UMassFive Introduces New Assistant Vice President of Account Operations

By
Daily News

Christina Reynolds

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union announced that Christina Reynolds has been promoted to assistant vice president of Account Operations. She began her career at UMassFive 15 years ago as a part-time online banking specialist in the Contact Center. Since then, she has taken on a variety of roles, including positions in branches, as Card Services manager, and, most recently, as Digital and Payments manager.

In her new role, Reynolds will oversee several key areas: Digital Banking (including online and mobile banking), Payments (ACH transactions, wires, and checks), Card Services (debit and credit cards), and Account Services (focused on fraud prevention, compliance, and risk management).

“I’m excited to work with my team to deepen the level of positive impact we can have with our products and services,” Reynolds said, “by helping to drive innovation, fostering collaboration, and leading efforts that help our organization fulfill strategic goals, and our mission to better the financial lives of our members.”

Elizabeth Staples Keeps Evolving the Good Dog Spot

By
Elizabeth Staples today
Where Are They Now?

Where Are They Now?

Elizabeth Staples today

Elizabeth Staples today

Elizabeth Staples was honored in the 40 Under Forty class of 2016

Elizabeth Staples was honored in the 40 Under Forty class of 2016

When Elizabeth Staples was named to BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2016, she had been running her business, the Good Dog Spot, for almost a decade, based on one foundational idea: that canine daycare should be more than stowing dogs in kennels.

“On the East Coast, you mostly saw the warehouse style of boarding — put the dog in a cage and go away, which is kind of sad,” she explained back then. “But nationally, the trend was toward an off-leash play center, where people could feel good about leaving their dog and not feel guilty about it. That’s what we wanted to bring to this area.”

Fast-forward nine more years, and Staples is still evolving the idea of how best to serve dogs and their families.

“There’s been a shift in the industry that recognizes that dogs are parts of our family, and people want more than even just a place for them to go play all day,” she told BusinessWest during a visit earlier this month. “They want to make sure that their lives are full of enrichment, and every dog is a little different, so their needs might be a little bit different. So it’s not quite the same as throwing all the dogs into a big group for playtime anymore.”

She’s talking about the Enhanced Dog Daycare program, which goes beyond playtime and aims to create a balanced day that leaves a dog fulfilled, but not exhausted, through carefully tailored activities, personalized attention, and thoughtful socialization — all individualized for each guest.

From a single location in Chicopee starting in 2007, the Good Dog Spot expanded to a second site in Northampton in late 2016, and both locations offer daycare, boarding, grooming, and services like Spot’s Tots, which is a puppy socialization program that gets pups ready for the daycare environment.

“Every dog is a little different, so their needs might be a little bit different. So it’s not quite the same as throwing all the dogs into a big group for playtime anymore.”

“That young puppy period is a really influential time where you can set them up for some very positive experiences,” Staples noted.

In its first nine years, leading up to her 40 Under Forty recognition, the Good Dog Spot grew from one employee to 18, and boasts close to 40 now. In 2016, the business served about 30 dogs a day; now, on a busy day, each site may see 50 dogs checking in for daycare, 20 for boarding, and another 20 for grooming.

“We’re growing organically with the two locations. I guess the big-picture dream is that there would be a third location,” she said. “We currently rent both of our locations, and we’ve got great relationships with our landlords, but eventually owning a property we’re in would be a future goal for us as well.”

The COVID years posed challenges on multiple levels, starting with how to serve the public under strict state regulations.

“Daycare was still on the essential list, so we could open for daycare and grooming, but we couldn’t do boarding. And then it shifted, but the shifts were not necessarily communicated clearly,” Staples said.

“But we realized that grooming was the essential service. You’ve got elderly people that can’t take care of their dogs. You’ve got hygiene, fleas, ticks, and things like that that you want to make sure you’re taking care of,” she noted. “Then, when that got taken off of the essential list, we could only do one at a time. And you’re making clients unhappy because they’re like, ‘my dog’s there; can’t you just groom him anyway? But we couldn’t because we could get fined. So it really was complicated.”

The other change coming out of COVID was that workforce issues across a broad spectrum of industries were forcing wages up, and with a growing staff, the Good Dog Spot has had to respond in order to attract the best talent, hiring staff at $18 per hour and paying managers in the mid-20s.

“We had to stay ultra-competitive,” Staples said. “Minimum wage was going up anyway, but to get ahead of that curve was challenging because we needed to bring in quality people to take care of these pets. The increase in wages allows us to take good care of our staff and keep them happy, content, and safe. But it also allows us to do what’s great for the dogs, so it’s just been a win-win all around.”

Since their children were born, Staples’s husband, Cory, has handled much of the day-to-day operations of the Good Dog Spot. “Cory’s focused on the numbers, and I focus more on what’s really great for the dogs. And when the two mesh together well, that’s really great to see,” she said.

She is also proud of the business’ focus on continuing education and safety. Both Elizabeth and Cory are certified through the Professional Animal Care Certification Council, and they’ve been involved with an organization called Fear Free Pets, which offers training to help the staff recognize stress signals and other signs in an effort to work with animals in a positive way. Employees are also certified in first aid and CPR.

As for the continued growth over the past 18 years, Staples said having to keep up with demand — in terms of both staffing and evolving client offerings — has been challenging, but gratifying when she looks back at her humble beginnings. “It really does blow my mind sometimes.”

Born from Personal Struggle, Matt’s Pellet Stove Service Thrives

By
Owner Matthew Abelli
Building Trades

Things Are Heating Up

Owner Matthew Abelli

Owner Matthew Abelli

It had been a long few years for Matthew Abelli and his wife — years marked by job changes, a frustrating journey toward parenthood, and years of health issues that culminated with a tumor in his brain.

But Abelli has emerged from all that with a positive diagnosis, a healthy daughter, and his own growing business, Matt’s Pellet Stove Service.

He told BusinessWest about all of that, starting at the beginning — the very beginning, when he was being raised by a divorced mom whom he described as strong-willed and tough.

“She was very do-it-yourself, hands-on, and I picked up a lot of that with her,” he said, recalling how he once repaired a broken toaster for her with a screwdriver and a dose of youthful common sense. “She loves telling that story.”

After studying in the electrical program at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School in Northampton, Abelli worked in — and was laid off from — an electrician job during the Great Recession, then found himself spending more than 10 years with an HVAC company, installing, servicing, and repairing pellet stoves, wood stoves, and gas appliances, eventually departing around 2017.

“But I kept doing it, whether it was for friends, family, odd jobs, refurbishing units — it’s a big passion of mine,” he noted.

“I was starting to get headaches at work — to the point where I’m like, ‘this is weird.’ You know how sometimes you stand up and your eyes take a second to adjust? Well, I’d do that, but it would take a minute to adjust. And then I would lose my peripheral vision sometimes.”

After a stint as a maintenance technician for Pride, which he found neither challenging or enjoyable, Abelli applied for and eventually secured a custodial job with Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, which he supplemented by working a second maintenance job with Highland Valley Elder Services in Northampton.

And then COVID hit — and so did a major health scare.

“I was starting to get headaches at work — to the point where I’m like, ‘this is weird.’ You know how sometimes you stand up and your eyes take a second to adjust? Well, I’d do that, but it would take a minute to adjust. And then I would lose my peripheral vision sometimes.”

On his wife’s insistence, he got a CT scan that revealed a small blockage and buildup of spinal fluid. The surgery to repair it couldn’t be done locally, so he went to Tufts in Boston. Because of COVID restrictions, his wife couldn’t be with him, which was upsetting, but the surgery was a success — for the moment, anyway.

“When I came back, I felt like a million bucks because I didn’t have that pressure,” he recalled. “They said, ‘come back in a year.’”

The couple did, in January 2022, and an MRI revealed that the blockage seemed a lot larger — in fact, it had tripled in size and was now classified as a brain tumor. Because of the risks of surgery in that location, including blindness — it was very near the optic nerve — Abelli opted for powerful oral chemotherapy and radiation treatments that led to cranial swelling, which was treated with potent steroids.

On top of that stress, his wife, Jennifer, discovered she was pregnant, the culmination of years of trying. Amid all that, an HVAC position came up at the base, which Abelli had wanted. Weakened by his various treatments, he wound up interviewing with sunglasses on because light hurt his eyes.

He got the job, though he continued to struggle with the effects of chemotherapy, while his wife managed her pregnancy. Meanwhile, both were diagnosed with COVID at one point in 2022. But as the year drew to a close, the tumor was shrinking, and Jennifer gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Grace.

Matthew Abelli says he takes pride in keeping pellet stoves clean and safe.

Matthew Abelli says he takes pride in keeping pellet stoves clean and safe.

That’s a lot to experience in a short time. But Abelli was about to make another big change.

 

Home and Hearth

Specifically, he had never lost his passion for working with pellet stoves, and there came a time in 2023 — when Grace was about 6 months old — when Abelli decided he needed another source of income. So he started picking up cleaning and service jobs, and eventually registered Matt’s Pellet Stove Service as a business in 2024.

Today, he has built a clientele of about 200 regular customers, mainly by hustling for references, social media marketing (he has dozens of five-star reviews), and word of mouth.

“I would go to any place that had pellets. I had this whole spiel: ‘look, I’m factory trained, I can do this, I can do that. I’m not going to step on your toes, but if you have overflow or something you don’t service, I’ll take that on.’ Just anything to get my name out there as somebody doing this in the area. Because there aren’t a lot of people my age who do it. It’s a lot of older guys that are getting out of it.”

And that has created solid opportunity to grow. He works at Barnes on weekdays and devotes weekends to pellet stoves — during the busy winter season, he’s also servicing stoves after work during the week — and envisions a time, in the future, when the pellet stove operation becomes a full-time job, perhaps with a growing team of employees. But even then, he sees himself working in the field.

“I love doing the work, and I would always probably be a part of it, but there’s something comforting about having well-trained people to do the job while I do some of the logistics stuff. I think that would be ideal,” he told BusinessWest.

“My biggest thing is safety,” he added. “Anybody’s house I’m going into, I would hope that I would treat it like my own. I know that’s cliché to say, but it’s very true. And if I see something that somebody else did wrong, I’m going to tell the customer, and I’m going to do everything I can to fix it, to do it right. Because, at the end of the day, my name is on that.”

That commitment has been reflected by comments customers have left on town forums and online review sites, he said. And he’s become involved in the community in other ways, donating to local organizations both on his own and through volunteer efforts at Barnes.

Abelli’s footprint with the pellet stove business covers much of the southern part of the Pioneer Valley and into Connecticut, with Westfield being his busiest city.

He’s also encouraging young people to seek careers in the trades. Earlier this spring, he visited Putnam Vocational Technical Academy in Springfield and spoke with students in the HVAC department.

“I talked to them for about an hour and had a lot of good feedback,” he recalled. “I had kids come up to me at the end, saying, ‘I’d like to check that out.’ So that would be another pool to pick from if I needed a kid to help out.”

Like most trades these days, the career opportunities for young people are plentiful, he added. “Especially in this area, there’s enough work for everybody.”

 

Grace in the Journey

There’s certainly enough work for Abelli right now, and plenty of potential for growth ahead. He’s especially gratified with his current path having come off a lengthy, often painful health issue that has essentially resolved, and a long struggle for parenthood that culminated in an appropriately named child — because he and Jennifer feel like they’ve needed plenty of grace to get to this point.

“Sometimes you think it’s never going to end. That’s the hardest part. It’s the unknown,” he said of those struggles. “I always get a little emotional just talking about it. We’re not completely religious, but I feel like it was … something. Sometimes the timing just feels that way.”

Skyview Cleaning Uses Technology to Build Customer Trust

By
Francis and Rocio George say their use of body cameras is unusual in the cleaning industry, and a strong selling point.
Building Trades

The Camera Doesn’t Lie

Francis and Rocio George say their use of body cameras is unusual in the cleaning industry, and a strong selling point.

Francis and Rocio George say their use of body cameras is unusual in the cleaning industry, and a strong selling point.

 

It’s called time theft.

That’s a common problem in service industries, and it essentially refers to workers not spending the time they promised on a job.

Thanks to a proprietary technology called QCam, Skyview Cleaners is cutting down on wage theft — and creating the type of trust with clients that its owners, married couple Francis and Rocio George, believe sets their Springfield-based business apart.

“We’re actually incorporating technology into a legacy industry,” said Francis, who came out of the IT world and was looking for something different after an industry contraction back in 2022. “I have a couple of friends that used to be tech sales guys just like me. And all of a sudden, I see their LinkedIn update — one’s running a porta-potty company, one has a lawnmowing company. All they’re really doing is taking a legacy industry and making it more efficient with tech.”

In Skyview’s case, QCam is a body camera mounted to the worker’s belt when he or she visits a residential or commercial property on a contracted cleaning visit. This footage is shared with clients so they can see the work — and how long was spent completing it.

“In janitorial and cleaning, there aren’t very many tech-forward people, and that gave us a market opportunity,” Francis said. “We don’t consider ourselves in the cleaning business — we’re in the quality control business. And we needed some system to ensure quality.”

The second phase will be live-streaming jobs for clients, and the third will involve an AI assist to identify anomalies for someone watching several different feeds come in.

“For most clients, you’re doing the same thing week over week,” Francis explained. “So we can basically standardize some sort of a time metric, and an alert can go off to the internal quality control manager if the clean significantly diverts from that.”

Rocio said one of the main complaints from customers in the maintenance business is that cleaners don’t always do the job they promised.

“There is a gap in the industry. There is no quality control. We promise these things to the clients, but then, how do we make sure our employees do their job when no one is watching them?

“Right now, we’re just a janitorial company implementing a little bit of tech to differentiate ourselves and compete better, but I do have a vision for the future where this type of technology becomes commonplace.”

“That’s why we implement the QCam. If the client has any complaint at all, we invite them to look at the footage and see,” she went on. “It’s basically to ensure quality control. We also implement this only if the client gives us permission. It’s opt-in; we don’t just record the whole thing without our client’s permission. And we only share the videos with the client.”

Francis said he has not come across another cleaning company in the region that uses cameras like Skyview does, but that may not be the case in the future.

“Right now, we’re just a janitorial company implementing a little bit of tech to differentiate ourselves and compete better, but I do have a vision for the future where this type of technology becomes commonplace.”

 

Early Challenges

When the couple met five years ago, they were living in New York; Francis was working at tech startups, while Rocio, a native of Paraguay, was studying English. They moved to Western Mass. when she was accepted at Mount Holyoke College, where she studied psychology and recently earned her degree.

“I was working remotely, doing tech sales, so it was an easy move,” Francis recalled. But his career was derailed by industry contraction and, in his case, working for an enterprise that got put out of business by ChatGPT.

“It sucked at the time, but it became a cool story later on,” he said. But not without significant challenges.

First, he worked with a friend selling solar installations door-to-door, using his severance from the IT world and unemployment funds to get the commission-only solar business going. But it failed “catastrophically,” he said.

“When that blew up, we were looking down the barrel of a loaded gun — overdrawn bank account, no money, a baby on the way, rushing to get on EBT and cash assistance.”

That was only last year. Rocio was still studying full-time — and also, eventually, adjusting to life as a new mom — and didn’t have a work permit yet. “I was in the middle of my status being changed from international student to getting my green card, so I couldn’t work.”

It took an emotional toll, Francis said. “I was dealing with all of the shame that comes with being a failed provider, at least in my eyes, and she’s trying to pull me out of that. Meanwhile, she’s dealing with the sheer terror of her provider not being able to provide, so we were both trying to console each other.”

But they had an idea. Rocio’s brother was in the cleaning business in California, so Francis, after studying the potential of such an enterprise, started going door-to-door, picking up the first few commercial and residential clients in what would become Skyview Cleaning.

“The whole past year was just a journey of building up enough income to to get off EBT and cash assistance and all the stuff that kept us afloat. I’m pretty thankful we’re in a state like this where we had access to that stuff,” he said, adding that a microgrant through the Latino Economic Development Corp. in Springfield was a lifesaver, as was a significant contract with Wyckoff Country Club. “That really saved us during a questionable period.”

 

Looking Ahead

While they also clean residential properties, the couple’s main niche is small (6,000 square feet and under) commercial properties.

“That’s a healthy zone for sure,” Francis said. “With any large commercial and residential, it’s a pretty aggressive race to the bottom. You’re quickly getting to these razor-thin margins.

“We have significantly better margins, and part of the reason is because, with QCam, we’re minimizing risk,” he continued. “For small or medium-sized businesses who are going to drop a couple grand a month on cleaning, they can’t really risk that not being done. A restaurant owner can’t arrive in the morning and have three hours of cleaning work that wasn’t done.”

As noted earlier, he believes wearable tech like QCam will become more commonplace in a number of industries.

“I think cameras in public, with phones everywhere, have culturally engineered the acceptance of being filmed, just by virtue of going outside,” he noted. “I think this is going to be one of the industries that adopts what we’re doing now, especially as companies have to crack down on time theft.

“I mean, when you look at the stats, billions are lost in the U.S. alone because of time theft. And with corporate America tightening the belt, they’re really going to have to figure out how to recapture some of that and make sure employees are out there doing what they say they’re going to do.”

While the Georges work in the field alongside three employees, they envision a time when they can grow the client base and employee roster and take on much less of the physical work themselves. But for now, they’re happy with their early trajectory.

“We did have a really rough start — having a baby while I was still in school, when we didn’t have money,” Rocio said. “But I feel it’s a blessing that we went through all that because we get to appreciate what we have, and we get to work together and create something unique.”

It’s a lesson in resilience anyone can emulate, she added. “No matter how hard your situation is, if you really want to change your circumstances, you can do it. When we didn’t have money last year, it was really hard, and I would never want to go back to that time in my life, but here we are, stronger than ever. We’re visionaries, we’re entrepreneurs, and I’m really grateful for what we’re creating.”

Federal Employment Law Swings Wide Right

By Contributor
Law

Changes in the Workplace

By Erica E. Flores, Esq.

 

Here in Massachusetts, we’ve gotten pretty accustomed to being known as a liberal bastion, a reliably blue populace governed by progressive icons like U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Gov. Maura Healey. Our laws reflect that ideology, including our many employment laws, which provide broad protections for workers on a wide array of topics, such as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage payments, family and medical leave, sick time, and others.

Federal law has never been nearly as protective of workers — for sure, the abysmal federal minimum wage ($7.25 per hour) has not been increased since 2009. But, still, it never really felt at odds with liberal values — just more moderate. Since President Trump took office for the second time, however, federal employment law has been changing at a breakneck pace, and not just via the president’s ever-growing stack of executive orders, but in the federal agencies and the federal courts as well.

Erica E. Flores“Employers here should start thinking about where their policies, programs, and practices are situated in the growing divide between Massachusetts’ liberal employment laws and the Trump administration’s new policies.”

“How does this affect me or my business?” you may be asking yourself. And it’s a fair question. Massachusetts businesses have to abide by the more employee-friendly Massachusetts laws, so a conservative shift in how federal employment laws are interpreted or enforced doesn’t really change employers’ obligations here. Right? Maybe not.

Under the U.S. Constitution, federal law is the supreme law of the land notwithstanding any state law to the contrary. This means that, when a state law conflicts with a federal law, the federal law trumps (no pun intended) the state law, which is rendered invalid and unenforceable. So, if a Massachusetts employment law were found to be in conflict with a federal law, the Massachusetts law would no longer govern. And conflicts are certainly brewing.

 

Executive Decisions

In January, President Trump signed a slew of executive orders, including two addressing “illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives, policies, and programs within the federal government and in place at federal contractors, federal grant recipients, and private employers who are subject to federal anti-discrimination laws.

A third executive order requires the federal government to recognize just two gender identities, male and female, as determined by the biological anatomy a person was born with, and to eliminate federal funding for gender-affirming care and the promotion of so-called “gender ideology.”

The latter also prohibits people who identify as transgender and other gender minorities from using single-sex spaces in federally funded facilities that do not conform with their biological sex, and directed the U.S. Attorney General to issue guidance that will “ensure the freedom to express the binary nature of sex and the right to single-sex spaces in workplaces and federally funded entities covered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

The federal government responded swiftly to implement these orders. The acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) stated that her priorities will include “rooting out unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination,” “protecting American workers from anti-American national origin discrimination,” and “defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights, including women’s rights to single-sex spaces at work.”

The EEOC and the Department of Justice (DOJ) also published technical assistance documents, offering guidance to employees who believe they have experienced discrimination related to DEI or DEIA programs at work. And the U.S. Deputy Attorney General announced the formation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative to investigate and pursue fraud claims against any recipient of federal funds that knowingly violates federal civil rights law.

The initiative will pursue its targets under the False Claims Act (FCA), a law that imposes civil liability on those who make a false statement to the government when seeking payment of government funds. The administration’s theory is that employers who accept federal funds while knowingly violating civil rights laws, or falsely certifying compliance with those laws, defrauds the federal government in violation of the FCA.

As an example, the deputy AG’s memo expressly states that a recipient of federal funding could be in violation of the FCA if it “allows men to intrude into women’s bathrooms.” The memo also encourages private citizens to report suspected DEI-related discrimination to the DOJ and to file their own FCA lawsuits against potential offenders in order to share in any monetary recovery. And the penalties can be steep. Under the FCA, violators are liable for treble damages (three times the government’s actual damages) as well as civil penalties.

 

Pending Appeals

Legal challenges to President Trump’s executive orders are pending, but most remain undecided. Earlier this year, a group of employers obtained a preliminary injunction that would have prevented the DEI/DEIA executive orders from taking effect while their lawsuit was pending, only to see that decision reversed on appeal, a strong indication that the challenge will ultimately fail.

Earlier this month, a federal judge in California blocked the Trump administration from enforcing both the DEI/DEIA executive orders and the executive order on gender identity, finding that the challengers in that case — a group of health centers, LGBTQ+ services groups, and the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Historical Society — had successfully demonstrated that the orders likely violate their constitutional rights.

But even if that decision is upheld on appeal, it would set the stage for a likely showdown in the U.S. Supreme Court, where a majority of the justices are considered to be conservative. In fact, the court recently ruled that a straight woman could not be required to satisfy a more demanding standard to prove that she was the victim of discrimination based on her sexual orientation than a gay person would have to satisfy, effectively eliminating the concept of so-called “reverse discrimination.”

The unanimous decision concluded that, “by establishing the same protections for every ‘individual’ — without regard to that individual’s membership in a minority or a majority group — Congress left no room for courts to impose special requirements on majority-group plaintiffs alone.”

