03/01/18

19 Marlborough St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Nicole Ladeau
Seller: Phyllis J. Settembro
Date: 02/28/18

107 South St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Lori A. Germain
Seller: G&D Property Management
Date: 02/26/18

23 Nora St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Kellie M. McLaughlin
Seller: Christian Kosinski
Date: 03/06/18

25 Ohio Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jessica L. Braman
Seller: James A. Maynard
Date: 03/09/18

135 Stebbins St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,400
Buyer: Adam J. Chapdelaine
Seller: Donald R. Chapdelaine
Date: 03/05/18

75 Valier Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Paul R. Turgeon
Seller: Mary Gay
Date: 03/06/18

1640 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Anthony R. Witman
Seller: Witman Properties Inc.
Date: 03/01/18

EAST LONGMEADOW

61 Colony Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $422,500
Buyer: Talal Mhanna
Seller: Oak Ridge Custom Home Builders
Date: 02/28/18

Peachtree Road #13
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Cumberland Blues RT
Seller: Donna M. Cabot
Date: 03/05/18

353 Pease Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $319,900
Buyer: Bryant Biccum
Seller: Donna V. Wheeler
Date: 03/08/18

29 Rural Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: 88 Casino Terrace LLC
Seller: Worthington, Martha E., (Estate)
Date: 03/08/18

54 Rural Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Adam M. Overlock
Seller: Ross W. Overlock
Date: 02/27/18

84 South Brook Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Spurgeon Wamala
Seller: Constant Ogutt
Date: 03/01/18

20 Speight Arden
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Leanna C. Daniele
Seller: Old Coach Properties LLC
Date: 03/08/18

HAMPDEN

342 Allen St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Eric J. Morin
Seller: Donna Ainsworth
Date: 03/08/18

36 Hickory Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Lauren N Brodeur
Seller: Jodi A. Brodeur
Date: 03/05/18

413 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: James C. Stephens
Seller: Bradley S. Culhane
Date: 03/07/18

27 Meadow Brook Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Lynch
Seller: Mars Real Properties Inc.
Date: 02/27/18

HOLLAND

184 Mashapaug Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Scott M. Jacobs
Seller: Edwin H. Bartolomei
Date: 02/28/18

HOLYOKE

1 Court Plaza
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Holyoke Community Media
Seller: Holyoke Economic Development
Date: 03/06/18

834 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Clara S. Shoemaker
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 03/01/18

29 Joanne Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $239,100
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Michelle A. Beswick
Date: 03/06/18

254-256 Maple St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Bex LLC
Seller: Michael F. Tierney
Date: 03/05/18

1212 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Martha L. Brown
Seller: Mikhail Korolev
Date: 03/01/18

37 Sherwood Terrace
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Danielle T. Belliveau
Seller: Michael J. Goss
Date: 02/28/18

35 Valley Heights
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Keyla G. Centeno
Seller: Michael J. Hearn
Date: 03/09/18

80-82 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Jeffrey C. Stone
Seller: Michael J. Murray
Date: 03/09/18

LONGMEADOW

128 Blueberry Hill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Joel A. Arnold
Seller: Allan W. Blair
Date: 02/27/18

33 Crest Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Shyel RT
Seller: Wendell W. Ritchie
Date: 03/02/18

29 Dartmouth Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Peter Olesen
Seller: Sasi Penukonda
Date: 03/02/18

67 Elmwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Elizabeth Vasiliades
Seller: Donald T. Ferris
Date: 03/01/18

493 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Tiara L. Warren
Seller: Eugene Adamz
Date: 02/26/18

112 Pinewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Alan Caplan
Seller: Muriel Dane
Date: 02/27/18

LUDLOW

1062 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $244,900
Buyer: Kevin J. Moyer-Wilkes
Seller: Kristen N Deslauriers
Date: 02/28/18

31 Colonial Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Daniel R. Kinne
Seller: Desforges, Sylvia, (Estate)
Date: 02/28/18

44 Crest St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $157,600
Buyer: Gina M. Marsan
Seller: Dean A. Moorhouse
Date: 02/26/18

257 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jorge S. Laires
Seller: Jack Nuno
Date: 03/09/18

54 Elm St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Hilario
Seller: MYA Realty LLC
Date: 02/26/18

55 Haviland St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $197,500
Buyer: Minh H. Nguyen
Seller: Joanne Mei
Date: 03/09/18

15 Paulding Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Martin J. Gray
Seller: Marie A. Marx
Date: 02/28/18

15 Philip St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $211,500
Buyer: Sandra Auld
Seller: Michael E. Pietras
Date: 02/28/18

25 Simonds St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Lynsey A. Burns
Seller: Robert B. Roccanti
Date: 03/07/18

99 Skyridge St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $147,400
Buyer: Joshua Duquette
Seller: Maria E. DosSantos
Date: 02/27/18

7 Ventura St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: David A. Lord
Seller: Donn A. Lord
Date: 03/06/18

MONSON

3 Highland Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Timothy Lomme
Seller: Ross Pelletier
Date: 02/28/18

257 Hovey Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: John C. Durham
Seller: Jeremy D. Durham
Date: 02/27/18

269 Wales Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jeremy D. Durham
Seller: Cynthia D. Durham
Date: 02/27/18

PALMER

143 Breckenridge St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Eleanor C. Karbon
Seller: Jeffrey D. Staiti
Date: 03/02/18

3109-3111 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $176,505
Buyer: First Guaranty Mortgage
Seller: Curtiss A. Brouthers
Date: 03/05/18

RUSSELL

581 Huntington Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Christopher R. Liberty
Seller: Elizabeth Massa
Date: 02/28/18

SOUTHWICK

445 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Eugene J. Whitehead
Seller: Todd Doiron
Date: 03/08/18

17 Congamond Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $184,600
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Elwyn M. Savage
Date: 03/05/18

139 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Candice D. Ruccio
Date: 03/02/18

11 Meadow Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: David Broderick
Seller: John A. Jeneral
Date: 03/09/18

SPRINGFIELD

384 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Luke M. Hollwedel
Seller: Paul J. Sears
Date: 02/28/18

110 Avocado St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: JVLV Realty LLC
Seller: C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc.
Date: 03/06/18

1122 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Marigold Realty LLC
Seller: Markdon Realty LLC
Date: 03/09/18

1540 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Carmen Rivera
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 03/07/18

1546 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Lina M. Correa
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 03/08/18

97 Bridle Path Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Buckley
Seller: Helen C. Garde
Date: 02/28/18

43 Burton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $170,900
Buyer: Francisco Rodriguez
Seller: Global Homes Properties
Date: 02/26/18

97 Carol Ann St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Ryan J. Wilkie
Seller: Calabrese, Cipriano F., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/18

25 Carlisle St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Frank C. Salas
Seller: Lisa Millett
Date: 03/09/18

672 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: S&C Homebuyers LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 03/01/18

98-100 Clantoy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: William Howell
Seller: David B. Dussault
Date: 02/28/18

48 Clement St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Barry J. Cook
Seller: Hue V. Vu
Date: 03/06/18

78 Coral Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Joshua M. Gibbs
Seller: Melvin Sanchez
Date: 02/27/18

102-104 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $132,500
Buyer: Zen D. Vo
Seller: Tinh Ngo
Date: 02/28/18

150 Drexel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: James L. Hernandez
Seller: Zin Property Solutions
Date: 02/27/18

61 Dwight Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Shronda N Payne
Seller: Stephanie F. Wilson
Date: 02/28/18

35 Glendell Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Sandra I. Velez
Seller: C. Rodriguez-Gonzalez
Date: 03/09/18

37 Homestead Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $184,500
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Albert Frigugliett
Date: 03/05/18

110 Ithaca St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Christina M. Leipchack
Seller: Bynum, Michael J., (Estate)
Date: 03/09/18

67 Kane St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Evelyn Onwona
Seller: Michele A. Labelle
Date: 02/27/18

30 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Smash Brothers RT
Seller: MYA Realty LLC
Date: 03/02/18

25 Laurence St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Leo R. Best
Seller: Nu Way Homes Inc.
Date: 03/01/18

403-405 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Mister Mister LLC
Seller: Eleanor M. Desautels
Date: 02/28/18

409 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Mister Mister LLC
Seller: Eleanor M. Desautels
Date: 02/28/18

29 Mattoon St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Paul Bromwich
Seller: Erica I. Walch
Date: 03/02/18

80 Merrill Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Daniel F. Lantigua
Seller: Gary M. Hullihen
Date: 02/27/18

56-58 Narragansett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Ninoshka Pineda
Seller: Bakr, Huriya M., (Estate)
Date: 03/09/18

763 Newbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,056
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Gerard Lacasse
Date: 03/05/18

114 Newhouse St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $116,500
Buyer: Melissa L. Hamelin
Seller: Robert P. Oyler
Date: 02/26/18

140 Odion St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $144,900
Buyer: Bianca M. Dellacroce
Seller: Linda T. Lafratta
Date: 03/09/18

1847 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Tyeka Robinson
Seller: Richard Chang
Date: 02/27/18

304 Peekskill Ave.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Edward Sawyer
Seller: Jamie Dupell
Date: 02/28/18

9 Pelham St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: NSP Residential LLC
Seller: Alita M. Love
Date: 02/27/18

90 Perkins St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $173,600
Buyer: Keith J. Clark
Seller: Jared T. Larkin
Date: 02/27/18

128 Phoenix Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $123,100
Buyer: Abdulkareem Abdulkareem
Seller: Suellen R. Thornhill
Date: 03/01/18

68 Pine Acre Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Eavon K. Vaughan
Seller: Earl V. Watson
Date: 02/28/18

60 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $126,372
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Jean D. Moore
Date: 03/01/18

16 Prentice St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Elvin A. Rivera-Cardona
Seller: Roland R. Prairie
Date: 02/28/18

222 Prentice St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: April Meunier
Seller: Christopher Petropoulos
Date: 03/02/18

41 Queensbury Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Nicole Milanes
Seller: Josephine Stabilo
Date: 03/09/18

260 Ramblewood Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Shenae Levester
Seller: Melro Associates Inc.
Date: 02/28/18

10-12 Ranney St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Willie Davey
Seller: Aubin, Roland F., (Estate)
Date: 03/08/18

4 Rogers Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Mister Mister LLC
Seller: Eleanor M. Desautels
Date: 02/28/18

6 Rogers Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Mister Mister LLC
Seller: Eleanor M. Desautels
Date: 02/28/18

840 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Ramon Baez
Seller: Della Ripa Real Estate
Date: 03/09/18

120 Savoy Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $115,190
Buyer: Willie L. Gainey
Seller: Ruz M. Martir
Date: 02/26/18

12-14 Standish St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Sharleen Gonzalez
Seller: Michael A. Cotugno
Date: 03/09/18

376-378 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Kerube Farhadi
Seller: Hector R. Rodriguez
Date: 02/28/18

37 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $185,537
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Danilo O. Feliciano
Date: 02/27/18

90-92 West Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Sabrinna C. Marshall
Seller: Tascon Homes LLC
Date: 03/07/18

119-121 Wellington St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: 196-198 Bowdoin St. Realty
Seller: Peter Stathakis
Date: 03/09/18

819 Worthington St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Birhane H. Haile
Seller: Sargoon Hawil
Date: 03/02/18

43 Wrentham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Jesus Sanchez
Seller: Rex Ramos
Date: 02/28/18

WESTFIELD

11 Cherry St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Vadim Plotnikov
Seller: James W. Kaleta
Date: 03/06/18

21 Frederick St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $127,200
Buyer: Park River Properties LLC
Seller: Frank J. Wojtowicz
Date: 03/01/18

35 High Meadow Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Regina Corey
Seller: Karen K. Moriarty
Date: 03/09/18

19 Jefferson St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Angelo Liquori
Seller: John W. Cody
Date: 02/26/18

479 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Viktor Levkha
Seller: Victor Podolyanchuk
Date: 03/01/18

470 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: TNT General Contracting
Seller: Tina Stevens
Date: 03/01/18

468 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: John L. Fisher
Seller: Panagiotis Economopoulos
Date: 02/27/18

WILBRAHAM

902 Glendale Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Nauset Properties LP
Seller: Judith Rickson
Date: 03/01/18

4 Rice Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Heath D. Fortenberry
Seller: Lyle F. Feinberg
Date: 02/27/18

WEST SPRINGFIELD

1228 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Dhan Biswa
Seller: Inna Gargun
Date: 02/28/18

112 Baldwin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Woodcliff Properties LLC
Seller: Ralph E. Dowers
Date: 03/02/18

878 Dewey St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Carlisle
Seller: Deis, Lloyd A., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/18

Saint Andrews Way #2
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $339,900
Buyer: Deborah G. Briancesco
Seller: Country Club Partners LLC
Date: 02/26/18

50 Van Horn St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Nicholas A. Paier
Seller: Timothy W. Riley
Date: 02/28/18

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

80 Columbia Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Maria T. Cruz
Seller: Eduardo Landaverde
Date: 03/08/18

109 Fearing St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Weibin Zhang
Seller: Westort, Young K., (Estate)
Date: 03/09/18

943 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Edgardo J. Rothkegel
Seller: David L. Smith
Date: 02/28/18

