ANTIQUES: Parisian artist’s work with ceramics, F7
IN THE GARDEN: How useful is compost tea?, F3
Summer cleaning
Some quick, well-suited tasks for the last days of the season. Page F2
10 quick cleaning projects for the last days of summer
By Jolie K err
The Washington Post
CLEANING
SCHED -
ules and routines help a home run smoothly, but in the summer, even people who run tight ships tend to relax a bit, scaling back or skipping chores in favor of enjoying the season.
There are, however, certain cleaning and organizing tasks that are well-suited to summer. So if a rainy day has you stuck indoors, a nasty burn is forcing you to take a break from all that sun, or you’re just looking to keep idle hands busy, one of these summer cleaning projects might be the perfect use of an hour or so.
Winter coat purge
30 minutes, plus time for mending, washing and drying coats to be donated Summer is a great time to contend with a collection of winter coats that needs paring down, because handling a heavy wool coat in summertime is a terrible experience. That may not sound like much of a sell until you think of it this way: You’re less likely to talk yourself into keeping a winter coat you’re on the fence about when it’s 95 degrees outside. You’ll also be doing a great service by donating winter coats before the weather turns cold.
Clean vents, blades and filters
30 minutes, plus drying time for reusable filters
Our air conditioners, fans, vents and air purifiers work overtime in the summer months to maintain comfortable indoor air. Keep them in good working condition by dusting or vacuuming vent slats and fan blades, and washing or replacing air conditioner and air purifier filters, as needed.
Deep-clean the grill
30 minutes
Caring for your grill calls for both routine cleaning (scraping the grates before and after use) and deep cleaning, which involves detailing the entire unit, not just the cooking surface. Infrequent grillers can get away with deep cleaning twice a year, at the beginning and end of each grilling season, but people who grill a lot should aim to deep-clean after eight to 10 uses.
Clean pool, beach and camping gear
20 minutes
This is the cleaning equivalent of sneaking spinach into brownies. Cleaning camping gear, pool noodles and all those beach toys is more fun than chore: Take them outside, line them up and hose them down. Then, check for any repairs or deeper cleaning that may be needed, toss anything that is broken, set aside items you no longer use to be donated, and let everything dry in the sun.
Wash the car
30 minutes
Going through a car wash is a thrill, but there’s something so great about getting outside with a bucket of suds, a hose and a comically oversize sponge to wash the car by hand. Some tips to get the job done like a pro: Put down the dish soap and spring for a bottle of car-wash soap, which won’t strip the car’s clear coat the way dish soap can. The car should be cool to the touch and parked in the shade. Work in sections, applying the soap and rinsing it quickly so that the suds do not dry on the surface.
Shampoo carpets and upholstery
45 to 90 minutes, plus drying time
Using an extraction machine is the best way to deepclean carpet and upholstery, but it can be a challenge to keep busy household members away from damp furniture and rugs while they dry. Take advantage of the warm summer months, when you can send the whole family outside, to shampoo the carpets and upholstered furniture. Drying times will be shorter when it’s warm, but high humidity will prolong the process — so, if possible, opt to do the shampooing on a hot, dry day.
Clean the dishwasher and washing machine
One sanitizing or cleaning cycle length, typically 90 minutes
Technically speaking, major household appliances like dishwashers and washing machines should be deepcleaned monthly. Here in the real world, most of us are not nearly so diligent. Summer is a good time to make up for dereliction of duty: If you haven’t deep-cleaned the appliances this year, or simply cannot recall, exactly, when the last time was that you did so, go ahead and run a cleaning cycle now.
Launder pillows and other bulky bedding
Two to three hours, mostly hands-off
The worst part of doing laundry is the folding, which makes washing items that don’t call for it — like pillows, mattress pads, comforters and duvets — an almost entirely hands-off task that’s perfect to pick off during the lazy summer months.
Plus, freshening up the bedding after a few sweaty months is a nice treat, and it’s one less thing to do when the busy back-to-school season bleeds into the even busier holiday season.
