Credit for Life Financial Literacy Fair Slated for April 11

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Local business leaders announced an upcoming financial-literacy fair designed to prepare Springfield high-school seniors for real-world financial responsibilities before graduation. The fair, called Credit for Life, is expecting more than 350 seniors from all Springfield high schools.

The event will take place on Friday, April 11 from 8:15 to 11 a.m. at Springfield Technical Community College’s gymnasium, located in Building 2.

In this immersive experience, seniors will step into the shoes of their 25-year-old future selves. Each student will be assigned a career path complete with a starting salary, a credit score, and real-world life circumstances. From there, they’ll make a series of financial decisions — including housing, transportation, groceries, insurance, savings, student loans, and even entertainment — all while learning how to live within a budget and plan for their future.

“This fair gives students a hands-on opportunity to connect classroom lessons with real-life scenarios,” said Edward Nuñez, Credit for Life committee member. “By simulating adult financial responsibilities, they gain practical budgeting skills and a greater appreciation for the importance of money management.”

The event will feature interactive stations staffed by local business professionals and volunteers, guiding students through each decision point while offering advice and insights on how financial choices impact long-term goals and stability.

The Financial Literacy Fair is part of the Credit for Life committee’s ongoing commitment to equip students with the tools they need for success beyond the classroom. By providing real-world context and mentorship, the fair empowers students to take ownership of their financial futures.

Kitchen Concepts Specializes in Rooms for Improvement

By
Owners Ellen and Jim Boyle
Construction Cover Story

Home Team

Owners Ellen and Jim Boyle

Owners Ellen and Jim Boyle

 

Any customer who hires Kitchen Concepts for a home-improvement job is asked to sign a piece of paper. On it is a promise they won’t yell at the contractors.

“Because someone did that one day, and I had had enough,” said Ellen Boyle, who co-owns the business with her husband, Jim Boyle. “I told Jim, ‘we’re making some changes.’ It’s just a simple piece of paper with a general explanation that they have to sign, and it’s made such a huge difference in our work because nobody deserves to be talked to like that, and I don’t want to ever speak to somebody like that. But it also creates this kind of camaraderie.”

It’s also part of a general focus on strong communication, she told BusinessWest.

“If someone decides to move ahead with us, we detail their payment schedule, so there’s never an uncomfortable moment of saying, ‘by the way, I need a check today.’ It’s set up from the beginning. Before we even get started, we explain what their schedule is going to look like, so there’s no question of when we’re starting and what our anticipated finish is going to be.”

And then, of course, there’s that expectation of mutual respect, right up front.

“As we’re walking into someone’s home, everybody that works for us is respectful, but we expect the same thing in return,” Ellen said. “We don’t have anybody above us, so if someone has an issue, we’re the ones that take care of it, but it has to be on a very mature and adult level.”

Jim said clients chuckle a little bit about signing the paper, but they also understand it — and it makes a difference.

“I think sometimes people have this expectation of contractors being gruff and rough and disappointing in nature. But we have done an incredible job over the years without having that kind of demeanor.”

“It just ruins the relationship if people yell at somebody over a knob or coming at 8 o’clock instead of quarter of 8,” he noted. “So we have a conversation for five minutes about all the little things that can happen when you’re in the house. And now, when something happens, this is what we get: ‘Ellen, I know I promised not to yell, but I’m a little upset.’ And they tell you the thing, but they preface it with that, and they don’t yell. And we easily handle whatever problem has come up and kind of move on.”

The consistent growth of Kitchen Concepts over the past quarter-century, much of it driven by word of mouth and customer loyalty, has validated that unusual ‘contract,’ if one could call it that. It’s also an effective icebreaker, Ellen said.

“I think sometimes people have this expectation of contractors being gruff and rough and disappointing in nature. But we have done an incredible job over the years without having that kind of demeanor. It’s not necessary, you know?”

 

From Painting to Kitchens … and More

Before meeting Ellen, Jim started a business called ASAP Painting — by accident, sort of — in 1998.

“I had started kind of cutting grass and doing some other stuff. I left an ad for painting in the paper by mistake, and somebody called me on it. So I painted an exterior house with a buddy of mine. We bought a couple brushes and paint, and that’s how that was born.”

Ellen was an executive secretary at Holyoke Community College when they met, and she eventually began helping with Jim’s business in an administrative role, handling scheduling, estimates, and the like.

“It grew right away,” he said. “It kind of organized us, and it made me able to concentrate on the work itself. And we grew incredibly fast.”

Kitchen Concepts grew out of Jim Boyle learning cabinet installation, and has grown from there.

Kitchen Concepts grew out of Jim Boyle learning cabinet installation, and has grown from there.

They moved to an office in Hadley in 2001. “It was a dilapidated building that we renovated, and we were able to buy work vehicles and improve our equipment and bring on guys; I think we had at least four full painting crews,” Ellen said.

In addition to those interior and exterior paint jobs, they also built about 20 houses during that decade, drawing on Jim’s background in construction; his father was a developer. And they quickly outgrew their space and moved, in 2011, to their current, larger space on Russell Street, which used to house the Hadley Post Office and, later, an insurance company.

But the Great Recession had begun to take a bite out of the home-construction business, so they pivoted to selling cabinets and countertops, and eventually to full kitchen and bath renovations.

“We went out and did some training on how to design,” Ellen said. “And we had to renovate this entire building. We’ve made a lot of changes over the years, and we renovated this whole space to make it the showroom that it is. And maybe seven or eight years ago, we decided to solely concentrate on kitchen and bath remodeling.”

More specifically, they ditched whole-home construction; ASAP Painting is still going strong, as is a third business, called Premier Self Storage, which currently has a facility open in Greenfield and one under development in Southwick.

Their business partnership works for multiple reasons, Jim said. One is that they get along well as co-workers; not every couple does. The other is that they excel at different things. Jim realized early on he was much better at managing work crews and projects in the field, while Ellen, besides her organizational and administrative prowess, was much more at ease talking at length to customers about what they were looking for in a renovation.

“We’ve made a lot of changes over the years, and we renovated this whole space to make it the showroom that it is. And maybe seven or eight years ago, we decided to solely concentrate on kitchen and bath remodeling.”

Jim tells the story of spending two hours with a client early in the kitchen business and becoming frustrated.

“I’m a contractor-type person, so I care about being on budget, making sure the tiles and materials are there, making sure the guys are doing everything like they’re supposed to. I don’t necessarily care about colors and shades and things like that. When I buy cabinets, it takes me five minutes: ‘what are my colors? What’s my shape? OK, that’ll be good. Can you send me the price?’ And I’m done. And I thought that’s what everybody did.

“What we found was that she cares about all that stuff. So now, I have very little to do with scheduling or meeting with the customers. From that day, she started dealing with the clients, and I would get tied up with the guys, making sure they’re on budget, that they’re there on time. And she actually built the company to kind of a powerhouse, where we’re doing 15 to 25 kitchens a year, and maybe 25 to 30 bathrooms a year. It works really well.”

 

Time Management

The Boyles’ operation employs between nine and 15 employees, depending on the season, while the subcontractors that do plumbing, electrical work, and cabinet installation tend to be the same from project to project.

“Many of our people have been with us for a long time,” Jim said. “I have one guy that started with me since day one. Our assistant’s been with us 12 years. Two other guys have been here 17, 18 years. Everybody’s been around for a long time.”

Speaking of a long time, most remodels are completed in three weeks, though some larger, more complex jobs may go four or five. The three-week goal is out of respect for customers, he noted.

“If I build a garage for you at your house, if I take too much time, you could care less. I’m outside every day, and you might come say ‘hi’ to me when you leave for work and when you get back. But if I’m in your kitchen, when you get into a third week and everything’s still going on, it can be difficult for your wife or your partner, and if you get into a fourth week, they don’t want you there anymore; they need their stuff back.”

That consideration was even more acute during the pandemic — a time when home-improvement businesses everywhere reported soaring demand as people stayed home, stopped investing in vacations, and ramped up household projects.

“We were working at least 50, 60 hours a week. There was zero downtime,” Ellen said. “I had my two best years for kitchen consultancy. But yes, there was definitely a learning curve with how to interact with homeowners.

The bathroom and kitchen renovation business surged during the pandemic and has stayed relatively robust.

The bathroom and kitchen renovation business surged during the pandemic and has stayed relatively robust.

“Social distancing was new to everybody. But, again, we had honest conversations with homeowners, like, ‘this is how we will come into your house, this is how we will meet to do an estimate and a design, and this is how we will work to get the job done.’ And things took a little bit longer because we couldn’t really pile a lot of people into someone’s home, but the customers would just come in later in the day after we took off.”

Whatever the circumstance, Ellen said most clients have specific ideas in mind when they enlist Kitchen Concepts for a project.

“There’s a lot of information out there, and what makes us unique is having the construction background — so there’s what you see in a magazine or online, or what you’ve seen on TV, and then there’s the reality of what can be done,” she explained. “If someone has a certain dollar amount that they can spend, that definitely directs us where we need to go to. I never want to show somebody something that is three times the amount of money they’d actually be able to spend. So we do have discussions on what their total budget is going to get them and what we can do.”

How a customer intends to use the property makes a difference as well, she added. “Is someone renovating to sell their house? Are they renovating, but they’re only going to be there for five years? Or are they renovating because this is it — this is where they’re going to be for the rest of their lives?

“There are people who walk in and say, ‘I need a new kitchen, and I have no idea what’s out there.’ But I always encourage people to do all of the hard stuff first,” she went on. “I never want someone to come in here and feel like they have to pick their cabinets and pick their countertops. The hard stuff is understanding what design change would make it more efficient for you, and especially working in someone’s budget.”

Premier Self Storage, including this facility in Greenfield, is a successful side business for the Boyles.

Premier Self Storage, including this facility in Greenfield, is a successful side business for the Boyles.

Because budget is key, Ellen said, no matter the customer.

“One of our countertop companies, Cambria, has beautiful quartz countertops. But a lot of their designs are geared more toward, say, Boston-area homeowners, where it’s a very different demographic, a very different type of budget. Here in the college towns, some of the more expensive materials don’t fit into what their budget is going to be. So we have that conversation very openly with our Cambria reps, that we love these contemporary materials that they offer, and they’re big sellers in one area, but we say, ‘that’s never going to sell here.’

“But those products are out there, and you never know what someone will walk in and say they want,” she added. “Our cabinets are well-priced cabinets, so we have everything from standard SKU models up to full custom cabinetry.”

 

Another New Day

Jim called his partnership with Ellen — in life and in business — a good one, saying his day begins with a morning goodbye kiss, but they often see each other soon after — unless he’s on a job site.

“We’ve been working together since the beginning,” Ellen added. “We take separate cars to and from work, which gives us flexibility if he’s out on the road and I’m here, or vice versa. It’s good. It works.”

Anthony Gulluni Strikes Balance Between Fighting Crime, Building Community

By
Anthony Gulluni
Features

Law and Order

Anthony Gulluni

Anthony Gulluni

The ‘young jokes’ have stopped.

Well … there are fewer of them, anyway.

Indeed, Anthony Gulluni is still the youngest person in the room — by maybe 15 years, by his estimate — when the Massachusetts District Attorneys Assoc. gathers for its monthly meetings and an annual conference to discuss “whatever the crisis of the day is,” such as Rule 14, which puts greater burden on prosecutors and police departments to furnish discovery more quickly.

“It’s no fun; it’s not a good thing,” said Gulluni, 44, Hampden County’s DA, who has been the youngest person in that room for a full decade now, a milestone — there’s a handmade sign in his office congratulating him on that anniversary — that presents a time to pause and reflect on his tenure and what he calls its primary, overarching goal, then and now: “to build a safer community in Hampden County.”

This represents work in progress, noted Gulluni, who told BusinessWest that it’s difficult to quantify just how much safer area cities and towns are a decade after he took office. But he can qualify progress on several levels, everything from the ongoing fight against drugs to efforts to solve cold cases, while also stressing a need to continually improve.

“Ten years provides an opportunity to look back, look forward, and say, ‘what can we do better?’” he said. “And that’s a daily pursuit for this office because the work is so important. We’re serving the public, not unlike other public officials, but we’re working with people who have been victimized, people who have experienced some of the worst things imaginable and things they never expected.”

Overall, building a safer community involves a broad spectrum of programs, initiatives, and simply getting tough on crime and criminals, said Gulluni, adding that efforts at education, prevention, and providing second chances — everything from flag football to 3-on-3 basketball; from Stop the Swerve safe-driving events to the Emerging Adult Court of Hope — and imposing harsh sentences on offenders are not mutually exclusive.

“It’s not ‘lock them up and throw away the key,’ or ‘we want to be progressive and rehabilitate everybody.’ We can combine the two, we can be moderate, and we can be in the middle, and we’ve achieved that.”

“What I’ve tried to do is operate on the principle that we can do progressive things in this law-enforcement space and criminal-justice space,” he noted. “And it doesn’t prevent us from also upholding the law and understanding that there are violent people and repeat offenders who hurt people and need to be incarcerated.

“We can do both things,” he said, adding this has been his goal since he first campaigned for the office. “It’s not ‘lock them up and throw away the key,’ or ‘we want to be progressive and rehabilitate everybody.’ We can combine the two, we can be moderate, and we can be in the middle, and we’ve achieved that.”

Elaborating, he said his office has not “run from the enforcement stuff — taking drugs off the street and locking the person up for as long as possible because this person is killing people.”

Anthony Gulluni speaks at a ceremony marking the five-year anniversary of EACH, the Emerging Adult Court of Hope.

Anthony Gulluni speaks at a ceremony marking the five-year anniversary of EACH, the Emerging Adult Court of Hope.

But it has also broken new ground with programs like the Commonwealth’s only Emerging Adult Court of Hope (EACH) — a name he came up with — which provides second chances to young offenders and brings graduates into careers, not merely entry-level jobs that most often fail to prevent recidivism.

“Each person matters; each person should have hope,” he told BusinessWest, adding that the program is designed to break the cycle whereby young people become repeat offenders essentially because there is no real alternative. EACH was designed to help such individuals earn a viable alternative.

There are many other initiatives as well, involving everything from preventing dating violence to internet safety to FLOS (Future Lawyers of Springfield), which seeks to identify young students who aspire to be lawyers and guide them into a career in the legal system. In short, his first decade has been guided by a desire to be tough on crime and creative with ways to build community.

For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with Gulluni, who has been honored by the magazine as a 40 Under Forty honoree and Alumni Achievement Award winner, about what has been accomplished over the past 10 years, and the hard work that remains.

Coming to Terms

As he talked with BusinessWest on the last day of March, Gulluni was coming off a hard week.

Indeed, he was just a few days away from press conferences announcing charges related to a motor-vehicle accident on an I-91 off-ramp in West Springfield that killed three construction workers, and a hit-and-run incident in Springfield where a motorist struck and killed a pedestrian walking his bike across an intersection.

“This was tragic stuff, but this is what we do — it’s really about public safety, helping people be safe, and helping people make good decisions,” he said, adding that incidents like these help emphasize all aspects of his office’s work, from prosecuting offenders to helping to prevent such tragedies in the future.

“One of the points of frustration over my 10 years, and it’s become more acute and frequent, is the results in court.”

Such press conferences are one of the more visible aspects of a job where far more goes on behind the scenes, in offices spaced across four floors of Tower Square — after Gulluni ordered his staff out of the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse amid growing health concerns — but in many different settings as well.

That move to Tower Square is one of many bold steps taken over the past 10 years, all aimed, in one way or another, at achieving that broad goal of making communities safer.

Others include everything from adding prosecutors (bringing the number from 61 to 90 over the past decade) and staff to bring the Hampden County DA’s office, among the busiest in the state, more in line with others in the Commonwealth, to ‘specializing’ those prosecutors.

“We’ve taken many of our most experienced and most talented prosecutors to work on cases involving children in our special-victims unit, domestic-violence cases, and homicide cases,” he said, adding that this region has led the state in homicides per capita, reflecting the demographics of a region with four gateway cities.

Overall, there have been several important initiatives undertaken over the past decade, said Gulluni, including a focus on cold cases that has brought charges — and, in some cases, resolution — to crimes committed decades ago.

“That was one of my initial focal points and something we talked about during the campaign, something we acted on immediately, and over the past 10 years we’ve had a great deal of success,” he said, citing the recent instance of an arrest involving a double murder on Route 5 in West Springfield 47 years ago.

Elaborating, he said cold cases require time and resources, factors that make it difficult to address them. But he has made such cases a priority.

“It’s all about focus,” he explained. “We’ve tried to, and we have, dedicated people to work on unresolved cases. I created a unit, I have a coordinator, I have an advocate, I have a prosecutor, and I have two, soon to be three, investigators working exclusively on these cases. You can’t throw a 30-year-old case at a prosecutor who has 50 other cases and expect her or him to really dive into that case.”

Court of Opinion

Meanwhile, some initiatives fall more into the category of prevention, community building, promoting healthy lifestyles, and even inspiring young people to join the legal profession.

“We’ve approached our work with a preventive lens — how can we get in front of issues; how can we identify things that metastasize and become worse?” he said, adding that his office devotes considerable time and resources to what it calls its Community Safety and Outreach Program.

Anthony Gulluni speaks with an attendee at the recent Stop the Swerve event at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Anthony Gulluni speaks at 94.7 WMAS for its Radiothon for Baystate Children’s Hospital.

It includes more than a dozen initiatives, such as Stop the Swerve, a presentation (the latest staged last month) that addresses the dangers of impaired and distracted driving; Hoop Up Springfield, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament; a Youth Advisory Board consisting of student representatives from high schools across the county who identify issues facing youth today and provide recommendations on how best to address them; and a recent addition, a youth flag-football tournament, staged in partnership with Excel Sports Academy of New England.

The first such tournament was staged last June, and it will return this summer, said Gulluni, adding that, in addition to competition on the gridiron, it features several nutrition and wellness sessions.

Then there’s FLOS. Undertaken in partnership with Western New England University School of Law, it’s designed to inspire young people to enter the legal profession and bring more diversity to the legal community.

“Diversity is important, for our office and for the bar here in Hampden County,” he told BusinessWest. “We thought about how we can encourage and support young people, especially young people of color, to go down the road toward law school and become lawyers.”

As for the Emerging Adult Court of Hope, it is perhaps the most unique and ambitious initiative of Gulluni’s tenure.

Designed for those between ages 18 and 24, it gives individuals a chance to turn an arrest into a positive step forward, he said, adding that participants are carefully screened and, if chosen, assigned a team that includes a judge, service providers, assistant DAs, probation officers, case managers, and case coordinators.

“They come to the court, and it’s entirely different than any other court session anywhere,” he said, noting that the judge, probation department, and ROCA provide resources to make sure participants get needed support.

“Because a lot of these young people started their lives off in a very disadvantaged position — they started their lives off with horrible examples around them, no support, poor parenting, traumatic situations — and they set them adrift, it set them on a bad path.

“Look at the parole hearings … just over the past six months or year, the Parole Board is letting everybody out. There’s a pendulum that swings back and forth, and the pendulum is swinging, and has swung, a little too far, in my view, in the wrong direction.”

“And this is an opportunity for them to accept a hand up, not a handout,” he continued. “It’s not a slap on the wrist, and it’s not a gift; it’s an opportunity to change their lives with their own hard work and their own commitment to themselves.

“I talk to these young people extensively, and on the front end, I’m saying, ‘this court is about you. It’s about giving you an opportunity, but you have to work for it; it comes with a lot of small failures, ups and downs,’” he went on, adding that there have been seven graduates of the program, and another 15 individuals are working their way through it.

