Archive for April 2018
Valley Opportunity Council wants to hire low-income and at-risk youth for summer
The Valley Opportunity Council is taking applications for summer jobs for low-income and at-risk youth between the ages of 14 and 21. The program, which is done in collaboration with the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, offers a structured, well-supervised work experience where employees will learn a variety of job skills while earning a…
Read MoreAfghan girls education advocate Shabana Basij-Rasikh to speak at Springfield Public Forum April 25 | masslive.com
Afghan women’s rights advocate Shabana Basij-Rasikh will speak before at the Springfield Public Forum on Wednesday, delivering a talk on her efforts to educate girls in her home country. Basij-Rasikh was born in Kabul and lived there under the Taliban, which had banned girls from attending school. To receive an education, she dressed as a…
Read MoreWestfield State University partners with UMass on law program
Westfield State University and the University of Massachusetts School of Law in Dartmouth are partnering on a new law program. Under the new initiative, called 3 Plus 3, students who complete the six-year program will obtain both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree. The idea for the program was to include diverse majors, such…
Read MoreFrom Lenox to Nantucket, 36 Massachusetts communities get state energy efficiency grants;…
Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration awarded $4 million in energy efficiency grants to 36 Massachusetts cities and town during a ceremony at the Ware High School auditorium on Thursday. The money will be used by the municipalities’ water and wastewater treatment facilities to reduce energy use, improve energy efficiency and in some cases generate renewable energy.…
Read MoreGov. Charlie Baker looks to spur investments in Springfield, other ‘Opportunity Zone’…
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has recommended that Springfield and several other communities across the state be deemed “opportunity zones” — a designation created under the GOP tax law to open municipalities to private, tax-free investments. Baker, in paperwork submitted to the U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday, suggested that a total of 138 communities — the maximum amount allowed for Massachusetts — be considered…
Read MoreMayor Reichelt: West Springfield zoning changes could make city ‘more exciting’ for developers, beer-brewing companies
With news that West Springfield is working to bring Two Weeks Notice Brewing Co. to the city, the mayor has proposed changing zoning regulations to include recreational facilities, breweries, distilleries and wineries in the city’s industrial zones. “We’re in talks with a couple (of breweries) now, namely Two Weeks Notice, to relocate in town,” said Mayor William…
Read MoreVVM and Western MA help with Kauffman Foundation Springfield Survey
We have been working for two years to get VVM and Western MA on Kauffman Foundation’s radar. We now have the potential to be part of nationwide investigation regarding startup community growth with Startup Genome and seeking a select group of metropolitan areas to join this effort and participate in data collection and analysis. Most cities pay…
Read MoreWestfield’s special permitting process could be revamped
The Westfield City Council’s ad hoc Business Development Committee has been revived under Chairman Michael Burns (Ward 4) and plans to revamp the special permit process. City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell is working with the committee and said most communities’ special permits go through the planning board. He said that makes sense because the planning…
Read MoreHolyoke SPARK to offer social media tips to businesses
Business owners will get tips on how to make the most of a social media presence at a Holyoke SPARK event today from 5 to 7 p.m. at Holyoke Hummus, 285 High St. “Do you have burning social media questions you need answers to for the life of your business? Bring your questions and your…
Read MoreEastern States Exposition donates over $240K to Big E/West Springfield Trust
The Eastern States Exposition has donated over $240,000 to The Big E/West Springfield Trust Fund, the largest contribution since the fund was established 24 years ago. The sum represents 1 percent of the ESE’s gross revenues for 2017. “This is a special year because it’s the biggest check we’ve been able to give to the town,” ESE…
Read More