Making news in business, Dec. 27

Riverside’s Ireland joins board of directors of statewide group FRAMINGHAM — Lynn Ireland, president and CEO of Riverside Industries in Easthampton, have been elected to the board of directors at the Association for Developmental Disabilities...

New era begins at Fishtales: Longtime GM buys seafood and steak restaurant in Hatfield

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HATFIELD — In her dozen years as general manager at Fishtales Bar & Grill, Kerianne Kelliher has emphasized building connections with local farms, ensuring in-season produce is served at the restaurant, alongside the seafood and steaks that is a main...

French specialty lands in Paradise City: Suzette French Creperie opens in Thornes Marketplace

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Jean-Luc Wittner had a good career in France, working high-paying corporate jobs such as a sales representative for a large wine purchasing company. But he also felt deeply unfulfilled.“I made money, more money than I do now, but I was...

Starbucks strike expands to 59 stores

By DEE-ANN DURBIN

A five-day strike by Starbucks baristas had closed 59 stores as of Monday afternoon, according to the union organizing the workers.The strike, which began Friday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Starbucks’ hometown of Seattle, spread Monday to stores in...

Area property deed transfers, Dec. 20

AMHERST Nina M. Scott to Robin Fordham, 6 Emerson Court, Lot 6, $342,500 Robert D. Jackson to Christopher A. Desorcy, 655 Main St., $450,000 Joanna F. Morse and Gideon S. Morse to Jeanne Fenney, 435 Potwine Lane, $371,000 Nicholas W. Guidera to...

An eclectic treasure opens: The Shiny Black Door offers wide-ranging mix of items at new spot in Thornes

By ALEXA LEWIS

NORTHAMPTON — Stepping into The Shiny Black Door is akin to entering a curiosity cabinet — a treasure trove brimming with unique items, each with their own story.It’s a shop that begs customers to stay a while and browse its eclectic selection, from...

Making news in business, Dec. 19

New name forFlorence Bankfinancial groupFLORENCE — Florence Bank has changed the name of its financial services division from Florence Savings Bank Financial Group to Florence Financial Group, effective Nov. 4.In addition to being shorter and less...

Play in a gamer’s paradise: A plethora of classic video games, mini-golf and tournaments bring community to Prodigy in Easthampton

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

Tucked behind the large former factory building that makes up the Eastworks retail complex lies the entrance to Prodigy, signs indicating that only those ages 13 and up may enter, with those under 17 requiring adult supervision. After going through...

A sliver goes a long way: After finding online success for its 9-calorie bites of heaven, Tangle Chocolate now open on Main Street in Williamsburg

By SAMUEL GELINAS

WILLIAMSBURG — Especially at this time of year, the idea of chocolate may leave consumers counting calories or feeling guilty — in short, the bliss of chocolate turns stressful.Enter Suzanne Forman. The former mind-body therapist hopes to relieve the...

Making news in business, Dec. 13

New medical director joins MiraVista HOLYOKE — MiraVista Behavioral Health Center has appointed Dr. Kenneth R. Richmond as its new medical director. Richmond, a psychiatrist and experienced leader in the field of behavioral health, brings a...

Warren wants to break Big Tech’s hold on AI

By Cristiano Lima-Strong, Gerrit De Vynck, and Andrea Jiménez

An unlikely Senate duo is pushing to loosen the grip that tech giants such as Google and Amazon have over defense contracting in cloud computing and artificial intelligence.Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri)...

Women entrepreneurs from Northampton, Easthampton honored at State House

By SAMUEL GELINAS

BOSTON — Two women entrepreneurs from Hampshire County are being honored for the role their businesses have played in “lifting up Massachusetts.” Mary Gabis, the founder of Iridescence Healing Arts in Northampton, and Colleen DelVecchio, the founder...

Bittersweet Bakery & Cafe in Deerfield reopens with smaller menu, renewed focus on dinners

By CHRIS LARABEE

DEERFIELD — After a few months of a temporary closure in which its owner was determining the next steps, Bittersweet Bakery & Cafe recently reopened its doors with a revamped business plan.Laura Thiem, who owns and operates the 6-year-old bakery and...

Banning social media — Australia’s social experiment will be watched closely

By BARBARA ORTUTAY

It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history — one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn...

Area property deed transfers, Dec. 6

GOSHEN Thadeus & D L Wojcik RET and Thadeus Wojcik to Kelly Magee, 92 Aberdeen Road, $475,000 GRANBY Alison J. Kuley to Elias Salgado Jr., 17 Crescent Valley, Lot 17, $240,000 HOLYOKE Robert M. Cabral to Caitlyn Wasserman, 19 Anderson Ave.,...

Area property deed transfers, Dec. 13

AMHERST Phyllis J Pike RET and Phyllis J. Pike to Bho Realty LLC, 88 Eames Ave., $290,000 M A Kane Testamentary T and Nathaniel F. Kane to Frances Kraver, 26 Green Leaves Dr., Lot 632, $352,000 Guangyu Xu to Donald R. Korobkin and Susan Holland,...

Consumer Corner with Anita Wilson: Pitfalls to watch out for when shopping online

A survey from the National Retail Federation found that consumers plan to spend just over $900 on gifts this holiday season and 57% of those purchases will be made online.At the same time, consumer complaints about online purchases are on the rise....

Spinning a new chapter: Couple moves Deep Thoughts Record Shop to Northampton from Jamaica Plain

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Walking into Deep Thoughts Record Shop on Market Street, one first notices the sounds emanating from the store’s speakers. Sometimes it’s the cacophony of avant-garde jazz music, other times it can be the more familiar voice of Phil...

Area property deed transfers, Nov. 29

AMHERST Richard Iacovelli RET and Richard Iacovelli to Alfred Nutile and Emma Quigley, 4 Dwight Circle, $392,500 Joshua M. Kranz to Seemo M. Amzil and Sylvia K. Amzil-Rolle, 170 E. Hadley Road, Lot 11, $172,000 Levin Donna J Est and Diane J....

Making news in business, Nov. 29

Walker appointed senior VP at UMassBOSTON — University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan has appointed Nefertiti Walker as senior vice president for academic affairs, student affairs and equity, a role critical to advancing academic quality,...