Full Sentences

While creating and expanding progressive initiatives in the broad realm of education, prevention, and rehabilitation, Gulluni said he and his staff have also been focused on the other half of that equation he mentioned earlier — upholding the law and punishing those who break it.

And as the discussion entered this area, he didn’t attempt to hide his dissatisfaction with current trends and patterns when it comes to how judges and parole officers are carrying out their work.

“One of the points of frustration over my 10 years, and it’s become more acute and frequent, is the results in court,” he said. “There’s been two or three rounds of criminal-justice reform over my tenure going back to [former Gov.] Deval Patrick early on and recently, over the past few years. The Supreme Judicial Court and other courts have continued to orient toward ‘how is the system wrong, and how can we provide more opportunities for defendants?’

“You look at the parole system, you look at medical parole … systemically, there’s a movement toward defendants’ rights, and that’s extraordinarily important; don’t get me wrong,” he went on. “The system operates rightly on the axiom that it’s better to let 100 guilty men go free than imprison one innocent man — that is the essence of our system, and that’s how it should be.

“But our sentencing practices across our courts, how we’re treating violent offenses, how we’re treating serious drug-trafficking and drug-dealing cases that have poisoned our communities and killed thousands of people through addiction, how we’re treating those who commit crimes against children, domestic-violence abusers, the worst of the worst, has really changed, even in the spectrum I’ve had over the past 10 years.”

The result, he went on, is that violent offenders and repeat offenders are not being held to account.

“That’s a point of great of frustration. Look at the parole hearings … just over the past six months or year, the Parole Board is letting everybody out,” he said, adding that he can’t pinpoint why, but conjectures that it could be everything from overall philosophy to appointments to the board. “There’s a pendulum that swings back and forth, and the pendulum is swinging, and has swung, a little too far, in my view, in the wrong direction.”

Elaborating, he said there are some cases in which those in his office will agree that someone should be granted parole. “But for most of these cases, we’re saying, ‘this person killed someone, took someone away from his or her family, and the sentence is a life sentence, and that’s what it should be.”

Work to help that pendulum swing back the other way is one of many focal points for Gulluni and his team. With this issue and others, it is difficult to measure success, he said, but added that he’s seeing progress on several fronts — and more momentum in the many efforts to build a safer community in Hampden County.

Youth Mental Health Roadmap Sets Course for Healthier Teens

By
Healthcare News Special Coverage

Critical Connections

 

 

It’s called Beat the Odds.

That’s the name of a youth group that meets across three community centers in Springfield: New North Community Center, South End Community Center, and Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services.

It was conceived a few years ago as a safe space for teenagers to express their thoughts or feelings without feeling judged or dismissed, and to reduce the stigma around mental health for youth and families and promote the importance of a prioritizing a healthy mental state.

“We’re able to provide a space for over 60 kids to be able to come together on a weekly basis and talk about topics of mental health that are prevalent in their lives, and also around problem-gambling awareness and how that’s showing up in their lives,” said Tiffany Rufino, senior manager of the Youth Mental Health Coalition, a program of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM).

“We also partner with Behavioral Health Network, and we have therapeutic mentors who come to each of the meetings. They’re another leader in that space, and they do one-on-ones with the youth, including goal planning. Whether that’s around mental health or their academics, or just different skills that they want to learn throughout life, we make sure they’re checking in with them on their goals and providing a safe space for having private conversations. And it’s been really great so far.”

Beat the Odds — as noted, a partnership with other area health organizations — is just one way the Public Health Institute has been working to tackle some of the most pressing issues among area young people.

In fact, in late 2023, it began developing its Youth Mental Health Roadmap for Western Massachusetts, which focuses on five distinct themes: destigmatizing and normalizing mental health, conversations around it, and seeking help; boosting social connection for teens who have become isolated and lonely; developing social and emotional learning to support mental health, overall well-being, and productivity in school and society; social media, recognizing its potential as a tool for connection and social support but also the ways it can be harmful; and connecting mental-health promotion and prevention strategies with clinical care when necessary.

These themes were developed with the input of youth health surveys in Springfield Public Schools, as well as input from Beat the Odds participants themselves, said Kathleen Szegda, director of Community Research and Evaluation at the Public Health Institute.

KATHLEEN SZEGDA

KATHLEEN SZEGDA

“With the shutdowns and the prevention measures, I think it was hard. And one of the studies that we cited deals with the impacts of social isolation in students and young people.”

“These are the areas we’re focusing on for prevention and promotion, and we’re trying to better understand how can we support young people in these areas in the schools and community organizations,” she told BusinessWest.

PHIWM can also use the data to advocate for more resources for Western Mass., as well as policy changes at the state level.

“We’ve had young people at the table as part of the advisory group, along with different organizations who are doing prevention work focused on youth mental health and substance-use prevention, and people working in school districts,” Szegda explained.

“So it will have both the data from young people in schools about youth mental health, and also, on the same site, prevention and promotion strategies and examples of how some of these are taking place in Western Mass., because there’s so much good work going on, and we can learn from each other.”

Take, for example, social isolation, one of the Roadmap’s five focal points, and an issue certainly exacerbated by the pandemic.

“With the shutdowns and the prevention measures, I think it was hard. And one of the studies that we cited deals with the impacts of social isolation in students and young people,” Szegda explained. “Studies have shown that the effects can last as long as nine years later. So, if you look at it developmentally, as kids are developing, they are feeling these impacts for a long time.

“When I was looking at the data — and it’s both for Springfield Public Schools from the youth survey, and also data from our colleagues up in Franklin County, which is a more rural area — even before the pandemic, we saw a rise in ‘depressive symptoms,’ where they report being so sad or hopeless, they stop engaging in their usual activities. During the pandemic, it was particularly escalated. And now it’s gone down a little and is kind of plateauing, or even going down a little. But we’ll have to see how that continues, both here and in Franklin County.”

 

Multi-generational Approach

Szegda said it’s critical that young people themselves have been involved in this process, not just through surveys, but at the strategy table with adults.

“It’s important. It takes an intentional effort to be able to do that, to have everyone in the same space.”

That’s the same philosophy behind Beat the Odds (BTO), which elevates the voices and concerns of area teenagers, but connects with their parents as well.

“We are engaging parents and guardians more, recognizing that we’re educating youth, but then they’re going back home to their parents and guardians, and we want to make sure they also have some awareness around what their youth are learning,” Rufino said, adding that the young participants are also building skills beyond emotional learning.

“We have subgroups. We have a group that’s focusing on content creation and communications and learning about public speaking. We have a group that’s learning how to become facilitators so they can deliver workshops to their peers. We also have an event-planning group; we’re working with a couple of other youth organizations in the community to put together youth mental-health events. And then we have our data-to-action group, which is working on learning more about the youth health survey, how to interpret data and the stories it tells, and things like that. So there’s a lot going on.”

TIFFANY RUFINO

TIFFANY RUFINO

“We’ve definitely seen youth being more open to talking about their mental health, which helps to destigmatize it so much.”

As a youth-led organization, Beat the Odds also connects with other youth organizations and community nonprofits. Earlier this month, the Hampden County CHIP and nonprofit organization Breaking Oppression put together Voices for Change: A Youth Summit for Peace at the Basketball Hall of Fame. And BTO youth will also be facilitating a problem-gambling workshop with middle-schoolers across Springfield, Holyoke, and other communities — a priority for the group, which receives some funding through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Office of Problem Gambling Services.

“With the boom of online gambling, and with us now getting programs and actual trainings and workshops together, it’s taken some time to build those tools up, but now we’re ready to start educating our youth about how problems show up and parenting guardians so they know how to look for it too,” Rufino said.

Beat the Odds has been helpful not only for the young group members, but as a learning experience for the adults who are involved in various ways.

“Because we have such a welcoming space, I can truly say they open up to our program coordinators. They share a lot about what they’re going through,” said Rufino, who was named to BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2024 for her impactful work with the Youth Mental Health Coalition.

“We’re also seeing, more and more, that the young people are requesting one-on-ones with the therapeutic mentors because they just have things they want to share with them, or they’re going through different things at school or at home that they want to talk through. So they’re using the resources that we’re putting forth, and they are vocal and open to talking about challenges that they’re facing.”

“They are also really excited about sharing information with the community,” Rufino added. “Through different tabling events, they have been super excited to be able to deliver training to their peers. So, really, the awareness and advocacy is what they’re excited about. And that’s good to see.”

 

Tearing Down the Walls

In fact, many of those working in the mental-health realm, especially youth mental health, have been heartened by a lessened stigma around these issues compared to one or two decades ago.

“We’ve definitely seen youth being more open to talking about their mental health, which helps to destigmatize it so much,” Rufino said. “And as the Youth Mental Health Coalition, we recognize that it’s been a multi-generational stigma, which is why we’re focusing on parents and guardians now.

“We’re doing a two-generational approach — educating youth and encouraging them to be self-advocates and recognize their feelings and what they mean and how to cope and help themselves and others, but then also doing the same with parents and guardians and educating them also about some of the things that their youth are learning.”

One of the coalition’s recent projects was called “I Am More Than My Mood.” That public-awareness campaign, seen on billboards, buses, and digital ads in 2023, aimed to destigmatize the subject of mental health and empower young people to talk about it — and, hopefully, take steps toward self-care.

“I think it is getting better, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Szegda said. “We have a lot of resources and programs that folks can join, but now we need the promotion piece, with the Roadmap and really making sure that youth and families know about the programs that are accessible to them — and getting youth to sign up and meeting them where they’re at, so we can continue to see them getting involved and finding meaningful things in their lives.”

The Youth Mental Health Coalition meets the third Thursday of every month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. over Zoom. The public is welcome to these conversations about what youth and adults are experiencing around mental health and what resources are available. Email Rufino at [email protected] to receive a link.

Marty’s Local Boosts the Region’s Food Economy

By
CEO Nick Martinelli
Features Special Coverage

Produce and Promise

CEO Nick Martinelli

CEO Nick Martinelli

 

As he gave BusinessWest a tour of his 12,500-square-foot warehouse in Deerfield, winding past long, high racks of boxes and bags of fresh produce and other food and beverages, as well as a brightly lit cold-storage area, Nick Martinelli eventually came to a three-bay loading dock which he called perhaps the most important part of the decade-old operation known as Marty’s Local.

“We have eight trucks, and they’re going six days a week. They’re going out to the farms in the area, and then to the restaurants and colleges and grocers,” he explained. “Everything comes in and out of here.”

Indeed, food that arrives at the facility from farms doesn’t stay long; it heads right back out to its final destination, wherever that may be. The operation has about 115 different partners, counting both the farms and food producers on one end and those purchasing food on the other.

“They’re primarily in Western Mass., but also elsewhere in New England and New York,” Martinelli said. “There are instances where food will be picked up and delivered the same day. But the great majority of our business is having trucks on the road, making deliveries, and then ideally picking up from our farm partners on the way back to the facility, to be packed that night and go out the next day. That’s the ideal.”

Martinelli, founder and CEO of Marty’s Local, began this career in 2015, completing a farming program in Orange called the Farm School, knowing he wanted to work in agriculture, but not sure exactly how.

“I was looking to figure out a place in the local agriculture economy,” he recalled. “I was going to work on a farm, but then I started to talk to a bunch of farmers and realized that there was a real need for distribution. I was seeing some of the growers that I knew driving their own product around, and I knew the demand was strong for these these foods that are really good. So maybe there’s a business opportunity to play that role and just focus on distribution, marketing, trucking.”

So Martinelli started doing just that, first in his car and then with a rented truck. “Then folks would say, ‘what else can you bring us?’ So it started to grow organically that way.”

That was the birth of Marty’s Local, whose network of partners are based not only in Western Mass., but also Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, and New York’s Hudson Valley.

Produce and grains were the first focus of the operation, but it soon expanded to dairy, including butter and cheese, as well as eggs, honey, maple syrup, and even products like sriracha and salsa.

“Almost every week, another farm or maker would reach out and say, ‘we heard you have this distribution service; could we work with you?’ So that’s how we built our roster of partners.”

In 2019, Marty’s Local acquired Squash Inc., a similarly minded local food distributor that had been around since 1973.

“We’d started to do some work with them, and then their owners were looking to retire, so we acquired that business. They had a lot of relationships with growers in the area, and a great customer base, and that was a nice merging of the two businesses that’s worked well,” Martinelli said. “With Squash, we added non-locals. They were sending a truck to the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, outside of Boston, three times a week to get non-local produce — avocados, limes, things you can’t get around here. We continued that, and it’s been a helpful component of the business.”

About 50% of the operation’s food purchasers are retailers, meaning everything from farm stores to independent grocers to chain stores. On the food-service side, which is most of the other half, are colleges, K-12 schools, caterers, restaurants, and wellness and retreat centers.

“There are a ton of farms, and we’re just scratching the surface with the ones that we’re working with.”

Martinelli said one plus for this business is that schools and colleges — not all, but many — have become more diligent about serving healthy options, while restaurants, everywhere but especially in Western Mass., have increasingly seen the farm-to-table concept as a selling point.

To supply those end users, farms have several options, he explained. “Farms are still doing self-distribution. They’ll either have a refrigerated truck that they use, or they’ll have a pickup truck or their personal vehicle, depending on the scale they’re operating at. Some of the farms we work with have multiple trucks, depending on how many customers they have. Some of them are working with distributors that are much larger than us, or some of them work with regional distributors like us. It really depends on the scale of the grower and maker.”

 

What’s in a Local Name?

Grateful for the farms that choose to partner with him, Martinelli takes a broad view of the operation’s impact on the region.

“On a personal level, all of us are motivated and compelled by the trust we have in food when we know where it came from. And when I say all of us, I mean on our team, although I think, in the market, too, there’s some truth to that for sure.”

That idea has driven growth in the local food economy over the past couple decades, he added.

“The sector has grown so much. And I think the reason is that trust, in terms of what food you’re putting in your body, but also who you’re supporting. Are you supporting somebody that’s down the road that you might run into, a business that you’re familiar with, whether you know those people personally or just drive by their business regularly? That’s meaningful to me personally, and I think that’s meaningful to a lot of people, and it’s an opportunity to put your money where your values are.

“So that’s certainly a driver for us — facilitating that, making it easier for people to see more products they recognize on the shelves,” he went on. “On a lot of shelves, it will say, ‘product from X country.’ OK, that’s not really that helpful, right? But if it says it’s from such-and-such farm in Northampton, Massachusetts, well, that’s different.

Eight trucks, both box trucks like this one and larger trailers, move food six days a week for Marty’s Local.

Eight trucks, both box trucks like this one and larger trailers, move food six days a week for Marty’s Local.

“Then you know what you’re getting,” he went on. “And you’re not only supporting the person or the business that’s down the road and putting food in your body that you can trust, you’re also supporting your regional economy, and maybe you’re preserving farmland. There are all sorts of ancillary benefits that come with it.”

Then there’s the matter of healthier eating.

“It’s more nutritious if it’s local,” Martinelli said. “I mean, there are studies showing that the nutrients are stronger after fewer days. So, if it’s coming in a truck five days across the country, it starts to leach out flavor — not in every single product, but there can be meaningful differences in the flavor and nutrition.”

Fortunately, he sees potential to grow this operation and continue to influence food freshness and nutrition while stimulating the local food economy.

“Are you supporting somebody that’s down the road that you might run into, a business that you’re familiar with, whether you know those people personally or just drive by their business regularly? That’s meaningful to me personally, and I think that’s meaningful to a lot of people, and it’s an opportunity to put your money where your values are.”

“There are a ton of farms, and we’re just scratching the surface with the ones that we’re working with,” he noted. “And not only farmers, but entrepreneurs who are one- or two-person businesses saying, ‘I have this great new product’ or ‘I make this great jerky.’ We’re talking about sauerkraut, yogurt, any number of different things where someone is eager to take their craft and get it out to the world, and that’s the role that we want to play.”

Recognizing that impact, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) named Marty’s Local one of its Local Hero honorees in 2024.

“Marty’s functions in a part of our local food system that is absolutely essential but largely invisible to the general public (except inasmuch as we might see a truck making deliveries),” CISA noted. “We’re lucky to have thriving farmers’ markets, farmstands, and CSAs in our region, but the reality is that direct sales from farm to consumer make up only about 10% of Massachusetts farm sales. That means that 90% of the food grown by Massachusetts farms is winding its way through more complex channels from farm to table — and Marty’s Local smooths that complexity out, bridging the gaps and getting more local food onto more local peoples’ plates.”

 

Special Delivery

Martinelli said his operation’s continued growth is a testament to untapped demand in what is, after all, an agriculture-heavy region.

“That’s also a testament to the number of people growing great food or making great food. So you have people who want it and people who are providing it, and we get to do it really well in the middle,” he told BusinessWest. “We take pride in doing that and paying real attention to good relationships with our vendor partners and with our customers, and all three parties valuing one another.”

And he enjoys making the connections that drive that growth.

“It’s exciting to be able to say to another customer, ‘you know, I just talked to a guy recently who didn’t know there was a service like this, saw our catalog, and said, ‘these are exactly the kinds of foods that I want to have in my store.’ And we make it easy for them to get those foods in there, and do it in a way that’s just as professional as any very large distributor, but with a special focus on local and regional high-quality foods.”

Again, Martinelli added, “we feel like we’re scratching the surface, 10 years in, with the amount of suppliers that have food to go out into the world and the amount of people out there who want that good food.”

 

Amherst Is College Town with ‘Metropolitan Vibe’

By
John Page describes Amherst as a “cultural college town.”
Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

John Page describes Amherst as a “cultural college town.”

John Page describes Amherst as a “cultural college town.”

John Page calls it a ‘retail incubator.’

That’s the unofficial name given to a facility — still very much in the planning stages — designed to bolster retail in downtown Amherst and bring more balance (and more reasons to visit) to an area more known for its arts, culture, and restaurants.

“It’s a small location for retailers — people who are online, they’re artists, they do things at farmers markets — who are not quite ready to make the jump to a brick-and-mortar store, which is high-risk and quite complicated, said Page, executive director of the Amherst Business Improvement District (BID). “We’re hoping to make a half-step, where folks can start to test their concept out and learn more about being a brick-and-mortar retailer.”

The retail incubator (more details to come later this year, he said) is one of myriad initiatives in various stages of development in Amherst — a town where there is almost always a lot happening — that cross a wide spectrum, from housing to education; from new restaurants to new retail. That long list includes:

• A new elementary school that will be 100% carbon-neutral and ready for occupancy in the fall of 2026;

• Several new housing projects that include everything from market-rate apartments to home-ownership opportunities (much more on these later);

• An extensive, $46 million renovation and expansion of the Jones Library;

• A new restaurant, the Amherst Oyster Bar, which will bring much-needed new life to an historically vibrant spot, site of the former Judie’s restaurant on North Pleasant Street;

• An enhanced presence for both UMass Amherst and Amherst College downtown, with UMass Amherst recently opening UMass Downtown, a multi-purpose retail, event, and meeting space on North Pleasant Street, and Amherst College having opened a campus store on South Pleasant Street;

• Conversion of a former VFW post into a homeless shelter and supportive housing for veterans;

• The continued success story that is the Drake, a live-performance venue in the heart of downtown;

• The planned arrival of another cultural attraction downtown — Ancestral Bridges, an organization that celebrates the history of contributions of Black and Afro-Indigenous families in Amherst; and

• A reimagining of the space called North Common, a former a parking area that has become a popular gathering place downtown.

City officials and business leaders alike are enthusiastic not only about these individual developments, but how they will — and, in many respects, already are — working together to create more foot traffic and vibrancy in the downtown area.