Deep-clean trash cans and recycling bins
20 minutes, plus drying time
Summer is a great time for any deep-cleaning jobs that are best performed outdoors, and that’s especially true of jobs that call for a hose.
One such job, deep-cleaning trash cans and recycling bins, is perfect for a hot summer day.
Remove the liners, take the bins outside and hose them
off, inside and out. Use a rag and soapy water to wipe up stubborn spills and stains, then hose the cans off again and allow them to dry in the sun.
Wash laundry bags, liners and hampers 5 minutes to wipe hard-sided hampers, plus washing and drying time for liners and fabric laundry bags
Laundry bags, liners, hampers and baskets hold our dirty clothes until it’s time to do the wash, making them a breeding ground for bacteria, germs and odors. Fabric laundry bags and liners can be machine washed and dried using a low-heat dryer setting.
Hard-sided or woven laundry hampers or baskets should be wiped clean with all-purpose cleaner and a rag or a disinfecting cleaning wipe; disinfectant sprays can also be used to clean laundry hampers and baskets.
Grill cleaning involves detailing the whole unit, not just the cooking surface. On the front cover: Shampooing carpets in the warmer weather can make drying times shorter. (ADOBE STOCK IMAGES)
AFEW YEARS AGO, I went to a nearby permaculture convergence. (Actually a “permaculture conference;” those people have the best terms for what they do). I’ve grown plants in what I learned was a permie way for many decades, so I’ve been accused of being a permaculturalist. I
GARDEN NOTES
STOCKBRIDGE
Upcoming program at Berkshire
Botanical Garden
Berkshire Botanical Garden presents the following upcoming programs:
Monday, Aug. 25, “Music Mondays” featuring Rounders Revival. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Food will be available for purchase from Hand Crafted Catering + Events, and beer and wine can be purchased from Another Round Mobile Bar. Come early and join in for the Farmers Market from 3 to 6. Cost is $15 members, $25 nonmembers.
Saturday, Aug. 30, and Sunday, Aug. 31, Berkshire Woodworkers Guild Fine Woodwork Show and Silent Auction. A fine woodwork show and sale featuring designs by 32 professional woodworkers from the Berkshires and neighboring counties in New York and Connecticut. Silent auction to benefit the Berkshire Woodworkers Guild Scholarship Fund, which supports individuals who aspire to make woodworking their professional goal. Throughout the weekend, Guild members will demonstrate various woodworking techniques.
Great Cape Baking Co. will be onsite offering a full breakfast and lunch menu, coffee, drinks and their famous handmade doughnuts. $5 general admission, $3 for Berkshire Botanical Garden Members. To register or for more information,
Lee Reich | In the Garden
How good is compost tea?
was even invited to do a presentation and host a farmden tour for the convergence. While there, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by someone who has been billed as the diva of dirt, or, at least, of compost tea, specifically aerated compost tea (ACT), Dr. Elaine Ingham. You’ve never heard of ACT!?
visit www.berkshirebotanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.
WESTFIELD
Stanley Park tours
Stanley Park invites you to take a walking tour through the grounds of the park. Your personal guide will show you the many inviting areas this picturesque Park has to offer. You will learn some historical facts of Stanley Park as you stroll through the gardens. Unlock the secret of the Enchanted Oak. Take in the beauty of the newly restored Carillon Tower, which is a landmark of the park.
Travel through the Colonial-era Village while enjoying the scenic route around the ponds. Take a moment to stroll through the Veteran’s Memorial before crossing over to the Tea House in the Asian Garden. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended for these tours. Tours meet in front of the Carillon Tower at 9 a.m., ending at approximately 10:30 a.m. Tour dates are on Sept. 6 and 20.
To make a tour reservation, contact Stanley Park’s Development Office at 413568-9312, ext. 108, visit the event page on their website at www.stanleypark.org or by email at development@ stanleypark.org. Stanley Park is located on Western Avenue.