Meanwhile, a federal judge in Texas recently dealt the LGBTQ+ community yet another blow when it vacated enforcement guidance that had been published by the EEOC last year under President Biden. The guidance in question contained information about workplace harassment based on gender identity, such as intentional misgendering and denial of access to restrooms that align with an employee’s gender identity.

The state of Texas and the Heritage Foundation brought a lawsuit against the EEOC, arguing that the EEOC did not have authority to require employers to accommodate employees’ gender identities in the workplace. A federal judge in Texas agreed, holding that the EEOC could not lawfully expand the definition of ‘sex’ under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include ‘gender identity’ and ‘sexual orientation’ and that Title VII does not require employers to make accommodations related to employee pronouns, bathrooms, or attire.

Back in the Bay State

Massachusetts law, by contrast, expressly protects employees from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, and both the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and our state courts have long agreed that denying an employee access to the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity, refusing to respect an employee’s request to use their preferred pronouns, and harassing an employee for behaviors that are believed to be inconsistent with their biological sex are forms of prohibited discrimination in Massachusetts.

Additionally, a group of 15 state attorneys general, led by Massachusetts Attorney General Joy Campbell and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, published a joint memorandum in March emphasizing the difference between DEI/DEIA programs and so-called ‘affirmative action,’ criticizing President Trump’s executive orders for conflating the two, and opining that the federal government does not have the legal authority to prohibit “otherwise lawful activities in the private sector” or to “mandate the wholesale removal of [DEI/DEIA] policies and practices within private organizations, including those that receive federal contracts and grants.”

How all of this ultimately shakes out remains to be seen, but as conflict between federal employment laws and our state’s laws seems more and more likely, employers here should start thinking about where their policies, programs, and practices are situated in the growing divide between Massachusetts’ liberal employment laws and the Trump administration’s new policies.

 

Erica E. Flores is a partner at Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C.; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]

What’s Shifting in the Massachusetts Cannabis Market

By Contributor
GTI’s cultivation facility in Holyoke
Law

High Stakes

By Scott Foster, Esq.

 

The Massachusetts House of Representatives recently unanimously adopted House Bill 4206 (HR4206), which would introduce fundamental changes in how the Massachusetts cannabis industry is regulated and managed. These changes include:

• A complete overhaul of the structure of the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), moving from five full-time commissioners appointed by the governor, the attorney general, and the state treasurer to three commissioners in total, each of whom is appointed by the governor acting alone, with only the chair serving in a full-time capacity;

• Increasing the number of retail licenses under common control from three to six, potentially paving the way for increased consolidation in the market but also allowing early entrants to sell their business to multi-state operators and realize a significant gain on their investment of time and money;

• Legalizing CBD gummies, hemp-infused beverages, and other CBD edibles, while clearly controlling the manufacture, distribution, and sales of these products; and

• Opening the door a bit wider for employee stock ownership plans, which allow employees to potentially realize significant retirement benefits from long-term employment while also saving on taxes.

Two significant changes are also a bit ‘half-baked’ at the moment, and the Massachusetts Senate could provide more clarity on the implementation of these changes when it begins deliberations.

Currently, no individual or entity can own more than 10% of more than three licenses per category (e.g., retail, manufacturing, and cultivation). HR4206 appears to increase that threshold to 35% by exempting “any person or entity that possesses a financial interest in the form of equity in a license of less than 35%” from these license caps.

However, HR4206 leaves in place the definition of a ‘controlling person,’ which includes “any individual who has a financial or voting interest of 10% or greater.” Under the current regulations, an individual cannot be a controlling person over more than three licenses per category. The Senate has the opportunity to reconcile these seemingly contradictory provisions.

HR4206 also proposes a new delinquency reporting system that mirrors that which the Alcohol Beverages Control Commission has in place with respect to alcohol sales in the Commonwealth.

Going forward, no marijuana establishment will be able to offer credit terms to another marijuana establishment of more than 60 days from the delivery of products. If a purchasing establishment does not pay its invoice within these 60 days, the selling establishment is required to notify the CCC of this non-payment within three days, at which point the CCC reviews the situation and will post the name of the delinquent establishment on a newly created ‘delinquency report.’

At that point, no other selling establishment will be able to offer the delinquent establishment any credit terms, and all future purchases must be paid in advance or cash on delivery. Further, the CCC will not process any change of control applications for the delinquent establishment until the past due amounts have been settled.

While this may sound reasonable, the reality is that a large number — some believe a majority — of the current establishments have accounts payable over 60 days. Since HR4206 does not explicitly apply retroactively, these currently overdue accounts would not be considered delinquent.

This raises multiple issues regarding the future allocation of payments, such as whether a future payment applies to the oldest invoice or the most recent invoice, and whether the purchaser can specify to which invoice a future payment should be applied.

Hopefully, the Senate will consider the nuances of these significant changes and provide the necessary clarity before the bill is finalized. Either way, given the broad support already seen for overhauling the current statute, cannabis businesses (and their lawyers) should be on alert for a significant shift in how they operate.

 

Scott Foster is a partner at Bulkley Richardson in Springfield; (413) 272-6258; [email protected]

Heed These Strategies for Developing People, Driving Results

By Contributor
Law

Modern Leadership Through Coaching

By Derek Brown

 

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”

This quote from my Notre Dame football coach, Lou Holtz, has not only resonated with me through all aspects of my life, but it has guided me in coaching employees for success. Indeed, in playing for Coach Holtz in the late 1980s and winning a national championship with him, I learned quite a bit about leadership and accomplishing goals.

The following takeaways that I learned as a young adult are what I have implemented into my professional life. While the objectives of leadership — driving performance, fostering engagement, and cultivating growth — remain constant, the ways in which we motivate our teams have evolved with each generation. What inspired Baby Boomers may not resonate with Millennials or Gen Z. Understanding these generational shifts is key to effective leadership today.

Derek Brown“When leaders understand what their team members are capable of, they can align tasks and goals in ways that challenge without overwhelming. Coaching helps bridge the gap between raw potential and real-world performance.”

In today’s work environment, coaching employees is not just a leadership tactic — it’s a strategic imperative. Remote work has reshaped communication, and employee expectations have shifted toward development and purpose. Coach Holtz’s quote serves as a simple but powerful framework for effective coaching: leaders must recognize ability, fuel motivation, and shape attitudes to bring out the best in their teams.

 

Recognizing Ability: Know What Your People Can Do

The first step in coaching is understanding each employee’s strengths and capabilities. This means going beyond résumés and job descriptions to truly observe how individuals think, solve problems, and interact with others. When leaders understand what their team members are capable of, they can align tasks and goals in ways that challenge without overwhelming. Coaching helps bridge the gap between raw potential and real-world performance.

 

Inspiring Motivation: Help People See the Why

Motivation is deeply personal. What drives one employee may not matter to another. Effective coaches take time to learn what inspires their team — whether it’s growth opportunities, recognition, or a sense of purpose. By connecting everyday work to larger goals and company values, leaders can unlock intrinsic motivation. Motivated employees are more likely to take initiative, push past obstacles, and grow within the organization.

 

The Leader’s Role in Shaping Attitude

Attitude determines how work gets done. A coach’s role is to cultivate a culture where positivity, resilience, and accountability thrive. This involves addressing challenges by considering setbacks as chances for learning and demonstrating emotional intelligence. Leaders who coach with empathy and encouragement set the tone for how their teams respond to pressure, change, and collaboration.

 

From Feedback to Forward Momentum

Coaching isn’t about occasional feedback — it’s about ongoing dialogue. Regular check-ins, clear communication, and actionable suggestions create an environment where employees feel supported and empowered. Effective coaching helps people take ownership of their growth, rather than waiting for direction. It turns feedback into fuel for development.

 

Coaching in the Modern Workplace

Hybrid teams, technological shifts, and generational changes have made coaching even more essential. Today’s leaders must be more intentional about building connections and offering guidance, especially when face-to-face time is limited. Virtual coaching tools can help, but the foundation remains the same: genuine curiosity, active listening, and consistent support.

 

The Lasting Impact of a Great Coach

Coaching done well builds more than just stronger employees — it builds stronger people. When leaders take the time to develop ability, ignite motivation, and nurture the right attitude, they create lasting value for individuals and the organization. As Coach Holtz wisely reminds us, performance is not just about what you can do — it’s about how and why you do it.

 

Derek Brown is chief administrative officer at the Royal Law Firm, LLP and a retired, nine-year NFL veteran who also gives speeches on leadership and teamwork to accomplish goals. If you have any questions or would like to engage the Royal Law Firm for training sessions, contact Brown at (413) 586-2288 or [email protected]

How to Choose the Right Charitable Giving Vehicle for Your Goals

By Contributor
Wealth Management

Maximum Impact

By Michael Orszulak

 

If giving is in your heart, charitable planning vehicles have likely been a topic of conversation with your advisor. There are a variety of options, and each has its own benefits, from tax advantages to grant control.

I advise using the following planned giving vehicles to maximize your impact on charitable causes and see your generosity go further. Consider these common charitable giving vehicles as part of your financial plan.

 

Private Foundation

A private foundation might be the most recognized charitable giving vehicle among wealthy donors. Having one is often seen as a sign of success. They can be funded with assets like cash, private equity, publicly traded securities, tangible assets, real estate, and intangible personal property. All foundations are required to distribute at least 5% of their assets to charities or qualifying individuals each year.

Private foundations can engage in philanthropic activities that are not available through other giving vehicles, including distributing donations to individuals. Donors have complete control over granting (as long as it is charitable in nature) and investment decisions.

A foundation can exist in perpetuity, creating an enduring family legacy, and the collaborative board structure encourages family engagement. Invite your family members to become board members or vote on where charitable funds are distributed. Depending on the level of involvement your family members want, you may be able to hire one of them to manage the foundation.

Michael Orszulak

Michael Orszulak

“Private foundations can engage in philanthropic activities that are not available through other giving vehicles, including distributing donations to individuals. Donors have complete control over granting (as long as it is charitable in nature) and investment decisions.”

Alternatively, you can hire a professional operating partner to oversee the administrative tasks associated with the foundation, as such tasks can become complex. Private foundations are a great solution for those who want to run their own charity, employ staff, and have greater flexibility in grant making.

 

Donor-advised Fund

A donor-advised fund (DAF) is like having a designated bank account for charitable giving. You can contribute to the DAF as often as you like, with cash, securities, or even other illiquid assets. You receive a tax deduction upon funding the account for the full fair market value, but don’t have to distribute the contributions until a later date.

DAFs are a popular choice because they offer great tax benefits and flexibility. The tax deduction for contributing cash can be up to 60% of adjusted gross income and 30% for long-term appreciated assets. (That compares to 30% and 20%, respectively, for a private foundation.) And you can involve your family in charitable giving through a DAF by requesting grant nominations from family members, like a private foundation, but without the formalities of board meetings and minutes.

There are no mandatory annual distributions, and you can even remain anonymous. DAFs also have less of an administrative burden than that of a private foundation; however, you are limited to disbursing funds to only qualifying charitable entities. If you want a simple solution with low costs and the potential to grow tax-free, a DAF might appeal.

 

Charitable Remainder Trust

A charitable remainder trust (CRT) is an ideal option if you’re interested in earning income over a period or for life while also contributing to a charity (or charities) of your choice. This irrevocable trust provides you or your beneficiaries with regular income. At the time of your death, the remaining assets are given to the designated charity.

You contribute assets to the trust and obtain a current-year personal income tax deduction, based on the estimated value set to go to charity. In the case of a charitable remainder annuity trust, you’ll get a fixed annuity amount every year for the term; for a charitable remainder unitrust, the annual distribution is a percentage of the trust, typically between 5% and 50%.

In most cases, a donor-advised fund can also be named the charitable beneficiary. A scenario that might lend itself well to a CRT is when you want a trust that can generate income for heirs or charities.

 

Charitable Lead Trust

A charitable lead trust (CLT) is an irrevocable trust that lets you donate money to charitable organizations for a specific period before giving the remaining assets to your family or other beneficiaries — essentially the reverse of a CRT. It’s an efficient way to transfer assets and can help reduce your taxes while making a positive impact through charitable giving.

You donate assets to the trust, choose one or more charitable organizations, and distribute regular donations to them from the trust. The assets that remain in the CLT upon its termination go to your family and are free of estate and gift taxes. Similar to a CRT, a CLT can benefit investors who wish to generate income for a cause.

 

Bottom Line

Incorporating charitable giving in your planning is a noble effort that allows you to leave a legacy of generosity and goodwill with your wealth. Speak to your advisor about your philanthropic goals to determine which charitable giving vehicle is best matched to help you achieve them.

 

Michael Orszulak is vice president of PeoplesWealth Advisory Group and senior wealth advisor with Raymond James Financial Services Inc.

Sources: foundationsource.com. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services Inc., member FINRA SIPC, and are not insured by bank insurance, the FDIC, or any other government agency, are not deposits or obligations of the bank, are not guaranteed by the bank, and are subject to risks, including the possible loss of principal. PeoplesWealth Advisory Group and PeoplesBank are not registered broker/dealers, and are independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. Donors are urged to consult their attorneys, accountants, or tax advisors with respect to questions relating to the deductibility of various types of contributions to a donor-advised fund for federal and state tax purposes. Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional. Please be aware that there may be substantial fees, charges, and costs associated with establishing a charitable trust. Every investor’s situation is unique, and you should consider your investment goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon before making any investment. The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete, it is not a statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision, and it does not constitute a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Michael Orszulak and not necessarily those of Raymond James.

Donut Dip Builds on 68 Years of Tradition

By
Paul Shields and Katie Warren, third- and fourth-generation managers.
Cover Story

Flour Power

Paul Shields and Katie Warren, third- and fourth-generation managers.

Paul Shields and Katie Warren, third- and fourth-generation managers.

Paul Shields says it wasn’t his plan to make a career out of the West Springfield institution known as Donut Dip.

But then again, it wasn’t his father’s plan to do that, either. Or his grandfather’s. Or his daughter’s.

But things happened … and now four generations of this family, usually working side by side, have made this Riverdale Street landmark — in every sense of that word — home. They’ve also made it a destination, a place generations of different families return to, a first job for hundreds of young people, an architectural throwback that will prompt people to pull into the parking lot and snap pictures, and much more.

“There’s a lot of history here,” said Shields, who said this history comes as a side to a glazed donut, a cinnamon cruller, a cup of coffee, or, more recently, a breakfast sandwich. And this history, or tradition, is part of the attraction.

A huge part.

Our story begins in the mid-’50s, when Paul’s grandfather, Charles Shields, was the general manager of a large commercial bakery that thrived until it was shut down by a drivers strike. The company eventually reopened, but was never the same and eventually closed. With a young family to support, Shields was at a critical crossroads, and made the then-daring decision to open a shop devoted exclusively to donuts.

His son, Richard, then just out of college, joined him in the venture. At the time, he was also a physical education teacher and football coach, but ultimately decided to leave those pursuits and devote all his energies to the emerging business. They would both work at the shop well into their 80s.

After graduating from UMass Amherst in 1981, Paul went to work for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in its Communications office, producing the Chalise of Salvation televised Mass and other programming while working at Donut Dip on Tuesday nights (the night baker’s evening off), making donuts with his dad. When his father lost a key employee in 1987, he stepped in, and has been there ever since, serving now as president.

His daughter, Katie Warren, went into physical therapy after graduating from UMass Amherst. She enjoyed most aspects of the work, but not the paperwork and the uncertainty concerning where healthcare and that profession were headed. So, facing her own career crossroads, she chose the family business and has never looked back.

“I do a little bit of everything, like my dad and my grandfather before that.”

That’s the short story of the business and the people who have managed it. The longer story involves perseverance — weathering everything from the building of I-91, which siphoned large amounts of traffic off Route 5, which was the main north-south artery in the region, to the coming of Dunkin’ Donuts (now just Dunkin’) and other forms of competition, to a global pandemic.

The landscape has changed considerably on Riverdale Street since 1957, but Donut Dip has been a constant.

The landscape has changed considerably on Riverdale Street since 1957, but Donut Dip has been a constant.

It also involves some change — there’s now a maple-frosted donut sprinkled with bacon, for example — but, overall, not much change at all when it comes to the offerings, the signs above the donut racks (yes, the prices have been adjusted), and the neon signs outside, which are expensive to maintain, but part of the overall experience.

There’s also been little change when it comes to different generations of the Shields family growing in the business, gravitating toward it as a career, and doing essentially anything that needs to be done.

“I do a little bit of everything, like my dad and my grandfather before that,” Warren said. “Office work, and you’re making coffee, and not long ago, we were short someone in the kitchen, and I was coming in Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to make donuts; that’s just how it is.”

Not much has apparently changed when it comes to the popularity of donuts, as evidenced by the steady stream of customers on the Friday we visited, and what is usually a constant stream until closing time at 10 p.m.

“A shop strictly for donuts was a new concept. Dunkin’ had just gotten started in Quincy a little earlier than we did, and they were starting to establish themselves, but this was somewhat of a flier, a leap.”

“We’re busier than ever,” said Shields, adding that there are many reasons for this, as we’ll see, but especially the company’s reputation for quality and doing things the old-fashioned way.

Moving forward, Shields sees opportunity for growth as competition increases in some respects but declines in others as major chains like Dunkin’ focus their energy and marketing dollars on beverages, and he intends to raise the company’s profile, if you will, through more aggressive marketing.

Visitors crowd the counter at Donut Dip a few days after it opened in 1957.

Visitors crowd the counter at Donut Dip a few days after it opened in 1957.

For this issue, we take an in-depth look into the fascinating world of donuts and especially this unique family-owned business that has become part of the landscape on Riverdale Street and … well, an institution.

 

The Hole Story

As he talked about 68 years of change — and what hasn’t changed — Paul Shields started with some recollections about the evolution of Route 5.

Back in 1957, the street was much different. It was, indeed, the main north-south artery, handling traffic heading north to go skiing and south to go to Connecticut and beyond. And it wasn’t a divided road, as it is today. Shields remembers his father and grandfather telling stories about how the traffic would be bumper to bumper on Friday afternoons, and many other times as well.

This was well before the vast shopping centers and big-box stores were constructed, he went on, noting that section of the street featured a drive-in theater, a driving range, farms, a cinema complex with just a few screens, and a host of businesses that have long since vanished from the landscape.

It was into this environment that Donut Dip opened — and it is one of the few businesses on the street that can trace their roots to the Eisenhower administration.

When it opened, it was a relatively new and different model, said Shields, adding that, at the time, there were countless small bakeries that made donuts, but few, if any, shops dedicated entirely to that product.

“We have people traveling that will stop in on their way to vacation, and they’ll say they stopped here when they were a kid. We’ve been around for such a long time; we’ve seen generations of different families come through here.”

“A shop strictly for donuts was a new concept. Dunkin’ had just gotten started in Quincy a little earlier than we did, and they were starting to establish themselves, but this was somewhat of a flier, a leap,” he noted, adding that the venture got off to a solid start, and his father and grandfather would soon add other locations. There was one on Route 20 in West Springfield that closed in 1971, another at the corner of White and Orange streets in Springfield that closed in 1980, and one on North Main Street in East Longmeadow that closed after storm damage in 2019.

These new locations would become a blessing in 1968 when I-91 opened, changing the complexion of Route 5 and essentially splitting it into two zones, north and south of the new highway.

“Many businesses on this road closed — they couldn’t stay alive,” he recalled. “My father and my grandfather had the Westfield Street store and the East Longmeadow store, and they were able to get by. They were lean years, but they were able to hang in there.”

Over time, Riverdale Street would evolve into the commercial district that it is today, with new businesses ranging from car dealerships to Costco bringing traffic to the area. Some people heading to and from such destinations will stop at Donut Dip, said Shields, adding quickly that, for many others, it is the destination.

“We have people traveling that will stop in on their way to vacation, and they’ll say they stopped here when they were a kid,” Warren added. “We’ve been around for such a long time; we’ve seen generations of different families come through here.”

From left, Paul Shields, his daughter, Katie Warren, and his father, Richard Shields. None of them planned to Donut Dip a career, but they’ve all made the institution home.

From left, Paul Shields, his daughter, Katie Warren, and his father, Richard Shields. None of them planned to Donut Dip a career, but they’ve all made the institution home.

Shields agreed. “People come up from Long Island; they drive from Boston, Albany, or points north,” he noted, adding that posts on Facebook and Instagram, as well as direct word of mouth, have helped fuel interest and bring the brand far and wide. “I hear it a lot … people will say, ‘I came from so and so to get these donuts,’ and oftentimes they walk out with their arms full, with a dozen boxes; they bring them home to their neighbors or family.”

 

Making Some Dough

Beyond the dramatic transformation of Riverdale Street, there have been other changes to the landscape as well, said Shields, noting that, about the same time Donut Dip was opening in 1957, Dunkin’ Donuts was greatly expanding its presence in the Northeast.

And for the next several decades, the chain, now based in Canton, Mass., certainly presented a challenge, he said, both in terms of its offerings and its omnipresence. Indeed, there are four locations in West Springfield alone, including one further north on Route 5, and several more across the river in Springfield.

“They’re everywhere, and for years we competed directly with them — when we heard there was a Dunkin’ Donuts going in down the street, we took that very seriously,” said Shields, noting that, in recent years, the chain has essentially de-emphasized donuts, as indicated in the change to the brand’s name to Dunkin’, and it has become what many analysts of this sector now consider a beverage company.

Other chains have followed suit, he went on, adding that the donut landscape, if you will, has changed, with the major chains scaling back and few companies stepping in to fill the void.

“Part of the reason for this is all the work that’s involved,” he said, “and also because there’s a perception that, if there’s a Dunkin’ somewhere, no one else is going to survive selling donuts.”

This helps explains the crowds at the counter on that Friday, and also why Shields believes there is strong growth potential for the family business.

“I’ve added people in recent years, and we have more production capacity than we’ve ever had,” he explained. “So, I think the time is right to increase our volume.”

While there has been change in the industry, and some at Donut Dip, what’s more important is what hasn’t changed. First and foremost is the fact that this is a family business, one where members of several generations work side by side, and do … well, whatever needs to be done, whether it’s making coffee, ringing up orders, or making or finishing donuts.

Indeed, Shields said he has many fond memories of working with his grandfather for several years, and with his father for several decades. It’s been the same for Warren, who has worked beside her father and grandfather; the latter still stops in but is officially retired.