“We’re between Boston and New York, and in such an academically driven area, you get a lot of people from those areas, and they’re looking for something they expect from a city vibe. That’s certainly new to Amherst, but that’s the direction we want to push things in.”

Indeed, the new housing units are bringing more residents to support the full spectrum of businesses downtown, said Page, adding that cultural attractions like the Drake and Amherst Cinema are bringing people to restaurants and bars before and after shows. Meanwhile, new retail, like Aster & Pine Market and the two college stores, are broadening the mix of things to do and reasons to come to the downtown.

“We have a lot of housing in our downtown, and that’s been very helpful to us because we have more people; those people go out to lunch and for coffee, and they spend money,” said Page, who referred to Amherst as a “cultural college town.”

Alden Peotter shows off the recently opened Amherst Oyster Bar.

Alden Peotter shows off the recently opened Amherst Oyster Bar.

“Meanwhile, with Amherst Cinema and the Drake, we encourage people to enjoy a meal before or after, or maybe a cocktail, so that there is that stickiness — people linger and enjoy the downtown.”

Paul Bockelman, Amherst’s long-time town manager, agreed.

“The Drake, along with the Amherst Cinema, has made a huge impact in bringing people downtown to live events,” he said. “And once they’re there, they stay and they support other businesses.”

As for the Oyster Bar, it has been a long time coming. Its grand opening had been pushed back so many times that the eventual date, April 1, was taken by some as an April Fools joke, said Alden Peotter, operations manager for Amherst Innovative Hospitality, which also operates the nearby Protocol bar and restaurant.

He spoke with BusinessWest the day after a soft opening late last month, and said that both the Oyster Bar and Protocol, which opened as a bar but has evolved into a popular restaurant drawing people of all ages, provide what he called a “metropolitan vibe,” something he believes young people, and some not so young, are looking for.

“We’re between Boston and New York, and in such an academically driven area, you get a lot of people from those areas, and they’re looking for something they expect from a city vibe,” he said. “That’s certainly new to Amherst, but that’s the direction we want to push things in.”

For this, the latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest looks at the many forms of development and progress in Amherst, a college town that is so much more.

 

Building Momentum

For Page, who took the helm at the BID last October, his new job is a return to downtown Amherst.

Indeed, he worked at the Amherst Regional Chamber of Commerce, which shares space with the BID in an office on South Pleasant Street, handing marketing and membership, before taking a job at UMass Amherst working on large events like commencement.

“I wanted to get back involved with the town of Amherst and all that was happening downtown,” he said, adding that he was inspired to seek the BID job after doing consulting work for the agency on its summer concert series.

“It reignited my passion for that economic-development work,” he said, adding that, since arriving, he’s continued the BID’s work in tandem with the chamber to promote the downtown and generate more vibrancy in the central business district, which has made a nice recovery after being devastated by COVID — but with changes.

Indeed, while food and beverage taxes are exceeding 2019 levels, there are still fewer people going out, overall, with restaurants still doing strong takeout business. One goal — at the BID, the chamber, and with new destinations like the Oyster Bar and Protocol — is to get them back out.

Amherst at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1759
Population: 39,263
Area: 27.7 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $17.82
Commercial Tax Rate: $17.82
Median Household Income: $48,059
Median Family Income: $96,005
Type of Government: Town Council, Town Manager
Largest Employers: UMass Amherst; Amherst College; Hampshire College
* Latest information available

“Our real view on downtown Amherst is promoting not just nightlife, but getting people out of their house, getting people to form these communities that have really been missing due to COVID and what came after; we want to give them that location,” said Peotter, who described both establishments as “that third place.” By that, he meant it’s not home, and it’s not work — “it’s another place to be.”

Page said one of his focal points is what would be considered traditional, brick-and-mortar retail. The downtown has some, he said, and the goal is attract more, while also retaining what exists, through initiatives like the planned retail incubator, a site for which has yet to be determined.

“It’s a difficult industry,” he said, adding that Amherst is not known as a retail destination, but could become one. “You need critical mass — you need other retailers so that people view you as a shopping destination.”

Jacob Robinson, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, agreed.

“Fortunately, downtown Amherst isn’t experiencing a significant vacancy issue, but there’s strong interest in attracting more retail to diversify the mix of businesses and further enhance the pedestrian experience,” he said.

“Of course, retail-space turnover is a normal and expected part of any dynamic downtown. As business owners retire, pivot, or evolve their offerings, it naturally creates opportunities for new entrepreneurs to bring fresh ideas and energy into the community. We’re seeing that play out in Amherst, with some beloved businesses closing for personal or planned reasons — often after years or decades of serving the community — and new ventures preparing to take their place. It’s a sign of a living, breathing local economy that continues to adapt and grow.”

Among the relatively new retail offerings are the Amherst College Store, which opened a year ago in the former A.J. Hastings space at 45 South Pleasant St., and UMass Downtown, which opened its doors in February at 108 North Pleasant St., in space most recently occupied by Greenfield Savings Bank.

The latter is a multi-purpose retail, event, and meeting space, said Nancy Buffone, associate vice chancellor of University Relations, who spoke with BusinessWest at the facility.

She said a downtown presence for the university has been talked about for many years, and it became a priority for Chancellor Javier Reyes when he arrived in 2023.

“This is truly about bringing UMass and the community together,” she said, adding that the facility will host both UMass events, such as lectures slated for this spring, and community events, such as registration for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Daffodil Run.

UMass Downtown has seen steady volumes of foot traffic, said Buffone, adding the numbers are expected to move higher as the weather improves and especially for commencement week and ‘destination days,’ when those students who have been accepted to the university, and their parents, are invited to take in the school and the town.

 

Developing Stories

Bockelman calls it the “mixing middle.”

He was referring to the broad segment of housing involving homeownership opportunities for segments of the population that might otherwise not break that barrier. This middle area is being addressed in a project on Ball Lane, undertaken by Valley Community Development Corp.

“We’re seeing a lot of apartments being built, but what has been largely missing has been homeownership opportunities, which is why the Ball Lane project is so exciting,” he told BusinessWest, adding that plans call for 30 units on an eight-acre tract.

The project is one of many housing initiatives, public and private, in various stages of development in town, and they address a critical need for new housing.

Other projects include two public projects totaling 78 apartments, 31 at the former East Street School and 47 at 70 Belchertown Road, said Bockelman, noting that these will be a mix, with varying levels of affordability. The developer, Way Finders, expects to have both sites developed and occupied by 2028.

On the private side, developer Barry Roberts is forwarding two projects, a large (but scaled-down) initiative at the corner of Amity Street and University Drive that will involve retail on the ground floor and apartments above, and the other at the former Hastings site. Meanwhile, Archipelago Investments LLC is set to break ground on a five-story, 68-unit project at Olympia Drive, a dorm-like building that will rise on the site of the former Iota Beta chapter of the Chi Omega sorority, which Archipelago acquired several years ago.

Archipelago has also been named designated developer for a project to create 140 residential units on a large tract of land owned by Hampshire College, adjacent to Atkins Farms.

These projects and others in different stages of development will make a large dent in the overall need for housing across the spectrum, said Bockelman, adding that such projects are needed to help seniors stay in town, young professionals to move there, and employees at many types of businesses, especially the hospitality sector, to afford to live in town.

Robinson agreed. “Housing remains a key issue,” he told BusinessWest. “While Amherst is actively exploring strategies to create more diverse and affordable housing options, it’s clear that housing supply directly affects workforce retention, talent attraction, and the overall economic vibrancy of the region. Our businesses need access to a stable workforce, and that depends in part on people being able to afford to live and thrive here.”

 

The Power of Purposeful Purchases

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Shalini Bahl and Iman Fenina

 

With intention, consumers can make a powerful impact. Recent boycotts of companies like Amazon, protesting issues such as labor practices, environmental impact, and corporate greed, have highlighted the power of consumer action. But for such initiatives to succeed long-term, this shift needs to expand beyond occasional boycotts toward shopping in alignment with our values. It isn’t just about what we’re refusing to buy — it’s about what we actively choose to support.

What if we could reimagine our relationship with consumption? This past semester, students at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst explored this idea, finding answers close to home. North of UMass in the Mill District and in the heart of downtown Amherst, they identified six exemplary establishments that redefine marketplaces to nourish consumers and communities.

Located in the Mill District, Carefree Cakery is built on a foundation of fair-trade ingredients, health-conscious options, and empowerment for women and minority employees. Caring for the community, both locally and globally, this bakery is also committed to offering allergen-friendly desserts, making inclusivity at the heart of what they do.

“I’ve had people come in saying, ‘my kid has never had cake before because he’s allergic to eggs, and I can’t get that anywhere,’” founder and master baker Alysia Bryant said. “That’s why we’re here.”

If you’re like most people, you probably enjoy a good cup of coffee. But did you know that producing a single cup takes 140 litres of water? Also located in Amherst’s Mill District, Futura Coffee Roasters takes this issue head-on, sourcing their beans from regenerative farmers and investing 3% of sales back into sustainable practices. Unlike chains that have turned to limiting seating to increase turnover, Futura offers a warm and collaborative workspace.

“We’re part of a tight-knit community of business owners here in the Mill District,” General Manager Camden Mosher said. “Carefree Cakery next door supports us, and we support them by featuring their fair-trade muffins exclusively.”

Ultra-processed foods and excess sugar are a threat to public health, but Kwench in downtown Amherst is offering a refreshing alternative, making all orders with high-quality ingredients sourced from local organic farms. Unlike many competitors, Kwench’s commitment to fresh, whole ingredients delivers superior nutrition free of added sugars and preservatives, while also supporting local agriculture. The business also fosters a sense of community with local artwork, games, and occasional live music, creating a vibrant space that connects Amherst residents beyond just food.

With a focus on BIPOC and fair-trade artisans, and prioritizing composting and reusing materials, Mary Moore Design offers both a haven for mindful personalized interior design services and in-store classes. This downtown Amherst business is firmly rooted in ethical sourcing and sustainable living practices. The business places storytelling at the heart of its approach, with Moore noting that building relationships and calling attention to the stories behind her products is central to her mission.

The fashion industry contributes around 10% of global carbon emissions and is one of the most wasteful in the world. This is the challenge Andréa Marion, owner of the Closet, set out to combat. Her solution? A welcoming boutique in the Mill District offering luxury second-hand clothing at 60% to 75% below market prices, making sustainable fashion accessible to everyone. By promoting clothing reuse, the Closet helps extend the life cycle of garments, and Marion’s personal connection with customers turns shopping into a meaningful, sustainable experience.

Another Mill District gem, 3 Amigos was founded by immigrant families from Latin America who came to the U.S. without knowing English. They’ve created a cultural bridge that preserves Latin American heritage while strengthening community bonds through partnerships with local farmers, meat vendors, artists, and cultural celebrations.

Showcasing dishes from Puerto Rico, Chile, and Mexico, “our ingredients are primarily locally sourced, allowing us to create authentic dishes that stay true to our country’s traditional recipes while we lower our carbon footprint and offer the freshest food possible,” co-founder Matias Martinez said.

Being an intentional consumer isn’t about dogmas and guilt. It’s about staying true to our values. In a world defined by environmental urgency, inequality, and political division, our purchasing choices are an investment in the future we want to create. Choosing differently becomes an act of both rebellion and love — for ourselves and our community. These six small yet impactful local businesses exemplify how our choices can sustain not only local communities, but also foster a more sustainable, equitable, and connected future.

 

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

Berte, Heather A.
a/k/a Eaton, Heather
94 Gilman St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/12/2025

Betancourt, Keilyn M.
a/k/a Betancourt Lebron, Keilyn M.
139 Darling St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/10/2025

Biron, Alexander Connor
34 Theroux Dr., 02B
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/03/2025

Bruneau, Edward
Bruneau, Katherine
104 Pond Brook Road
Huntington, MA 01050-0000
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/12/2025
Butler, Jacob M.
3 Myrtle St., Apt. B1
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/07/2025

Clocher, Judy Ann
323 Hoosac Road
Conway, MA 01341
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/13/2025

Coleman, Ronnie L.
Williams, Barbara J.
1192 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/08/2025

Dukette, Ross
66 Stony Lane
Westfield, MA 01085-0000
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/04/2025

Fontaine Painting
Fontaine, Kristin Michelle
1 Meadow St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/03/2025

Garczynski, Kamie A.
52 Yvette St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/04/2025

Godbout, Debra A.
19 Third Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/14/2025

Golfieri, James J.
58d Lee Tang Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/10/2025

Gosselin, Jean J.
Gosselin, Lynn M.
465 Prospect Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/06/2025

Jordan, Lawrence A.
143 Kathleen St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/14/2025

Kennedy, John C.
16 Inward Commons
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/05/2025

Nelson, Michele
132 Shearer St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/01/2025

Owens, Kaira B.
9 Luden St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/05/2025

Roppolo, Nicholas P.
81 Old Amherst Road, Apt. 1
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/14/2025

Rourke, Sally
15 Davis St., Apt. 2
Easthampton, MA 01027-0000
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/04/2025

Santiago Rivera, Carlos J.
70 Beverly Lane
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/03/2025

Smith, Lawrence
1017 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/07/2025

Smith, Robert E.
Smith, Andrea L.
40 Harrison Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/14/2025

Stone, Denise M.
348 Park St., Apt. 236
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/14/2025

Soules, Gail M.
P.O. Box 712
Great Barrington, MA 01230-0000
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/04/2025

Tonelli, Joseph C.
775 Springfield St., Apt. 8D
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/13/2025

Torna, Erik Pedro
30 Plaza Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/11/2025

MGHPCC Moves Forward with Infrastructure for Massachusetts AI Hub Initiative

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) is now accepting proposals for an AI/ML (artificial intelligence and machine learning) compute resource that will support the Massachusetts AI Hub initiative announced in December.

The Massachusetts AI Hub is a groundbreaking effort to accelerate Massachusetts leadership in artificial-intelligence innovation. This initiative aims to support cutting-edge collaboration between government, industry, and academia, pursue solutions to the world’s most critical challenges, and unlock economic opportunity for businesses and residents across the state.

The AI Compute Resource (AICR) Infrastructure System RFP covers the first of three tranches of funding. The tranches target a sequence of systems that will provide foundational infrastructure for the Massachusetts AI Hub initiative. The first deployment in the sequence is expected to be in operation this year. The deadline for responding to the RFP is Thursday, April 17.

The initiative is a public-private partnership with sizable investments from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as Boston University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, the UMass system, and Yale University. The application base for this system includes a wide range of applied AI/ML computational research and innovation.

This range spans the academic community, economic development in the regional early-stage startup community, and strategic areas of the established regional economy, including robotics, national security, financial innovation, education, and health/biotech. Emerging areas, including quantum, fusion, next-generation materials nanotechnologies, and beyond, are also expected to be potential areas of impact.

bankESB Nominates Volunteers in Public Schools of Westfield for Grant

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Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — bankESB announced that it has nominated Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) of Westfield for a Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. (MBA) Charitable Foundation grant, resulting in the organization receiving a $1,000 award.

Each year, the MBA Charitable Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts, with recipients nominated by member banks. bankESB nominated VIPS of Westfield in recognition of its dedication to enhancing educational opportunities and supporting students and educators in Westfield Public Schools.

“We are thrilled to support the Volunteers in Public Schools of Westfield and their invaluable work in enriching education for local students,” said Matthew Sosik, bankESB president and CEO. “Their efforts make a lasting impact in our community, and we are proud to have played a role in securing this well-deserved grant.”

VIPS of Westfield works to foster partnerships between the community and the school system, providing vital resources such as tutoring, mentoring, and program support to benefit students of all ages. The $1,000 grant will help the organization continue its mission of engaging volunteers and enhancing educational programs in Westfield’s public schools.

“Community partnerships are an integral part of Westfield Public Schools, and through Volunteers in Public Schools, our community makes a difference to our students,” said Chris Tolpa, Title 1 Supervisor for Westfield Public Schools and president of the VIPS board. “Without the kind of support that bankESB gives in time and generous donations, many of the positive initiatives we plan for our students could not be done. We are grateful for bankESB and other organizations like them who understand the role education plays in the betterment of our society.”

Holyoke Rotary Club to Present Eat, Drink, & Be Holyoke on May 1

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Rotary Club announced that Eat, Drink, & Be Holyoke, its premier tasting fundraiser and silent auction, is slated for Thursday, May 1. The event will take place at the Holyoke Council on Aging & Senior Center at 5:30 p.m. and will include live music performed by the Earls & Pearls.

Eat, Drink, & Be Holyoke will feature food prepared by Amedeo’s, Fame, Pic’s Pub, Rusty’s Place, and Sumo. Beverage tastings will be provided by Quality Beverage and Wine Haus. Tasting samples will include craft beer, seltzers, canned cocktails, and wine. Tickets cost $50 and can be purchased by clicking here.

Eat, Drink & Be Holyoke is sponsored Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke Gas & Electric, Carl & Shirley Eger, Holyoke Credit Union, Marcotte Ford, Mountain View Landscapes, Brunault, Proulx & McGuiness, Center School, River Valley Counseling Center, Dowd Insurance, Holyoke YMCA, and Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.

The Holyoke Rotary Club is still identifying additional event sponsors, as well as food and beverage vendors. Local businesses interested in supporting and collaborating with the Holyoke Rotary Club for this event are encouraged to visit www.holyokerotary.com.

Proceeds will go toward supporting Rotary projects, mostly within the Holyoke Rotary district of Holyoke, South Hadley, and Granby. Ongoing Holyoke Rotary projects include providing several annual scholarships, providing food for those in need through community collaborations, and fostering community engagement with free summer concerts, as well as funding international clean-water initiatives.

Since 2008, the Holyoke Rotary Club has raised more than $150,000 to fund various projects, including the Miracle League of Western Massachusetts’ inclusive playground at Kennedy Field, the media room at Holyoke Library, K-9 vests for the Holyoke Police Department, and literacy projects with Kelly School and Holyoke Boys and Girls Club, among others.

LifePath Awards Funding to 11 Community-based Organizations

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Daily News

GREENFIELD — LifePath, the area agency on aging and aging-services access point for Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, awarded funding to 11 community-based organizations in the first year of the annual Age & Dementia Friendly Community Grants initiative.

These one-time grants support projects that improve accessibility, foster inclusion, and promote the well-being of older adults and people living with dementia across the region. They are supported with funding from Point32Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, and the Community Health Improvement Plan Network, a project of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments.

Grants of up to $3,000 were awarded to support initiatives aligned with the Age & Dementia Friendly Franklin County and North Quabbin Regional Action Plan, a community-informed blueprint for building safer, welcoming, and equitable communities for all ages and abilities.

“We are grateful to these organizations who have stepped forward to partner with us on making our community more age- and dementia-friendly,” said Lynne Feldman, associate executive director and planner at LifePath. “These initiatives are the culmination of deep work and commitment by residents, local organizations, and our valued funders.”