Send items for Garden Notes to pmastriano@repub.com two weeks prior to publication.
It became the hot, new thing years ago, perhaps still is, as an alleged cure for poor soil and plant pests. I’d been skeptical and thought that hearing and speaking to Dr. Ingham in person could entice me into the fold.
Dr. Ingham showed myriad
images of fungi, nematodes, and other creatures that you might find in compost piles and teas. We saw many “bad guys” that lurk in poorly aerated composts and teas. The “bad guys” are bad, she asserted, because they release toxins into the soil and puff
away valuable nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus in various forms as gases.
Dr. Ingham suggested monitoring our compost piles and tea happenings by purchasing a microscope and, with the help of her workshops,
Sometimes growth in the garden means going small
By Roger D oiron
The Washington Post
IN A CULTURE THAT EQUATES success with expansion, learning to contract intentionally may be one of the most radical acts we can perform. I am best known for urging people to grow more of their own food, yet at this stage in my life, I am discovering the wisdom in growing less — and with it, lessons about what each season of life requires.
When my wife, Jacqueline, and I moved into our home in coastal Maine in 2005, we were thrilled to have a third of an acre to call our own. We had spent years living with our three young sons in a cramped Brussels apartment, where our downstairs neighbor would tap his ceiling with a broom whenever the boys ran through the living room. For years, we had longed for a small piece of earth to care for — this yard was our chance.
We started modestly that first summer, with our oldest son, François, and his friend helping me strip sod to create our first vegetable bed. By the end of that season, it measured around 800 square feet.
The following year, we doubled it. As our family settled in, the garden became the heart of our home and my work — I had founded a nonprofit promoting food gardening, and our backyard served as a test plot, a photo shoot location and an open-air classroom. We grew everything we could think of, even crops uncommon in Maine such as artichokes, Belgian endives and melons. Some failed, some flourished. That was part of the fun.
We didn’t stop at the backyard. We transformed our front yard into a showcase for edible landscaping, complete with a sign to educate passersby. During the Great Recession of 2009, Jacqueline and I weighed every crop we harvested, calculating that our garden had produced 833 pounds of organic food worth more than $2,000. That figure felt like both vindication and security. We preserved everything we could, freezing and canning, even-
tually converting our bulkhead into a root cellar.
Our sons ran a farmstand from our driveway, selling salad greens instead of lemonade. The garden gave us not just food, but also purpose and agency in an unpredictable world.
But over time, what once felt empowering began to feel burdensome. When our middle son, Maxim, left for college in 2015, and then Sebastian in 2018, we had fewer mouths to feed and fewer hands to help. We kept the large garden going — partly out of habit, partly because it had come to define us. How do you let go of something that has shaped who you are? It’s a question many face at moments of transition: retirement, an empty nest, a career pivot.
The pandemic briefly made the big garden valuable again when Maxim and Sebastian returned home. But by 2021, as life resumed its normal rhythms, Jacqueline and I looked at our sprawling beds with new eyes. We didn’t need to grow as much. We didn’t want to grow as much.
So, we began scaling back. That year, we redrew the garden’s footprint, eliminating our front yard beds and reducing the backyard garden to 800 square feet. It was emotional — the garden had grown with our family, and now it was starting to shrink. But it wasn’t defeat. It was clarity. We were learning the difference between what we needed and what we thought we should want.
Around the same time, we found ourselves part of the “sandwich gen-
eration” — helping our son François navigate new parenthood while caring for my aging parents as their health declined. Our lives were shifting again, stretched between generations. And in that, I began to see a broader truth. We live in a culture that equates progress with growth — more consumption, more output, more striving. But what happens when more becomes unsustainable? Not just for the planet, but for us?
Last fall, we downsized the garden again — this time to just 400 square feet, one-fifth of its peak size. The smaller plot yields more of what we value now: calm, satisfaction and space for reflection. I no longer try to grow everything — just what brings us joy.