“My grandfather used to call me into the office once in a while and give me a little talk, a little lesson,” she recalled. “He’d say, ‘remember, this isn’t a job, this is your life.’ And in large part, it is. He also said, ‘if you want people to work hard, you have to work hard right beside them,’ and I believe that wholeheartedly.”

Meanwhile, not much change has come to what’s in those donut racks.

“We really stick primarily with the classics — they will always be the biggest sellers,” said Shields, adding that the maple frosted with bacon is an outlier. “There are some donut shops, not necessarily around here, that specialize in taking a donut and putting layer upon layer of special toppings on it, making these crazy concoctions and charging $5 to $7 apiece. That’s their niche, but we believe the classics will always outsell any of those fancy kinds of things.”

Beyond donuts, bagels, muffins, and coffee, Donut Dip provides what would have to be called an experience. The shop itself is a throwback, architecturally and otherwise. The signage and layout are vintage. And, as noted, earlier, the hand-painted signs above the donut racks are original, save for the prices: a dozen donuts cost 65 cents when the shop opened.

There are a few pictures on the south wall showing things in the early days — the sign for a Castro Convertible outlet can be seen behind the shop in a night shot, and there’s another showing a crowd at the counter days after the grand opening, revealing that very little has changed since then.

That includes the shop’s track record as a place where many young people, including the city’s mayor, Will Reichelt, found their first or second job. Most move on to other things, but some stay for years and even decades, Warren said.

And many of those former employees will stop in regularly, or, for those not living in the area, occasionally.

“We see many of those people come back and say, ‘I worked for your father,’ or ‘I worked for your grandfather 100 years ago,’” Shields recalled. “Many of them worked while I was here; they were high school kids, and now they come back with their kids.”

 

Bottom Line

Paul Shields said his grandfather had one overarching piece of advice for him.

“He said, ‘the donuts have to be fresh, and they have to have enough jelly in them,’” he recalled, adding that these are just some of the words he’s tried to live by and pass on to the next generation.

Putting enough jelly in the donut is just one of the enduring traditions at this institution, which has had countless landmark moments in its long history and is poised to script many more.

As It Marks 50 Years, Western Builders Eyes Continued Growth

By
From left, Heather Roy, marketing and communications specialist; D’Lynn Healey, project executive; Bryan Hughes, president; and Ed Ackley, general superintendent.
Building Trades Special Coverage

Golden Opportunity

From left, Heather Roy, marketing and communications specialist; D’Lynn Healey, project executive; Bryan Hughes, president; and Ed Ackley, general superintendent.

From left, Heather Roy, marketing and communications specialist; D’Lynn Healey, project executive; Bryan Hughes, president; and Ed Ackley, general superintendent.

Bryan Hughes says Western Builders has marked its 50th anniversary in several different ways — from a gathering of employees and their families at a local restaurant,to postings on social media celebrating both employee and company milestones, to a new, temporary logo marking the occasion.

And there’s more to come, with a larger gathering slated for September at the company’s Granby headquarters for employees, clients, subcontractors, and more.

But in many ways, it’s been business as usual for this construction firm, which is not the same thing as business as it was done in 1975, or even 2005.

“In decades past, business was generally done with a handshake,” said Hughes, who took over as company president in 2022. “And the new way of delivering a project is more managerial in a sense; when people come to Western, they’re paying for a partnership in solving problems, forecasting challenges, and addressing them.”

Creating more value for clients is just one of the focal points for Hughes and the leadership team at Western, a subsidiary of the O’Connell Companies.

“In decades past, business was generally done with a handshake. And the new way of delivering a project is more managerial in a sense; when people come to Western, they’re paying for a partnership in solving problems, forecasting challenges, and addressing them.”

Overall, the company is in a growth mode — let’s call it a controlled growth mode — fueled by several factors, but especially the region’s (and the state’s) housing crisis. Indeed, many of the firm’s current projects involve initiatives to address an extreme shortage of housing, especially within the affordable category. These include:

• Phase 2 of South Holyoke Homes, a modular construction project led by the Holyoke Housing Authority that features single-family homes and duplexes;

• Baskin West Main Residences, a 105-unit, mixed-income apartment complex being undertaken by Brisa Builders Development;

• Amethyst Brook Apartments, an affordable housing community in Pelham being undertaken by Home City Development; and

• An expansion of Clinical & Support Options’ Friends of the Homeless campus on Worthington Street in Springfield, a 23,974-square-foot facility that will provide critical shelter and supportive housing to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

Meanwhile, several projects completed recently involve housing — everything from East Gables, an affordable housing project on Northampton Road in Amherst undertaken in collaboration with Valley CDC, to Aspen Heights, a student housing apartment facility, also in Amherst.

The housing crunch is not a problem that will be solved quickly or easily, said Hughes, adding that this reality should provide ongoing growth opportunities for a firm that has made its mark in that arena.

“The way the crisis is described to us by local, state, and federal officials is that it will be a never-ending challenge to overcome,” he noted, adding that, as the Commonwealth and local agencies ranging from Way Finders to Home City Development address the crisis, Western will have opportunities to not only do more work in the 413, but expand its service radius as well.

Among the many projects in the Western Builders portfolio is renovation work at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. (Photo by Red Skies Photography)

Among the many projects in the Western Builders portfolio is renovation work at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. (Photo by Red Skies Photography)

“We definitely have a local edge, with local subcontracting partners and local relationships and clientele — that’s why we’re Western Builders, because we typically stay in Western Mass.,” Hughes explained. “But part of the future vision of the company is to push the limits there a little bit, because the housing crisis isn’t limited to Western Mass.

“Moving forward, we want to grow the company at a comfortable clip — we want to be able to sustain our methods and our confidence in ourselves,” he went on. “But I think we’re ready to take on more.”

Any firm marking 50 years has survived many kinds of challenges, and that’s true of Western as well, which has weathered downturns and a Great Recession, but also a pandemic and ongoing workforce issues, including the need to replace the many talented workers approaching, or already at, retirement age.

Like other firms, it is taking a proactive approach to the problem, as we’ll see, promoting the trades and getting young people involved early, giving them a taste of the work as well as the financial rewards and relative stability of the sector.

For this issue and its focus on the building trades, we’ll look at the first 50 years for Western Builders and what will likely come next at a time when some golden opportunities are emerging.

 

Firm Commitment

Tracing the history of the firm, D’Lynn Healy, project executive, said it was created by O’Connell to work with the company’s development group and also with local private colleges and development companies.

And from the beginning, diversity, in all its forms, has been perhaps the company’s strongest suit.

Indeed, while it’s perhaps best known for wood-frame construction — as seen in projects ranging from phase 1 of Glenmeadow in Longmeadow to transformation of the former Yankee Pedlar in Holyoke into a PeoplesBank branch; from River Mills Assisted Living in Chicopee to restoration of the historic Gaylord mansion on the Elms College campus — it has worked with stone and steel as well.

Indeed, the portfolio includes projects like Way Finders’ new home in downtown Springfield, the Educare early learning facility, also in Springfield, and renovation work on the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, including refurbishment of the sphere, which involved removing thousands of fiberglass panels and resurfacing them, but also extensive interior renovations.

The PeoplesBank branch in the former Yankee Pedlar in Holyoke. (Photos by Red Skies Photography)

The PeoplesBank branch in the former Yankee Pedlar in Holyoke. (Photos by Red Skies Photography)

Work in the Health Sciences building at American International College (right) showcase the diversity of projects in the Western Builders portfolio. (Photos by Red Skies Photography)

Work in the Health Sciences building at American International College (right) showcase the diversity of projects in the Western Builders portfolio. (Photos by Red Skies Photography)

Beyond diversity with materials, the company has worked in several sectors, including public and private clients, new construction as well as renovations, such as at Elms College, and different realms, everything from housing to the new Phoenix Academy Public Charter School at the Springfield Technology Park, to emergency renovations to the Courniotes Building at American International College (AIC) after a fire there.

“Our focus can remain in housing, but we want to emphasize diversity,” Hughes said. “We’ve won some hard-bid projects for public work, which has helped us diversify in our project types. We’re back at some institutions, like AIC and Smith College, building on existing relationships.”

Signature projects over the past five decades, and there are many, include work with O’Connell Development to build a new 152,000-square-foot, LEED-certified manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters for L3Harris Integrated Mission Systems/KEO, formerly Kollmorgen, at the site of the former Northampton State Hospital; the Educare facility, considered state-of-the-art in that sector; the work at the Hall of Fame; the new Girls Inc. headquarters in Holyoke, located, ironically, in the former home of the O’Connell Companies; and the Holyoke Crossing retail facility in Holyoke, another project where O’Connell Development was the client.

Today, Western is doing far less for O’Connell and much more with a growing list of clients, many of them involved with housing, including Way Finders, Valley CDC, Home City Development, and others.

A common denominator is repeat business, said Healey, adding that clients such as Way Finders, American International College, PeoplesBank, and others have turned to Western for several different undertakings.

“A lot of clients are repeat clients that we’ve worked with,” she explained, adding that one of the firm’s strengths is relationship building. “When these clients have another project, they reach out to us.”

And much of this repeat business stems from the firm’s ability to create value and effectively manage projects, as Hughes mentioned earlier.

“It used to be … construction was definitely a ‘work-harder industry,’” Healey explained. “Now, we’ve finally acquiesced and realized that we have to work smarter and not just harder. You have to be strategic, and you have to plan — you have to make sure that you have everything lined up before you start working.”

 

Building Relationships

As noted earlier, housing has become a major focal point for Western over the past few decades as need grows and agencies take imaginative steps to address it. And the company has several projects in this realm in various stages of development.

Amethyst Brook should be fully occupied by the end of this month; the projects in Chicopee (Baskin West Main Residences) and Springfield (expansion of the Friends of the Homeless complex) are in early-stage work, while the Holyoke initiative is moving toward completion, with the Holyoke Housing Authority now running commercials urging people to enter the lottery to purchase those homes.

That Holyoke project represents a first — working with modular construction, said Hughes, adding that it has been a learning experience.

“Boxes are prefabricated in Pennsylvania and shipped to Holyoke and put together as side-by-side townhomes,” he explained, adding that the process significantly streamlines the timeline for construction.

“It’s nice to see an emphasis on the trades. You see commercials about it, you hear the unions talk about it, the non-unions talk about it … anyone in the trades can be, if they want to apply themselves, as successful as someone who wound up with a giant college loan that they have to pay back and may or may not be able to work in the field they trained for.”

Meanwhile, many initiatives, including one of the buildings at Amethyst Brook as well as East Gables in Amherst, involve what’s known as passive housing, a voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building that has surpassed LEED as the cutting edge in that realm.

“There are more passive houses in development and pre-construction because that’s the popular trend moving forward with energy efficiency and sustainability, which is what clients want,” Hughes said. “But there’s also a code aspect — client developers need to meet the Massachusetts Stretch Energy Code, which is one of the most stringent in the country.”

Beyond housing and the growth opportunities it presents, the company has been focused on relationship building — continuing long-standing partnerships and forging new ones — and also on perhaps the biggest issue facing this sector — maintaining a workforce.

Indeed, since arriving at Western, Hughes said one of his priorities has been to generate interest in the field among the younger generations.

He cited several initiatives, including work with Dean Tech High School in Holyoke, hiring co-op students to work for the company part-time at job sites while also attending school.

“It’s been cool to see that youthful excitement about construction,” he said, adding that, by exposing young people early to the lifestyle and opportunities the trades create, the firm is helping to put more future workers into the pipeline.

Ed Ackley, the company’s long-time general superintendent, agreed.

“The workforce is aging, and it’s retiring out,” he said. “So one of things we’ve been doing is trying to attract young people as project managers and assistant superintendents in hopes that they can gain experience, so by the time they become a super, they’re as effective as the seasoned personnel we have now.

“It’s nice to see an emphasis on the trades,” Ackley went on. “You see commercials about it, you hear the unions talk about it, the non-unions talk about it … anyone in the trades can be, if they want to apply themselves, as successful as someone who wound up with a giant college loan that they have to pay back and may or may not be able to work in the field they trained for.”

And, unlike jobs in many other fields that face uncertain futures with advancing technology, including AI, those in the trades are relatively secure, Hughes told BusinessWest. “You can’t ask ChatGPT to build a masonry wall.”

 

How to Utilize Estate Planning, Trusts, and Corporate Entities to Mitigate Risk

By Contributor
Law Special Coverage

Protecting Your Assets 

By Tyler W. Humphrey, Esq.

Protecting your assets is not just a matter of securing wealth for the next generation. It also ensures that your hard-earned assets are shielded from legal risks, liabilities, and other unforeseen events.

In a world where lawsuits, creditors, and volatile economic shifts can threaten your wealth, proactive asset protection is essential. Whether you’re a business owner, investor, professional, or simply someone looking to secure your family’s future, protecting your assets isn’t just wise, it’s necessary.

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to protect your assets, this article can help you formulate a plan utilizing a combination of strategies, including estate planning and business solutions, that can offer substantial protection of what you and your family have worked so hard to build.

 

Understanding Asset Protection

Before exploring the specific tools available, it is important to understand what asset protection is and why it is so important. Asset protection involves using strategies and structures established through various legal instruments to reduce or mitigate the risk of losing valuable assets due to lawsuits, debts, or other liabilities.

Some common risks include:

• Creditors. In the case of default on loans or other debts, creditors may seize personal or business assets to recover what is owed. Even loans secured by a specific asset, such as real property subject to a mortgage, may put your other assets at risk if the sale of the secured asset is insufficient to satisfy the debt.

• Lawsuits. Individuals and businesses can be the targets of lawsuits and other claims. Regardless of whether the plaintiff’s claims are valid or frivolous, an adverse judgment may expose assets to liens or seizure.

• Divorce. In the case of divorce, the resolution of the petition will often require, sometimes by court order, the equitable division of marital assets. This can include assets acquired by one party before the start of the relationship.

• Governmental risk. Long-term care, especially nursing home care, can come with a substantial cost. Many people assume Medicare will cover these expenses, but Medicare does not pay for long-term custodial care. That’s where Medicaid (MassHealth) comes in. However, qualifying for coverage comes with strict income and asset limits. In Massachusetts, a single applicant is allowed to keep only $2,000 in countable assets, and those assets are subject to a five-year look-back period.

“Trusts are among the most powerful tools in estate and asset protection planning. A trust is a legal arrangement where a trustee holds and manages assets on behalf of a beneficiary.”

 

Estate Planning and Trusts: Building a Legal Wall Around Your Wealth

Trusts are among the most powerful tools in estate and asset protection planning. A trust is a legal arrangement where a trustee holds and manages assets on behalf of a beneficiary. There are many types of trusts, each with their own benefits and limitations:

• Revocable living trusts. Their primary use is estate planning and probate avoidance. It offers limited asset protection during your lifetime because you maintain control, but it ensures privacy and smoother transfer of assets upon death.

• Irrevocable trusts. Their primary use is asset protection and tax planning. Once assets are transferred, you relinquish control, making them inaccessible to creditors. Common types include spousal lifetime access trusts, which offer access to assets through a spouse while maintaining protection, and Medicaid trusts, which protect assets from being counted for Medicaid eligibility.

• Credit shelter and QTIP trusts. For married couples, particularly those with estates approaching or exceeding $2 million, credit shelter trusts and QTIP trusts can minimize taxes while protecting surviving spouses. Their primary use is to preserve the estate tax exemption of the first spouse to die and provide support to the surviving spouse. They offer no asset protection during your lifetime because you maintain control, but they preserve both spouses’ estate tax exemptions and protects assets from remarriage, creditors, and spend-down.

Other estate planning essentials include:

• Durable power of attorney, which empowers a trusted person of your choosing to manage finances if you become incapacitated;

• Healthcare proxy and living will, which clarifies medical wishes and avoids court intervention; and

• Homestead declaration (in Massachusetts), which protects up to $1 million in home equity in your primary residence from creditors.

 

Corporate Entities: Separating Personal and Business Liabilities

In addition to an estate plan to protect your personal assets, it is necessary to consider how to protect and preserve your business assets. Operating your business or managing investments through the right entity can provide a crucial layer of protection.

For business owners and real estate investors, placing assets in separate LLCs or entities can shield personal wealth from business liabilities. It is also important to consider agreements between co-owners of a closely held company so that the business interests themselves are not subject to claims by non-owners.

Limited liability companies (LLCs) shield personal assets from business liabilities and offer flexible taxation, as they can be taxed as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation.

Corporations (C-corps and S-corps) protect shareholders from corporate debts and obligations, while S-corps have the advantage of pass-through taxation with liability protection.

 

Combining Strategies for Maximum Protection

The most effective asset protection plans layer several strategies. For instance, a business owner might:

• Hold rental properties in separate LLCs;

• Utilize a shareholder agreement to ensure all corporate interests are free from seizure and stay within the current ownership group; and

• Establish a credit shelter and QTIP trust to minimize estate tax and protect assets for their surviving spouse.

 

Bottom Line

Asset protection is most effective when implemented early, well before a problem or disagreement arises. By combining these tools, you can create a robust defense against risks while maintaining control or flexibility.

Asset protection isn’t about hiding wealth; it’s about responsibly managing risk and preserving what you’ve built. With the right combination of trusts, business agreements, insurance, and estate planning tools, you can create a legal and financial structure that defends your assets against potential threats while supporting your long-term goals.

Consult with one of Bacon Wilson’s qualified estate planning or commercial attorneys to tailor a strategy that fits your specific situation and goals. Even if you have a plan in place, it is crucial to review your plan regularly to ensure it remains in compliance with constantly changing laws and regulations. Asset protection may seem daunting, but with the right advisor and proper planning, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing your legacy is secure.

 

Tyler W. Humphrey is an associate with the law firm Bacon Wilson, P.C. He concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, elder law, probate administration, and business and corporate law. Humphrey is admitted in Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well as the U.S. District Court of Connecticut; (413) 781-0560;
[email protected]

In a Volatile Year for Investments, Advisors Focus on the Long Term

By
Pat Grenier says investors worried about market volatility shouldn’t panic, but instead seek competent advice.
Special Coverage Wealth Management

Bumps in the Road

Pat Grenier says investors worried about market volatility shouldn’t panic, but instead seek competent advice.

 

Early April was an anxious time for many investors, but not a surprising one for the advisors they rely on.

“We prepped for a volatile market this year,” said Pat Grenier, owner and principal at Grenier Financial Advisors in Springfield. “We thought the market was high. We thought there would be a pullback. We didn’t expect the amount of volatility that we had, but we did expect a little bit of a pullback.”

The early months of the Trump administration have impacted the markets in a number of ways, particularly with an aggressive series of tariff decisions — some in force, some only threatened as negotiating tools — that have triggered fluctuations in the stock market and plenty of client phone calls to investment firms. But Grenier isn’t overly concerned, especially as things are calmer now.

“To me, this is more of an event-driven gyration. Even though we did expect some pullback, I think a lot has to do with all the negative talk about tariffs,” she explained. “So, one of two things is going to happen. The tariffs are going to work out, and the market’s going to do well. Or tariffs are not going to work out, and then the market will adjust and eventually do well. So I’m not negative.

“I think people should not panic,” she went on. “I think they should seek competent advice and not assume things. We’re bombarded 24-7 with news bites, but they’re just news bites. They don’t tell you the whole story.”

“We didn’t expect the amount of volatility that we had, but we did expect a little bit of a pullback.”

Jeff Liguori, executive vice president and senior portfolio manager at Bradley, Foster & Sargent in Hartford, Conn., had similar feelings as the calendar turned.

“At the end of 2024, the optimism was pretty excessive. Everything had gone up. People were feeling really good about the market; it was up 20-odd percent from previous years. There was almost too much enthusiasm.”

So a correction was likely, even if some of the forces generating it were questionable, he added. “Economically, tariffs can be so excessive that it’s not healthy for the economy. But when we were in the throes of that, we told clients, ‘this is a manufactured crisis; it can easily be turned around with a stroke of a pen, or with potential legal roadblocks.’ And that’s how it played out.

Jeff Liguori

Jeff Liguori

“The data is 100% in your favor. Nothing ever goes straight up. We’ve lived through most of these crises — the housing crisis, the tech bubble, the Great Recession. All of those, time and again, have been incredible buying opportunities.”

“After a while, it’s been less of what we consider a headline risk. Before, when every headline came out, stocks reacted instantaneously. Over time, we’ve come out of that, and now people are asking how much of this is really going to materialize.”

That said, taking a sanguine view of the long-term health of the markets is much easier when the tides are calm than when they’re volatile, Liguori noted.

“But the data is 100% in your favor. Nothing ever goes straight up. We’ve lived through most of these crises — the housing crisis, the tech bubble, the Great Recession. All of those, time and again, have been incredible buying opportunities. It’s almost like, if there’s no pain, there’s no gain.”

 

Risks and Rewards

Tim Suffish, senior vice president and head of equities at St. Germain Investment Management in Springfield, said it’s important that investors understand the long-term nature of the firm’s strategies and how it approaches the market — and its inevitable shifts.

“If we’re doing our job well, we have a conversation with our clients up front about the risks and rewards of various asset classes,” Suffish explained. “Cash is the only asset that does not go down, but cash yields very little. Your checking or savings account is guaranteed by the FDIC, and you might get half of 1% a year. But it’s not going anywhere.

“On the other end of the spectrum, stocks are for the long term, and by looking back a few years, you can see what can happen with stocks. Right after COVID hit, stocks were down 35% in one month. It was one of the worst months ever for the markets. Of course, the economy got flooded with stimulus and low interest rates and bounced back.”

Tim Suffish

Tim Suffish

“We’ve been through it before, and the volatility and the drawdowns happen. The reasons may be different each time, but the global economy is resilient.”

That said, “when you talk about volatility, people need to know what to prepare for. If you can prepare for it, history shows you’ll be rewarded by taking on some risk.”

To explain, Suffish took a quick tour through the past 25 years of market-jarring events, and why risks tend to be short-term and rewards longer-term. The dot-com crash of 2000-01 saw the market down 50%, as did the housing boom and bust and resulting global financial crisis in 2008-09. China-related trade concerns in 2018 caused another 20% drawdown, followed by that 35% COVID-driven drop in 2020, and another 18% hit in 2022 caused by inflation concerns.

“Even with all that volatility and scary drawdowns — and these are not 5% moves in the market that, if you squint at your monthly statement, you don’t notice it; these are big numbers that you do notice — the stock market still averages, over that time frame, going back to 2000, about 7% a year.

