Providence Ministries Welcomes Claudia Pazmany

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — Claudia Pazmany was recently named director of Development & Marketing for Providence Ministries.

“My guiding core philosophy is to honor the work of today but to bring people together in the form of support to enable a vision for tomorrow,” Pazmany said. “It exemplifies how I feel about the power of philanthropy and how it can transform communities. I hope to transform how we think about our most vulnerable in my new role here at Providence Ministries, and how we can all play a vital role in that transformation.”

Pazmany is a community leader with more than 16 years of experience in professional fund-raising. Her business-development skills, combined with a long history in capital campaigns, philanthropy, community engagement, social media, and alumni relations, helped her build visionary and sustainable movements of giving. She continues to apply her leadership skills to creating a more just and equitable world.

Pazmany has an MBA from UMass, served on the executive team as former director of Development at the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Women’s Fund’s Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact, and is currently a board member at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County.

CNBC Commentator Ron Insana to Keynote Expo Lunch Event

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass., the seventh annual business-to-business show produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News, slated for Thursday, Nov. 2 at the MassMutual Center, will present a lunch event featuring keynote speaker Ron Insana, senior analyst and commentator with CNBC.

Titled “Trumponomics,” Insana’s talk will address how Washington will affect the economy in the years ahead. As the U.S. and global economies move toward recovery, Insana will apply his journalistic perspective to how Wall Street, Main Street, and Washington shape what the new normal means for everyone.

The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with check-in starting at 11:30 a.m. The cost is $25. To register, visit www.wmbexpo.com.

A financial journalist with the experience of working for and running his own hedge fund, Insana offers clear insights on the ever-changing status of the economy. Currently host of a nationally syndicated daily radio show in addition to his roles at CNBC, he has access to the top financial players in Washington and on Wall Street and translates the market signals and political maneuvers into information everyone understands. His hands-on experience in the financial industry — through some of the markets’ most turbulent times — give an added depth of perspective. He offers practical advice on what individuals and businesses can and should do now to protect what they have and to find opportunities in any type of market condition. Insana is the author of Traders’ Tales, The Message of the Markets, TrendWatching, and most recently How to Make a Fortune from the Biggest Bailout in U.S. History: A Guide to the 7 Greatest Bargains from Main Street to Wall Street.

The Expo will feature more than 150 exhibitor booths, educational seminars, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social. Current sponsors include Comcast Business (presenting sponsor), Johnson & Hill Staffing Services and Wild Apple Design Group (executive sponsors), Inspired Marketing (show partner), MGM Springfield (corporate sponsor), Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst (education sponsor), Xfinity (social sponsor), Elms College (information booth sponsor), Smith & Wesson (Workforce Support Center sponsor), Savage Arms (JoinedForces parking sponsor), and the Better Business Bureau (contributing sponsor). Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $800. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Springfield Symphony Orchestra Kicks Off 2017-18 Concert Season

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — An evening with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is more than a musically memorable experience. To attend an SSO concert is to be part of a rich cultural tradition.

Single tickets and subscriptions, including the SSO’s new pops-oriented Wild Card 4 package, are on sale now for the SSO’s 74th season. The public may purchase tickets by visiting the box office at 1441 Main St., Springfield (ground-floor level in the TD Bank Building), or calling (413) 733-2291. The season opens on Saturday, Oct. 14 and runs through May 19, 2018.

“We are really looking forward to this season’s lineup,” said Kevin Rhodes, SSO’s longtime music director and conductor. “The musicians can’t wait to perform some of the greatest classical and popular pieces of all time, and we’re thrilled to welcome some incredibly talented guests to our stage. In this series, there is truly not a performance to be missed.”

In addition to offering its traditional subscriber options, which include four to all seven of its classical performances, the SSO has introduced the new Wild Card 4 package. Perfect for fans of the pops, the new subscription package includes all three special events — “Holiday Extravaganza with the Grinch,” “Star Wars & Star Trek Sci-Fi Spectacular,” and a performance by the Texas Tenors — as well as one classical performance of the subscriber’s choice.

“The Wild Card offers local music lovers the best of all worlds,” Rhodes said. “Not only will they get to attend all three of our amazing pops concerts, but they’ll get a taste of the classical genre, and all of it at special subscription pricing.”

For their opening-night concert on Oct. 14, Rhodes and the SSO will present selected works of celebrated composers Rossini, Prokofiev, and Brahms, featuring guest pianist Claire Huangci. Next up, on Nov. 4, guest cellist Julian Schwarz joins the musicians for “Viva America,” a toe-tapping nod to American masters Gershwin, Copeland, Bernstein, and Liebermann. Then, on Dec. 9, the Springfield Symphony Chorus joins the orchestra for the much-anticipated “Holiday Extravaganza.” Both this festive show and “Star Wars & Star Trek Sci-Fi Spectacular,” the season’s second special event (March 3, 2018), feature interactive family fun.

For the season’s third and final special event on April 21, 2018, the SSO will bring audiences the Texas Tenors, a popular vocal trio whose signature crossover style has topped Billboard charts. The group’s widely viewed debut on NBC’s America’s Got Talent quickly led to a worldwide concert tour and a 2014 PBS special, “You Should Dream,” which earned three Emmy Awards.

Free parking at three downtown garages is available to all attending an SSO concert. Subscribers, whether they choose a classical package or the Wild Card 4, enjoy additional benefits, including savings of up to 20% over single-ticket purchases and exclusive access to special events. An SSO subscription makes an ideal holiday gift for friends and family members of all ages.

For more information on SSO subscriptions, single-ticket sales, or the 2017-18 concert series, call the SSO box office at (413) 733-2291 or visit springfieldsymphony.org.

Florence Bank Launches Ad Campaign Featuring Local Residents

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Daily News

FLORENCE — Florence Bank knows people are at the heart of the communities it serves. Pioneer Valley residents are proud of their roots, and Florence Bank embraced the opportunity to put that on display with the launch of its new television commercials.

The new ads showcase the Pioneer Valley by featuring local residents celebrating the diversity and inclusiveness of the region’s people. As in years past, the ads place the musical spotlight on the bank’s tagline “Always.” This year, new lyrics were written for the bank’s signature song to display the essence of each resident featured in the commercials.

Among those featured in the new Florence Bank commercials are Bud Stockwell, owner of Cornucopia Foods; Melissa Torres, a volunteer with Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen; sports broadcaster Scott Coen; Mohamed Ibrahim, a teacher at the International Language Institute; Madeline Nagy of Dakin Humane Society; Mark Giza, owner of Mark Henry Florist; and Alicia Zitka, a volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club of West Springfield.

When asked what makes the Pioneer Valley such a special place to live, Ibrahim said, “it’s an integrated community with a lot of warmth and love.” Zitka added, “I live here, I work here, I volunteer my time and energy here, and this is my heart; this is my home.”

Stockwell also understands the importance of the word “local” and has seen firsthand the progression of his community throughout the decades. However, the loyalty of his customers has stayed consistently fierce, he said, adding that “we were local back in 1980 when there was no such thing as local.”

The ads were created by Sean Tracey Associates, the advertising agency that has produced Florence Bank’s award-winning ad campaigns for several years.

“Our intent with these commercials is to stay true to the message that the Pioneer Valley is a remarkable place to live and work,” said Monica Curhan, senior vice president and marketing director at Florence Bank. “We think that has once again been achieved with this year’s ad campaign, and we look forward to hearing what our customers, both present and future, have to say.”

Virtual Is Becoming Reality, and Expo Exhibitors Will Show How

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Features

A Different World

expologo2017comcastPlenty of attendees who donned the virtual-reality goggles at the Western Mass. Business Expo last year were wowed by the experience of stepping into a different world. But Ed Zemba, a principal with Link to VR, says he wants to do more than blow people’s minds.

No, he wants those minds to consider the potential of virtual reality — and augmented reality, which layers the physical world with virtual elements — in various business settings.

“Last year, Link to VR introduced virtual reality to the Western Mass. region, and for many businesses and individuals from the community, that was their first chance to see what was possible with virtual reality,” said Zemba, who is also president of Robert Charles Photography. “But virtual and augmented reality also have applications for the medical, education, and business spaces.”

Link to VR will be back on the floor at this year’s event, retitled the Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass. to reflect its growing status as a showcase for cutting-edge technology in addition to a wide range of traditional businesses.

“A big part of what we’re talking about at the show is answering the question: why are companies the size of Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, and Google investing millions of dollars in virtual and augmented reality, and why are regional organizations like MGM, UMass, Bay Path, and others announcing that they’re investing time, energy, and resources into determining how this could impact their industries?” Zemba told BusinessWest. “It’s one of the most significant technical shifts I’ve seen in my lifetime.”

But Link to VR won’t be the only high-tech attraction on the Expo floor at the MassMutual Center on Nov. 2. Here are a few others:

• Kitchens by Curio will demonstrate virtual-reality demonstrations of their kitchen and bath remodels. Attendees can chose cabinet colors, flooring, countertops, etc. and view a completely remodeled room in augmented reality.

• Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School will be represented by its Collision Repair program, which will bring a Sims virtual paint simulator, a trailer-hitch cover project, and a virtual-welding simulator. The school’s Machine Technology program will demonstrate a 3D printer and bring along a sampling of various machine projects students have worked on.

• The Graphic & Visual Design Program from the Lower Pioneer Valley Education Collective will showcase how they make packaging using 3D modeling, while the collective’s Information Support Systems and Networking Program will demonstrate how they build their clear computer cases.

• Open Pixel, an animation company based in Western Mass., will present a program called “Become a Character!” Participants will choose a character they wish to become from a variety of options and stand on a marker. The camera will watch their motions, and as they speak, so will the character.

The Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass. will also feature more than 150 exhibitor booths, educational seminars, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social. Sponsors include Comcast Business (presenting sponsor), Johnson & Hill Staffing Services and Wild Apple Design Group (executive sponsors), Inspired Marketing (show partner), MGM Springfield (corporate sponsor), Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst (education sponsor), Xfinity (social sponsor), Elms College (information booth sponsor), Smith & Wesson (Workforce Support Center sponsor), Savage Arms (JoinedForces parking sponsor), and the Better Business Bureau (contributing sponsor). For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Westfield Thrives by Making Solid Connections

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Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

 

Mayor Brian Sullivan

Mayor Brian Sullivan says his coffee hours with business owners and managers, a chamber of commerce initiative, have been eye-opening and extremely productive.

By the middle of 2018, Dan Howard says, close to 75% of Westfield residents and businesses will have access to high-speed Internet through Whip City Fiber, a division of Westfield Gas + Electric.

“The Municipal Light Board is fully behind it, as is the City Council,” said Howard, general manager of WG+E, adding that the city began funding the project back in 2014. “It’s a great collaboration that has really benefited the entire city.”

He noted that of the 41 municipal electric utilities in Massachusetts, only four are gas-and-electric entities, and only one of those four, once Westfield’s project goes online, will also provide high-speed Internet. The city will join communities like Wilson, N.C., Chattanooga, Tenn., and Longmont, Colo., as ‘gigacities,’ and will be able to showcase that fact in its marketing efforts to draw more business to town.

“You don’t have to be big manufacturer or a warehouse facility; we’re also providing access to small, upstart entrepreneurs,” he said. “People can work out of their homes and get the Internet access they need. This provides hefty benefits to communities and has proven to be an economic boost.”

Although it’s perhaps the most literal example, Whip City Fiber is just one way Westfield is making connections — between its municipal leadership, business community, residents, and educational facilities.

Take, for example, the Westfield Education to Business Alliance, which connects the city’s schools, where students are beginning to contemplate their career paths, with companies that are eager to mine local talent.

“That has gone over like gangbusters,” said Kate Phelon, executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, explaining that it began last year with 15 core members and now regularly draws participation from 40 to 45 businesses.

“It’s all about workforce-development issues,” she told BusinessWest. “We’re bringing education to businesses and businesses to education. The response has been fabulous. It’s a great collaboration.”

For example, a career fair at Westfield High School in June attracted some 45 businesses, interacting with 600 students who gained exposure to the types of career opportunities available at local companies — and, more important, what skill sets they will need to take advantage of them.

That’s not all; Westfield businesses have visited elementary schools as well, and in two weeks, the collaborative will present a career fair for some 120 teachers, who will meet with local businesses and hear about their workforce challenges, with an eye toward modifying curriculum to prepare students for jobs in the regional economy.

Meanwhile, Westfield State University’s Pathways to Excellence program allows high-school students to graduate with up to nine college credits, while exposing them to career options they can think about before taking the leap to college.

“We’re working together on the future workforce, whether students choose the college path or the work path,” Phelon said. “It’s been phenomenal.”

Westfield at a glance

YEAR INCORPORATED: 1669
POPULATION: 41,094 (2010)
AREA: 47.4 square miles
COUNTY: Hampden
RESIDENTIAL TAX RATE: $19.42
COMMERCIAL TAX RATE: $37.08
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $45,240
MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $55,327
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Mayor, City Council
LARGEST EMPLOYERS: Westfield State University, Baystate Noble Hospital, Savage Arms Inc., Mestek Inc., Advance Manufacturing Co.

* Latest information available

Meanwhile, the Mayor’s Coffee Hour, a chamber initiative launched several years ago, still draws some 30 to 40 attendees each month to a different host business, where Mayor Brian Sullivan takes questions on the state of various economic-development initiatives in the city.

“Some of these businesses have never been visited by local government,” Sullivan said. “We talk about what they need, how can we help — and it has been really productive. They might let us know they have jobs open, but find the talent, and we can hook them into other people we know, and the connections Kate has.”

Taken as a whole, these initiatives and others speak to a growing sense that Westfield aims to grow through open communication and productive connections. And those efforts are certainly bearing fruit.

Higher Gear

Over the past few years, Westfield residents have been able to see some long-percolating developments blossom, most notably the $6.6 million Olver Transit Pavilion, which opened in April as the centerpiece of a planned downtown resurgence. The Westfield Redevelopment Authority also recently demolished a former bowling alley near the transit center, with plans to create a multi-story, mixed-use building with retail, restaurants, office space, and market-rate apartments.

Those projects are just two facets of the Elm Street Urban Renewal Plan approved in 2013, which focuses on revitalizing 4.88 acres in a two-block area in the heart of downtown Westfield running along both sides of Elm Street, the city’s main commercial thoroughfare. The city has also directed funding to revitalize the so-called Gaslight District adjacent to it.

The transit center was designed to both catalyze related economic development and increase the use of public transportation. The state-of-the-art center includes parking space for four buses with bicycle racks, as well as a bicycle-repair station, which speaks to the proximity of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail only a block away.

The trail, which spans three and a half miles and crosses seven bridges in the city, isn’t yet complete, Phelon said, but will eventually be yet another destination drawing people to the Whip City.

Mayor Brian Sullivan, Kate Phelon, and Dan Howard

Mayor Brian Sullivan, Kate Phelon, and Dan Howard say collaborations between Westfield’s municipal leaders, businesses, and schools have reaped benefits for the city.

“In a few years, it will be an economic engine in the city,” she told BusinessWest. “People from will come to this rail trail because it’s elevated and extends all the way down to New Haven. I’m already getting calls about where people can park overnight and bike down to Connecticut.”

Economic development has taken other forms as well. Westfield opened a $6 million solar farm on Russell Road last year, featuring 8,864 solar panels capable of producing 3 megawatts of power that will be consumed by the community. Meanwhile, the city continues to develop a second industrial park on city-owned land adjacent to Barnes Regional Airport.

Sullivan said Westfield already offers a number of advantages to businesses considering locating there, from plenty of available land to easy access to Interstates 90 and 91, rail service, and Barnes, to a permitting system that gets all players, from planners to the DPW to the WG+E, into the same room to ease the path to approval.

“That has been successful. There’s no sense in having a meeting to set up a meeting to talk about another meeting. Here, it’s a one-stop shop.”

But he also takes a regional approach to economic development, maintaining relationships with area mayors and the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. “We’re on the the same page, because we’re only as good as our neighbors are doing.”

And Westfield is doing well, he added, noting that city-wide high-speed Internet is just one more catalyst to transform the Whip City from a warehousing and manufacturing center to a location that’s amenable to businesses of all kinds, large and small.

“We have a tremendous asset in this municipal utility,” Howard said, “but instead of everyone doing their own thing, the mayor and I and Kate get together to promote the synergies we have.”

Local Impact

Chambers of commerce are, by their nature, about economic development and helping their communities grow, Phelon said. The Greater Westfield Chamber continues to do so by way of programs such as a buy-local initiative that encourages businesses in the city to make purchases from other Westfield businesses instead of looking outside the area, or online, for suppliers.

“We worry about the future of retail; no matter what you buy, online shopping is hitting Main Street, USA hard,” she said. “We’re trying to counteract that; we’re asking, ‘why don’t you consider a chamber member? You might find something you didn’t even know was available here.’ We’re excited about this. Instead of going online, maybe spend an extra dollar or two here, and make an impact locally. We really want to push this hard.”

It comes down to communication, Sullivan said, and the various entities that make a community run smoothly — from City Hall to the schools system to the business ecosystem — understanding each other’s needs and challenges.

Even last spring’s Earth Day cleanup of trash on Servistar Industrial Road qualifies, the mayor said, adding that it was a volunteer effort spurred by people getting together to talk about a problem. “It’s simple,” he said, “but if you don’t know about it, you can’t do anything about it.”

In Westfield, though, word gets around. And, thanks to a certain fiber project, it’s about to get around even faster.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Stalled Innovation Center Project Expected to Resume

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Features

Complicating Matters

Innovation Center

Outgoing DevelopSpringfield President & CEO Jay Minkarah says he expects work to begin again soon on the Innovation Center taking shape in downtown Springfield.

Jay Minkarah says that the $5.5 million Innovation Center project in downtown Springfield, like just about every other initiative in the DevelopSpringfield portfolio, has been a complicated undertaking.

This means there have been, well, complications, quite a few of them, in fact, especially in the form of cost overruns involving everything from HVAC systems to the terra-cotta façade of the buildings being renovated — 270-284 Bridge St.

These complications have manifested themselves in everything from a highly visible shutdown of the project — one that started in May and left the sole occupant of the building, the Women’s Fund of Western Mass., without access to an elevator or air conditioning — to a breach-of-contract suit filed in Hampden Superior Court by the contractor, Ludlow-based NL Construction, seeking $225,000 allegedly owed for services, labor, and materials.

These complications also led to a host of questions about when, if, and under what circumstances the project would continue — questions that weren’t really answered until Minkarah, DevelopSpringfield’s president and CEO, announced he would be leaving the organization later this month to take a position as leader of a regional planning commission in New Hampshire.

Minkarah has told the local press and BusinessWest that, with a $723,000 mortgage secured from Berkshire Bank, work is expected to resume shortly on the project and that, barring any additional unforeseen complications, the center should be ready for occupancy by the end of this year.

As for the Women’s Fund, an extension of its temporary occupancy permit, due to expire at the end of September, was being sought as BusinessWest went to press.

“Ultimately, the cost of the project definitely exceeded our initial expectations significantly,” said Minkarah, putting heavy emphasis on that adverb. “And the increases came in a few critical areas, some that became evident early on, some later on.

“Most significant was the extent of the systems overhaul that was needed — that was far greater than we expected, especially HVAC, but also electrical,” he explained. “That was a contributing factor. But another contributing factor was the cost of the façade restoration.”

Elaborating, he said DevelopSpringfield needed to bring in a specialized consulting assistant to conduct an analysis of the façade and put a restoration plan in place.

“The cost of the façade restoration greatly exceeded our initial estimates,” said Minkarah, adding that fit-out costs for various tenants also far exceeded original estimates.

Matters were further complicated, he went on, by the fact that, due to the timing of a $2.2 million grant from the state’s MassWorks Infrastructure Program, construction and design work needed to begin as soon as possible, and was actually well underway before the final (considerably higher) costs of the project were known, said Minkarah.

“We became aware that we had funding gaps and would need additional funding earlier this year,” he went on, adding quickly that it was always understood that additional, traditional financing for this initiative would be needed to supplement grant funding that was received.

Despite this awareness, Minkarah said, work on the project ground to a halt in late May because of the complicated, time-consuming process of securing that additional financing.

“We were actively working to close on that financing for the project from two different sources,” he went on. “And the financing was very complex because it involved historic tax credits, both state and federal. The process of getting through everything we needed to get through definitely took longer than we anticipated.”

The breach-of-contract suit filed last month alleges that promises of payment to NL Construction were made and not kept and that communication from DevelopSpringfield about the project and its future was lacking.

A centerpiece of downtown revitalization efforts, the Innovation Center was conceived to bring people and energy to the downtown area and specifically the Stearns Square area, which has seen a number of other developments, including the relocation of the Community Foundation of Western Mass. and renovation of the former Skyplex building by MassDevelopment.

Announced tenants in the Innovation Center included the Women’s Fund, Valley Venture Mentors, the Ground Up Café coffee shop, and a cocktail bar, as well as space for startups.

—George O’Brien

Whittlesey Rebrands to Put Emphasis on Its Array of Services

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bankingfeature1017a
Banking and Financial Services Sections

Name of the Game

Drew Andrews, managing partner and CEO

Drew Andrews, managing partner and CEO

The accounting firm formerly known as Whittlesey & Hadley has undertaken a rebranding effort, and is now known simply as Whittlesey. The new name was chosen in an effort to be more modern and less formal, while also maintaining valuable name recognition. But the new name is only part of an effort to better communicate all that the firm can do for its clients.

Drew Andrews said the new name was chosen in an effort to be, among other things, less formal, more modern, and perhaps even more efficient by using one word instead of two.

These are trends, if you will, when it comes to the names over the doors and on the letterhead of professional-services providers such as accounting firms and law firms, said Andrews, so much so that a story he’s retelling often these days seems to speak volumes about the matters at hand.

“I was at meetings with two clients over the past two weeks where they were referring to us as ‘Whittlesey,’” he recalled, noting that this wasn’t the firm’s name at the time — but it is now (it became official Oct. 1, to be exact).

Indeed, the Hartford-based firm known as Whittlesey & Hadley for the better part of five decades has officially dropped the ampersand and ‘Hadley’ (dropping just the ampersand was one of many other options considered) but kept Whittlesey as a nod to history, tradition, and, perhaps most importantly, name recognition.

And the fact that people were calling the firm by its new name while it was still using the old name and hadn’t given any hint that a change was coming, only confirms that this was the right decision, said Andrews, CEO and managing partner of the firm.

“Whittlesey & Hadley was more old school,” he said, referring to the name, not the firm, noting that clients, at least some of them, anyway had already come to this conclusion, and were already referring to their accountants in different ways. “What we found was that a lot of people had already shortened it themselves — they were calling us Whittesey or W&H.”

Yes, much ado about a name. But there is a lot more to what Andrews referred to as a ‘rebrand’ than just this new name and the one on the company’s subsidiary — Whittlesey Technology (formerly the Technology Group). There are new colors (blue and coral), a new, more ‘responsive’ website (wadvising.com), and a new marketing tagline, or slogan: ‘Forward Advising.’

whittleseylogoonly

Those two words say quite a bit, said Andrews, noting that, historically, and to generalize somewhat, accounting firms have dealt mostly with the past tense, especially with regard to financials, taxes, and audits. But increasingly, clients are looking for help when it comes to the present and future tenses as well, he said, and the firm now known simply as Whittlesey has been ahead of this curve and intends to stay there.