The eleven funded organizations include:

• Mass in Motion/Age Friendly Conway Committee, to support both the creation of a one-stop home-repair resource portal for older adults in Conway and the launch of an on-demand senior transportation service, improving access to daily needs, events, and social opportunities;

• Shelburne Senior Center, to enhance caregiver support and the Memory Café program by providing entertainment, speakers, and a comprehensive caregiver resource brochure;

• Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, to install ADA-compliant benches along the Alderbrook Trail to improve access for older adults and those with limited mobility;

• Leverett Library, to install a dementia-friendly ‘Happy to Chat Bench’ at the library to foster connection and intergenerational conversation;

• Northfield Senior Center, to expand Memory Café series to offer free meals and performances for an additional 12 sessions, providing inclusive welcoming experiences for people with memory loss and their caregivers;

• Rowe Council on Aging, to increase access and connection through the purchase of equipment to support cultural and fitness programming for people of all abilities;

• Greenfield Housing Authority, to support older adult residents with social programming and memory support and add two customized computers for resident use;

• Town of Athol, to create accessible outdoor seating adjacent to the Athol Senior Center and North Quabbin Regional Veterans Center to foster gathering and inclusion;

• Village Neighbors, to expand dementia-friendly services in four towns through caregiver education, volunteer training, transportation support for older adults, people living with dementia, and caregivers;

• Town of Ashfield, to increase civic engagement through the purchase of assistive listening technology for use at civic meetings and other events at Town Hall; and

• Greenfield Council on Aging, to support volunteers in the development of the Greenfield Neighborhood, which will provide transportation and other services to promote aging in place.

Click here to learn more about the Age & Dementia Friendly Action Plan or to find out how to get involved in future initiatives.

Picture This

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Pictured: Chris Kellogg and Dina McMahon from the WMAS Kellogg Krew with a young patient during the radiothon.
Picture This

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

 

Successful Radiothon

The 2025 94.7 WMAS Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon raised $256,235 for Baystate Children’s Hospital, bringing the grand total to more than $3.3 million over the event’s history. The annual radiothon, held on March 4-5, featured heartwarming stories from patients, families, and caregivers. Funds raised during the radiothon will support various critical needs, including pediatric care, equipment purchases, creating a child-friendly and comforting environment in the hospital, and supporting pediatric research.

Pictured: Chris Kellogg and Dina McMahon from the WMAS Kellogg Krew with a young patient during the radiothon.

Pictured: Chris Kellogg and Dina McMahon from the WMAS Kellogg Krew with a young patient during the radiothon.

 

 

 

Welcome to Holyoke

The Greater Holyoke Chamber presented a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 26 to welcome Urban Co-Works to its new location at 98 Lower Westfield Road. Urban Co-Works, a leading provider of innovative and flexible co-working spaces, aims to support professionals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses by providing a creative and collaborative environment tailored to their needs. “Urban Co-Works has always been passionate about building strong communities,” CEO Jeff Goronkin said, “and we’re excited to bring that energy to Holyoke.”

The Greater Holyoke Chamber presented a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 26 to welcome Urban Co-Works to its new location at 98 Lower Westfield Road

The Greater Holyoke Chamber presented a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 26 to welcome Urban Co-Works to its new location at 98 Lower Westfield Road

 

 

Baystate Legacy Gift

The generosity of Diane Gallan, who passed away last year at 86, has led to the creation of the Gordon J. Gallan, Dorothy E. Gallan, and Bruce F. Gallan Endowed Chair – Regional Cancer Program at Baystate Health, established in memory of her father, mother, and brother, respectively. This chair is currently held by Dr. Rawad Elias, chief of Baystate’s Division of Hematology/Oncology.

Pictured, from left: Mark Teed, principal of Teed Capital Management of Raymond James and Baystate Health board of trustees member; Dr. Richard Steingart, medical director, Adult Hematology, D’Amour Center for Cancer Care; Elias; and Dr. Andrew Artenstein, chief physician assistant, Baystate Health.

Pictured, from left: Mark Teed, principal of Teed Capital Management of Raymond James and Baystate Health board of trustees member; Dr. Richard Steingart, medical director, Adult Hematology, D’Amour Center for Cancer Care; Elias; and Dr. Andrew Artenstein, chief physician assistant, Baystate Health.

Agenda

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Agenda

Alumni Achievement Award Nominations

Through April 23: When BusinessWest launched its 40 Under Forty program in 2007, it did so to identify rising stars across our region — individuals who were excelling in business and through involvement within the community — and celebrate their accomplishments. In 2015, BusinessWest announced a new award, one that builds on the foundation upon which 40 Under Forty was created. It’s called the Alumni Achievement Award. As the name suggests, it is presented to the 40 Under Forty honoree who, in the eyes of an independent panel of judges, has most impressively continued and built upon his or her track record of accomplishment. Candidates must be from 40 Under Forty classes prior to the year of the award — in this case, classes 2007 to 2024. Past winners include: 2024: Meghan Rothschild, president of Chikmedia (40 Under Forty class of 2011); 2023: Amy Royal, founder and CEO, Royal Law Firm (class of 2009); 2022: Anthony Gleason III, president and co-founder, Gleason Johndrow Companies (class of 2010); 2021: Anthony Gulluni, Hampden County district attorney (class of 2015); 2020: Carla Cosenzi, president, TommyCar Auto Group (class of 2012), and Peter DePergola, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health (class of 2015); 2019: Cinda Jones, president, W.D. Cowls Inc. (40 Under Forty class of 2007); 2018: Samalid Hogan, regional director, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (class of 2013); 2017: Scott Foster, attorney, Bulkley Richardson (class of 2011), and Nicole Griffin, owner, ManeHire (class of 2014); 2016: Dr. Jonathan Bayuk, president, Allergy & Immunology Associates of New England (class of 2008); 2015: Delcie Bean, president, Paragus Strategic IT (class of 2008). The 2024 Alumni Achievement Award finalists will be profiled in the June 9 edition of BusinessWest, and the honoree will be announced at the 40 Under Forty gala on June 19. The nomination form is available at businesswest.com/40-under-forty/alumniachievementaward. Only nominations submitted to BusinessWest on this form will be considered. The deadline is Wednesday, April 23. For your convenience, a list of the past 40 Under Forty classes may be found at businesswest.com/40-under-forty/40underforty.

Health New England is the presenting sponsor of the Alumni Achievement Award.

 

Bowl for Kids’ Sake

April 19, 26, May 3: The youth empowerment nonprofit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western Massachusetts (BBBSWM) invites the public to help fund programs that support kids in Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties through the annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake (BFKS) fundraiser. Each of the three events will run from 10 a.m. to noon on the following Saturdays: April 19 K&M Bowling in Pittsfield, April 26 at Shaker Bowl in East Longmeadow, and May 3 at French King Bowling in Erving. Those interested in supporting BBBSWM’s mission can visit secure.qgiv.com/event/bbbswm2025bfks to register their team and get tips on how to engage their own networks to join in supporting their bowling team.

 

Technology Recycling Drive

April 22: For individuals and companies looking to get rid of their old computer equipment and do some good, Paragus IT is hosting a technology recycling drive to promote sustainability on Earth Day to benefit Dakin Humane Society. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., those looking to recycle old, unwanted computers, laptops, printers, and other equipment can drop them off at Paragus, 122 Russell St., Hadley. Paragus will prepare them for reuse or make sure they’re properly disposed of. In exchange, they will collect $5 per piece of equipment, all of which will benefit Dakin Humane Society. Some items may have additional fees. More details about those items — and other information about the recycling drive — can be found at paragusit.com/earthday.

 

UMass 5K Dash & Dine

April 26: UMass Dining Services invites the community to participate in its 14th annual UMass 5K Dash & Dine, with the goal to promote health and wellness at UMass Amherst while raising funds for the Amherst Survival Center. Over the past 13 years, UMass Dining has raised more than $50,000 that has been donated to the Amherst Survival Center. Check-in at the Southwest Horseshoe will begin at 9 a.m. At 10 a.m., a free Fun Run begins for children 8 years old and under. At 11 a.m., the race begins, followed by an awards ceremony at 11:30 a.m. and lunch at noon in the Berkshire Dining Commons. The race fee is $15 for all Five College students, $25 for UMass Amherst faculty and staff, and $30 for the general public. Children 8 and under may participate free of charge. The race fee includes registration and lunch. Donations can be made and participants can register at runumass.com/about. Online registration will end April 24. Walk-up registration will be available on race day.

 

 

Feast in the East

April 29: The ERC5 announced that Feast in the East 2025 will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Starting Gate at Great Horse, 128 Wilbraham Road, Hampden. This event will bring together more than 40 local vendors, including restaurateurs, confectioners, breweries, and wineries. PeoplesBank is the premier sponsor for this event, and Square One is the spotlighted nonprofit organization for this year’s Feast in the East. In an effort to be more impactful and mindful, event organizers have also welcomed back Rachel’s Table, which will ensure that food not served during the event will be collected and distributed to local organizations and shelters. For more information, to purchase tickets, or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.erc5.com.

 

Link to Libraries Gala

May 8: Link to Libraries announce its biennial gala, an evening that celebrates the organization’s transformative impact in the community while raising vital funds to ensure children have access to the books and programming they deserve. This year’s gala, taking place at the Basketball Hall of Fame, will feature a Swifty-themed evening inspired by Taylor Swift’s celebrated Eras Tour. Guests will enjoy an elegant night filled with cocktails, dinner, an auction, and the opportunity to connect with others passionate about the power of reading to transform lives. All proceeds from the gala go directly to Link to Libraries, a nonprofit committed to fostering literacy by providing books and programming for children in underserved communities. Tickets cost $90 per person, or $250 for VIP tickets that include a pre-gala VIP cocktail reception. Tickets are available at www.linktolibraries.org.

 

‘The Journey’

May 10: Graduate Women in Business, in collaboration with the UMass Fine Arts Center, will present “The Journey,” a charity gala at the UMass Campus Center Auditorium that celebrates the talent, transitions, and triumphs of women. The evening will be filled with music, dance, an auction benefiting Girls Inc. of the Valley and the Care Center in Holyoke, and thought-provoking panel discussions with influential women who have made significant impacts in their fields, as well as a motivating, empowering keynote address. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For details, contact Melisha Williams at [email protected] or [email protected].

 

Hooplandia 2025

June 20-22: Registration is now open for Hooplandia, the third annual 3-on-3 basketball tourney and festival, at hooplandia.com. The event will take place at Eastern States Exposition (ESE) and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Games will be played at the ESE complex, with special games held at the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2024, 75 basketball courts allowed accommodation for more than 650 games played by approximately 2,100 participants of all ages. Diverse divisions include young girls and boys, women, men, high-school ages, college level, OGs, veterans, and more. Fees range according to age. Players in the Special Olympics and Unified division can look forward to free registration, and those in the Hoops & Heroes division, such as active and retired first responders and military personnel, have access to discounted registration. Players are invited to build teams of four, create their own unique team name, design their uniforms, and register at hooplandia.com.

People on the Move

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People on the Move
Rick Sullivan

Rick Sullivan

Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, announced he will retire on Dec. 31. Sullivan came to the EDC as an already-seasoned leader in Massachusetts, and in his 11-year tenure, he focused on growing the organization and its influence with statewide leaders and policy makers. Programming has greatly expanded, and membership has doubled. Most recently, Sullivan led the EDC in publishing a white paper early in 2024, outlining where to make multi-million-dollar investments in the region, which led to a recent $70 million award through the state’s Economic Development Bond Bill. The region is now investing in food science, quantum computing, and clean tech. The award was the largest in the region’s history. A partner in a law firm early on in his career, Sullivan was mayor of Westfield from 1994 to 2007, and served as president of the Massachusetts Mayors Assoc. in 1998. Before coming on board as president and CEO of the EDC, he was chief of staff in the Massachusetts Governor’s Office in 2014 and 2015 and held leadership roles with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The EDC executive committee has hired Lindauer, an executive search firm with experience in Western Mass., to lead a nationwide search for the next CEO.

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Kim Brewer

Kim Brewer

Bulkley Richardson recently welcomed Kim Brewer as the firm’s controller. In this management role, she will execute all fiscal activities for the firm, including development of the annual operating budget; partnership reporting; successful collaboration with her team for billing, payables, and receivables; and working closely with firm leadership to contribute to the growth and overall success of the firm. Brewer is a graduate of Bryant University, cum laude, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She is a certified public accountant and certified medical practice executive.

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Visual Sound Productions Inc. (VSP) announced the addition of Kara Bombard as the company’s new Sales and Marketing manager. A marketing professional with a passion for brand development and community engagement, Bombard brings more than a decade of experience in strategic marketing, communications, and brand development to the growing video-production company. Bombard joins VSP following an 11-year tenure at Performance Foodservice – Springfield, where she played a key role in leading local marketing initiatives, strengthening brand visibility, and driving business growth. From 2022 to 2024, she also served as chair of Communications on the inaugural steering committee for Women of PFG, the first associate resource group launched across the national enterprise. Beyond her professional expertise, Bombard is a well-known leader in the Greater Springfield business community and dedicated to community involvement. She currently serves as president of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS) and has been on the organization’s board of directors since 2021. Her leadership and impact in the region were recognized in 2024 when she was named to BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Saint Anselm College and an MBA from Bay Path University.

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Angela Tourville

Angela Tourville

AnnieMac Home Mortgage recently welcomed Angela Tourville as its newest branch manager, leading the expansion into Western Mass. and Northern Conn. With nearly two decades in the mortgage industry, she is on a mission to help families achieve their homeownership dreams. Her first move as branch manager was bringing industry veteran Mike Tourville (her father-in-law) on board. Together, their plan is to assemble a top-tier team of mortgage specialists, ready to serve families across Western Mass. and Connecticut. Whether it’s purchasing or refinancing, she and her network of professionals are committed to making the process smooth, stress-free, and rewarding.

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James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank, announced that Bryan Cowan has been promoted to first vice president, Finance and Investment officer at the bank’s main office location in Westfield. He oversees stress testing, works with management on the bank’s capital-management strategies, and manages the investment portfolio. Cowan has worked in the banking industry for the past 24 years, starting off his career as a teller with Westfield Bank. Over the years, he advanced within the organization as part of the Accounting and Finance department. Cowan graduated from Westfield State University in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He then completed his master’s degree in finance and MBA from Northeastern University in 2014. He co-chairs the CECL committee and ALCO committee.

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Meridith Salois

Meridith Salois

bankESB recently promoted Meridith Salois to vice president, Lending Systems manager at its 241 Northampton St., Easthampton office. Salois has nearly 30 years of banking experience. She joined bankESB in 2001, working in loan servicing and collections, and moved on to become a credit analyst and, eventually, vice president, Commercial Credit Systems Management. In her new role, she will be evolving and maintaining the suite of lending information systems while supporting all aspects of commercial, consumer, and residential systems across the bank’s parent company, Hometown Financial Group. Salois has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Bay Path University and earned a certificate from the New England School of Financial Studies. She is a longtime volunteer for Junior Achievement, is the vice president of the LoanVantage user group board, and has been the education and training booth chair for Westfield Credit for Life since 2019.

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Paula Almgren, founder of Berkshire Law Group in Lenox, has been named to the Massachusetts Super Lawyers list, an honor given to fewer than 5% of attorneys in the Commonwealth. This marks the fifth consecutive year she has earned this recognition. Almgren has been in practice for more than 20 years, counseling clients in elder law and estate, trust, and tax planning and administration, as well as life care. An accredited attorney with the Department of Veterans Affairs and a graduate of Williams College and Albany Law School of Union University, she is recognized as a state expert on Medicaid as well as leveraging community resources to help older people stay in their homes. In 2020, Almgren served as president of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She serves on the Fairview Hospital ethics committee and the Pittsfield Council on Aging. She is a member of the Alzheimer’s Partnership, the Life Care Planning Law Firms Assoc., the Berkshire County Estate Planning Council, the Massachusetts Bar Assoc., and the Berkshire Bar Assoc. She is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts.

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Lee Morrissette

Lee Morrissette

Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that firm Principal Lee Morrissette has earned the credential of certified passive house consultant (CPHC) through Phius, a nonprofit organization dedicated to decarbonization and passive building. The Phius passive building certification standard is a rigorous energy standard that produces buildings that use 40% to 60% percent less energy than conventional structures. In order to achieve CPHC certification, Morrissette completed a comprehensive training course and a rigorous multi-part exam to prove his knowledge. Lee joined Dietz & Company Architects in 2019 and has more than 20 years of experience designing new construction and renovations for affordable housing, community and senior centers, and educational and commercial facilities. Throughout his career, he has focused on bringing sustainability and energy efficiency to his projects.

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Celebrating its 25th anniversary as Six Flags, Six Flags New England is making its largest culinary investment in park history. One key initiative includes naming Josh Streeter as the park’s first executive chef. Streeter is a Western Mass. Native with an extensive culinary background. He moved from Western Mass. to San Franscico to further his career. Shortly after arriving, he began working on a team that earned two Michelin stars. Subsequently, he taught culinary school and became head chef of a variety of kitchens, including universities, hospitals, retirement communities, bakeries, and, most recently, MGM Springfield. Streeter is looking forward to enhancing several menus, including Chop Six. He is introducing fresh, seasonal ingredients and traditional noodles, and will teach team members new cooking techniques that will elevate quality, taste, and presentation for guests. Six Flags New England is also reintroducing its flagship restaurant, Riverboat Café, after a total renovation, including a new look in the dining area, additional seating, and new kitchen equipment that will allow for new menu items and higher-quality, fresh ingredients.

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Brandon Calton

Brandon Calton

The Royal Law Firm recently welcomed attorney Brandon Calton to its team. Calton advises clients through the litigation process and provides assistance when employers are faced with difficult scenarios, such as defending themselves against claims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, or allegations of violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act. He holds a bachelor’s degree in government from St. Lawrence University and a juris doctorate from Roger Williams University of Law. He is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts.

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On April 5, Westfield State University inducted seven alumni and one faculty member into the Criminal Justice Alumni Hall of Fame. The event will recognize graduates for their outstanding contributions to the field of criminal justice, including law enforcement, public service, and legal advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels. This year’s alumni inductees include Melvin Arroyo, chief Probation officer in Palmer Court; Bill Chase, founder and CEO of Sound Judgment Solutions, recognized for his career as a leader and special agent for the FBI; John Deveney, NCIS special agent in Boston; Gregory Hennick, acting chief of the Provincetown Police Department; David Lambert, director of Roger Williams University’s Justice System Training and Research Institute; Michael McCabe, mayor of Westfield, former Westfield Police Department member, and Westfield State adjunct faculty; and John Moran, special agent and federal air marshal, recognized for his distinguished career and role in transforming the nation’s aviation security system after the 9/11 attacks. Alice Perry, Westfield State faculty member, former state prosecutor, and advocate of women in law enforcement, received the Dr. Victor Ascollilo Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Dr. Kate Barlow

Dr. Kate Barlow

The National Academies of Practice (NAP) announced the election of Dr. Kate Barlow as a distinguished scholar fellow in the Occupational Therapy Academy. As an associate professor in the Graduate Occupational Therapy program at American International College (AIC) in Springfield, Barlow’s areas of clinical expertise are early identification of delays and pediatric feeding. Her 25-plus years of clinical experience includes early intervention, public-school practice, community-based practice, hospital-based outpatient, and management. Members of the class of 2025 were inducted into the National Academies of Practice during the annual induction banquet and awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 15. Founded in 1981, the NAP advances interprofessional education, scholarship, research, practice, and public policy. The organization educates and informs; facilitates collaborative scholarship and research opportunities; recruits, engages, retains, and mentors its members; advocates for the value of interprofessional practice; and works to improve healthcare and policy for all.

Company Notebook

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Company Notebook

Peter Pan Named Motorcoach Operator of the Year

SPRINGFIELD — Peter Pan Bus Lines has been named the 2025 Motorcoach Operator of the Year by METRO magazine. This prestigious award, presented at the United Motorcoach Assoc. (UMA) Expo in Oklahoma City, Okla., recognizes excellence in motorcoach safety, customer service, operational performance, and industry innovation. “This award is a true testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire Peter Pan Bus Lines team,” said Peter B. Picknelly, director of Safety & Security. “For four generations, our family has remained committed to providing safe, reliable, and affordable transportation to millions of passengers across the Northeast and beyond. To be recognized at the UMA Expo, one of the most important gatherings in the motorcoach industry, is an incredible honor. As a proud American family-owned and operated company, we are grateful for this recognition and remain committed to shaping the future of travel.”