The best way to get stubborn grease spots out of your
clothes
By Jeanne Huber
Washington Post
Q. How can I remove grease spots from clothing?
A. If you act promptly and the fabric is washable, spatters or spills of cooking oil, bacon grease or hamburger juice — and even grease from chores in the garage — can be relatively easy to remove. Just don’t expect to rinse them out with plain water.
Oil and grease don’t dissolve in water. You need to add a surfactant — a type of chemical that’s found in all sorts of soaps and detergents, including hand dishwashing detergents. Surfactants help remove grease and keep it suspended so it rinses away. A video on grease stains produced by the American Chemical Society sums up the process succinctly: “Surfactants have a water-soluble head and an oil-soluble tail.
That allows them to form a spherical structure around droplets of oil or grease, removing them from a surface.” The sooner you apply a surfactant to a grease spot, the easier it will be to remove the stain. Start by applying a little undiluted hand dishwashing detergent to each spot, then work it in and wait at least 5 minutes before laundering as usual. You can leave the treated spots as-is until wash day, but if the spots are so numerous that you need more than a tiny amount of dishwashing detergent to treat all of them, rinse the soap out first. The suds from hand dishwashing detergent can interfere with how washing machines work, especially front-loaders.
Heat, including from clothes dryers, makes grease tighten to the fabric.
The
Above, Roger Doiron plants peas with his grandson, Dax, in Scarborough, Maine, in April as a way of passing the gardening torch to the next generation. Below, French breakfast radishes were among the first harvests from the front yard garden. (PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROGER DOIRON)
“The team that did my tub to shower transformation were awesome. Several unforeseen obstacles appeared in the process and the team was able to conquer them all. Most important is that they kept me informed the whole time.” -Ellen E.
That joy is growing in new ways. This spring, my grandson crouched beside me to plant peas, 20 years after his father helped dig the first bed.
His small hands mimicked mine with such focus that I was momentarily transfixed.
Gardening is, at heart, an act of faith — trusting something to take root and thrive. I felt that same faith watching him, sensing that what mattered most wasn’t my constant pushing, but creating conditions where the next generation could flourish.
For years, I urged others to grow more, give more — often asking the same of myself. But in that moment, I saw that the passion I’d cultivated was continuing through new hands. The work wasn’t ending. It was evolving.
This isn’t the end of the garden’s story — it is a new chapter about
Grease
CONTINUES FROM PAGE F4
That sets the stain and leaves a darkened patch, a representative of the Shout brand, which makes a variety of stain-removal products, said in an email. “Lighter cooking oils (like canola or olive oil) may be more challenging to see at first but can leave darker stains once heat is applied. On the other hand, synthetic oils (like motor oil) can leave immediate discoloration, making them harder to tackle.” Natural fibers like cotton and linen absorb oils more readily, making stains tougher to remove. Synthetic fabrics like polyester may repel grease initially but can trap it more stubbornly once it sets.
A lot of advice you’ll find online suggests checking for any remaining spots before you move the damp clothing into a dryer because you should repeat the process, if needed, before exposing the fabric to high heat. But grease spots look like water spots, and finding them on wet clothes is a lot harder than
rightsizing. In an age of climate anxiety, economic precarity and burnout, the instinct to scale back shouldn’t be confused with giving up.
Whether it’s a garden, a home or a career, there’s wisdom in knowing when to expand and when to contract — when to go big, and when to go home to something smaller that
spotting them when fabric is dry. Make a habit of air-drying any washed items you spot-treated. For really greasy work clothes, my mother used Zout Fels-Naptha Fresh Scent Laundry Stain Remover Bar, which was invented in the 1890s. She used it to cut through grease and to reduce the effects of brushing against poison oak and poison ivy. The bars sold today are different; they no longer contain naphtha, a flammable solvent, but they do get rave reviews for getting rid of tenacious stains, including from grease. Dampen the fabric, rub the spots with the bar, then launder.
