Valley Venture Mentors Appoints Six Executives in Residence
Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) announced the addition of six new executives in residence (EIRs) who will serve as guest educators and leaders to the 36 startup companies in the 2018 VVM Startup Accelerator program. The program provides intensive training, a network of skilled mentors, and funding that enables startup founders to establish and grow their…
STCC Biotechnology Program Wins Gold Level Endorsement
Graduates of the biotechnology programs at Springfield Technical Community College are well-prepared for careers in the life sciences, according to a leading science-education organization. The Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd) endorsed STCC’s biotechnology associate degree and certificate programs at the Gold Level. MassBioEd concluded that graduates of the degree and certificate programs “are ready for…
Community Foundation grant to help Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Amherst employ more…
The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts awarded the one-year grant of $133,000 to help schools in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton and Amherst. The grant, which is being administered by the Five College Consortium, is intended to help the districts employ 20 new teachers of color by 2020. Amherst Superintendent Michael Morris is hoping to begin by bringing…
MASSMUTUAL ANNOUNCES MAJOR EXPANSION AND REINVESTMENT IN MASSACHUSETTS
MassMutual to invest nearly $300 million in Commonwealth. Will add 2,000 jobs to state over next four years, including 1,500 at corporate headquarters in Springfield, and build new Boston campus on Fan Pier. MassMutual workforce in state to grow by 70 percent. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) today announced a multi-year plan to expand…
Southampton’s Opa Opa Steakhouse and Brewery for sale
Opa Opa restaurant and brewery on College Highway in Southampton is up for sale. Canon Realty in Easthampton has listed the property on its website and the Multiple Listing Service Property Information Network site. According to the listing, the sale includes the business, on-site brewery equipment, the building, 1.5 acres of land and the liquor license for…
Community Foundation Joins Partnership to Boost Arts, Creativity
The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) and the Barr Foundation, a private foundation based in Boston, announced the launch of Creative Commonwealth, a partnership between Barr, CFWM, and four other Massachusetts community foundations. This new initiative is rooted in the belief that investments in arts and creativity build thriving communities, and it aims to…
River Valley Counseling opens office in Easthampton
River Valley Counseling Center has expanded its presence here, opening an office at Liberty Commons on 2 Mechanic St. “River Valley Counseling Center is pleased to expand its services and provide comprehensive mental health services in Easthampton,” said Rosemarie M. Ansel, the center’s executive director, in a statement. “As new members of the Easthampton Chamber…
The Pub and Pretzel, new bar opening in Springfield, will highlight old and new of Worthington Street
The Pub and Pretzel, the new restaurant and bar opening in the former Naismith’s space in downtown Springfield this spring, will offer bar patrons a feeling of nostalgia. By keeping the original bar and its counter seats, the tiled floors and even some of the artwork from Naismith’s, The Pub and Pretzel will feel like the former bar, with…
The Bon Ton files for bankruptcy, but plans to keep sole Mass. location in Westfield open | masslive.com
Department-store chain The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, less than a week after announcing plans to close 47 stores across its chain. That list doesn’t include the Bon-Ton in the Westfield Shops, the chain’s only Massachusetts location. Chapter 11 of federal bankruptcy law buys a company time by protecting them…
Mixed-use Projects Highlight Growth in Amherst
Anyone who has spent time in Amherst recognizes the town’s enviable mix of cultural institutions, restaurants, academic energy — more than 33,000 students attend UMass Amherst, Hampshire College, and Amherst College — and open space. But town officials know they need to do more than tout those offerings; they need to leverage them to create…
Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts receives $25K grant
Women in Western Massachusetts interested in seeking positions of leadership recently received some real encouragement – some $25,000 worth of it. This is the amount the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, which runs leadership programs for both women and girls, received in a grant from the Irving and Sulamith Blackberg Charitable Foundation. “This funding will…
Evan Plotkin: President of NAI Plotkin
The small bronze plaque is starting to show its age. Fastened to a rectangular stone near the former Court Square Hotel and the old Hampden County Courthouse, it proudly celebrates work done to clean up a walkway that connects Court Square with State Street. It reads: COURT HOUSE WALK, one of the city’s most charming…