 

Living Local 413 Launches Social Platform for Businesses

SPRINGFIELD — Living Local 413 is announced the launch of 413 Online (413online.com), an innovative business-community social platform designed to connect and support businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals across Western Mass. This new social platform is a dedicated online hub that fosters collaboration, networking, and resource sharing for Western Mass. businesses of all sizes and types. With interactive features, business directories, event listings, and access to essential resources, 413 Online aims to empower local businesses to thrive in today’s competitive market while strengthening the regional economy. Key features of 413 Online include a business directory and listings; an events calendar; a job and opportunity board for employment, internship, and volunteer opportunities; a resource hub through which to access business-development resources, mentorship opportunities, and expert guidance; and opportunities to engage in discussions, share insights, and collaborate with other business owners and professionals. The platform is open to all businesses, organizations, and entrepreneurs in Western Massachusetts. A free membership option is available for community members, with premium features available for businesses looking to expand their reach and engagement. To learn more or join the community, visit 413online.com.

 

McClure Insurance Agency Rebrands to MountainOne

WEST SPRINGFIELD, WILBRAHAM — MountainOne announced that McClure Insurance Agency, acquired in November 2024, will officially rebrand as MountainOne Insurance Agency. Following the successful acquisition and rebranding of G.W. Morisi Insurance Agency in July 2024, this transition signifies MountainOne’s continued expansion in the Pioneer Valley, further strengthening its capacity to serve customers across Western Mass. As of March 17, McClure Insurance Agency has completed its integration into the MountainOne family. This transition includes adopting MountainOne’s systems and rebranding as MountainOne Insurance Agency. Customers can continue to visit their local insurance offices at 103 Van Deene Ave. in West Springfield and 2361 Boston Road in Wilbraham, and rely upon the same team of employees. They will also have access to a third Pioneer Valley location at 473 Longmeadow St. in Longmeadow.

 

MountainOne Bank, Mechanics Cooperative Bank to Merge Holding Companies

NORTH ADAMS — MountainOne Financial MHC, the mutual holding company parent of MountainOne Bank, and Mechanics Bancorp MHC, the mutual holding company parent of Mechanics Cooperative Bank, jointly announced they have entered into a formal agreement to merge into a combined mutual holding company. After the completion of the merger, the new consolidated holding company for both banks will be MountainOne Financial MHC, and both banks will continue to operate independently, retaining their respective charters, headquarters, and brand names. The agreement, approved by both institution’s boards of trustees, awaits regulatory and corporator approval. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025. After completion of the merger, the new consolidated holding company for both banks will have approximately $1.8 billion in assets and 15 full-service retail banking locations across Massachusetts. Robert Fraser will become chairman, and Joseph Baptista Jr. will become president and CEO of the combined mutual holding company. Fraser will continue in his role as president and CEO of MountainOne Bank, and Baptista will also remain as president and CEO of Mechanics Cooperative Bank. Under the terms of the agreement, no reductions in staff are planned at either institution. Furthermore, the agreement specifies a shared commitment to mutuality, a cornerstone of the combined organization.

 

MassHire Holyoke Relocates to STEAM Building

HOLYOKE — After 29 years at 850 High St., MassHire Holyoke will relocate to a new office at the STEAM Building, 208 Race St., effective March 31. The new location will provide a welcoming environment designed to better serve job seekers, employers, and community partners. MassHire Holyoke provides a wide range of career and workforce-development services, including job-search assistance and workshops, a fully equipped resource center, career counseling, training programs, and employer recruitment support.

 

Berkshire Bank Supports Square One Campaign

SPRINGFIELD — In keeping with its commitment to investing in education and the economic mobility it creates, the Berkshire Bank Foundation has awarded $20,000 to the “Back to Square One” capital campaign. In March 2023, Square One formally announced plans to expand access to early learning and care for the region’s children and families. Since that time, the campaign has succeeded in securing more than $13 million to build a new early-learning and family-support center in Springfield’s South End, at the same location where Square One once stood, prior to the 2011 tornado. The building is slated to open in June 2025. Simultaneously, the demand for Square One’s family-support services has grown to the point where Square One will have already outgrown the 26,000-square-foot building before opening its doors. While the success of its programs and services is something to be celebrated, the limited space is presenting a significant challenge. To answer this need, Balise Auto donated a building adjacent to the new construction. The unoccupied building is in need of approximately $4 million in renovations, which will begin following completion of the new construction.

 

bankESB Parent Company Wins Top Workplaces Award

EASTHAMPTON — Hometown Financial Group, the parent company of bankESB, bankHometown, North Shore Bank, Abington Bank, a division of North Shore Bank, and Hometown Mortgage, announced it has earned the 2025 USA Today Top Workplaces award for the third time in four years. Top Workplaces USA celebrates organizations with 150 or more employees that are dedicated to building an exceptional, people-first culture. Winners are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered through an anonymous, third-party employee-engagement survey issued 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 Top Workplaces USA survey. Results were calculated by comparing the survey’s research-based statements, including 15 culture drivers proven to predict high performance against industry benchmarks.

 

Keiter, PV Squared Named to Fastest-growing Companies List

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Keiter, based in West Springfield, and PV Squared Solar, based in Greenfield, were both recently named to the Boston Globe’s inaugural list of New England’s 50 fastest-growing companies. The honor was presented in collaboration with Statista, a global statistics portal and industry-ranking provider. Awardees were chosen based on each organization’s revenue and organic growth and independence. Globe leaders said the companies recognized represent potential investment opportunities and indicate sectors that are thriving despite adversity. Additionally, their success stories can serve as blueprints for other businesses looking to innovate and grow in uncertain times. Thousands of companies were considered, and a minimum growth rate of 8.49% was required for inclusion.

 

Farm Credit East Reports Strong 2024 Financial Results

ENFIELD, Conn. — Farm Credit East reported solid 2024 financial results at its recent annual meeting. Continued loan growth coupled with strong earnings allowed it to distribute a combined $140 million in patronage dividends to eligible customer-owners based on 2024 earnings. In 2024, Farm Credit East’s net income grew to $337 million. Following more than two decades of growth, the cooperative closed out the year with $12.9 billion in loan volume and $2.4 billion in capital. This level of equity allows it to maintain competitive interest rates, while returning a portion of earnings to eligible customer-owners through patronage dividends. The $140 million total patronage paid to members in February is a combination of $131.6 million in patronage dividends based on 2024 cooperative earnings and a $8.4 million special patronage payment the board of directors approved, resulting from the association’s strong results, which exceeded financial targets.

 

Hampshire Meadow Family & Pediatric Dentistry to Expand

HADLEY — Hampshire Meadow Family & Pediatric Dentistry is breaking ground on a cutting-edge, 4,600-square-foot facility at the corner of Route 9 and East Street. This will allow the practice to meet skyrocketing demand, as its current facility — built just five years ago — has outgrown its capacity. In addition to increasing capacity for general dentistry, the new facility will serve as a regional hub for children with severe cases of decay or special healthcare needs. In 2024, the practice provided 2,962 appointments for MassHealth patients, with 2,100 pediatric and 380 adult Medicaid patients on its active roster. The practice owners hope to attract more skilled dental professionals to the region. The new facility represents a nearly $3 million investment by practice owners Dr. Cyrus Safizadeh and Dr. Noelle Nubani in the Pioneer Valley. This is in addition to more than $1 million they had previously invested in the current space. It is being built by Sweitzer Construction of Monson and 20 local subcontractors and materials vendors. The building is being designed by Larry Tuttle of Architectural Insights of Palmer. The Sweitzer team has decades of experience building state-of-the-art dental and medical facilities and built Hampshire Meadow’s original facility five years ago. The practice itself currently has 15 full-time employees, and that number is expected to increase.

 

Berkshire Bank Named Among Most Trustworthy Companies

BOSTON — Berkshire Bank has been recognized for the fourth consecutive year as one of the most trusted companies in America in Newsweek magazine’s list of the Most Trustworthy Companies in America 2025. Berkshire is the only Massachusetts-based bank on the list. In all, about 3,400 companies headquartered in the U.S. were considered for the list. In the end, 700 companies in 23 industries were honored. Results evaluated customer trust, employee trust, and investor trust. The analysis included what was said about the companies online, including on social-media platforms, and survey results of approximately 25,000 U.S. residents. Survey respondents who knew companies well were asked, among other things, if they believed individual companies treated their customers fairly, treated their employees fairly, and would be good long-term investments.

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.

CHICOPEE

Mountaineer Flag Car Inc., 356 East St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Thomas Epperson, same. Pilot car, lead car service.

EASTHAMPTON

Vortex Web Innovate Inc., 53 Union St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Saqib Tasneem, same. IT services and solutions expert, consulting, software development, web, cybersecurity, enterprise and mobile application solutions, blockchain, DevOps, and AI expert.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Piemonte Construction Services Inc., 60 Nelson St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Collin Piemonte, same. General contractor, concrete subcontractor.

GREENFIELD

Providence Christian Academy NFP Inc., 385 Chapman St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Mike Placinta, 27 Smith St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Nonprofit organization established for the purpose of operating a religious school for instruction, education, and training.

HOLYOKE

Holly’s Nail Salon Inc., 2257B Northampton St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Thi Hieu Lieu, 155 River St., Unit H2, West Springfield, MA 01089. Nail salon.

MONTAGUE

Montague Villages Inc., 19 Dry Hill Road, Montague, MA 01351. Helen Gibson Uguccioni, same. Nonprofit organization helping people age 60 and older to stay in their homes as long as possible by providing appropriate services through volunteers, helping older adults and others find acceptable vendors to provide services, and such other activities and programs that will further this purpose.

NORTHAMPTON

Shell Mart Boyer Inc., 54 Easthampton Road, Northampton, MA 01060. Ginamarie Boyer, 6 Pinevale St., Indian Orchard, MA 01151. Gas station, package and convenience store.

PITTSFIELD

Can USA Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Clayton Hinyup, same. Construction.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the month of March 2025.

AMHERST

Alkove Interiors
551 West St.
Heather Kovaci

Elison Associates
472 Bay Road
Raphael Elison

Escalon Home Improvement
97 Logtown Road
Nathan Daman

Everbloom Beauty
68 Cowls Road
Kimberly Rodrigo

Foxcroft Farm LLC
908 South East St.
James Hoerle

Future of Home Care LLC
768 North Pleasant St.
Estela De Sousa, Cristiano Vieira

Lucianne’s Empanadillas
74 North Prospect St.
Crystal Colon

Speedway LLC #2419
486 West St.
Lillian Kirstein

Wild Shoat Farm
1555 South East St.
Louis Brengard

WillRay Junk Removal
50 Meadow St., Unit 15
William Mair

Zhu’s Kitchen
25 South Pleasant St.
Jianwei Gao

BELCHERTOWN

Amber’s Pawsitive Vibes Pet Services
370 Mill Valley Road, #46
Amber Holst

Bay Road Farm
148 Bay Road
Bruce Clark

C Marie Trombley Trust
75 Michael Sears Road
Lori Carver

Chainsaw Carvings by Brett
626 Franklin St.
Brett Hickey

Country Crossroads
43 Federal St.
Praful Patel, Ashkar Patel

Drywall by Shannon
791 Franklin St.
Shannon Rock

Hampshire Towing
147 Bay Road
William Johnson, Robert Johnson

Hawk-Eye Builders
447 South Washington St.
Jeffrey Jansen

JG Austin Services LLC
576 Franklin St.
Christopher Austin

Jonathan Mills LICSW
20 Sarah Lane
Jonathan Mills

LBN Enterprise
51 Pine St.
Thomas Morra

M&N Homes
30 Mountain View Dr.
Neil Jackson

Nom Nom Hut LLC
644 Federal St.
Marcy Megarry

Rock’s Pet Waste Removal
791 Franklin St.
Shannon Rock

Rooty Tooty Daycare
31 South Main St.
Kelly Loud

Sullivan Lawncare
439 Warren Wright St.
Patrick Sullivan

Tractor Supply
30 Turkey Hill Road
Tractor Supply Co. Northeast LLC

GREAT BARRINGTON

377 Builders LLC
34 Rosseter St.
Evan Hardcastle, Sarah Hardcastle

A&B Package & Variety
10 Depot St.
Sureshkumar Patel

Barrington Outfitters LLC
289 Main St.
Peter Drucker, Richard Drucker

Berkshire Getaway Car Rentals
51 Castle St.
Richard Sheridan Jr.

Berkshire Therapy Group
140 West Ave.
Keith Clemson

Blond and Bronzed by Emma
115 Gas House Lane
Blond and Bronzed by Emma

Housatonic Real Estate LLC
402 Park St. North
Suzanne Ward

Leonard I. Greene Foundation
785 Main St.
Alexandra Glover

L.J. Stark & Co.
1099 Main St.
Louis Stark

Lupiani Landscaping
77 East St.
Nicholas Lupiani

Tagua Nest
35 Division St.
Sonnia Patino

Taylor and Miller Architecture and Design
5 Seekonk Road
Jeffrey Taylor

Victoria’s Secret to Hair
115 Gashouse Lane, Suite 3
Victoria Gilmore

HADLEY

Famous Footwear
335 Russell St.
BG Retail LLC

The Healing Zone
58 Russell St.
Nanci Newton

Nail Pro & Spa
367 Russell St.
Hong Nguyen, Huynh Do

Northwest Auto Sales II
117 Russell St.
Jim Boyle

Village Eye Care
207 Russell St., Unit 15
Morin Eye Care

PITTSFIELD

Anthony Quinto
325 Fort Hill Ave.
Anthony Quinto

BC Berkshire Peak LLC
341 West St.
Christopher Walker

Eddie Figueroa
141 Onota St.
Eddie Figueroa

Elaine S. Borden
41 McArthur St.
Anthony Stracuzzi

Eric D. Shuman
11 Elmhurst Ave.
Eric Shuman Jr.

KLS Corporate Investments LLC
1451 North St.
KLS Corporate Investments LLC

LSG Investments LLC
1451 North St.
Rusty Anchor Marina & Pub Club LLC

Massachusetts Registered Agent LLC
82 Wendell Ave.
Integrated Builders Inc.

South Street Associates LLC
82 Wendell Ave.
Andrew Luchey

WESTFIELD

Bergeron Renovations & Remodeling
1106 East Mountain Road
N.R. Bergeron Drywall Contractor LLC

C&M Finishes LLC
62 Bayberry Lane
Milan Peich

Game City
77 Elm St.
Game Hunters LLC

Hair Design by Leah
37 Broad St.
Leah Huffmire

Meadow Market
45 Meadow St.
Rajeshkumar Patel

Muse Beauty Bar
77 Mill St., #300
Jennifer Harvey

Sanford Apartments
330 Elm St.
Domus Inc.

Thermal Dynamix
15 East Silver St.
Judd Services LLC

Westfield Feed
288 Union St.
Jennifer Stauffer, David Stauffer, Michael Sado

Real Estate Transactions

By
Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

325 Buckland Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Thomas E. Johnson
Seller: John W. Hoyt
Date: 03/03/25

581 Pfersick Road
Ashfield, MA 01370
Amount: $402,460
Buyer: Gregory Shea
Seller: William H. Strader
Date: 03/04/25

BUCKLAND

10 Fox Road
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Adriana Sutfin
Seller: Satto R. Rugg
Date: 03/14/25

200 Lower St.
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Manal Cruise
Seller: 1900 Capital TII
Date: 03/12/25

CHARLEMONT

24 Avery Brook Road
Charlemont, MA 01370
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Edward A. Bimbo
Seller: Tammy J. Dubuque
Date: 03/13/25

122 Main St.
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $610,000
Buyer: Almost Florida LLC
Seller: Charlemont RT
Date: 03/10/25

CONWAY

453 Hart Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: John Davis
Seller: Carl E. Darrow
Date: 03/03/25

DEERFIELD

406 Greenfield Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $497,500
Buyer: Aaron Tap
Seller: Jack D. Gobillot
Date: 03/07/25

ERVING

53 Mountain Road
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Paul A. Fionte
Seller: Troy Santerre
Date: 03/04/25

GREENFIELD

65 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $1,588,425
Buyer: FOH 60 Wells LLC
Seller: Clinical & Support Option
Date: 03/07/25

Elm St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Pioneer Valley Redevelopment LLC
Seller: Pioneer Valley Redevelopment LLC
Date: 03/13/25

4 Spring Ter.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $310,200
Buyer: Hannah L. McGrath
Seller: David A. Wemhoener
Date: 03/07/25

46 Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $1,588,425
Buyer: FOH 60 Wells LLC
Seller: Clinical & Support Options Inc.
Date: 03/07/25

60 Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $1,588,425
Buyer: FOH 60 Wells LLC
Seller: Clinical & Support Options Inc.
Date: 03/07/25

13 West St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Molly C. Morin
Seller: Darlene M. Cronin
Date: 03/03/25

36 West St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Salim Abdoo
Seller: Amerihome Mortgage Company LLC
Date: 03/07/25

84 Wildwood Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Hayim Schwartzman
Seller: Nancy A. Robie
Date: 03/03/25

MONTAGUE

73-77 4th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Pioneer Village Redevelopment LLC
Seller: Denise A. Mayo
Date: 03/06/25

61 Central St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Benjamin A. Delozier
Seller: David W. Galvin
Date: 03/14/25

6 Ross Ave.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Michael E. Williams
Seller: Neil G. Stebbins
Date: 03/03/25

NEW SALEM

7 East Eagleville Lane
New Salem, MA 01331
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Kevin Butler
Seller: Lynn Major
Date: 03/07/25

NORTHFIELD

South Mountain Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $193,780
Buyer: Benjamin Paly
Seller: John Loranger
Date: 03/14/25

ORANGE

25 Benham St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $379,900
Buyer: Joseph Dejesus
Seller: Katalex Properties LLC
Date: 03/12/25

14 Highland St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Brandon Bhola
Seller: Quinn P. McAuliffe
Date: 03/12/25

48 Memory Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Tomas A. Zayas
Seller: Katie B. Hunkler
Date: 03/14/25

11 Perry Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $432,511
Buyer: Robert Fichtel
Seller: Saverio F. Kaczmarczyk
Date: 03/11/25

120 Putnam St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Justin Fellows
Seller: Megliola Realty LLC
Date: 03/10/25

175 Tully Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: 175 Tully Road LLC
Seller: Shaw, Victor L., (Estate)
Date: 03/03/25

55 Walnut Hill Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Phelps
Seller: Winridge Holdings LLC
Date: 03/07/25

153 West River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $364,900
Buyer: Cody Denning
Seller: Courtney Mitchell
Date: 03/14/25

SHUTESBURY

399 Leverett Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $383,500
Buyer: Christopher A. Belldale
Seller: Deerfield Valley Management TR
Date: 03/12/25

SUNDERLAND

16 Ledgewood Dr.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Finck
Seller: Anne M. Finck
Date: 03/04/25

South Plain Road, Lot 8
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Peter Korenewsky
Seller: Klemyk FT
Date: 03/13/25

WHATELY

42 Long Plain Road
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $579,559
Buyer: Darren Hall
Seller: Barbara Konstantopoulos
Date: 03/10/25

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

131 Barry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Matisewski FT
Seller: Podgorski, John L., (Estate)
Date: 03/11/25