If these strategies aren’t enough, or if you don’t spot the stains until after the clothes have gone through a dryer, you still have some options. One solution, featured in several YouTube videos, is to mix hand dishwashing detergent and baking soda into a paste, then work that in with a toothbrush. Let it sit for a few minutes, then launder, using the warmest water recommended on the care label. Water tempera-
fits who you are now.
As we face the realities of a warming planet and depleted resources, perhaps the most important question isn’t how to do more — but how to do enough.
I continue to believe in the power of growing food.
But I’ve come to see that the most meaningful harvests aren’t always
measured in pounds. Sometimes they’re found in a 3-year-old’s muddy hands beside yours, in the peace of tending less but tending it well, and in the recognition that abundance doesn’t always mean more.
Roger Doiron is the founder and director of SeedMoney, a nonprofit promoting food gardening.
The sooner you apply a surfactant to a grease spot, the easier it will be to remove the
ture makes such a difference that you might even try using hotter water than the label recommends as a last-ditch rescue attempt when nothing else works.
The American Chemical Society’s video on grease stains tested other suggestions you might find online, including hair spray (bad idea; it made a cotton T-shirt stiff); cola (also bad; it added a brown ring around the grease spot); baking soda (alone, it didn’t do much); and baby powder (it crusted over the grease but the stain was still visible).
Dish soap, though, worked well, even after they used a heater to make the grease harder to remove. For stains that dish soap or the Fels-Naptha bar doesn’t take out, or even as a first step, you could try a product formulated for grease removal, such as Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam, or a squirt-on product, such as Shout Advanced Action Gel. Because these are suitable only for colorfast washable fabrics, the Shout website suggests testing for colorfastness by soaking an inconspic-
uous corner of the fabric in a cup of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of laundry detergent. Wait a couple of minutes, then blot the fabric with a white paper towel. If the paper stays white, the fabric is colorfast. Apply the foam and leave it on for 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the severity of the stain, then launder with regular detergent, or at least rinse it. Don’t let the foam product dry on the fabric or the stain might not come out. The company says the gel product is more powerful and best for stains that have set.
When a spill or spatter contains something in addition to grease — pizza sauce is one example — Clorox, best known as a maker of bleach products, recommends treating the grease with hand dishwashing detergent, then spot-treating the stains with Clorox for Colors. Pour a little into the cap, then dribble it onto the stains. Rub it in, wait 10 minutes, then launder. Don’t let Clorox 2 dry on the fabric, though. It contains a blue dye that can stain if it dries, a customer service representative said.
stain. (ADOBE STOCK IMAGE)
At left, the Doiron family’s downsized backyard garden. The smaller plot was designed to be easier to tend. Above, two of Doiron’s sons, Maxim, left, and Sebastian, run a farm stand from the family driveway in June 2012. (PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROGER DOIRON)
Terry & Kim Kovel | Antiques & Collecting
Parisian painter’s works in ceramics
MAURICE DE Vlaminck (18761958), born in Paris, was one of the painters who exhibited at the 1905 Salon d’Automne, considered the beginning of the Fauvism art movement. The name “Fauvism” came from a critic’s negative reaction to the exhibition, insulting the paintings on display as the work of “wild beasts” (“fauves” in French).
Fauvism was characterized by the use of highly saturated color, abstracted shapes, and loose brushwork, a marked departure from the naturalistic, representational styles that dominated the art world at the time. Although de Vlaminck’s fame never quite reached the heights of fellow Fauvists like Henri Matisse, he had considerable success at exhibitions. Art dealer Ambroise Vollard, known for taking risks on avant-garde artists, bought his entire stock of paintings in 1906 and introduced him to ceramist Andre Metthey. De Vlaminck and Metthey enjoyed a fruitful collaboration for several years, producing about 300 pieces together. De Vlaminck painted the decorations on the ceramics. While the subject matter is different — most of de Vlaminck’s best-known paintings are scenic, but his ceramics often feature flowers, like the vase pictured here — the vibrant colors and simple shapes that characterize his work are clearly visible. This vase sold for $1,905 at Fairfield Auction. Considering that oil on canvas paintings by de Vlaminck can sell for about $20,000, it’s arguably a bargain.