“Even though we’re an accounting firm and we do taxes and audits and things of that nature, our business has morphed into being more of strategic advisors,” he explained. “We’ve helped people with profitability analysis, new products, forecasting, budgeting, succession planning, operational reviews, and a significant effort in technology support in recent years.

“That was kind of a natural progression,” he went on. “We’re really become more advisors than accountants. That’s where we think the profession’s going, and that’s a big part of why we did this rebrand.”

For this issue and its focus on banking and financial services, BusinessWest talked at length with Andrews and Cora Hall, director of Marketing and Communications for Whittlesey, about the rebranding efforts, especially as they relate the firm’s efforts to grow its presence in the Western Mass. market.

It Added Up

Andrews told BusinessWest that the rebranding efforts were launched roughly a year ago, and have taken longer than some might have expected because work naturally slowed down during the height of tax season, when many of those involved had more pressing matters to address.

But this project, like most all those of this nature, was undertaken because it was deemed necessary and important to the company’s broad efforts to continue to grow and claim market share in all its markets, including Western Mass.

“We wanted to look at what our communication was to our clients and our potential clients,” Andrews explained, noting that, over the past several years, the company has merged two firms into its fold, if you will — Holyoke-based Lester Halpern and Hamden, Conn.-based Weinstein & Anastasio, P.C. — and needed a common message to go along with the shared name.

“We had what amounted to three firms, and we wanted to have a unified message going out about who we are, what we do, and how we do it,” he told BusinessWest. “We were doing a lot more than accounting and taxes, and were doing advising in many areas — and this didn’t seem to get communicated through our messaging and our website.”

Drew Andrews and Cora Hall say Whittlesey’s rebranding effort is aimed at better communicating to clients and potential clients the firm’s full range of services.

Drew Andrews and Cora Hall say Whittlesey’s rebranding effort is aimed at better communicating to clients and potential clients the firm’s full range of services.

And improved communication is at the heart of this rebrand, he went on, adding that by this, he means what is being communicated and how it’s being communicated.

Elaborating, he said the overall message needed to change and convey the full portfolio of products and services, and the vehicles for delivering the message — and especially the website and a host of social-media platforms — needed to change in order to better communicate to all audiences, particularly the younger ones, and to both customers and potential employees.

“We needed a refresh on our website and how we were going into digital — not only from a client perspective, but from a recruitment perspective and always getting the best of the best talent-wise,” he explained. “We needed to relate better to them in their language.”

What is being related to all audiences is that the firm will still handle a client’s tax and audit needs — but it can also do much more.

“We can help businesses and individuals gain confidence and assurance before they act,” said Andrews. “We work as an extension of an organization’s management team delivering advisory services in the here and now as well as looking forward.

“When we go visit our clients, we talk about what’s going to happen; we’re not just focused on the past, which is what accountants do, because we usually report on historical information,” he went on. “We ask, ‘where are you going in the future? Where are you bringing this business? How can we help you achieve what your financial goals are?’”

All this wasn’t effectively communicated by the old website or old branding messages, said Hall, adding that the new platforms do a much better job at this, as well as conveying the firm’s commitment to the communities it serves.

“We’ve really made a consolidated effort to invest in the region and really become part of the community,” she explained. “And that’s something else we wanted to communicate.”

As for the new name, Andrews said something ‘new school’ or at least ‘newer school’ was needed.

‘W&H’ or ‘WH’ were considered, and might have worked, he told BusinessWest, adding quickly that, as the firm went through the search process, if you will, it came to the conclusion that ‘Whittlesey’ had both a unique sound to it and a great deal of brand equity in all the markets in which it was operating.

“That was true not only in the Hartford market, where we’ve been since 1961, when we were just ‘Whittlesey’ because [Bob] Hadley, Willis Whittlesey’s first partner, didn’t arrive until 1965, but also in Western Mass. and Southern Connecticut with the two mergers,” he said. “We didn’t want to lose that momentum, but we wanted a modern twist on it.”

Sign of the Times

And these days, one name instead of two constitutes a modern twist.

That became clear to Andrews and others when people started calling this firm ‘Whittlesey’ well before Oct. 1, when the official press release announcing the change went out.

But while the new name is significant, that new tag line ‘Forward Advising’ is perhaps even more so, because of the many kinds of messages it delivers.

“The refreshed Whittlesey brand represents where our firm is today and where we want to strategically grow,” Andrews explained, adding that ‘forward’ is where he expects this important exercise to bring the company.

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

United Bank Steps Up Its Presence in Downtown Springfield

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Banking and Financial Services Sections

Making a Statement

United Bank’s new branch at Monarch Place

United Bank’s new branch at Monarch Place is expected to yield a boost in commercial business amid a host of other benefits.

On paper — and on a map — it’s only a few blocks, really.

But United Bank’s relocation of its office in downtown Springfield, from the corner of Main and State streets to the front of Monarch Place, constitutes a major move in all other respects.

The new address — formerly home to a Bank of America branch that closed its doors several months ago — is projected to bring everything from much greater visibility to significantly higher foot traffic, to a likely surge in commercial-side market share as business owners based in the center of downtown take advantage of another bank opening on that site.

“There was a void left by Bank of America’s departure,” said Tony Liberopoulos, regional commercial executive for United, adding that the bank will move aggressively to fill that void.

Dena Hall, Western Mass. regional president and chief marketing officer, agreed.

“This is one of the premier locations in the city, particularly with the renovations currently taking place at Monarch and all the exciting things happening in that area,” she said, noting that a Starbucks soon to go into that building is just one of the items on that list. “We’re thrilled to be there.”

Indeed, even though the bank’s current location downtown is almost directly across Main Street from the $950 million MGM Springfield casino now taking shape and due to open in about a year — and would no doubt see a surge in retail traffic from that development — that branch is limited in many ways, said Hall.

Elaborating, she said that location is relatively small and, more to the point, cannot easily be renovated and enlarged to provide everything that the bank wants to provide the customers downtown.

unitedbankcomingsoonsign

“Our new branch will really give them that ‘wow’ factor of high technology, an open landscape, and everything people expect today,” she said, adding that the Monarch Place location offers an intriguing blank canvas, if you will.

That’s why United, based in Glastonbury, Conn. and with a main office locally in West Springfield, moved assertively to seize what she called a tremendous opportunity when BOA announced it was closing that location.

“I’m not sure how many other banks looked at it, but I know we moved quickly and started the conversations,” said Hall, adding that the location presents opportunities in many forms, and from many directions.

For starters, there are the many businesses based within a few blocks of the site, most all of them with owners desiring to bank conveniently.

“That Bank of America branch had a lot of commercial clients that utilized that location,” said Liberopoulos. “The buildings all around it are full of commercial clients, and we look at that as an opportunity to grow our commercial base as well as our deposit base. I think there’s a lot of businesses looking forward to having another bank in Monarch Place; we think it’s a great opportunity for us.”

Also, there is the enhanced foot traffic already in evidence downtown due to a slew of new developments in the central business district and growing convention and meeting business — not to mention the additional traffic downtown expected to be generated by MGM Springfield.

Add it all up, and the Monarch Place location seemed to be the right place at the right time, said Hall. And to take full advantage of all that the location presents in terms of opportunities, the bank is building a branch that will be full-service in every respect.

Hall said the branch will be modern and open, but it will still feature what she called a “neighborhood branch” approach, meaning it will have tellers, but also cash recyclers.

“It will be set up to service the retail and business customer in any way they want or need to bank with us,” she explained. “But it will also have a more modern feel to it than some of the current United branches.

Construction began roughly a month ago, she went on, and the branch is due to be open by the end of the year. United will occupy about 3,000 square feet, which is roughly half the old BOA footprint.

As noted earlier, the move is not significant in terms of geography — the bank is only moving a few hundred yards to the north — but it’s a meaningful move forward, said Hall.

“This positions us very well,” she said. “We’ve made some big commitments to Springfield — we’re very committed to the Thunderbirds and to business development and community support in the area. So we feel that moving to this new location will further highlight some of the commitments we’re making to the city and give us some really nice new space in the best building in Springfield.”

—George O’Brien

Employee vs. Contractor: It’s Important for Managers to Know the Rules in This Matter

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Banking and Financial Services Sections

Employee vs. Contractor

By Christopher Marini, MSA, MOS

Christopher Marini

Christopher Marini

One of the most exciting moments for any small-business owner is reaching the point of having sufficient demand and capital to need additional help. Many businesses benefit from hiring employees, whereas others function better utilizing independent contractors. Generally, most businesses have a need for both employees and independent contractors.

The most noticeable difference between these classifications is how they are paid. Employees are part of the payroll, and accordingly the employer is also required to pay certain payroll taxes as well as workers’ compensation insurance. In contrast, independent contractors are not part of the payroll, and are typically paid through accounts payable. Following the end of the year, employees must be given a W-2, and all independent contractors who were paid $600 or more must be sent a 1099-MISC.

Determining whether to pay an individual as an employee or independent contractor requires the business owner to understand the distinguishing differences in classification. Failure to do so could have detrimental financial consequences. Under IRS regulations, classification at the federal level follows ‘common-law rules,’ which consist of three categories: behavioral, financial, and type of relationship. Here are some specifics:

Behavioral

Behavioral control relates to the degree of oversight by the employer. If the worker is subject to employer instructions, this tends to be indicative of an employee. Pursuant to IRS Publication 15-A, examples of “instructions” include:

• When and where to do the work;

• What tools or equipment to use;

• What additional workers to hire or to assist with the work;

• Where to purchase supplies and services;

• What work must be performed by a specified individual; and

• What order or sequence to follow when performing the work.

Other behavioral factors to consider are whether the worker undergoes training or periodic evaluations. Both of these circumstances would point to the need for an employee classification.

Financial

Independent contractors generally have much more complex financial structures. For example, independent contractors often have a significant personal investment in equipment needed to perform their work. Often, their service is for a short-term period of time, and they perform similar services for several other consumers. Because of this, they often have various unreimbursed expenses.

In terms of pay, independent contractors are typically paid a flat fee for their service, whereas employees are usually paid a wage based on hours worked. Because employees are paid a wage, and don’t typically have significant investments in equipment or unreimbursed expenses, employees are guaranteed a profit.

However, independent contractors incur the possibility of having a loss if expenditures exceed the fee they collect for their service.

Type of Relationship

One important relationship factor is permanency. Workers who are hired for an indefinitely continued period of time are typically employees, whereas workers hired for a specified period, or until a particular project is completed, are generally considered independent contractors. Employers should be cautioned that the behavioral or financial rules could cause temporary or seasonal workers to be classified as employees.

Another important factor to consider is whether the service being provided is considered a key activity of the business. Workers performing activities that are major components of a business’ offered services are typically employees. Independent contractors typically perform services that are outside the realm of key activities.

Consider State Rules

Certain states have their own sets of rules, which may differ from the federal laws, so be sure to consider if there are any significant differences. For example, Massachusetts has established the Massachusetts Independent Contractor Law, which is even stricter than the federal laws. Under the Massachusetts regulations, workers, by default, are assumed to be employees unless the employer can pass a ‘three-prong test,’ which, similarly to the federal regulations, examines control and nature of the service being provided.

Although rare, it is possible that a worker could be classified as an independent contractor per federal laws and as an employee per state laws. In Massachusetts, this unique situation would result in the need for an employer to pay state unemployment tax, even though the employer is not paying any federal payroll taxes.

Misclassification Consequences

If an employer has improperly classified an employee as an independent contractor, they may be held liable for the payroll taxes that they have not paid. The IRS has implemented a Voluntary Classification Settlement Program, which offers partial relief in back taxes owed in exchange for prospectively reclassifying employees previously classified as independent contractors. Additionally, misclassifying employees as independent contractors could carry penalties related to other benefit plans as well as workers’ compensation issues.

Still Unsure?

If, after consideration of all of the above information, it is still unclear which classification is appropriate, Form SS-8 can be filed with the IRS.  Using this method, the IRS will consider the facts provided to make the appropriate determination. However, this process typically takes more than six months, according to the IRS website, so seeking advice from an accountant or lawyer may prove to be the most efficient method.

In any event, knowing these rules will prove to be a tremendous asset, both in the present and in the future. Classification of workers is an important procedure for small businesses beginning operations, as well as for more established businesses. Understanding the regulations allows employers to operate more efficiently and effectively and could help them avoid future problems.

Christopher Marini, MSA, MOS is senior Auditing & Accounting associate at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; (413) 322-3549; [email protected].

Adams Bank Leader, Now Chair of MBA, Pushes Agenda for Change

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Banking and Financial Services Sections

Points of Interest

It’s not easy to get from Adams or Williamstown, communities in the far northwest corner of the state, to Boston.

You can get there using Route 2, but that’s not a particularly fast road, especially in the fall, at the height of foliage/tourist season. Taking the turnpike is another option, but it takes nearly an hour just to get to the exit 2 interchange in Lee. And it’s at least two hours from there.

“Either way, you’re looking at three hours, three and a half, depending on the traffic,” said Charlie O’Brien, who has become an expert on this commute. He’s had a lot of practice over the past several years, or since he’s been on the board of the Mass. Bankers Assoc. (MBA), and especially since he assumed leadership positions with the board.

And the travel has increased even more since he became president of the MBA on July 1.

Charlie O’Brien

Charlie O’Brien

But O’Brien, president and CEO of Adams Community Bank, who works in Adams and lives in Williamstown, isn’t begrudging the treks to Boston — or Washington, D.C. (there are many of those, too), because they are both part and parcel to his role with the MBA.

His stint as president is an honor for him personally and professionally, he said, and it puts a spotlight of sorts on both the Berkshires (he’s the first banking leader from that region to serve as chair of the MBA) and also his institution, which, mostly through a series of mergers, has grown from just over $100 million in assets several years ago to more than a half-billion.

But mostly, O’Brien is excited to be part of efforts on behalf of the MBA and organizations like it to press for needed change with regard to the financial-services industry and, more specifically, the laws that govern it.

And his ascension to chair of the MBA — and his recent talk with BusinessWest about that development — provides an intriguing window into the ongoing work of the association, especially in the category of advocacy for its members.

O’Brien, like dozens of banking leaders who have talked with BusinessWest over the past several years, said that, while these are relatively good times for banks, especially the smaller, community-oriented institutions like Adams Community Bank and many others headquartered in Western Mass., they face a number of stern challenges.

Many come in the form of increased regulatory burdens (and the many financial burdens of compliance with these regulations) that arrived with passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, better known simply as Dodd-Frank.

“We embrace parts of Dodd-Frank,” said O’Brien as he referenced the legislation passed in the wake of financial crisis of a decade ago, brought about in large part because of the subprime mortgage crisis and bursting real-estate bubble. “But, quite honestly, there are parts of Dodd-Frank that have been quite punitive for small banks.

“We embrace proper legislation, but we also embrace a tiered approach,” he went on. “Banks like us, at $500 million, would like to see regulations that are less burdensome. Some of these laws were passed because of the actions of Wells Fargo and Bank of America … it’s a huge burden for us to comply with certain things, when we’re not the offending banks that created these problems.”

Surveying the landscape, O’Brien, who noted that efforts to reform Dodd-Frank have been ongoing for years now, and for the reasons he stated, said momentum is gathering for change, and this might be the year it happens.

That momentum takes many forms, including the so-called Financial Choice Act, a bill introduced this year that would, if enacted, roll back many of the Dodd-Frank regulations. Passed by the House in June, the massive, 600-page bill has moved on to the Senate for consideration.

“Time will tell how far this gets,” O’Brien told BusinessWest. “But right now, the appetite for regulatory change in Washington is greater than it has been in recent years. We’re working with our lobbyists and elected officials to try to advance those initiatives.”

Meanwhile, there are other matters to contend with, including ongoing efforts that fall in the category of leveling the playing field when it comes to a host of what O’Brien called “non-bank competitors.”

He put credit unions in that category, obviously, but also national mortgage players such as Quicken Loans. O’Brien said he and others in the banking industry don’t necessarily mind competing against such rivals, but they would prefer the field to be more level than it is.

This is an old argument and an ongoing fight, especially when it comes to credit unions, which are still exempt from paying the taxes that banks do, despite the huge size, reach, and portfolio of products that many of them now boast.

“For the very large credit unions out there, and there are some in our backyard … they’re twice our size, but they pay no taxes,” said O’Brien. “All bankers struggle with that concept; some of these credit unions have grown to be billion-dollar institutions, and if you’re that size, you should be paying taxes; that’s our position.”

As for other non-bank competitors, especially those mostly doing business on the Internet, such as Quicken Loans, O’Brien said banks take a similar position.

“We just want to make sure the playing field is as level as possible,” he said, “and that they are complying with the same rules and regulations that we have to comply with.”

O’Brien said he isn’t sure what will happen on those fronts and others over the course of his year in office — and well beyond. What he does know is that there are more trips to Washington and especially Boston in his immediate future. Which is fine, because he certainly has those routes down by now.

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

Appeal Pending in Bankruptcy Case Regarding Tuition Payments

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Banking and Financial Services Sections

A Matter to Watch

By Steven Weiss

Steven Weiss

Steven Weiss

One of the biggest priorities for parents of college-age students is paying tuition. While it is not a legal obligation (at least in Massachusetts) to provide education and support to children over 18, many feel a strong moral obligation to do so.

What happens, however, when parents pay a child’s (often substantial) college tuition, but at a time when they can’t pay their own debts and end up in bankruptcy? Can the bankruptcy trustee recover the tuition payments from the university so the payments can be distributed to the parents’ creditors?

Bankruptcy courts across the country have been wrestling with this issue, with inconsistent results. A recent Massachusetts case involving a trustee’s efforts to recover tuition payments is drawing national attention and may ultimately reach the Supreme Court.

The case pits the well-established rights of trustees in bankruptcy to recover funds for creditors, against colleges and universities, who claim it is fundamentally unfair to be required to repay tuition payments made for debtors’ children.

In DeGiacomo v Sacred Heart University, the parents had paid more than $60,000 in tuition payments for their daughter to attend Sacred Heart University (SHU). However, at the same time they were making these payments, they owed millions of dollars to their creditors; worse yet, those debts were the result of a Ponzi scheme perpetrated by the parents.

When they filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief, the trustee in their case filed suit against SHU, seeking to recover the tuition payments made within four years as fraudulent transfers. Under state and federal fraudulent-transfer statutes, the trustee does not need to prove the payments were actually intended to defraud creditors; the transfers are “constructively fraudulent” if they were made while the debtors were insolvent and for which the debtors did not receive “reasonably equivalent value.”

It was on whether the parents received “reasonably equivalent value” that the case turned. There was no question that the parents were not legally obligated to pay their daughter’s tuition. Thus, the trustee argued that they did not receive any legally recognizable value for the payments, and that satisfying a “moral” obligation to provide for their non-minor daughter’s education was not of any direct or sufficiently quantifiable economic benefit to the parents, and certainly of no benefit to their creditors.

SHU, with the support of the debtors, opposed the trustee’s arguments. They pointed out that, while the parents may not have been legally obligated to pay tuition, their daughter was classified as a ‘dependent’ on both the debtors’ tax returns and on college financial-aid applications. More importantly, SHU asserted that the debtors did in fact receive economic consideration for the payments. By paying for their daughter’s education, the university argued, the parents ensured that she would become more financially independent, less likely to be a drain on her parents’ financial resources, and more likely to care for them as they aged. Finally, SHU pointed out that society as a whole benefited from the payments.

Bankruptcy Judge Melvin Hoffman sided with the university. He wrote as follows: “I find that the [parents] paid [SHU] because they believed that a financially self-sufficient daughter offered them an economic benefit and that a college degree would directly contribute to financial self-sufficiency. I find that motivation to be concrete and quantifiable enough. The operative standard used in [the fraudulent conveyance statutes] is ‘reasonably equivalent value.’ The emphasis should be on ‘reasonably.’”

The trustee has appealed the decision. Recognizing the importance of this issue nationally, Hoffman took the unusual step of recommending that the appeal bypass the U.S. District Court and be heard directly by the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The case has drawn national attention.

In addition to briefs by the parties, amicus briefs have been filed by the National Assoc. of Bankruptcy Trustees and by a group of 20 organizations supporting colleges and universities. Briefing has been completed. Oral arguments are scheduled in October, and a decision is expected early next year.

Steven Weiss is a shareholder with the Springfield-based law firm, Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C.; (413) 737-1131.

Marois Construction Builds on Its Relationships

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Construction Sections

Happy Returns

President Joe Marois (left) and Vice President Carl Mercieri

President Joe Marois (left) and Vice President Carl Mercieri

A construction company doesn’t grow and thrive for almost a half-century — through some dramatic economic ups and downs — without the kind of client loyalty that makes it a go-to option for any number of job types. For Marois Construction, those include educational facilities, public buildings, medical offices, bank branches, and more. The firm has certainly left its mark on the Valley — with no signs of slowing down.

There are advantages to being in business for 45 years. One is that it’s plenty of time to build a reputation.

“People are looking for quality work — people they know they can trust,” said Joe Marois, president of Marois Construction in South Hadley, a business he built from the ground up — literally and figuratively — starting in 1972. “We’ve established that trust. We’ve made a lot of friends on our projects.”

A lot of friends means plenty of repeat business, and that has been a key component of the success of one of the region’s iconic names in construction, an entity that quickly grew beyond its roots building cabinets and restoring furniture from a small shed. Five years after that humble beginning, Marois boasted seven employees and five trucks. Today, headquartered in a large building on Old Lyman Road, the company currently employs about 45 people.

The repeat business has long been buoyed by the firm’s close relationships with area colleges and universities and expertise in niches as diverse as bank branches and medical offices. Current projects have the company busy at UMass Amherst, Elms College, a new Polish National Credit Union branch in Chicopee, the new state office building in Springfield, Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, and Central High School in Springfield, to put up a new press box and scoreboard.

The company also has a standing contract with the city of Springfield to perform needed maintenance and renovation jobs on public schools. “We’re all over the place there,” Marois said. “We never know what the needs will be.”

Carl Mercieri, Marois’ long-time vice president, said those assignments can be for just about anything. “They’re more maintenance-type things, on-call services, everything from changing a window to replacing ceilings in the classrooms over the summer, or repair old plaster. It’s pretty interesting. It’s more service work, but it’s good for the guys; they go to a job for two or three days, then move on to another for some change of scenery.”

Marois Construction workers prepare to install equipment on the roof of John Adams Hall at UMass Amherst.

Marois Construction workers prepare to install equipment on the roof of John Adams Hall at UMass Amherst.

In short, times are better for Marois — and for the industry as a whole, of course — than they were a few years ago, in the shadow of the Great Recession, when all firms were scrambling just to keep their crews reasonably busy.

“We were really coming off a bad time during the recession, where it was all about survival,” Marois said. “A few of our contemporaries did not make it. It was a culling of the industry, I guess you’d say. And it was further complicated by an influx of outside contractors into our area from New York and Boston; they were hungry too. Right now, we’re turning the corner and staying busy.”

Getting Around

A quick rundown of some of the firm’s recent project reflects its diversity. To wit:

• An upgrade of the electrical and fire-pump systems at John Adams Hall at UMass, a residential tower, included installation of twin emergency generators on the roof of the 22-story building, placed on a new structural steel frame.

• Also at UMass, a renovation of the Amherst Student Affairs Suite in the Whitmore Administration Building included the demolition of a 4,000-square-foot space, rebuilding of interior partitions, and finishes including porcelain tile flooring, recessed light fixtures, and a bamboo slat ceiling.

• A project at Veritas Preparatory Charter School included more than 22,000 square feet of demolition and renovated spaces, including new classrooms, a science lab, a music room, a reception area, and office space.