131-R Barry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Matisewski FT
Seller: Podgorski John L., (Estate)
Date: 03/11/25

7 Centerwood Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Brandon A. Clement
Seller: Marie Bolduc RET
Date: 03/03/25

167 Clover Hill Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Kara M. Ryan
Seller: Duggan IRT
Date: 03/14/25

10-A Elm St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $660,000
Buyer: John Steedle
Seller: Yegor Muravskiy
Date: 03/04/25

99 Hamilton Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Linda A. Amrich
Seller: Carven, Sara J., (Estate)
Date: 03/14/25

63 Hunters Greene Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Lecrenski
Seller: Wendy S. Abraham TR
Date: 03/04/25

65 Moylan Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Moylan Lane Property LLC
Seller: SCM Corrugating Machinery
Date: 03/07/25

520 North Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Natasha Salgado
Seller: Eileen F. St.Hill
Date: 03/06/25

108 Oak Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $434,000
Buyer: Michelle Lafleur
Seller: James St.Peter
Date: 03/14/25

18 Patriot Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $401,000
Buyer: NAF Cash LLC
Seller: Thomas P. Bennett
Date: 03/10/25

309 Rowley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Stephanie Bowlen
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 03/14/25

163 South Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Shavone Gauthier
Seller: Sheryl L. Karolinski
Date: 03/07/25

7 Spring St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: 4M Property Solutions LLC
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 03/07/25

1673 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: 1673 Suffield Street TR
Seller: Igor Banar
Date: 03/07/25

BLANDFORD

21 Kaolin Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Deirdre M. Riordan
Seller: Evergrain Orchard LLC
Date: 03/14/25

BRIMFIELD

87 Lyman Barnes Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Fredap RT
Seller: Paul L. Dirosario
Date: 03/07/25

87 Lyman Barnes Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Yongqiang Wang
Seller: Fredap RT
Date: 03/12/25

38 Sturbridge Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $131,257
Buyer: 38 Sturbridge LLC
Seller: Juan F. Delacruzsosa
Date: 03/06/25

CHESTER

166 Bromley Road
Chester, MA 01050
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Gregory J. Smith
Seller: Thomas L. Engwer
Date: 03/14/25

CHICOPEE

30 Butler Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: RM Blerman LLC
Seller: Michael J. Vieu
Date: 03/10/25

127 Carriage Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Sergio F. Goncalves
Seller: Fernando A. Goncalves
Date: 03/07/25

213 Clarendon Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Shawn Thebodo
Seller: Mary A. Lehenry
Date: 03/13/25

124 Deslauriers St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Richard Starsiak
Seller: Roxanne Furgal
Date: 03/14/25

16 Factory Place
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $299,990
Buyer: Gregory M. Amor
Seller: Norma Hernandez
Date: 03/12/25

12 Leary Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Lachenauer LLC
Seller: Thomas R. Maynard
Date: 03/14/25

32 Harvard St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $491,000
Buyer: Molley K. Shea
Seller: DI & L LLC
Date: 03/07/25

46 Kaveney St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Castellano
Seller: Jason R. Welch
Date: 03/05/25

22 Leslie St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $481,000
Buyer: Jlx 3 Properties LLC
Seller: Michael Placella
Date: 03/10/25

9 Mayflower Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Nicholas R. Morrison
Seller: Sergio F. Goncalves
Date: 03/07/25

92 Nelson St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Lindsay Lapan
Seller: Doreen R. Lapan
Date: 03/14/25

125 Ruskin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Hamad Khan
Seller: Wheeler RET
Date: 03/07/25

46 Rzasa Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $329,900
Buyer: Nicholas Gray
Seller: Nicholas Ayala
Date: 03/13/25

526 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $440,750
Buyer: Jaime R. Mota
Seller: Robert J. Arcott
Date: 03/04/25

621 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $347,000
Buyer: Mohamed Abdul-Baki
Seller: David Rivera
Date: 03/03/25

20 Sullivan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Andriana Marino
Seller: Jospeh Duensing
Date: 03/07/25

60 Walnut St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Eyder S. Lopez
Seller: Phantom Holdings LLC
Date: 03/14/25

29 Wintworth St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Mount Olive Properties LLC
Seller: Davila Enterprises LLC
Date: 03/04/25

EAST LONGMEADOW

11 Cedar Hill Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Ryan D. Doty
Seller: Louise M. Disa
Date: 03/04/25

7 Dewey Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Chestnut Hill Homes LLC
Seller: Horace Parker
Date: 03/14/25

142 Gates Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Cameron Ottoson
Seller: Michael D. Ketterman
Date: 03/10/25

Happy Acres Lane, Lot 8
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Vladimir Kulenok
Seller: Happy Acres LLC
Date: 03/06/25

622 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Lexani Rodriguez
Seller: Ebak Projects LLC
Date: 03/06/25

GRANVILLE

432 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Christopher Robare
Seller: Lynne A. Thibault
Date: 03/14/25

HOLLAND

525 Old County Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $453,000
Buyer: Ronald A. Holmes
Seller: Cormier & Sons Construction
Date: 03/03/25

70 Sturbridge Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Tyler S. Martel
Seller: Hamilton Reservoir Cabin
Date: 03/11/25

HOLYOKE

158 Chestnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Kheper LLC
Seller: Testamentary Trusts
Date: 03/14/25

1109 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $705,000
Buyer: Sgs Holdings LLC
Seller: 1109 Dwight LLC
Date: 03/03/25

33-35 Hitchcock St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Highpoint Asset Mgmt. LLC
Seller: Patrick Bauer
Date: 03/03/25

655 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Katiria G. Roman
Seller: Kyla A. Prior
Date: 03/07/25

37 Lynwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Okn Funding LLC
Seller: Alycar Investments LLC
Date: 03/07/25

1-3 Monroe St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Jjj17 LLC
Seller: Walter J. Serewicz
Date: 03/04/25

38 Mount Tom Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $369,000
Buyer: Danju Pan
Seller: Downie, Irene M., (Estate)
Date: 03/03/25

453 Mountain Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Brendan M. Leahy
Seller: Wheatley, Mildred, (Estate)
Date: 03/04/25

95 North East St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jillian Bourguignon
Seller: Anthony Witman
Date: 03/07/25

77-79 Pearl St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: John C. Areche
Seller: Joshua A. Olmstead
Date: 03/12/25

278-280 Pine St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Carmen M. Rivera-Matias
Seller: OneHolyoke Community Development Corp.
Date: 03/07/25

75 Pine St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Wilma E. Tynes
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 03/03/25

89 South St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Cold Summer LLC
Seller: Ellen Boynton LLC
Date: 03/12/25

12 Steven Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Warren A. Walsh
Seller: Hurlburt Jr., Hugh E., (Estate)
Date: 03/07/25

86 Sycamore St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Robert J. Schroeter
Seller: Swan, Robert, (Estate)
Date: 03/11/25

LONGMEADOW

25 Brooks Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Shirley Graziani
Seller: Rosaline Horowitz
Date: 03/04/25

30 Chatham Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $609,000
Buyer: Aylin S. Roeben
Seller: Mark E. Dindas FT
Date: 03/06/25

22 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Margaret A. Becker
Seller: Fred M. Cocchi
Date: 03/07/25

140 Laurel St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Henry B. Gibbs
Seller: Jerry W. Roberts
Date: 03/07/25

151 Meadow Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Jonathan T. Mancuso
Seller: Linda C. Amrich
Date: 03/14/25

1112 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $699,900
Buyer: Zhenyan Chen
Seller: Matthew Sandler
Date: 03/14/25

LUDLOW

48 Baker St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Michael S. Manganiello
Seller: Dreambighomes LLC
Date: 03/04/25

Balsam Hill Road, Lot 67
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $177,900
Buyer: Mhi Builders LLC
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 03/06/25

Church St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Seller: Abel Goncalves
Date: 03/13/25

58 Georgetown Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Nathan Chenaille
Seller: John R. Norden
Date: 03/07/25

4 Greenwich St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Andrew Doane
Seller: Jennifer L. Coelho
Date: 03/07/25

330 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Jorge S. Teixeira
Seller: Erika G. Chelkonas
Date: 03/13/25

70 Moody St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Samantha Wiggins
Seller: Douglas Roberts
Date: 03/07/25

19-21 Munsing Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Fernando Jorge
Seller: Brian Leonard
Date: 03/03/25

23 Norwich Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Michael Zina
Seller: Jennifer Perez
Date: 03/12/25

73 Prospect St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $401,000
Buyer: Dylan T. Gordon
Seller: Mark A. Maruca
Date: 03/03/25

147 Reynolds St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Yaritza L. Robar
Seller: Brendan J. Hurst
Date: 03/07/25

35 Turning Leaf Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $945,000
Buyer: Xiao J. Liu
Seller: Dans Construction Service Inc.
Date: 03/13/25

5 Victoria Ter.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Mariia Dolhova
Seller: Ashlie M. Hurley
Date: 03/07/25

MONSON

2 Betty Jean Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $404,000
Buyer: William Manegre
Seller: Richard L. Turnbull
Date: 03/14/25

32 Green St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $267,500
Buyer: Roberto G. Botta
Seller: Silar Distressed Real Estate-I LP
Date: 03/13/25

294 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Frank W. Hull
Seller: Hull FT
Date: 03/03/25

16 Paradise Lake Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $662,000
Buyer: Marco Cuoco
Seller: Peter A. Butler
Date: 03/11/25

PALMER

16 Holbrook St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Kenneth Burgos
Seller: Carlie Ferry
Date: 03/12/25

74-A James St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Tessa Baldracchi
Seller: Sunshine Apartments Inc.
Date: 03/14/25

3053 Palmer St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Ramon A. Madsen
Seller: Andre J. Sample
Date: 03/07/25

3092 Pine St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Nelson Marquez
Seller: Laura Lacrosse
Date: 03/06/25

2001 Pleasant St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Josiah Negron
Seller: Ruth Flynn
Date: 03/07/25

13-19 South St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: NP Amherst LLC
Seller: Alexander A. Berezkin
Date: 03/07/25

42-44 State St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $339,900
Buyer: Paige M. Murray
Seller: James W. Beshaw
Date: 03/06/25

248 Ware St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Haley Remodeling LLC
Seller: WICKED DEALS LLC
Date: 03/07/25

58 Water St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Gabriella Potenti
Seller: Terry L. Hammerle
Date: 03/13/25

263 Wilbraham St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Cindy L. Benoit
Seller: West Jam Man LLC
Date: 03/03/25

SPRINGFIELD

14 Adams St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Innovareno LLC
Seller: Shkeya Brittle
Date: 03/07/25

168 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Alexander Rios
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 03/07/25

706 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Frank E. Duggan
Date: 03/06/25

204 Arthur St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Janett V. Sergeant
Seller: Laurie L. Dupuis
Date: 03/10/25

95 Bairdcrest Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $317,500
Buyer: Anthony J. Piteo
Seller: Daniel Scagliarini
Date: 03/04/25

463-465 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $393,000
Buyer: Charles Obutu
Seller: Padam Gajmer
Date: 03/04/25

1127 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Helen Williams
Seller: Family & Developments LLC
Date: 03/10/25

8 Blake Hill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $2,812,500
Buyer: Blake Hill LLC
Seller: H. P. Rum LLC
Date: 03/14/25

76 Canterbury Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Jennie Grimaldi-Benoit
Seller: Laurie Jackson
Date: 03/13/25

744-746 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Onstar Properties AA LLC
Seller: Kelnate Realty LLC
Date: 03/03/25

1722 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $271,500
Buyer: Nancy Vandermyn
Seller: Maria C. Suarez
Date: 03/10/25

69 Chapin Ter.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Nadezda Bondarenko
Seller: Federal National Mortgage Assn.
Date: 03/10/25

77 Clarendon St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: William E. Duncan
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 03/03/25

51 Clough St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Rachel L. Christensen
Seller: Amber Anderson
Date: 03/11/25

108-110 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Jose A. Portorreal
Seller: Donaldsons Development TR
Date: 03/05/25

32 Cottonwood Lane
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $219,560
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Ursula Forgette
Date: 03/03/25

6 County St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $209,450
Buyer: Pedro Gonzalez
Seller: Holmes, Robert F., (Estate)
Date: 03/13/25

77 Drexel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Ajv Investments LLC
Seller: Naples Home Buyers TR
Date: 03/10/25

237 East St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Kesean Mason
Seller: Posiadlosc LLC
Date: 03/14/25

939-943 East Columbus Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: WICKED DEALS LLC
Seller: WICKED DEALS LLC
Date: 03/06/25

139 Eddy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: David Walter
Seller: Joel M. Marrero
Date: 03/05/25

53 Elwood Dr.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Joseph C. Placentini
Seller: Elizabeth A. Steedle
Date: 03/04/25

178 Flint St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $352,500
Buyer: Liana Figueroa
Seller: Juan C. Robles-Diaz
Date: 03/12/25

49-51 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $2,812,500
Buyer: Blake Hill LLC
Seller: H. P. Rum LLC
Date: 03/14/25

59 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $2,812,500
Buyer: Blake Hill LLC
Seller: H. P. Rum LLC
Date: 03/14/25

66-68 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $1,435,000
Buyer: 4spring Investments LLC
Seller: H. P. Rum LLC
Date: 03/10/25

70 Grenada Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $1,980,000
Buyer: 71 Real Estate LLC
Seller: D Home Improvement TR Inc.
Date: 03/07/25

17 Griffin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Angel J. Cruz
Seller: James A. Barbieri
Date: 03/04/25

239 Hancock St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: 235-239 Hancock St. LLC
Seller: Miriam A. Hinds
Date: 03/05/25

100 Haskin St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Nres LLC
Seller: Marla L. Miller
Date: 03/07/25

78 Helberg Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Robert Blake
Seller: Erica D. Percy
Date: 03/12/25

21-23 Howes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $223,500
Buyer: Round 2 LLC
Seller: James W. Ebersold
Date: 03/11/25

124 Hudson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Veteran Stan LLC
Seller: Daniel C. Flechsig
Date: 03/10/25

183 Jewett St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Murtadha Alhakeem
Seller: Roberto Galvan
Date: 03/05/25

124-126 Johnson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $295,900
Buyer: Hanniel Victorino-Mejia
Seller: Nelson Franco
Date: 03/03/25

26 Jonquil Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Donnalee Stewart
Seller: Dyson, Herbert Mimns, (Estate)
Date: 03/03/25

73-75 Kenyon St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Maria B. Ventura
Seller: Seattle Bank
Date: 03/07/25

207 Lamont St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Angel N. Torres
Seller: Cornerstone Homebuying LLC
Date: 03/14/25

150 Lang St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $268,500
Buyer: Dwayne Burey
Seller: Gage B. Terlik
Date: 03/14/25

48 Lawnwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Fern E. Gibeau
Date: 03/11/25

149-151 Lebanon St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Shan Maung
Seller: London Realty LLC
Date: 03/03/25

193-195 Leyfred Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Maria Rodriguez
Seller: Jjj17 LLC
Date: 03/06/25

Lombard St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: WICKED DEALS LLC
Seller: WICKED DEALS LLC
Date: 03/06/25

111 Manchester Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $283,000
Buyer: Oswaldo E. Subillaga
Seller: Jahayra Munoz
Date: 03/13/25

108 Marble St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Guillermo A. Querubin
Seller: Manfred K. Karori
Date: 03/03/25

66-74 Mill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $2,187,500
Buyer: Blake Hill LLC
Seller: Rbt Enterprise LLC
Date: 03/14/25

3 Mortimer St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Maringeline Marquez
Seller: Victor M. Jimenez
Date: 03/06/25

84 Navajo Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Jose R. Lopez-Gonzalez
Seller: Vernon Griffin
Date: 03/05/25

118 Ontario St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Iris Velez
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 03/14/25

35-37 Ozark St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Mount Olive Property LLC
Seller: Davila Enterprises LLC
Date: 03/04/25

55 Penrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Norberto A. Bracero
Seller: Two Marks Corp.
Date: 03/07/25

217-219 Pine St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Homes By Harambe LLC
Seller: Northern Flooring & Remodeling
Date: 03/04/25

98 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Gillian S. Murphy
Seller: Krystal Hawkins
Date: 03/14/25

267-269 Redlands St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $376,000
Buyer: Nelson Cabrera
Seller: Catherine J. Romanowski
Date: 03/14/25

50 Revere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Alexander Bonilla
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 03/14/25

394-396 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $481,000
Buyer: Patrick Johnson
Seller: Round Two LLC
Date: 03/05/25

35 Sargon St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Mason D. Rock
Seller: Surprenant, Kathleen N., (Estate)
Date: 03/12/25

69 Silas St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Leanna Bushey
Seller: Shayne A. Spencer
Date: 03/04/25

6 Sparrow Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Brian L. Maryott
Seller: Edith Parker
Date: 03/03/25

122 Spear Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: William O. Torres
Seller: Rachel Hausman
Date: 03/14/25

128 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $304,000
Buyer: Jeremy C. Merritt
Seller: Moltenbrey Builders LLC
Date: 03/14/25

80 Vadnais St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Samantha Ramos
Seller: Anthony Maloni
Date: 03/07/25

83-95 Warwick St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $1,675,000
Buyer: Behavioral Health Network
Seller: Center For Ecotechnology
Date: 03/10/25

27 Waverly St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Rafael H. Lendof
Seller: Norman J. Lachance
Date: 03/07/25

99 White Birch Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Andrew E. Wheeler
Seller: Nestor L. Chevere
Date: 03/07/25

WEST SPRINGFIELD

24 City View Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Dreamwake Homes Inc.
Seller: Robert J. Schroeter
Date: 03/14/25

24 City View Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Robert J. Schroeter
Seller: Boisjolie, Glen P., (Estate)
Date: 03/14/25

20 Cottage St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Powder 8 LLC
Seller: Michael N. Nigro
Date: 03/05/25

93 Greystone Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $326,000
Buyer: Kianny Fernandes
Seller: Jennie Grimaldi-Benoit
Date: 03/13/25

73 Herrman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $376,000
Buyer: Christopher E. Klaus
Seller: Lou Lou Holdings LLC
Date: 03/04/25

16 Pine St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $294,845
Buyer: Jacqueline R. White
Seller: Steven Sands
Date: 03/13/25

659 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Raymond L. Saegaert
Seller: Francis Wheeler Construction Inc.
Date: 03/03/25

369 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Joseph Knight
Seller: Brian P. Despard
Date: 03/10/25

43 West School St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Burhan Holdings One LLC
Seller: James M. McNeill
Date: 03/14/25

112 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Ddmns Realty LLC
Seller: Westside Professional Building
Date: 03/07/25

41 York St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $324,500
Buyer: Oscar X. Rodriguez
Seller: Luis Gonzalez
Date: 03/07/25

WESTFIELD

29 Fowler St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Mvp Real Estate Investments LLC
Seller: Paquette, Joseph P., (Estate)
Date: 03/14/25

Great River Blvd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Walter Stepchuk
Seller: Cooper FT
Date: 03/12/25

140 Highland Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Shawn Reinford
Seller: Money Homebuyers LLC
Date: 03/04/25

17 Prospect St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $371,000
Buyer: Madison A. Quinn
Seller: Juan Villanueva-Lopez
Date: 03/12/25

20 Joyce Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Matthias Kasjanov
Seller: Marie A. Jones
Date: 03/05/25

79 Mechanic St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: Christopher Broderick
Seller: Lir Holdings LLC
Date: 03/05/25

14 Saint Paul St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $274,000
Buyer: 14 St. Paul LLC
Seller: Rudolph Musterait
Date: 03/06/25