Q. My grandparents immigrated to the United States at the end of 1800. On their way from Europe, they purchased two woven tapestries that have never been hung, shown or washed. Both
cians are printed underneath the picture. I have Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Muddy Waters. Can you help me find out how much they are worth?
A. Photographs of famous musicians like the ones you listed have been widely reproduced. You said the pictures have the musicians’ names printed on them, so check for other information, like the photographer’s name, copyright date, publisher, or edition number. These will help you determine the values of the photographs. If they are originals, they could be very valuable, and you may want to contact an auction house that sells photographs or celebrity memorabilia for more information. If they are copies, they are probably worth fairly little; about $10 to $20 each.
CURRENT PRICES
have colorful scenes with people dressed in colonial clothes.
One shows four colonial-dressed people talking and having tea. In the corner is a dog reaching for an end table. It is on heavier material and measures 38 3/4 inches without fringe. Stamped on the reverse is what appears to read “Made in Belgium.” The second tapestry has people dancing and playing music. Please let me know the value of the tapestries and how and where I can sell them.
A. Tapestries have been made in Belgium since at least the 14th century. The country was Europe’s primary maker and exporter of tapestries by the 15th century, with strong rivalry between its French- and Dutch-speaking regions. Copies of paintings were popular subjects.
Your tapestries were probably copied from paintings, but the “Made in Belgium” mark shows that they were made much more recently. Items imported to the U.S. were required to be marked with their country of origin after 1891. The words “made in” were more common after about 1915. Tapestries experienced a resurgence in Europe about this time, influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement and modern art, but they were frequently made by machine. They were often made and sold as souvenirs. Tapestries like these usually sell for about $50 to $100 at general antiques and consignment shops, decorative arts auctions, and online.
Q. I found some old black-and-white photographs of famous musicians in my basement. The names of the musi-
TIP: Don’t put a runner or a vase on your wooden table if it is in sunlight. Eventually the finish will fade around the ornaments and leave a shadow of the items on the wood.
Kovels answers readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures: the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, The Republican, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th Street, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email us at collec torsgallery@kovels.com.
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions. Bronze, tray, round, four relief vines, heart shape leaves, flower shape handle, art deco, marked, Denmark, 6 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, $90. Porcelain, garniture set, flower cartouches, gilt, urn, figural handles, two vases, scroll handles, square pedestal bases, Edwardian, urn 13 1/2 x 7 inches, vase 15 inches, three pieces, $130. Toy, set, Aero Circus, two airplanes, lead blimp, tower pieces, instructions, box, Newton, 16 inches, $265. Rubina Verde, cruet, faceted stopper, hobnail base, cranberry to vaseline glass, opalescent, 8 inches, $330. Pepsi-Cola, sign, Pepsi, black block letters, red, white and blue bottle cap graphic, yellow border, metal, Stout Sign Company, St. Louis, Mo., 42 x 58 inches, $460.
Medical, cabinet, apothecary, wood, overhanging top, 55 compartments, gilt character labels, metal mounts, shaped base, Chinese, 37 1/2 x 40 inches, $510.
Jewelry, necklace, Navajo, squash blossom, triangle and square links, black enamel, stone inlay, two-sided, coral, turquoise on reverse, 27 inches, pendant 2 1/2 inches, $550. Jukebox, speaker, Band Box, cylindrical, red, miniature stage, curtains, automaton musicians, white lettering, World’s Smallest Band, Strike Up The Band, electric, Chicago Coins, 1950s, 61 1/2 inches, $720. Print, Japanese, Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Wave, frame, 18 x 22 inches, $895. Purse, lambskin leather, navy blue, Cannage quilted, Lady Dior, goldtone hardware, letter charms, detachable shoulder strap, label, Christian Dior, 8 x 9 1/2 inches, $1,690.
