Magazine Archive
Magazine Archive
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.
A Matter of Life and Death
What happens when Uncle Sam and the Grim Reaper join forces? The death tax, otherwise known as the largest tax bill you’ll ever pay but never see. Thankfully, unlike death itself, this tax can be avoided or minimized with proper estate planning.
A Cable TV Exodus
Am I the only one that thinks that cable companies are a bunch of thieves? Actually, I know I’m not. I hear the same thing from my clients all the time. But this is getting out of hand. Every other day, I see someone make a post about it, or I get a call from someone who is fed up with their cable bills. While the numbers are not exact, from my experience, monthly bills are ranging from $230-$290 a month! That's insanity.
A Perfect Storm
Severe storms can be unpredictable and dangerous, so it's crucial to stay prepared and know how to keep you and your loved ones safe. Here are 5 tips to stay out of danger.
Alex Cook Has a Message for You
Paintbrush in hand, Alex Cook surveyed the brick wall on Bridge Street. He’d never painted publicly before. For years he’d swapped sketchbooks with his two best friends in Wellesley. Sometimes they rode bikes to Bertucci’s just after the dinner rush, because in the restaurant was a giant chalkboard known to moonlight as a canvas. The manager gave them free dinner rolls and all-access to the chalk stash, and though their murals were ephemeral – they would be erased for tomorrow’s specials – they were always meaningful.
Preparation is a Small Price to Pay
The couple wanted desperately to buy a house in the Valley. They were tired of renting. Or perhaps they wanted to move closer to their parents, or to better schools for their kids.
But like many prospective buyers, they were priced out of the Valley’s housing market, with its sky-rocketing prices, limited inventory, and rising interest rates. They couldn’t come up with a down payment and they wondered whether they could afford the monthly mortgage. And so they decided to give up the dream of home-ownership, at least for the time being.
College Material
If college is on the horizon for your soon-to-be freshman, this will be a summer for computer shopping. We asked tech expert Scott Haselkorn for tips on where to start
On Medication
Let's unravel the mysteries of prescription drug coverage for Medicare enrollees and ensure you have all the information you need to access affordable medications.
Small Wonders
Mini-split HVAC systems, also known as ductless HVAC systems, have gained popularity in recent years due to their energy efficiency, flexibility, and ease of installation - and at Berkshire Heating and Air Conditioning, we have everything you need to install (or repair) this relatively new product in your home.
Numbers Game: Q&A With Margot Douillet
We sat down with Margot Douillet, a gifted analyst and the first female coach of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, a competitive summer league that mirrors the style of a minor league season. As the Director of Operations for the Pittsfield Suns, Douillet took the field -- and the helm -- last summer when she was 20 years old.
Lisa Lippiello Shows Grace Under Pressure
Downton Valley has a royal feel to it. A long, winding driveway leads to a stately home that rises over the Pioneer Valley. Inside, the “Dowager Room” and the “Isobel Room” nod to two of the most powerful female characters on the historical drama “Downton Abbey.” But the woman behind this bed-and-breakfast home is a contemporary queen.
She rules.
The best thing about Lisa Lippiello is that she is a humble monarch. Before she was a mother, wife and entrepreneur; before she was a managing partner at a law firm in Northampton, she was just a little girl drawn to the ocean. “I have photos of my father racing to the shore because I was crawling through the sand to the water,” she says with a laugh. The water was her happy place; it would be her steady companion as she navigated her parent’ divorce and was tasked with caring for her younger brother.
And So Our Lives Continue
It's a rainy Sunday morning in April. My wife is driving down to the city to meet her daughter, who flew in to take her mom to lunch and a show. We celebrated on Friday, her actual birthday – with a pancake breakfast in bed; followed by a leisurely day with our puppy, Milo; and capped off with a romantic dinner at The Blue Heron Restaurant.
I'm sitting on our daybed on the porch now, my computer perched on my lap. Somewhat reluctantly, I turned on the gas stove this morning in an effort to temper the chilly April air. All I can hear is the steady patter of rain on the porch roof, an occasional flutter of ducks fishing on the river, and a contented sigh from Milo, who is lying by my side. Suddenly I catch a whir of red brushing across the porch window: A cardinal has sent his blessing for a sweet day at home.
Risky Business
I recently received a panicked email from a potential client who told me that one of their competitors may be taking legal action against them. The reason? Both companies share the same business name in the same industry.
Brand identity is a critical aspect of any business, and it's essential to ensure that you're not infringing on any existing trademarks or brand names when starting a new company. My potential client’s situation could have been avoided if their company had examined their brand and competition from the start.
Here’s why it's crucial to work with a professional to safeguard your brand
House of Music
When he’s not working as an allergist and immunologist at AIANE in Northampton, Dr. Jonathan Bayuk runs One Roof, a nonprofit that puts on musical festivals to fund homes for the unsheltered.
Proudly Forward
Grace Moreno is a force, and she’s the force behind the ever-expanding Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Of its 465 members, more than a quarter are based in the western part of the state – and last November the chamber opened an office in Easthampton to take even better care of them.
Family Business: The Keiters Build a Legacy
Construction was his profession, not his destiny. Throughout high school and college, Scott Keiter was a natural builder and engineer – both were in his blood – but he had something else in his back pocket: his “Dream Book.” It was just as it sounds, a catalogue of possibilities, a reminder that one day the adventurer in him would helm an enterprise.
The Best-Laid Plans Aren't Left to the Commonwealth
If you don’t have an estate plan, you’re not alone. In fact, most adults die without one. Even notable figures like Kurt Cobain, Abraham Lincoln, Howard Hughes, Prince and Pablo Picasso died without a will.
Why do so many people – from former presidents and rock stars to your family members and friends – work their entire lives to accumulate assets but fail to spend mere hours deciding how their assets should pass when they die?
Guiding Light
Lighting is an essential element in any home or office, and it’s important to have functioning lights to create a comfortable and safe environment. Whether you're tired of an outdated or unappealing ceiling light or you need to replace a worn fixture, switching out your ceiling light doesn’t have to be a terrifying prospect. Replacing your ceiling light is a simple and cost-effective way to upgrade your home's aesthetic, but it's important to approach the project with caution. Electrical work can be dangerous if not handled properly.
Aimee Salmon: Jumping for Joy
Are you teaching today? It was one of the first English phrases she understood, even though she was the new girl in Zumba class. No one knew that Aimee Salmon had never danced, that growing up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, moving just wasn’t on her radar.
Money Talks
Inheritance is the third rail in financial planning. No one wants to go there. Yet when you think about your future financial circumstances, you need to estimate any wealth you might inherit. Without it, you’re flying blind when you consider these questions.