• The Keating Quadrangle at Elms College features the inlaid college logo and a large firepit that’s popular with students and staff. The project consisted of new drainage systems, underground electrical work, and multiple landscaping features including concrete, pavers, stone, and plantings.

• On the medical side, the Raymond Center at Baystate Health – South Hadley Adult Medicine consisted of developing 14,000 square feet of primary-care space within an existing building.

• At the Lee Hutt Gallery at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, the existing building was converted into a working sculpture studio, as Marois worked closely with the owner on all aspects of the design-build project.

• The company also built a single-story addition to Plainfield Congregational Church to provide new bathrooms and meeting space. Site improvements included a new well, septic tank, and grading. Repairs and improvements to the existing structure included replacement of piers supporting the existing timber-framed floor, thermal improvements to walls, and more.

• Marois also designed and constructed a facility to house supplies and equipment required to maintain the runways and grounds at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee.

These cupolas are being designed for a project in Amherst.

These cupolas are being designed for a project in Amherst.

The jobs are still coming, but a new obstacle looms, he said. “Now we’re being faced with a labor shortage, which is always a challenge. That’s the nature of construction — it’s never perfect. I don’t know to what extent the casino is affecting that, but basically, the labor pool for tradespeople is very small.”

National data bear that challenge out. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, construction employment increased by 28,000 jobs in August, yet contractors still face a lack of experienced workers. Association officials say construction job growth would have been even higher had a majority of firms not reported having a hard time finding qualified staff.

“Construction firms have stayed busy, adding employees in the past year at nearly twice the rate of employers throughout the economy, but more than two-thirds of contractors report difficulty finding craft workers as the number of unemployed, experienced construction workers hit a 17-year low in August,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Although construction spending has fluctuated recently, many contractors are still looking for qualified craft workers and project managers.”

More than half of the survey’s respondents said they were having trouble finding carpenters, bricklayers, electricians, concrete workers, or plumbers, while some salaried positions, such as project managers and supervisors, are also hard to fill, Simonson added, noting that federal, state, and local leaders should act on measures aimed at recruiting and preparing more young adults for high-paying construction careers. “Exposing students to construction as a career path will encourage more of them to pursue these high-paying careers,” said Stephen Sandherr, the association’s CEO.

Marois would welcome that development. “I just don’t see a lot of evidence of new tradespeople or young people who are enthusiastic about learning a trade.”

Brave New World

Marois and Mercieri have an old-school ethos when it comes to quality work, but recognize that the way jobs are processed today is different than it used to be.

“It has gotten to be technically advanced as far as the computer systems we are using at the insistence, many times, of our clients,” Marois said. “For a dinosaur like me, that’s a challenge.”

Added Mercieri, “sometimes we run into a situation where a project requires specific software, either scheduling or reporting, and some are good, some are bad. It takes away from the normal, day-to-day business, and it’s something we do more to satisfy others than ourselves.”

Green building, however, is a building trend that has grown well past trendiness in recent years; instead, it’s standard operating procedure for many clients. Marois has worked on multiple LEED-certified structures, but even those that don’t reach for those goals are subject to a new world of sustainability.

“There are always new heating and cooling standards, new insulation values on buildings — seismic standards are another thing that’s a great concern for people — to the detriment of renovating older facilities that are non-correctable, for lack of a better word,” Marois said. “With these 100-year-old mill buildings they want to converting to loft apartments, none comply with the basic structural requirements in place today, and they either get variances on them, or it’s not affordable, with the money it takes to bring it to the standard they expect.”

The business has changed in other ways, too, such as Marois’ increased reliance on outsourcing some of the framing and demolition work than in the past, but he’s still keeping his crews active, after 45 years of loyal clients, technological advances, and economic ups and downs.

“I couldn’t even count how many repeat customers we have,” Mercieri said. “The past 18 months have been busier than we’ve been in a long time.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Ecologically Friendly Building Trends Target Energy Usage, Emissions

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Construction Sections

Green Goals

Thanks in part to the U.N.’s “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” ‘green’ building projects are increasing worldwide. From 2015 to 2018, the percentage of global builders with at least 60% of their projects certified green will double, according to the “World Green Building Trends” report.

One of the main motivations driving green construction is to reduce carbon emissions, reports Interesting Engineering. And successful ways to do that revolve around energy usage — namely, to decrease energy consumption and increase energy efficiency in homes and buildings around the world.

Here’s how those goals break down into the top five global green-building trends this year.

Solar Panels of All Sizes

The worldwide acceptance of solar as the energy of the future is causing solar technology to get better and cheaper — quickly.

In 2016, India set aside $3 billion in state funding to ensure its capacity for solar power reaches 100 gigawatts by 2022. In May, the United Kingdom generated nearly one-quarter of its power needs from solar panels. And China is currently in the middle of creating the largest solar-thermal farm in the world.

Huge, heavy panels with bulky grids are no longer the only options for a solar-roof install. In the U.S., Tesla has already rolled out its new solar shingles, while Forward Labs’ standing seam metal solar roofing is set to be released in 2018.

In Australia, Professor Paul Dastoor of the University of Newcastle is performing the final trials on lightweight solar panels made by printing electronic ink onto plastic sheets. These solar panels are cheap to produce and ship and could potentially be a game changer for the solar-panel industry.

Home Energy Storage

“Batteries capable of storing power at utility scale will be as widespread in 12 years as rooftop solar panels are now,” estimates Bloomberg New Energy Finance. And that makes sense, considering the same type of lithium-ion battery used to power an electric vehicle can also be used to store power in the home. This double demand enables manufacturers to increase battery production, which drives down prices. And lower prices mean home batteries will be within reach of more people.

Some major players have already jumped in on the home-battery-manufacturing opportunity. Mercedes-Benz has produced suitcase-sized at-home energy storage for Germany since 2015, but it plans to expand internationally and has recently made the product available to California residents in the U.S. Meanwhile, Powervault is the number-one at-home battery manufacturer in the UK, and ElectrIQ is one of the newest home-energy-storage manufacturers in the U.S., with a home battery that stores 10 kWh of energy.

Energy-management Systems

To get the most out of solar panels and batteries, energy-management systems (EMSs) are often installed in green homes and businesses. EMSs monitor how much energy a building uses and can automate lighting, power, and HVAC systems to ensure optimal energy savings.

For example, the Edge, a building in Amsterdam that won the BREEAM award for offices in 2016, has 30,000 sensors that connect to a smartphone app. This app collects data from office employees and adjusts temperature and lighting according to how many people are inside the building and even keeps track of individual employee’s air and lighting preferences.

Another example is Honda’s smart home in the U.S., which has an experimental home EMS that communicates with the electrical grid to create optimal energy performance.

Passive Building Design

Passive building designs help minimize energy consumption by reducing the need for electrical lighting and temperature control in the first place. How? By using advanced design techniques that allow for maximum amounts of natural daylight to come in, while restricting heat loss in the winter and reducing heat gain in the summer.

And one element of passive design that has a big impact in temperature control is what goes on the roof.

Green roofs play an important part in helping regulate the temperature inside and outside of many passive buildings and homes. The plants and soil systems put in place help insulate the building in the winter and shade it in the summer.

Sustainable Building Materials

Reclaimed wood and recycled materials are high on the list of sustainable building supplies. But there’s also a lot of innovation happening in the world of eco-friendly concrete.

Why is making concrete green so important? Because it’s the world’s most used construction material, and it’s responsible for producing copious amounts of CO2.

There are several concrete alternatives, such as AshCrete, Ferrock, and HempCrete — but the most recent buzz is self-healing concrete. This concrete is supplemented with bacteria that, when exposed to moisture, will become active and grow limestone that will fill any cracks that happen over time. This is a big deal since no added concrete is needed to maintain it.

Luckily for us, this worldwide trend of creating green building solutions will grow along with the burgeoning demand for better ways to sustain our planet.

Maybe soon, the term ‘green building’ won’t be needed because all building practices will be sustainable.

This article first appeared in Proud Green Building.

Most Americans Would Pay More to Rebuild Infrastructure

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Construction Sections

Driving Force

As federal and state lawmakers continue to search for solutions to fund and finance critically needed transportation infrastructure, the latest America THINKS national public opinion survey by infrastructure-solutions firm HNTB Corp. finds Americans with definitive views on how that funding should be generated and who should be responsible for maintaining and building the nation’s transportation network.

According to the survey, “Paying for Infrastructure – 2017,” 70% of respondents expressed their willingness to pay higher taxes and tolls to maintain existing as well as build new infrastructure. That number jumps to 84% if those revenues are guaranteed by law to exclusively fund transportation infrastructure needs.

“Americans value mobility and are willing to pay more to maintain and grow transportation infrastructure, especially if they know how their money will be used,” said Kevin Hoeflich, HNTB Toll Services chairman and senior vice president.

The HNTB survey also found nearly three in four Americans (73%) support public-private partnerships as a way to maintain existing and build new transportation infrastructure. Fifty-two percent believe the responsibility for funding maintenance and building new transportation infrastructure should be shared by the government and private sector.

“P3s are in the news as an increasingly popular option for funding new projects,” said Hoeflich. “However, the deals must be structured properly so the public gets the best return on its investment in infrastructure. We can expect to see more of them as the sources of traditional funding are under pressure.”

The desire to avoid congestion and save time is behind the willingness of almost six in 10 Americans (59%) to pay a toll, even when a free alternative is available, according to the HNTB survey. Of these respondents, 57% are willing to pay an average of $1.70 to use a priced managed lane, also called express lanes, if that would save 15 to 30 minutes of time, avoid congestion, and provide a predictable travel time.

The conversion of general-purpose interstate lanes to priced managed lanes is supported by 77% of survey respondents. Among this group, 50% believe reducing congestion is the most important reason for this conversion, an increase from 43% from the same question asked in a 2016 HNTB survey.

“People are frustrated spending time stuck in traffic, and they want solutions. They are concerned about how congestion contributes to traffic fatalities,” Hoeflich said. “Priced managed lanes offer a promising solution to both congestion and funding by providing a choice to get out of traffic. The public has demonstrated a willingness to pay to use them in many urban areas.”

HNTB’s survey found 80% of respondents support adding tolls to existing highways and interstates. When asked how those toll revenues should be used, reducing congestion was cited by 41% of respondents; improving safety, 40%; adding vehicle capacity, 34%; and adding transit capacity, 21%. Twenty percent of respondents would never support tolls on existing highways or interstates.

The survey also found two-thirds of respondents (66%) support tolls to fund critical infrastructure projects if there are insufficient funds from other sources. Meanwhile, the concept of reduced toll rates for low-income users is supported by more than three in four Americans (76%).

“Most importantly, there is growing recognition of tolls as a source of revenue that can help fund decades of neglect of maintenance and operations, system improvements, and other critical transportation needs,” said Hoeflich.

HNTB’s America THINKS “Paying for Infrastructure – 2017” survey polled a random nationwide sample of 1,027 Americans, ages 18 and older, between July 14 and July 16, 2017.

HNTB Corp. is an employee-owned infrastructure-solutions firm serving public and private owners and contractors. HNTB professionals nationwide deliver a full range of infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design, program management, and construction management; www.hntb.com

Architecture Firms Ride a Wave of Steady Work

By
architecturefeature1017a
Architecture Sections

Blueprint for Success

Jonathan Salvon says Kuhn Riddle continues to make its mark on area colleges.

Jonathan Salvon says Kuhn Riddle continues to make its mark on area colleges.

While national forecasters are predicting a slight slowdown in the construction industry, area architects report a healthy flow of projects in the pipeline, and they see that trend continuing for the foreseeable future.

Even during tougher economic times than these, Jim Hanifan says, communities still have to maintain — and often rebuild — their schools, libraries, police stations, and municipal offices.

“The beauty of public work is they’re always putting money in one sector or another,” said Hanifan, a principal with Caolo & Bieniek Associates. “Right now, public safety may be at the forefront — and that goes back to 9/11 — but now more senior centers are being built for the aging population, and they’re not just places to hang out and play bingo; it’s an active place, a community gathering spot. Senior centers have become important.”

Curtis Edgin, another principal at the Chicopee-based architectural firm agreed. “We’ve been very busy — a lot of public-sector work, a lot of education work, from pre-K to university levels,” he told BusinessWest. “We’ve done a lot of public-safety work. These projects — public safety, police, fire, things of that nature — are important to communities. They recognize the need to provide those services.”

Colleges and universities keep building too, said Jonathan Salvon, a principal with Kuhn Riddle Architects, and his firm has certainly reaped the benefits.

“We’re lucky to be located right here in Amherst, so we’re conveniently located near the Five Colleges. We’ve always had a certain percentage of our work at the colleges; it’s probably one-third now.”

For instance, the firm is in the planning stages on two UMass Amherst projects, and has also performed a variety of work at Smith College, most recently an intriguing conversion of an historic boathouse into studio space for students of dance.

“That’s an interesting site,” Salvon said, and makes creative reuse of an existing space — a hallmark of New England, where there’s plenty of existing building stock but not as much land and opportunity to design and build new structures.

“We do a certain amount of new construction,” he said, “but a good bit of our work is turning one thing into something new.”

The architects BusinessWest spoke with for this issue uniformly reported a healthy pipeline of projects this year, which belies a cloudy national forecast for the construction industry. After projecting 6% growth in construction spending in 2017, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) adjusted that to 4% at midyear, and expects that slower pace to continue into 2018.

“However, a somewhat more optimistic view is coming from architecture firms,” Kermit Baker, the AIA’s chief economist, reported in July. “While this could be viewed as architecture firms merely working down their backlog from a few stronger years, that doesn’t appear to be the case … New project inquiries and new design contracts were stronger on average in the first half of 2017 than in 2015 and 2016, and as a result firm backlogs have been growing, not shrinking.”

That’s certainly true at Architecture EL in East Longmeadow, which is so busy, principal Kevin Rothschild-Shea called the pace of projects a double-edged sword — but one he’s happy to face.

“We’re busy with multi-family housing, a bunch of new commercial work, and we’re seeing some new consrtruction, finally, not just renovations,” he noted. “The commercial market is moving along pretty strong. We’ve got more phone calls coming in than we can get to.”

For this issue’s focus on architecture, these regional players explain why they’re optimistic, not just for this year, but beyond.

Rising Tide

One of Caolo & Bieniek’s projects, the South End Community Center in Springfield, just opened last week, Hanifan said. “It’s a nice project because they were displaced from the tornado and finally have a permanent home again.”

Other projects the firm has recently tackled include Easthampton High School, Dupont Middle School in Chicopee, and, at the university level, academic and residential buildings at UMass Amherst. The company has also worked on the Little River fire station in Westfield, recreational fields in Agawam, the Chicopee public-safety complex, new branches of Polish National Credit Union and Arrha Credit Union, and a new senior center and police station in West Boylston.

Edgin said the more the firm works in one niche — senior centers, for instance — the more its reputation grows in that area, and it becomes easier to kand similar jobs.

“We’re diversified — we don’t focus on one project type,” he added. “The problem is, a lot of these communities recognize the need to replace outdated facilities or build new ones; they recognize the need to bring them in line with the current trends, but the costs are often an obstacle.”

Caolo & Bieniek Principals, from left, Curtis Edgin, Jim Hanifan, and Bertram Gardner.

Caolo & Bieniek Principals, from left, Curtis Edgin, Jim Hanifan, and Bertram Gardner.

Still, he added, municipal work never really dries up. “It goes in cycles, up and down. But we’ve been fortunate, and we hope it continues.”

Beyond its healthy niche in higher education, Kuhn Riddle is currently tackling two early-education facilities — Belchertown Day School is moving and Children’s First Enterprises in Granby is expanding — while taking advantage of a rebounding housing market, moving from multi-family projects into more high-end, single-family homes, a niche that dried up during the Great Recession.

“Before 2009, about third of our work was college, a third was general commercial, and a third was residential,” Salvon said. “That single-family home, we’ve had a little bit of that, not like it used to be.”

Rothschild-Shea agreed. “It really tanked after 2008. Multi-family has been starting to move the past few years — we’ve been doing a lot of rehab on multi-family, affordable housing — but we’re starting to see some new construction coming through, which is nice. We are just literally swamped, in best possible way, and we’re happy to see an uptick; it’s good for the whole industry.”

Salvon is equally gratified by what seems like a healthy outlook ahead.

“We feel better off than we were right after the recession, a lot more stable. I don’t feel like we’re getting close to anything like a bubble; it doesn’t seem like the market is too hot,” he said, before emphasizing the importance of repeat business, especially in the higher-ed sector. “What we try to do with the colleges is do good work and keep them happy with our services. Of course, we try to do that with all our clients. It really is about long-term relationships.”

Lean and Green

Caolo & Bieniek has seen a different sort of growth this year, forming a union with Agawam-based Reinhart Associates, which also has a strong track record in municipal work.

“We’ve both been around long enough — 60-plus years now — that we’ve built a loyal clientele that appreciates the services we provide,” Edgin told BusinessWest. “By drawing those resources together, we can compete with some larger firms from outside the area. There are more opportunities to draw on each other’s strengths.”

That said, he and his partners also keep an eye on industry trends, aiming to ensure they remain on the cutting edge at a time when bank branches, senior centers, medical offices, and police stations are designed a lot differently than they were a 20 years ago.

“We put a lot of effort into watching those trends, not just in Massachusetts, but across the country,” he said. “We’re not just looking at our projects, but all projects, seeing what the best practices are for that particular project type.”

Sustainable design is a good example, he went on, noting that ‘green’ was a buzzword a decade ago, but sustainability is here to stay. “The code revisions that continue to roll out keep setting the bar higher and higher, and complying with and exceeding those goals in Massachusetts touches on energy efficiency, quality of space, natural lighting, storm-water runoff on the exterior, and reuse of water.”

Hanifan agreed. “Clients are much more educated and in tune with green building and energy-efficiency standards, but the codes have caught up, and these things are mandated now. Three or four years ago, it was considered advanced building; today it’s all pretty much energy-efficient.”

Edgin isn’t about to rest on the firm’s laurels, but said its local roots are a plus, especially when it comes to developing long-term relationships and earning repeat business “It all comes down to the level of service you offer.”

“That’s probably our strongest marketing tool,” Hanifan added. “If you do a good job on a project, you’re more likely to get selected for the next one.”

And those projects keep on coming. After all, there will always be a need for the next school, library, or senior center.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of September 2017.

AGAWAM

The Church of Redemption
108 Bridge St.
$3,400 — Ground sign

O’Leary-Vincunas No Two, LLC
200 Silver St.
$5,000 — Renovations to office space, put up dividing wall

AMHERST

Amherst College
12 Walnut St.
$10,000 — Remove decking, install new decking

Amherst Woman’s Club
35 Triangle St.
$21,000 — Exterior stair replacement

CHICOPEE

City of Chicopee
51 Newbury St.
$2,000 — Roofing

City of Chicopee
927 James St.
$481,000 — Demolish and replace water-pumping equipment

City of Chicopee
224 Lonczak Dr.
$422,000 — Package pump station to replace old one

City of Chicopee
141 Paderewski St.
$241,000 — Replace pumps and piping

Paul Mailhott
301 Front St.
$90,000 — New commercial building

Romano Karren
677 Grattan St.
$5,000 — Repair stair rails, risers, foundation, and hall ceiling

EAST LONGMEADOW

East Longmeadow Self Storage
91 Industrial Dr.
$80,000 — New commercial building

HADLEY

First Congregational Church
102 Middle St.
$6,500 — Build wall, fix window for vent, convert hole for makeup air

LONGMEADOW

Town of Longmeadow
Academy Drive
$12,944 — Verizon Wireless to remove two antenna panels and install three remote radio heads, distribution sector box, and one fiber cable line

LUDLOW

Eversource Energy
Cherry and Center streets
$11,500 — Cell alterations

Marta Law Office
77 Winsor St.
$30,000 — Commercial alterations

Villa Rose Restaurant
1428 Center St.
$183,000 — Commercial addition

NORTHAMPTON

ES Realty Corp.
34 Bridge St.
$6,000 — Sign

People’s Institute
38 Gothic St.
$76,000 — Roofing

PALMER

Balvir Singh/Pride
1045 Thorndike St.
$1,800 — Sheet-metal work for dental office

Dollar General
2 Breckenridge St.
$16,000 — Sprinkler system for new store

Warka Investments, LLC
1448 North Main St.
$1,800 — Install supply ducts for new office

SPRINGFIELD

Avneet, LLC
305 State St.
$2,500 — Construct handicap ramp

Blue Tarp Development
29 Howard St.
$613,039 — Demolition in preparation for new interior fit-out

City of Springfield
1300 State St.
Demolition work and addition of new wall to separate educational space and storage space at R.L. Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy

ES Industrial, LLC
243 Cottage St.
$3,820,000 — Renovation of existing Springfield Wire facility

Five Town Station, LLC
362-364 Cooley St.
$37,500 — Roofing

MassMutual
1500 Main St.
$230,000 — Demolition of concrete access ramp

Emilo Melchionna
175 Carew St.
$51,712 — Minor wall rework, cosmetic upgrades

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Bob Clark
154 Wayside Ave.
$40,000 — Roofing

Dan Desroyers
1844 Riverdale St.
$33,000 — Renovations to create shared office space

Home Depot USA
179 Dagget Dr.
$1,263,182 — Install outdoor natural-gas clean-energy server and associated equipment

Mitch Salamon
54 Wayside Ave.
$53,851 — Roofing

Seidell Realty
85 Lewis Ave.
$10,000 — Replace windows and door, insulate, cabinet, refinish floors, paint, garage door, repair sheetrock

WILBRAHAM

YMCA of Greater Springfield
45 Post Office Park
$99,392 — Roofing

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

ASHFIELD

615 Old Stage Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Noah Hoffenberg
Seller: David A. Soucie
Date: 08/18/17

844 Spruce Corner Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Jason W. Rasku
Seller: Robert M. Davidson
Date: 08/18/17

BERNARDSTON

712 Brattleboro Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $549,900
Buyer: Thomas Tyminski
Seller: James S. Ruder
Date: 08/15/17

7 Library St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Maddox J. Sprengel
Seller: James D. Trill
Date: 08/22/17

157 Merrifield Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Barbara Massoni
Date: 08/14/17

BUCKLAND

12 Martin Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Chianne P. Hubert
Seller: Dennis D. Smith
Date: 08/18/17

CHARLEMONT

25 Heath Stage Terrace
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Brisson
Seller: Verne W. Bissell TR
Date: 08/18/17

COLRAIN

367 Main Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Leger
Seller: Melissa J. Koncz
Date: 08/15/17

CONWAY

86 River St.
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Veronique C. Blanchard
Seller: Brian W. Burke
Date: 08/17/17

DEERFIELD

18 Conway St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Budlia LLC
Seller: Malcolm J. Cichy
Date: 08/24/17

GREENFIELD

45 Birch St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Natascia M. Pica
Seller: Theresa Jenoure
Date: 08/18/17

93 Burnham Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Craig R. Wray
Seller: Howard J. Arkush
Date: 08/16/17

68 Cheapside St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Bruce G. Thomas
Seller: Rachel Roy
Date: 08/15/17

9 Cherry St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Thomas Semonelli
Seller: Paul H. Robie
Date: 08/25/17

50 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $145,800
Buyer: Shawn Cypher
Seller: Jason W. Rasku
Date: 08/18/17

84 Congress St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $125,500
Buyer: Garrett D. Connelly
Seller: Susan W. Crapo 2007 TR
Date: 08/22/17