20 South Maple St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Robert Greenberg
Seller: Arpc LLC
Date: 03/14/25

51 Washington St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Mhi Properties LLC
Seller: Naples Home Buyers TR
Date: 03/03/25

WILBRAHAM

2632 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: 2632 Boston Road LLC
Seller: Joseph L. Roche
Date: 03/12/25

9 Butler Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Marcin D. Marszalek
Seller: Robert Jackson
Date: 03/12/25

7 Jewell Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Robert Hawley
Seller: Timothy Spafford
Date: 03/03/25

7 Ruth Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Kelly R. Crotto
Seller: Waiwai RT
Date: 03/05/25

351 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Joyce Ndagire
Seller: Steven G. Otto
Date: 03/07/25

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

314-328 College St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $3,175,000
Buyer: 314 College LLC
Seller: Paul C. Shumway
Date: 03/04/25

330 College St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $1,825,000
Buyer: Jason M. Kicza
Seller: Paul C. Shumway
Date: 03/04/25

32 Owen Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $815,000
Buyer: David Robinson
Seller: Wu L. Xun
Date: 03/05/25

South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Biodynamic Farmland Conservation Trust
Seller: Gray, Robert B., (Estate)
Date: 03/06/25

747 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Nikolai Wright
Seller: Wendy McDowell
Date: 03/14/25

226 Strong St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Eric N. Sommers
Seller: Alan S. Goldberg
Date: 03/04/25

15 Taylor St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $543,455
Buyer: John J. Clegg
Seller: Robin A. Fordham
Date: 03/07/25

BELCHERTOWN

189 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Zhongfeng Ye
Seller: Marlene A. Goodwn
Date: 03/07/25

414 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Stephen P. Robinson
Seller: Henry R. Martin
Date: 03/03/25

90 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $715,000
Buyer: Ding Yu
Seller: Titus FT
Date: 03/12/25

37 Juckett Hill Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Joshua Moynahan
Seller: Joseph A. Moreau
Date: 03/14/25

9 Metacomet Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jared S. Valadares
Seller: Barbara E. Vanasse
Date: 03/03/25

22 Raymond Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Karen A. Vanhook
Seller: Alexander Scalfano
Date: 03/03/25

441 State St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $394,900
Buyer: Bimpe O. Nwabunor
Seller: Jjb Builders Corp.
Date: 03/14/25

CHESTERFIELD

11 Damon Pond Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Catherine A. Messick
Seller: Margaret M. Allard
Date: 03/14/25

CUMMINGTON

18 Plainfield Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Chelsea C. Faria
Seller: Ryan E. Morich
Date: 03/13/25

EASTHAMPTON

18 Ashley Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Patrick G. Glenn
Seller: Norman F. Glenn
Date: 03/06/25

13 River Valley Way
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $655,000
Buyer: Jennifer Horne
Seller: Elizabeth K. Frechette
Date: 03/14/25

1-3 Searle Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Todd F. Willard
Seller: Chad D. Willard
Date: 03/07/25

GOSHEN

56 Ball Road
Goshen, MA 01096
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Daniel Knox
Seller: Federal National Mortgage Assn.
Date: 03/12/25

GRANBY

68 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $830,000
Buyer: Brian Hession
Seller: Gerald R. Archambault
Date: 03/05/25

147 Carver St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Andre J. Sample
Seller: Angela Lussier
Date: 03/10/25

329 Chicopee St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $901,500
Buyer: John M. Mullen
Seller: Kotowicz Custom Homes LLC
Date: 01/16/25

HADLEY

172 South Maple St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $389,500
Buyer: Courtney Kielon
Seller: Stephen J. Grader
Date: 03/05/25

HUNTINGTON

2 Allen Coit Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: William Minnis
Seller: Sandra L. Dunn
Date: 03/06/25

7 Pond Brook Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $334,000
Buyer: Daniel Roy
Seller: Douglas G. Bliss
Date: 03/13/25

NORTHAMPTON

231 Brookside Circle
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Timothy M. Gorts
Seller: Richard J. Barrett RET
Date: 03/11/25

14 Emily Lane
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $538,000
Buyer: Stephen A. Mendes
Seller: Ronald R. Smith
Date: 03/04/25

4 Warfield Place
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $660,000
Buyer: Emily Gladstone
Seller: Sarah Zlotnik
Date: 03/14/25

SOUTH HADLEY

275 Brainerd St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $457,000
Buyer: Brittania W. North
Seller: Joseph A. Wilson
Date: 03/07/25

1 Conti Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $1,157,500
Buyer: Conti Investments LLC
Seller: Steohen H. Rehm
Date: 03/05/25

7 Edison Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Greg McNulty
Seller: James Pisciotta
Date: 03/03/25

15 Kimberly Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $402,000
Buyer: Ashley E. Tocchio
Seller: Daniel North
Date: 03/07/25

10 Helm St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: David J. Cerny
Seller: Zabil IRT
Date: 03/14/25

19 Priestly Farms Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Al Haron FT
Seller: Pah Propeties LLC
Date: 03/07/25

189 Woodbridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $409,900
Buyer: Brittany M. Lawler
Seller: Annalese B. Guerin
Date: 03/07/25

 

SOUTHAMPTON

271 College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Sean M. Stockler
Seller: David A. Dillisio
Date: 03/14/25

Gill Farm Road, Lot 2
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Pamela Collins
Seller: Gil Farm Road Estates Inc.
Date: 03/07/25

WARE

22 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Msg Group LLC
Seller: Legacy Property Investment Group LLC
Date: 03/07/25

93 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: John R. Nodern
Seller: Daniel Bruso
Date: 03/07/25

28 Shoreline Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: Neal R. Pruchansky
Seller: Gerald C. Smith
Date: 03/05/25

25 Westbrook Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Market Ready Homes LLC
Seller: Malinowski, Faith, (Estate)
Date: 03/03/25

14 Wildflower Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: David Trudeau
Seller: Olusola P. Ekundayo
Date: 03/04/25

WESTHAMPTON

44 Burt Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Joia Garner
Seller: Suzanne M. Kraft
Date: 03/13/25

29 Loudville Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Michael D. Abney
Seller: Travis J. Garner
Date: 03/13/25

WORTHINGTON

199 Old Post Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Jason P. Tomaskowicz
Seller: Timothy A. Day LT
Date: 03/13/25

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of March 2025.

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Falls Polish Home
27 Grove St.
$13,000 — Pour eight concrete pier pads, install two LVL beams, install eight lally columns, pour concrete slab

PMA Real Estate Management LLC
206 Newbury St.
$23,425 — Roofing

Strong Building Co. LLC
48 West St.
$45,500 — Roofing

Western Massachusetts Emergency
645 Shawinigan Dr.
$50,000 — Furnish and install addressable fire-alarm system for WESTCOMM emergency call center

EASTHAMPTON

Easthampton Swami Shreeji LLC
47 Cottage St.
$34,798 — Separate existing space into areas for tattoo shop, add one additional bathroom

Eastworks LLP
116 Pleasant St.
$90,000 — Carpentry work relating to counter and doors for conversion from empty space to café

Walter Mitchell
45-47 Union St.
$26,749 — Remove and replace existing storefront and entrance

HADLEY

W/S Hadley Properties II LLC
355 Russell St., Suite 10
N/A — Install halo-hit channel letters on front of J. Crew Factory store

LEE

Business Investments
343 Forest St.
$10,553 — Replace seven windows

LENOX

XC Yellow Lab LLC
91 Pittsfield Road
$14,000 — Chimney repairs

NORTHAMPTON

Easthampton Mahadev LLC
137 Damon Road
$1,000 — Non-illuminated sign on roof

Smith College
Berenson Place
$37,979 — Repairs due to water pipe burst

T-Mobile Northeast LLC
48 Elm St.
$25,000 — Cellular site modifications

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Medical Center Inc.
725 North St.
$350,000 — Interior alterations to reconfigure existing EP lab

BHD 10 Pittsfield Realty LLC
10 Lyman St.
$1,000 — Remove wall, install two doors

Cantarella Realty Inc.
8 Federico Dr.
$89,995 — Roofing

City of Pittsfield
43 East St.
$1,033,550 — HVAC upgrades and ceiling repairs

L&S LP
1035 South St.
$1,544,000 — Tunnel car wash with office area

Eagle Street Associates Nominee Trust
33 Eagle St.
$109,000 — Remove and dispose of carpet and debris, move doorways, install new partition walls, paint, install new vanity and sinks, install new VCT tile

Tierney Properties Inc.
66 West St.
$99,000 — Minor renovations to existing office space for new tenant

SPRINGFIELD

600 Berkshire Ave LLC
600 Berkshire Ave.
$10,000 — Remove and replace windows at First Student

A1 Sumner Plaza LLC
880 Sumner Ave.
$3,459.19 — Miscellaneous non-structural repairs from vehicle damage

Christ Presbyterian Church
1597 Allen St.
$231,787 — Remodel two bathrooms

City of Springfield
275 Franklin St.
$53,000 — Roofing on Emily Bill Park building

College Square Congregation Inc.
131 Clifton Ave.
$125,288 — Install new doors and repair stucco at Kingdom Hall and remodel interior platform for accessibility

ES Industrial LLC
243 Cottage St.
$300,000 — Alter interior office space on first level of DTA Springfield Center Transitional Assistance Office

Five Town Station LLC
400 Cooley St.
$10,000 — Repair exterior wall and interior sections of Burger King damaged by car impact

Grit and Gratitude Wrestling Academy Inc.
184 Stafford St.
$15,900 — Roofing

Picknelly Family LP
1414 Main St.
$118,500 — Alter interior tenant office space on 10th floor for M&T Bank

Recor Investments LLC
375 Pasco Road
$50,000 — Remove and replace eight antennas and RRVs on T-Mobile cellular tower

Springfield College
263 Alden St.
$14,000 — Fire blocking in Chase Building

Springfield Redevelopment Authority
99 Eastern Ave.
$47,700 — Frame new roof

Tower Square Condominium
1500 Main St.
$7,000 — Interior renovations

Whole Truth Temple Church of God in Christ
8 Norfolk St.
$25,000 — RoofingBuilding  Permits

Straight Talk About Mental Health

By
Opinion

Editorial

 

As she wrapped up an interview with BusinessWest for the story on  Kathleen Szegda, director of Community Research and Evaluation at the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, wanted to emphasize that PHIWM doesn’t work alone when it comes to tackling mental health — with an particular focus on youth mental health — in the 413.

“We do this all in collaboration,” she said. “So I just want to make sure that’s lifted up — that we’re doing this in partnership with so many amazing groups.”

It’s true. In addition to its many community program partners, stakeholders ranging from public schools and colleges to a host of mental-health organizations — River Valley Counseling Center, Clinical & Support Options, MiraVista, Gándara Center, and several others — were among the many advisory-group voices that helped craft the Youth Mental Health Roadmap for Western Massachusetts, which focuses on five themes: destigmatizing and normalizing mental health, boosting social connection, developing social and emotional learning, grappling with social media, and connecting mental-health promotion with clinical care.

But there’s another group that has long been intimately involved in PHIWM’s strategies and outreach around youth mental health, and that’s teenagers themselves, who — largely through a group called Beat the Odds, but in other ways as well — have provided a valued, street-level perspective to these issues that goes far beyond survey data.

But their involvement also speaks to another development, this one positive: the continued destigmatization of mental health among teenagers. Numerous behavioral-health professionals across the region have told BusinessWest for years now that teenagers are more willing to share their mental-health concerns, and even seek help, than they were decades ago, and that there’s much more openness and acceptance around these conversations.

As Tiffany Rufino, senior manager of the Youth Mental Health Coalition, a PHIWM program, explains in the article, “they’re using the resources that we’re putting forth, and they are vocal and open to talking about challenges that they’re facing. They are also really excited about sharing information with the community.”

At a time when young people are still dealing with long-term impacts from the pandemic years, that’s a heartening trend. So let’s keep the conversation going.

MountainOne Welcomes Brenda Petell as VP, Community Engagement Officer

By
Daily News

Brenda Petell

NORTH ADAMS — MountainOne recently welcomed Brenda Petell as vice president, Community Engagement officer. In this role, she leads community-engagement efforts across the Berkshires and South Shore, strengthening partnerships, advancing philanthropic initiatives, and furthering MountainOne’s long-standing commitment to the communities it serves.

Petell brings a wealth of experience to MountainOne. Most recently, she served as director of Volunteer Engagement at Berkshire United Way. With a background in finance, people operations, and process improvement, her insights will be key in modernizing process and enhancing MountainOne’s community-engagement initiatives.

Petell will soon be named the 2025 recipient of the Girls Inc. of the Berkshires She Knows Where She’s Going Award, which honors her ongoing work as an outstanding local female leader who serves as a role model for young women.

As part of her responsibilities, she will oversee MountainOne’s Community Dividend Program, coordinate corporate giving, and ensure that MountainOne’s support aligns with initiatives that reflect the company’s mission. She will also lead employee volunteer efforts, financial-literacy programs, and storybook programming.

“We’re thrilled Brenda has joined MountainOne, and her enthusiasm for this role is welcomed and appreciated,” said Robert Fraser, president and CEO. “Her experience, leadership, and commitment to community make her an excellent fit and a valuable addition to our team.”

Peter Pan’s Mary Davila Becomes First Female 2 Million Mile Motor Coach Operator

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Peter Pan Bus Lines announced that Mary Davila has made transportation history as the first woman awarded 2 Million Mile Motor Coach Operator status and inducted into the Safe Driving Hall of Fame by the National Safety Council. This prestigious achievement recognizes Davila’s impeccable driving record — 2 million miles without a single preventable accident.

Davila began her career in 1996 in Peter Pan’s New York City Division, and has spent 28 years transporting passengers safely through the busiest cities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. She is the first female motorcoach operator to reach the 2 million-mile milestone, breaking barriers in a traditionally male-dominated field while exemplifying Peter Pan’s commitment to safety and reliability.

“Mary embodies the highest standards of professionalism and safety,” said Chris Crean, vice president of Safety and Security at Peter Pan Bus Lines. “She has set a new benchmark for motor-coach operators across the nation, proving that dedication and skill can lead to extraordinary achievements.”

Beyond her skill behind the wheel, Davila is known for her kindness, compassion, and infectious laugh, the company stated, adding that her positive attitude and unwavering professionalism have earned her the admiration of passengers and colleagues alike.

Davila’s accomplishment reinforces Peter Pan’s reputation as an industry leader in safety. The National Safety Council’s Million Mile Award is one of the most respected honors in the transportation industry, and Peter Pan boasts 170 drivers who have received this distinction. With her achievement, Davila moves into an elite group of more than 40 Peter Pan drivers who have at least 2 million accident-free miles. In addition, Peter Pan has nine 3 million-mile drivers, and is home to the first two 4 million-mile drivers in the U.S., Ed Hope and Andy Anderson.

Survey Names MassMutual Massachusetts’ Most Coveted Employer

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — When it comes to why people jump ship to a new job, a fatter paycheck often steals the spotlight. But dig a little deeper, and it’s clear that salary isn’t the whole story. Benefits like health insurance, paid time off, or even quirky extras like free snacks can tip the scales just as much.

In a world where top-tier positions with sky-high wages aren’t always up for grabs, employers are left wondering: what else can convince workers to stick around? What makes a job feel less like a grind and more like a place worth staying for? Careerminds, a global outplacement and career-development firm, set out to pinpoint the perks that truly matter, polling 3,023 workers to reveal the top companies nailing employee retention, and why (click here).

Bay Staters’ three most coveted employers are MassMutual in Springfield, followed by Biogen and HubSpot, both in Cambridge.

MassMutual is known for solid retirement benefits, automatically contributing 10% of pay into a retirement plan, regardless of employee contributions, on top of 401(k) matching, while offering a rare cash-balance pension for guaranteed income. New hires see this 10% boost immediately, alongside a $1,250 yearly wellness stipend for gym memberships or financial tools.

“In an era of vanishing pensions, MassMutual’s focus on long-term security, plus modern perks like student-loan help and generous leave, makes it a standout employer in Massachusetts, blending stability with forward-thinking support,” Careerminds noted.

Nationally, the top five companies to work for, based on perks and benefits, are Google, Coca-Cola, Ben & Jerry’s, Hawaiian Airlines, and Nike, according to the Careerminds survey.

Dulye & Co. President Initiates Community Partnership to Stop Youth Drowning

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD — In response to a troubling rise in youth drownings in Berkshire County, a coalition of local partners has launched the Stop Youth Drowning: Safe Swim Berkshire Initiative, a pilot program designed to equip middle-school students with essential water-safety skills and life-saving knowledge.

A collaboration between the Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center (GABCC), Berkshire Family YMCA (BFYMCA), and local business Dulye & Co., with critical support from Pittsfield Public Schools (PPS), the free, week-long program will run April 21-25 during spring break.

Participants will receive personal instruction from trained aquatic professionals from GABCC and BFYMCA and will be provided with swimsuits, daily lunch, and a safe, supportive learning environment. In addition to skills development, the program encourages youths to serve as peer advocates for water safety, sharing their knowledge and experiences with fellow students to promote drowning prevention.

This initiative was inspired by the tragic drowning of a local young woman during a school trip last summer. Deeply affected by the incident, Linda Dulye, president and founder of Berkshire-based Dulye & Co. and an active local philanthropist, dedicated her time and personal funds to developing the pilot program in honor of the young woman’s memory.

“I instantly felt the need to take action and approached the Y and Gladys Allen leadership with an idea to help our community’s youth build confidence and competence around water. These are life-saving skills — and they also give young people the chance to grow as leaders and peer advocates for safety, inspiring others to shed fears and learn to swim,” said Dulye, who, in addition to operating her consultancy, underwrites and manages the Dulye Leadership Experience based in Pittsfield.

Jennifer Roccabruna, a physical-education teacher at Pittsfield Public Schools, has been instrumental in the program’s development, assisting with student recruitment and communication with families. PPS has played a key role in providing logistical support for the pilot.

The program curriculum has been shaped by aquatics professionals, including GABCC Aquatics Director Prashad Abeysinghe, who has worked closely with Roccabruna and Claire Langlois from BFYMCA to emphasize safety, skill building, and youth development. “While we offer swim lessons year-round, we’ve found that teens often miss out on these critical opportunities. This program is about changing that,” Abeysinghe said.

The Stop Youth Drowning: Safe Swim Berkshire Initiative marks the beginning of a community-driven movement to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to learn life-saving water-safety skills. With greater investment, the program aims to expand to reach more youth, remove barriers to access, and build a generation of confident, capable swimmers and safety advocates.

“We believe no child should lose their life due to a lack of access to water-safety education,” Roccabruna said. “This program builds the knowledge and skills to stay safe and support one another — and it’s all thanks to a powerful team of partners who care deeply about our young people.”

Six Flags New England Opens for 2025 Season

By
Daily News

AGAWAM — Six Flags New England opened its gates for the 2025 season on April 6. This year, the park will debut its 12th coaster, Quantum Accelerator; a variety of park enhancements, including new food offerings; and an event series.

The park will operate the weekend of April 12-13, then launch spring break hours daily from April 18 through April 27. Weekend operation will then return through Memorial Day weekend, followed by daily operation starting June 11.

“2025 is a unique and truly exciting season for us at Six Flags New England,” park President Peter Carmichael said. “Not only are we celebrating our 25th anniversary as Six Flags, but we are adding our newest coaster, Quantum Accelerator. It’s an addition that will redefine the family thrill-ride experience. Coupled with our world-class events lineup, we demonstrate our commitment to creating a first-class experience for our guests.”

Six Flags New England will offer a lineup of special events for the 2025 season, including fireworks displays for Star Spangled Nights, food and drinks during Food & Brew Festival and Oktoberfest, plus Halloween fun for the whole family at Kids Boo Fest and Fright Fest.