87 Stony Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Danielle Kadinoff
Seller: Eric M. Cave
Date: 03/06/18

BELCHERTOWN

103 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: John J. Goodwin
Seller: Richard G. Catellier
Date: 02/28/18

141 Franklin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $159,500
Buyer: Adam G. Orszak
Seller: Jacob I. Wheeler
Date: 02/26/18

36 Magnolia Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Zhijun Wang
Seller: J. N Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 03/02/18

CHESTERFIELD

574 Main Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Cody Rida
Seller: Kevin L. Kukucka
Date: 02/28/18

EASTHAMPTON

110 Everett St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $115,791
Buyer: David J. Ciak
Seller: Margaret A. Papalegis
Date: 02/27/18

45 Cherry St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $327,500
Buyer: Katherine L. Bergren
Seller: Norwich Properties LLC
Date: 03/08/18

60 Line St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Kevin F. Marsh
Seller: Michael A. Splaine
Date: 03/05/18

72 Mount Tom Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Brooke Matuszko
Seller: Patrici Laprade-Pasquini
Date: 02/28/18

GOSHEN

17 South Main St.
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $155,500
Buyer: Michael J. Baines
Seller: Ralmon J. Black
Date: 02/28/18

GRANBY

233 Chicopee St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $291,784
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Susan J. Gilpatrick
Date: 02/28/18

146 Harris St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Kathryn L. Skarbez
Seller: Daniel R. Bernashe
Date: 02/28/18

HADLEY

Grand Oak Farm Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Rosemund LLC
Seller: Deborah M. Mokrzecki
Date: 03/09/18

438 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Gerald T. Devine
Seller: Lyndell D. Nuttelman
Date: 02/28/18

River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: John H. Kokoski
Seller: Niedbala, Julianna, (Estate)
Date: 03/01/18

HATFIELD

138 Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Catherine M. Hebert
Seller: Donald E. Acus
Date: 02/28/18

30 North Hatfield Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Richard Geidel
Seller: Margaret R. Hancock
Date: 03/09/18

4 Primrose Path
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Judith A. Strong
Seller: Christine Y. Doty
Date: 02/27/18

HUNTINGTON

23 Goss Hill Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: John J. Montesi
Seller: Paul T. Laurie
Date: 02/26/18

48 Worthington Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $175,700
Buyer: Andrew B. McCaul
Seller: Jack E. McCaul
Date: 03/09/18

NORTHAMPTON

384 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $237,900
Buyer: Martha A. Pomputius
Seller: Thomas E. Dawson-Greene
Date: 03/09/18

10 Bright St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: 10 Bright LLC
Seller: Ksieniewicz, John W., (Estate)
Date: 02/28/18

227 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Michael W. Miller
Seller: Emerson Way LLC
Date: 03/07/18

237 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Peter S. Fliss
Seller: Rosemund LLC
Date: 03/06/18

19 Ladyslipper Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Michael G. Reagan
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 03/02/18

1 Lovefield St.
Northampton, MA 01027
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Robert G. Barber
Seller: Jesse Camp
Date: 03/09/18

53 Maple Ridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Kelsy Traeger-Sinelnikov
Seller: Mary E. McGuire
Date: 03/01/18

36 Meadow St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Alexandra J. Carlson
Seller: Linda M. Didonna
Date: 02/28/18

159 Pine St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Durai Rajasekar
Seller: Elizabeth Duca
Date: 02/28/18

83 Pomeroy Terrace
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $658,000
Buyer: Deborah M. Henson
Seller: Roger W. Salloom
Date: 02/27/18

21 Reservoir Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Tim Seney Contracting Inc.
Seller: Rocco Lapaire
Date: 03/01/18

36 Ward Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Seth Atkinson
Seller: Harvey M. Lederman
Date: 02/28/18

SOUTH HADLEY

76 Fairview St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Tera E. Bagg
Seller: Kathleen M. Dion
Date: 03/02/18

3 Frederick Place
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $189,500
Buyer: Anthony R. Gomez
Seller: Michael E. Greaney
Date: 03/09/18

47 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Bryan J. Sverchek
Seller: Veronique C. Blanchard
Date: 03/09/18

55 Laurie Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Justin A. Mayotte
Seller: Michael G. Pare
Date: 03/07/18

23 Pine St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Rachel E. Leach
Seller: Paul L. Ribeiro
Date: 02/28/18

10 Sycamore Knolls
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Lori T. Fischetti
Seller: Jennifer L. Lachapelle
Date: 03/02/18

SOUTHAMPTON

College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $1,200,000
Buyer: Eugene R. Labrie
Seller: Denise D. Wayne
Date: 03/01/18

College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $1,200,000
Buyer: Eugene R. Labrie
Seller: Denise D. Wayne
Date: 03/09/18

135 Fomer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Nicholas Shea
Seller: Patrick J. Day
Date: 03/09/18

WARE

9-17 Canal St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jeffrey VonDauber
Seller: Canal Street RT
Date: 02/28/18

138 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $187,549
Buyer: Craig S. Dumont
Seller: Pierre Durand
Date: 02/27/18

4 Coldbrook Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $297,500
Buyer: Christopher S. Romani
Seller: Emmett Rooney
Date: 02/27/18

2 High Meadow Lane
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Michele Moorhouse
Seller: Luwanda M. Cheney
Date: 03/08/18

4 Longview Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Nicorn LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 03/07/18

42 Morse Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Tiffany M. Desrosiers
Seller: Michele L. Moorhouse
Date: 03/06/18

158 North St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Sheila J. Pratt
Seller: Lisa Terry-Jakshtis
Date: 02/28/18

WILLIAMSBURG

52 Hyde Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Caleb Carriere
Seller: Doranda G. Carriere
Date: 03/09/18

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies Departments

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

Bonnivier, Chris O.
13 Beech St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/25/18

Bonnivier, Linda J.
a/k/a Rancourt, Linda J.
13 Beech St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/25/18

Bridges, Antwain L.
367 Orange St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/25/18

Briggs, Thomas Edward
107 Red Fox Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Burgos, Andrew
Burgos, Gwendolyn
38 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/17/18

Casey, Daniel
Casey, Linda
37 Dana St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/18

Chistolini, Karen R.
52 Weston St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/18

Claudio, Joselito
303 Maple St., Apt. 327
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Clifford, Amanda M.
27 Janelle Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/26/18

Craig, Andreas
21 Hillmont St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/18

Curran, Linda M.
51 Louise St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Davis, Robert W.
44 Stagecoach Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Deida, Aida
67 Haumont Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Diane’s Home Day Care
Johnson, Diane E.
42 Bliss St.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/25/18

Farley, Deborah L.
177 Marion St., Ext. 2
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Frieri, Gino S.
PO Box 2331
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/26/18

Gonzales, Antonio
181 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Gorham, Evelyn
11 Marble St., Apt 522
Worcester, MA 01603
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Graves, Scott D.
Graves, Jennifer J.
23 Hollywood St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/18

Guba, Eric C.
186 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/17/18

Isernhagen, Denise J.
35 Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Jackson, Yvette
a/k/a Morales, Yvette
a/k/a Rosario, Yvette
31 Davis St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/22/18

Landry, Linda A.
29-31 Bloomfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/22/18

Leger, Karen E,
48 Scantic Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/17/18

Ogg, Norman
Ogg, Sheila
147 LaBelle Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/26/18

Ortiz, Maribel
101 Saint Kolbe Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Persson, Mark A.
5 King St.
Royalston, MA 01368
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/21/18

Pybas, Charles E.
345 Sturbridge Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Restoration Specialties
Eaton, Alice Knox
Eaton, Wendell Scott
74 Williston Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/18

Rodgers, Martin D.
13 Magnolia Terrace
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Rogowski, Theresa A.
14 Austin St.
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Rubin, Bonnie D.
4 Laura Ave., Apt. 2
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Sanchez, Jose Daniel
3 Hill Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/18

Shoefly Shoe Salons, LLC
Clark, William T.
4 Shepards Hollow
Leeds, MA 01053
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Spafford, Amanda J.
a/k/a Lengieza, Amanda J.
30 Olivine St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/18/18

Staley, Lisa M.
a/k/a Wallace, Lisa M.
60 King St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/17/18

Stepus, Tatyana
76 Chateaugay St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Thomas, Cynthia D.
120- 122 Fargo St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Thompson, George E.
50 Melville St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Tremblay, Doreen E.
1209 Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Valle Vale International
Valle-Martinez, Ana M.
91 Elmore Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/25/18

Vazquez-Velez, Argelis Joel
238 Cottage St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/18

Vieu, Keith R.
Vieu, Carla L.
25 Pebblemill Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Walter, Peter Vincent
140 Hutchinson Lane
Cheshire, MA 01225
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/22/18

Williams, Tamara A.
145 Sumner Ave., Apt. 8
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/22/18

Winiarski, John A.
Winiarski, Debora M.
22 Lord Terrace North
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/30/18

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the months of March 2018.

AMHERST

DeJong Consulting
81 Pine Grove
Christine DeJong

Ichiban Asian Bistro
106 North Pleasant St.
Chuan Jiao Bistro Inc., Zhao Liu Wang

MyEyeDr.
22 University Dr.
MyEyeDr. Optometry of Massachusetts, P.C.

Yiddish Book Center
1021 West St.
Susan Bronson

BELCHERTOWN

People’s Massage
442 State St.
Mary Hurley

Perfect Arrangements
39 Federal St.
David Paul, Barbara Paul

Seven One Nine
37 Fuller St.
Thomas Cooke

Taubman Tech Consulting
33 Two Ponds Road
Alexander Taubman

ZK Construction
82 South Liberty St.
Zbigbiew Krotki

CHICOPEE

Adams Co.
1033 Chicopee St.
Robert Adams

Alex’s Home Improvement
21 Firest St.
Aleksandr Pereoala

Belladonna Boutique
342 Front St.
Jasmine Santiago

Bruscoe Construction
98 Mount Vernon Road
Jared Bruscoe

D.S. Home Improvements
89 Northwood St.
Dustin Stewart

Gothique
108 Greenpoint Circle
David Collier

J.C. Construction Services
45 Ellerton St.
Juan Carlos Garcia Cortez

Mias y Hermanos
61 Davis Road
Wandy Feliz-Suriel

Peter Boutin Audio Consultants
211 Fuller Road
Peter Boutin

Wil’s Top Quality Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
274 Carew St.
Wilkid Valcinord

DEERFIELD

40 Conway St., LLC
40 Conway St.
Francis Naida

Ciesluk’s Market
55C North Main St.
Nicole Ciesluk

EASTHAMPTON

Aaron’s Paradise Transportation
1 Lovefield St.
Scott Belleniore, Elizabeth Dube

Ana Knil
116 Pleasant St., Suite 055
Sasanqua Link

Go with the Float, LLC
122 Pleasant St.
Stephen Bryla

Jodoin Home Improvement
15 Jones Dr.
Mark Jodoin

To Dye For, LLC
66 Northampton St.
Alicia Duprey

WT Moore Solutions
45 Maple St.
William Moore

EAST LONGMEADOW

Ascent Laser Aesthetics, LLC
250 North Main St.
Kevin Coughlin

Irina’s
100 Shaker Road
Vladimir Kulenok

Johnson Boys Landscaping
2 Peachtree Road
Robert Johnson

Metamotive Product Development
17 Donamore Lane
Hubert Pfabe

S & P Appraisals
40 Villanova St.
Susan Cunningham

GREENFIELD

Aladdin Food Management Services, LLC
1 College Dr.
Divina Grayson

All About the Promo
13 Cedar St.
Susan Brulotte, John Michelson

Baystate Tax Service
14 Miles St.
Richard L. Holbrook III Associates Inc.

Bonnie B’s Country Kitchen
204 Main St.
Bonnie Brown

Carolyn’s Hair
54 School St.
Carolyn Murray

Community911 Training Inc.
38 Haywood St.
Community911 Training Inc.

CSR Painting Services
28 Pond St.
Colby Roche

Deeply Discounted
51 Phyllis Lane
Dan Tutelya, Yauneni Berun

K Salon
18 Miles St.
Kristina Bergeron

Mattress Outlet
142 Main St.
Harry Foster

MyEyeDr.
489 Bernardston Road
MyEyeDr. Optometry of Massachusetts, P.C.