“So the market historically rewards you for taking risks,” Suffish went on. “Taking risks is really the only way you’re going to get those rewards, and the rewards tend to be proportionate with your risk. So part of our counsel to clients who are nervous in a time like this is that it’s more than likely a repeat of what we’ve seen over the past 20, 25 years. We’ve been through it before, and the volatility and the drawdowns happen. The reasons may be different each time, but the global economy is resilient.”

Liguori agreed. “We have this philosophy that, when the market gets rocky and volatility increases, there’s always a reason for it, whether it’s something macroeconomic or, in this case, a combination of political and macroeconomic factors. We’ll hear clients say, ‘this time, XYZ is different than the last time.’ Yes, whatever is causing the volatility might be different, but the reaction is always the same. Economic decisions are being made by humans, and humans always act the same way.”

That said, he continued, it can be beneficial to be more aggressive when the market drops.

“No one wants to lose money, even if it’s just on paper. But if I’ve done my job and the market is down 20 but you’re down 10, maybe increase your exposure a little. If we look at the stock market in a broad sense, the time to be more aggressive on equities or stocks is at the point when humans feel really uncertain. It’s a contrarian way to look at it.”

 

Planning for Life

That long-range view of investments plays into how those we spoke with handle clients; they’re plotting out a path where investments will meet the various needs of life — a home purchase, college education, retirement — both now and well into the future.

“We have to know the client really well,” Grenier said. “Sometimes we know them better than their own family knows them. We have to know what makes them tick, what their goals are, what their aspirations are, what they want from a value perspective, what their values are, so that we can kind of guide them and use the investments as a tool to get them where they want to be. We do so much hand-holding for clients.”

A client’s portfolio can employ a range of vehicles, from mutual funds to stocks, bonds, and annuities.

“When somebody comes here, we want to make sure that they’re well taken care of and that the risks that they face are minimized,” Grenier went on. “And you have to acknowledge that they are nervous, and it is nerve-wracking, when you see the market gyrate the way it has. Nobody likes to see the value of their portfolio come down. So what I try to do is acknowledge that, ‘yes, I get it,’ and then I try to put it in perspective for them.”

Like Liguori, she said those nervous times can be an opportunity.

“We know the market is resilient. And when the market is down the way it was at the beginning of April, I used it as an opportunity to add because we were buying good companies on sale. We added in where we could.”

That said, clients who are closer to retirement — or already there — will be less likely to tolerate risk.

“If they are going to depend on their investments for a good portion of their living expenses, their livelihood, then you have to be more conservative with their investments,” Grenier said. “We’ve been using some buffer programs that kind of make sense — it does cap the upside, but it protects the downside.”

Suffish said portfolio diversification is the best path to enhanced returns while reducing risk.

“When you have diversity in asset classes that are not perfectly correlated, you can build that portfolio,” he explained. “Last year, large cap U.S. stocks were up 20%, but bonds were about flat on the year. But by mixing the asset classes — U.S. equities, foreign equities, bonds, cash, maybe some precious metals — these assets are not perfectly correlated with each other, so you get the blended return. But you also get the blended volatility or risk, which benefits the portfolio.”

Whatever the circumstances in the market, all those we spoke with said that those who start investing early in life — in their 20s and 30s, as opposed to 40s, 50s, or later — can exercise a greater degree of risk taking.

“A younger investor can afford to be more aggressive, can afford to be more speculative. They’re not going to feel the consequences for a long time,” Suffish said. “Our typical client is close to retirement or in retirement, so they need to be diversified and take the sharp edges off off the market downturns.”

Grenier agreed. “The earlier you start, the better, because you have time on your side. If you look back at the market throughout the years, there have been so many gyrations, and you might be caught in a point where the market is down. But if you’re looking at it long-term, it has only gone up.”

 

In Monson, Things Are Percolating

By
Amanda Roy, center, with several staff members at the Better Bean coffee shop on Main Street in Monson.
Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

Amanda Roy, center, with several staff members at the Better Bean coffee shop on Main Street in Monson.

Amanda Roy, center, with several staff members at the Better Bean coffee shop on Main Street in Monson.

 

Amanda Roy likes to say the devastating ankle injury she suffered in 2021 when she missed the last step at her house didn’t happen to her; it happened for her.

That mishap left her in a wheelchair and facing a lengthy recovery period, which she chose to spend with her parents, in the Monson home where she grew up. And while recovering, she spent a lot of time thinking about what the next chapter in her life would look like and where it would play out.

She ultimately decided it would look somewhat like a previous chapter, when she spent 10 years operating a coffee shop in Plymouth, but with some real changes (more on those later). As for the place … she chose downtown Monson with the thought that this would be a short-term gig.

But things changed, and quickly.

“I thought, ‘I’m going to open a coffee shop, and when I get better, I’m going to sell it, move back to Plymouth, and get on with my life,’” said Roy, who opened the Better Bean in the summer of 2023, when she thought she was recovering from that ankle injury. Instead, she was told she would need a replacement. And while getting it and some subsequent surgeries, she made the decision to get on with her life in her hometown. She’s making the Better Bean one of the more intriguing business stories in this community, while she and her boyfriend build a house there.

These developing stories are just a few of many in this town of just over 8,000 people. Others include:

• Progress with the redevelopment of the sprawling Monson Developmental Center (MDC) site. The board of Westmass Area Development Corp. is expected to vote soon on a proposal to acquire a 100-acre portion of the site with the intention of redeveloping it for housing and related purposes;

• Renovation and expansion of the town’s fire station;

• A town meeting vote to move from three selectmen to five;

• Continued growth of what would be called agritourism, with businesses such as Silver Bell Farms, Echo Hill Orchard, Westview Farms Creamery, and others, which grow and sell everything from apples to Christmas trees to wine to ice cream, and draw people from across the region and beyond; and

• Anticipation and excitement concerning the planned east-west rail station in Palmer, which has the potential to make Monson a more popular place to live for those who work in Greater Boston but can’t afford home prices in the capital area.

“It’s still costs a lot to build a house, but from a value standpoint, this is an opportunity to bring people here, and when individuals move in, now you have an opportunity for another restaurant or two, and then businesses will look at Monson as a vibrant place to move to.”

Westmass President and CEO Jeff Daley said the board is expected to vote by the end of this month on a proposal to acquire a section of the MDC property, on which he envisions a ‘village concept’ for the parcel, which represents a new and intriguing opportunity for the agency.

“What we’ve done in the past has been mostly commercial and industrial-type projects,” he said, noting industrial park projects in cities like Westfield, Agawam, and Chicopee, as well as redevelopment of the massive Ludlow Mills complex in Ludlow, which includes large housing components. “We’ve worked with partners on housing in the past, and housing is definitely a need, and the demographics of Monson have been changing; housing would be a good fit at that location.”

The MDC was among many state-owned properties featured in a recent showcase of parcels available for housing development that hosted the Healey administration, said Jenn Wolowicz, Monson’s town administrator, noting that, while there are several potential future uses, housing, especially affordable and 55-and-over housing, are critical needs.

One of the long-shuttered buildings at the Monson Developmental Center, which is moving closer to redevelopment, with housing as one of the likely new uses.

One of the long-shuttered buildings at the Monson Developmental Center, which is moving closer to redevelopment, with housing as one of the likely new uses.

“As of April 30, our population of seniors is 33% of our overall population,” she explained. “We have a lot of people living in single-family homes, their children are grown, and they’d love to be able to downsize to a townhouse-type unit, and we’ve made sure that this is something that’s being heard by Westmass.”

As for east-west rail, Jim Przypek, CEO of the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce, which serves 15 communities, including Monson, said that service will benefit many of the communities in the Quaboag region simply by making them more accessible.

“The trend of people moving out of Eastern Mass. and migrating farther and farther west will continue and be accelerated by east-west rail,” he said, adding that rail service will make it easier to live in those towns but still work in Boston or Hartford.

For this latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest turns its lens on Monson, the picturesque town roughly halfway between Springfield and Worcester that has established its own identity.

 

Developing Stories

Mike Rouette grew up in Monson, and it has remained his home. He described it as the “perfect place to raise a family,” and a community where people team up to get things done, right down to planning and executing the Fourth of July parade and fireworks.

“Everyone pitches in and does what needs to be done to keep the town vibrant,” said Rouette, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Monson Savings Bank, who, as he surveys the landscape, sees both challenges and opportunities for the town.

The challenges are similar to those facing other rural communities in that area, including the loss of manufacturing jobs — plants once made everything from hats to toilet seats here — as well as retaining existing businesses and grappling with declining enrollment in local schools stemming from school choice and other contributing factors.

“It’s not easy to access Monson,” he explained. “Sometimes, people tend to look at Monson, from a Springfield standpoint, as if Wilbraham Mountain is almost like a Great Wall of China — it’s ‘over there.’”

As for opportunities, they mostly involve abundant land (although much of it is on hillsides) and still-affordable buildings lots, at least when compared to towns to the west (like Wilbraham, Hampden, and East Longmeadow) and to the east (Sturbridge and Auburn).

“There’s an opportunity there that the town should take advantage of,” Rouette said of lot prices. “It’s still costs a lot to build a house, but from a value standpoint, this is an opportunity to bring people here, and when individuals move in, now you have an opportunity for another restaurant or two, and then businesses will look at Monson as a vibrant place to move to.”

Meanwhile, the MDC site provides a wealth of opportunities — much like the site of the former Belchertown State School has — for creative reuse, everything from housing to commercial sites to Rouette’s vision of a regional high school that would serve Monson and Palmer and help keep students in those communities.

The MDC, which closed in 2012, was spread over more than 650 acres. A large portion of the property will be transferred to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game to become a wildlife management area, said Wolowicz, adding that Westmass could become the developer of the remaining 100-acre parcel, where the hospital buildings and other facilities still stand.

“We would be demoing the hospital buildings and doing a mixed-use development with quite a bit of housing,” said Daley of plans that are still being formalized and, of course, contingent on the upcoming vote of the board. “We’re proposing that it would be affordable, market-rate, and workforce, to make sure that people can come into town if they want, or upsize or downsize in the town of Monson, as well as potentially some retail and commercial use to create a village atmosphere, as opposed to just coming in and putting some buildings up.

“We really want to respect the town of Monson and the surrounding communities, and that’s why we’re proposing something with more of a village feel rather than just putting up ranch homes or duplexes,” he went on. “This would be more strategically thought out … a village concept where people could still enjoy that rural farm life, if you will, in Monson, while also creating a new development for housing upgrades for people who want to get out of their homes, as well as workforce housing. This could be a game changer for Monson, Palmer, and the surrounding communities.”

 

Bean Optimistic

The staff at the Better Bean likes to get creative and theme its specialty drinks and other fare.

Such was the case last fall, with a two-month salute to Gilmore Girls and the small, fictional Connecticut town called Stars Hollow, where the show takes place.

“Stars Hollow looks a lot like Monson,” said Roy, referencing both her coffee shop and Dan Grieve Park, across the street from the shop, and its gazebo, which is very similar to the one in the show.

Monson at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1775
Population: 8,150
Area: 44.8 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $14.87
Commercial Tax Rate: $14.87
Median Household Income: $52,030
Median Family Income: $58,607
Type of Government: Select Board, Open Town Meeting
Latest information available

The park, complete with several Adirondack chairs and benches, is quite popular with Better Bean clients, most of them regulars, said Roy, who chose a grab-and-go format rather than seating, one of many lessons she took from her time in Plymouth, which was split between two locations.

The first was a kiosk inside a Registry of Motor Vehicles office, and the second was a much larger space in the same industrial park, “with seats and a public bathroom and a big menu … and I burned myself right out,” she said, adding that she sold that enterprise six months before COVID arrived.

“Someone was looking out for me big time, because I can’t imagine being that burned out and having to deal with COVID,” she said, adding that her ankle injury brought her back to Monson and, eventually, to a storefront — the same one her father operated a realty office out of when she was young — on Main Street.

Learning her lesson from Plymouth, she created a place that’s not too big or too small, although it’s been cramped since she opened, so she will soon take over the space next door (the former Petal and Wren flower shop, which relocated) and will use the back for storage and the front for a small gift shop, something she said the town needs.

Overall, Roy told BusinessWest, the downtown has lost some storefronts — a cannabis shop closed recently, for example — but it remains an emerging destination.

Wolowicz agreed, but noted that the town’s business community is diverse, with many ventures existing in the agritourism and hospitality spaces.

“We have quite a few people who are being very creative when it comes to what their land is used for, be it what they’re growing or their animals,” she said, adding that one of the priorities for town officials has been to promote the preservation of farmland and, overall, a healthy rural community.

The Monson Agricultural Commission goes about this work in many ways, she said, listing everything from Right to Farm bylaws, which protect farms from noise, odor, and other complaints, to a farmers market event with live music and more than a dozen local vendors, including farms, bakeries, and artisans; the next such event is slated for Sept. 13.

“The town of Monson supports its commercial farms,” Wolowicz said, “and wishes to ensure their continued existence and positive impact on the town economically, ecologically, and socially.”

Przypek, who came to the chamber after a lengthy stint with the Basketball Hall of Fame in marketing and sponsorships, and then several years as general manager of the Three County Fairgrounds, agreed, noting that agritourism has become a large part of Monson’s identity as it transitions away from its manufacturing heritage.

“Businesses like Silver Bell Farms and Echo Hill and Westview Farms Creamery are thriving, and they bring people from all over to Monson,” he said, adding that new businesses downtown, like the Better Bean, do the same.

 

Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Announces FY 2026 Executive Committee

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission recently elected its executive committee for FY 2026, which will help guide the organization’s strategic direction and regional planning efforts from June 2025 through June 2026.

Executive committee members represent communities across Hampden and Hampshire counties and bring a wide range of professional and civic experience. They include William Dwyer, chairman (Hadley); George Kingston, vice chairman (East Longmeadow); Douglas Albertson, secretary/clerk (Belchertown); Marilyn Gorman-Fil, treasurer (Monson); T.J. Cousineau, assistant treasurer (Blandford); and at-large members Peri Hall (Goshen), James Whalen (Holland), Jack Jemsek (Amherst), and Jack Luttrell (Wilbraham).

“The executive committee helps shape the direction of PVPC’s work, from housing and transportation to workforce development and environmental resilience,” said Kimberly Robinson, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. “Their leadership is critical to ensuring that our region remains forward-looking and inclusive. As we navigate a period of transformation and opportunity in Western Massachusetts, I’m confident this team will help us champion equitable growth and strengthen collaboration across our 43 member communities.”

The PVPC executive committee is elected annually by commission members and is responsible for guiding organizational governance and fiscal stewardship. The group also plays a key role in advancing PVPC’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy and other regional initiatives.

Masuda’s Cafe to Host Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on June 20

By
Daily News

AMHERST — Masuda’s Cafe, a new culinary destination in downtown Amherst, will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony, hosted in partnership with the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and the Amherst Business Improvement District (BID), on Friday, June 20 from 11 a.m. to noon at 17 Kellogg Ave.

Blending the warmth of North American breakfast and lunch classics with the vibrant flavors of South Asian cuisine, Masuda’s Cafe promises a bold new addition to the local food scene. Whether it’s a quick grab-and-go, a cozy brunch, or a midday meeting over coffee, Masuda’s offers a welcoming space with both indoor and outdoor seating options. The cafe features coffee from Rao’s Coffee Roasting Co., a local institution known for its high-quality, micro-roasted beans.

“Masuda’s Cafe is Amherst’s newest breakfast and lunch spot, offering your favourite North American classics with a delicious South Asian twist. Think fluffy pancakes with a twist, savory breakfast plates, freshly baked pastries, and specialty coffee that will keep you coming back for more,” owner Masuda Abdullah said. “With a hybrid dining experience, whether you’re in a rush or want to sit and enjoy, we’ve got you covered, and we can’t wait to serve you.”

Jacob Robinson, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, stated that “we’re thrilled to welcome Masuda’s Cafe to our thriving business community. Entrepreneurship like Masuda’s not only enriches our local flavor palette, but also reflects the diversity and innovation that makes the Amherst area unique.”

John Page, executive director of the Amherst BID, added that “Masuda’s Cafe is a shining example of the creative energy flowing into downtown Amherst. It’s poised to become a vibrant addition to downtown Amherst, blending culinary traditions and fostering community connections in the space.”

Berkshire Bank Employees Volunteer During Xtraordinary Week of Service

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — As part of Berkshire Bank’s signature week of community service, 700 employees volunteered with 31 nonprofits to help lift up the places they live and work during the bank’s Xtraordinary Week (X Week) of giving back, which took place June 9-13.

Employees participated in more than 35 projects to help address issues like hunger and homelessness and aim to enhance the future well-being of those who live in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

In the Pioneer Valley, employees volunteered with the Zoo in Forest Park & Education Center in Springfield, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Chicopee, and White Oak School in Westfield.

“Giving back is a core part of who we are as a company because we believe that lasting impact starts with local action,” said Lori Kiely, managing director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation. “Throughout X Week, our employees helped build stronger, more resilient communities — and stronger connections with one another.”

Named for the X in its logo, Berkshire’s award-winning XTEAM Employee Volunteer and Giving Program is a central element of its workplace culture, providing employees with an easy way to put its corporate values into action and help each of its communities realize its full potential.

Berkshire employees also actively volunteer throughout the year. They achieved a remarkable milestone in 2024: 100% volunteered in their communities through more than 250 company-sponsored projects with more than 11,500 hours of service. In addition to the hours contributed through X Week, all Berkshire employees are eligible for up to 16 hours of paid time off annually to volunteer with nonprofits of their choice.

Cedar Chest Partners with Grow Food Northampton to Battle Hunger

By
Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — For the fourth year in a row, Grow Food Northampton (GFN) and Cedar Chest, the anchor store in Thornes Marketplace in downtown Northampton, announced their partnership to fight hunger in Northampton.

Cedar Chest is conducting the “Give $10, Get $10” campaign to raise funds for GFN’s SNAP Match program. At GFN’s year-round farmers markets, Tuesday market, and winter market, the SNAP Match program doubles SNAP users’ benefits so they are able to buy healthy local foods at the farmers markets, with the idea that everyone, no matter their income level, should be able to eat nutrient-dense produce and other products from local farms.

Figures for 2025 show that hunger is steeply on the rise in Massachusetts. More than one in three households in Western Mass. does not have enough food to eat, and 67% of those households report having at least one chronic health condition. Eating adequate amounts of healthy local food regularly is shown to improve health and well-being, and the SNAP Match program is key for many Northampton households to ensure they are consuming a healthful diet.

Launched on June 15, the “Give $10, Get $10” promotion allows Cedar Chest customers to donate $10 to Grow Food Northampton’s SNAP Match program and, in turn, receive a $10 gift card to spend at Cedar Chest. Customers can just stop in at Cedar Chest to make the donation and get a gift card in return.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Grow Food Northampton for a fourth year,” Cedar Chest co-owner Alex Feinstein said. “The ‘Give $10, Get $10’ campaign is a simple but powerful way for our customers to support food access and local farms while shopping local. It’s a win-win-win: people in need get fresh local food through the SNAP Match program, our community’s farms thrive, and Cedar Chest customers get rewarded for giving. In times like these, partnerships like this one remind us that local businesses can play a meaningful role in creating a more just and resilient community.”

Added Alisa Klein, co-executive director of Grow Food Northampton, “with hunger growing every day in Northampton and beyond, this partnership with Cedar Chest is a jewel in the crown of this caring community. With the ‘Give $10, Get $10’ promotion, everyone can play a role in ensuring that all members of our community have enough to eat and our local farms are supported to continue to feed our community for the long term.”

People on the Move

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People on the Move
Michael Alexander

Michael Alexander

Western New England University (WNE) announced the appointment of Michael Alexander as interim president, effective July 1. Alexander served as president of Lasell University in Newton from 2007 to 2023, where he led transformative growth in enrollment, fundraising, and campus development. During his tenure, Lasell’s endowment more than doubled, graduate enrollment expanded 14-fold, and numerous facilities were constructed or renovated to enhance student life and learning. While president, he also served as CEO of Lasell Village, a unique continuing care retirement community on the Lasell campus, where residents participate in educational coursework and activities. A forward-thinking advocate for access and innovation in higher education, Alexander is the founder of Lower Cost Models for Independent Colleges, a national consortium now supported by more than 135 colleges and universities working collaboratively to drive down the cost of a private college education. During the 2023-24 academic year, he served as a Judith McLaughlin president-in-residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he co-taught courses on the future of American post-secondary education and ethical leadership in higher education, while serving as a resource for Harvard graduate students. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and literature of America, cum laude, from Harvard University; earned a master’s degree in Education from the Ohio State University; and completed all coursework toward a doctorate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters by Lasell in 2023.

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Christopher Scott

Christopher Scott

Susan Cody

Susan Cody

bankESB recently hired Christopher Scott as vice president, Commercial Lending, based at its 241 Northampton St., Easthampton office. Scott has 12 years of banking experience. He was previously commercial lender at PeoplesBank and, before that, credit analyst at TD Bank. In his new role, he will be responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of commercial lending relationships. He will work closely with businesses to understand their financial needs, structure customized lending solutions, and provide expert guidance on credit and banking services. He will play a key role in driving business development, fostering community relationships, and contributing to the overall growth strategy at bankESB. Scott earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from UMass Amherst. He also earned a certificate in credit analysis from TD Bank University and attended the Leadership Institute through the Springfield Regional Chamber. He is currently a board member of the American Cancer Society’s Massachusetts Golf Classic. bankESB also recently promoted Susan Cody to assistant branch manager of its 605 Granby St., South Hadley office. Cody has nearly four years of banking experience. She was hired in 2021 as a teller and was most recently a teller supervisor in bankESB’s 85 Broad St., Westfield office. In her new role, she will support daily branch operations, assist in team leadership, and contribute to delivering excellent customer service to the community. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and business management from Westfield State University.

•••••

Country Bank announced the appointment of John Jahne as senior vice president and chief technology officer, a key strategic hire to support the bank’s continued growth, operational excellence, and digital transformation initiatives. Jahne brings more than 25 years of experience in technology leadership, vendor management, and enterprise operations. With a proven track record in managing high-performing technical teams and delivering cost-effective solutions, his approach aligns with Country Bank’s commitment to customer service, efficiency, and innovation. Throughout his career, Jahne has been a strategic leader on projects involving core banking conversions, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic sourcing, all while maintaining a sharp focus on cost savings and service improvements. He has also managed complex vendor relationships and negotiated high-impact contracts that improved operational performance and supported long-term institutional goals. In addition to his corporate leadership role, he previously operated his own consulting and training firm, further demonstrating his entrepreneurial mindset and depth of technical knowledge in information security, server and network infrastructure, and application engineering. Outside of his professional work, Jahne is a dedicated community leader and educator. He serves on the board of the Children’s Community School in Waterbury, Conn., supporting its mission to educate the minds, bodies, and spirits of children from urban environments. He is also a long-standing member of the Simsbury (Conn.) Technology Task Force, helping the town enhance its technology strategy and infrastructure. Within the banking industry, he contributes as a faculty member for the Connecticut School of Finance and Management, a program of the Connecticut Bankers Assoc., where he teaches technology in banking.