53 Devens St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $163,500
Buyer: Igor Taraburca
Seller: Kate H. Albrecht
Date: 08/25/17

50 Eastern Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $190,740
Buyer: Jade R. King
Seller: Meredith T. Southergill
Date: 08/18/17

112 Fairview St. East
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Aleta R. Smith
Seller: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Date: 08/18/17

178 Fairview St. West
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Amy B. Patt
Seller: Joseph J. Gill
Date: 08/25/17

227 French King Hwy.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Rachel M. Roy
Seller: Mary M. Dion
Date: 08/15/17

211 Green River Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $174,500
Buyer: Daniel J. Stafford
Seller: Ann K. Twohig
Date: 08/18/17

370 Green River Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Erin Nugent
Seller: Penfield INT
Date: 08/15/17

102 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Timothy D. Smith-Laclaire
Seller: New Beginning Homes LLC
Date: 08/18/17

14 Laurel St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Aleah M. Diemand
Seller: Shannon L. Guilbault
Date: 08/21/17

17 Madison Circle
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Devorah L. Rosenberg
Seller: Robyn J. Harris
Date: 08/25/17

49 Madison Circle
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jennifer E. Webster
Seller: Sharon L. Pleasant
Date: 08/18/17

10-24 Miles St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $925,000
Buyer: SMR Greenfield TR
Seller: George A. Spence
Date: 08/16/17

242 Mohawk Trail
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Benellie Property Management
Seller: Taco Bell Of America LLC
Date: 08/21/17

11 Raingley Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Cynthia A. Sullivan
Seller: Jerome P. Fish
Date: 08/24/17

85 Sanderson St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Thomas L. Lark
Seller: Jared M. Nugent
Date: 08/14/17

229 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Iomay C. Gleason
Seller: Daniel J. Brisson
Date: 08/18/17

28 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $158,500
Buyer: Joanne B. Hoyt
Seller: Louis J. Bordeaux
Date: 08/17/17

15 Valley View Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Rose E. Ferrari
Seller: Ariel S. Gallantbernstein
Date: 08/22/17

HAWLEY

9 Hunt Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Sidehill Farm LLC
Seller: Shirley A. Hyytinen
Date: 08/23/17

HEATH

4 East Main St.
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $239,596
Buyer: David J. Zahniser
Seller: Helen J. Mackie
Date: 08/24/17

LEVERETT

219 Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Bobbi Hopkins
Seller: Libby Hopkins
Date: 08/21/17

LEYDEN

253 East Hill Road
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Alexandru Teaca
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 08/25/17

MONTAGUE

146 East Chestnut Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $417,500
Buyer: Robert J. Cote
Seller: Stanley E. Stosz
Date: 08/25/17

323 Federal St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $422,000
Buyer: Lynn S. Duggan
Seller: John B. Rittall
Date: 08/22/17

80 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $180,100
Buyer: Peter P. Doyle
Seller: Thomas M. Markol
Date: 08/16/17

54 Old Stage Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: C. Walker Korby
Seller: Joanne M. O’Neil
Date: 08/17/17

4 Prospect St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: William J. Doyle
Seller: William P. Devino
Date: 08/25/17

26 Prospect St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Steven Levin
Seller: Louis Ruvolo
Date: 08/24/17

30 Union St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Philip M. Grandin
Seller: Holly E. Anderson
Date: 08/18/17

NEW SALEM

246 North Main St.
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $233,500
Buyer: Alexander M. Zale
Seller: Robert D. Hamel
Date: 08/24/17

NORTHFIELD

45 Ferncliff Ave.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: David Dukor-Jackson
Seller: Aldo M. Sesia
Date: 08/24/17

563 Pine Meadow Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Mark Alvin
Seller: Daniel L. Whitney
Date: 08/25/17

NORTHFIELD

1 Gulf Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: George B. Voss
Seller: Stephen P. Kucinski
Date: 08/15/17

20 Pine Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $121,000
Buyer: Phillips B. Sherburne
Seller: Pamela S. Haskins
Date: 08/17/17

ORANGE

511 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $230,500
Buyer: Daniel J. Paras
Seller: Craig Blanchard
Date: 08/18/17

29 McKenna St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Jacob W. Laurie
Seller: Mary V. Kimball
Date: 08/15/17

332 North Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Anne M. Loiselle
Seller: Chase FT
Date: 08/17/17

SHELBURNE

99 Main St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Jenny New RET
Seller: Peggy J. Warwick
Date: 08/16/17

269 Mohawk Trail
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: 269 Mohawk Trail LLC
Seller: Sylvia W. Davenport
Date: 08/25/17

411 Mohawk Trail
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Elisei L. Taraburca
Seller: James R. Wade
Date: 08/15/17

SHUTESBURY

147 Baker Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $284,300
Buyer: Claudia Citkovitz
Seller: Alan Condron
Date: 08/25/17

SUNDERLAND

84 Old Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Isla S. Castaneda
Seller: Bruce A. Bennett
Date: 08/16/17

158 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Kendra Ouimette
Seller: Gregory T. Felton
Date: 08/25/17

WARWICK

51 Orange Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Nancy Sunflower
Seller: Gunnar W. Lambert
Date: 08/14/17

WENDELL

10 Rush Road
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Melinda Nutter
Seller: Thomas J. Tyminski
Date: 08/17/17

WHATELY

117 Webber Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: David J. Chez
Seller: Richard C. Spencer
Date: 08/14/17

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

415 Adams St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: William H. Gensheimer
Seller: FNMA
Date: 08/25/17

67 Charter Oak Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $185,100
Buyer: Yaroslav Moshkovskiy
Seller: Deborah A. Saunders
Date: 08/18/17

78 Elmar Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Philip M. Edwards
Seller: Karen Nagel
Date: 08/17/17

73-75 Kanawha Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Alexandr Chicerman
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/21/17

1132 North St., Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Kelsey E. Wellman
Seller: Aaron J. Musa
Date: 08/16/17

250 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Robert M. Hoyle
Seller: Gary Megliola
Date: 08/16/17

BLANDFORD

32 Brookman Dr.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Priscilla Z. Behidj
Seller: Richard L. Matatall
Date: 08/24/17

24 Carol Ave.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Gary A. Mitchell
Seller: James M. Smith
Date: 08/24/17

65 Chester Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Todd Chaffee
Seller: Brian A. Champiney
Date: 08/25/17

81 Main St.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Brian A. Champiney
Seller: Stephen M. Leinbach
Date: 08/25/17

85 Main St.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Michael A. Davenport
Seller: Michael P. Anthony
Date: 08/23/17

47 Otis Tolland Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Shalakow E. Hebig
Seller: Robert C. Frost
Date: 08/24/17

BRIMFIELD

19 2nd St.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Michael P. Gonynor
Seller: Elizabeth Jensen-Maurer
Date: 08/18/17

68 Haynes Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Jacques Mathieu
Seller: Brian Delnegro
Date: 08/24/17

58 Washington Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $129,400
Buyer: Bayview Loan Servicing
Seller: Henry J. Levesque
Date: 08/14/17

CHICOPEE

85 Amherst St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Anne M. Swift
Seller: Samantha Coulter
Date: 08/21/17

144 Beauchamp Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $236,648
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Bonnie L. Lapolice
Date: 08/23/17

66 Beech St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $193,400
Buyer: Jose A. Urbina
Seller: Elaine G. Simmons
Date: 08/21/17

583 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Ryan Manning
Seller: Property 1 LLC
Date: 08/25/17

40 Dale Court
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Elena Abashina
Seller: Ali Kitchell
Date: 08/23/17

30 Daley St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Felicita Cintron-Serrano
Seller: Bayview Loan Servicing
Date: 08/18/17

22 East St. Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Igor Revniuk
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/17/17

190 Frontenac St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,934
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Robert A. Bigby
Date: 08/22/17

102 Jamrog Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Adam Deliefde
Seller: Carolyn M. Wall
Date: 08/18/17

24 Kennedy St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $118,500
Buyer: Toni L. Hager
Seller: Salome Sitek
Date: 08/25/17

202 Lafayette St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Rayan C. Abdulbaki
Seller: Metras, Patricia A., (Estate)
Date: 08/15/17

5 Laramee St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Kelly J. Bizon
Seller: Ellen J. Arseneault
Date: 08/24/17

143 Lukasik St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Westbrook
Seller: Benjamin S. Wilson
Date: 08/25/17

157 Manning St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: David A. Martins
Seller: Jeffrey J. Bagge
Date: 08/15/17

56 Marion St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Akim Rivera
Seller: Sterste, Margita, (Estate)
Date: 08/17/17

732 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Selma Masic
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 08/18/17

128 Medford St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Qusay H. Hawi
Seller: Eugene D. Roux
Date: 08/18/17

52 Morgan Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $381,000
Buyer: Geoffrey J. Creed
Seller: CRA Holdings Inc.
Date: 08/22/17

11 Morris St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Hayder AlHamdani
Seller: George A. Bruneault
Date: 08/15/17

108 Nelson St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Abraxas RT
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 08/18/17

14 Park St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Milan P. Peich
Seller: Jose Dasilva-Ovelheiro
Date: 08/25/17

44 Pendleton Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Glorister Aviles
Seller: Olas Tleis
Date: 08/15/17

19 Pleasant St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Ryan Askew
Seller: Rector Wardens & Vestry
Date: 08/25/17

94 Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $459,000
Buyer: Lavallee Group Inc.
Seller: Maddox Realty LLC
Date: 08/18/17

91 Providence St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Robert J. Arcott
Seller: LTC Enterprises LLC
Date: 08/18/17

12 Spence St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Marc Lyons
Seller: Timothy R. Lukasik
Date: 08/22/17

188 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $243,322
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Joseph T. Collins
Date: 08/14/17

67 Streiber Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Short 4U RT
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 08/18/17

94 Valier Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Scott Patterson
Seller: Timothy A. Day
Date: 08/25/17

69 Wanda St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Shane Brooks
Seller: Donald E. Vitkus
Date: 08/15/17

59 Warwick Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Alphonse Yapo
Seller: Samalid M. Hogan
Date: 08/22/17

1576 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Tyler J. Hadley
Seller: Karen L. Everett
Date: 08/14/17

EAST LONGMEADOW

16 Judy Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Jacob E. Werbicki
Seller: Nathan R. Provost
Date: 08/16/17

33 Longview Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $204,500
Buyer: Paul J. Stebbins
Seller: Daniel B. Desilets
Date: 08/18/17

168 Mountainview Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Brian McVety
Seller: Jill Shaw
Date: 08/25/17

20 Overlook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: David S. Watson
Seller: Binsky, Barbara R., (Estate)
Date: 08/21/17

Peachtree Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Sugar Magnolia RT
Seller: Cabot Real Estate LLC
Date: 08/17/17

68 Timber Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: John P. Rucci
Seller: Eric D. Hagopian
Date: 08/15/17

53 Waterman Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Steven A. Jones
Seller: Douglas S. Dalton
Date: 08/25/17

GRANVILLE

367 Water St.
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Melissa A. Birge
Seller: Michael C. Pultz
Date: 08/18/17

HAMPDEN

325 Allen St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Specht
Seller: Teresa Blask
Date: 08/18/17

38 Carmody Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $315,500
Buyer: Kellsey M. Phillips
Seller: Jeffrey P. Zilch
Date: 08/24/17

46 Echo Valley Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jennifer M. Anderson
Seller: Christian M. Anderson
Date: 08/22/17

36 Issac Bradway Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $144,509
Buyer: Edward J. Haluch
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 08/24/17

92 Mill Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Carolyn M. Rettura
Seller: Gertrude E. Decosmo
Date: 08/25/17

11 Old Coach Circle
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $329,000
Buyer: Jennifer Devine
Seller: Dominic A. Rettura
Date: 08/25/17

56 Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Maria E. Williams
Seller: Joanne Soares
Date: 08/18/17

261 Wilbraham Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Mark Acosta
Seller: Lisa R. Hammerle
Date: 08/14/17

HOLLAND

47 Lake Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $337,500
Buyer: Robert Maryyanek
Seller: Daniel Bugnacki
Date: 08/17/17

1 Lakeridge Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Kaitlin Desmarais
Seller: Ronald J. Lippe
Date: 08/21/17

37 Lakeridge Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Kathryn A. Calo
Seller: Thomas J. Duffy
Date: 08/25/17

93 Sandy Beach Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Jessica Chaffee
Seller: Jonathan Rudd
Date: 08/24/17

101 Union Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Ryan M. Sullivan
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/23/17

HOLYOKE

206 Allyn St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Amanda B. Wojcicki
Seller: Christy A. Geffin
Date: 08/15/17

20 Amherst St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $315,500
Buyer: Karen R. Freedman
Seller: Diane M. Defalco
Date: 08/15/17

54-56 Beacon Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $896,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Cynthia D. Thomas
Date: 08/18/17

74 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Kenneth G. Theroux
Seller: Richard L. Theroux
Date: 08/25/17

91 Chapin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Alex Cowley
Seller: Coakley Corp.
Date: 08/25/17

11 Clark St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Grisel Cruz
Seller: Gregorio Rosario
Date: 08/18/17

81 Edbert Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Elizabeth M. Lafrance
Seller: Christopher J. Dautel
Date: 08/14/17

23 Evergreen Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Denise M. Quinones
Seller: Pearl J. Jackson
Date: 08/17/17

18 Harrison Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Bernardo Ortiz-Rodriguez
Seller: Paul R. Gallagher
Date: 08/17/17

291 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Coakley Corp
Seller: Ricardo Delvalle
Date: 08/16/17

375 Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $368,284
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Sarah A. Bidus
Date: 08/15/17

393-399 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Bayview Loan Servicing
Seller: Ernst Pierre-Louis
Date: 08/14/17

51 Merrick Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Devin D. Egan
Seller: Timothy J. Welch
Date: 08/18/17

97 Mountain View Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Mark C. McDermott
Seller: Barbara Granata
Date: 08/21/17

1653 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $197,500
Buyer: Valley Building Co. Inc.
Seller: Pamela M. Vantassell
Date: 08/14/17

265-267 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Brian Doyle
Seller: Yassine Zian
Date: 08/25/17

119 Ridgewood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Daniel F. Goitein
Seller: Robin L. Martins
Date: 08/15/17

200 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $194,500
Buyer: Jonathan M. Brennan
Seller: Isaac Santana
Date: 08/17/17

21 School St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $148,500
Buyer: Lenin Pacheco-Montero
Seller: Katherine Ryan
Date: 08/14/17

21 Scott Hollow Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: Jody C. Schnabl
Seller: Frank A. Germain
Date: 08/21/17

24 Willow St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Juan C. Uribe
Seller: Jorge I. Alvarez
Date: 08/21/17

LONGMEADOW

63 Albemarle Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Lina A. Hogan
Seller: July Sanchez
Date: 08/16/17

108 Berwick Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $369,000
Buyer: Dawn M. Quercia
Seller: Robert H. Basdekis
Date: 08/17/17

133 Colony Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: Thomas J. Lacasse
Date: 08/15/17

101 Englewood Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Carl Jasmin
Seller: Phyllis A. Goldblatt
Date: 08/23/17

61 Fairhill Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $392,500
Buyer: Jeffrey Belkin
Seller: Cynthia Kornet
Date: 08/22/17

7 Farmington Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Rodney Kuntz
Seller: Justin B. Clemow
Date: 08/14/17

256 Laurel St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $308,500
Buyer: Patrick M. Flanagan
Seller: Peter M. Stearns
Date: 08/23/17

31 Leetewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Alissa J. Teta-Bachelor
Seller: Dawn Baird
Date: 08/22/17

124 Longfellow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $506,000
Buyer: Song Zhang
Seller: Brice D. Englert
Date: 08/18/17

201 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Gaurav Narula
Seller: Michael P. Doyle
Date: 08/17/17

857 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Northelm RT
Seller: Patricia Rizzo
Date: 08/25/17

6 Meadowbrook Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Christine A. Kervian
Seller: Jackson, Barbara, (Estate)
Date: 08/25/17

64 Meadowlark Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $321,450
Buyer: Luke M. Rutkowski
Seller: Andrea S. Martin
Date: 08/16/17

85 Pinewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Joshua J. Brickel
Seller: Robert G. Pierson
Date: 08/24/17

86 Pleasantview Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: Benjamin J. Weiss
Seller: Edward J. Barkett
Date: 08/14/17

52 Wilkin Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Yatin P. Patil
Seller: FNMA
Date: 08/25/17

213 Wolf Swamp Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Jessica Lewis
Seller: Smith, Ruth M., (Estate)
Date: 08/14/17

42 Woodlawn Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Benjamin A. Kraus
Seller: Harold S. Anderson
Date: 08/23/17

LUDLOW

20 Birch St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Henry Hampton
Seller: Maria Moran
Date: 08/17/17

230 Clover Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $284,000
Buyer: Glenn S. Peabody
Seller: Henry G. Banas
Date: 08/25/17

861 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $308,000
Buyer: Emmah Wanjiru
Seller: Wilhelmina Wachter
Date: 08/22/17

44 Green St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Matthew Papia
Seller: Keith Fulton
Date: 08/18/17

5 Homestretch Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Tania Chrzanowski
Seller: Mary E. Muzzy
Date: 08/21/17

191 Moore St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Craig Macmaster
Seller: Macmaster, Wenonah, (Estate)
Date: 08/25/17

62 Norwich Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Donald R. Cameron
Seller: Steven E. Koeninger
Date: 08/24/17

76 Pine St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Poomjai A. Pollawit
Seller: Mario P. Santos
Date: 08/15/17

115-117 Prospect St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Jeffrey E. Sexton
Seller: Ariane N. Gallup
Date: 08/25/17

30 Regall St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Elizabeth A. Marble
Seller: Nancy J. Como
Date: 08/17/17

57 Russell St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $142,419
Buyer: Abraxas RT
Seller: US Bank
Date: 08/14/17

111 Southwood Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Eric Kosciusko
Seller: James Pirog
Date: 08/17/17

149 Waverly Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $364,900
Buyer: Kristen N. Miller
Seller: John S. Lovely
Date: 08/15/17

362 Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Gremio Lusitano Inc.
Seller: Manuel S. Tereso
Date: 08/17/17

MONSON

Margaret St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Antonio J. Siciliano
Seller: Tracie A. Lampson
Date: 08/25/17

65 Stafford Hollow Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Shawn Bronson
Seller: Christopher Lepoer
Date: 08/18/17

33 Upper Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Deborah Winchester
Seller: Martha M. Rickson
Date: 08/23/17

27 Zuell Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Paul F. Muzzy
Seller: Tania Chrzanowski
Date: 08/21/17

MONTGOMERY

58 Birch Bluff Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $319,900
Buyer: Christopher Bush
Seller: David A. Hayes
Date: 08/18/17

PALMER

2 Belchertown St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Lazaro O. Cruz
Seller: Roger W. Barnes
Date: 08/22/17

21 Coache St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Samuel J. Renaud
Seller: David A. Landino
Date: 08/25/17

110 Griffin St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $157,234
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Yvan L. Latulippe
Date: 08/16/17

4108-4110 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Yan W. Wu
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 08/14/17

4419 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Michael J. Jacobs
Seller: Christine R. Corrow
Date: 08/25/17

15 Longview St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Jesus Cardenales
Seller: Pamela Outhuse
Date: 08/25/17

1528-1530 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $271,000
Buyer: Abimael Claudio
Seller: Gary L. Libiszewski
Date: 08/17/17

2013 Pine St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Donald R. Buzzell
Date: 08/23/17

8 Riverview Pkwy.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $156,600
Buyer: Erin E. Messier
Seller: Robert W. Nicholas
Date: 08/16/17

249 Ware St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $214,900
Buyer: Matthew P. Desmarais
Seller: JNB Property Investment
Date: 08/16/17

24 Whalen St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Shawn M. Desabrais
Seller: Jose Goncalves
Date: 08/16/17

RUSSELL

225 Huntington Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Kathleen M. Dubour
Seller: Barber, Blanche L., (Estate)
Date: 08/17/17

101 Old Westfield Road
Russell, MA 01034
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Peter C. Assarian
Seller: Sharon P. Ashton
Date: 08/24/17

30 Ridgewood Dr.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Tyler D. Willey-Vyce
Seller: Sharon J. Willey
Date: 08/25/17

SOUTHWICK

41 Bungalow St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Robert Bosco
Seller: Clayton A. Cigal
Date: 08/17/17

4 Island Pond Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Jennifer A. Bouley
Seller: Jennifer A. Lapierre
Date: 08/24/17

18 Kimberly Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Carreira
Seller: Jodi H. Wagner
Date: 08/18/17

3 Mallard Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Carolyn S. Gagliarducci
Seller: James A. Demeo
Date: 08/16/17

134 North Lake Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Richard J. Anderson
Seller: Jennifer Whitman
Date: 08/14/17

3 Sterrett Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Ronald G. Crain
Seller: Brian A. Rachele
Date: 08/25/17

SPRINGFIELD

41 Aberdale Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Michael T. Lynch
Seller: Lori A. Beston
Date: 08/16/17

603 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $147,606
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Sheileen R. Talbot
Date: 08/16/17

582-584 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $233,489
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Juan C. Gonzalez
Date: 08/14/17

104 Ashbrook St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $163,500
Buyer: Kelley Diederich
Seller: Marissa J. Turnbull
Date: 08/18/17

18 Barry Wills Place
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Katherine E. Conway
Seller: Kristin L. Jacobs
Date: 08/15/17

965 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Aastha Bansri LLC
Seller: Huang Family Property LLC
Date: 08/18/17

54 Brighton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Evert Campbell
Seller: Thomas C. Hegarty
Date: 08/21/17

25 Bruce St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Daniel Morais
Seller: Israel Rivera
Date: 08/25/17

15-17 Bryant St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Sumner Avenue Realty LLC
Seller: Robert D. Valentine
Date: 08/22/17

25 Burnside Terrace
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $126,500
Buyer: Wayne A. Freeman
Seller: Ronald R. Duquette
Date: 08/25/17

365 Cadwell Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Cal Rolling Hills LLC
Seller: East Coast Springfield Development
Date: 08/22/17

89 Calley St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Jennifer E. Banker LT
Seller: Edward Szczepanek
Date: 08/18/17

1215 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Jessica M. Ortiz
Seller: Jean N. Jacobs
Date: 08/21/17

75 Chapin Terrace
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Julio A. Rodriguez
Seller: Thomas G. Hidalgo
Date: 08/18/17

58 Crawford Circle
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Della Ripa Real Estate
Seller: Frank Depergola
Date: 08/18/17

23 Curtis St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Rita A. Cruz-Maria
Seller: Myriam I. Laboy
Date: 08/16/17

11 Dunbar St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Edward V. Wrann
Seller: Deanna S. Laffan
Date: 08/17/17

40 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Luz M. Cotto
Seller: Kathleen Weldon
Date: 08/17/17

228 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Carmen L. Cruz
Seller: Jamie L. Erickson
Date: 08/25/17

48 Elwood Dr.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Lay Seng
Seller: Diana Kumisca
Date: 08/18/17

93 Emerson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Sendra
Seller: Dennis M. Frizzell
Date: 08/23/17

259 Gresham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Isamal M. Franceschi
Seller: Edward J. Haluch
Date: 08/25/17

78 Healey St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Marie A. Toussaint
Seller: Tok Chang
Date: 08/25/17

38 Ina St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $115,280
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Gerald R. Cottle
Date: 08/14/17

101 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Jasnia Realty LLC
Seller: Hampden Realty LLC
Date: 08/17/17

72 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Mercy Jenkins
Seller: FP Realty LLC
Date: 08/17/17

107 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Jasnia Realty LLC
Seller: Hampden Realty LLC
Date: 08/17/17

