Berkshire Community College (BCC) has been awarded a nearly $200,000 grant from Guardian Life Insurance Company of America for a proposal to expand the college’s financial literacy programming to continue offering, at no cost to students, the Money Management for Life course, as well as debt forgiveness grants.
A system of 52 wayfinding signs are in the process of being installed downtown, officials said Wednesday. Designed to orient visitors, increase foot traffic and promote central locations throughout the city's downtown area, the signs are going into place just in time for the grand opening of the MGM Springfield casino. The system was developed over a period of two years and will be crucial in orienting new visitors to the city, said Kevin Kennedy, the city's chief development officer.
The letters for "MassMutual" are coming down from Tower Square in what was -- given the current state of the sign Wednesday -- an "utual" decision between the insurer and the new owners of the 28-story building. But the recently departed Marriott sign on the complex's hotel is on its way back, according to the new owners, who plan extensive renovations at the hotel. MassMutual is removing its name from the Tower Square office building, four months after selling the downtown Springfield skyscraper to a group of investors for $7 million. The sign was on the north and south sides of ...
Although MGM Springfield is not set to open its doors to the public until next week, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said Wednesday that she can already feel the "momentum" and excitement that the $960 million casino project has brought to the city. Polito, who joined local officials in announcing public safety plans ahead of MGM Springfield's opening, praised the city's efforts to promote economic development and grow housing options in connection with the casino project.
The long-delayed Springfield Innovation Center at 270-276 Bridge St. got a $250,000 boost Wednesday. Construction has already resumed on the the $7 million renovation project, with completion expected by the end of December. Workers started back on the renovation project earlier this week, said Nicholas A. Fyntrilakis, chairman of DevelopSpringfield, which owns the building. He said the primary tenant, Valley Venture Mentors, should be ready to move in by the end of 2018. It might take longer for the Ground Up Cafe restaurant planned for the first floor to be ready.
People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, N.A., today announced that it awarded $62,000 to Western and Central Massachusetts non-profits during its second grant cycle of 2018. Funding was allocated to 13 non-profit organizations in support of activities that ranged from basic needs services and affordable housing initiatives, to education and workforce development programs. Grant recipients included:
MHA's Leadership Series, which is open to all members of management in the agency and targeted at program Supervisors and Directors, delivers a leadership curriculum specialized for human services professionals. The comprehensive training is designed to support Supervisors and Directors within their roles. With such diverse responsibilities associated with positions throughout the agency, MHA believes there is much value in providing access to skill building trainings in order to better prepare their leaders for their current and future roles.
The CTrail Hartford Line has opened one restroom per train on the route serving Springfield to New Haven, and the Connecticut Department of Transportation will keep temporary handicapped-accessible bathrooms at stations in place. The on-board bathrooms reopened Monday. Meanwhile, Connecticut will continue to work on modifying the onboard bathrooms to meet modern handicapped accessibility rules.
A Baystate Health partnership formed to served MassHealth enrollees through the model of an Accountable Care Organization has been awarded a $750,000 state grant to expand in-home asthma services through an area pilot program. The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission grant to Baystate Health Care Alliance/BeHealthy Partnership ACO will help expand over an 18-month period beginning this fall the asthma program of Springfield Healthy Homes Collaborative.
Comcast today announced it has now connected more than six million low-income Americans to the Internet through its Internet Essentials program, the largest and most comprehensive broadband-adoption program for low-income families in the U.S. The company connected more than 2 million people in the past year alone, which is the largest annual increase in the program’s history. The company also announced it will significantly expand eligibility — for the 11th time in seven years — to low-income veterans, nearly 1 million of whom live within the Comcast footprint.
New Valley Bank & Trust has identified a site for the first office, a former medical building at 908 Allen St. in the city's East Forest Park neighborhood, according to an application filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and obtained by The Republican through a public records request.
South Hadley High School's culinary arts program has received state Chapter 70 vocational certification, according to Superintendent Nicholas Young. The district continues to introduce vocational offerings and improve the educational experience for all grades, Young said. The high school also added a carpentry component in recent years, which is awaiting state certification. Young described the culinary arts certification as the state's "gold seal" for curriculum, letting students pursue a career or academic tracks in the discipline. "It allows our graduates to be more employable and be more prepared for post-secondary education," he said.
MGM Springfield, the PVTA and the city unveiled The Loop Monday at a news conference with U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal at the renovated Union Station as MGM nears its Aug. 24 grand opening. The free bus service begins at 1 p.m. on opening day, just after traffic clears from a planned parade, said Sandra E. Sheehan, administrator for the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority.