Fauvist artist Maurice de Vlaminck brought his use of bright colors, simple shapes, and free brush strokes to ceramics as well as canvases. (FAIRFIELD AUCTION)
Average rate on 30-year mortgage holds steady
Rate hovers at lowest level in nearly 10 months
By A lex Veiga Associated Press
The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage held steady this week at its lowest level in nearly 10 months, an encouraging sign for prospective homebuyers who have been held back by stubbornly high home financing costs.
The long-term rate was unchanged from last week at 6.58%, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.46%.
Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, edged lower. The average rate dropped to 5.69% from 5.71% last week. A year ago, it was 5.62%, Freddie Mac said.
Stubbornly high mortgage rates have helped keep the U.S. housing market in a sales slump since early 2022, when rates started to climb from the rock-bottom lows they reached during the pandemic. Home sales sank last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years and have remained sluggish this year.
For much of the year, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage has hovered relatively close to its 2025 high of just above 7%, set in mid-January. Since last week, the average rate has been at its lowest level since Oct. 24, when it averaged 6.54%.
Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.
The main barometer is the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. The yield was at 4.34% at midday Thursday, up from 4.29% late Wednesday.
The yield has been mostly rising this month as bond traders weighed how data on inflation and the job market, and the potential economic impact of Trump administration’s tariffs, may influence the Fed’s interest rate policy moves.
The central bank has so far been hesitant to cut interest rates out of fear that Trump’s tariffs could push inflation higher, but data showing hiring slowed last month have fueled speculation that the Fed will cut its main shortterm interest rate next month.
A Fed rate cut could give the job market and overall economy a boost, but it could also fuel inflation, which could push bond yields higher, driving mortgage rates upward in turn.
Deeds
AGAWAM
Daniel R. Rivers and Nancy E. Rivers to Timothy M. Rivers, 491 North St., $320,000.
Dominic E. Santaniello, trustee, Longtrail Trust, trustee of, and Claire M. Santaniello, trustee, to Igor Kolomin, 155 Liberty St., $470,000.
Jacolyn A. O’Sullivan to Mamas Place LLC, 292 Cooper St., $100.
Janelle Joyce and Mark Radtke to Janelle Joyce, 150 Elmar Drive, $50,000.
Joseph R. Lynch Jr., Timothy J. Lynch and Patricia A. Carlson to Abdulbaset M. Hasan, 76 Redwood Drive, $365,000.
Nicholas J. Biuso and Alison C. Biuso to Daniel Walsh and Gabryjela Walsh, 4 Haskell St., $420,000.
Peter Lacamera and Kimberly Lacamera to Christine Ann Byrne, 171 White Fox Road, $419,000.
Shirley L. Parker to Patricia A. Affeldt and Jeffrey G. Affeldt, 18d Castle Hill Road, $334,000.
Silvio Grimaldi to Silvio Grimaldi and Adriana Gallo-Grimaldi, 56 Villa Drive, Unit 19, $100.
Stephen R. Pacitti and Debra A. Pacitti to Brett M. Fila and Allyson B. Dubiel, 99 Cherry St., $372,000.
AMHERST
Constance Jean Martin and Damon R. Bosetti to Kelvy Bird, Market Hill Road, $125,000.
Joanne H. Shea to Jeremy A. Lignori and Julia M. Lignori, 8 Kingman Road, $592,500.
ASHFIELD
Bernadette Danylieko, “fka” Bernadette Mathers, to Michael P. Williams., Baptist Corner, $110,000.
BELCHERTOWN
William Joseph Matthews III, and Genevieve Ramos Matthews to Amber Carr, 86 Amherst Road, $399,000.
Valthea McGee Fry, trustee, David J. Fry, trustee, Valthea McGee Fry 2005 Revocable Trust and David J. Fry 2005 Revocable Trust to Daniel L. Smith and Denise A. Smith, Cold Spring Street, $150,000.