New England Camper Repair
1399 Bernardston Road
Jeffrey Ennis

Pack the Stilettos Travel Agency
178 Fairview St.
Amy Patt

Semaski Financial
58 Highland Ave.
Jason Semaski

Surviving Addiction Group of Narcotics Anonymous
68 Federal St.
Michael Rosa

LUDLOW

Ray Haluch Inc.
1014 Center St.
Raymond Haluch, Joanne Martins

NORTHAMPTON

Cohn Financial
27 Fort St.
Catherine Smith

Curran and Keegan Financial
48 Round Hill Road, Suite 2
Karen Curran, Molly Keegan

Greg Smith Home Repair
134 Crescent St.
Gregory Smith

Ibby & Eric Photography
351 Pleasant St.
Eric Rzegocki

José Bou Catering Service
261 Florence Road
José Bou

Larian Products
16 Market St.
Paul Ricard

Lucky’s Tattoo and Piercing
37 Main St.
Isaac Torrin

Natasha Campbell Multicultural Clinical Services
16 Center St.
Natasha Campbell

Reconnection Wellness
13 Old South St.
Kathryn Barvainis

Top Shelf Bars
13 Rust Ave.
Nicholas Paine

PALMER

Signature Masonry Inc.
1371 Main St.
David Lane, Edward Libera III

SpudSlingers
175 Summer St.
Mary Shirzadi

SOUTHWICK

Pathways to Healing by Aimee
617 College Highway
Aimee Sawyer

Sunset Ridge Farm
108 Coes Hill Road
Joshua Pilling

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Hospice
50 Maple St.
Baystate Visiting Nurse Assoc. & Hospice

C & B Landscaping
54 Fallston St.
C & B Snow Removal

CT Truck
59 Lansing Place
Chuong Truong

D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches
1465 Boston Road
Donald Obitz

Elusive Ryderz
174 Berkshire Ave.
Robert Ruiz

Henry’s Jewelry Store
208 Main St.
Barbara Kamuda

Home Like Management
199 Dickinson St.
Anthony Cardaropoli

Horizon
34 Goodwin St.
Glenroy Bristol

Housemaster
112 Washington Road
Roger Peterson

Innovate413
1350 Main St.
Samalid Hogan

Nails by Tia Lynn
535 Main St.
Tia Fortier

Namco Pools Inc.
1500 Boston Road
William Rauch

New England Motor Cars
720 Berkshire Ave.
Mohammad Burhan

Northgate Dental Center
1985 Main St.
Kavitha Sathya

Parkerview Services Inc.
11 Washington Road
Roger Peterson

The Pocketbookman
618 Belmont Ave.
Byron Brown

Roger’s Electric
11 Perkins St.
Roger Fahringer

Shanndolls Boutique
72 Humbert St.
Shannan Swinton

Sherman Landscaping
111 Alden St.
Devon Sherman

Spiritual Growth Reminder
77 Carver St.
Judith Rady

TTBB & Styles
477 Boston Road
Shawntay Badger

Wallace Trucking
155 Jasper St.
Devon Wallace

Wheeler’s Convenience
597 Dickinson St.
Faiz Rabbani

WARE

Davi Nails & Spa
352 Palmer Road
Linh Le

Needles & Pins
52A Main St.
Joanna Przypek

WESTFIELD

D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches
291 East Main St.
Landd Corp.

GDM Aircraft
111 Airport Road
Michelle Zemba

Greylock Insurance Agency
30 Court St.
Greylock Financial & Insurance

Lecrenski Bros. Inc.
14 Delmont Ave.
Lecrenski Bros. Inc.

McLellan Machine Co.
571 Southampton Road
Jonathan McLellan

Sweet Aleksandr
177 Meadow St.
Aleksandr Chernov

Wise Vapors
30 Main St.
Wise Vapors

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Commercial Truck Tire Center
1264 Union St.
Holyoke Tire & Auto

D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches
1067 Riverdale St.
Landd Corp.

KPC Enterprises
35 Lower Beverly Hills
Pedro Cuello

Scuderi Group Inc.
1111 Elm St.
Salvatore Scuderi

Shangri-La Grocery
753 Union St.
Chitra Rai

Soap by Susan
89 Brookline Ave.
Susan McCarthy

Therafeet
1680 Riverdale St.
Therapeutic Feet Inc.

United Landscaping
96 Southworth St.
Andrei Dobrin

West Side Tire & Auto Service
930 Memorial Ave.
Holyoke Tire & Auto

WILBRAHAM

Bright Wolf
57 High Pine Circle
Joseph Valickus

Caban’s Heating
27 Stony Hill Road
Felix Caban

Grace & Impact
17 Pearl Lane
Lynne Britton

J. Thouin Events
5 Sunset Rock Road
Jessica Thouin

Jones Home Improvement
20 Red Bridge Road
Robert Jones

The Skin Studio
2341 Boston Road, Suite 306
Maegen Arroyo

Total Landscape Construction
9 Hickory Hill Dr.
Marc Bessette

Western Mass Prowash, LLC
1003 Stony Hill Road
Steven Croteau

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

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

Agawam

Agawam Dogworks Inc., 860 Suffield St., Agawam, MA 01001. Susan Lamoureux, 76 Tannery Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Dog grooming, care and supplies.

Andy Express Inc., 55 Spring St., Agawam, MA 01001. Andrei Matveev, same. Trucking.

Amherst

WMass Hky Inc., 16 Foxglove Lane, Amherst, MA 01002. Barbara Weinberg, same. Field hockey camps and clinics.

Amherst Family Chiropractic PC, 228 Triangle St., Amherst, MA 01002. Robert Lee Kane, same. Professional chiropractic services.

Chicopee

100 Century Inc., 1057 Montgomery St., Chicopee, MA01013. Amir Paracha, 10 Oakley Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075. Own manage commercial property.

75 Century Inc., 1057 Montgomery St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Amir Paracha, 10 Oakley Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075. Ownership of gas stations, smokeshops and stores.

Dalton

Ace of Seasons Inc., 105 Pine St., Dalton, MA 01226. Adam Demarsh, same. Remodeling and construction.

Feeding Hills

Worldboycotts.Org Inc., 99 Hope Farms Dr., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Jack Elliot Yasgar, same. Helps organize boycotts enabling people to effect change when there are actions which are discouraging our freedoms.

Pelham

Wolaver Inc., 7 South Valley Road, Pelham, MA 01002. Matthew Wolaver, same. Interactive design, the production for commercial and creative appliances.

Springfield

Simply6ix, 51 Merwin St., Springfield, MA 01107. Sheila Marie Barnes, same. Purpose of the organization is to encourage and inspire single mothers to live life to their fullest potential by providing tools and resources including, but not limited to educational, spiritual, financial, emotional and physical components to achieve our goal.

A & R Distributors Inc., 435 Springfield St., Springfield, MA 01107. Rached Elzinji, 78 Cunningham St., Springfield, MA 01107. General merchandise and tobacco.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Local River Advocates Join
National Trend with EPA Lawsuit
GREENFIELD — Last fall, the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) joined the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance and eight other watershed groups from across Massachusetts to file suit against the EPA and Administrator Scott Pruitt in Boston’s federal district court. Their request of the court is simple: reject EPA’s one-year delay in implementing Massachusetts’ new stormwater permit because stormwater is one of the greatest threats to clean water in Massachusetts. This lawsuit is part of a growing national trend in suing the EPA in order to protect the environment. The CRC argues that Pruitt and the EPA have been hastily rolling back environmental regulations, but mistakes have been made in their haste and disregard for legal process, such as failing to hold required public comment periods or provide rationale for a repeal or delay. Now, environmental groups across the nation are going to court and using these mistakes to successfully halt environmental rollbacks. For example, the courts have prevented the suspension of rules to curb methane emissions and the delay of tougher standards on air pollutants and lead in paint. River advocates fear the updated stormwater permit could be delayed much longer than one year. “We think the EPA’s legal case is fundamentally flawed,” said Andrew Fisk, executive director of the Connecticut River Conservancy. “Pruitt and the EPA have asked for this delay while permit appeals are being decided, but then in the same breath also asked the court to delay judicial review of the appeals. It is clear that EPA is looking at every maneuver they can find to stop doing the right thing for the public’s water.” The river groups are represented by Kevin Cassidy of Earthrise Law Center and Access to Justice Fellow Irene Freidel. Of particular concern is the public-health issue of harmful bacteria flowing to rivers when it rains. About one in five water samples collected by CRC and partners in 2017 from the Connecticut River and tributaries in Massachusetts showed bacteria levels too high for recreation (swimming and/or boating). “Delaying the implementation of this updated permit puts our rivers and our water at risk, which also put our citizens and local economies that use and rely on our rivers at risk,” Fisk continued. “The EPA is charged with implementing the Clean Water Act for the benefit of the public, yet it did not weigh the public’s interest when it slammed the brakes on the MS4 Permit.” That permit regulates stormwater pollution under the federal Clean Water Act. The current MS4 permit was issued in 2003 and was set to expire on May 1, 2008. Instead, it has been administratively continued and remains in effect. A multi-year, multi-stakeholder process for updating the expired permit began in 2008. In April 2016, the EPA issued the updated MS4 permit after many rounds of public comment. The updated permit was set to go into effect on July 1, 2017 but was abruptly delayed by Pruitt and the EPA just two days before that date. The delay will cause existing stormwater projects to move forward with outdated stormwater controls, forcing costly upgrades in the future rather than the lower-cost option of adding updated controls at the time of construction, river advocates say. The delay also ignores the time and money invested by cities and towns that have already implemented new stormwater protection measures in preparation for the new permit to take effect last July. Stormwater is generated from rain and snowmelt that does not soak into the ground. Instead, it flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets and driveways, parking lots, and building rooftops into storm drains. During heavy rains, stormwater can flow directly into rivers. Common pollutants in stormwater runoff include antifreeze, detergents, fertilizers, gasoline, household chemicals, oil and grease, paints, pesticides, harmful bacteria, road salt, trash such as plastics and cigarette butts, ammonia, solvents, and fecal matter from pets, farm animals, and wildlife.

Creative Community Fellows
Accepting New England Applications
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — National Arts Strategies (NAS) announced that applications for the Creative Community Fellows program are now open to those living and working in the New England region. NAS is looking for artists, community organizers, administrators, and entrepreneurs who are driving positive change through arts and culture in their communities. Applications are due Sunday, April 22. Creative Community Fellows brings together a group of 25 creative change makers across New England. Fellows will jump-start the program by living and learning together in Vermont for one week in an incubator-like environment, building their skills in strategy, leadership, and design thinking. Over the course of five months, they will take monthly online courses in topic areas such as community development, finding capital and support, budgeting, and more. Together, they will share updates on their projects and meet with leaders in the field who will serve as mentors. Fellows are curious, open, collaborative, and interested in learning new skills and sharing their expertise. They are already doing this work and looking to create and even greater impact. The Barr Foundation has brought this program to New England in order to support creative leaders in the region. Thanks to its support, participation in this program is completely underwritten. “Arts and creativity can play a vital role in engaging communities to spark positive change. It’s our privilege to partner with National Arts Strategies to network and support the development of New England change agents who are artists and leaders across sectors,” said San San Wong, director of Arts & Creativity at the Barr Foundation.

Massachusetts Adds
13,700 Jobs in February
BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained at 3.5% in February, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts added 13,700 jobs in February. Over the month, the private sector added 13,100 jobs as gains occurred in education and health services; construction; trade, transportation, and utilities; professional, scientific, and business services; other services; and financial activities. The jobs level remained unchanged in leisure and hospitality. From February 2017 to February 2018, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 39,100 jobs. The February unemployment rate was six-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta noted that “2017 was the first time since 2000 in which the monthly unemployment rate remained below 4% for the entire year in the Commonwealth. Our low unemployment rate, coupled with over-the-year job and labor-force gains, all point towards the continued strength of the Massachusetts economy.” The labor force increased by 10,000 from 3,659,600 in January, as 9,500 more residents were employed and 500 more residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9% in February 2017. 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 — is up one-tenth of a percentage point at 65.4%. The labor-force participation rate over the year has decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point compared to February 2017. The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in construction; leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; and other services. The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development also announced that, compared to February 2017, unemployment rates dropped in 22 labor-market areas, increased in one, and remained the same in one labor-market area. Twelve of the 15 areas for which job estimates are published added jobs from February 2017 to February 2018, with the largest percentage gains in the Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, Leominster-Gardner, and Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead areas.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

HUB International Acquires Assets of Leitao Insurance

EAST LONGMEADOW — HUB International Limited, a leading global insurance brokerage, announced it has acquired the assets of Leitao Insurance Inc. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Located in Ludlow, Leitao is a multi-line insurance brokerage firm providing products in personal and commercial lines. The Leitao agency will join HUB New England with other local HUB offices in Ludlow (formerly Your Choice), South Hadley, Monson, and East Longmeadow.

CRRC MA Facility Wins Engineering Award

SPRINGFIELD — The CRRC MA rail-car manufacturing facility at the former Westinghouse site was honored as the state’s outstanding engineering achievement of the year by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts. Plaza Construction, which served as the design-build contractor for the property, accepted the award at a ceremony Wednesday. The $95 million project, spanning more than 204,000 square feet — not including the 2,240-foot test track — is the largest industrial investment in Greater Springfield in generations. The Chinese-owned company will start building new cars for the MBTA Orange Line in April, and for the Red Line later this year. In 2014, CRRC received a $566 million contract from the MBTA to build 152 Orange Line cars and 252 Red Line cars at the Page Boulevard site. Two years later, the state ordered an additional 120 Red Line cars at a cost of $277 million, with production set to begin in 2022.

Hofbrauhaus Closing Doors After 83 Years in Business

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Hofbrauhaus owners Joe and Liz Stevens will close its doors for good on April 1, the couple announced on Facebook on Wednesday. “It is official — as of Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018 (and no, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke), the Hofbrauhaus will be closing its doors for good,” they wrote. “We thank everyone for their patronage and support over the years, but we are ready to move on and make some big, wonderful, exciting, and maybe a little scary changes in our lives.’” Hofbrauhaus, the German restaurant that became one of the region’s most iconic eateries, first opened its doors in 1935.