33 Ladd St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Dora Morales
Seller: Salim Abdoo
Date: 08/23/17

47-49 Langdon St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Gilberto Vargas
Seller: Furman, Rose H., (Estate)
Date: 08/15/17

50 Madison Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Alexander Rodriguez
Seller: Tania I. Ruiz
Date: 08/18/17

6 Maplewood Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $151,637
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Robert W. Ruff
Date: 08/23/17

106 Meadowlark Lane
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Kim M. Charles
Seller: Cheryl A. Chavis
Date: 08/18/17

27 Mountainview St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $151,500
Buyer: Israel R. Willard
Seller: Shawn A. Rairigh
Date: 08/15/17

328 Newhouse St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Roberto Villafane
Seller: Donald Mactavish
Date: 08/25/17

114 Oklahoma St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Gisele M. Daggett
Seller: Jacob E. Werbicki
Date: 08/16/17

20 Parkin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Dallana Bournigal
Seller: Andrea Igoe
Date: 08/22/17

581 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Krystal Thomas
Seller: Michael Prignano
Date: 08/21/17

194 Pondview Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Myles Callender
Seller: Brenda L. Collins
Date: 08/25/17

15 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $166,500
Buyer: Jose A. Vasco
Seller: Kent D. Davies
Date: 08/25/17

24 Puritan Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Edwin Irizarry
Seller: Michael W. Mettey
Date: 08/14/17

177 Ramblewood Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Takiya N. Tillman
Seller: Anthony C. Racco
Date: 08/24/17

59 Senator St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Edwin Lopez
Seller: John A. Teague
Date: 08/18/17

14 Silvia St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Delania C. Barbee
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 08/22/17

129 Spruceland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Jesse Lederman
Seller: Jeffrey S. Moores
Date: 08/15/17

685 State St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Jasnia Realty LLC
Seller: Springfield Homes LLC
Date: 08/17/17

42 Stephanie Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Cedar Investment Group
Seller: Hallam B. Howell
Date: 08/23/17

104 Sunapee St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Linda N. Dockery
Seller: William Raleigh
Date: 08/18/17

77 Sunrise Terrace
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: David T. Cioch
Seller: Eric S. Dymnicki
Date: 08/17/17

359 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Luis A. Rivera
Seller: Ronald J. Kalinowski
Date: 08/25/17

25-27 Underwood St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Lathasia Lee-Shabazz
Seller: Xiuyu Ma
Date: 08/24/17

96 Vadnais St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Domenico Fratamico
Seller: Antonic LLC
Date: 08/15/17

43 Van Ness St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Zuleyka N. Cortez
Seller: Angel Mojica
Date: 08/25/17

343-345 Water St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: FV 1 Inc.
Seller: Kellie Lynch
Date: 08/14/17

12 Wells St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Adam R. Morrison
Seller: Donald Wiswall TR
Date: 08/15/17

21 Westbank Court
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Benjamin A. Marotte
Seller: Maureen A. Marotte
Date: 08/15/17

120 Westminster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Jamal S. Seymour
Seller: Charles D. Allen
Date: 08/22/17

169 Westminster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Keith R. Sheppard
Seller: Eva Brown
Date: 08/14/17

45 Wing St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $127,920
Buyer: Bank Of New York Mellon
Seller: Jeffrey R. Rostron
Date: 08/15/17

54 Wing St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Felix Suya
Seller: Robert J. Bernardos
Date: 08/21/17

64 Wisteria St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Simone Martin
Seller: Theresa A. Moccio
Date: 08/25/17

TOLLAND

718 Burt Hill Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Patrick W. Barrett
Seller: Jason M. Smith
Date: 08/25/17

WALES

29 Lake George Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Lori A. Vezina
Seller: Christopher Rataj
Date: 08/21/17

WEST SPRINGFIELD

192 Bear Hole Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $233,900
Buyer: Brenda X. Chavez
Seller: Citizens Bank
Date: 08/16/17

150 Butternut Hollow Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Nicholas Alfano
Seller: Earl J. Haubenreiser
Date: 08/17/17

309 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $169,700
Buyer: Bayview Loan Servicing
Seller: MP Consulting Inc.
Date: 08/14/17

62 Fairview Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: AGA Properties LLC
Seller: Lori A. Smith
Date: 08/17/17

24 Jensen Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Donald D. Skorka
Date: 08/23/17

122 Nelson St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Katherine S. Shallbetter
Seller: Wanat, Elaine M., (Estate)
Date: 08/18/17

33 Old Westfield Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $264,100
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: David F. Dombrowski
Date: 08/25/17

112 Partridge Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $394,500
Buyer: Adam A. Tebaldi
Seller: Debra A. Whiting
Date: 08/16/17

314 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Peter Mones
Seller: V. Mortgage REO 2 LLC
Date: 08/17/17

83 Sibley Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: Isaac Santana
Seller: Jose Ramos
Date: 08/18/17

WESTFIELD

90 Big Wood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $229,500
Buyer: Todd S. Cieplinski
Seller: Vanessa E. Beattie
Date: 08/15/17

63 Birch Bluffs Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Kevin J. Gabryel
Seller: LP 4 LLC
Date: 08/24/17

309 Buck Pond Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Manuel J. Minchala-Tacuri
Seller: Edward Kolenda
Date: 08/18/17

84 Cardinal Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $359,000
Buyer: Michael Graveline
Seller: Thomas W. Humphrey
Date: 08/18/17

89 Carroll Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $201,900
Buyer: James M. Roncarati
Seller: Kelseys Corner LLC
Date: 08/22/17

34 Holland Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Koehler
Seller: Janice M. Parisi
Date: 08/18/17

70 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Troy A. Beaulac
Seller: Leonard E. Belcher Inc.
Date: 08/22/17

5 Lathrop Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Ziad N. Kutayli
Seller: David Koerber
Date: 08/16/17

419 Little River Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $266,500
Buyer: Kimberly A. Bond
Seller: Theodore M. Buynicki
Date: 08/16/17

14 Miller St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Nicorn LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 08/23/17

37 Old Farm Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $244,900
Buyer: Ashley M. Traynor
Seller: James A. Cook
Date: 08/23/17

68 Old Quarry Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Stephanie N. Alvarez
Seller: Christopher M. Bush
Date: 08/18/17

70 Turnpike Industrial Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $3,612,500
Buyer: 70 Turnpike Owner SPE LLC
Seller: Spirit SPE Portfolio 2006
Date: 08/14/17

144 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $287,900
Buyer: Patrick J. Kiendzior
Seller: Dan W. Gordner
Date: 08/14/17

11 Washington St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Agape Church
Seller: Advent Christian Church
Date: 08/25/17

WILBRAHAM

26 Bittersweet Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $367,500
Buyer: Michael P. Verteramo
Seller: Paul J. Stebbins
Date: 08/18/17

64 Brainard Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jennifer Assad
Seller: Mikiel Setian
Date: 08/15/17

5 Brookside Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: Michael K. McIntyre
Seller: Joan K. Hale RET
Date: 08/21/17

15 Circle Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $142,501
Buyer: High Ridge Real Estate
Seller: Gipssy S. McKenzie
Date: 08/18/17

12 Dalton St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Justin Jones
Seller: Evelyn Blanco
Date: 08/15/17

15 Danforth Farms Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: Cyril Joseph
Seller: Franklin R. Moore
Date: 08/25/17

638 Glendale Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $311,000
Buyer: Joshua M. Laflamme
Seller: Bank New York Mellon
Date: 08/18/17

540 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $259,865
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Janice B. Bogdahn
Date: 08/14/17

225 Maynard Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Paul Henry
Seller: Linda T. Cooper
Date: 08/25/17

8 Mountainbrook Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $284,900
Buyer: Suzanne Morneau
Seller: Carol D. Danio
Date: 08/22/17

4 Nokomis Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Linda H. Smith
Seller: Susan D. Hucul
Date: 08/24/17

23 Oldwood Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $412,000
Buyer: Chad A. McLeod
Seller: Deirdre M. Barbeau
Date: 08/17/17

7 Railroad Ave.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Shannon Court LLC
Seller: George J. Scarfe
Date: 08/18/17

851 Ridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Christopher C. Hill
Seller: Pola M. Valentine
Date: 08/25/17

2 South Park Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: James A. Coletta
Seller: Mary T. Petrone
Date: 08/14/17

476 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Nicholas Marsland
Seller: Kevin J. Czaplicki
Date: 08/22/17

33 Stonegate Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Jeffrey P. Zilch
Seller: Mary A. Chase
Date: 08/24/17

Stonington Dr. #5
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Michael J. Thompson
Seller: Silo Farm Associates LLC
Date: 08/15/17

1225 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $446,000
Buyer: Brian Rachele
Seller: John Ferrera
Date: 08/25/17

4 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Paquette Realty Holdings
Seller: Newlife International Ministries
Date: 08/24/17

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

7 Alyssum Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Stephanie K. Mattrey
Seller: Carolyn A. McGill
Date: 08/21/17

9 Canterbury Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $724,900
Buyer: Haas LT
Seller: Thomas F. Seymour
Date: 08/22/17

155 East Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $382,500
Buyer: Andrew R. Reiter
Seller: 220 North East Street LLC
Date: 08/18/17

124 Grantwood Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Marmanis Sayegh LLC
Seller: Richard A. Mears
Date: 08/18/17

174 Lincoln Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: Alison I. Ash RET
Seller: Katherine S. Newman
Date: 08/22/17

167 Montague Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Jason R. Aldrich RET
Seller: Janna L. Aldrich
Date: 08/15/17

1072 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: Leslie W. Lorber
Seller: Janet A. Brongers
Date: 08/21/17

215 Sunset Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: Kilerine Properties LLC
Seller: Marcos Y. Kleinerman
Date: 08/17/17

62 Taylor St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Justin T. Serpone
Seller: Katrin Verclas
Date: 08/21/17

6 University Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $4,975,000
Buyer: Gleason Johndrow Rentals
Seller: Woodgreen Amherst LP
Date: 08/25/17

BELCHERTOWN

23 Blacksmith Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Paul B. Morris
Seller: Todd W. Bergstrom
Date: 08/15/17

471 Daniel Shays Hwy.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Michael D. Schwendenmann
Seller: Stephen J. Grader
Date: 08/17/17

25 Dogwood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $379,900
Buyer: Allen J. Bousquet
Seller: Benchmark Custom Homes
Date: 08/24/17

19 Fletcher Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Matthew W. Reynolds
Seller: Kozak FT
Date: 08/17/17

42 Jabish St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Gary P. Gougeun
Seller: Joseph F. Sarno
Date: 08/17/17

85 Turkey Hill Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Kimberly Wright
Seller: Kevin R. Green
Date: 08/18/17

15 Robin Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Donald R. Mactavish
Seller: James B. Doran
Date: 08/24/17

EASTHAMPTON

90 Briggs St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $229,500
Buyer: Thomas & L. Lombardo LT
Seller: Victor M. & J. J. Arrighi IRT
Date: 08/23/17

65 Clark St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Robert F. Tremble RET
Seller: Josh M. Ley
Date: 08/17/17

416 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $260,980
Buyer: Katherine Hereld
Seller: Alexander D. Lapointe
Date: 08/21/17

13-15 Exeter St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $247,900
Buyer: Laura F. Arbeitman
Seller: New City Properties LLC
Date: 08/16/17

198 Hendrick St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Pasqualina Azzarello
Seller: Amy B. Davis
Date: 08/15/17

200 Hendrick St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Daryle B. Powers
Seller: Michael L. Richard
Date: 08/14/17

109 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Corissa L. Colon
Seller: Czarnik, Helen M., (Estate)
Date: 08/18/17

20 Lyman St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Alexander D. Lapointe
Seller: Mary E. Facteau
Date: 08/21/17

264 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: 264 Main Street RT
Seller: Charles R. Robertson
Date: 08/25/17

140 Park St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Kiah Mcandrew-Davis
Seller: Andrea D. Martelli
Date: 08/21/17

25 Pine Hill Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Earl C. Frey
Seller: Shawn D. Osterfund
Date: 08/18/17

16 Searls St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $138,500
Buyer: Bryan Emond
Seller: FNMA
Date: 08/23/17

37 Ward Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $271,000
Buyer: Melissa E. Peters
Seller: Kevin J. Ovitt
Date: 08/21/17

9 Wilton Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Katherine N. Fedorov
Seller: Crossroads Property Investors
Date: 08/15/17

GOSHEN

705 East St.
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $231,364
Buyer: David T. Lashway
Seller: Deborah L. Soto
Date: 08/16/17

54 Fuller Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Timothy M. Lamere
Seller: Burns, Thomas E., (Estate)
Date: 08/22/17

GRANBY

90 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Kelly Bicket
Seller: Scott Family Properties
Date: 08/25/17

17 Carver St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Matthew O. Harrington
Seller: A. Nebraska Corp.
Date: 08/18/17

142 New Ludlow Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Diana L. Sullivan
Seller: Cathy Grayson
Date: 08/18/17

250 Taylor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Shaina Berneche
Seller: Edward M. Chrusciel
Date: 08/25/17

HADLEY

112 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Maureen K. Devine
Seller: Neil M. Longley
Date: 08/16/17

29 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: D. Stanford-Haddock
Seller: Kostek 2007 FT
Date: 08/15/17

South Maple St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Arthur C. West
Seller: Robert A. West
Date: 08/22/17

HATFIELD

14 Sunset Ave.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Kathryn A. Poole
Seller: Karen Holman
Date: 08/15/17

58 West St.
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Darlene M. Omasta
Seller: Goller, Ronald C., (Estate)
Date: 08/25/17

HUNTINGTON

96 Pond Brook Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $144,900
Buyer: Molly A. Scott-Smith
Seller: A. Michael Petrovsky
Date: 08/22/17

NORTHAMPTON

11 Beaver Brook Loop
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Aileen M. Gleason
Seller: Beaver Brook NT
Date: 08/25/17

86 Cahillane Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Richard C. Spencer
Seller: Nikki Davenbrie
Date: 08/14/17

133 Cardinal Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $467,000
Buyer: Mary J. Persaud
Seller: Michelle R. Warren
Date: 08/15/17

160 Coles Meadow Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Celia A. Mackinnon
Seller: Sven Huggins
Date: 08/24/17

53 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Tomasz A. Wiraszka
Seller: Nicholas P. Lata
Date: 08/24/17

14 Evergreen Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Rachel C. Baker
Seller: Greenwood, Richard E., (Estate)
Date: 08/15/17

982 Florence Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Shaver
Seller: Edwin H. Larson
Date: 08/15/17

17 Holly Court
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Ann M. Sollinger
Seller: Matthew A. Motamedi
Date: 08/17/17

31 Lilly St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Allison Gomes
Seller: Macgregor J. Thomson
Date: 08/15/17

25 Maynard Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $484,000
Buyer: David J. Kieval
Seller: Scott T. Urban
Date: 08/24/17

101 Old Ferry Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Mandeng C. Minor
Seller: Norwich Properties LLC
Date: 08/21/17

Prince St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Servicenet Inc.
Seller: Hospital Hill Development
Date: 08/14/17

261 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $361,100
Buyer: Stephen R. Taranto
Seller: Darlene M. Baker
Date: 08/14/17

269 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $361,800
Buyer: Julie R. Thomson
Seller: Edmund M. Harris
Date: 08/15/17

7 Shepherds Hollow Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Janice L. Cooper
Seller: Rachel D. Cartmell
Date: 08/18/17

127 Williams St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $231,700
Buyer: William B. Sawyer
Seller: Laura L. Maziarz
Date: 08/25/17

PELHAM

47 Arnold Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $458,000
Buyer: John W. Cherry TR
Seller: Mark Lange
Date: 08/15/17

57 Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $347,500
Buyer: Christina P. Taylor
Seller: Roberta L. Diehl
Date: 08/17/17

SOUTH HADLEY

206 Brainerd St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $444,000
Buyer: Benjamin W. Tucker
Seller: Roger W. Tucker
Date: 08/25/17

25 Brittany Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Raymond J. Mackenzie
Seller: Adele B. Reynolds
Date: 08/21/17

130 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $442,000
Buyer: Kenneth D. Brumer
Seller: Robert J. Pleasure
Date: 08/15/17

113 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $263,900
Buyer: Kathryn Guggino
Seller: Matthew O. Harrington
Date: 08/17/17

118 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: ARJ 15 T B
Seller: 4 Seasons Property Maintenance
Date: 08/22/17

775 New Ludlow Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $5,595,000
Buyer: Maple Brothers Industrial Co.
Seller: Store Master Funding 3
Date: 08/24/17

49 Noel St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Gilroy Property Renewal
Seller: Henry Tessier RET
Date: 08/22/17

1 Promenade Way
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Nichols Everett RT
Seller: Mary Lou Krause TR
Date: 08/15/17

25 Red Bridge Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $429,000
Buyer: Andrew G. Reiter
Seller: William M. Herchuck
Date: 08/24/17

27 Waite Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $185,680
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Richard L. Felt
Date: 08/23/17

SOUTHAMPTON

32 Bissonnette Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: 32 Management LLC
Seller: Kyle C. Winkler
Date: 08/15/17

6 Couture Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $124,500
Buyer: Restorative Properties
Seller: FNMA
Date: 08/22/17

24 Hillside Meadows Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Janice M. Jasiorkowski
Seller: Antonio S. Silva
Date: 08/14/17

16 Katelyn Way
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $622,000
Buyer: Stephen Lee
Seller: Ryan L. Geeleher
Date: 08/21/17

WARE

306 Beaver Lake Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Edward Murphy
Seller: Stephen A. Williams
Date: 08/15/17

51 Chestnut St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Jason Alexandrovich
Seller: Donald J. Vadnais
Date: 08/18/17

5 Horseshoe Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Kim A. Otis
Seller: Robert M. Heon
Date: 08/15/17

290 Malboeuf Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Andrew Egan
Seller: Citibank
Date: 08/18/17

47-49 Pulaski St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Joseph Pacheco
Seller: Timothy P. Connelly
Date: 08/25/17

177 River Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Christine E. Lloyd
Seller: James J. Leary
Date: 08/25/17

10 Wildflower Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $299,500
Buyer: Ann Podsiadlo
Seller: Belco Construction Co. Inc.
Date: 08/22/17

WESTHAMPTON

302 Main Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $436,000
Buyer: Jennifer E. Nichols
Seller: Thomas W. Gallenstein
Date: 08/25/17

WILLIAMSBURG

7 Cider Mill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $620,500
Buyer: Jonathan Ames
Seller: Lori A. Schwartz
Date: 08/15/17

WORTHINGTON

225 Thayer Hill Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Abigail L. Shallcross
Seller: Elke Astrid-Ryan
Date: 08/17/17

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies Departments

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

Alvarez, Lisette
109 School St., Apt. 1
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/17

Aponte, Jose L.
169 Santa Barbara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/29/17

Arnold, Harold Lee
275 Chestnut St., Apt 427
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/17

Barthelette, Ronald R.
48 Laramee St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/17

Belville, Robin A.
270 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/24/17

Benoit, Ronald William
Benoit, Joy Lin
22 Florida Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/18/17

Bishop, Marshall James
29 Cottage Ave.
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/21/17

Black, Paul R
Black, Yvonne K.
735 Memorial Dr., Trailer 2
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/22/17

Blaser, Charles A.
Blaser, Elizabeth Anne
120 Autumn Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/17

Bromley, Lukas William
321 School St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Brown, Jacqueline
1076 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/28/17

Bushey, Miranda J.
114 South Main St.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/17

Caceres, Pedro J.
245 Blueberry Hill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/17

Coby, Michael Ernest
23 West Glen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/17

Carroll, Veronica Anita
16 Olivine St., Apt. 2
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Craven, Caroll Ann
498 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/17

Degnan, Kathleen E.
225 Connecticut Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/17

Durchanek, Julia Heyde
a/k/a Vanderminden, Julia Heyde
1250 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040-1928
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/21/17

Gordon, Alexander H.
2009 Overlook Dr.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Greaney, Margaret
34 Dartmouth St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Hartmann, Curtis E.
139 Union St., Unit 22
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/17

Hieronymus, Kurt P.
59 Vincent Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/30/17

Hill, Tamara W.
646 Alden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/25/17

Ivaldi, Glenn A.
85 Rayburn Road
Stoughton, MA 02072
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Jacobs, John F.
20 Greenwood St., Apt. E
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/22/17

Joseph, Wilfred
Joseph, Joselie
P.O. Box 80177
Springfield, MA 01138
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/29/17

LaCoy, Kyle A.
268 West Orange Road
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Langone, Anthony J.
1 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/17

Leblanc, Lori Anna
3795 South Athol Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Maldonado, Leiha F.
48 Mechanic St., Unit A
Shelburne, MA 01370
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/17/17

Mariani, Christina G.
33 Green St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Marshall, Sarah A.
111 Warner St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/17

Mejias, Gil
a/k/a Mejias, Maryjane R.
89 Pearl St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/22/17

Montalban, Esther
200 Windmere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Muradian-Brubach, Claudia
76 Valley View Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

O’Brien, Betty Jo
a/k/a O’Brien-Goodreau, Betty Jo
27 Lathrop St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/17

Paul, Michelle J.
47 Brunswick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/17

Raspaldo, Marta
a/k/a Raspaldo Ortiz, Marta
101 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/17

Rexroad, Karen Lee
a/k/a Davidson, Karen L.
30 N. Fitzwilliam Road
Royalston, MA 01368
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Rexroad, Milton Andrew
30 North Fitzwilliam Road
Royalston, MA 01368
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Robertson, Warren S.
Robertson, Carol A.
a/k/a Hastedt, Carol
80 Third St.
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/21/17

Rodriguez, Luis E.
Rodriguez, Paula M.
a/k/a Nutting, Paula
18 Guy Place
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/17

Ruge, Gregory
a/k/a Ruge, Grigoriy
50 Kanawha Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Saenz, Luis G.
58 Chamnell
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/17

Sanchez, Aida Luz
155 Florence St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/17

Sanders, Drena Ashannon
116 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/17

Schebel Construction
Schebel, Joseph F.
71 Columbia Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/22/17

Silliker, Ashley B.
33 Harvey St.
Thorndike, MA 01079
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/17

Smith, Jeannavice L.
76 Enfield St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/17

Stark, Mary
73 Outer Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/28/17

Sternowski, Scott J.
Sternowski, Katie C.
484 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/25/17

Tirado, Eddie
a/k/a Pacheco, Eddie Tirado
19 Saab Court, Apt. 106
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Tressler, William M.
32 Southworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/17

Vosit, Joseph George
Vosit, Elaine Marie
25 Sherwood Dr.
Lenox, MA 01240
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

Wendt, Erhard A.
PO Box 456
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/17

White, Rachel
1470 Dunhamton Brimfield
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/17

Wzorek, Judy A.
114 Edbert St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/22/17

Zemojtel, Linda Ann
34 High St.
Gilbertville, MA 01031
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/17

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of September 2017.

AMHERST

Joy Art Space
196 North Pleasant St.
Lily Friedling

Pioneer Valley Driving School
256 North Pleasant St.
Mary Paciorek

CHICOPEE

Arrowspeed Archery
769 Prospect St.
Paul Banas

Economy Auto Service
957 Meadow St.
Ariel Ortiz

New England Racers Auction Trade Show
123 Watson St.
Donald Sorel Jr.

