Magazine Archive
Magazine Archive
By Design Landscape Concepts - Where Experience and Quality Meet
Peter Loizzo, the owner and operator of By Design Landscape Concepts has lived in Longmeadow all his life, and after he received his degree in Environmental Design and Plant and Soil Science, it was only logical that he start his business and further beautify the town he raised his family in.
Since 1989, By Design Landscape Concepts has been transforming landscapes all over the Pioneer Valley, but for Peter, it’s more than a job.
Erase Your School Anxiety with InfinityEd
Varna Naik began math tutoring more than a decade ago, and realized how rampant “math anxiety” was in our society - she saw a need to create a space for students to ease themselves into Math - and from there, InfinityEd was born.
“Little ol’ me, at a wee age of 18, didn’t understand that these [Math Anxiety] struggles existed; it burst my bubble and forced me into the real world,” said Naik. “Further, it showed me why folks have so many life problems: poverty, debt, and other financial struggles. My experiences in community college solidified into a conclusion: mathematics, as a core foundational skill that teaches critical thinking and creative problems solving, is neither taught nor learned properly. As such, some people struggle their whole lives with no way of breaking free from their circumstances.”
Dream House: Valley Home Improvement Does Inspired Work in the Community
Before Steve Silverman moved to Florence, he set a few intentions. He and his wife would trade the Cape Cod shores for acres of farmland. He would “pick up a tool belt and make a hobby into a career.” Maybe he’d be a builder.
In 2004 the couple rented a house and gave themselves one year to buy a home. That September, they headed to the Three-County Fair to celebrate Labor Day. That’s where Silverman came across a posting for a 45-acre horse farm. Within a week, he’d signed a purchase and sale agreement. Now it was time to find work.
When he walked into Valley Home Improvement (VHI) that month, he and the company president, Nelson Shifflett, realized they had attended the same high school on the Cape. Then Shifflett said something even more surprising: “One day I’m going to sell my company and you could be the buyer.” He looked in Silverman’s direction, and Silverman peered over his shoulder, wondering who had entered the room. Then he turned back to his new boss, who now shook the hand of his future successor.