United Bank Joins Connecticut Trolley Museum as Corporate Sponsor

EAST WINDSOR, Conn. — The Connecticut Trolley Museum announced that United Bank has joined the museum as a corporate sponsor. The museum started its corporate sponsor program in 2016, and since then a number of area businesses have joined the museum to support its mission “to provide a historically accurate educational experience of the trolley era through the interpretation, preservation, restoration, and operation of an electric railway.” As its newest corporate sponsor, United Bank joins Sophia’s Restaurant, USA Hauling, Windsor Federal Savings, Collins Pipe and Supply, Simsbury Bank, Connecticut Lighting Centers, Get Listed Realty, and Allstate in support of the museum. The Connecticut Trolley Museum is located off of Route 140 in East Windsor, off exit 45 of Interstate 91. Businesses with an interest in becoming corporate sponsors may contact the museum at (860) 627-6540 or [email protected].

Ohana School of Performing Arts Supports Square One

SPRINGFIELD — The Square One family continues to expand, thanks to its latest partnership with Ohana School of Performing Arts. Ohana owner Ashley Kohl and her team are volunteering monthly to visit preschoolers at the Square One Tommie Johnson Child & Family Center in Springfield. All 150 children will receive lessons in creative movement and dance. “Studies have long pointed to the physical benefits of dance when it comes to keeping children fit and working to combat childhood obesity,” said Kristine Allard, chief development and communications officer for Square One. “More recent research also points to the benefits of dance from the standpoint of emotional, social, and cognitive development, which is a critical component of our work at Square One.” The volunteer support comes in conjunction with Ohana’s recent gift of $1,000 to support Square One’s work with children and families.

Thornes Marketplace to Renovate Front Entrance

NORTHAMPTON — Thornes Marketplace will begin a major renovation of its front entrance on Main Street the first week in April to make practical improvements as well as aesthetic ones that are historically accurate. Richard Madowitz, Thornes owner and property manager, stressed that work on the entryway — one of the last phases of a multi-year capital-improvement project — will be conducted from 9:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. The front entrance will remain open daily during regular business hours. After the project gets underway, Madowitz noted, visitors with questions or concerns can send feedback to [email protected]. Photographs will be available on Thornes’ Facebook page, and news and updates will appear at thornesmarketplace.com. Over the past 10 years, Thornes Marketplace has undertaken a series of major renovations to improve and enhance the eclectic shopping center. Thornes has partnered with Keiter Builders Inc. and Emily Estes of Estes Architecture and Design for the renovations to the entranceway. McGee said the practical goal of the project is to improve accessibility and make the entrance more user-friendly by replacing the 30-year-old wooden doors with wider doors equipped with modern power operators compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Aesthetic improvements will include a raised, coffered ceiling; new, custom-stained oak doors; dramatic chandelier lighting; and new floor tiling. The Florence Bank ATM enclosure will also be renovated to fit the period.

Indian Motorcycle to Open Apparel Store at MGM

SPRINGFIELD — Indian Motorcycle, the Springfield-based pioneer of the American motorcycle industry, will debut the brand’s first-ever apparel store as an anchor tenant of MGM Springfield’s retail collection. The flagship location will open its doors at the MGM property later this year. The Indian Motorcycle store will offer items from the brand’s casual apparel line, the Indian Motorcycle 1901 Fashion Collection. This road-ready collection features graphic tees, sweatshirts, hoodies, and jackets inspired by Indian Motorcycle’s rich heritage. Indian Motorcycle jewelry and accessories also will be available for purchase. Mirroring the aesthetic of the store’s product lines, the space will feature an industrial-yet-modern vibe with exposed, vaulted ceilings and concrete and wood elements. Paying homage to its long-standing roots in the heart of Springfield, the location will open onto to the resort’s plaza.

AIC Joins Hispanic Assoc. of Colleges and Universities

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) joined the Hispanic Assoc. of Colleges and Universities (HACU) as an associate member. HACU was established in 1986 with a founding membership of eighteen institutions. It now represents more than 470 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher-education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, and Spain. While member institutions in the U.S. represent only 13% of all higher-education institutions nationwide, together these colleges and universities are home to two-thirds of all Hispanic college students. HACU’s commitment to Hispanic achievement in education ranges from kindergarten through graduate school and into the work force of tomorrow. Key among the organization’s goals is to improve access to and quality of post-secondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students.

Viridi International Resorts Acquires El Silencio Lodge and Spa in Costa Rica

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Viridi International Resorts SRL, a new upstart in the ultra-luxury boutique hotel and spa space, announced the acquisition of El Silencio Lodge and Spa from Grupo Isilita, San Jose, Costa Rica. El Silencio Lodge is a luxury eco-tourist resort located in the high-altitude cloud forest just one hour from San Jose in Bajos del Toro. El Silencio was recently voted the No. 2 Top Resort in Central America by Condé Nast Reader’s Choice Awards. El Silencio Lodge offers one of the best lodging and dining experiences in Costa Rica. The property’s 16 intimate casitas and six two-bedroom villas offers visitors a one-of-a-kind refuge from a busy world. The resort’s detached suites offer a private viewing deck of the surrounding cloud forest with traditional rocking chairs, and a private heated outdoor Jacuzzi. Viridi plans to add additional rooms and suites in the months and years ahead. The hotel’s Las Ventanas Restaurant offers traditional Costa Rican dishes in addition to an eclectic assortment of entrees and appetizers with organic farm-to-table produce and fresh fish from two on-site fish farms. Guests can actively participate in the culinary experience by fishing for rainbow trout (Costa Rican salmon), picking vegetables, collecting free-range chicken eggs, or venturing out to a community market before enjoying a fun-filled interactive cooking session with the resort’s head chef. A second on-site restaurant, Hierbabuena, is open weekends during high season and offers a more casual menu for family gatherings. Onsite activities at El Silencio include horseback riding, ziplining, waterfall repelling, fishing, yoga, and more than two miles of hiking trails, all located on 500 acres of a pristine Costa Rican cloud forest with three breathtaking waterfalls, including one nearly 200 feet tall, all flanked by two national parks to ensure a quiet and serene experience. The resort’s open space Esencia Spa offers a full array of rejuvenating treatments using indigenous Costa Rican rainforest oils and minerals. Viridi International Resorts SRL was founded by Boston-area media entrepreneur John Gormally with the goal of building a small to medium-sized luxury boutique hotel/spa group with properties throughout Central and South America, the Caribbean, and other highly sought-after destination spots across the globe. Akoya Hospitality LLC, New York, N.Y. acted as advisor to buyer. Resort Capital Partners of Charlotte, N.C. acted as advisor to the seller. The sale price was not disclosed.

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move
Erin Couture

Erin Couture

Florence Bank named Erin Couture its Community Support Award winner for 2018. The award was established by the bank in 1997 to recognize employees who are active participants in community events and donate their personal and professional time to local not-for-profit organizations. Each year, the award recipient has the opportunity to select a not-for-profit organization of his or her choice, and the bank makes a donation to that organization. At Couture’s recommendation, Florence Bank will make a donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, for which Couture serves as president on its advisory board. Couture, vice president of commercial loans and a commercial lender, joined Florence Bank in November 2011. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from UMass Amherst and an MBA from Western New England University. Couture is actively involved with the Northampton Chamber of Commerce as a finance committee member and is also the committee chair at the W.E. Norris School in Southampton. Couture is an award recipient of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty. “Erin is the ideal choice for the Community Support Award,” said John Heaps Jr., president and CEO of Florence Bank. “Her positive energy, commitment to numerous local nonprofit organizations, and dedication to helping those in need within our community is exemplary.”

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Samuel Headley

Samuel Headley

Springfield College has selected Professor Samuel Headley of the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation in the department of Exercise Science as its inaugural recipient of the Karpovich Chair for Wellness at Springfield College. This award honors and supports Headley’s record of scholarship and innovation in exercise science. It is a competitive, three-year, honorary appointment that promotes interdisciplinary research across health-science fields through the testing of ideas and the creation of new initiatives and practices that have the potential to be brought to scale and lead to a sustainable avenue of scholarship that would be competitive for future external funding. The new chair will pursue collaborative and interdisciplinary scholarship in the area of wellness. Graduates from the class of 1954 established an endowment in honor of their 50th reunion to recognize Peter Karpovich, a member of the Springfield College faculty from 1927 until 1969. He was a founder the American College of Sports Medicine and is widely considered the father of exercise physiology in the U.S., having published more than 130 journal articles in the field. A professor of exercise physiology, Headley joined Springfield College in 1992 as an assistant professor, receiving promotion to associate professor in 1997 and to professor in 2003. He is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and a registered clinical exercise physiologist. He has served as a principal investigator or co-investigator on numerous grants and contracts, including a major award from the National Institutes of Health and, most recently, a contract with Relypsa Inc. to examine nutritional, behavioral, pharmaceutical, and counseling interventions with patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. As the first Karpovich Chair awardee, Headley will lead a nationwide team of 12 scholars and researchers to delve into the potential interactions of prebiotic supplementation and moderate aerobic exercise training on critical health concerns of chronic kidney-disease patients, ranging from inflammatory responses that predispose kidney patients to premature death due to cardiovascular disease to psychological markers of health and well-being. “Our group is excited for this opportunity to test our hypotheses because we believe our work has the potential to positively impact upon the lives of patients who have chronic kidney disease,” Headley explained. “The study that we have proposed is the result of the collaborative efforts of members of our research team.” The Karpovich chair comes with a commitment of $40,000 annually over three years to support the project.

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Ariel Rothstein Clemmer

Ariel Rothstein Clemmer

The Hampden County Bar Assoc. (HCBA) announced the hiring of attorney Ariel Rothstein Clemmer as pro bono director. In this newly created role, funded by a grant from MassMutual, Clemmer will help elevate the HCBA Legal Clinic’s operations to better serve the increasing unrepresented population in Hampden County. Clemmer will manage existing pro bono programs, develop new pro bono opportunities, increase volunteer activity, partner with local businesses and organizations on new initiatives, and ensure that pro bono activity under the auspices of the Legal Clinic meets the highest standards of excellence and professionalism. A 2010 graduate of Harvard Law School, Clemmer recently relocated from New York City to the Pioneer Valley. She started her career as a public defender at Bronx Defenders, where she represented indigent clients charged with misdemeanor and felony crimes. She then worked for the firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP, defending clients against security class actions and other complex financial matters, while continuing to develop her pro bono practice litigating matrimonial, civil, and criminal cases. In 2014, Clemmer was selected by the partners at Weil to participate in a pro bono externship at Legal Services of New York City (LSNYC). She excelled there, which led to her being named one of the “Top 30 Pro Bono Attorneys of 2014” by LSNYC. Immediately prior to accepting her role as pro bono director at HCBA, she worked as a matrimonial and family-law associate with a boutique Manhattan firm, Donohoe Talbert, LLP. She also served as an active member of LSNYC’s Pro Bono Associate Advisory Board. “Ariel had a distinguished career that demonstrates her commitment to public-interest initiatives,” said HCBA President Wm. Travaun Bailey. “In a nutshell, she is just the perfect person for the job, and we are excited to have her.”

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Jessica Wheeler

Jessica Wheeler

Jessica Wheeler recently joined Bulkley Richardson as a litigation associate. Wheeler’s prior experience as a senior associate at a New York firm equipped her with hands-on experience, including assistance with oral arguments, motions to dismiss and for summary judgement, class actions, SEC investigations, testimony preparation, discovery, and trial preparation. She was also part of a team that successfully represented a wrongfully convicted former inmate, leading to a $7.5 million settlement. Wheeler received a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Yale University in 2004 and a juris doctor from New York University School of Law in 2011, where she served as articles editor of the New York University Law Review. She was an Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Fellow and earned scholarships, including the Dean’s Scholarship, based on academic achievement. While attending law school, Wheeler demonstrated her commitment to the legal community by taking on advocacy roles as an intern at several organizations, including the Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Practice, the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech Privacy and Technology Project, and the Urban Justice Center’s Peter Cicchino Youth Project. Prior to law school, she was a paralegal for child-advocacy organization Children’s Rights.

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John Glenn

John Glenn

Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that attorney John Glenn, senior counsel, retired on March 1 after a long and industrious legal career. “Over the years, John’s wisdom, dedication, and friendship have made a lasting impact on every one of us here at Skoler Abbott,” said attorney Timothy Murphy, a partner at the firm. “His work has been invaluable in labor relations with his common sense and problem-solving approach. I speak for our clients as well as our team when I say we deeply appreciate and will miss John and his contributions.” Over a career that spanned nearly 40 years, Glenn specialized in representing management in labor-relations matters. His practice focused on assisting clients in developing positive relationships with their workforces to decrease the likelihood of unionization. He has extensive experience working with employers during union campaigns, negotiating collective bargaining agreements, and representing employers at arbitration hearings before the National Labor Relations Board and at state and federal agencies. Prior to joining Skoler, Abbott & Presser, Glenn was employed by the National Labor Relations Board in Cincinnati. He has also served as an adjunct professor of Labor Law at Western New England College School of Law. For many years, he has been included in Best Lawyers in America and has been named a Super Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, which recognizes the top 5% of the lawyers in specific practice areas in the Commonwealth. Outside of his legal practice, Glenn often worked with young men recently released from prison to assist them with acquiring life and academic skills to enhance their employment opportunities. He now looks forward to spending more time playing tennis, watching college basketball, and continuing to take challenging biking and hiking trips throughout the country and around the world.