NGR Home Improvement
55 Forest St., Unit 1
Nelson Lopez

R. Tetreault Roofing & Siding
70 Westport Dr.
Red Tetreault

Truehart Wellness
264 Exchange St., Unit 2
Rochelle Truehart-Lambert

EAST LONGMEADOW

Ascent Dental Solutions, LLC
250 North Main St.
Kevin Coughlin

Kind Hands Care at Home, LLC
296 North Main St., Suite 20
Janet Maggs, Elizabeth Davila

Permanent Makeup and Skin Care by Rhonda
38 Harkness Ave.
Rhonda Black

Vicky Linda’s
741 Parker St.
Victoria Campbell

HADLEY

Ecuador Andino Store
41A Russell St.
Luis Gavay

Shine Acupuncture
226 Russell St.
Stephanie Mattrey

HOLYOKE

Almonte Market II
129 Sargeant St.
Brian Almonte

Big Buddha Pet Services
127 St. Jerome Ave.
Danielle Pikul

Digital Soul Web Marketing
63 Jackson St.
Igor Poltavets

Dollar General Store #19121
2261 Northampton St.
DG Retail, LLC

Tapestry Health System Inc.
15A Main St.
Tapestry Health System Inc.

Tapestry Health System Inc.
306 Race St.
Tapestry Health System Inc.

LUDLOW

3 Arrow Taxidermy Studio
66 Chapin St.
Vincent Kersey

AJE Financial Services
588 Center St.
Robin Wdowiak

Country Paw Mobile Grooming
531 Pinecone Lane
Alexa Wurszt

NORTHAMPTON

By Thy Grace
45 Main St.
Cher Lemire

Dobra Tea
186 Main St.
Allissa Jukiro, Joel Jukiro

Elo Blue
26 Bedford Terr., #2
Christina Lorimer, Rafael Bresson da Silva Teixeira

Familiars Coffee & Tea
6 Strong Ave.
Isaac Weiner, Daniel McColgan

Maria Katharine
840 Florence Road
Maria Ramsey

Pinch
179 Main St.
Jena Sujat

Pioneer Valley Death with Dignity Action Group
65 Franklin St.
John Berkowitz

Sitelab Architecture & Design
35 Maynard Road
Caryly Brause

Urban Mamasong Inc.
1 Venturers Field Road, #2
Gabrilla Ballard

SOUTHWICK

Ed Roberts Staffing Solutions
72 Vining Hill Road
Edward Roberts

New Ears Affordable Hearing Care
610 College Highway, Unit 13A
Gary Winn

New England Disc Golf Center Inc.
51 John Mason Road
Freda Brown

Rideout Builders
17 Powder Mill Road
Larry Rideout

SPRINGFIELD

A & J Automotive
1307 Worcester St.
Ayyub Abdul-Alim

Advance Stores Co.
1100 St. James Ave.
Bonita Johnson

Bright Eyes Daycare
21 Belmont Place
Rebecca Maldonado

Caleb’s Auto Detailing
69 Wilmont St.
Nehemias Enrique

D.R.S.
64 Fox Hill Road
David Smith

Elegance Limo Services
21 Belmont Place
Albert Maldonado

Elsie’s Flower Shop
182 Main St.
Vicente Porfirio

Kamys Handyman, LLC
50 Leyfred Terr.
Luis Casiano Acosta

Lilac Gray
7 Matthew St.
Carol Boardway-Chapin

S.E.A.L. Trucking
394 Canon Circle
Anthony Goncalez

Secrets of a Diva
152 Lamplighter Lane
Latasia Echols

Tapestry
1985 Main St.
Tapestry Health

Tapestry
11 Wilbraham Road
Tapestry Health

Tapestry
130 Maple St.
Tapestry Health

Tattoo Royale
94 Island Pond Road
James Randall

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Adam & Co. Furniture
900 Riverdale St.
Adam Bouley

Always Polished Perfect
242 Westfield St.
Anita Williams

BA’s Home Improvement
45 Witch Path
Bruce Chelkonas

Grosso Chiropractic, P.C.
615 Westfield St.
Cynthia Grosso

Longhorn Steakhouse #5196
1105 Riverdale St.
Rare Hospitality

Salamon Flooring Inc.
103 Myron St.
Mitchell Salamon

SSD Construction
13 North Blvd.
Simon Slivka

St. Joseph’s Family Dental
258 Main St.
Susana Aguero

Tapestry
425 Union St.
Tapestry Health

WILBRAHAM

Kate Forest Self Care Yoga
84 Main St.
Kathie Forest

Verdon’s Gutter
65 Main St.
Diane Verdon, Real Verdon

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.

ADAMS

B&B Micro Manufacturing Inc., 387 Old Columbia St., Adams, MA 01220. Mitchell Bresett, 62 Maple St., Adams, MA 01220. Construction.

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Comp Friends of Football Inc., 617 Montgomery St. # 1, Chicopee, MA 01020. Paul Parks, 88 Rolf Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. The purpose of the Chicopee Comp Friends of Football, Inc. is to support the student athletes, parents, staff, and coaches of the football team by raising funds, recruiting volunteers, and conducting events.

GOSHEN

Ce & Apa Inc., 9 Lilly Pond Lane, Goshen, MA 01032. Charles Amo, same. Construction.

GREENFIELD

Blackwind Solutions Inc, 12 Vernon St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Nicole Nelson, same. Consulting.

HOLYOKE

Beyond Remodeling Inc, 3 Overlook Road, Holyoke, MA 01040. ANA Carolina De Alba-Sabino, same. Interior decorator.

PALMER

Beaver Stump Grinding Inc., 21 Wilbraham St., Palmer, MA 01069. Jason P. Keegan, 1126 Glendale St. Wilbraham, MA 01095. Stump grinding and removal, landscape restorations.

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Theatre Critics Association Inc., 20 Alfred Dr., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Peter Jay Bergman, same. Non-profit organization designed to honor and award for excellence in regional theatre; to encourage participation in Berkshire region arts.

SOUTH HADLEY

Always Reliable Excavating Inc., 35 Fairlawn St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Steven M. Menard, 47 North Main St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Construction and excavating contractor.

SPRINGFIELD

Chayle Inc., 53 Andrew St., Springfield, MA 01109. Dennis Gayle, same. Regulated and licensed retail sales of marijuana.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Agawam Lions Foundation Inc., 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Robert Germano, 13 Maple St., Agawam MA 01001. Local chapter of a worldwide organization that puts on functions for the community to raise money for the local Agawam Lions Club.

American All State Transport Inc., 1072 Piper Road, West Springfield, MA 01089. Ilyaz Agayev, same. Long distance trucking.

AJM Tours Inc., 425 Union St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Andrew Cecil Francis, same. Passenger transportation.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Pathlight, VVM Seek Innovations to Benefit People with Disabilities

SPRINGFIELD — Applications are now open for the second year of the Pathlight Challenge, Pathlight’s partnership with Valley Venture Mentors (VVM). The two organizations have put out a national call to entrepreneurs to develop solutions aimed at increasing independence for people with intellectual disabilities and those with autism. Pathlight, headquartered in Springfield, has served people with developmental and intellectual disabilities throughout Western Mass. since 1952, while VVM offers support to business startups. The Pathlight Challenge is supported by a grant from the Westfield Bank Future Fund. Startups from anywhere in the world are invited to apply for two spots in VVM’s prestigious, intensive, four-month Accelerator program, which kicks off in January. Pathlight Executive Director Ruth Banta said that the partnership with Valley Venture Mentors highlights the organization’s long-standing history of innovation. Pathlight has been a pioneer in partnering with people with developmental disabilities and autism to live full and engaged lives. She said it seems a natural next step to consider how technology or other innovative solutions can help a new generation of people with disabilities live as independently as possible. The Accelerator program is held over one long weekend a month, offering startups connections to subject-matter experts, investors, and engaged and collaborative peers. Those competing in the program can win up to $50,000 in grants to develop their business or product. Applications for the Accelerator are open through Wednesday, Oct. 18. The Pathlight fellows will graduate from the Accelerator program in May, when they will also unveil their new products or services. For more information or to apply for the Pathlight Challenge, visit pathlightgroup.org/our-community/pathlight-challenge.

Massachusetts Adds 10,800 Jobs in August

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% in  August, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate that Massachusetts added 10,800 jobs in August. Over the month, the private sector added 9,900 jobs as gains occurred in professional, scientific, and business services; other services; information; construction; and manufacturing. The July estimate was revised to a gain of 2,500 jobs. From August 2016 to August 2017, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 57,400 jobs. The August unemployment rate was two-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.4% reported by the bureau. “Massachusetts has gained 57,400 jobs in the last year, with much of that growth concentrated in key economic sectors like health, education, professional, business, and scientific services,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta. “While these job gains, alongside a low unemployment rate, are signs of a strong economy in the Commonwealth, skills gaps and labor-market pressures persist. That is why our workforce-development agencies and partners continue to focus on matching available workers with the training and resources they need to connect to high-demand jobs.” The labor force decreased by 17,200 from 3,697,700 in July, as 10,700 fewer residents were employed and 6,500 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased eight-tenths of a percentage point from 3.4% in August 2016. There were 31,300 more unemployed residents over the year compared to August 2016. 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 — decreased three-tenths of a percentage point to 66.1% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has increased 1.3% compared to August 2016. The largest private sector percentage job gains over the year were in other services; professional, scientific, and business services; education and health services; and financial activities.

State Campaign to Help Parents Protect Kids from Opioid Misuse

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) recently launched a new, statewide public-information campaign to raise awareness among parents about what they can do to protect their middle- and high-school-aged kids from prescription-drug misuse and addiction. “Parents play an important role in protecting their kids from opioid and substance misuse, and our administration is supporting another tool to begin that conversation and to keep talking — because kids will listen,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “This public-information campaign adds to our strong foundation of prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery in ending the opioid crisis that has impacted too many families throughout the Commonwealth.” The prevention campaign, launched with funding from the DPH Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, is titled “Stop Addiction Before It Starts,” and encourages parents to talk early and often with their children about the dangers of misusing prescription pain medications. Four out of five people who use heroin began by misusing prescription pain medications, and one in four teens report they’ve misused or abused a prescription drug at least once. According to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, kids whose parents talked with them about prescription pain medications were 42% less likely to misuse these drugs than those whose parents didn’t. The campaign will appear across the state on TV and on digital and paid social-media platforms. Viewers will be directed to mass.gov/stopaddiction for additional information about the importance of talking with teens about opioid misuse, tips on how to start the conversation, further information about opioids including the safe disposal of unused prescription pain pills, and resources for treatment and recovery.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

Valley Blue Sox Break into Top 10 in Collegiate Baseball Attendance

HOLYOKE — The Valley Blue Sox have officially broken into the top 10 for average attendance among summer collegiate baseball teams nationally, according to BallparkDigest.com. In addition, the 2,121 average attendance at 2017 Blue Sox games also placed first in the New England Collegiate Baseball League for the second consecutive year. The 10th-place ranking — following an 11th-place ranking in 2016 — comes on the heels of a challenging 2017 season where weather wasn’t kind to the Blue Sox, as they ended up having six games postponed due to rain. “We had some challenges this year with weather, so being able to crack the top 10 in spite of that is quite an accomplishment, but also a pretty good harbinger of things to come,” said Blue Sox President Clark Eckhoff. “Just to be where we were five years ago to now is something else, and it’s been a lot of hard work and heavy lifting from a lot of good people that’s made this all happen.” This past summer saw not only the team’s first championship in franchise history, but also several upgrades to Mackenzie Stadium, including a new playing surface and bullpens. A new concessions and restroom facility is on track for completion by the 2018 season. In addition to its national standing among collegiate-level teams, the Blue Sox also topped several professional, affiliated teams as well, finishing ahead of teams in Staten Island, N.Y., Modesto, Calif., and Daytona Beach, Fla. In addition to the success off the field, the team posted its second-best record in team history and capped it off with a run to the championship in which the Blue Sox swept every team in their path.

Ameriprise Financial Relocates, Changes Name

SOUTH HADLEY — Stephen Duval, a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services Inc., recently announced he has moved his practice to a new location at 551 Newton St. and changed its name to Summit House Wealth Partners. Duval has also expanded his team of financial advisors by one. A certified financial planner, Duval moved his office in June from 130 College St., and colleague Justin Osowiecki, a financial advisor, made the transition with him. At the same time, Duval partnered with Edward Boscher, who is also now serving clients as a Summit House Wealth Partners financial advisor. The team will hold an open house for the public at the new Newton Street office on Thursday, Sept. 21 from 2 to 7 p.m. Duval holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass in business administration and is a graduate of the College for Financial Planning. He has been with Ameriprise for 25 years. Boscher is also a certified financial planner and a certified investment management analyst. He has spent much of his career working with Voya Investment Management out of its Windsor, Conn. office. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University. Boscher made the transition to Summit House Wealth Partners, he said, “to put my 23-plus years of asset-management experience to work for people around here, because I live here.” Duval’s practice is an Ameriprise Financial franchise. Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. offers financial-advisory services, investments, insurance, and annuity products. For more information, or for details on upcoming workshops — on topics ranging from Social Security to identify theft to retirement planning — call (413) 540-0196.

Witalisz & Associates Celebrates Grand Opening

WESTFIELD — Witalisz & Associates Inc., a real-estate company based in Western Mass., recently celebrated its new office space with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening. The firm recently moved to 2 Broad St. in Westfield, situated across the hall from the Tavern Restaurant. “We are incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity to relocate to the best place in Westfield,” said broker/owner Kathy Witalisz. “Working with the leadership team at the Tavern has been remarkable, and we are very much looking forward to a bright future in our new location.” The open space will help accommodate the company’s plans for future growth. Witalisz & Associates has already expanded its educational programs to include a real-estate school, training seminars, career nights, and a number of public events. The grand opening was attended by both local dignitaries and prominent members in the community. State Sen. Donald Humason, state Rep. John Velis, Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan, and Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kate Phelon all presented citations in recognition of the company’s move.

Berkshire Bank Among Top Charitable Givers

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank was honored by the Boston Business Journal as one the state’s most philanthropic companies during the 12th annual Corporate Citizenship Awards ceremony. The 94 companies that were honored by the publication each met the threshold of at least $100,000 in philanthropic support of Massachusetts nonprofits in 2016. They combined for approximately $273 million in charitable giving last year. The list includes companies that paid out at least $100,000 to Massachusetts-based charitable organizations in fiscal 2016. Berkshire Bank ranked 46th for total financial contributions with more than $1.2 million donated in Massachusetts alone and more than $2 million donated overall. Massachusetts-based bank employees also donated more than 28,000 hours of volunteer service.

Phillips Insurance Agency Honored by Liberty Mutual

CHICOPEE — Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. was one of 13 agents in the Northeast and the only agent in Western Mass. to earn the exclusive Chairman’s Club Award from Liberty Mutual Insurance. The Chairman’s Award is designed to recognize the contributions of the top-performing commercial-lines agencies in the country. Phillips Insurance had earned the Liberty Mutual President’s Club for 10 years in a row prior to achieving this top echelon of Liberty agents. Phillips Insurance President Joe Phillips will accept the award at the Chairman Dinner in Jackson Hole, Wyo. later this month. Phillips Insurance Agency, established in 1953, is a full-service risk-management firm with a staff of 25 professionals. The agency handles the personal and commercial insurance needs for thousands of individuals and businesses throughout the Northeast.

Bay Path Ranked Among Fastest-growing Colleges

LONGMEADOW — The Chronicle of Higher Education has recognized Bay Path University in its Almanac of Higher Education 2017 as one of the fastest-growing colleges in the U.S., currently ranked 17th in the category of “private nonprofit master’s institutions” with a 113.4% growth rate over a 10-year period. Bay Path was the only institution of higher education from Massachusetts on the list. “This national recognition represents the commitment of talented faculty and staff who truly understand workforce needs and student interests,” university President Carol Leary said. “Our growth is based on three key factors: the different levels of education we provide; the variety of modalities we use in our learning environments, which include on-campus, online, and hybrid; and the continual diversification of our program offerings for both undergraduate and graduate students.” With the opening of the Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center, Bay Path has seen significant growth in its applied health science degrees, including the master of occupational therapy, master of science in physician assistant studies, and master of science in genetic counseling, among others. In 2017, Bay Path opened a satellite campus in Concord, offering master’s programs in clinical mental health counseling, developmental psychology, special education administration, occupational therapy, and healthcare administration. Data contained in the Almanac of Higher Education 2017 are based on fall enrollment of full- and part-time graduate and undergraduate students during the span of 2005-15, including students that are online-only. The report included all U.S. degree-granting institutions with at least 500 students in 2005. Published by the Chronicle of Higher Education, the annual Almanac of Higher Education is a comprehensive assessment of the higher-education industry.

Country Bank Recognized for Charitable Giving

WARE — Country Bank was recognized by the Boston Business Journal as one of the state’s top charitable contributors. The bank received a Corporate Citizenship Award at the 12th annual event, held at Fenway Park on Sept. 7. Each year, the publication celebrates Massachusetts corporations and nonprofits for their contributions in giving back to the communities in the Commonwealth. A total of 94 companies were recognized during the evening, and Country Bank ranked 64th with total donations of $615,000 and more than 1,000 hours of community service hours from their staff.

Hampden County Bar Assoc. Awards Scholarships

SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden County Bar Assoc. (HCBA) announced the recipients of two scholarships for the 2017-18 academic year. Patrick Greenhalgh, a student at the University of Connecticut School of Law, was awarded the first-ever Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship. The scholarship was established in memory of the late HCBA past president who dedicated his career to helping veterans. The scholarship was available to any veteran pursuing a legal degree. Brianna Burns, a student at Suffolk Law School, was awarded the John F. Moriarty Scholarship, which was established in 1985 in memory of the late judge. The scholarship was created to further extend the standards of professional and personal excellence in the practice of law.

WNEU Welcomes Record Number of New Students

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University (WNEU) announced a second consecutive year of enrollment growth in its recruitment efforts. WNEU reported a total of 899 new students enrolled in classes for the 2017 fall semester, bringing the total opening full-time undergraduate enrollment up to 2,656, the largest in university history. The university also saw a record number of admissions applications in 2017, totaling 7,037, along with an increase in the diversity of the incoming student population, with minorities representing 26% of the cohort in 2017, up from 21% in 2016. “We are at a very important time in the history of higher education with respect to how families are assessing the rising cost to attend college. Students are asking the important questions during their college search process; they need and deserve hard data on internships and job-placement rates, the availability of merit- and need-based scholarships, and the support networks that will be in place to enhance their academic and social development. We welcome this,” said Bryan Gross, WNEU’s vice president for enrollment management and marketing. “The fact that Western New England University has been so successful in attracting diverse and highly qualified students while many other universities are experiencing enrollment declines demonstrates that people are taking notice and realizing the true value we offer.” The university’s College of Arts and Sciences enrolled 403 new students, a 10.1% increase over 2016, while the College of Business enrolled 203 new students, a 3% increase over last year. In the first year of a new Business Impact Scholarship initiative, the College of Business enrolled 67 new students from Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester counties compared to 44 new students from those counties last year. The renewable, $2,000-per-student scholarship was offered to support the recent surge of economic development in the Greater Springfield area, and to encourage business students to remain in Western Mass. Many students are attracted to the university’s Merit Scholarship program, which rewards previous academic performance. Merit Scholarships will again increase for the fall 2018 academic year to a range from $8,000 to $21,000 annually (each year students maintain good grades), as well as need-based grants. WNEU students will also soon enjoy a new, four-story, 70,000-square-foot Dining Commons building, scheduled to open in January 2018, as the university continues to expand the campus facilities.

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move
Mark Fulco

Mark Fulco

Mark Fulco has been named president of Mercy Medical Center, effective October 9. In this role, he will be responsible for the operational performance of the hospital; provide leadership in the execution, management, financial performance, and oversight of all hospital operations; and explore opportunities for growth through strategic development initiatives. “Mark is a highly respected, highly engaged healthcare leader with extensive experience in various areas of hospital operations. We are certain he will not only help sustain our rich legacy of providing high-quality care with a compassionate touch, he will also help us reach new levels of service to our community,” said John Sjoberg, board chair of Mercy Medical Center. Fulco returns to Mercy after spending the past two years at Trinity Health’s corporate office in Livonia, Mich., where he served as system vice president for Health Ministries and System Office Communication Interface. Reporting to the president and chief operating officer of Trinity Health and group executive vice presidents, he provided operational leadership in developing and communicating deployment of initiatives, served as the communication liaison between regional CEOs and the system office, coordinated several operations leadership councils, and led several special projects, including the creation of operations reports and updates to the Trinity Health operating model. “Mark is a strong, strategic leader with deep ties to health care in New England, and we are pleased he’s returning to Springfield to lead our ongoing transformation to people-centered care,” said Ben Carter, executive vice president for Trinity Health. Fulco first joined the Mercy team in 2005 as senior vice president of Strategy and Marketing and a member of the senior leadership team. In 2015, he was additionally named chief transformation officer to reflect his growing list of responsibilities around population-health management and value-based contracting. During his decade at Mercy, Fulco was instrumental in the success of several important initiatives, such as creation of the Mercy Care Alliance clinically integrated network and the Accountable Care Organization of New England. He also served as Mercy’s Integration Management Office lead for the CHE-Trinity consolidation and played a key role in building the partnership that resulted in Saint Francis Care joining Trinity Health. “We are thrilled to welcome Mark back to Mercy Medical Center. He is a visionary leader with unparalleled business acumen, exceptional creative ability, unwavering dedication to our mission, and tremendous enthusiasm — traits that will undoubtedly serve us well as he takes on this important role,” said Christopher Dadlez, president and CEO of Trinity Health of New England. Prior to joining Mercy, Fulco served as vice president of Strategic Marketing and Business Development for Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, Conn. His previous roles include serving as president of a healthcare-management-services organization and as senior vice president of a national disease-management company. Fulco is the recipient of the 2010 American College of Healthcare Executives Management Innovation Poster Session Award for “A Successful Micro-Accountable Care Organization as a Model for Evolving Payment Reform in Massachusetts.” A former member of the board of the Springfield Performing Arts Development Corp. and the board of East Catholic High School in Manchester, Conn., he is a USA Hockey official and member of the officiating instructor staff. Fulco holds a master’s degree from the Barney School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Hartford, where he was a Woodruff fellow, and a bachelor’s degree from Clark University, where he was a Travelli scholar.

•••••

Carrie Saldo

Carrie Saldo

WGBY’s local current-affairs show, Connecting Point, has a new host — who also happens to be a past one. Beginning with forthcoming Season 8, Carrie Saldo, an award-winning journalist with nearly a decade of public-media experience, will return to public television to present timely stories from Western New England on the PBS station’s flagship news and current-affairs program. Saldo served as WGBY’s Connecting Point host from 2010 to 2013, presenting most of the show’s eight-minute segments and co-producing the half-hour program at large. During her tenure, Saldo conducted hundreds of in-studio interviews, traveled to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, and hiked parts of the Appalachian Trail in a special in-the-field series. Saldo’s return to the local PBS station comes on the heels of Jim Madigan’s retirement. Madigan headed up WGBY’s public-affairs efforts for nearly 30 years. WGBY Deputy General Manager Lynn Page said Saldo was an obvious choice for the job. “Carrie Saldo is the perfect addition to our team,” Page says. “She worked closely with Jim Madigan in the past and knows the region and its leadership very well. Carrie cares deeply for western New England. She understands the people, traditions, and cultures. She will continue Jim’s legacy as well as the mission of WGBY to connect the people of our region.” WGBY General Manager Anthony Hayes added that Saldo will advance the station’s commitment to reliable local news and current-affairs coverage. “Public media is a trusted source for information,” he said. “It’s extremely important that our current-affairs team lives up to the PBS reputation and provides Western New England with the content it expects from us. I have full confidence that Carrie Saldo will produce and deliver that quality local content to viewers.” For Saldo’s part, the return to local public media is a welcome one. “I am honored to dive in and uncover the stories that need to be told in this region,” she said. “Excellent journalism is the result of carefully listening. I’m here. Share your thoughts, ideas, comments, and concerns. Let’s shed light on the issues that matter most to you and work toward strengthening this area that we call home.”