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Amelia Holstrom

Amelia Holstrom

Attorney Amelia Holstrom of Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. was elected a library trustee at the Wilbraham Public Library. Following the election, she was selected as secretary by the board of library trustees. The board supports the library’s strategic plan and efforts to provide free and open access to information and programs. Holstrom, who joined the firm in 2012, is a partner at Skoler Abbott. She practices in all areas of employment defense. She provides counsel to management on taking proactive steps to reduce the risk of legal liability that may be imposed as the result of illegal employment practices and defends employers who are faced with lawsuits and administrative charges filed by current and former employers. Holstrom is an active member of the Greater Springfield community. In addition to serving as a library trustee, she is a member of the Wilbraham Personnel Advisory Board, Wilbraham Commission on Disability, the boards of Clinical & Support Options Inc. and the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce, the board development committee for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, and the personnel committee for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

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Bulkley Richardson announced that Lisa Harty, MD, JD, an attorney in the firm’s Litigation Department, has earned the prestigious NITA advocate designation, awarded by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA). This designation recognizes attorneys who have completed a rigorous series of intensive training programs focused on advancing courtroom and litigation skills. To earn this recognition, Harty completed NITA courses in Boston, Chicago, and New York City, each offering immersive training in trial advocacy techniques. The NITA advocate program is nationally respected for its intensive instruction in core litigation areas, including perfecting trial skills, delivering persuasive oral arguments, taking and defending depositions, and mastering both written and interpersonal legal communication. NITA offers participants practical, hands-on training in trial advocacy through realistic courtroom simulations, personalized feedback, and instruction from experienced judges and litigators nationwide. Earning this designation reflects a deep commitment to ethical, effective, and client-centered advocacy. Harty’s dual training in medicine and law positions her to handle complex litigation with insight and precision.

•••••

Yvonne Cruz

Yvonne Cruz

Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that Yvonne Cruz has rejoined the firm as a senior architect. She previously worked at Dietz & Company from 2019 to 2022. In the interim, she worked for a local engineering firm, where she participated in the design of public projects. Cruz holds a bachelor of architecture degree from Pratt Institute School of Architecture in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is a licensed architect in the state of New York. She brings more than 25 years of experience to Dietz & Company, having worked for firms in Massachusetts and New York City throughout her career. She has worked on an array of residential projects specializing in new construction and renovations of multi-family properties, and has also worked on many municipal, hotel, and restaurant projects. She brings to the firm a commitment to high-quality design and a passion for mentoring junior staff members.

•••••

The Springfield Thunderbirds announced new front office hires to the team’s award-winning staff heading into the 2025-26 AHL season. Joe Manning and Lorenzo Stisser have been promoted to account executives in the team’s ticket sales department, while Nina Liquori and Brianna Carroll have joined the organization as inside sales specialists. Manning is entering his second season in the organization after serving as an inside sales specialist during the 2024-25 season. He also interned for the team in the 2023-24 season in the team’s sales and communications departments. He is a 2024 graduate of Springfield College, where he played three seasons for the school’s club hockey program. Stisser joins the organization full-time after serving on the team’s game night staff and the inside sales department over the past two seasons. He graduated from Springfield College this month and was a member of the school’s men’s gymnastics program. Liquori joins the Thunderbirds as an inside sales specialist after graduating from Southern New Hampshire University, where she played on the school’s women’s lacrosse team. Carroll also joins as an inside sales specialist after graduating this month from Western New England University, where she played on WNE’s women’s soccer team.

•••••

Visual Sound Productions Inc. (VSP), which specializes in live event production, A/V services, multi-media production, and entertainment, announced the continued growth of its team with the addition of three new team members: Nathan Dunahoo, Daniel (Dan) Gil, and Christopher (Chris) Coughlin. Dunahoo joins as a creative specialist, bringing a background rooted in creative storytelling and multi-media design. His passion for compelling visual content and innovative design promises to add fresh energy to VSP’s production team. Gil, a 2019 graduate of the University of Hartford with a degree in audio engineering, comes on board as an A/V technician. With a sharp ear for sound quality and experience in both live and recorded audio environments, he is ready to help bring events to life with precision and professionalism. Coughlin, the newest member of the team, also joins as an A/V technician. A 2024 graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a degree in communications, he brings a strong foundation in media production and a drive to grow within the industry. This expansion follows the recent onboarding of Kara Bombard, who joined the VSP team earlier this season to support operations and client engagement. With the addition of these new hires, Visual Sound Productions continues to strengthen its creative and technical capabilities to meet growing demand across New England and beyond.

•••••

April Towers

April Towers

AnnieMac Home Mortgage announced the addition of April Towers to its Momentum Group team as a loan officer serving all counties in Western Mass. “April brings a deep passion for helping families achieve the dream of homeownership, backed by first-hand experience, strong community ties, and a relentless commitment to guiding clients through the mortgage process with confidence and care,” the firm stated. “April joins AnnieMac with enthusiasm for the company’s innovative spirit and industry-leading programs that set it apart from other lenders.” Known for her persistence and problem-solving mindset, the firm added, Towers is especially motivated to overcome obstacles that stand in the way of her clients’ homeownership goals.

•••••

GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc., a multi-disciplinary firm providing geotechnical, environmental, ecological, water, and construction management services, announced that two staff professionals have earned premier wildlife biology credentials that will bolster GZA’s ability to support clients with a wide range of ecological capabilities. GZA Senior Biologist Robin Casioppo recently became a certified wildlife biologist (CWB), and Ecologist Susanna Sousa became an associate wildlife biologist (AWB), certifications overseen and awarded by the Wildlife Society. Both are based in GZA’s Springfield office and serve clients throughout New England and the nation. The CWB and AWB certifications document that the credential holders have met the society’s standards for professional experience, ethical standards, and educational attainment. The society has qualified a total of 1,900 CWBs and 400 AWBs throughout the U.S. Casioppo, who earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology from Plymouth State University and a master’s degree in environmental studies with a concentration in conservation biology from Antioch New England University, is a professional wetland scientist. Sousa earned a bachelor’s degree in conservation in wildlife management from Delaware Valley University, a master’s degree in environmental studies with a concentration in conservation biology from Antioch New England University, and a certified ecologist professional certification from the Ecological Society of America.

•••••

Peter Morales

Peter Morales

Square One, the region’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization serving children and families, recently welcomed Peter Morales to its leadership team. Morales will serve as the agency’s vice president of Operations. In this role, he will oversee Square One’s day-to-day operations, ensuring the efficient delivery of its mission and services, while playing a critical role in managing operations, optimizing processes, and ensuring the smooth functioning of internal systems and infrastructure. Prior to joining the Square One team, he served as senior vice president of Innovation and Technology and chief technology officer for Country Bank in Ware. In this role, he was responsible for driving process effectiveness, technology, security, data, and AI strategy. Morales previously held operational, technology, and strategy leadership roles at the Council on International Educational Exchange, New York University, the New York Stock Exchange, and the American Stock Exchange. He began his career developing diagnostic systems for U.S. Navy avionics, including the F-18 aircraft. He holds an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, a master’s degree in engineering management, and a doctorate in computer science and information systems. He serves on the board of directors for the Institute for Study Abroad and the CyberAI Group. In his spare time, he mentors students through the Columbia University Justice Through Code program and master’s degree students at NYU Engineering.

•••••

Bulkley Richardson recently welcomed three law students to its 2025 Summer Associate Program. The robust program introduces law students to the inner workings of a law firm, where they receive mentorship from lawyers ranging from firm leaders and retired judges all the way through the ranks to junior associates, and gain exposure to real-life legal matters. Sylvia Labbe is currently attending Suffolk University Law School as a trustee academic scholar, where she serves as a senior staffer on the Transnational Law Review, as well as executive board member of the Labor & Employment Assoc. (treasurer) and Intellectual Property Law Assoc. (treasurer). She was a 2024 summer associate at a Boston-area law firm. This past winter, she was honored with the title of Best Oral Advocate at the Transnational Law Review Moot Court. Labbe earned a bachelor’s degree in legal studies and political science from UMass Amherst. Gabriela Peterson, currently attending Vermont Law & Graduate School, is Head Notes Editor of the Vermont Law Review and a member of the Williams Institute moot court team on gender and sexuality law. She has held the positions of legal intern at an independent news organization and 2024 summer associate at a law firm, both in Washington, D.C. Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and political science from Monmouth College, where she received several honors for academic excellence. Devan Ravino, currently attending the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, is a Daniel Webster scholar and member of the Moot Court, Trademarks Team, and Women’s Student Law Assoc. She interned at the Civil Bureau of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. Ravino majored in art history and economics, magna cum laude, at Mount Holyoke College.

Company Notebook

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Company Notebook

Oak View Group Partners with PeoplesBank to Rename XL Center

HARTFORD, Conn. — Oak View Group and the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) announced a new, multi-year naming rights partnership with PeoplesBank to rename Hartford’s 16,000-seat sports and entertainment venue, effective immediately. The newly renamed PeoplesBank Arena is home of the American Hockey League’s Hartford Wolf Pack, affiliate of the New York Rangers; UConn men’s and women’s basketball and men’s hockey; and concerts and entertainment events. Terms of the multi-year agreement were not disclosed. This also marks a significant milestone in the Hartford Arena renovation project, as the next phase of construction is officially underway. Renovations will include upgrades to the seating area, the addition of new lower-level luxury suites, and the development of enhanced concession areas designed to elevate the overall guest experience. The 10-year partnership was executed by OVG Global Partnerships, the sponsorship and naming rights division of Oak View Group.

 

Bay Path Awarded Grant from Davis Educational Foundation

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University has been awarded a two-year, $225,000 grant from the Davis Educational Foundation to support a project called “Navigating a Path to Graduation: Streamlining Pathways to Student Success.” The grant supports the integration of Cambridge College’s academic programs and student support workflows into Bay Path’s robust, data-informed infrastructure, laying the foundation for a unified system that enhances efficiency, improves student experiences, and drives measurable outcomes across the merged institutions. On July 1, 2024, Bay Path celebrated its acquisition of Cambridge College, a mission-aligned institution with a strong focus on career preparation and serving adult populations. The acquisition nearly doubled Bay Path’s enrollment, added more than 20 new graduate programs, and expanded its reach to Eastern Mass. and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Davis Educational Foundation grant will support key initiatives in the integration of Bay Path University and Cambridge College, including aligning academic programs, improving degree tracking, and upgrading technology systems.

 

Steve Lewis Subaru Rebrands to Balise Subaru of Hadley

HADLEY — Balise Auto Group is announced that Steve Lewis Subaru, a dealership that joined the Balise family in March 2023, has officially changed its name to Balise Subaru of Hadley. This name change reflects the next step in aligning the dealership with the Balise brand, which has been serving communities across New England since 1919. While the signage may look different, customers can expect to see the same team of employees. The Balise Subaru of Hadley team will move into a new, state-of-the-art facility at the dealership’s original location, with completion expected this fall.

 

Monson Savings Bank Supports Salvation Army Housing Program

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank continued giving back to the communities it serves by donating $5,000 to the Salvation Army’s Ware/Monson Area Housing Assistance Program. This contribution will directly assist local individuals and families experiencing housing instability, helping them stay in their homes and avoid homelessness. The donation was presented by Dan Moriarty, Monson Savings Bank’s president and CEO, and Heather Arbour, vice president BSA/Fraud officer and Compliance manager and longtime Salvation Army volunteer, to Wilfred Leslie, Service Extension director for the Salvation Army’s Massachusetts Division. The funds will be used to support residents in the bank’s communities by providing assistance with rent, utilities, and emergency housing needs.

 

MassMutual Federal Credit Union Completes Book Drive

SPRINGFIELD — MassMutual Federal Credit Union (MMFCU) announced the successful completion of its April children’s book drive, which saw the collection of almost 400 books through local member donations and a customized Amazon wish list. The books collected were donated to a member-nominated school, Talmadge Elementary in Springfield, providing students with valuable resources to enrich their educational experience.MMFCU will match the value of books collected for Talmadge Elementary with donations to Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers in Boston and O’Connor Elementary School in Mesa, Ariz. This initiative will ensure that the impact of the book drive extends well beyond Springfield. MMFCU’s commitment to community service went beyond the book drive. The credit union partnered with MassMutual’s Community Responsibility team to organize a volunteer effort to assemble activity kits for the recipient schools. These kits are designed to provide engaging and educational activities that complement the donated books, further enhancing the students’ learning experiences.

 

Herrell’s Ice Cream Unveils 2024 UMass Competition Flavors

NORTHAMPTON — Herrell’s Ice Cream introduced four new UMass flavors to its rotating ice cream collection: the winners of the 2024 Ice Cream Competition. The first place winner is Brown Butter Miso Caramel, second place is Tea Time, third place is Apple Kruimel ijsje, and Pineapple Upside-Down Cheesecake won the People’s Choice Award. These flavors are now being sold in both Amherst and Northampton Herrell’s Ice Cream locations. Herrell and former Herrell’s Manager Kirsten Tabb worked with students and Charmaine Koo, UMass lecturer and professor for the class, throughout the spring 2024 semester to help them understand the intricacies of creating flavors. Criteria for the judging included texture, overrun, sustainability, olfactory, and taste.

 

MicroTek Inc. Awarded Grant for ESOL Classes

CHICOPEE — MicroTek Inc., a nonprofit wire component manufacturer that provides employment support to individuals with disabilities, was awarded a Workforce Training Fund grant to provide workplace classes in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) to its employees. The ESOL training will directly support the company’s mission to foster an inclusive and empowering work environment. These courses will equip employees with the English communication skills needed to excel in their roles, contributing to the production of high-quality, cutting-edge cable and assembly work for industries around the world. By enhancing understanding of workplace-specific vocabulary, including safety protocols, machinery, products, and procedures, the training ensures all employees can meet the company’s high standards while feeling confident and valued in their contributions. Aligned with MicroTek’s vision of creating an inclusive society, this training emphasizes building employees’ confidence to communicate openly with peers, managers, vendors, and customers. Participants will be better prepared to share their ideas, provide feedback, and take on leadership opportunities, furthering MicroTek’s commitment to respect, responsibility, and meaningful employment for all. This project is funded by a Workforce Training Fund grant from Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The grant program is administered by Commonwealth Corp. MicroTek partnered with English for New Bostonians and Valley Opportunity Council for the training program design and execution, including initial assessment of the employees’ English language levels, delivery of the English classes, and achievement of the training goals.

 

Country Bank Honored at 2025 NEFFIES Awards

WARE — Country Bank announced it received two awards at the 2025 NEFFIES Awards Show, hosted by the New England Financial Marketing Assoc. (NEFMA). Country received First Place – Gold in the Website Design category for its newly launched website, which was thoughtfully developed to meet the evolving needs of today’s digital banking customers. The site features a mobile-responsive design, robust financial education tools, dynamic calls to action, and personalized user experiences. The bank also received Second Place – Silver in the Fan Favorite category for its Community Support partnership with the Worcester Red Sox. This recognition highlights a series of impactful initiatives, including the Most Valuable Teacher program, WooStar recognitions, and the Police vs. Fire charity game, all designed to honor and support individuals making a positive difference in their communities.

 

PeoplesBank Awards $10,000 to Springfield Library Program

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Library Foundation and PeoplesBank announced a $10,000 grant from the bank to support the Springfield City Library’s Summer Reading Program. Thanks to this grant, this year’s program, called Level Up at Your Library, will feature greatly expanded activities for children and other users throughout the city of Springfield at the library’s nine locations as well as with other community partners. The Summer Reading Program is hosting all-ages kickoff events throughout June. The program will conclude with a big all-ages, city-wide End of Summer Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 23. Among the many activities made possible by PeoplesBank’s grant will be music classes, musical petting zoos, story city series, mobile arcade, VR experiences, RPG and board game clubs, bingo, and escape rooms. Children and teens will get a free book of their choice with sign-up, and there will be weekly prizes and celebrations throughout the summer. For more information, visit www.springfieldlibrary.org.

Picture This

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Pictured, from left: STCC President John Cook, volunteer dentist Dr. Michael Nardi, STCC faculty members Samantha Kelley and Darlene O’Brien, and volunteer dentist Dr. Paul Nardi Jr.
Picture This

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

 

Growing Together

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) partnered with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ Hadley Farm on May 30. In previous years, MBK employees helped by filling sandbags to secure tarps for weed prevention, spreading compost over cardboard to build two 30-foot-long plant beds, and constructing greenhouses that are now filled with vegetable plants. For a third consecutive year, tasks included planting tomato, lettuce, and basil plants and installing garden netting for young plant protection.

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) partnered with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ Hadley Farm on May 30

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) partnered with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ Hadley Farm on May 30

 

 

Community Dental Day

More than 100 people visited Springfield Technical Community College on May 3 for the seventh annual Community Dental Day, which offered free dental care to area residents who otherwise might not be able to afford it. Organized by STCC’s Dental Sciences Department in partnership with the Massachusetts Dental Society Foundation and the Valley District Dental Society, the event brought together volunteer dentists, dental assistants, and students to deliver free care. 

Pictured, from left: STCC President John Cook, volunteer dentist Dr. Michael Nardi, STCC faculty members Samantha Kelley and Darlene O’Brien, and volunteer dentist Dr. Paul Nardi Jr.

Pictured, from left: STCC President John Cook, volunteer dentist Dr. Michael Nardi, STCC faculty members Samantha Kelley and Darlene O’Brien, and volunteer dentist Dr. Paul Nardi Jr.

 

 

Rousing Finale

The Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestras (SSYO) held a season finale concert on May 18 with more than 140 young musicians on stage at Springfield Symphony Hall. The event began with a debut performance of the newest ensemble of the Springfield Symphony, Springfield Youth Voces, under the direction of conductor Amanda Johnson. The concert featured performances by three SSYO groups: the Springfield Youth Camerata, a beginner strings group led by Capella Sherwood; the Springfield Youth Sinfonia, an intermediate ensemble conducted by Matt Bertuzzi; and the Springfield Youth Orchestra, an advanced ensemble conducted by Jonathan Lam. 

The Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestras

 

The Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestras

The Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestras

 

Agenda

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Agenda

Free Friday Concert Series

Through Aug. 15: Hot Plate Brewing Co., in partnership with Downtown Pittsfield Inc. and a collection of other Pittsfield-based businesses, announced the Pitt, a brand-new, 10-week, free concert series set to energize Dunham Mall. Running weekly on Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m., the Pitt will showcase a dynamic lineup of musical acts hailing from Montreal, Boston, the Pioneer Valley, and the Berkshires. From indie rock and soul to emerging electronic artists, this series will celebrate both regional talent and international artistry, right in the heart of downtown Pittsfield. In addition to the music, concertgoers can enjoy local food and drink offerings. Hot Plate Brewing Co. will host a beer garden, and Handcrafted, a new, Pittsfield-based restaurant, will serve up a variety of food. For more information and weekly lineup announcements, visit hotplatebeer.com/the-pitt.

 

Whip City Animal Sanctuary Golf Tournament

June 28: Whip City Animal Sanctuary will host its fifth annual golf tournament fundraiser at St. Anne’s Country Club, 781 Shoemaker Lane, Feeding Hills. The tournament starts at 12:30 p.m. with dinner following at 5:30 p.m. There will be contests, raffle prizes, a free T-shirt for the first 50 players, and a cash bar. The registration fee is $125 per player and includes a cart and dinner following the tournament. The deadline to register is June 18. For additional details and forms, visit Whip City Animal Sanctuary’s website or Facebook page, or email Sonia Henderson at [email protected]. Whip City Animal Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a caring, safe, and long-term home for abandoned, rescued, and surrendered farm animals. It pays for all veterinary care, food, and shelter for these animals and is open for public visiting hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon.

 

Second Chance Animal Services Golf Tournament

July 14: Second Chance Animal Services is teeing up for its 13th annual Charity Golf Tournament at Cold Spring Country Club in Belchertown. This event combines a day of golf with the mission of helping pets receive the veterinary care they need. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit Second Chance’s community veterinary hospitals in Springfield, Worcester, Southbridge, and North Brookfield — life-saving programs that provide affordable care to pets in underserved communities and help keep them with the families who love them. Golfers will enjoy a full day of fun, including a box lunch, a banquet dinner, a commemorative gift, and a bucket of range balls. The tournament will feature on-course tastings and contests such as longest drive, closest to the pin, closest to the line, a yellow ball competition, and more. A hole-in-one challenge offers a $4,000 pool or spa prize sponsored by Teddy Bear Pools. Guests can also take part in raffles and a silent auction, which opens online one week prior to the event. The tournament will follow a scramble format. Check-in begins at 9 a.m., with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Individual golfers and foursomes are welcome, and early registration is encouraged as spots fill quickly. To register, inquire about sponsorship opportunities, or donate items to the silent auction and raffle, visit www.secondchanceanimals.org/events/golf.

 

Feed the Kids Charity Golf Tournament

July 14: Feed the Kids, a local nonprofit focused on fighting childhood hunger, is seeking sponsors and donated auction items for its eighth annual Feed the Kids Charity Golf Tournament at Springfield Country Club. The event, which will include an online auction open to all, benefits local organizations that work to ensure children do not go hungry, including Square One, the Holyoke Weekend Backpack Program, Pioneer Valley Powerpacks, and Team No Kid Hungry. Local individuals and businesses can also support the cause by donating items or services for the silent auction portion of the event. The online auction will be open to the community for bids beginning on July 1 and will end on July 14, the day of the golf tournament. For more information or to sponsor the event, visit feedthekidsgolf.com and click ‘Register Now.’ To donation auction items, email Kadushin at [email protected].

 

Pickleball Tournament

July 20: Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity announced a pickleball tournament open to players of all skill levels at the Picklr, 415 East Main St., in the Westfield Shops. From noon to 4 p.m., seasoned players and rookies alike will play ‘king of the court’ three-person-style. Tickets cost $40 each, which includes prizes, snacks and refreshments, and swag bags. All are welcome to participate or spectate. To purchase tickets, visit habitatspringfield.org.

