News/Business
Area property deed transfers, March 7
AMHERSTRailroad St Partners LLC to Aews Partnership LLC, 166 College St., $445,000 Bercume Construction LLC to Helen Wang, 129 Lindenridge Road, $1,030,020 Ellen G. Gordon to Laura Hanke, 10 Palley Village Place, Lot 10,...
Beyond the plate: New restaurant Lao Hu Tong aims to bring Chinese food, culture to Amherst
By Aria Martinelli
AMHERST — People who can’t travel thousands of miles to savor authentic Chinese cuisine and culture in the Far East now have the next best thing in downtown Amherst.Three months ago, Lao Hu Tong opened a few doors down from Boltwood Avenue at 63...
Luthier to hang up his tools: After 53 years, Tony Creamer closing Fretted Instruments in Amherst this spring
By JAMES PENTLAND
AMHERST — Tony Creamer began his career in luthiery upstairs at 49 South Pleasant St. in 1969, and he’ll be ending it there, too, when he closes the Fretted Instrument Workshop on April 1. “I will have completed 53 years in business,” he said last...
Area property deed transfers, Feb. 22
AMHERST Alfred J. Albano Jr. to Historic Renovations & Re, 68 Mcclellan St., $335,000 Stanley L. Warner and Signia R. Warner to Philip B. Torrey and Nancy G. Torrey, 31 Middle St., $600,000 Jeffrey P Roth-Howe RET and Jeffrey P. Roth-Howe to...
Area property deed transfers, Feb. 15
AMHERST Ann S Campney RET and Julia C. Irving to Susan E. Donner and Frances M. Cooper, 7 Burgundy Lane, Lot 7, $445,000 Porter Annick Est and Gregory Porter to John M. Kalas and Margaret S. Kalas, 33 Gaylord St, $760,000 North Pleasant St Partner...
A city ready for a wine shop: Longtime friends open Tip Top in Easthampton
By MADDIE FABIAN
EASTHAMPTON — A few years back, longtime friends Miranda Brown and Lauren Clark realized that the city didn’t have its own quality wine store.“It was during the pandemic, and everybody was going and buying wine. … We were just like, ‘Why do we have to...
Area property deed transfers, Feb. 1
AMHERST Carmen Carracelas-Juncal to Trang Le, 170 E. Hadley Road, Lot 92, $317,500 Good Daves LLC to Michael M. Lee and Yong S. Lee, 221 Northampton Road, $380,000 Amir Mikhchi and Fatemeh Giahi to Xiaoqin Zhon, 21 Webster...
African vibe shines at new store in Thornes called Positively Africana
By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL
NORTHAMPTON — When Aimee Salmon first moved to Northampton from the Democratic Republic of the Congo 10 years ago, she admits it was something of a culture shock.“The weather was the first snow in my life,” she said. “I didn’t speak English at the...
Area property deed transfers, Jan. 25
AMHERST Kord Josephine M Est and Tina Vey to John Gary Bernhard T and John G. Bernhard, 25 Green Leaves Dr., Lot 534, $360,000 Pine Street Partners LLC to Vladimir Gotlieb, 10 Pine St., $615,000 Katherine M. Arms to 17 Salem Place LLC, 17 Salem...
Overdraft fees could drop to as low as $3 under Biden proposal
By KEN SWEET and CORA LEWIS
NEW YORK — The cost to overdraw a bank account could drop to as little as $3 under a proposal announced by the White House, the latest effort by the Biden administration to combat fees it says pose an unnecessary burden on American consumers,...
Heavy-duty fixes: Couple has big plans for Hatfield independent truck repair shop
By JAMES PENTLAND
HATFIELD — Working from a foundation laid down by the business it bought at 4 Linseed Road last year, Harrison Diesel Solutions is building a name for itself in the field of heavy equipment maintenance.Husband and wife Drew and Ashley Harrison began...
Consumer Corner with Anita Wilson: Gift card or money down the drain? Tips for keeping gift card value intact
By Anita Wilson
You may have received gift cards as presents this holiday season, or you may have some tucked away in a drawer or in your wallet for safe keeping. They are so prevalent that almost half of all adults have at least one gift card, and the combined total...
Making news in business, Jan. 19
Enrollment opens for Girls Inc.’s Ambassador ProgramHOLYOKE — Girls Inc. of the Valley is accepting applications for its free 2024 Ambassador Program, in which the organization hosts workshops to support young professionals gain access to...
Area property deed transfers, Jan. 18
AMHERST Nathan Margalit and Pearl A. Margalit to Andrea Thamm and Michael Baker, 65 Grantwood Dr., $625,000 Henry A. Brown to Kirkpatrick Realty LLC, 35 High St., $1,500,000 BELCHERTOWN Albert Winkler to Christopher Larrivee, 497 Chauncey Walker...
Making news in business, Jan. 11
Northampton offers air quality grants to business ownersNORTHAMPTON — The city is offering grants to business owners for improving indoor air quality as part of a joint project of its Ventilation Task Force and the Downtown Northampton...
Area property deed transfers, Jan. 11
AMHERST Robert N. Brooks to William R. Herman and Angeline B. Herman, 5 Amity Place, Lot 5, $399,900 BELCHERTOWN Valthea Mcgee Fry RET and Valthea M. Fry to Gregory Feldman, Cold Spring Road, Lot 10, $275,000 Brian W. Kruse to Drc Firearms &...
Florence Bank, UMass hockey team up to ‘ice out’ hunger
FLORENCE — Florence Bank has partnered with UMass Sports Properties and the University of Massachusetts Hockey team to “ice out” hunger in the Valley, and through this new program, the bank will provide $9,500 in $500 grants to each of 19 food...
Making news in business, Jan. 4
Move to Heal Recovery Program opens in S. Hadley SOUTH HADLEY — Move to Heal, a nonprofit that supports people who are facing mental health issues, addiction and other life challenges by offering free group exercise, recovery meetings, nutritional...
A skateboarder’s mecca: Region’s first indoor skateboard club opens in Easthampton
By MADDIE FABIAN
EASTHAMPTON — On the ground floor of Eastworks, a converted old mill that now houses artists, writers and nonprofits, a different type of tenant can be found — one where its customers practice “ollies” and “grinds,” “pop shove-its” and “kickflips.”...
Vacant storefront program off and running in Northampton as initial two businesses selected for tax relief
By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL
NORTHAMPTON — Two LGBTQ+-owned businesses are the first recipients of the city’s new vacant storefront tax credit program, an initiative established in autumn 2022 in an effort to fill empty spaces downtown.The two businesses are Many Graces Farm &...