“We continue to focus on creating a first-class guest experience through exceptional events, park beautification, and enhancements to our food services,” Carmichael said. “This year, we are reintroducing Riverboat Café after a complete renovation that will feature guest favorites such as homemade mac n’ cheese and freshly hand-breaded chicken fillets. As New England’s premier family entertainment destination, we’re focused on elevating our guests’ experience and giving them reasons to return again and again.”

Six Flags New England offers a variety of passes, including unlimited admission, parking, and discounts, plus exclusive benefits and special events. Passes start as low as $55. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com/newengland/store/tickets.

The park is currently hiring for the 2025 season. Applicants ages 16 and older can apply at sixflags.com/jobs.

Alignable Honors Judy Herrell as Northampton’s Local Business Person of 2025

By
Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Alignable, the largest online networking platform for small businesses, announced that Judy Herrell of Herrell’s Ice Cream has been elected as Northampton’s 2025 Business Person of the Year.

Alignable’s 2025 Local Business Person of the Year contest logged more than 333,000 votes, 77,000 recommendations, and 4,750 winners across the U.S. and Canada.

The largest online networking platform for business owners, alignable.com invited its more than 9 million members to shout out local business leaders who have gone above and beyond guiding peers and supporting entire communities amid challenging economic conditions.

The 2025 contest was Alignable’s most popular competition in more than six years, with participation surging 20% compared to 2024.

During the 2025 contest, held from Jan. 14 to March 7, 4,750 business owners — spanning more than 4,500 communities — were recognized as winners, including ties. These leaders were honored for their dedication to supporting their peers and communities amid a year of economic challenges.

“In our local business community, we look out for each other and refer businesses down the street or around the corner to help make everyone in town as successful as possible,” Herrell said. “The challenges we’ve all encountered have compelled many of us to offer counsel to peers fighting to keep their businesses afloat. While I’m thrilled to receive this award, it’s really a testament to our entire community.”

Country Bank Welcomes Liz Chrystal as VP of Project Management

By
Daily News

Liz Chrystal

WARE — Country Bank announced the appointment of Liz Chrystal as the new vice president of Project Management. Her appointment represents an important step in the bank’s continued focus on operational excellence and strategic growth.

“We are thrilled to welcome Liz to the Country Bank team. Her extensive experience across financial services and healthcare, combined with her passion for project leadership and community impact, makes her an excellent fit for this role,” said Miriam Siegel, chief Culture & Development officer. “Liz’s strong commitment to innovation, with a focus on execution while providing superior customer engagement, aligns with our corporate values of integrity, service, teamwork, excellence, and prosperity. We are confident that her skills and leadership will enhance our project-management function and capabilities, driving our strategic initiatives forward.”

Chrystal brings more than 16 years of project-management experience to her role, including the last two years in the financial-services industry. She earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a concentration in business administration and management and holds a project management professional certification from Bryant University.

Her career began in project-management roles across a variety of sectors, including commercial healthcare and IT professional services for government agencies. She later served on the IT executive leadership team at Baystate Health, a five-site integrated health system headquartered in Springfield. Most recently, she was part of the senior leadership team at a financial-services company, where she led the Enterprise Project Management Office, Customer Success, and Business Solutions divisions.

Chrystal’s dedication to quality and excellence has been recognized throughout her career, including receiving the SHINE Award from Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan for her work in integrity and quality assurance. In addition to her professional contributions, Chrystal actively supports her local community through regular donations to Springfield Rescue Mission and the Cupboard Pantry in West Springfield.

“Joining Country Bank is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of project management within an organization that values innovation and community,” she said. “I am eager to contribute to the bank’s continued growth and to support the positive impact it makes throughout the region.”

Amherst Dessert Crawl Brings Sweet Adventure to Downtown on April 12

By
Daily News

AMHERST — The Amherst Dessert Crawl is set to take place on Saturday, April 12 from 3 to 6 p.m., inviting the community to indulge in dessert samples from local businesses while exploring the town.

Attendees will receive a wristband granting access to participating businesses, where they can sample a variety of sweet treats. In addition to dessert tastings, the event will feature a scavenger hunt, allowing participants to complete fun challenges for a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses.

Tickets are available for $20 in advance at Eventbrite (click here) or $25 at the door. Wristbands must be picked up at the Visitors Information Center, 35 South Pleasant St., on the day of the event.

“We’re excited to bring people downtown for an event that highlights Amherst’s amazing local food and retail scene,” said John Page, executive director of the Amherst Business Improvement District. “The Amherst Dessert Crawl is not only a fun experience for attendees, but also a great opportunity to support small businesses and strengthen our community.”

Participants are encouraged to park at Boltwood Garage, 1 Boltwood Walk, or use nearby metered street parking. The event is family-friendly and open to all ages. For more information, follow @downtownamherst on social media.

Berkshire Bank’s Community Comeback Exceeds $5 Billion Goal

By
Daily News

BOSTON — Berkshire Bank’s Community Comeback program concluded by exceeding its $5 billion goal to lend and invest across the company’s markets. The bank launched the multi-year program as communities emerged from the pandemic in 2021.

The impact of Community Comeback is a testament to the bank’s commitment to unlock the financial potential of the communities where its employees and clients live and work. The program focused on strengthening communities in four key areas: fueling small businesses, community financing and philanthropy, financial access and empowerment, and environmental sustainability.

Highlights of its results include lending more than $3.5 billion to invest in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods, more than $600 million in lending for low-carbon projects, more than 800,000 individuals impacted through financial-wellness programming, 100% renewable electricity use since 2023, and more than $50 million in sustainable investments under management.

“As a values-guided organization for more than 175 years, Berkshire launched the Community Comeback to help transform the overall quality of life for the people and places we serve,” said Gary Levante, chief Communication & Sustainability officer. “Together, we redeveloped neighborhoods, helped consumers realize the dream of homeownership, and created jobs across our markets. Beyond the impact in our communities, the Comeback contributed to our commercial performance, which created capacity to invest in our business, employees, clients, and shareholders.”

The Community Comeback program was honored late last year with the prestigious Community Commitment Award by the American Bankers Assoc. (ABA) Foundation for its positive impact on economic inclusion in area communities.

AIC Earns 2025-26 Military Friendly School Designation with Silver Award

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) announced it has earned the 2025-26 Military Friendly School designation. AIC’s Silver Award signifies that the college is among the top 20% of colleges supporting veterans and military-connected students. Only a select group of institutions achieve this honor, highlighting their commitment to serving military personnel and their families.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2025-26 survey, with 830 earning awards for going above the standard.

The 2025-26 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May and October issues of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly advisory council of independent leaders in the higher-education and military-recruitment community.

Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer), and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

“We’re incredibly proud to be recognized once again as a Military Friendly School,” said Michael Dodge, executive vice president for Academic Affairs and Student Life at American International College. “Supporting our military-connected students is a true honor, and we’re committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment where they can succeed, both in the classroom and beyond. This designation reflects the care and respect we have for those who have served.”

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

Chamber of Greater Easthampton to Hold Coffee & Connections on May 16

By
Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — The Chamber of Greater Easthampton will hold its second Coffee & Connections of the year on Friday, May 16 from 8 to 9 a.m. at its WorkHub on Union co-working space at 33 Union St., Easthampton.

“Coffee & Connections is a way to jump-start your morning and build relationships, strengthen professional networks, and grow stronger connections,” chamber Executive Director Moe Belliveau said. “We know not everyone can make an afternoon or evening networking event, so this is an opportunity to kick off your day with purpose and connection.”

Registration is complimentary and open to all business, organizational, and community leaders; however, registration is required due to limited registrations available. For more information or to register, visit the chamber’s events calendar at www.easthamptonchamber.org or email [email protected].

Springfield JCC Launches Fitness Challenge to Bring Member Community Together

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — At Springfield Jewish Community Center (JCC), members are coming together for a fun fitness challenge to exercise their way across America, from East Coast to West Coast, virtually.

To take part, members simply log the miles they cover while working out in the center’s group exercise classes, six-lane indoor pool, or newly refurbished fitness center. Miles they walk, run, bike, row, or swim all count toward this virtual journey of almost 3,000 miles from Massachusetts to California. The JCC will total up the miles covered each week and track progress toward the destination on a map for all members to view.

The idea is to bring its member community together to feel more connected and more supported, as Mechilia “Chile” Salazar, chief Development officer at the Springfield JCC, explained. “We strive to be an inclusive environment where all people are welcome to learn, play, and connect. This challenge is all about giving our members a fun way to come together and be healthier and happier.”

Added Springfield JCC member Andrew Appleby, “it’s a great place to be. People here are so friendly. I just enjoy it so much.”

To kick off the challenge, JCC members were joined by state Sen. Jacob Oliveira and state Rep. Carlos González at one of the center’s high-energy cycling classes.

“The Springfield JCC’s fitness challenge is a fantastic way to bring people together while promoting health and community,” Oliveira said. “It was great to be a part of the challenge and experience the inclusive and engaging environment where everyone is welcome to participate and exercise.”

Added González, “I am proud to support the JCC, which plays a vital role in enriching the lives of our youth and strengthening our community. Together, we can ensure that these essential services continue to thrive and make a positive impact on future generations.”

Fighting an upper-respiratory infection, state Rep. Brian Ashe was disappointed to miss the event, but stated, “I always look forward to supporting the JCC and their important community-building work. I will plan to log some miles toward the fitness challenge goal once I am well and wish the JCC the best with this fun endeavor.”

Membership is open to everyone at the Springfield JCC. Members can choose from a wide variety of programs, services, and amenities for health and wellness, youth and family, cultural arts, and much more. Visit www.springfieldjcc.org for more information, or come in for a tour of the facilities.

Comcast Awards $20,000 to Urban League of Springfield to Expand

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Comcast announced a $20,000 grant to support the Urban League of Springfield’s Digital Learning Lab, a community resource that is helping to bridge the digital divide in Western Mass. by providing 150 participants each year with essential technology and internet skills training, specialty workshops, and more.

The $20,000 grant will help fund a variety of enrichment training programs at the Urban League’s Digital Learning Lab. Programs include the Foster Grandparent Program, which helps seniors gain confidence in using online tools to mentor youth, and the Project Ready Program, which teaches students coding, advanced digital security, and pathways to careers in computer science.

“Many essential services — healthcare, job applications, and social-services programs — are now online, making digital literacy a critical skill,” state Rep. Bud Williams said. “I applaud Comcast for supporting the Urban League of Springfield’s Digital Learning Lab that ensures residents across Western Massachusetts have access to resources and training to develop the technology skills needed to succeed in today’s digital-first world.”

Added Yvette Frisby, president and CEO of the Urban League of Springfield, “for more than 15 years, Comcast has been a dedicated partner in our mission, and we’re grateful for their continued support. While residents have access to affordable high-speed broadband throughout Western Massachusetts, many of our members still lack the digital skills needed to take full advantage of it. This grant ensures more people — regardless of age or background — receive the training and support they need to thrive.”

This grant from Comcast is part of Project UP, Comcast’s commitment to provide digital opportunities through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the internet, advance economic mobility, and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers, and creators.

“Comcast is proud to support the Urban League of Springfield as they empower local residents with critical digital skills,” said Carolyne Hannan, senior vice president of Comcast’s New England Region. “We understand the importance of internet connectivity, but access alone isn’t enough — people need the skills to confidently and safely use online resources to improve their lives. Through partnerships like this, we’re helping to close the digital divide and create more opportunities for individuals and families across Western Massachusetts.”

HCC Enrolling Students for Free Clean-energy Jobs Training Program

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) is now enrolling students for a free, four-week program to train workers for jobs in the clean-energy sector.

The Green Construction, Electricity and Clean Energy Systems program runs from July 7 through Aug. 1, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Classes meet at both Dean Technical High School and Holyoke Community College.

During 80 hours of hands-on training, students will earn their OSHA 10 safety credentials while learning the basics of green construction, hand- and power-tool use, and electrical concepts and circuitry, and learning how these skills are applied in solar photovoltaic installation and electrical vehicle charging stations.

Students who complete the program will be eligible for work in construction and can apply for a paid electrician apprenticeship program or enroll in further training as a clean-energy technician.

The program also covers energy- efficient materials and design, measurements and diagrams, basic framing, wall installation and maintenance, foundation construction and pouring, workplace safety, and job readiness.

It is funded through a two-year, $832,000 state grant HCC received in 2024 for climate-related workforce-training initiatives. HCC’s partners in the grant include the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Springfield Works, Dean Technical High School, and the Coalition for an Equitable Economy.

To be eligible, students must be at least 18 years old, be authorized to work in the U.S., have a high-school diploma or equivalency, be able to start work after the training, and pass a background check.

For more information or to enroll, visit hcc.edu/cleanenergy or contact career counselor Mike Blasco at [email protected] or (413) 552-2801.

Holyoke Mall to Host In-person Community Job Fair on April 9

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — Job seekers across Western Mass. are headed to Holyoke Mall to advance their careers during the Get Hired Job Fair on Wednesday, April 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. on the lower level in Macy’s Court.

This free community job fair, sponsored by Springfield Public Schools, features employers across more than 10 industries, seeking candidates at all skill levels to fill both full-time and part-time positions. Candidates will connect with employers one-on-one for on-the-spot interviews and hiring.

A diverse range of Western Mass. businesses are participating in this spring’s job fair. Participating employers include Baystate Health, Berkshire County Arc, the Center School/Positive Regard Network, Cooley Dickinson, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Elms College, Florence Bank, Gándara Center, Gary Rome Hyundai, Golden Years USA, Hampden Charter School of Science, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke Public Schools, Holyoke Veterans Home, Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, MassHire Holyoke, PeoplesBank, Springfield Public Schools, UMass Police Department, Valley Opportunity Council, Valley Spring Behavioral Health, Veritas Prep Charter School, Viability, Westfield Bank, and more.

Interested employers should contact James Geraghty, Advertising manager, at (617) 840-2998 or [email protected].

MCLA to Host Panel Discussion on U.S. Immigration in Trump’s Second Term

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Daily News

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) invites the public to a panel discussion, “Immigration in the United States During Trump 2.0,” on Thursday, April 10 at 5 p.m. in Murdock Hall, Room No. 218. This event is free and open to all.

MCLA Associate Professor of Political Science Dave Cupery will moderate the discussion. Panelists include Williams College Professor of Political Science James Mahon, MCLA Associate Professor of Anthropology Anna Jaysane-Darr, and MCLA Professor of History Ely Janis.

Presented as part of the Boschen Conflict Prevention and Resolution Speaker Series, this panel will explore immigration policies and practices during the second term of President Trump. Panelists will analyze key policy changes, their historical roots, their connection to contemporary U.S. politics, and their impact on immigrants and refugees in the U.S. and beyond.

“The panel provides an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of immigration politics and policies and to examine their broader implications,” Cupery said. “We hope to foster a constructive and informed conversation.”

Following the presentations, attendees will have an opportunity to engage in a Q&A session with the panelists.

Pioneer Valley Conference for Women Set for May 1

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The fourth annual Pioneer Valley Conference for Women will be held in person on Thursday, May 1 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. Sponsors include Liberty Bank, Westfield Savings Bank, M&T Bank, and YMCA of Western Massachusetts.

Xiomara Albán DeLobato will serve as emcee for the conference. She is a dynamic and accomplished professional with more than 15 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. As vice president and chief of staff for the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, she works to facilitate growth and development of the region’s economy. She is also an active member of numerous boards, including Girls Inc. of the Valley, Veritas Prep Charter School in Springfield, and others.

Keynote speakers are Krystal Say, co-founder of the Hyouman Experience and owner of SWEAT Power Yoga, and Dr. Jacqueline Johnson, who serves as chief Facilities Expansion and Sustainability officer at Caring Health Center and is also a faculty member at Bay Path University, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses.

Say is a forward-thinking leader, international educator, and wellness entrepreneur committed to guiding others in discovering their purpose, igniting their passion, and building a fulfilling life. She creates environments where movement, mindfulness, and self-exploration converge. She believes that true transformation starts by tuning into the quiet voice within — aligning actions with one’s core values to cultivate a life of purpose and meaningful impact. Her passion has also led her to develop and expand TRX Yoga, traveling globally to train leaders and share the power of movement and mindset.

Johnson is actively involved in numerous boards, contributing her leadership and expertise to a variety of initiatives. Prior to her work in healthcare, she previously worked with youth development, justice-based advocacy, and the prison industrial complex. Her ability to understand and address injustice is informed by past experiences.

In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from 30 local experts on 10 panels throughout the morning and afternoon. Click here to see the different panel topics available, and for more information about the conference.

Freedom Credit Union Supports Efforts to Secure Housing for People in Need

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — During April, Freedom Credit Union is inviting the community to donate money at any of its branches throughout Western Mass. to benefit Way Finders, a Springfield-based agency that helps people facing challenges to secure housing.

“Safe and secure housing is a basic essential,” Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch said. “Financial instability combined with a shortage of affordable housing in our region has forced many people into dire circumstances. We hope they know they’re not alone.”

Way Finders provides critical services such as emergency financial housing assistance, support for renters, and help for those facing foreclosure. The agency also helps people secure employment, economic mobility, and home ownership.

Donations help fund these efforts: building and managing affordable housing in urban, rural, and suburban settings; helping more than 5,000 families access emergency assistance and housing subsidies every year; helping people become first-time homebuyers; providing emergency shelter to families experiencing homelessness; supporting young parents and survivors of domestic abuse; and fostering housing stability through financial education and employment.

Every month, Freedom Credit Union collects donations for a different charity as part of its Month of Giving campaigns. This year, Freedom asked its members to nominate charities for support. Money collected through the end of April will support Way Finders’ mission to empower individuals and families through stable housing, with hope for a brighter future.

“We’re so thankful to those who generously contribute to our collections,” Welch said. “Investing in community is what Freedom Credit Union is all about.”

Elms College to Host Annual Experiential Learning Showcase on May 2

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Daily News

CHICOPEE — Elms College students will showcase their real-world experiences gained through internships, research, service work, and travel opportunities at the annual Experiential Learning Showcase on Friday, May 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This program is open to all, with no need to register.

“Experiential learning helps students to understand what they need to be successful upon graduation. Students gain real-world experience and learn what they may want to do with their college education,” said Jennifer Granger Sullivan, director of Experiential Learning (EL). “Many students will be hired full-time with the internship site and/or use it as a launchpad toward their career. We work with all students to participate in EL during their time at Elms and then also work to guide students on showcasing their experiences.”

At Elms College, 95% of students participate in internships, research, and service opportunities through the Dolores Donlin Noonan ’39 Experiential Learning Program. Students have explored opportunities with many local organizations, including Way Finders, Polish Discovery Center, Holyoke Soldiers Home, Springfield Thunderbirds, Hampden County’s Sheriff’s Office, Care Center, and the office of state Rep. Shirley Arriaga.

Andrea Reilly, a senior majoring in social work, said her internship with the Case Management department at Holyoke Medical Center added to what she learned in the classroom. “My role involves assisting patients in finding short-term rehab, learning to walk again after a broken bone, locating inpatient drug rehab, and arranging home visits for wound care and medication assistance. I would never have been able to use what I have learned [in classes] and turn it into actual practice in the real world without this program.”

Elms College created the Dolores Donlin Noonan ’39 Experiential Learning Program to provide students with practical, real-world experiences that enhance their academic studies and career readiness. Through internships, research, and community-based learning, students gain valuable skills, build professional networks, and develop a deeper understanding of their fields.