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Nicole Bambury

Nicole Bambury

Tru by Hilton Chicopee Springfield named Nicole Bambury general manager. She will be in charge of directing all aspects of hotel operations, including guest services and satisfaction, hotel administration, and overseeing marketing efforts. Bambury has 13 years of experience in the hospitality industry and was most recently general manager at Days Inn Chicopee, where she oversaw all responsibilities of a 100-room hotel and 30 employees. Her work experience also includes management positions at Hampton Inn by Hilton Chicopee as well as guest service at Hampton Inn by Hilton Bangor in Maine. Tru by Hilton Chicopee Springfield is expected to open this spring. The hotel is owned by Chicopee Hospitality, LLC and managed by BK Investments.

Berkshire Bank announced that Scott Pasquale has returned to Berkshire Bank as first vice president, senior commercial relationship manager. In his new position, Pasquale will be responsible for originating and managing commercial and industrial loans and building client deposit relationships in the Pioneer Valley and Western Mass. region, continuing Berkshire’s momentum. Pasquale brings more than 30 years of experience to his new role, including his previous work with Berkshire in 2013 as part of its commercial-lending team. Most recently, he held the role of first vice president, Commercial Loans at Country Bank, where he held a leadership role managing the Worcester commercial-lending team and portfolio totaling over $250 million, while creating and executing its small-business underwriting policy. “We’re excited to have Scott rejoin the commercial team in the Pioneer Valley. He brings a wealth of lending experience to a very talented group as we continue our momentum and expand our business,” said Jim Hickson, senior vice president, commercial regional president. “Scott will draw upon his industry experience developing and servicing middle-market commercial-lending opportunities and expanding relationships with private banking, wealth management, and insurance products.” Pasquale earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of Wooster. Active in the community, he serves as a board member of the Western Massachusetts Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Assoc., a board member of Springfield Technical Community College Foundation, and co-chair of the annual goods-and-services auction for the Western Massachusetts Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

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Maria Teal

Maria Teal

Tony Volpe

Tony Volpe

HUB International New England, LLC, a division of HUB International Limited, recently announced that Maria Teal has joined the agency as an account manager for Personal Lines in the South Hadley office, and Tony Volpe has also come on board as an account executive in the Commercial Lines department. Teal holds her certified insurance service representatives (CISR) and vertified professional in personal lines (CPPL) designations and has been in the insurance industry for 18 years. She will specialize in personal coverages including home, auto, renters, and umbrella insurance. Volpe has more than 17 years of experience and has been recognized as an award-winning account executive. He is an eight-time Presidential Club winner “for distinguished performance in achieving overall production and profitability goals.” He has succeeded in meeting and exceeding company goals and sales profitability, and previously worked at Zurich Insurance, Allstate Insurance, Connecticut Casualty Company, and Insure.net. Volpe holds his property, casualty, life, and accident/health licenses in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. At HUB, he will specialize in all types of auto-dealership and garage insurance liability products and more, and will focus in the Connecticut area.

•••••

The Insurance Center of New England (ICNE) announced the continued expansion of its Group Benefits team with the addition of Valerie Francis, a 15-year insurance-industry veteran and group-benefits specialist. As account executive at ICNE, Francis will have multiple responsibilities, including helping business clients strategize employee-benefits programs at annual renewal time and throughout the year. “One of my most important roles will be supporting business owners and human-resource managers as they try to manage the costs of their benefits solutions, whether it be for their health, vision, dental, voluntary benefits, group life, or any other benefits solutions,” she said. Additionally, she will be responsible for helping ICNE bring in new business clients, particularly those who are looking for an insurance partner that takes a customized and strategic team approach to benefits planning and renewal negotiations with carriers. In 2003, Francis began her career in insurance at Aetna in Springfield, where she served as a customer-service representative (CSR) trainer in the benefits group and focused on educating her CSRs on how to explain benefits to employees. After seven years as a trainer, she transitioned to the group benefits team at Health New England in Springfield, where she was promoted to a supervisory role and eventually moved into the sales department. By the time she left Health New England to start her career at ICNE, she was supporting more than 600 accounts and employers of all sizes and from a wide variety of industries. “Through my other insurance jobs, I had had the pleasure of working with members of ICNE’s group benefits team, and I was always highly impressed with how they responded to requests and how they demonstrated true care and concern for every single person they came in contact with. I could not be more thrilled about having the opportunity to now work with these talented professionals to help our clients with all of their group-benefits needs.”

•••••

Christine Roukey joined the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley as Marketing and Communications director. She is responsible for member and public communications, including the digital and print brand. Roukey joins the association from the Massachusetts Mutual Financial Group, where she was a sales support consultant for nine years, working closely with the assistant vice president of Recognition & Conferences. She was responsible for the communication and promotion of company annual sales campaigns, including creative, communications, electronic, and printed materials, and distribution of awards and rewards. Previously, she served as director of Communications and Marketing for the Satellite Agency Network Group. Roukey holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and business administration from Granite State College and an associate degree in mass communications from the University of Hartford. She earned the professional certified marketer (PCM) digital marketing designation from the American Marketing Assoc.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

1BERKSHIRE

www.1berkshire.com

(413) 499-1600

• April 18: Good News Business Salute, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Berkshire Hills Country Club, 500 Benedict Road, Pittsfield. Join us for our morning breakfast, where we will honor members and announce the winner of this year’s Esther Quinn Award. Cost: $35-$45. Register online at www.1berkshire.com.

• April 26: Creative Resources Conference, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., hosted by Stationery Factory, 63 Flansburg Ave., Dalton. The format has three tracts, with a total of nine workshops for creatives, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. More information to come. Register online at www.1berkshire.com.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com

(413) 253-0700

• April 26: Margarita Madness, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. Come taste margaritas and vote for your favorite. There will also be delicious dishes from participating restaurants and dozens of great raffle prizes. Cost: $30 pre-registered, $40 at the door. Register online at www.amherstarea.com.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.franklincc.org

(413) 773-5463

• April 20: Monthly Breakfast Series, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Greenfield High School, 21 Barr Ave., Greenfield. Full breakfast will be served during the program, which will feature an Entrepreneur of the Year panel. Sponsored by Franklin County Community Development Corp. and the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board. Cost: $13 for members; $16 for non-members. Register at franklincc.org or by e-mailing [email protected].

• April 26: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center, 289 Main St., Greenfield. Networking event with special guest Sue Dahling Sullivan from Massachusetts ArtWeek. Come kick off the debut of ArtWeek in Western Mass. Refreshments and cash bar will be available. Cost: $10. Register at franklincc.org or by e-mailing [email protected].

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• April 3: Chamber Seminar: “Pay Equity,” presented by Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast, 9-11 a.m, hosted by La Quinta Inn & Suites. Sponsored by Westfield Bank. Cost: $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 11: Multi-chamber Table Top Expo: “A Taste of Commerce,” 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College. Table fee of $150 includes table, two entrance passes, a light supper, and parking. Admission: free with pre-registration only, $15 at the door. Sign up at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 19: Business After Hours: A Salute to the ’70s Disco Party, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Ohana School of Performing Arts. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 24: B2B Speed Networking, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Chicopee Boys and Girls Club. For more information, visit chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 25: Salute Breakfast at the Moose Family Center: “Easy, Cost-neutral Sustainability for Businesses,” 7:15-9 a.m. Chief Greeter: Phil Norman, CISA. Keynote: Center for EcoTechnology. Sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Sunshine Village, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• April 4: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Suite3 in the Mill 180 Building, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Suite3. Take your connection building to the next level when we partner with the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce on this Networking by Night event. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for future members. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

• April 11: Multi-chamber Table Top Expo: “A Taste of Commerce,” 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College. Friends and colleagues can come together for new networking opportunities and new features such as Made in Mass., Minute Clinic, and Food for Thought. Admission: free with online registration, $15 at the door. Table space is still available. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

• May 10: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Amy’s Place, 80 Cottage St., Easthampton. Sponsored by bankESB. There will be food and door prizes. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holyokechamber.com

(413) 534-3376

• April 4: Women in Leadership Series, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., hosted by HCC Culinary Arts Institute, 164 Race St., Holyoke. Join us April through July to learn from area CEOs while networking with your peers from the region. An elegant lunch prepared by students from the Holyoke Community College Culinary Arts program will provide the setting, which will create the opportunity for a meaningful dialogue on some key leadership issues for those building their careers. Each month your table will join one of the region’s leading CEOs.

• April 11: Multi-chamber Table Top Expo: “A Taste of Commerce,” 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College. Presented by the Greater Holyoke, Greater Chicopee, Greater Easthampton, Greater Northampton, South Hadley/Granby, and Quaboag Hills chambers of commerce. Vendor tables cost $150. Admission: no charge with advance registration, $15 at the door. This event sells out. Call (413) 534-3376 or your local chamber to reserve a table.

• April 18: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., sponsored and hosted by Fairfield Inn & Suites, 229 Whiting Farms Road, Holyoke. Meet up with your friends and business associates for a little networking. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Feel free to bring a door prize. Sign up online at holyokechamber.com.

• April 20: Economic Development Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Holyoke Community College, Kittredge Center, PeoplesBank Conference Room. Learn from EMPATH about how to break the cycle of poverty and utilize the bridge to self-sufficiency theory to approach economic mobility. EMPATH helps low-income people achieve long-term economic mobility, and has developed a holistic approach to mentoring backed by the latest brain science that busts through silos and combats chronic stress. Event emcees are Mary Coleman, EMPATH; Dr. Christina Royal, Holyoke Community College; and Kathleen Anderson, Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members and walk-in guests.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com

(413) 584-1900

• April 4: April Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Suite3 in the Mill 180 Building, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Applied Mortgage, H&R Block, and MassDevelopment. A networking event. Cost: $10 for members.

• April 11: Protecting Your Data from Security Risks, 9-11 a.m., hosted by Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. CyberSafe is a two-hour workshop for non-technical users that focuses on using technology without compromising personal or organizational security. Students will learn the skills they need to protect digital data on computers, networks, mobile devices, and the Internet. They will learn how to identify many of the common risks involved in using technology, such as phishing, spoofing, malware, and social engineering, and then learn how to protect themselves and their organizations from those risks. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members. To register, visit goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

• April 11: Multi-chamber Table Top Expo: “A Taste of Commerce,” 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College. A networking event. Cost: $150 for a table for members, $225 for a table for non-members, $10 walk-in fee for members.

• May 4: Annual Spring Swizzle, 6:30-10:30 p.m., hosted by Eastside Grill, 19 Strong Ave., Northampton. A networking event. Cost: $75; $100 for two. Purchase tickets at www.chamberspringswizzle.com.

• May 9: May Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., host to be announced. Sponsored by Northeast Solar and the Lusteg Wealth Management Group – Merrill Lynch. A networking event. Cost: $10 for members.

• May 17: Workshop: “Microsoft Excel Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop will present our favorite tips, tricks, and shortcuts we have collected and developed over 20 years of teaching and using Microsoft Excel. Topics will include shortcuts for selecting ranges, using autofill to create a series of dates or numbers, setting the print area, using page-break preview, adding headers and footers, and using page-layout view. You’ll learn how to group spreadsheets in the same workbook in order to type or format more than one sheet at the same time, as well as how to create 3D formulas that calculate across several spreadsheets in the same workbook. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops and follow along with the instructor, but this is not required. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Pre-registration required at goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

• June 6: June Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Glendale Ridge Vineyard, 155 Glendale Road, Southampton. Sponsored by Northeast Solar, MassDevelopment, and Kuhn Riddle Architects. A networking event. Cost: $10 for members.