Editorial

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Opinion

Not a Sublime Turn of Events

 

Leaders at Sublime Systems, a company that has developed a low-carbon cement, believe they can withstand the loss of an $87 million federal grant and move their plans forward, including those for a manufacturing plant in Holyoke.

News of the Trump administration’s plans to terminate $3.7 billion in grants issued by the the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, including the $87 million earmarked for Sublime, came down earlier this month.

To many, the news sounded like a death knell for Sublime, but officials there believe they have enough momentum, in the form of contracts with players ranging from Microsoft to regional and national construction companies, including Daniel O’Connell’s Sons in Holyoke, to press on and perhaps only be slowed down, not stopped, by the loss of the federal grant.

We hope they’re right, because Sublime’s ability to weather this storm has huge implications for both Holyoke and the region.

Before getting to that, we’ll just say that the termination of this grant makes little sense. The Trump administration has stated goals to bring more manufacturing to this country and lessen its dependence on foreign countries for everything from energy to construction materials.

Sublime’s cement does all that. It will bring jobs here, and it will reduce dependence on foreign makers of cement, including Canada and Mexico.

We can only assume it is the phrase ‘clean energy’ that does not align with the philosophy and goals of the Trump administration, but the ‘why’ in this case is not what matters. It’s the end result.

Now, Sublime must try to resecure that federal grant by restating its already strong case about what its product can do to dramatically reduce the carbon footprint from cement making, while also creating jobs and helping to revitalize a community like Holyoke.

The Paper City has a lot riding on Sublime’s ability to move forward with plans to construct a plant in the Flats section of the city that will produce 30,000 tons of cement per year. Indeed, the city is trying to stake a claim as a home to clean-tech companies, and brings many assets to bear, including land and former mills to develop and reliable, cheap, green energy (hydropower) from the Holyoke G&E.

With the cannabis sector plateauing, if not declining, Holyoke needs clean energy and companies like Sublime for job creation to help continue the momentum that has been building in this historic manufacturing city for several years now.

The region needs Sublime and other success stories in this realm as well. We’ve already documented how its traditional economic pillars — higher education, healthcare, and nonprofits — were already struggling before the Trump administration began changing policies and terminating grants, and now, their struggles are deepening. The region needs to tap new sources of innovation and jobs, and clean energy is one of them.

It’s very difficult for a company like Sublime to overcome the loss of an $87 million grant. It must tap other resources — from the state to venture capital — while also hoping to get that grant back.

We hope Sublime can overcome this loss and move forward, because Holyoke and this region need this company to succeed.

 

Have a Safe, Non-impaired Summer

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Mothers Against Drunk Driving

 

As families get set to fire up the grill, hit the highway, and head out on the water for the Fourth of July, Mothers Against Drunk Driving encourages everyone to make safety part of their plans. The organization’s “Safe Summer” campaign is a season-long effort to prevent impaired driving, protect teens, and keep the roads and waterways safe. Here are some tips to remember.

1. Make a Plan Ahead of Time. Whether you’re heading out to a barbecue, beach trip, or boat excursion, figure out how you’re getting home safe before the drinks start flowing. Use a rideshare app, designate a sober driver, or make a plan to take public transportation. Don’t wait until the last minute to make a decision.

2. Don’t Drive Boats or Recreational Vehicles Impaired. A boat is a vehicle, and so are jet skis, golf carts, all-terrain vehicles, and bikes. Alcohol is the leading factor in fatal boating crashes, and boaters are likely to become impaired faster than drivers, thanks to motion, sun, vibration, and engine noise, which intensify alcohol’s effects. Avoid alcohol entirely when operating any vehicle, on land or water.

3. Always Wear a Life Jacket. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 85% of people who drowned in recreational boating incidents were not wearing life jackets. Wearing a life jacket is one of the simplest ways to stay safe on the water.

 

4. Plan Ahead When Heading to a Concert or Festival. Summer concerts and music festivals are all about good vibes, but many take place in remote areas with limited transportation options. If you plan to drink or use substances, don’t risk driving. Use a rideshare app, designate a sober driver, or find out if the venue offers shuttles or public transit. Do your research ahead of time so you’re not stranded later. Go with friends who look out for each other, and make a group pact to get home safe.

5. Talk to Your Teens About Making Safe Choices. Summer break means more young drivers on the road and a higher risk of crashes involving teens. Parents play a critical role in keeping them safe. Start the conversation early about the dangers of underage drinking, peer pressure, and the importance of making smart choices behind the wheel.

6. Be a Proactive Host. Hosting a Fourth of July party? Think ahead to help your guests get home safely. Make sure there are non-alcoholic drink options, encourage designated drivers, help people book a rideshare, or offer a place to crash if needed. A little planning goes a long way.

7. Drive Defensively and Report Impaired Driving. Even if you’re sober, others may not be. Buckle up, drive defensively, and expect the unexpected, especially near lakes, beaches, and party zones. If you spot someone driving impaired, don’t stay silent. Call 911. One call could save a life.

Incorporations

By
Incorporations

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

AMHERST

The Fire Place of Massachusetts Inc., 320 South Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002. Michael Grybko, 75 Arnold Road, Pelham, MA 01002. Retail sales of fireplaces.

BELCHERTOWN

Vitex Inc., 43 Meadow Pond Road, Belchertown, MA 01007. Eric Devine, same. Professional, scientific, and technical services.

CHICOPEE

O’Neil Holdings Inc., 400 Broadway St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Patrick O’Neil, same. Acquisition entity.

 

CONWAY

Notehouse Collaborative Inc., 735 North Poland Road, Conway, MA 01341. Lauren Burke, same. Ccharitable initiative providing fiscal sponsorship to emerging and established organizations whose missions align with the collaborative’s purpose.

EASTHAMPTON

Massachusetts Urban Conservancy Inc., 132 Lovefield St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Eric Weld, same. Nonprofit organization established to preserve and restore urban forested land, foster biodiversity, combat climate change, and promote conservation.

EAST LONGMEADOW

East Longmeadow Film Festival Inc., 12 Colony Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Christopher Macken, 1777 North Vermont Ave., Apt. 303, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Corporation established to educate, support, and celebrate aspiring and accomplished filmmakers and those in related activities and disciplines in the Pioneer Valley through film festivals, screening events, workshops, seminars, lectures, and educational programs.

GOSHEN

Hometown Charitable Events Inc., 36 Main St., Goshen, MA 01032. Ruby Hutt, same. Nonprofit organization promoting educational activities for youth and families, focusing on local food systems and public welfare.

GREENFIELD

GCVS Parent Teacher Organization Inc., 238 Main St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Roseline Giglio, 21 Heritage Lane, Saugus, MA 01906. Nonprofit organization established to create a sense of connections and support among parents, students, and teachers, support students’ educational experience by enhancing the learning experience, create community engagement by organizing virtual and in-person events and activities, and foster connections between students, parents, and staff.

LEE

Bliss Crumbs and Coffee Inc., 77 Main St., Lee, MA 01238. Rebecca Lilley, 156 Jason St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Coffee shop selling coffee and baked goods.

LONGMEADOW

Penna Properties Inc., 101 Tanglewood Dr., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Kalyan Pundla, same. Property management, leasing, renting, buying, and selling real property.

LUDLOW

Massachusetts Sheriffs Organization Inc., 627 Randall Road, Ludlow, MA 01056. Nicholas Cocchi, same. Lobbying efforts to better support the sheriff’s initiatives.

NORTHAMPTON

Silent Source Acoustics Inc., 71 Bradford St., Northampton, MA 01060. Shawn Gundersen, same. Sales and installation of acoustic panels and materials.

 

PITTSFIELD

Atlas Manufacturing and Distribution Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Joseph Briggs, same. Business consulting services and administrative services for existing businesses and startups.

Earth Support Corp., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Jean Prinsloo, Bunker Hill Street, Charlestown, MA 02129. Expert foundation and ground support for construction needs.

Know Other Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Vladimir Holly, 1323 West Columbia Ave., Apt. 3W, Chicago, IL 60626. Corporation organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and civic purposes, with a mission to inspire and nurture a culture of informed and connected communities empowered for civic action.

PrideVR Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Janine Gauntt, same. Empowers the LGBTQ+ community with technology; cultivates accessible, virtual pride events; and promotes the legal welfare of the LGBTQ+ community.

Sigma Continental Corporation, 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Jason Berger, same. Parcel delivery service for final mile.

SOUTHWICK

Serenity Anesthesia Services Inc., 6 Pearl Brook Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Julia Millay, same. Nursing and anesthesia services.

SPRINGFIELD

Advantage Athlete Inc., 2 Birnie Ave., Suite C, Springfield, MA 01107. Richard Viruet, same. Sport training, coaching, mentorship, athlete advocate, and college preparation.

Demoya Enterprises Inc., 70 Chestnut St., Suite 218, Springfield, MA 01103. Franklin Demoya Jr., 444 North Main St., Suite 274, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Online sales.

NSD Center Inc., 39-41 Mulberry St., Springfield, MA 01105. Jin Byoung Nam, 167 Pendleton Lane, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Day care center.

Tacana Foods Services Corp., 96 Edgewood St., Springfield, MA 01109. Elendida Morales, same. Engages in the food service industry, including but not limited to mobile food trucks, restaurants, and wholesale food distribution.

VIM Global Corp., 37 Lexington St., Springfield, MA 01107. Charles Niapah Carboo, same. Engages in Christian education activities, including organizing training and discipleship education through seminars, conferences, and online courses; teaching and preaching Christian doctrine and biblical theology around the world; and organizing locals to offer free community service and other charitable services.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Able Security and Concierge Corp., 150 Front St., Unit B1, West Springfield, MA 01089. John Muise, 269 Ventura St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Security sales and services.

Skysite Visual Co., 237 Bear Hole Road, West Springfield, MA 01089. Oleg Kaletin, 491 South West St., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Mapping and 3-D modeling.

 

WILLIAMSBURG

Silverado Landscaping Inc., 19 Williams St., Williamsburg, MA 01096. Gregory Silveira, same. Landscaping.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the months of May and June 2025.

BELCHERTOWN

Amy’s Rt. 9 Bakery
141 Federal St.
Amy Roman

Anderson Builders
79 Channel Dr.
Scott Anderson

Aprolificcuts
51 North Main St.
Angelo Wright

Classic Made Great
4 Blossom Lane
Kris Lynds

Fox Allen Bindery LLC
2 Stadler St.
Fox Maasch

H&M Services
50 Goodell St.
Mayra Lebron

Holmes Painting
177 Turkey Hill Road
Travis Holmes

J&N Carpentry
494 South Gulf Road
James Natle

Lori Johnson Health and Wellness LLC
15 Old Pelham Road
Lori Johnson

McDonald’s
148 North Main St.
Jorge Gomez, Eleni Gomez

Michelle’s Cleaning Service
369 Stebbins St.
Michelle Garrow

Michelle Walker
16 Clearbrook Dr.
Michelle Walker

Penumbra Controls LLC
21 Sherwood Dr.
Colin Marsh

Quabbin Construction
130 Sheffield Dr.
Spencer Shumway

Ria’s Sweet Treats
700 Franklin St.
Maria Marshall

Riverstone Forge
30 Metacomet St.
Michael Dailing

The Vintage Vixen 65
196 Barton Ave.
Robin Parncutt

WESTFIELD

The Barber Parlor
236 Elm St.
James Ahearn

BP’s Guitar Repairs
77 Mill Street, #120F
Bryan Sieminski

Czar Energy Solutions
53 North Elm St.
Sal-Czar Inc.

Firestone Complete Auto Care
322 East Main St.
Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC

Pleasant Street Market
54 Pleasant St.
Shiva Laxmi Inc.

Tiny Toes
6 Mainline Dr.
Loulou Hannoush

Turinina Jewelers LLC
81 Elm St.
Turinina Jewelers LLC

Two Rivers Burrito Co.
36 Elm St.
G2G Inc.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

BattleGround Jiu Jitsu Academy LLC
2260 Westfield St., Unit 3
BattleGround Jiu Jitsu Academy LLC

Body Love Essence
35 High St.
Body Love Essence

Cyber Exchange
1053 Riverdale St.
Cyber Exchange

glidderzdesigns
123 Chilson Road
glidderzdesigns

KPOT BBQ & Hot Pot
935 Riverdale St., Unit E-101
KHP Springfield LLC

Lanas Grill
977 Main St.
Lanas Grill

La-Z-Boy Comfort Studio
1299 Riverdale St.
Kevco Group of Bernardston

Lunar Moth Services
117 Park Ave.
Lunar Moth Services

Nola Cajun Kitchen and Raw Bar
1305 Memorial Ave.
Center Square Grill

Rustic Roots Salon
338 Westfield St., Unit B
Rustic Roots Salon

Thaissa Hair Studio and Beauty Supply
865 Memorial Ave.
Thaissa Hair Studio and Beauty Supply

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

Bosworth, Robert E.
151 Lamplighter Lane
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/06/2025

Bryant, Paul Douglas
62 Brookline Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/02/2025

Claudio Oquendo, Aida Luz
15 Audubon St., 2nd
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/12/2025

Dion, Jacqueline
89 Mechanic St., #2
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/09/2025

Dixon, Ricky A.
Antione, Lisa
124 Patterson Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/15/2025

ESG Clean Energy LLC
1111 Elm St., Suite 25
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 11
Date: 04/30/2025

ESG-H2, LLC
1111 Elm St., Suite 38
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 11
Date: 04/30/2025

Gavazzi, Melissa P.
139 West St., Apt. G
West Hatfield, MA 01088
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/14/2025

Howie, Clifford H.
194 Rolf Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 04/30/2025

Jimenez, Josean Antonio
a/k/a Jimenez Figueroa, Josean A.
Jimenez, Aimee Linn
140 Skeele St., Apt 2
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/12/2025

Kennedy, John C.
16 Inwood Commons
East Longmedow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Date: 05/05/2025

Kirkpatrick, Brian S.
Kirkpatrick, Phoebe C.
179 Ashland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/09/2025

Kydd, Breanne Lee
304 Plain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/06/2025

Lachance, Richard A.
Lachance, Carey A.
PO Box 402
Colrain, MA 01340
Chapter: 13
Date: 04/30/2025

Leahey, Martin Joseph
259 Williams St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Date: 05/14/2025

Lubieddin, Elaine Wiseman
63 Florida St., Apt. 25
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/06/2025

McIntosh, Jill Marie
1181 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/09/2025

Peddle, Jonathan W.
629 Old Dana Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/06/2025

PuraVida33 LLC
Watkins, William P.
261 Bay Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/14/2025

Rodriguez, Luis A.
33 Wistaria St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Date: 05/02/2025

Rogers, Maria Natalia
16 Casimir St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/13/2025

Sabelawski, Dustin E.
1 Village Green
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Date: 05/06/2025

Staszko, Anthony G.
Staszko, Miranda L.
74 High St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/13/2025

Steadman, Mark D.
287 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/13/2025

Tormanen, Charles Henry
105 South St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/08/2025

Warner, Raynor M.
PO Box 1227
Stockbridge, MA 01262-1227
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/14/2025

Williams, Zamarrie
a/k/a Velasquez, Zamarrie
29 Glen Albyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 05/08/2025

Real Estate Transactions

By
Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

419 Northfield Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $304,000
Buyer: Jayden Fox
Seller: Jennifer M. Fox
Date: 05/14/25

200 River St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: Carlos A. Rois
Seller: Agt Homes LLC
Date: 05/23/25

41 West Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Alexandru Teaca
Seller: Bardwell, Russell J., (Estate)
Date: 05/15/25

CHARLEMONT

Legate Hill Road, (off) Lot 2
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Nicholas Guggino
Seller: Dean M. Frakin
Date: 05/21/25

Legate Hill Road, (off) Lot 3
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Nicholas Guggino
Seller: Dean M. Frakin
Date: 05/21/25

2120 Route 2
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Lynne M. McHugh TR
Seller: Valerie Smith
Date: 05/16/25

DEERFIELD

110 Lee Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Jason F. Farrick
Seller: Andrew D. Clogston
Date: 05/15/25

192 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Michael A. Noska
Seller: North Main St. 2018 RET
Date: 05/21/25

ERVING

54 Mountain Road
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Markus Katipunan
Seller: William G. Gallant
Date: 05/14/25

GILL

32 Walnut St.
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $347,000
Buyer: Christopher Porndecki
Seller: Michael R. Chudzik
Date: 05/16/25

GREENFIELD

54 Adams Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Michael Mecagni
Seller: Matthew D. Squires
Date: 05/23/25

84 Congress St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Alexa Beach
Seller: Connelly RT
Date: 05/15/25

367 Country Club Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Joshua C. Vasquez
Seller: James D. Whitney
Date: 05/13/25

79 Hope St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Caitlin C. Dubuque
Seller: Trey D. Jones
Date: 05/12/25

3 Russell St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: 123 Hope Properties LLC
Seller: Laura L. Richards
Date: 05/20/25

54 White Birch Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $266,500
Buyer: Nicholas S. Drumgool
Seller: Darlene A. Holland
Date: 05/22/25

HAWLEY

71 Dodge Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: William R. Stevens
Seller: Isa Wang
Date: 05/14/25

103 East Hawley Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: John Utley
Seller: Jonathan S. Fremerman
Date: 05/19/25

MONTAGUE

90 East Taylor Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Zachariah A. Miller
Seller: Kitty E. Griswold
Date: 05/14/25

112 L St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Benegan 2 LLC
Seller: Paul Gatker
Date: 05/23/25

4 T St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Thornton
Seller: Joseph A. Higgings
Date: 05/22/25

NEW SALEM

13 Daniel Shays Hwy.
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $428,000
Buyer: Christopher Boucher
Seller: Yan Y. Deng
Date: 05/23/25

141 Wendell Road
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Jussi Silliman
Seller: Peter P. Petrofsky
Date: 05/13/25

NORTHFIELD

162 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $690,000
Buyer: Khushwant Dhaliwal
Seller: Spencer, Joanne F., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/25

719 Mount Hermon Station Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Arpc LLC
Seller: James A. Turner
Date: 05/15/25

121 School St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Sandra L. Duprey
Seller: Seth T. Wiggin
Date: 05/16/25

427 South Mountain Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Curtis R. Brunelle
Seller: Xiuyu Liang
Date: 05/14/25

31 Strowbridge Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $359,000
Buyer: Nathan J. Smith
Seller: Jason Bassett
Date: 05/16/25

ORANGE

3 Converse Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $459,900
Buyer: Jeffrey A. Lajoie
Seller: Joseph M. Polana
Date: 05/12/25

552-554 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Angela Garcia
Seller: Mizuta Corp.
Date: 05/21/25

65 East Myrtle St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Peggy S. McGill
Seller: Tegra Properties LLC
Date: 05/22/25

51 Ward Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Tyker R. Warner
Seller: Berry-Lamb, Patricia J., (Estate)
Date: 05/13/25

SHELBURNE

53 Maple St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Matthew Price
Seller: Mark A. Eaton
Date: 05/14/25

SHUTESBURY

105 January Hills Road
Shutesbury, MA 01002
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Mahip Rathore
Seller: Jay L. Garfield
Date: 05/21/25

SUNDERLAND

15 Bayberry Dr.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $678,150
Buyer: Bryan T. Callahan
Seller: Louis J. Jumonville
Date: 05/15/25

26 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $431,500
Buyer: Daniel P. Kramer
Seller: Ellen K. Brower-Gately
Date: 05/23/25

455 Montague Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $695,000
Buyer: Michael P. Robinson
Seller: Curtis-Griffith FT
Date: 05/23/25

WENDELL

West St.
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $117,900
Buyer: Sara C. Hsiang
Seller: Kelly, Irene B., (Estate)
Date: 05/14/25

WHATELY

29 River Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Nourse Farms Real Estate LLC
Seller: Timothy M. Nourse
Date: 05/14/25

169 River Road
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Cleary
Seller: Jason P. Bohonowicz
Date: 05/23/25

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

56 Candlewood Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Peter Choquette
Seller: John R. Shea
Date: 05/21/25

277-281 Garden St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $825,000
Buyer: Mlgc FT
Seller: Clark Dore
Date: 05/22/25

32 Harding St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Frances Otieno
Seller: Steven J. Paolucci
Date: 05/23/25

56 Lealand Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Heather A. Weston
Seller: Freeman, Kevin D., (Estate)
Date: 05/16/25

28 Robin Ridge Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $170,300
Buyer: Ann Ledwell
Seller: Ledwell Int.
Date: 05/13/25

128 Roosevelt Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Matteo Godek
Seller: Joseph M. Santos
Date: 05/23/25

800 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Waystar 800 Silver LLC
Seller: Baldwin Street Realty LLC
Date: 05/23/25

50 Sunnyslope Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $264,675
Buyer: Qendrim Avdyli
Seller: Samuel K. Impionbato
Date: 05/15/25

BLANDFORD

16 Kaolin Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $443,000
Buyer: Adam K. Gryszko
Seller: 16 Kaolin Road Land TR
Date: 05/13/25

BRIMFIELD

Apple Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: George Lattouf
Seller: Paul P. Porra
Date: 05/13/25

27 Hollow Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Hollow Brook Farms Holding LLC
Seller: Linda M. Weston
Date: 05/21/25

CHICOPEE

101 Ann St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Marissa A. Chmiel
Seller: Stephen E. Bergeron
Date: 05/16/25

46 Armanella St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Morgan F. Wojcik
Seller: Flipping Best LLC
Date: 05/16/25

69 Bourbeau St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Robin Gingras
Seller: Renardson, Giovanna, (Estate)
Date: 05/16/25

10 Calvin St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Jacqueline Pagan
Seller: Gail A. Murawski
Date: 05/23/25

519 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Chelyka Diaz
Seller: Andrew J. Lemay
Date: 05/23/25

36 Davenport St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Alex Ruiz
Seller: Desland W. Peart
Date: 05/22/25

16 Elliot St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $436,000
Buyer: Omar Alhalabi
Seller: David J. Letasz
Date: 05/13/25

30 Elliot St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Ashley Wilson
Seller: Linda A. Montefusco
Date: 05/23/25

206 Fairview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Tony Tereso
Seller: Kamlesh S. Mistri
Date: 05/15/25

45 Frontenac St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Machnacz
Seller: Lisa Machnacz
Date: 05/20/25

46 Guerin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: 539 Lancaster St. Realty LLC
Seller: West Co. Investments LLC
Date: 05/16/25

