Sugar Maple Trailside Inn earns accolades
NORTHAMPTON — BusinessRate recently rated the Sugar Maple Trailside Inn the number one bed and breakfast in Florence for endurance, momentum and the quality of its reviews on Google and Trip Advisor.
In mid-February, owners Craig Della Penna and Kathleen “Kathy” Della Penna received the ranking for the owner-occupied inn at 62 Chestnut St. in Florence, which sits on the rail trail that passes through the village.
A fierce advocate for rail trails across New England for the past 25 years, Craig Della Penna is the principal of Northeast Greenway Solutions and a Realtor and associate broker at The Murphys Realtors and holds certified residential specialist certification.
He and his wife bought the Florence property in September 2001 after a meeting in a town near Keene, New Hampshire, where Craig was proposing the conversion of a former railroad into a walking and biking trail.
That night, Della Penna decided he would live along a trail. He zig-zagged through Florence neighborhoods looking for a house for sale near the trail and found 62 Chestnut St. was available. The Della Penna’s offer was accepted immediately, and they purchased the home, made extensive renovations and opened the inn in February 2003.
Sugar Maple Trailside Inn offers two rooms for guests, both of which have windows that face the trail. Della Penna said the inn has roughly 350 guests in a year, a quarter of which have a connection to Smith College. Eighty percent of guests use the trail.
The Sugar Maple Trailside Inn has received other accolades over the years — including the Historic Preservation Award from the city of Northampton and three times as a Valley Advocate Best in the Valley — and it has been featured on HGTV’s “Restore America” and Boston’s WCVB Channel 5’s “Chronicle” twice, and in Yankee Magazine’s 70th anniversary issue.
New social services manager at Salvation Army
Danielle LaTaille, of Longmeadow, has joined The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division as Western Massachusetts regional social services manager.
In her new role, LaTaille will provide guidance and regional coordination to corps case managers and officers across western Massachusetts, including in Athol, Fitchburg, Greenfield, Holyoke, Pittsfield, Springfield and Worcester.
A lifelong western Massachusetts resident, LaTaille has been with The Salvation Army since 2009, working directly with individuals and families facing economic hardship. She has overseen seasonal programs including Coats for Kids, Toy for Joy, and Adopt-a-Family, while also leading teams that deliver year-round social services addressing food insecurity, homelessness, underemployment and limited access to benefits.
LaTaille holds a master’s degree in psychiatric rehabilitation and substance abuse counseling from Springfield College and a bachelor’s degree in biology and sociology from Elms College.
She steps into her new role at a critical time. As more families across Massachusetts face economic hardship, inflation and housing costs, The Salvation Army continues to meet growing and evolving social services needs. The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division works every day to be a critical resource and part of the safety net by providing Christmas gifts and food, offering support for bills, and providing shelter to those without a home.
Workshops will help businesses with AI strategies
SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest, in partnership with Innovate413, presents the StratAI Series, designed to help businesses develop practical AI strategies, smarter operations, and stronger growth. The first event in the series will focus on the manufacturing industry and will take place on Thursday, March 26, from 4:30 to 7 p.m., at the Brian Corridan Center at STCC Technology Park.
Register for free at https://businesswest.com/eventcalendar/stratai-series-one-manufacturing/.
The first event will be moderated by Paul Silva, CEO of Innovate413, and will feature a panel of manufacturing experts and breakout workshops. Food will be provided by the Olde Armory Grille, and beverages will be provided by White Lion Brewing Company. Special guests include state Rep. Orlando Ramos and Aaron Vega, president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council.
The scheduled panelists are: David Arturi, CEO of Tetra, and Vinny LaRocca, CTO of Tetra; John Fazzio, President and COO of Pilot Precision Products, LLC; Ben Grande, President of the Western Massachusetts chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Assoc. and General Manager of Meridian Industrial Group; and Ali Usman, Founder and CEO of PixelEdge.
LaBonte earns Kocot service award
NORTHAMPTON — Lindsay Barron LaBonte, branch manager and senior loan officer at Applied Mortgage, was honored with the Peter V. Kocot Community Service Award from the Northampton St. Patrick’s Association at its award ceremony this month.
This recognition celebrates a chosen person who has distinguished themself through substantial community service contributions in the western Massachusetts community.
The Peter V. Kocot Community Service Award was created in honor of the late Hampshire County representative, Peter Kocot, to recognize exceptional individuals who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to community service and a lasting dedication to strengthening the communities they serve.
The award honors Kocot’s legacy. During his service, Kocot secured critical funding to help develop Grow Food Northampton’s youth education program, creating opportunities for young people to connect with the land and learn the value of sustainable food systems. His dedication to strengthening both education and agriculture continues to inspire community-centered leadership across western Massachusetts.
Through her leadership and volunteer efforts across western Massachusetts, LaBonte has consistently invested her time, resources, and voice in initiatives that strengthen families and expand opportunity.
Florence Bank donates $28.5K to ‘Ice Out Hunger’
FLORENCE — For the third consecutive year, Florence Bank has partnered with UMass Sports Properties and the University of Massachusetts hockey team to Ice Out Hunger in the region at a time when food insecurity is at a record high. To date, the promotion has provided $28,500 of support to 19 area food pantries.
The program started in October 2023, with the bank awarding $500 grants to 19 nonprofits from Springfield to Greenfield at UMass home games. A different food pantry was highlighted during the first intermission, and a fan was chosen to ride on the Mullins Center’s Zamboni, which is wrapped with Florence Bank’s branding.
The donated funds have helped cover the cost of thousands of meals for people in need throughout the Valley.