• June 21: Workshop: “Microsoft Word: Advanced Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop will go beyond the basics and explore some of Word’s more advanced features. You’ll learn how to use Word styles to make global changes to a document quickly and easily. The class will also cover working with templates to automate document creation. You’ll learn to use several of Word’s features for working with longer documents — adding a table of contents, inserting section breaks, inserting headers and footers, and inserting and modifying page numbers. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required at goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• April 2: April Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by the Arbors, 40 Court St., Westfield. Join us for our monthly Mayor’s Coffee Hour with Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan. Event is free and open to the public. Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org so we may give our host a proper count. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• April 11: WE2BA High School Career Fair, 7:45-11:30 a.m., hosted by Westfield State University at the Woodward Center, 395 Western Ave., Westfield. Don’t miss the chance to help shape our future through workforce development in our community. Join us to help inspire Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy students with career exploration. More than 400 students will be in attendance. We are looking for 75 vendors to participate. The vendor tables are free. Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• April 9: April After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Betts Plumbing & Heating Supply Inc., 14 Coleman Ave., Westfield. Refreshments will be served. A 50/50 raffle will benefit the chamber scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members (cash or credit paid at the door). Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• April 24: Home & Business Community Marketplace & Tabletop Event, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by the Ranch Golf Club, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick. An opportunity to market and sell your products and services to area residents and businesses. Sip and shop your way through the marketplace with a beer and wine tasting, live music, and a chance to vote for your favorite nosh at the food court. Cost: $50 for vendor rental space (table not included; bring your own, six feet or less with tablecloth), $75 for vendor table (includes six-foot table; bring your own tablecloth). Attendance is free to the public. For more information, contact Southwick Economic Development at (413) 304-6100.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.shgchamber.com

(413) 532-6451

• April 11: Multi-chamber Table Top Expo: “A Taste of Commerce,” 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College. This business networking and marketing event, now in its 24th year, will provide business professionals and entrepreneurs an opportunity to promote their businesses — to “strut their stuff.” Tables are available for $150. Admission is free if you pre-register with the chamber or $15 at the door. Whether you plan to be a participating vendor or want to simply attend, go to www.shgchamber.com for more information or to register, or call (413) 532-6451.

• April 19: Business After 5, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Ohana School of Performing Arts, 470 Newton St., South Hadley. Sponsored by Berkshire Hills Music Academy. This Everything 70’s Disco Party is a networking event for members and friends of the chamber. We are joining with the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce on this event, so there will be many new business colleagues to meet and greet over the three floors of studio space. The event will feature music, food, beverages, and dancing. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For further information and to register, visit www.shgchamber.com or call the chamber office at (413) 532-6451.

• April 22: Mohegan Sun bus trip, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Proceeds support the chamber’s scholarship fund and its two community Councils on Aging. There are bonuses on food and other pluses included in the cost. Bus departs from and returns to the former Big Y parking lot at 501 Newton St. Cost: $35. For further information and to register, visit www.shgchamber.com or call the chamber office at (413) 532-6451.

• April 24: An Educational Breakfast: “Cybersecurity: What We All Need to Know,” 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by PeoplesBank and Loomis Village, 20 Bayon St., South Hadley. We will learn how cybersecurity impacts our own lives, both personally and professionally. The presentation will be led by Joseph Zazzaro, senior vice president, Information Technology, and David Thibault, first vice president, Commercial Banking at PeoplesBank. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For further information and to register, visit www.shgchamber.com or call the chamber office at (413) 532-6451.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.springfieldregionalchamber.com

(413) 787-1555

• April 4: Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m, hosted by Delaney House, One Country Club Road, Holyoke. Featuring the Mayor’s Forum with Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt, and newly elected Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, who will be interviewed by Western Mass News anchor Dave Madsen. Cost: $25 for members in advance ($30 at the door), $35 general admission ($40 at the door). To make a reservation, visit www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mail [email protected], or call (413) 755-1310.

• April 5: Leadership Institute Graduation, 6 p.m., hosted by Springfield Sheraton, One Monarch Place, Springfield. Cost: $40 for members. To make a reservation, visit www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mail [email protected], or call (413) 755-1310.

• April 25: Beacon Hill Summit, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., day-long trip to the State House to meet legislators. Cost: $180 for members, $225 general admission, which includes transportation, lunch, and reception. To make a reservation, visit www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mail [email protected], or call (413) 755-1310.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com

(413) 426-3880

• April 4: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., hosted by CHD Cancer House of Hope, West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information about this event, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• April 12: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Lattitude, West Springfield. Must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief sales pitch. The only cost to attend is the cost of lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. We cannot invoice you for these events. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• April 26: Coffee with Agawam Mayor Sapelli, 8:30-10 a.m., hosted by Agawam Senior Center Coffee Shop, 954 Main St., Agawam. Join us for a cup of coffee and a town update from Mayor Bill Sapelli. Questions and answers will immediately follow. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

springfieldyps.com

• April 19: YPS Third Thursday: “Career Development & Networking,” 5-7 p.m., hosted by Lattitude Restaurant, 1338 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Cost: free for YPS members, $10 for non-members.

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

Women’s Leadership Conference

April 6: Lena Waithe, the actor, producer, and writer who, in 2017, became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy Award for comedy writing, will be interviewed during Bay Path University’s 23rd annual Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC). The one-day event has become the region’s prime women’s leadership event for professional networking and enrichment. Waithe first made headlines in front of the camera as Denise in the critically acclaimed Netflix series Master of None. She co-wrote the “Thanksgiving” episode, for which she won the Emmy for Best Writing in a Comedy Series. As a writer, she is the creator and executive producer of The Chi, a coming-of-age story that follows six interrelated characters in Chicago’s South Side. As a producer, her credits include the upcoming film Step Sisters. She was also a producer on the Sundance darling Dear White People and Tiffany Johnson’s short film Ladylike, which can be found on YouTube. Delivering the WLC’s morning keynote address will be noted social psychologist Amy Cuddy, who teaches at Harvard Business School and is a New York Times bestselling author. Focusing on the power of nonverbal behavior, prejudice, and stereotyping and how people can affect their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, Cuddy teaches thousands of people how to become more present, influential, and satisfied in their professional and personal lives. Keynote speakers will share their perspectives on this year’s conference theme, “Be Curious,” motivating and inspiring attendees to engage curiosity in their daily lives. Nancy Shendell-Falik, Lisa Tanzer, and Kirk Arnold, regional leaders in the fields of healthcare, retail, and technology, will discuss the obstacles they’ve overcome during a lunchtime panel with a moderator and an opportunity for audience questions. Additionally, breakout sessions will be led by Stephen Brand, executive director of Global Learning & Development, Strategic Alliances at Bay Path; Cy Wakeman, president and founder of Reality-Based Leadership; Dr. Tasha Eurich, organizational psychologist, blogger, and New York Times bestselling author; and Linda Galindo, renowned speaker, author, and educator on organizational and individual accountability. Bay Path University’s Women’s Leadership Conference has garnered more than 22,000 attendees and featured more than 150 prominent speakers throughout its history. For further information on the conference and to register, visit www.baypathconference.com.

Alzheimer’s Benefit Gala

April 7: The Pioneer Valley Friends of Alzheimer’s Assoc. will hold its fourth annual Alzheimer’s Benefit Gala at the Log Cabin in Holyoke starting at 5:30 p.m. The festivities will include live entertainment, food, and raffles. Entertainment will include the Blend, Richie Mitnick and Friends, and Now’s the Time Jazz Sextet. Ashley Kohl will serve as the evening’s host. The event will feature the sale of artwork created by residents of assisted-living and skilled-nursing communities located throughout Western Mass. This part of the program — “Painting the Face on Alzheimer’s” — will include art that was created using the ‘memories method,’ which focuses on the process of creating by encouraging self-expression through art among those facing dementia. This year, Seymour Frankel will receive the Distinguished Fundraiser Award for his fundraising efforts for the last 23 years in support of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. For many years, he has been the largest donor to support the walk. The evening’s proceeds will fund various educational programs for the local Alzheimer’s Assoc. chapter, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, and referral services for families who have loved ones with the disease. Tickets are $50 per person or $475 for a table of 10. For online ticket orders, visit www. eventbrite.com. Tickets may also be purchased by contacting Claudette Smart at (413) 636-5462 or [email protected]. Make checks payable to PVFAA (Pioneer Valley Friends of Alzheimer’s Assoc.) at P.O. Box 164, Agawam, MA 01001.

Valley Community Development Celebrates 30 Years

April 12: In honor of its 30-year anniversary, Valley Community Development will hold a celebration at Hadley Farms Meeting House, and Executive Director Joanne Campbell announced that the organization’s $400,000 anniversary fundraising goal has been met, including $32,000 raised from first-time donors to the nonprofit. Campbell said the celebration is one new way to educate community members about the nonprofit’s mission to empower people with low and moderate incomes to manage and improve the quality of their lives through the development of affordable housing, economic opportunity, and small-business development. The event is open to the public and will kick off with a cocktail reception from 6 to 7 p.m. Dinner and the keynote speaker, Charles Blow, an op-ed columnist for the New York Times, will follow from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets cost $125 and are available online by visiting valleycdc.com. Blow writes about politics, public opinion, and social justice. He is a CNN commentator and was a Presidential Visiting Professor at Yale University last year. He is also the author of the best-selling memoir Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which tells his story of growing up in the Deep South with a fiercely driven mother and four brothers, and his escape after a trauma. At the celebratory event, Blow will speak on the general theme of social justice. “It will be very timely and appropriate for the work we’re doing right now,” said Campbell. “Valley Community Development is involved in navigating the crisis in housing and serving people with very low incomes. We collaborate with regional and local organizations to work on these local issues.”

‘Protecting Your Assets’

April 18: Springfield Partners for Community Action Inc. will host “Protecting Your Assets Part III” starting at 6 p.m. at Springfield Central Library, 220 State St. The event is in recognition of National Financial Literacy Month and is free and open to the public. Call (413) 263-6500 to reserve a seat. This year’s panelists include Julius Lewis of the Metrocom Group and the Lewis and Marrow Financial Hour, which airs Wednesdays on STCC radio; and attorney Sara Miller, who specializes in elder law and estate planning. New this year is attorney Martin O’Connor, an authority on tax issues and who helps low-income, non-English-speaking taxpayers understand their rights and responsibilities as taxpayers. “I am sure there will be something for everyone, along with great information sharing,” said Paul Bailey, executive director at Springfield Partners.

Caritas Gala

April 21: Plans are underway for Mercy Medical Center’s second annual Caritas Gala at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The gala, with its Motown-inspired theme “Reach Out,” will raise funds to support Mercy Behavioral Health Care and the Mercy Emergency Department’s Opioid Community Outreach for education, intervention, and treatment. Dr. Mohamed and Kimberly Hamdani, along with Paul and Anna Mancinone, are honorary chairpersons for the Caritas Gala. Longtime supporters of Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Hamdani has served as chairman of Surgery, chairman of Credentials, and president of the medical staff at Mercy, and Paul Mancinone serves on the board for Trinity Health Of New England. The Caritas Gala will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, live entertainment from the band Motor City Magic, and a silent auction. Dinner will be served at 8 p.m., following by a live auction and dancing until midnight with music from the band Radiance. Preregistration is required by Friday, March 23. For more information or to purchase tickets to the Caritas Gala, visit www.mercycares.com/caritas-gala.

Mayors’ Economic Forum

April 26: “Mayors Meet Millennials” is the title of the 2018 New England Knowledge Corridor Mayors’ Economic Forum at Goodwin College in East Hartford, Conn. The program begins with coffee and conversation from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., followed by the conference program from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Participating mayors include Domenic Sarno (Springfield), Richard Kos (Chicopee), Marcia Leclerc (East Hartford), Erin Stewart (New Britain), and Luke Bronin (Hartford). Registration options and more information will be available soon.

Excel Skill Training

May 14-18: Tech Foundry will offer a four-day Excel skill training the week of May 14-18 (every day but May 16) from 9 a.m. to noon at 1391 Main St., ninth floor, Springfield. Because its first Excel class offered to area companies and their employees was such a success, Tech Foundry is eager to meet the Excel needs of more area employers and their employees. Hundreds of workers in the Pioneer Valley alone use Excel on a daily basis, yet only a small fraction have the training and skill needed to maximize job success and productivity. The class will cover advanced formulas; tables and formatting; conditional formatting; advanced charting; pivot tables and pivot reporting; VBA and macros; using Excel productively; data tables, simulations, and Solver; Excel integration; and optimizing Excel. The cost per student is $750. To register, e-mail [email protected]. Employers with fewer than 100 employees are eligible for a 50% tuition reimbursement from Commonwealth Corp.

40 Under Forty Gala

June 21: BusinessWest’s 12th annual 40 Under Forty Gala is a celebration of 40 young business and civic leaders in Western Mass. The lavish cocktail party, to be held starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, food stations, and entertainment — and, of course, the presentation of the class of 2018, which will be unveiled in the April 30 issue of BusinessWest. Also, the fourth Continued Excellence Award honoree will be announced. The 40 Under Forty sponsors include PeoplesBank (presenting sponsor), Northwestern Mutual (presenting sponsor), Isenberg School of Management, Health New England, the MP Group, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, Renew.Calm, and partner YPS of Greater Springfield. Tickets will go on sale soon at $75 per person (tables of 10 available), and the event always sells out quickly. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

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

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Joanne Gahrmann v. Magic Wings Inc.

Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury

Filed: 1/29/18

Margaret Q. Babbitt v. the J.N. Phillips Co., LLC d/b/a JN Phillips Auto Glass, et al

Allegation: Negligence; plaintiff was exposed to and inhaled glass dust and fragments left in car after windshield replacement, causing injury: $2,781.22

Filed: 2/15/18

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

Miguel Lopez v. Seniority Social Adult Day Care Inc. and Susan A. Shapiro

Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property; slip and fall causing injury: $5,523

Filed: 2/12/18

Breckwood Realty, LLC v. One Rate Wireless, LLC, DIGICOMMA Inc., and DIGICOMCT Inc.

Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $11,123.81

Filed: 3/2/18

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Pride Convenience Inc. v. Fletcher Donuts, LLC

Allegation: Breach of contract: $25,000+

Filed: 2/20/18

Julianne Dandy v. The Skin & Body Boudoir, LLC

Allegation: Negligence causing injury; breach of implied and express warranties: $154,489.80

Filed: 2/21/18

John P. Rydzak Sr. v. B.E. Donuts d/b/a Dunkin’ Donuts

Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $60,520

Filed: 2/22/18

Ronald Jackson v. Way Finders Inc.

Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $11,500

Filed: 2/23/18

Elena Ocasio v. Marino Realty Corp. and E and J’s Landscaping Service, LLC

Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $100,000

Filed: 2/26/18

Lisandra Virella, personal representative of the estate of Emmanuel Virella v. Kimberly Rutherford, M.D. and Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeons of Western New England, LLC

Allegation: Medical malpractice: $25,000+

Filed: 2/26/18

Matthew Brennan v. Pioneer Valley Condominium Assoc.

Allegation: Negligence, breach of implied warranty of habitability; slip and fall causing injury: $51,920.11

Filed: 2/27/18

Donna Bourget v. Tri State CDL Training

Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $34,325.18

Filed: 3/6/18

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT

Interland Real Estate, LLC v. Urban Power USA Inc. and Mark Maynard

Allegation: Unpaid rent, use, and occupancy; damages to property: $22,471.04

Filed: 2/21/18

Charles Hopkins v. Jones Group Realtors; Gerald Jones, broker; and Micki Anderson, agent

Allegation: Breach of fiduciary duty of confidentiality; defendents negligently maintained personal and confidential information, allowing unknown others to defraud plaintiff: $15,000

Filed: 3/2/18

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Brenda Liimatainen v. Nancy A. Balin, M.D.

Allegation: Medical malpractice: $75,000

Filed: 2/22/18

Denise Wickland v. Kristen Kelly, M.D.

Allegation: Medical malpractice: $30,000

Filed: 2/27/18

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Celebrate Springfield

DevelopSpringfield hosted its seventh annual Celebrate Springfield Dinner on March 21 at the MassMutual Center. Nick Fyntrilakis, DevelopSpringfield’s chairman, shared a presentation on highlights of DevelopSpringfield’s first 10 years. Proceeds will support DevelopSpringfield’s redevelopment initiatives, projects, and programs.

From left, Liz O’Gilvie of the Springfield Food Policy Council; Jay Ash, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development; and Laura Masulis of MassDevelopment

From left, Liz O’Gilvie of the Springfield Food Policy Council; Jay Ash, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development; and Laura Masulis of MassDevelopment

From left, Bob Bolduc, founder of Pride Stores, and Joan Kagan, president and CEO of Square One, received the Partners in Progress Award

From left, Bob Bolduc, founder of Pride Stores, and Joan Kagan, president and CEO of Square One, received the Partners in Progress Award, while Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno (represented by Sarno’s Chief of Staff Denise Jordan) received the first-ever Cornerstone Award. The awards recognized the honorees for their efforts to create a strong community and their commitment to economic development and revitalization in Springfield.

Will of the People

Florence Bank recently presented $100,000 in awards ranging from $500 to $5,000 to 57 area nonprofits through its 16th annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program during an event at the Garden House at Look Memorial Park. The funds will support libraries, schools, police, fire departments, hospitals and hospices, and other organizations that benefit people of all ages, as well as animals and the environment. The bank reached the $1.05 million mark in terms of grants made over nearly two decades to 144 community nonprofits. (Photos by Evan Fogarty)

Niki Lankowski and Michael Skillicorn of Grow Food Northampton celebrate the receipt of their Customers’ Choice Community Grant.

Niki Lankowski and Michael Skillicorn of Grow Food Northampton celebrate the receipt of their Customers’ Choice Community Grant.

Florence Bank President and CEO John Heaps Jr., right, shakes hands with Carmine DiCenso, executive director of Dakin Humane Society, the top program recipient with a $5,000 award.

Florence Bank President and CEO John Heaps Jr., right, shakes hands with Carmine DiCenso, executive director of Dakin Humane Society, the top program recipient with a $5,000 award.

PNCU Schedules Reopening Celebration at Front Street Location

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Daily News

CHICOPEE — Renovations of Polish National Credit Union’s 923 Front St. office in Chicopee are complete, and a reopening celebration is scheduled for Wednesday, April 25. The public is invited.

The event will begin promptly at 11 a.m. with an introduction from PNCU President Jim Kelly and Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos, followed by the official ribbon cutting. Celebratory events will include music, prize drawings, Bernat’s Food Truck, and more. Prizes will also be awarded in exchange for book donations to the Chicopee Mobile Library.

MassMutual Names Laz Montano to Security, Risk-management Role

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Underscoring the importance it places on comprehensive, robust information security and risk-management capabilities, MassMutual named long-time information-technology executive Jesus “Laz” Montano its new head of Enterprise Information Risk Management (EIRM) and chief information security officer. Montano reports to Mark Roellig, MassMutual’s chief technology and administration officer.

In his new role, Montano will work closely with the company’s executive leadership team, directing a holistic risk-management approach across the company, including managing operational and cybersecurity risks, ensuring all regulatory and compliance requirements are met, and overseeing the safeguarding of MassMutual’s information assets.

“Laz brings to MassMutual both demonstrated expertise and a deep business insight, built on nearly 30 years of technology and cybersecurity experience, and we look forward to his contributions as part of our unwavering commitment to best-in-class EIRM practices,” said Roellig. “Importantly, Laz is also a tremendous advocate of fostering diversity and inclusion, a basic tenet of our organization.”

Montano joins MassMutual from Voya Financial, where he served as chief information security officer for the past four years, responsible for providing leadership, management, and strategy for all aspects of the company’s technology risk and information security. He has also held technology security leadership roles at OpenSky, MetLife, the Travelers Companies, and Lucent Technologies.

A graduate of Charter Oak College, Montano earned his MBA in business and technology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is also a certified information security manager, certified in the governance of enterprise IT, and serves as a National Technology Security Council board member.

STCC Names Geraldine de Berly Vice President of Academic Affairs

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Geraldine de Berly has been named vice president of Academic Affairs and chief academic officer at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), President John Cook announced.

De Berly’s hiring comes after an extensive search and comprehensive vetting process. Currently vice provost for Continuing and Professional Education at UMass Amherst, de Berly begins her new position at STCC on May 1.

De Berly, who holds a Ph.D. in education administration, has worked in higher education for more than three decades, in both faculty and administrative roles.

At New Mexico State University, she was an associate English as a second language professor, as well as director of the Center for Intensive Training in English. She also worked for 18 years at Syracuse University, University College, including serving as associate dean for Academic Affairs and senior associate dean. University College offers degree, certificate, and non-credit courses and serves as the gateway across Syracuse University for part-time students.

As vice provost at UMass Amherst, de Berly managed a budget with more than $50 million in revenue. During her time, enrollment expanded 6% to exceed 31,000 students. Continuing and Professional Education supported more than 1,800 online courses. Since 2016, six new programs were launched under her leadership.

“Dr. de Berly brings a unique and entrepreneurial outlook to STCC,” Cook said. “In particular, her talents with program development that address community needs speak directly to our mission as a community college.”

Born in Cuba, de Berly is fluent in four languages. She began her higher-education journey at Miami Dade Junior College. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a master’s from the University of Essex (England), and her Ph.D. in education administration from New Mexico State University.

Blue Sox to Host 2018 NECBL All-Star Game

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Valley Blue Sox announced they will play host to the 2018 New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) All-Star Game this summer on Sunday, July 29 at Mackenzie Stadium in Holyoke.

The league’s showcase event will be the third major NECBL event hosted by the Blue Sox in the past five years. The team last hosted the NECBL All-Star Game in 2014 and hosted the NECBL Championship Series this past August, winning their its NECBL championship in franchise history.

“It’s a big deal for us to land the All-Star Game for our fans,” said Blue Sox General Manager Hunter Golden. “Getting to host the game the second time in five years is humbling, but we also feel it’s a reflection of the product we’ve put on the field, the atmosphere we’ve created at the stadium, and the community’s outstanding support of our organization. Our fans show up and are enthusiastic. We were awarded the game so soon after hosting it last time because they earned it.”

The Blue Sox finished first in the NECBL in attendance for the second consecutive season and ranked ninth among all summer collegiate teams, outdrawing 204 affiliated minor-league and independent teams.

“Guys who play in this All-Star Game are guys you see on TV in a few years,” Golden noted. “Stephen Strasburg, Trey Mancini, Joe Nathan, Andre Ethier — it’s those kinds of guys. So it’s a tremendous opportunity for people who are passionate about the game to see what’s coming next.”

The event will be sponsored by Trinity Health Of New England and Mercy Medical Center.

“Our community has a very deep connection to baseball, to the Blue Sox, and to Western Massachusetts,” said Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce President Kathleen Anderson. “There’s a lot of civic pride here in Holyoke, so for the Blue Sox to deliver this type of event for the city is great for our area, and the economic impact it will have is significant.”

Amherst Chamber Adopts Volunteer Management Structure

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Daily News

AMHERST — The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce will transition to an all-volunteer team structure for several months in order to better serve its members and leverage its robust network of volunteers.

Peter Vickery, president of the chamber’s board of directors, said the change will also help the membership-based organization dedicate more resources to member-to-member services, networking, and advocacy. “This transition is designed to take advantage of the chamber’s greatest resource — our members. They’re already in charge of all of our events; now our member-volunteers will also help with administration and operations.”

As part of the transition, interim Executive Director Jerry Guidera will step down from his organizational support role.

“We would like to thank Jerry for twice stepping in to help us through management transitions, ably filling in when the chamber needed his support,” Vickery said. “He did an outstanding job, and we are genuinely grateful.”

The chamber will maintain a presence at the Visitor Information Center in downtown Amherst, co-located with the Amherst Business Improvement District.

Revitalize CDC to Kick Off Annual #GreenNFit Neighborhood Rebuild

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Revitalize CDC will kick off its annual #GreenNFit Neighborhood Rebuild Month with a press conference on Wednesday, April 4 at 10 a.m. at the home of Elsa Gordon, 64 Manhattan St., Springfield.

Elsa, 89, and her late husband purchased their home in 2000. Since his death in 2008, she has tried to maintain her home as best as she can on a limited income. Originally from Jamaica, she has physical disabilities and finds it difficult to walk at times. She is the mother of three grown children who live outside of the area. During her younger years, she worked as a seamstress and a beautician. She said she would like to go to work and is looking into employement at MGM Springfield.

Her home has been broken into three times because it has several broken windows in the basement. Shingles are falling off her poorly installed roof. She does not have hand railing on the front, back, and side steps. Her steps are in serious need of repair.

Revitalize CDC is working to help raise funds and recruit skilled volunteers to work on Elsa’s home during #GreenNFit month along with another 11 homes. Two of the 11 homes are owned by Vietnam-era military veterans. The goal is to work on dozens of homes on 10 contiguous blocks in the Old Hill Neighborhood each year. This initiative will ultimately rebuild almost 300 homes, clean up vacant lots, improve neighborhood playgrounds, and create community gardens.

Revitalize CDC focuses on making meaningful improvements on homes to help reduce energy use; save money; and create a safe, healthy, and sustainable living environment for residents and the community. Improvements include installing or retrofitting HVAC systems to allow for oil-to-natural-gas heat and solar conversions; new roofs; energy-efficient windows, doors, and appliances; water-saving plumbing fixtures; electrical upgrades; mold remediation, lead abatement, and pest control; interior and exterior painting; and modifying homes for aging or disabled homeowners, such as building exterior access ramps.

Each year, more than 1,000 volunteers from Maine to Virginia work alongside residents of Springfield, the Old Hill Neighborhood, and the targeted block. Families who benefited from past GreenNFit events — on Tyler Street, Pendleton Avenue, King Street, Lebanon Street, Greene Street, Alden Street, and now Manhattan Street — volunteer to help their neighbors on the next block.

Kelley & Malmborg to Host Document Shred Day on April 28

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Kelley & Malmborg Investment Consulting Group announced it will host a document shred day event on Saturday, April 28 at 9 a.m. at the Northampton Senior Center, 67 Conz St. The event, co-hosted by Valley Green Shredding, is open to the public, with all proceeds going to the Northampton Senior Center.

Shredding will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis until the truck is full or 11 a.m., whichever comes first. A maximum of three boxes per car will be accepted, with a $5 minimum donation. No household items, electronics, metal clips, or rubberbands will be accepted.

Elms College President to Speak at Instant Issues Event on April 12

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts will present Elms College President Harry Dumay at an Instant Issues Brown Bag Lunch event on higher education, immigration, and the public good on Thursday, April 12 at noon in the Community Room of One Financial Plaza, 1350 Main St., Springfield.

The program is open to the public. The cost with a box lunch — tuna, turkey, roast beef, or vegetarian sandwich — is $20 for council members and $25 for non-members. The cost for members without a lunch is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. The RSVP deadline is Tuesday, April 10. Register by calling (413) 733-0110 or visiting www.worldaffairscouncil.com.