69 Kaveney St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: James R. Harrison
Seller: Kim Pham
Date: 05/13/25

48 Longwood Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Luis Sostre
Seller: John Zazyczny
Date: 05/15/25

3 Margaret St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Skyspec LLC
Seller: Teena L. Fluet
Date: 05/23/25

108 Nash St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Nichols
Seller: David M. Remillard
Date: 05/22/25

96 Providence St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Kiana Sharp
Seller: Nick Zaporozhchenko
Date: 05/16/25

78 Saratoga Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Dreampath Homebuyers LLC
Seller: Cary Gray
Date: 05/15/25

446 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Urszula NT
Seller: Joanne Cebula
Date: 05/23/25

10 Woodcrest Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Alan L. Desouza
Seller: Korey K. Westbrook
Date: 05/23/25

EAST LONGMEADOW

69 Lenox Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: Dawn Bourbeau
Seller: Timothy E. Flynn
Date: 05/21/25

29 Melvin Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $317,500
Buyer: Jordan V. Demedeiros
Seller: Springhouse Properties LLC
Date: 05/12/25

19 Peachtree Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $950,000
Buyer: Muhammad W. Amin
Seller: Eric D. Hagopian
Date: 05/22/25

14 Ridgewood Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $1,235,000
Buyer: Honey Holdings RET
Seller: Patricia A. Roy
Date: 05/23/25

9 Theresa St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $372,000
Buyer: Nicole Boulanger
Seller: Craig J. Ottoson
Date: 05/16/25

114 Vineland Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Jiahao Liu
Seller: Shu Wan
Date: 05/13/25

HAMPDEN

15 Glendale View Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Philip J. Lord
Seller: Nicholas A. Carver
Date: 05/16/25

6 Old Coach Circle
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Jeffrey D. Novak
Seller: Donna Mayotte
Date: 05/22/25

34 Stony Hill Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $309,900
Buyer: Justin T. Benjamin
Seller: Michaud Jr., Lucien J., (Estate)
Date: 05/20/25

HOLLAND

26 Amber Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $439,000
Buyer: Timothy D. Karlowicz
Seller: Bricmore Property Investors LLC
Date: 05/15/25

HOLYOKE

31 Bray Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Lynn Weaver
Seller: Ian M. Guenette
Date: 05/12/25

39 Bray Park Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Ian Guenette
Seller: William T. Hash
Date: 05/12/25

60 Claremont Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Tracey A. McFadden
Seller: Luis E. Crucetts
Date: 05/15/25

822 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Shaila M. Vazquez
Seller: Glj Enterprises LLC
Date: 05/16/25

55 Hitchcock St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: 55 Hitchcock LLC
Seller: Shelia G. Zukowski
Date: 05/20/25

211 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $6,475,000
Buyer: Pine Apartments LLC
Seller: Walnut Pine LLC
Date: 05/22/25

212 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $6,475,000
Buyer: Pine Apartments LLC
Seller: Walnut Pine LLC
Date: 05/22/25

212-216 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $6,475,000
Buyer: Pine Apartments LLC
Seller: Walnut Pine LLC
Date: 05/22/25

214 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $6,475,000
Buyer: Pine Apartments LLC
Seller: Walnut Pine LLC
Date: 05/22/25

214-216 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $6,475,000
Buyer: Pine Apartments LLC
Seller: Walnut Pine LLC
Date: 05/22/25

224-226 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $6,475,000
Buyer: Pine Apartments LLC
Seller: Walnut Pine LLC
Date: 05/22/25

1851 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Savino R. Basile
Seller: River Valley Renovation LLC
Date: 05/15/25

67 Pine St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Priscilla M. Munoz
Seller: Carlos E. Benitez
Date: 05/16/25

214 Pine St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $6,475,000
Buyer: Pine Apartments LLC
Seller: Walnut Pine LLC
Date: 05/22/25

66 Taylor St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $313,064
Buyer: Lsrmf Mh Master Part TR
Seller: Timothy C. O’Connor
Date: 05/14/25

211 Walnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $6,475,000
Buyer: Pine Apartments LLC
Seller: Walnut Pine LLC
Date: 05/22/25

LONGMEADOW

251 Academy Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $640,000
Buyer: Cathy A. Paige
Seller: Scott C. Milas
Date: 05/15/25

40 Circle Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $429,000
Buyer: Kevin E. Hulverson
Seller: John E. Tyler
Date: 05/15/25

60 Farmington Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $753,500
Buyer: Kac Tr Holdings LLC
Seller: L. Butterfield Separate TR
Date: 05/16/25

89 Hazardville Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Samuel Goodwin-Boyd
Seller: Brion X. Robert
Date: 05/14/25

60 Hazelwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Kiandra C. Lewis-Basker
Seller: David R. Tetreault
Date: 05/23/25

45 Oxford Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $940,000
Buyer: Andrew D. Ritz
Seller: Michael R. Hoag
Date: 05/16/25

207 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Michael A. Orszulak
Seller: Gary Levine
Date: 05/20/25

29 Williamsburg Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $855,000
Buyer: Roman Stein
Seller: Mary E. Clay
Date: 05/16/25

LUDLOW

13 Autumn Ridge Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $919,000
Buyer: Susan R. Coates
Seller: Anthony T. Torres
Date: 05/13/25

370 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Joel Mars
Seller: Anabela A. Ciarcia
Date: 05/16/25

424 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Antonio Carvalho
Seller: Madeleine Monat
Date: 05/13/25

349 Holyoke St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: 349 Holyoke St. RT
Seller: Roy A. Beal
Date: 05/16/25

406 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Paul D. Tjimis
Seller: Federal National Mortgage Assn.
Date: 05/22/25

160 Pine St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Gregory S. Harris
Seller: Greg Lesniak
Date: 05/22/25

MONSON

129 Stafford Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Jack A. Gallant
Seller: Jesus F. Hernandez
Date: 05/16/25

77 Thayer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $361,500
Buyer: Raymond I. Grassetti
Seller: Evelyn T. Grassetti RET
Date: 05/22/25

111 Upper Hampden Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Flying Monkey LLC
Seller: Barbara A. Faust
Date: 05/16/25

MONTGOMERY

1578 Russell Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $569,900
Buyer: Rosita Nunez
Seller: Peter L. Choquette
Date: 05/20/25

PALMER

17 Mason St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Sean C. Spohr
Seller: Susan L. Bartlett
Date: 05/13/25

36-38 Mount Dumplin Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Richard J. Pelletier
Seller: Catherine M. Lamica
Date: 05/19/25

3042-3044 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Michael F. Mastriani
Seller: Susan B. Magee RET 2018
Date: 05/12/25

1139 Thorndike St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $2,400,000
Buyer: Cosmic Developers LLC
Seller: Mfj Enterprises LLC
Date: 05/13/25

SPRINGFIELD

63 Agnes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Sy T. Nguyen
Seller: Luis Sostre
Date: 05/15/25

31-33 Balis St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Veteran Stan LLC
Seller: John D. Tyburski
Date: 05/16/25

20 Bangor St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Frank Camerota
Seller: Camerota, John, (Estate)
Date: 05/19/25

51-53 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $384,900
Buyer: Katherine Campana
Seller: Holy Trinity Church Of God
Date: 05/23/25

58 Bevier St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Hailey G. Alexander
Seller: Elaine Davey
Date: 05/21/25

44 Bither St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Charles Ford
Seller: Nikola L. Sandau
Date: 05/19/25

827 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Ddm property Springfield LLC
Seller: Kenmore Company RT
Date: 05/23/25

34 Brooks St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Brandie Hicks
Seller: Marta James
Date: 05/23/25

1105 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $367,000
Buyer: Iglesia Pentecostal Fuente
Seller: Ericdeshawn Austin
Date: 05/21/25

1267-1269 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Joshua L. Vazquez
Seller: Jose M. Morales
Date: 05/16/25

107 Carr St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Timothy Carabine
Seller: Mark Barcomb
Date: 05/13/25

64 Cherokee Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Vinh Q. Co.
Seller: AJ Capital Inc.
Date: 05/12/25

178-180 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Lidia Disla
Seller: Cristina Gonzalez
Date: 05/15/25

35-37 Copley Ter.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Mayra Perez
Seller: Naylor Nation Real Estate LLC
Date: 05/22/25

127 Daviston St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Garmai Sumo
Seller: Dianne Edwards
Date: 05/23/25

25 Dawes St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Gabriel Martinez
Seller: Margarita Ruiz
Date: 05/23/25

10 Dean St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Genes Alignment Tire & Brake
Seller: Vandall, Eugene C., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/25

16 Delano Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Ashley Palm
Seller: Edward W. Diloreto
Date: 05/22/25

41 Dubois St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Luis Hernandez
Seller: JoeJoe Properties LLC
Date: 05/16/25

312 Dutchess St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Leah T. Gara
Seller: Patrick J. Roberts
Date: 05/15/25

28 Dutton St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Jennifer M. Attenello
Seller: Alicia G. Nieves
Date: 05/16/25

44 Eagle St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $484,000
Buyer: Jonathan Long
Seller: Napolitano Roofing Of Mass.
Date: 05/15/25

Eagle St. (NS), Lot 7
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $484,000
Buyer: Jonathan Long
Seller: Napolitano Roofing Of Mass.
Date: 05/15/25

65 Edgemont St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Stephanie M. Rodriguez
Seller: Sareen Holdings LLC
Date: 05/23/25

19 Emily St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Naples Home Buyers Trust
Seller: Edwin O. Aponte
Date: 05/14/25

144 Euclid Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Emtay Inc.
Seller: Manzi, Giovanni, (Estate)
Date: 05/23/25

64-66 Farragut St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Samuel Francois
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 05/16/25

128 Fiberloid St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Jeremiah Debella
Seller: Tedeschi Properties LLC
Date: 05/16/25

175 Fiberloid St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $372,020
Buyer: Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC
Seller: Joseph L. Torres
Date: 05/15/25

72 Fieldston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Brian Beach
Seller: Kenya Y. Adorno
Date: 05/19/25

29-31 Firglade Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Hestia Tyche Holdings LLC
Seller: Linda A. Marzano
Date: 05/12/25

86 Florence St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $363,000
Buyer: Logan Ward
Seller: Sybel Gonzalez
Date: 05/19/25

69-71 Forest Park Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Yashika Walker
Seller: Irene A. Kissi
Date: 05/13/25

26 Forest St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Angelica R. Roman
Seller: Mhi Properties LLC
Date: 05/16/25

88 Glenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Eric Martinez
Seller: Areid Estate LLC
Date: 05/21/25

15-17 Grover St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Carmita M. Naranjo-Cantos
Seller: Agatha N. Landford
Date: 05/12/25

11 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: Miguel A. Vazquez
Seller: Kmak LLC
Date: 05/15/25

86 Lorenzo St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Amarilis C. Leon
Seller: Rodriguez, Hector R., (Estate)
Date: 05/23/25

16 Loretta St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Maria Diaz
Seller: Jackeline I. Velazquez
Date: 05/22/25

25 Malden St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Sareen Properties LLC
Seller: Cheryl Jamitkowski
Date: 05/14/25

241 Mallowhill Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Anthony Roy
Seller: April L. Miles
Date: 05/22/25

75 Mapledell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Jennifer Byrd
Seller: Round Two LLC
Date: 05/16/25

56 Marsden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $284,200
Buyer: Jackeline I. Velazquez
Seller: Cynthia Colon
Date: 05/23/25

107 Massreco St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Ameer Almaliki
Seller: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.
Date: 05/15/25

105 Mazarin St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jeffrey R. Kuselias
Seller: Nawoj, Daniel J., (Estate)
Date: 05/21/25

65 Merida St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Charles N. Hoffman
Seller: Fremont Home Loan TR 2005-D
Date: 05/20/25

103 Middlesex St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Juan M. Maravilla
Seller: Charles E. Brantley
Date: 05/16/25

56 Montclair St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jeymarie C. Torres
Seller: Yanirelis Q. Hernandez
Date: 05/23/25

289 Morton St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Yanirelis Quinones
Seller: Douglas Dichard
Date: 05/23/25

166 Nottingham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Star C. Arroyo
Seller: Virgilio Santos
Date: 05/22/25

46 Montrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Ortega LLC
Seller: Alycar Investments LLC
Date: 05/13/25

230-232 Oakland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Joanmary L. De Alba
Seller: Manfredo A. Medina
Date: 05/13/25

31 Observer St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Desirae Dodge
Seller: Dnepro Properties LLC
Date: 05/21/25

121-123 Orange St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $293,700
Buyer: Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Gabriel Rodriguez
Date: 05/13/25

87-89 Orpheum Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $396,000
Buyer: Zarek Sanders
Seller: MS Homes LLC
Date: 05/12/25

28-1/2 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Rehab Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Mary T. Popko
Date: 05/22/25

75 Penncastle St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Martin Ybarra
Seller: Mahalingam Kamalahasan
Date: 05/16/25

25 Pheland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Naples Home Buyers TR
Seller: Carolyn L. Thornton
Date: 05/23/25

1424 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Shakira M. Reyes
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 05/20/25

100 Progress Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $975,000
Buyer: Progress Realty LLC
Seller: Carlos Teixeira
Date: 05/22/25

28 Randall Place
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $780,000
Buyer: 28 Randall LLC
Seller: 50 50 Realty LLC
Date: 05/16/25

119 Ravenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Luis A. Vargas
Seller: Shakira M. Reyes
Date: 05/20/25

909 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Sory Sidime
Seller: Edward Brown
Date: 05/20/25

48 Santa Barbara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Guan-En Graham
Seller: Areid Estate LLC
Date: 05/23/25

62 Somerset St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $294,900
Buyer: Diana Rosario
Seller: Virginia A. Maria
Date: 05/15/25

68 Somerset St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jayna Tavarez
Seller: Neil Bridgman
Date: 05/16/25

16 Sonia St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Francine Cameron
Seller: Carter, Norbert A., (Estate)
Date: 05/23/25

35-37 Spruce St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Kmak LLC
Seller: Silver Snake Properties LLC
Date: 05/23/25

56 Tallyho Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Mateusz Cieslak
Seller: Eric R. Devine
Date: 05/23/25

125 Temby St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Samantha I. Fazioli
Seller: Cedar Investment Group LLC
Date: 05/23/25

71-73 Tulsa St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Andrew Nuzzolilli
Seller: 71-73 Tulsa LLC
Date: 05/23/25

46-48 Wait St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Sareen Properties LLC
Seller: Longbridge Financial LLC
Date: 05/19/25

24 Wands St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,439
Buyer: Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust 2022
Seller: Margaret A. Deniso
Date: 05/19/25

115 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Aubrey Milczarek
Seller: On The Mark LLC
Date: 05/16/25

38-40 Washington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Margarita Rodriguez
Seller: Exiba LLC
Date: 05/12/25

15 Wellington St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Cwabs Inc.
Seller: Ivin Rennix
Date: 05/14/25

115 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Michael R. MacLellan
Seller: John J. MacLellan
Date: 05/16/25

26-28 Whittier St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Dianne Edwards
Seller: Gary A. Daula
Date: 05/23/25

10 Wilber St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Anober Bravo-Morales
Seller: Tatiana M. Soto
Date: 05/14/25

188 Winton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Jose Garrafa
Seller: Mary K. Fenton
Date: 05/14/25

142-144 Yale St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Aric Brandt
Seller: Nres LLC
Date: 05/19/25

SOUTHWICK

28 Lauren Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $950,000
Buyer: Daniel Searles
Seller: Paula Brooks
Date: 05/21/25

18 Lexington Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $725,000
Buyer: Danielle T. Lessard
Seller: Michael J. Moses
Date: 05/19/25

13 Sawgrass Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $638,900
Buyer: Lisa Ann Guerin LT
Seller: Jada Homes LLC
Date: 05/15/25

WEST SPRINGFIELD

52 Day St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Adam Ventulett
Seller: Jonathan D. Gagnon
Date: 05/14/25

31 Field St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $261,300
Buyer: Cory Pendleton
Seller: Jessica Dziewit
Date: 05/22/25

94 Herrman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $353,500
Buyer: Lori B. Kuszewski
Seller: Barbara S. Wachala
Date: 05/23/25

29-31 Irving St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Lidia Disla
Seller: Luis Gonzalez
Date: 05/15/25

5 Kent St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Allison J. Logue
Seller: Evelyn C. Okolo
Date: 05/15/25

130 Labelle St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $326,000
Buyer: Bradley D. Miller
Seller: Therese Remillard
Date: 05/15/25

75 Lathrop St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: Ashton Didonato
Seller: Sandra Earnshaw
Date: 05/22/25

32 Lotus Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Veteran Stan LLC
Seller: Nancy J. Gates
Date: 05/22/25

27 Miami St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $328,000
Buyer: Nicholas Ferreira
Seller: Adam Gryszko
Date: 05/13/25

288 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Andrew T. Neal
Seller: Helene Dutil RET
Date: 05/14/25

65 Quarry Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $665,000
Buyer: William Jenkins
Seller: Karen A. Murdzia
Date: 05/21/25

67 Redden Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Ahmed Q. Aljarrah
Seller: Adam K. Bourdon
Date: 05/23/25

156 Upper Beverly Hills
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Camden J. Ferri
Seller: Marina Otero
Date: 05/15/25

11 Verdugo St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $352,000
Buyer: Yasin Khan
Seller: Joann Adams
Date: 05/16/25

WESTFIELD

95 Alexander Place
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $557,000
Buyer: Sarah Mitus
Seller: Joseph W. Weibel
Date: 05/21/25

36 Colony Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Clark P. Maynard
Seller: Pamela M. Butler
Date: 05/22/25

1368 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,100
Buyer: Cornerstone Homebuying LLC
Seller: Citizens Bank
Date: 05/14/25

16 Joann Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Bogdan O. Moshkivskyy
Seller: Juan Galindez
Date: 05/15/25

465 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Rory McLean
Seller: Xiaoli Li
Date: 05/15/25

59 Old Feeding Hills Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: Andrey Okhrimenko
Seller: Karen L. Kryla
Date: 05/14/25

89 Reservoir Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Janet M. Sarwal
Seller: Madhu B. Sarwal
Date: 05/19/25

195 Susan Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Corrine I. Gougeon
Seller: Major, Patrick M., (Estate)
Date: 05/15/25

107 Tannery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Leonard Denette
Seller: Henry R. Talbot
Date: 05/15/25

997 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Henry R. Talbot
Seller: Vantage Home Buyers LLC
Date: 05/15/25

WILBRAHAM

23 Carla Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $657,000
Buyer: Olivia Mahony
Seller: Evan Nyman
Date: 05/15/25

14 Glenn Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Evan Tibbals
Seller: John N. Vartanian
Date: 05/16/25

21 Mountainbrook Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $441,000
Buyer: Zachary Hadjah
Seller: Marshall T. Moriarty
Date: 05/23/25

324 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Sandra F. Ogiamien
Seller: Dany L. Nguyen
Date: 05/14/25

1 Sunset Rock Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $444,000
Buyer: Richard F. Loud
Seller: Omar Echeverria
Date: 05/20/25

650 Tinkham Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $799,990
Buyer: Caren L. Reed
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 05/14/25

1039 Tinkham Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: April Miles
Seller: Susan H. Parker
Date: 05/22/25

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

29 Dennis Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $723,100
Buyer: Jay Sachs
Seller: Donna L. Ainsworth
Date: 05/14/25

2 Lawrence Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: Ozgur Yilmazel
Seller: D. J. Engineering Consultants
Date: 05/16/25

88 Mechanic St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Jordan Adair
Seller: Samuel O. Kochan
Date: 05/12/25

495 Old Farm Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $769,000
Buyer: Douglas H. Roossien
Seller: Jeffrey Su
Date: 05/19/25

89 Pondview Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Derek Lovely
Seller: Lawrence L. Ambs
Date: 05/23/25

BELCHERTOWN

21 Autumn Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Daniel Miller
Seller: David N. Strange
Date: 05/23/25

124 Barton Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Christopher A. Brown
Seller: Sherry L. Coale
Date: 05/16/25

5 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $631,000
Buyer: Mohammad Sabzi
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 05/16/25

665 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Elliot Burkart
Seller: Edward Noga
Date: 05/12/25

33 Main St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $921,000
Buyer: Sidhu FT
Seller: Kab Properties LLC
Date: 05/12/25

205 Munsell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Matthew Shindler
Seller: Tongping Liu
Date: 05/20/25

98 Pondview Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Audrey A. Bohl
Seller: Jeremiah W. Bentley
Date: 05/19/25

CHESTERFIELD

11 Bryant St.
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Bryan R. Guillemette
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 05/15/25

CUMMINGTON

26 Clark Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Hhcp LLC
Seller: Julie P. Jernstrom
Date: 05/23/25

EASTHAMPTON

2 Broad St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Sara Bader
Seller: Melody R. Carroll
Date: 05/12/25

22 Gaston St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Benjamin Niles
Seller: John Dunphy
Date: 05/16/25

41 Parsons St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Zoe M. Johnson
Seller: Bonnie L. Slysz
Date: 05/20/25

5-7 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $168,625
Buyer: Craig Nelson
Seller: Sarah J. Kitiyakara-Fogel
Date: 05/15/25

9 Westview Ter.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $357,800
Buyer: Tassy N. Hayden
Seller: Sibyl C. Smith LT
Date: 05/14/25

GRANBY

505 East State St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Joseph R. Mileti
Seller: Bryan R. Guillemette
Date: 05/15/25

Morgan St., Lot 3
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Desmond G. Rentas
Seller: Denis Bratnichenko
Date: 05/16/25

Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Desmond G. Rentas
Seller: Denis Bratnichenko
Date: 05/16/25

HADLEY

9 Hadley Place
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Ying Liu
Seller: John W. Maroney Fundings TR
Date: 05/20/25

17 North Maple St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $494,000
Buyer: 17 North Maple St. RT
Seller: Evergrain Orchard LLC
Date: 05/13/25

7 Indian Pipe Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $937,500
Buyer: Daniel Kao
Seller: Oliver Property NT
Date: 05/23/25

HATFIELD

34 King St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Scotten Int.
Seller: Patricia A. Young RET
Date: 05/15/25

116 Main St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: James Lavallee
Seller: Miastkowski, Richard, (Estate)
Date: 05/16/25

North St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Mary Pradhuman
Seller: Karpinski 2009 IRT
Date: 05/21/25

13 North St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Duane D. Prucnal
Seller: Evelyn H. Prucnal
Date: 05/21/25

NORTHAMPTON

223 Cardinal Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $1,300,000
Buyer: Pavlu T
Seller: Brian J. Campbell
Date: 05/14/25

29 Pomeroy Ter.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $807,500
Buyer: Diane L. Bartholomew
Seller: Kallet Kroll RET
Date: 05/16/25

5 Winchester Ter.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $402,000
Buyer: Katherine M. Barkasy
Seller: Owen Colas
Date: 05/12/25

105 Clement St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Janet R. Bertinuson
Seller: Cynthia S. Schaedig
Date: 05/21/25

66 Fox Farms Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Kyle Milardo
Seller: Michael S. McSherry
Date: 05/22/25

279 Haydenville Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Melanie Cianciola
Seller: Barcelona Ave. LLC
Date: 05/22/25

305 Locust St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $801,000
Buyer: Eugene B. Ferrari
Seller: Samuel Ostroff
Date: 05/23/25

PLAINFIELD

27 Broom St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Standish Acres LLC
Seller: Martin Downey
Date: 05/15/25

SOUTH HADLEY

315 Brainerd St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Bonavita
Seller: Cheryl Batchelor
Date: 05/23/25

61 Bridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Nrb Roof Pros LLC
Seller: Robert J. Whelihan
Date: 05/23/25

48 Chestnut Hill Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $599,000
Buyer: Michael A. Coombs
Seller: A. L. & Elsie E. Gormick TR
Date: 05/22/25

236 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $416,000
Buyer: Hikari Mamata
Seller: Eric D. Nelson
Date: 05/21/25

36 Silver St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Colondres Co. LLC
Seller: Wholley, Glorianna H., (Estate)
Date: 05/22/25

36 Westbrook Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Kevin Chmiel
Seller: Jefrey Chmiel
Date: 05/14/25

 

SOUTHAMPTON

222 College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: Dale Nasuta
Seller: Appleton Grove LLC
Date: 05/14/25

154 County Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Desland Peart
Seller: Aleksandr Chuduk
Date: 05/22/25

222 County Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: David S. Usher
Seller: Emily Murawski
Date: 05/23/25

WARE

10 Gareau Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Teren J. Yound
Seller: Latour, Donna M., (Estate)
Date: 05/16/25

204 Old Belchertown Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Roger N. Peterson
Seller: Belspring RT
Date: 05/12/25

36 Pleasant St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Francisca Acheampong
Seller: Cheryll A. Renert
Date: 05/16/25

60-62 Pleasant St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Wesly Joseph
Seller: Arielle V. Akgun
Date: 05/19/25

21 Smith Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jessie L. Bailey
Seller: Douglas J. Mayo
Date: 05/21/25

WORTHINGTON

345 Harvey Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Alison Watts
Seller: Daniel J. Theberge
Date: 05/13/25

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the months of May and June 2025.