•••••

Alaina DiGiorgio

Alaina DiGiorgio

Regina Tillona

Regina Tillona

Elms College has appointed a new director of diversity and inclusion, as well as a new director of tutoring services, rounding out the staff in the college’s new Center for Student Success. The new director of diversity and inclusion is Alaina DiGiorgio. She will work with students, faculty, and staff to foster a more welcoming and inclusive community at Elms College. She has presented at numerous conferences on topics related to the intersection of race and athletics, and worked at the University of Tennessee. She was also a member of the Multicultural Mentorship program and ad hoc diversity committee at the University of Tennessee. Prior to that, she founded Women Empowering (WE) to strengthen community and support for female athletes at Western Illinois University, which is where she also earned her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and her master’s degree in sport management. The new director of tutoring services is Regina Tillona, an experienced educator who has worked to promote achievement for all learners. She most recently served as Title I director at Massachusetts Virtual Academy in Greenfield, where she created opportunities for students to explore the world as knowledgeable, creative, and thoughtful individuals. Prior to that, she worked as district coordinator at Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District and director of tutoring at New Leadership Charter School in Springfield. Tillona received her bachelor’s degree in education and history from Westfield State University, and her master of education degree from Western New England University.

•••••

The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts recently welcomed Donna Haghighat as its new CEO. She comes to the Women’s Fund with more than 12 years of experience developing programs, cultivating relationships, fund-raising, directing communications strategy, creating strategic plan, and building advocacy programs. Most recently principal at the Collabyrinth Collective, LLC, Haghighat’s previous roles have included executive director of the Aurora Women & Girl’s Foundation, chief engagement and advocacy officer for YWCA Hartford Region, a strategic consultant, chief development officer for Hartford Public Library, interim director and grants/program manager of the Women’s Education and Leadership Fund, and co-president of AAUW CT. “I am thrilled to join the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts at this pivotal time,” Haghighat said. “Together with our amazing board, staff, donors, funders, volunteers, and program participants, we build stronger communities and organizations when women lead.”

•••••

Leslie Leone

Leslie Leone

Facial Cosmetic & Maxillofacial Surgery, P.C. announced the promotion of Leslie Leone to clinical nurse supervisor. “Leslie has been an outstanding student, employee, nurse, and professional,” said Practice Administrator Fredrika Ballard. “We have enjoyed being part of her professional development over the past eight years. We feel honored to have such a wonderful, caring, and talented nurse to lead our team and take exceptional care of our patients.” Leone joined the practice in 2009 as a licensed dental assistant after graduating from Porter & Chester. She was hired to work exclusively with owner Dr. Richard Fraziero at the East Longmeadow location. After working alongside Fraziero for a few years, he encouraged her to further her education to become a registered nurse. She completed pre-requisites at Springfield Technical Community College and transferred to American International College, graduating from AIC in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and became an RN at Facial Cosmetic & Maxillofacial Surgery. In addition to her eight years in the oral-surgery field, Leone is also DAANCE-, ACLS-, and CPR-certified. She is involved in pre- and post- surgery direct patient care, as well as managing medication inventory for in-office surgeries, code preparation, and readiness. Her new position as clinical nurse supervisor allows her to use her wide-ranging skills to oversee the entire clinical department. “I enjoy providing patient-centered care on a daily basis while also mentoring the clinical staff,” she said.

•••••

After nearly five years as president and CEO of DevelopSpringfield, Jay Minkarah announced his upcoming resignation to assume leadership of a regional planning commission in New Hampshire. “I have truly appreciated the opportunity to help play a role in advancing community revitalization in Springfield,” said Minkarah. “It has been an honor to be a part of what is sure to be a great renaissance for the city. There are strong community partnerships working together with great projects poised for success.” Under Minkarah’s tenure, the organization has worked to advance a series of critical economic-development and revitalization projects in Springfield. Notable projects include the purchase and remediation of a blighted property at 700 State St.; phase-one stabilization and remediation at the historic Gunn Block at the corner of Walnut and State streets; phase-one completion of the Lower Maple Business Park, including the rehabilitation of the Ansel Phelps House at 83 Maple St.; and the advancement of plans for the Springfield Innovation Center on Bridge Street. “We are grateful to Jay for the expertise he has provided and the commitment he has shown to Springfield,” said Nick Fyntrilakis, board chair. “As an organization, we have taken on some of the most challenging projects in the city in an effort to create opportunity for positive economic activity, Jay has been a driving force in our efforts thus far and has helped prepare us for future success.” DevelopSpringfield’s staff and board are working to complete transition plans with a focus on advancing its mission toward revitalization in the city of Springfield. The board will also begin a search process for a new president and CEO.

•••••

The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS) announced the election of Ashley Clark as president of the organization. Clark has previously served in various capacities on the board, including terms as secretary and vice president and chair of the annual YP Cup Dodgeball Tournament. “I am thankful to have an employer who understands the value of giving back — and encourages it,” said Clark, a cash-management officer at Berkshire Bank in Springfield. “I am excited to take on this new role and hope to strengthen our impact in the communities we serve. Our emerging and existing leaders need a space for mentorship, opportunity, and social engagement, and YPS plans to continue to provide that. With the organization’s first ever all-women executive committee, and a diverse board beside us, we can increase our impact over the next few years.” This year, YPS is celebrating 10 years of impact in the Greater Springfield area. Moving forward, the organization will focus on membership growth, community-driven events, and additional programing. Events to round out 2017 include Oktoberfest Third Thursday at the Munich Haus and Santacon: a Community Engagement, in partnership with the Springfield Thunderbirds.

•••••

American International College (AIC) announced the promotions of Christopher Garrity, CPA to vice president for Finance and Jeffrey Bednarz to associate vice president for Auxiliary Services. Garrity came to AIC in 2013 from Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. in Holyoke, bringing with him 12 years of public-accounting experience. During his tenure, he has increased controls within the finance department as well as instituted technological advances to better serve the needs of the college. In recent months, Garrity has assumed additional finance and administrative responsibilities including insurance, real estate, and banking. Garrity graduated from Nichols College in Dudley with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants. Bednarz has been with AIC since 2007. During his tenure with the college, he added to his responsibilities with the campus police to become a full-time sergeant, deputy chief, safety officer, and campus-services systems administrator. He was instrumental in the growth of AIC’s access-control and video-surveillance systems. His duties include the day-to-day management of outsourced campus providers, including campus police, dining services, buildings, and grounds. In his new role, Bednarz will continue to oversee campus police, dining services, and buildings and grounds. In addition, he will oversee new construction as well as other construction projects across campus.

•••••

Main Street Hospitality Group recently welcomed Donald Hebert, a seasoned financial manager with more than 25 years of experience, as the company’s newly appointed vice president of finance. “Donald’s extensive experience in the financial world will provide great insight for Main Street,” said Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality. “He brings seasoned financial acumen and deep industry knowledge, and he truly appreciates the values we uphold at Main Street.” Hebert is responsible for all aspects of Main Street’s financial health, management and reporting, including insurance and banking oversight and relationships. In addition, he will lead in developing and implementing financial growth strategies across the board. Most recently, Hebert served as the CFO, director of corporate finance, and treasurer for Trapp Family Lodge, where he was the senior manager of the accounting, IT, and human-resources functions; assisted in attracting investors for new business ventures; and was actively involved with executive management in accruing capital for the construction of a new, multi-million-dollar brewery. Prior to that, Hebert was CFO of Bowden Hospitality Management Group, where he managed accounting, financial systems, and back-office functions for full-service hotels, including national brands such as the Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, Radisson Hotel, and Homewood Suites. Over the span of his career, he also has served as CFO for telecommunications and aerospace firms in New England. Hebert is a graduate of the University of Maine at Orono and has a MBA degree from St. Joseph’s College in Windham, Maine.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• Oct. 3: Table Top Expo with the Greater Holyoke, Greater Westfield, Quaboag Hills, and Springfield Regional chambers, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Sponsored by Holyoke Medical Center, PeoplesBank, Polish National Credit Union, HG&E,  BusinessWest, Grzelak, Grzelak & Associates, P.C., and Westfield Bank. Cost: $5 pre-registration, $10 at the door. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• Oct. 12: Business After Hours, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Red Fez, 70 Exchange St., Chicopee. Sponsored by the Red Fez and Westfield Bank. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members, including food and beverage. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• Oct. 18: Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Salute Breakfast with Kay Simpson of the Springfield Museums, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Collegian Court, 89 Park St., Chicopee. Sponsored by the Arbor Kids and Westfield Bank. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members, including breakfast buffet. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• Oct. 19: Oktoberfest Collaborative Event with Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Munich Haus Biergarten, 13 Center St., Chicopee. Free to YPS and chamber members. Call (413) 594-2101 for more information.

• Oct. 26: Lunch & Learn: New Marijuana Legislation, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Residence Inn, 500 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Sponsored by the Greater Chicopee Chamber and Residence Inn of Springfield/Chicopee. Cost: $30 for members, $35 for non-members, including lunch. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• Oct. 12: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., at Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Easthampton Travel. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org, or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• Oct. 3: Meet the Candidates, 6-8 p.m., hosted by Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St., Suite 320, Easthampton. An opportunity to meet and get to know candidates running for mayor and City Council positions in Easthampton. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• Oct. 25: The Hampshire County Tourism Council will launch its new tourism guide at Northampton Country Club, 135 Main St., Leeds, 5-7 p.m. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holyokechamber.com

(413) 534-3376

• Oct. 3: Table Top Expo & Networking, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Five area chambers — Greater Holyoke, Greater Chicopee, Greater Westfield, Springfield Regional, and Quaboag Hills — are getting together to present a table-top show. Cost: $125 for a table. Visitors are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. Call the Holyoke Chamber at (413) 534-3376 to secure your table, or sign up online at holyokechamber.com.

• Oct. 11: Chamber Business Development/Salute Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m. hosted by Gateway City Arts, 92 Race St., Holyoke. Sponsored by PeoplesBank, Holyoke Gas & Electric, and Holyoke Medical Center. Join emcee Linda Noonan, executive director of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, for a discussion on education and workforce development, internships, career exploration, and job shadowing. Speakers include Dr. Steve Zrike, Holyoke Public Schools; Maggie Gifford, William J. Dean Technical High School; and Eileen Bresnahan, Bresnahan Insurance. Plus, a sneak peek at the new high-school redesign. New chamber members will be recognized: Midas of Chicopee, Tradesmen of New England LLC, Northeast Powersports, Midas of Westfield, Paper City Art Kids, Strategic Alliances, Bay Path University, and Volleyball Hall of Fame 2017 induction. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for guests and walk-ins. Reservations may be made online at holyokechamber.com.

• Oct. 18: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted and sponsored by Westfield Bank, 1642 Northampton St., Holyoke. Business networking event. Refreshments, 50/50 raffle, and door prizes. Cost: $10 members, $15 for guests. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to register, or sign up at holyokechamber.com.

• Oct. 25: Holyoke Chamber Business Person of the Year/Volunteer of the Year Award Dinner, 6 p.m, hosted by Delaney House, Country Club Way, Holyoke. Social hour 6-7 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. A dinner honoring the 2017 Business Persons of the Year: Michael Hamel, owner of Hamel’s Creative Catering and the Summit View Banquet and Meeting House, and the Henry A. Fifield Volunteer of the Year, Harry Montalvo, Community Development specialist at bankESB. Cost: $65. Register online at holyokechamber.com, or call the chamber at (413) 534-3376.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com

(413) 584-1900

• Oct. 4: October Arrive @ 5 and Chamber Open House, 5-7 p.m., at the Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St. Cost: $10 for members. Sponsors: Clinical & Support Options, Florence Bank, Innovative Business Systems, and Pioneer Training.

• Oct. 19: “Microsoft Excel: Tips, Tricks, & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., presented by Pioneer Training, hosted by Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. This workshop will present tips, tricks, and shortcuts that we have collected and developed over 20 years of teaching and using Microsoft Excel. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops and follow along with the instructor, but this is not required. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members.

• Oct. 24: Start Your Business, 9 a.m. to noon, at TD Bank, 175 Main St., Northampton. Presented by SCORE of Western MA. This three-hour workshop will help you clearly understand the details, challenges, opportunities, and rewards of owning and operating your own business. This workshop is a suggested prerequisite to our Business Planning Workshop. Cost: $25. RSVP, as space is limited. To register online, visit westernmassachusetts.score.org/content/take-workshop-38.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• Oct. 3: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce 20th Annual Table Top Expo & Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. The Greater Westfield, Greater Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Springfield Regional chambers invite you to the 20th annual Table Top Expo. With approximately 110 businesses represented and hundreds of visitors, this event is an excellent marketing tool for area businesses. Cost: $125 for a draped 8-foot table. Includes two exhibitor passes with fee. Must be a member of one of the four chambers to have an exhibitor table. New Westfield Chamber members may use new-member benefit and pay $62.50 for a table. Admission: $5 for pre-registered tickets, $10 at the door. Call the Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 for more information, to register, or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities.

• Oct. 6: Workshop: “Family Medical Leave Act,” 8:30-10 a.m., hosted by Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Join Attorney Timothy Netkovick of Royal, P.C. for this informational workshop on the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Employers are well aware of the challenges presented by the FMLA. Employers need to be familiar with the provisions of the FMLA in order to be able to respond to all employee requests, from intermittent leave to unforeseen leave. Cost: free for members, $30 for non-members. Online registration is available at www.westfieldbiz.org, or call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• Oct. 11: October After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield. Sponsored by Fresh Look Interiors and Vivid Hair Salon and Spa. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members. Refreshments will be served, and a cash bar will be available. A 50/50 raffle will benefit the chamber scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. This month: speed connecting. Online registration will be made available at www.westfieldbiz.org. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• Oct. 16: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce – Best Practices – Hiring & Firing, 8:30-10 a.m., hosted by Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Attorneys Mary Jo Kennedy and Jennifer Cannon from Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP will present on the subject of best practices for hiring and firing to avoid discrimination claims. This interactive and informative program will include an overview of federal and state employment laws, tips for preventing liability under these laws , what questions can be asked in an interview and what questions are prohibited, reviewing protected classes under federal and state law, documenting performance management and reviews, steps the employer should take when preparing for a termination, and protecting the business from liability for discrimination when terminating employees. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. Cost: Free for members, $30 for non-members. Online registration is available at www.westfieldbiz.org, or call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.springfieldregionalchamber.com

(413) 787.1555

• Oct. 3: Annual Multi-chamber Table Top Showcase and Networking Event with Greater Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, Greater Westfield, and Quaboag Hills chambers, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Castle of Knights, 460 Granby Road, Chicopee.

• Oct. 4: Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., Crestview Country Club, 281 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Sponsored by United Personnel Services. Joshua Weiss, co-founder of the Global Negotiation Initiative at Harvard University and program director of Bay Path University’s master of science program in Leadership and Negotiation, will keynote the event, with a focus on “The Negotiator in You.” Attendees will learn how to negotiate with confidence and calm for successful results. The chamber will also recognize Anthony Hayes as the new general manager for WGBY and Tim Kennedy as the new president of MassLive Media. Cost: $25 for Springfield Regional Chamber members in advance ($30 at the door), $35 for general admission in advance ($40 at the door). Register online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or by e-mailing Jessica Hill at [email protected]. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Contact Hill at (413) 755-1310 for more information.

• Oct. 11: Pastries, Politics, and Policy, 8-9 a.m, hosted by TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. Featuring new Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rosalin Acosta, in her first Western Mass. appearance.

• Oct. 27: Super 60, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., hosted by Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. The 28th annual Super 60 awards luncheon celebrates the success of the fastest-growing privately owned businesses in the region. Cost: $60 for members in advance, $75 for non-members.

Reservations for all Chamber events may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com

(413) 426-3880

• Oct. 4: Wicked Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Candlewood Suites. 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 at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• Oct. 19: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Cal’s Woodfired Grill, 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 your lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. We cannot invoice you for these events. Register online at [email protected].

• Oct. 25: Food Fest West, 5:30-8 p.m., hosted by Springfield Country Club, West Springfield. Local restaurants show off their cuisine at this well-attended event. Vote for your favorite restaurant or enjoy a cigar on the patio of Springfield Country Club. A DJ, raffle, and entertainment round out this event. Proceeds raised by Food Fest West will go toward the Partnership for Education and the WRC Educational Fund, which provides grants to businesses for on-the-job training and continuing-education needs. Cost: $25 in advance, $35 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online by visiting www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information about this event, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

www.springfieldyps.com

• Oct. 18: Professional Breakfast Series: “The EQ Exchange,” 7:30-9 a.m, hosted by the Colony Club in Tower Square, Springfield. Use emotional intelligence to manage your boss. Cost: free for members, $15 for non-members.

• Oct. 19: Oktoberfest Third Thursday with Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Munich Haus. Join us for live music, light appetizers, and networking. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members.

Agenda

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Agenda Departments

Labor & Employment Law Symposium

Oct. 5: Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. will hold a Labor & Employment Law Symposium from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. “The past year has brought significant changes in labor and employment law, and employers need to be aware of these changes; not knowing the law is no excuse for not following it,” said attorney Timothy Murphy, a partner at Skoler Abbott. “We are offering this symposium to provide local and regional HR professionals and employers with the latest developments, and to help them prepare for what’s coming next.” The symposium is geared toward human-resources professionals and business owners. Topics will include “Labor Law Update: Change Is Coming,” “Massachusetts’ New Pay Equity Law and the Effects of Implicit Bias in the Workplace,” “Top Ten Wage & Hour Mistakes Made by Employers,” “Insurance Coverage in Employment Litigation: Limiting Your Risk & Knowing Your Rights,” “After Barbuto: Strategies for Addressing Drugs in the Workplace,” and “How You Should (and Shouldn’t) Conduct a Workplace Investigation.” Attendees will be able to select three of six breakout sessions, and the symposium will close with an overall question-and-answer session. The symposium has been pre-approved by the HR Certification Institute for five hours of general recertification credit toward PHR and SPHR recertification. The cost to attend is $99 per person and includes continental breakfast and lunch. Registration is available at skoler-abbott.com/trainingprograms.

Holyoke Medical Center ACE Awards

Oct. 7: Holyoke Medical Center announced that Esmat Ezzat and Tom Hazen will each be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for their outstanding dedication and hard work on behalf of Holyoke Medical Center and the Holyoke community. Valley Health Systems, which includes Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke VNA Hospice Life Care, River Valley Counseling Center, and Western Mass. Physician Associates, will also recognize select members of the VHS team who exemplify exceptional care. Award recipients will be honored at this year’s ACE Awards event at UMass Amherst.

“The dedication and continued support provided to Holyoke Medical Center and the entire Pioneer Valley from both Mrs. Ezzat and Mr. Hazen make them true assets to our community. We are honored to recognize them for a lifetime of service,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems Inc. Ezzat retired as the director of Speech and Hearing at Holyoke Medical Center in 2007, after a 40-year-long career with the hospital as a speech pathologist. She developed many innovative programs and built a reputation for the center as a regional leader in speech and language therapy. She credits the success of her career and of the center to the support she received from the community and her staff. “The support we have received from the community over the years has been tremendous,” said Ezzat. “When we needed something, the community gave it to us.” Hazen is a past partner in his family’s Holyoke-based Hazen Paper Co. and served on the board of directors for Holyoke Medical Center for 11 years. He continues to be involved with the hospital and currently serves on the investment committee. He has also been an active member in the community, serving in volunteer leadership roles for many local and regional organizations, including the Holyoke Public Library, the Holyoke mayor’s Industrial Development Advisory Committee, the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, the Holyoke Taxpayers Assoc., Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. “I’ve had a long kinship with the Holyoke community,” Hazen said. “The people I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years are a distinguished group. I have many fond memories of citizens and friends who are dedicated to both the hospital and the Holyoke community, and contribute readily to the long-term well-being of both.” ACE Awards will also be given in the categories of Best Physician, Best Caregiver, Best Supporting Employee, and Best Leader. Tickets to the event, which is open to the public, are available by contacting Denise Rebmann at (413) 534-2579 or [email protected].

Homework House 10-year Celebration

Oct. 19: Homework House is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, and it will mark the occasion with a 10th Anniversary Celebration and Fund-raising Breakfast from 7:45 to 9:15 a.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke to share its story and inspire the financial resources Homework House needs to sustain its programs for the next 10 years and beyond. The anniversary breakfast’s theme is “A Decade of Inspiring Children, Supporting Families, and Transforming Community,” which reflects the broad ripple effect that occurs as a result of children’s participation in Homework House’s academic after-school and summer programming. Founded by retired educators Sr. Maureen Broughan and Sr. Jane Morrissey, Homework House promotes educational success through free, individualized tutoring and mentoring for children. Featuring a program that will highlight the stories of Homework House alumni, parents, and stakeholders, the breakfast will reflect on the powerful work of the past 10 years while looking forward to Homework House’s continued growth. The breakfast is free for guests and will feature a focused ask for donations at its culmination. Community members interested in attending the event or taking a leadership role as a table captain can register by visiting www.homeworkhousetenth.com.

Healthcare Heroes

Oct. 19:  BusinessWest and the Healthcare News will present the inaugural Healthcare Heroes Awards at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden. This new recognition program was created by the twin publications to recognize outstanding achievement across the region’s broad and diverse healthcare sector. From a pool of 70 nominations, panel of judges chose eight winners in seven categories, who were profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of  BusinessWest, the September issue of HCN, and at  BusinessWest.com. American International College and Trinity Health Of New England are the presenting sponsors of Healthcare Heroes. Partner sponsors are Achieve TMS East, HUB International New England and Health New England. Supporting sponsors are Bay Path University, Baystate Health, Cooley Dickinson Health CareElms College, and Renew.Calm. Tickets to the event are sold out.

Super 60

Oct. 27: Ralph Crowley Jr., president and CEO of Polar Beverages, will serve as the keynote speaker at the Springfield Regional Chamber’s Super 60 event. Now in its 28th year, the program celebrates the success of the fastest-growing and privately-owned businesses in the region which continue to make significant contributions to the strength of the regional economy. Worcester-based Polar Beverages was founded by Crowley’s great-grandfather, Dennis Crowley, in 1882, primarily as a wholesale and retail liquor business. However, prohibition put a stop to the family’s liquor sales, forcing them to focus on bubbly waters and bottled water instead. Under the entrepreneurial and visionary leadership of fourth-generation Ralph Crowley Jr., Polar Beverages has grown to be the largest privately owned soft-drink bottler in the U.S., having completed more than 30 acquisitions, including proprietary brands Adirondack, Waist Watcher, Clear ‘n’ Natural, and national brands 7Up, A&W, Sunkist, Seagram’s, Royal Crown, and Diet Rite, along with new-age brands Snapple, AriZona, Fiji Water, O Water, HyDrive, and Nantucket Nectars. Polar also bottles home and office water. In September 2001, Polar Beverages formed a joint venture with Cott Corp. that produces and distributes most of the retailer-branded beverages in the Northeast. At one time, Polar Beverages maintained a warehouse in Springfield. “Polar Beverages is an example of a regional, family-owned business that has remained true to its roots, while at the same time growing its brand by smart acquisitions and innovative, entrepreneurial thinking,” said Springfield Regional Chamber President Nancy Creed. The Super 60 Celebration event honoring this year’s class will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Reservations are required. The cost is $60 for members, $75 for general admission. Reservations may be made for tables of eight or 10. The deadline for reservations is Oct. 18. No cancellations will be accepted after that date, and no walk-ins will be allowed. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or by e-mail to [email protected]. The Super 60 event is presented by Health New England and sponsored by Farmington Bank. The event is also sponsored by the Republican, the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, and Zasco Productions.

Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass.

Nov. 2: Comcast Business will present the Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass. at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by  BusinessWest and the Healthcare News. The seventh annual business-to-business show will feature more than 150 exhibitor booths, educational seminars, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social. Current sponsors include Comcast Business (presenting sponsor), Johnson & Hill Staffing Services and Wild Apple Design Group (executive sponsors), Inspired Marketing (show partner), MGM Springfield (corporate sponsor), Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst (education sponsor), Xfinity (social sponsor), Elms College (information booth sponsor), Smith & Wesson (Workforce Support Center sponsor), Savage Arms (JoinedForces parking and workforce development sponsor), and the Better Business Bureau (contributing sponsor). Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $800. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Court Dockets

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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.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Orange Park Management, LLC v. Arch Properties, LLC

Allegation: Failure to return $8,000 and accrued interest according to contract: $8,000+

Filed: 8/17/17

U.S. Foods Inc. as successor in interest of Cara Donna v. OZKA, LLC d/b/a Maggio’s Pizza

Allegation: To enforce credit application, for food goods sold and delivered, unjust enrichment, and account annexed: $6,344.81

Filed: 8/29/17

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

Geraldine Talbot v. Five Below Inc.

Allegation: Negligence, slip and fall causing injury: $6,816.04

Filed: 9/5/17

Liani Zabik v. Springfield Area Transit Co. Inc.

Allegation: Negligence of bus driver causing injury: $6,216

Filed: 9/11/17

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

BP Environmental Services Inc. v. Allen Burke Construction, LLC

Allegation: Money owed for delivery and removal of storage containers: $29,865

Filed: 8/21/17

Angel Vazquez, personal representative of the estate of Vilma Vazquez v. Daniel Engelman, M.D. and Baystate Health Inc.

Allegation: Wrongful death, failure to properly treat infection: $25,000+

Filed: 8/25/17

Peter Yaffe v. LMERG Inc. d/b/a Homewatch Caregivers and Lori Mgrdichian

Allegation: Breach of employment contract: $56,448

Filed: 8/28/17

White Glove Caterers Inc. d/b/a Partners Restaurant v. Western Massachusetts Electric Co.

Allegation: Negligence causing injury and property damage: $250,000

Filed: 8/31/17

Colin Drury v. Town of East Longmeadow

Allegation: Employment contract and wage violations: $70,000

Filed: 9/1/17

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT

Jean Bess v. Ricky C. Hoy, United Parcel Service Inc., and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.

Allegation: Motor-vehicle negligence causing injury: $20,111.28

Filed: 8/30/17

Picture This

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Departments Picture This

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

 

Great Days Gala

Sunshine Village in Chicopee celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sept. 14 with a Great Days Gala. More than 250 guests enjoyed food stations and passed hors d’oeuvres under a tent, along with tours of the buildings on its main campus in Chicopee. As an industry leader in disability services, the organization serves more than 450 people and employs mre than 250 in its day programs and employment services for adults with developmental disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum. The event focused on the innovation surrounding the next 50 years of the organization, including finding new programs to serve the growing population of individuals with disabilities. Board President Ernest Laflamme Jr. and Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos cut the ribbon on the Davis Building that was recently renovated by A. Crane Construction and Caolo & Bieniek Associates to allow for future growth. The building houses administration offices and a new contemporary day-habilitation program geared toward younger adults. In addition, the board room was also dedicated to the leadership of Laflamme as a board member.

Mayor Kos, state Sen. Donald Humason, Executive Director Gina Kos, board Clerk Michael Siddall, A.J. Crane of A. Crane Construction, board President Ernest Laflamme Jr., board Vice President Stephen Melnyck Jr., board member Peter Benton, board Treasurer Clifford Bordeaux, Chicopee Treasurer and board member Marie Laflamme, board member Debra Schneeweis, board member Teri Szlosek, and Curtis Edgin of Caolo & Bieniek Associates. At

Mayor Kos, state Sen. Donald Humason, Executive Director Gina Kos, board Clerk Michael Siddall, A.J. Crane of A. Crane Construction, board President Ernest Laflamme Jr., board Vice President Stephen Melnyck Jr., board member Peter Benton, board Treasurer Clifford Bordeaux, Chicopee Treasurer and board member Marie Laflamme, board member Debra Schneeweis, board member Teri Szlosek, and Curtis Edgin of Caolo & Bieniek Associates.

from left: Ernest Laflamme Jr., Program Manager Jenny Galat, former Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe, and Marie Laflamme

From left: Ernest Laflamme Jr., Program Manager Jenny Galat, former Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe, and Marie Laflamme

Those gathered listen to a succession of speakers marking the occasion

Those gathered listen to a succession of speakers marking the occasion

Day of Caring

Sept. 15 marked United Way of Pioneer Valley’s 23rd annual Day of Caring. More than 700 volunteers from 25 different companies rolled up their sleeves and gave a helping hand to a non-profit in need. United Way’s Day of Caring is the largest day of volunteerism in Western Massachusetts, with 39 non-profit agencies participating and more than 70 projects happening on that day alone.

A group of 15 volunteers from AAA of Pioneer Valley, led by Tammi Benson, sort through various donated food items at The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Hatfield

A group of 15 volunteers from AAA of Pioneer Valley, led by Tammi Benson, sort through various donated food items at The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Hatfield

Three employees from MassMutual spent the day volunteering with Girls Inc. in Holyoke and washed down all over their transportation vehicles.

Three employees from MassMutual spent the day volunteering with Girls Inc. in Holyoke and washed down all over their transportation vehicles. From left, Jennifer Bolduc, Wendie Dilk, and Charlene Pafumi

Katie Martin, Kathy Dube, Christina Sousa (in camo hat), and Kare LaFleche are among those who volunteered at the Center for Human Development by cleaning up the Residential Center for Young Women—a transitional house for women who suffered trauma from abuse in Holyoke

Katie Martin, Kathy Dube, Christina Sousa (in camo hat), and Kare LaFleche are among those who volunteered at the Center for Human Development by cleaning up the Residential Center for Young Women—a transitional house for women who suffered trauma from abuse in Holyoke

A group of volunteers from Westfield Bank show off a hard day’s work spent doing landscaping projects at Highland Elementary School in Westfield; and Marco Gomes of MassMutual works diligently on a painting project at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke

A group of volunteers from Westfield Bank show off a hard day’s work spent doing landscaping projects at Highland Elementary School in Westfield; and Marco Gomes of MassMutual works diligently on a painting project at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke

Healthcare Employers Tour SIMS Medical Center at STCC

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield-area healthcare employers recently received an eye-opening tour of the SIMS Medical Center, the nationally recognized patient-simulation facility at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC).

Training and Workforce Options (TWO), the workforce-development collaborative of STCC and Holyoke Community College, arranged the tour with 11 employers representing eight different companies, said Sharon Grundel, director of Healthcare Training Development for TWO.

The visit provided a unique opportunity for healthcare employers to get a close-up look at the training process. The SIMS Medical Center provides a state-of-the-art educational environment where students and healthcare professionals obtain new skills and enhance existing ones. The facility’s patient simulators look and talk like real people. They might express displeasure, produce fluids, and emit odors while undergoing treatment.

It was Bill Corbett’s first time touring the SIMS Medical Center, and it left an impression. Like other employers, he received hands-on experience working with the simulators. “The SIMS facility was truly amazing,” said Corbett, Human Resources coordinator for Aging at Home Inc., a home-care agency in Westfield. “The simulation that it offers, giving the students a chance to actually interact with the ‘patient,’ really adds a ‘wow’ factor to the training.”

Debra Allen, vice president of Porchlight VNA/Home Care in Chicopee, called the tour “a wonderful experience. I truly wish something like this had been available when I was a nursing student many years ago.”

Grundel said the company officials who toured the SIMS facility employ home health aides and certified nursing assistants who graduated from STCC. “Their employees have gone through similar training in the SIMS Medical Center, where they received hands-on applied learning.”

Any businesses interested in touring the SIMS Medical Center at STCC should contact Sharon Grundel of TWO. Call (413) 755-4396 or e-mail [email protected].

Tenth Annual Yappy Valley Community Dog Show Slated for Oct. 14

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Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — On Saturday, Oct. 14, the 10th annual Yappy Valley Community Dog Show will be held at Sheehan Field during the Easthampton Nonotuck Park Harvest Fest activities. Dog owners from surrounding communities will compete for trophies and ribbons in various categories.

The adult show will begin at 11 a.m., followed by the youth show at 12:30 p.m. Mayor Karen Cadieux will be the master of ceremonies. Admission is free to all spectators. There will be a drawing for gifts in support of the Key Club, and refreshments will be available.

Dog owners can register in advance or on the day of the event. Registration forms can be picked up at local businesses and at Easthampton High school. After the dog show, Harvest Fest activities will continue throughout the afternoon.

PROSHRED Document-shredding Event to Benefit Cancer Research

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Daily News

WILBRAHAM — To raise money for the American Institute for Cancer Research, PROSHRED Security will hold a “Shred Cancer” event at the Scantic Valley YMCA Branch at 45 Post Office Park, Wilbraham, on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The suggested donation in exchange for shredding is $5, with all proceeds benefiting the American Institute for Cancer Research. PROSHRED will also match a portion of all donations.

Anyone is welcome to bring paper, file folders, hanging files, notepads, envelopes, CDs, and DVDs they need destroyed in a secure manner. Shredding trucks will be parked in designated areas to collect and destroy the unwanted confidential documents. Attendees can also enjoy free food, and children can view a fire truck provided by the Wilbraham Fire Department.

PROSHRED Springfield is located at 75 Post Office Park in Wilbraham and offers mobile shredding services anywhere in Massachusetts. Led by President and CEO Joe Kelly, PROSHRED Springfield specializes in the secure destruction of confidential and sensitive documents, computer hard drives, and electronic media.

PROSHRED has hosted similar “Shred Cancer” events across the country. For more information about the event, visit www.proshred.com/springfield/events/shred-cancer-event.

PeoplesBank to Host Seminar on Regulations That Impact Businesses

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — The regulations governing the workplace in Massachusetts are changing again, and PeoplesBank is bringing back employment-law specialist attorney Meghan Sullivan on Thursday, Oct. 12 to help area business owners navigate this new landscape.

Sullivan’s presentation will include an overview of the legal obligations and recommended compliance strategies related to the new Massachusetts Equal Pay Act and the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. She is a managing partner of Sullivan, Hayes & Quinn, LLC and an employment-law litigator. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College and a juris doctor from Quinnipiac College School of Law, where she was awarded the West Publishing American Jurisprudence Award for academic excellence in the field of Constitutional Law. She is experienced in the areas of labor and employment law, discrimination law, labor relations, affirmative action, OSHA compliance, personnel policy, and training.

The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Colony Club, 1500 Main St., Springfield. The seminar is free and open to the public with registration, but seating is limited. To register, visit peoplesbank32.eventbrite.com.

Eastern States Exposition Breaks Attendance Record

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Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — A record number of visitors attended the Big E this year, breaking the fair’s all-time high attendance figure, with a final tally of 1,525,553. The previous record of 1,498,605 was set in 2014. Oct. 1 attendance was 137,208, also a new record for the final Sunday of the 17-day fair.

During the fair’s run, the all-time-highest single-day attendance record was also broken when 171,897 visitors attended Saturday, Sept. 23. Three additional daily attendance records were set: Sept. 21, 85,019; Sept. 28, 89,905; and Sept. 29, 109,871.

“I am humbled to see the incredible support of Eastern States Exposition by our loyal fair patrons,” said Eugene Cassidy, president and CEO of the Exposition. “The 2017, 101st edition of the Big E broke records again, recording for the first time in history over 1.5 million guests. Patrons of New England’s Great State Fair braved days of punishing temperatures that pushed the heat index to above 100 degrees, they endured a 55-degree drop in temperature accompanied by rain, and yet they came in great numbers to participate in, enjoy, and support this organization and all it stands for.”

Pioneer Valley Ballet Gala Slated

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Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — On Sept. 30, Pioneer Valley Ballet (PVB) will welcome friends and supporters to its 2017-2018 season opening gala at 6 p.m. at Eastworks. The event won’t be in PVB’s studio, however, but down the hall at Easthampton Media’s new home.

Even before Easthampton Media moves into its new facility, PVB will offer its guests an early look at this new community space.

The gala will feature a cocktail reception, performances of new works, and desserts, with food and drink by Myers Catering. PVB’s leadership will introduce its 2017-2018 season, which features the organization’s 40th production of The Nutcracker. The production involves more than 250 dancers from towns throughout Western Mass., with performing parts ranging from enchanting snowflakes to the tiniest reindeer. These dancers perform alongside pre-professional students and guest artists from Boston, New York, and the Carolina Ballet.

This community event performs at Northampton’s Academy of Music Theatre from Dec. 8-10, and this year features the addition of a new family- and sensory-friendly performance.

The season’s springtime production will be the classic The Little Mermaid, performed at the Academy of Music on April 7, 2018. This full-length ballet showcases trained dancers from PVB as well as professional guest artists from around the region. Set to Camille Saint Saens’ musical score, this extravagant production is based on the well-known fairy tale by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen.

PVB is a non-profit, mission-based organization that began in Northampton in 1972 and quickly became known as the area’s finest ballet school. In addition to its mainstage productions, PVB offers a range of classes for children through adults, with a commitment to make ballet available to people of all ages and body types. Since 2006, artistic directors Maryanne Kodzis and Thomas Vacanti have brought the organization’s pre-professional ballet training program and performances into a new era.

For more information, visit www.pioneervalleyballet.org.

 

 

 

 

Big Y Turns Pink

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — In order to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer, all Big Y Supermarkets will be donating proceeds from various departments throughout the store to 31 local breast cancer support groups throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. Since 2007, the chain has raised more than $1.7 million dollars for this cause. The program, “Partners of Hope” reflects the partnership, commitment and support of breast cancer awareness and research that is so vital for many. Last year, Big Y raised $234,885.

During the entire month of October, Big Y will donate a portion of the proceeds from both the floral and produce Departments. Additionally, Big Y will donate 5 cents for each Big Y, Top Care, Full Circle, Simply Done, Paws Happy Life, Pure Harmony, @Ease, Tippy Toes and Culinary Tours brand products (excluding random weight items) purchased between Oct. 5 and 11. The Big Y Butcher Shop will donate 10 cents from every pound of All Natural Angus Beef® and Big Y Smart Chicken® to breast cancer research during the entire month of October. Big Y Pharmacy & Wellness Center will also donate $5 for every flu shot given.

Big Y’s pink reusable, earth-friendly shopping bag highlighting the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign will also be available and every store will be promoting Partners of Hope pink ribbons for $1 from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 as a way of generating additional proceeds for local breast cancer organizations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Big Y’s dietitian team, Carrie Taylor and Andrea Luttrell, will devote a portion of their fall newsletter to cancer prevention. Look for the “Living Well Eating Smart” displays throughout the stores.

According to Big Y CEO, Donald D’Amour, “Breast cancer affects thousands of women and many men each year. We hope that this initiative will not only promote breast cancer awareness but also save lives through early detection and care.”

 

AIC Named Among Fastest Growing Colleges

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Chronicle of Higher Education has named American International College (AIC) one of the fastest growing colleges in the United States for the sixth time. Among private, nonprofit doctoral institutions, AIC placed fourth among the top 20 colleges and universities in the country with a 95% growth rate. AIC nearly doubled its enrollment over a 10-year span, 2005-2015.

In a categorical comparison to other colleges and universities in Massachusetts, AIC surpassed ninth-rated Worcester Polytechnic Institute as the only other college or university in the Commonwealth that placed in the private, nonprofit doctoral category.

“We believe that a college education is more than academic and intellectual growth,” said President Vince Maniaci. “At AIC, we are committed to the personal, spiritual, and professional development of our undergraduate and graduate students. We identify trends and develop programs that will provide our students with a foundation upon which they can build to reach their full potential with traditional, blended, and online program offerings. In this competitive and rapidly changing world, we make every effort to help our students compete successfully and are proud to be recognized for our efforts.”

Data collected for the Chronicle of Higher Education was based on fall enrollments of full-time and part-time students and included all U.S. degree granting programs with a minimum of a 500-student enrollment in 2005. Institutions are grouped by the 2015 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

 

Giant Monkey Wrench Sculpture to be Delivered Downtown

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The city of Springfield has made its first investment in public art in years by allocating Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds — announced in the summer of 2016, and arriving this September. Two awards were made to local artists, one commissioning a sculpture and one commissioning a mural. The first is being delivered downtown today.

James Kitchen, previously known for his works throughout downtown including The Universe, will be delivering yet another interesting and unique sculpture for visitors, residents, and employees of downtown to enjoy. It is a giant monkey wrench, created by welding together monkey wrenches collected by the artist, as a tip-of-the-hat to Solymon Merrick, inventor of the monkey wrench who lived at 83 Maple St. in Springfield. DevelopSpringfield recently rehabbed the home, now inhabiting it as their offices. The monkey wrench sculpture will be delivered to the MassMutual Center main plaza today via crane, and will stay on display for the forseeable future. The city and the selection committee, including representation from the Cultural District and Transformative Development Initiative, hope that this piece will inspire those who walk by to remember Springfield is a hub of innovation not only in the past, but present as well.

Kitchen’s work will be unveiled alongside the second public art piece — a mural on the side of Gifford Locksmith on Lyman Street inspired by Milton Bradley. A ribbon-cutting celebration will be held in early October to showcase both investments in public art to create a more walkable and livable downtown. The city hopes to have similar success with its upcoming South End mural project, announced in August 2017.

The cultural district’s mission is to foster civic engagement and arts education in Springfield by creating and sustaining a vibrant cultural environment that positions the city as the cultural capital of the region. For more information, visit SpringfieldCulture.Org.

NiSource Again Named to Dow Jones Sustainability Index

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Daily News

WESTBOROUGH — NiSource Inc., parent company of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) — North America in recognition of the company’s sustainable business practices and performance for the fourth consecutive year. NiSource is the second highest ranked U.S. multi-utility on the list.

On the local level, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts offers an energy efficiency program that is proving to be among the best in the country. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has ranked Massachusetts as first in the nation for the past three years. “Columbia Gas is also leading the way to develop measurement protocols to identify and prioritize gas leaks for repair, based on the significance of a leak’s environmental impact.  We are committed to serving our customers and communities with a natural gas distribution system that is safe, reliable and environmentally responsible,” said Steve Bryant, president.

The ranking reflects advancements NiSource made to its sustainability strategy in 2016 by outlining aggressive and achievable targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Supported by its existing business strategy and $30 billion of long-term infrastructure investment opportunities, these emission reduction targets are enabled through the retirement of 50 percent of the company’s coal-fired electric generation fleet and accelerated replacement of its natural gas distribution infrastructure.

“We take pride in our inclusion on this list because it recognizes our relentless focus on serving our customers in a way that is safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and sustainable,” said NiSource President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Hamrock “We’ve set our sights high and are making proactive environmental improvements that are in line with the needs of our customers.” By 2025, NiSource expects to reduce:

  • Nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions by more than 90% from 2005 levels;
  • Water withdrawal by more than 90% from 2005 levels;
  • Methane emissions from gas service and main lines by more than 50 percent from 2005 levels; and
  • Carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50% from 2005 levels.

 

Polish National Credit Union Donates $5,000 to CHD

By
Daily News

CHICOPEE — Polish National Credit Union (PNCU) has made a $5,000 donation to CHD Disability Resources, a program that provides barrier-free competitive and recreational opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities or visual impairments. On Sept. 26, members of the credit union’s leadership team made a check presentation to Kimberley Lee, VP Office of Advancement for CHD, at PNCU headquarters at 46 Main St. in Chicopee.

“CHD is thrilled to receive Polish National Credit Union’s incredibly generous gift of $5,000 for our Disability Resources Program,” said Lee. “Every dollar of Disability Resources funding—100%—is raised through the generosity of individuals, families and organizations like PNCU. For almost a century, their community-minded organization has helped local families to become home owners and entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. Clearly, PNCU’s willingness to remove boundaries and obstacles is still very much a part of their mission. Their gift will make the many benefits of adaptive sports and recreation available to hundreds of local individuals with disabilities and their families.”

Polish Nation Credit Union was founded in 1921 with a small initial investment by 15 Polish immigrants who wanted to provide their community with a systematic method for savings and low-cost loans, said Sarah Jordan, Marketing Specialist for PNCU. “Our focus has always been on relationships, so it’s not surprising that most of our giving is targeted to help our local community prosper in all sorts of ways,” she explained. “PNCU has donated to CHD before, because we know how much their programs mean to people in need. This year we chose their Disability Resources program because we know so many family members, loved ones, customers, and neighbors with disabilities. We are pleased to provide funds that help pay for specialized equipment for adaptive sports like sled hockey, as well as family-oriented experiences like concerts and cookouts that enable everyone to interact regardless of ability. PNCU could not think of a better program investment to reflect our community commitment than CHD Disability Resources.”

Founded in 1921, Polish National Credit Union provides a full range of financial services to individuals, families and businesses. The organization operates eight Western Mass branches plus a satellite office at Chicopee Comprehensive High School.

CHD Disability Resources seeks to enhance the self-confidence, interactive skills and physical abilities of persons with disabilities by offering a variety of activities, such as competitive and recreational adaptive sports, family-oriented social gatherings and educational events.

 

HCC Names Sbriscia VP of Institutional Advancement


By
Daily News

HOLYOKE – Holyoke Community College announced that   Amanda Sbriscia has been hired as its new vice president of Institutional Advancement. Sbriscia will lead HCC’s fundraising efforts as head of the HCC Foundation as well as oversee Alumni Affairs, Resource Development, and Marketing and Communications. She begins Oct. 30.

“I am thrilled to be joining HCC at a very exciting time in its history,” Sbriscia said. “I look forward to connecting with our alumni, friends, faculty and staff, and to engaging the community in our efforts to support students and build on the college’s excellent reputation.”

Sbriscia, 33, comes to HCC with more than 10 years’ experience in education and fundraising. Most recently, she has been serving as senior director of Advancement at Bay Path University, following her role there as director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations.

Before Bay Path, Sbriscia worked in fund development for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts and as director of Annual Giving for Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass. Her experience in higher education also includes work in major gifts, volunteer management, corporate sponsorship, and strategic planning.

“We were fortunate to have four extremely qualified finalists to consider, and we put each of them through a full day of rigorous interviews,” said HCC president Christina Royal. “In the end, though, Amanda’s experience, presence, and passion really made her stand out. She has an energy that I believe will integrate fluently with our current campus leadership and help propel us forward as we begin to develop a strategic plan for the future of HCC. I’m excited that she will soon be here.”

Sbriscia has served on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and is a member of Women in Philanthropy and the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield. She is also a classroom reader through Springfield School Volunteers.

Sbriscia is currently pursuing her doctor of education degree in organizational leadership from Northeastern University. In her spare time she is an avid runner and has completed four marathons and is planning to run this fall in the Newport and New York City marathons.