The U.S. has benefited greatly from an international flow of paying college students, talented graduate students, and expert post-doctoral fellows, teachers, and researchers. Immigration policies that seem to make the U.S. unwelcoming to foreign groups threaten that contribution of higher education to the public good. Colleges and universities are assessing how they can respond both on and across their campuses.

A native of Haiti, Dumay has served in higher-education finance and administration at senior and executive levels for nearly two decades. Before joining Elms, he served for five years as senior vice president for Finance and chief financial officer for St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. He is currently a commissioner of the New England Assoc. of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, a board member of the Boston Foundation’s Haiti Development Institute, and a member of the board of directors and finance committee of the Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H. He is also board founder and chair for a small nonprofit dedicated to development projects in Haiti.

The Instant Issues Series is sponsored by Wilbraham & Monson Academy and Sir Speedy. The World Affairs Council is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in Springfield in 1926 to promote civil discussion of foreign policy based “on information, not prejudice or propaganda.”

MGM Springfield Adds More Than 1,000 Jobs to Employment Website

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield announced it has added 75 new postings representing more than 1,000 jobs to the resort’s website. There are about 2,400 open positions for hire today at MGM Springfield. This is the largest employment posting by the new resort, and one of the single largest hiring efforts in Springfield history. MGM Springfield will employ 3,000 employees when the $960 million luxury resort opens later this year in downtown Springfield.

The expanded list includes job descriptions for new career opportunities not previously posted by the resort. Most of the new opportunities are in the food and beverage area, including cooks and servers. The entire list now includes a diverse array of jobs, including locksmiths, electronics technicians, carpenters, and painters. Many postings represent positions not traditionally associated with the casino industry, ranging from human resources and retail management to conference services. A full list of jobs and detailed descriptions is available at www.mgmspringfield.com/careers.

“Opportunities at an MGM resort are endless,” MGM Springfield President and COO Michael Mathis said. “We know Western Massachusetts has been waiting patiently for the chance to pursue these careers. The time is now. We look forward to meeting many passionate, enthusiastic people interested in bringing MGM Springfield to life.”

Since it announced its desire to develop in Springfield in 2012, MGM has partnered with more than 25 local community organizations to offer workforce training and educational opportunities to prepare the workforce. These efforts included sponsoring the Holyoke Community College Culinary Arts Center, training table-games dealers at the Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute, developing a hospitality pre-apprenticeship program with Cambridge College, and holding information sessions and career readiness workshops throughout the region.

While all MGM Springfield employees will undergo some level of background check, recent regulation updates allow greater eligibility for applicants interested in many of these newly posted positions.

Massachusetts Gaming Law requires that employees working in certain casino job categories be registered or licensed by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) before they can begin work. Once hired, employees who must register will be directed to MGM Springfield’s Career Center, where MGC staff will be available to assist with the employee-licensing process.

In February, the MGC updated regulations to eliminate the registration requirement for certain service positions. This update removed the automatic hiring disqualification for past indiscretions, thus allowing more individuals opportunity to apply for careers such as front-desk representative, cook, kitchen steward, sous chef, and banquet manager.

The resort will invest, directly and indirectly, approximately $100 million in annual payroll and offer a comprehensive package of pay and benefits with average salaries of more than $40,000. The majority of jobs will be full-time positions with benefits. MGM Springfield established a goal to hire 35% of its workforce from the city of Springfield and 90% from a combination of Springfield and the region.

For additional information about the available career opportunities at MGM Springfield, go online or visit MGM Springfield’s Career Center located at 1259 East Columbus Ave., third floor. The Career Center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and 1 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. During those hours, an MGM representative may be reached at (413) 273-5052.

AIM Announces Five Executive Promotions

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Daily News

BOSTON — Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), the statewide employer association, announced five senior-management promotions designed to ensure the future growth and vibrancy of the organization.

“These promotions are well-deserved and position us, as an organization, to achieve our policy objectives, growth strategy, and financial targets,” said Richard Lord, president and CEO of AIM, which represents the interests of 4,000 Massachusetts employers across multiple industries.

Robert Paine was promoted to executive vice president, Membership, Sales & Marketing. As head of the newly formed Membership, Sales and Marketing team, melding groups focused on sales and engagement, marketing, community, and events, he is responsible for growing AIM membership and developing initiatives targeted toward both existing and new markets. He manage membership, sponsorship, and event sales; marketing (including the AIM website), member-interest councils, and member benefits. He also leads the AIM mission sales team and co-leads the team overseeing AIM’s association-management and customer-relationship-management systems.

Christopher Geehern was promoted to executive vice president, Public Affairs & Communication. He will develop and execute communication strategies and initiatives to support the policy and growth objectives of the organization. He will direct all public-policy and organizational communication such as white papers, op-eds, speeches, letters, and blogs. He is the chief public spokesperson for the organization and will manage all public relations, including interactions with the news media. He will also manage the AIM board of directors and executive committee and serve as clerk of the corporation.

Cindy Lyman was promoted to executive vice president, Finance (CFO), and COO. She will broaden her current role and responsibilities as executive vice president of Finance (CFO) to include all operations of the organization. She is responsible for executing AIM’s short-term and long-term business strategy, promoting the organization’s culture and vision, and achieving financial and operational goals. She will continue to be responsible for managing the AIM annual budget and all matters business and financial.

Kristen Rupert was promoted to senior vice president, External Affairs. Having led the AIM International Business Council since 2005, she will expand her role by creating opportunities for collaboration among AIM and external business and community organizations. She will pursue alliances that advance the public-policy agenda of Massachusetts employers and help those employers navigate increasingly complex economic issues.

Kyle Pardo was promoted to vice president, Consulting Services. She will be responsible for assisting AIM-member employers in the areas of compensation, pay equity, healthcare, and affirmative action. She also oversees the development and implementation of AIM’s wage and benefits surveys.

Educational Breakfast on April 24 to Tackle Cybersecurity

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Daily News

SOUTH HADLEY — The South Hadley and Granby Chamber of Commerce will host an educational breakfast on “Cybersecurity for Businesses” on Tuesday, April 24 at 7:30 a.m. at Loomis Village, 20 Bayon Dr., South Hadley.

Every day sees millions of attempts against companies to compromise data. Attacks like phishing and ransomware can be prevented with simple steps and employee education. This presentation will discuss best practices in an online world to help protect one’s business. Presenters are Joe Zazzaro, senior vice president of Information Technology at PeoplesBank, and David Thibault, the bank’s first vice president of Commercial Banking.

The event is sponsored by The Loomis Communities. The cost is $10 for chamber members and $15 for non-members. To register, call (413) 532-6451 or e-mail [email protected].

Continued Excellence Award Nominations Due May 14

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest is looking for nominees for its fourth Continued Excellence Award, and will accept nominations through Monday, May 14. The winner of the award will be unveiled at the magazine’s 40 Under Forty gala on Thursday, June 21.

Three years ago, BusinessWest inaugurated the award to recognize past 40 Under Forty honorees who had significantly built on their achievements since they were honored. The first two winners were Delcie Bean, president of Paragus Strategic IT, and Dr. Jonathan Bayuk, president of Allergy and Immunology Associates of Western Mass. and chief of Allergy and Immunology at Baystate Medical Center. Both were originally named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2008. Last year, the judges chose two winners: Scott Foster, an attorney with Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas (40 Under Forty class of 2011); and Nicole Griffin, owner of Griffin Staffing Network (class of 2014).

“So many 40 Under Forty honorees have refused to rest on their laurels,” said Kate Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest. “Once again, we want to honor those who continue to build upon their strong records of service in business, within the community, and as regional leaders.”

Candidates must hail from 40 Under Forty classes prior to the year of the award — in this case, classes 2007-17 — and will be judged on qualities including outstanding leadership, dedicated community involvement, professional achievement, and ability to inspire. The award’s presenting sponsor is Northwestern Mutual.

The nomination form is available at businesswest.com/40-under-forty-continued-excellence-award. For your convenience, a list of the past 11 40 Under Forty classes may be found at businesswest.com/40-under-forty/40-under-forty-past-honorees.

Springfield College Names Christopher Hakala to New Position

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College named Chris Hakala director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship. The newly created academic-affairs position was developed through the college’s strategic planning process, and the center strives to foster intellectual engagement across the curriculum through evidence-based programs and services that increases collaboration, communication, and community to promote the enhancement of student learning.

“I am excited to join Springfield College and work with such an exceptional group of faculty and students,” said Hakala. “My hope is to turn our Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship into the premier center in the area. I believe we have all the pieces in place to do this, and our faculty and students will benefit so much from the increased conversations around excellence in pedagogy.”

Hakala brings more than 20 years of experience as a faculty member at various institutions in higher education. Most recently, he served as executive director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at Quinnipiac University. Before joining Quinnipiac, he taught psychology at the University of New Hampshire, Gettysburg College, Lycoming College, American International College, and Western New England University, where he served as director of the Center for Teaching and Learning from 2009 to 2014.

Hakala earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Castleton State College, and his master’s degree and PhD in psychology from the University of New Hampshire.

Single-family Home Sales in Pioneer Valley Soar in February

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Single-family home sales rose by 27.4% in the Pioneer Valley in February compared to the same time last year, posting big gains in all three counties, while the median price rose 8.3% to $194,900, according to the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley.

In Franklin County, sales were up 36.4%, while the median price shot up by 45.8% from a year earlier. In Hampden County, sales were up 23.6%, while the median price was up 7.9%. In Hampshire County, sales rose by 27.7% from February 2017, while the median price was up 16.8%.

BBBS of Franklin County Announces Bowl for Kids’ Sake 2018

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Daily News

GREENFIELD — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County will present Bowl for Kids’ Sake, the mentoring organization’s biggest annual fundraiser, on Friday, April 13 at Shelburne Falls Bowling Alley and Saturday, April 14 at French King Entertainment Center in Erving, both from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“This event is not about bowling — it’s about community coming together to support Franklin County youth who are most in need of a mentor,” said Jennifer Webster the agency’s executive director.

This year’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake theme is “Star Wars – Be the Force for Us!” Costumes are not mandatory but are encouraged.

The 51-year-old, donor-funded organization challenges everyone — mentors and mentees, their friends and families, business people, community leaders, and others who may not have time to mentor, but still support Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission — to join Bowl for Kids’ Sake and help change the life of a child. This year, the agency aims to raise $40,000.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County is a 100% donor-supported youth-mentoring organization that relies on the success of events like Bowl for Kids’ Sake in order continue the work of providing carefully screened and professionally supported mentoring relationships to kids who need it most. For further information, visit www.bbbs-fc.org or call (413) 772-0915.

Fierst, Kane & Bloomberg Announces Changes to Team

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Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Nicholas Grimaldi has become a partner at Fierst, Kane & Bloomberg, LLP, while Peter Lane has been named of counsel in the law firm.

Grimaldi joined the firm in 2014 and has more than 18 years of experience as a lawyer. His practice will continue to focus on representing individuals, businesses, and financial institutions in corporate transactions, real estate and secured lending, entertainment and interactive media law, creditor’s rights, and commercial matters. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the Boston University School of Law.

Lane has 10 years of experience representing individuals and businesses in civil and criminal litigation, including commercial litigation, landlord-tenant law, criminal defense, and civil rights. He is a graduate of Fordham University and Brooklyn Law School.

Karrah Smith Named Business Owner of the Year by ABBP

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Karrah Smith, owner of Something to Talk About Boutique, was recently named Business Owner of the Year by the Assoc. of Black Business Professionals, and was awarded a certificate by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Boston last month.

Smith, a 24-year-old Springfield native, received her associates degree in criminal justice from Holyoke Community College. However, her passion for fashion took center stage in 2015 when her beloved older cousin, Diane Evans, original owner and founder of Something to Talk About Boutique, passed away from pancreatic cancer, leaving the store, located on the street level of Tower Square, to Smith and her mother, Stephanie.

Smith took over the store in Evans’ memory and never looked back. “I have always loved fashion,” she said, “and my goal is to grow the business, while continuing to give back to my community.”

Smith has given back in multiple ways, including donating proceeds from fashion shows to local charities. She also works with other young women, giving them pointers on how to run a business.

Massachusetts Employment Continues to Improve from 2017 Levels

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Daily News

BOSTON — Local unemployment rates increased in 14 labor-market areas, decreased in one, and remained the same in nine labor market areas in the state during the month of February, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported.

Compared to February 2017, the rates dropped in 22 labor-market areas, increased in one, and remained the same in one labor market area.

Seven of the 15 areas for which job estimates are published recorded a seasonal job gain in February. The largest gains occurred in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Springfield, Worcester, and Peabody-Salem-Beverly areas.

From February 2017 to February 2018, 12 of the 15 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains in the Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, Leominster-Gardner, and Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead areas.

In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for February was 4.0%.

Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.5% in the month of February. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 13,700-job gain in February, and an over-the-year gain of 39,100 jobs.

The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

The estimates for labor force, unemployment rates, and jobs for Massachusetts are based on different statistical methodology specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.