CHICOPEE

Harold Newman
251 Meadow St.
$33,706.31 — Minor renovation of Family Dollar store

PMA Real Estate Management LLC
206 Newbury St.
$8,500 — Roofing on Fabian Honeyland Farms gas station

Valley Opportunity Council Inc.
35 Mt. Carmel Ave.
$8,500 — Install new interior storefront system to create new conference room

EASTHAMPTON

Easthampton Housing Authority
36 Lussier Circle
$311,000 — Two-bay maintenance garage

HADLEY

HAP Community Housing Services
21 Campus Plaza Road
N/A — Three signs

NORTHAMPTON

Colvest/Northampton LLC
303 King St.
$11,000 — Illuminated front sign for Jersey Mike’s

Edwards Church of Northampton
297 Main St.
$5,700 — Illuminated ground sign

Firefly Properties LLC
155 Industrial Dr.
$1,600 — Illuminated ground sign for Elateq

Gatepoint Enterprises LLC
23 Columbus Ave.
$35,000 — Install roof-mounted solar system

Rynek LLC
25 Market St.
$4,200 — Install awning with sign on front face of building

Scher Mass LLC
10 Michelman Ave.
$4,900 — Energy recovery ventilator system

Smith College
College Lane
$40,205 — Office partition and finishes

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Medical Center Inc.
725 North St.
$505,000 — Interior alterations to convert former medical records area into new offices, including light gauge metal partition framing, MEP, drywall finish, new flooring, and fire protection system modifications

C&A Rentals Management LLC
231 Columbus Ave.
$40,000 — Install photovoltaic system

Insight Holdings II LLC
47 North St.
$1,297 — Install plate glass

OBCC Holdings LLC
74 Downing Parkway
$343,000 — Minor build-out of office/reception area with restroom, infill existing overhead doors

Ridhysidhy LLC
320 North St.
$38,870 — Roofing, replace exterior door, build new awning on rear of building

SPRINGFIELD

Balise Automotive Realty LP
440 West Columbus Ave.
$44,000 — Roofing

Champlain Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America
98 White St.
$16,623 — Insulate attic

CIG2 LLC
281 Belmont Ave.
$6,500 — Repair rear egress porch

City of Springfield
1395 Allen St.
$379,934 — Erect addition at Talmadge Elementary School to include new freezer, cooler, and corridor

City of Springfield
1801 Parker St.
$154,825.50 — Add exterior walk-in cooler on concrete slab and frost wall at Brunton Elementary School, and create opening through exterior wall for access

Human Resources Unlimited Inc.
1401 State St.
$65,995 — Roofing

KHL Group LLC
90 Berkshire Ave.
$12,000 — Install fire alarm system

MSH Properties LLC
607 Dickinson St.
$320,000 — Demolish section that contains Wheeler’s Convenience Store, remodel first-floor commercial spaces, and combine them for new Wheeler’s Convenience Store; full gut remodel throughout; remove and replace doors, windows, siding, and sheetrock

MSH Properties LLC
607 Dickinson St.
$320,000 — Remodel interior of detached garage for finished storage

Shiloh Church of God in Christ of West Springfield
91 Jasper St.
$7,000 — Repair handrails and wheelchair bumper

Pittsfield Cooperative Bank Opens New Lending Office in Great Barrington

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Pittsfield Cooperative Bank announced the opening of its new lending office at 322 Main St. in Great Barrington, expanding its presence and commitment to serving the Southern Berkshires.

The new office is home to a dedicated team of experienced lenders ready to assist customers with their borrowing needs. The team includes mortgage lending officers LouAnn Harvey and Spring Burke and commercial lender Sierra King Watson.

“We’re excited to deepen our connection to the Great Barrington community and provide convenient access to our expert lending team,” said Michael Daly, president and CEO of Pittsfield Cooperative Bank. “This new office reinforces our commitment to offering local decision making and tailored financial solutions for both homeowners and businesses.”

The Great Barrington lending office is now open and ready to welcome customers seeking home and personal financing, commercial lending services, and more.

American International College Appoints Rob Kearney Director of Athletics

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has named Rob Kearney to the position of director of Athletics, effective July 7. Kearney brings more than a decade of athletic training and leadership experience to this role and will oversee the college’s portfolio of NCAA Division II athletic programs.

“Rob has already made a significant impact in his time at AIC, and his energy and innovative approach will be invaluable to this role,” AIC President Nicolle Cestero said. “His perspective on athletic administration, strong relationships with coaches, and the trust he has built with our student-athletes will bring both stability and renewed direction to AIC Athletics.”

The appointment follows Kearney’s prior tenure as assistant athletic director for sports medicine and performance, in which he oversaw a transformational restructuring of the department and rebuilt all aspects of the college’s athletic training and strength and conditioning programs.

“I am humbled and honored to be selected as the director of Athletics here at AIC. Over the past year, I have been increasingly amazed at the culture, community, and passion within the department,” he said. “I am eager to begin this journey and lead AIC Athletics with passion, excitement, and a vision of success to continue to grow the legacy of the Yellow Jackets.”

Before arriving at AIC, Kearney served as an athletic trainer at Springfield Central High School and was head athletic trainer for the men’s club ice hockey program at UMass Amherst from 2014 to 2024. He has held roles at a number of local institutions, including the Williston Northampton School, Deerfield Academy, and Palmer Public Schools. Kearney and his husband, Joey, also own and operate CrossFit Iron Legacy in East Longmeadow.

Beyond his experience in athletic training and coaching, Kearney’s record includes a 15-year career of professional competition. In 2023, he finished third in the America’s Strongest Man competition and has a personal record of 961 pounds in the deadlift. He has competed in the World’s Strongest Man competition five times and the Arnold Strongman Classic three times. In 2020, he was awarded the title of Pound for Pound Strongest Man in the World by Official Strongman.

Kearney currently serves on the executive board of the OUT Foundation and previously was the Massachusetts state representative for the National Athletic Trainers’ Assoc. LGBTQ+ advisory committee. He holds a master’s degree in advanced athletic training with a concentration in athletic rehabilitation and a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Springfield College, and is a Massachusetts-licensed athletic trainer.

Carla Carnevale Promoted to Community Relations Manager at Monson Savings Bank

By
Daily News

Carla Carnevale

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank announced the promotion of Carla Carnevale to Community Relations manager. In this role, she will lead the bank’s community engagement and public relations efforts.

A key focus of Carnevale’s new role will be identifying and understanding the evolving needs of the communities the bank serves. By working closely with local organizations and residents, she will help ensure that Monson Savings Bank’s outreach and charitable efforts are aligned with the areas of greatest need, maximizing the bank’s positive impact.

“I am honored to continue growing with Monson Savings Bank,” she said. “It is incredibly rewarding to work for a bank that values community involvement and supports the area I grew up in. I look forward to expanding our outreach, discovering new ways to support our neighbors, and a making meaningful difference.”

Carnevale joined Monson Savings Bank in July 2020 and has held several roles within the Marketing department, including marketing intern, marketing assistant, and marketing & public relations coordinator. Her dedication and creativity have played a key role in the bank’s marketing and outreach initiatives.

In her new position, she will manage the bank’s community relations strategy and partnerships with community organizations. She will also serve on the bank’s community outreach and donations committee and the community reinvestment & fair lending committee, and continue her contributions as an active member of the marketing committee.

Carnevale holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing & small business development from Bay Path University and will begin her studies at Western New England University School of Law in August. She is actively involved in local initiatives, including serving on the board of directors for the Cedar Ridge of Wilbraham Homeowners Assoc., being a member of the Michael J. Dias Foundation’s capital campaign committee, and volunteering her time with various local nonprofits.

“Carla’s passion for community engagement and her ability to build lasting relationships make her a great leader,” said Dan Moriarty, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank. “We are thrilled to see her take on this new role and continue to strengthen our presence in the communities we serve.”

Westfield Bank Promotes Sharon Czarnecki to Business Banking Manager

By
Daily News

Sharon Czarnecki

WESTFIELD — James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank, announced the promotion of Sharon Czarnecki to vice president, Business Banking manager, and CRA officer. Her responsibilities continue to include small business loan development and commercial loan portfolio management, as well as management of the bank’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) program.

Czarnecki joined Westfield Bank 33 years ago and has served in many different roles. She started her career as a teller in 1992 and, over the years, has held positions in deposit operations, loan servicing, commercial credit analysis, and credit management. In 2007, she became the bank’s first female commercial lending officer and was promoted to assistant vice president in 2010 and to vice president in 2019. She has more than 25 years of experience with CRA and is familiar with matters of regulatory compliance.

Czarnecki is a graduate of Holyoke Community College with an associate degree in business studies, and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Westfield State University. She is an integral part of her community, serving on several nonprofit boards that include the Westfield State University Foundation, the Albert & Amelia Ferst Operating Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield, and the trustees of Westfield Academy. She also serves on the finance committee for Holy Trinity Church in Westfield, where she is involved in the religious education program.

Tech Hub in Holyoke to Drastically Cut Services Due to Funding Shortfall

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Tech Foundry, the regional leader in IT workforce development and training, was notified late last month that the Trump administration is clawing back funding for digital equity efforts nationally. As a result, digital literacy training, tech support, and device distribution services at its Tech Hub in Holyoke will be drastically reduced in August.

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) is the state-level funding entity for digital equity initiatives. In mid-May, MBI communicated that it is suspending the Launchpad grant program until further notice due to the funding rescission.

Beginning on Aug. 7, Tech Hub Holyoke, located at 206 Maple St., will offer limited workshops (schedule to be released soon), and community workshops in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties will be suspended until additional funding is secured. Tech Hub Springfield, located at 1350 Main St., will continue to offer classes, tech support, and device distribution to Springfield residents. More information, including reserving class participation and tech support services, can be found at techhubmass.net.

bankESB Wins Three Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Awards

By
Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — bankESB recently received three Top Workplaces Culture Excellence awards in the areas of work-life flexibility, compensation and benefits, and purpose and values.

Top Workplaces Culture Excellence awards from Energage celebrate organizations that are dedicated to building an exceptional, people-first culture. The work-life flexibility award celebrates organizations that provide options to their employees in how and where they work and that have managers who care for their employees’ concerns. The compensation and benefits award recognizes organizations that provide employees with both material rewards and appreciation for their work. The purpose and values award celebrates organizations that have successfully embedded their mission and values into their culture.

Winners are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered through an anonymous, third-party employee engagement survey, administered by Energage, a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools. More than 42,000 organizations across the country were invited to participate in the survey. Results are calculated by comparing the survey’s research-based statements, including 15 culture drivers that are proven to predict high performance, against industry benchmarks.

“We’re honored to be nationally recognized for fostering a workplace culture that puts our people first,” bankESB President and CEO Matthew Sosik said. “We try hard to cultivate a workplace that unlocks our employees’ potential by showing appreciation for their efforts and genuine interest in their well-being. Because these awards are based on our employees’ feedback, we’re thrilled that they think we’re on the right track.”

Bacon Wilson Welcomes Three Law Clerks for 2025-26 Season

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Jacquelyn Matthews, Queenie Miao, and Sadie Woolstenhulme have been accepted into the firm’s law clerk program for the 2025-26 school year.

Bacon Wilson created the clerkship program more than 40 years ago to allow law school students to gain experience and mentoring in the legal profession. The clerks are an integral part of the firm and participate in various firm events during their time at Bacon Wilson.

Jacquelyn Matthews

Matthews is currently pursuing her juris doctorate at Western New England University School of Law, with an expected graduation date of May 2026. Jacquelyn earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations and Arabic, along with minors in science, technology, environment, and public policy from Michigan State University in 2023. In addition to her role as a law clerk at Bacon Wilson, she is an active member of the Western New England Global Justice Clinic.

Before joining the firm, Matthews participated in a summer associate program in Connecticut, served as president of Empowering Women in Law in East Lansing, Mich., and founded the International Law Students Assoc. at Western New England. She has a strong interest in corporate law and trusts and estates. Fluent in Arabic and Spanish, she spent eight weeks in Amman, Jordan in 2021 as part of the Jordan Language Academy Study Abroad Program, where she enhanced her proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking three Arabic dialects.

Queenie Miao

Miao is currently a juris doctor candidate at the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign, with graduation expected in May 2026. She will be completing her final year of law school remotely while working at Bacon Wilson. She earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy, with a minor in legal studies, from Brandeis University in 2021.

Before joining the firm, Miao served as a teaching assistant for the University of Illinois Legal Writing and Introduction to Advocacy courses. Additionally, she gained experience as a law clerk at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and as a student attorney at the University of Illinois Immigration Clinic. A passionate animal welfare advocate, she also volunteered at a rescue ranch in Champaign, Ill. She has a strong interest in tax law. Originally from Nanjing, the historic capital of China, she is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Sadie Woolstenhulme

Woolstenhulme is currently a juris doctor candidate at Western New England University School of Law, with plans to graduate in May 2026. She holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies with a minor in religious studies from Utah State University, earned in 2020. She is actively involved in law school life as a member of the Student Bar Assoc. judicial advisory board, the Public Interest Assoc., and the Women’s Law Assoc. She also serves as a senior staff member of the Western New England Law Review and a teaching assistant in criminal law, constitutional law, and contracts.

Before joining Bacon Wilson, Woolstenhulme spent several years at the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office and most recently interned for a Massachusetts Trial Court judge. She is particularly interested in litigation and family law, areas that allow her to connect directly and meaningfully with clients.

“We’re thrilled to welcome these three exceptional law students to Bacon Wilson,” Managing Shareholder Jeffrey Fialky said. “With their diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, they embody the strength and depth of our law clerk program. Their talent and dedication will continue our proud tradition of excellence, and we are fortunate to have some of the region’s brightest legal minds contributing to our work — and, most importantly, to the success of our clients.”

MBK Hosts Final Leg of Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — On June 4, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) hosted a rally for the final leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Massachusetts, welcoming athletes, law enforcement officers, and supporters as they carried the Flame of Hope throughout Massachusetts.

The event was held at PeoplesBank headquarters, spearheaded by MBK’s Lauren Foley, senior associate, and Christopher Soderberg, Audit and Assurance supervisor. As a team, they brought together employees from MBK and other businesses to show their support for the Special Olympics athletes and law enforcement officers across the state. The torch’s arrival was met with enthusiastic cheers and heartfelt appreciation.

“The final leg rally is a powerful tradition that ignites more than just the Flame of Hope; we ignite the spirit of courage, determination, and unity that defines the Special Olympics movementm” Soderberg said. “It is a celebration of inclusion, perseverance, and the incredible achievements of these athletes; they embody resilience, determination, and compassion and redefine victory — not just for themselves, but for the entire world watching.”

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is a worldwide movement that raises awareness to champion acceptance and inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

“We were honored to host this exceptional rally, highlighting that everyone deserves the opportunity to shine, regardless of their ability,” Foley said. “Both the Special Olympics and the Law Enforcement Torch Run value inclusion for all, a core mission that MBK is proud to uphold.”

Monson Savings Bank Welcomes David Viamari as Vice President, Controller

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Daily News

David Viamari

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank announced the appointment of David Viamari as vice president, controller. In this role, he will be responsible for overseeing the bank’s accounting and financial reporting functions, playing a critical part in maintaining the institution’s financial health and regulatory compliance. He brings more than 15 years of experience in the finance and accounting field, including four years in banking and 11 years in public accounting.

Before joining Monson Savings Bank, Viamari served as assistant vice president, assistant controller at bankESB, a subsidiary of Hometown Financial Group, MHC. There, he managed the bank’s financial statements and regulatory reporting requirements, assisted in the monthly financial close process, and oversaw the General Accounting and Accounts Payable departments. He also supported executive leadership and the board of directors by delivering accurate and timely financial reporting.

“We are excited to welcome David to our team,” said Dan Moriarty, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank. “His extensive experience in both banking and public accounting will be a tremendous asset to our Finance department. We look forward to his contributions as we continue to grow and serve our communities.”

Viamari holds both a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting from UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management. He is a committed community member, currently serving as treasurer on the board of directors for the Lathrop Home of Northampton. He is also a member of the Boston chapter of the Financial Managers Society.

“I am excited to be joining the team here at Monson Savings Bank,” Viamari said. “As a Western Mass. native, the bank’s commitment to serving the Western Mass. community was important to me. It is a customer-focused institution that promotes employee development. I believe the experiences and relationships I have built throughout my professional career will serve me well in this new role.”

Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership Announces $422,000 in Funding

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) announced $422,000 in funding for 16 programs that will serve hundreds of local youth this summer at the Springfield Jewish Community Center, one of the organizations to receive funding.

The 16 programs being funded by SEZP include American International College, the Center After School, Elms College, Follow My Steps, Hood Girl Collective, Hope for Youth and Families, Jewish Family Service, Rise Leap & Achieve, Mary Walsh Elementary School, Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, Neighborhood Guidance, Next Level Adventures, New North Citizens’ Council, Springfield Ballers, Springfield Jewish Community Center, and Strong Young Minds.

SEZP was selected by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as one of seven organizations statewide to subgrant and provide wraparound support to afterschool and out-of-school-time programs in Springfield. SEZP also oversees the application and selection process and manages the evaluation and measurement of the programs that receive funding.

This is the fourth year that SEZP has been selected to provide subgrants. To date, it has awarded $4.1 million in funds to nearly 30 local organizations that provide afterschool and summer programming in Springfield, reaching more than 3,700 students.

The goals of the funding are to strengthen the quality of, and increase access to, learning and enrichment programming that improves academic performance, college and career readiness, and social-emotional outcomes for youth. Families who are interested in enrolling their children in any of the 16 summer programs that received funding can visit springfield.registerboost.org.

Hampden County Bar Assoc. Holds Annual Meeting

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden County Bar Assoc. held its annual meeting, vendor show, and member reception on June 11 at the Springfield Sheraton.

Attorney Christopher Pierson from Bacon Wilson, P.C. was sworn in as president of the Hampden County Bar Assoc. for the 2025-26 year by Springfield District Court First Justice Kevin Maltby. Attorney Kathleen O’Malley of the Raipher, P.C. was presented with the first Thomas A. Kenefick III Memorial Award for Leadership & Professionalism by attorney Michael Jennings.

Fifty-year members of the bar were also recognized during the evening. They include judges Henry Boroff, Philip Contant, Robert Howarth, and Michael Ponsor; and attorneys Peter Barry, Mary Costello, Thomas Costello, Gerald Glasser, L. Jeffrey Meehan, Stephen Manning, Joseph Pacella, and Aaron Wilson.

Third Annual WestMASSters Charity Event to Benefit Local Family in Need

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Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — WestMASSters is an afternoon filled with yard games, such as cornhole, ladderball, and more. Teams compete to win the grand prize, all while raising money for a local family in need. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, June 21 from noon to 5 p.m. at Morgan Road Pavilion, 459 Morgan Road, West Springfield.

This year’s beneficiary is the McMahon family. Soon after giving birth to their son, Liam, Lindsay McMahon courageously battled stage 2 breast cancer. Now, they face a new, heart-wrenching challenge. After months of exhaustive medical journeys, Kevin McMahon has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). This progressive illness has already taken his ability to use his arms and hands and is now impacting his legs, forcing him to step away from his beloved bartending career.

When asked why they selected the McMahon family for this year’s event, Valley Impact Project founder Thai Bui said, “Kevin McMahon has been a well-known bartender in Western Mass. for years. But more importantly, he’s a husband and father. Being all three of those things myself, I can’t imagine going through what the McMahons have experienced these past few years.”

For $100 per team of two (with $25 per additional player) and $20 for spectators, attendees will enjoy free food, a chance to win raffle prizes, and entertainment. But more than just a day of fun, WestMASSters is a chance to make a real difference for a family in need.

Participants can buy tickets at www.eventbrite.com/e/westmassters-tickets-1339162132989. Those interested in sponsoring the event should reach out to [email protected]. Event sponsors to date include Pafumi’s on Main, Theodores’, Smith’s Billiards, Cloud 9 Marketing Group, Garvey Law, and Liquid Solutions Hospitality.