Agawam High School is starting a new advanced manufacturing program after many years without one. The school has cleaned up a collection of Bridgeport milling machines dating to its construction in the 1950s, adding new computer-simulated manufacturing technology, and has a trained a math teacher in manufacturing. It's all part of a $90,000 effort to prep students for in-demand careers and for further study in manufacturing technology after high school. The 1,150-student high school will offer two classes beginning in September for 15 to 18 students in each class.
John Garvey isn’t shy about noting that he never worked for a large ad agency, or a ‘traditional’ ad agency, as he calls them. In fact, he’s rather proud of that background — as are the rest of the members of the team at the agency he formed more than 30 years ago known as Garvey Communication Associates Inc., who didn’t work for a traditional agency either.
A new space for small-batch beer and comfort food will soon open in downtown Springfield. White Lion Brewing Company announced Saturday their new location in downtown Springfield. The brewery has signed a lease for 4,400 square feet on the ground floor of the MassLive building on Main Street, space previously occupied by Santander Bank. "It's going to be a very unique experience in downtown Springfield," founder Raymond L. Berry Jr. told MassLive.
Westover Job Corps Center, with 234 students at its Johnson Road location, has a new management company under an $82 million, two-year contract -- part of a regular churn of contractors within Job Corps locations across the country. The U.S. Department of Labor issued the contract Aug. 3 to Alternate Perspectives Inc., of Leesburg, Virginia. Alternative Perspectives already operates the Shriver Job Corps in Devens, Massachusetts, among other locations. Alternate Perspectives declined to answer questions about the contract, except to say that it is now reorganizing the center to fit its model.
The Westfield Redevelopment Authority is considering which conceptual design for the urban renewal project on Elm Street would be the best fit for the city. The WRA hopes the empty lot that spans the block from the Church Street Commons building to the corner of Arnold Street will become a mixed-use space incorporating restaurants, retail and apartments. The location is the site of the former J.J. Newberry's department store and other retail shops and apartments. The store burned down in 1986.
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. plans to expand its Agawam compressor station and install a new two-mile pipeline loop to help Columbia Gas of Massachusetts grow its customer base in the Pioneer Valley. Tennesee hosted a site visit in July; plans are described in a 315-page environmental notification form Tennessee filed with Massachusetts regulators in June; and the deadline for public comment was today. Tennessee's new 12-inch diameter buried pipeline would start at the 1615 Suffield Street compressor, cross the road, head north, and cross Shoemaker Lane, Gold Street, and Silver Street before terminating at a tie-in for Columbia's ...
As part of its 75th-anniversary season, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is scheduling a series of free chamber-music concerts throughout the Pioneer Valley. The first, slated for Thursday, Aug. 30 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., will debut a percussion trio at the historic Springfield Armory. Guests are invited to arrive early to enjoy canapes and a cash bar before the concert begins promptly at 6:15 p.m.“We are very excited about this special chamber-music event,” said Susan Beaudry, executive director of the SSO. “Bringing more concerts to important community spaces throughout Springfield is just one of ...
In May, a Nebraska company finalized purchase of Berkshire Power Company, LLC, and its 229-megawatt natural gas generator off Shoemaker Lane. Wednesday night, representatives from Tenaska assured the City Council they plan to prioritize safety and the environment in running the 18-year-old power plant, while also giving back to the community. "We have a reputation for safe, reliable, environmentally responsible operation," said Jason Behrens, Tenaska's vice president of strategic development and acquisitions.
Westfield State University will partner with Holyoke Community College and Springfield Public Schools on a new initiative to train more science, technology, engineering and math teachers. The schools are one of three regional partnerships that will use a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education to develop MassTeach, a new model for increasing and diversifying the ranks of STEM teachers in high-need school districts.
Being pro-business, Jeff Smith says, doesn’t mean letting just any business set up shop in Wilbraham — but it does mean giving every business a fair shake. Take, for example, Iron Duke Brewing, which is moving to town after a successful but eventually contentious stay at the Ludlow Mills. Because Wilbraham had no zoning for microbrew and brewpub establishments, the town’s Economic Development Initiative Steering Committee (EDICS) recommended a zoning change that eased the path for not just Iron Duke, but also Catch 22 Brewing, which is setting up shop at the former Dana’s Grillroom on Boston Road.
Kicking off the festivities at 10:30 a.m. at the corner of State and Main Streets, Downtown Springfield will be treated to a lively procession featuring the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales and other surprise entertainment alongside hundreds of the resort’s employees, construction workers and local dignitaries. Guests are invited to view the procession as it heads down Main Street and ends at the entrance to the property. Once the procession has arrived at MGM Springfield at approximately 11 a.m., doors will officially open, welcoming guests in to experience the energy and excitement of New England ...