Liyaudeen A. Sulaiman to Kristina Tran and Megan Fabiano, 32 Sarah Lane, $425,000.
BLANDFORD
Bethany D. Letourneau and Robert P. Letourneau to Jeremy Weaver and Charlou Weaver, 75 Russell Stage Road, $440,000.
BRIMFIELD
Brian C. McGann, Nancy A. McGann and Nancy A. Campbell to Tony A. Canestrari and Cristen T. Canestrari, 135 East Hill Road, $575,000.
Phyllis D. Kelly to Sharon Mikaelian-Vlk, 53 Seventh St., $170,000.
CHARLEMONT
Frank A. Mooney IV, and Jennifer L. Mooney to Lea King, trustee of the Lea King Trust, 421 Legate Hill Road, $575,000.
Branden D. Putnam and Johanna R. Putnam to Christopher C. Rose and Sharon F. Rose, 75 Deer Run Lane, $632,500.
CHICOPEE
Bryan C. Forbes to Robert D. Forbes and Eileen M. Forbes, 51 Billings St. $25,000.
Caitlyn R. Reese to Jacob S. Parrott and Sarah L. Santos, 116 Muzzy St., $355,000.
Jason A. Berry to Dori Parkman, 340 Dale St., Unit A, $225,500.
Julie M. Murphy and Martha A. Desimone to Karolina Weagle and Evan J. Weagle, 16 Amherst St., $390,000.
Matthew Richard to Jessica Melero, 38 Nye St., $303,000.
Michael J. Ciolek Jr., trustee, S-h-rtrust, trustee of, S H R Trust, trustee of, South Hadley Realty Trust, trustee of, and S-h-r Trust, trustee of, to Center for Human Development Inc., 39-41 Briere Drive, $2,079,276.
Patricia C. Smalley to Drew Balderston and Alivia Karcz, 580 New Ludlow Road, $300,000.
Shawn Christopher Runyon and Mollie Runyon to Kendra Paquette and Cindy Roux, 48 Laclede Ave., $325,000.
Veteran Stan LLC, to Alberto Louis Molina, 3 Graham Drive, $317,000.
William F. Olbrys to Lucyna Galecki, 0 Freedom Street, Lot A, $100,000.
CONWAY
Carrie Lilley to AGT Homes LLC, Shelburne Falls Road, $63,000.
CUMMINGTON
Nalini Bhushan to Mountain Stream LLC, Stage Road, $45,000.
DEERFIELD
Charles L. Emerick III, and Kristin E. Emerick to Kenneth Lyle Laws, 131 Sand Gully Road, $645,000.
EAST LONGMEADOW
Carrie A. Johnson, representative, Carrie A. Heal, representative, and Kenneth A. Heal, estate, to Pro Olive
LLC, 78 Elm St., $225,000.
Joseph Trivisonno and Stephanie Trivisonno to Nga Van Ngo and Hanh Thi Bich Nguyen, 165 Braeburn Road, $575,000.
EASTHAMPTON
Tammy L. Mullen to Jean Burger, 7 Gaston St., $376,000.
Robert G. Labrie to Nicole Jenkins, 6 Oakridge Circle and 6 Oak Ridge Circle, $465,000.
GOSHEN
Nalini Bhushan to Mountain Stream LLC, Stage Road, $45,000.
GRANBY
Mel Cheal to Britton McLeavy and Phoenix Bear, 121 Amherst St., $415,000.
James Massey and Judy C. Massey to Melissa Lozier, trustee, and James & Judy Massey Irrevocable Trust, 186 Batchelor St., $100.
Katherine MacLennan and Otto Franklin Garver to Zachary A. Corriveau and Natalie Fekete, 96 Cold Hill Road, $750,000.
Dominic Ruggieri to Jack Clark, 115 Batchelor St., $225,000.
GREENFIELD
Faith Church of Greenfield Inc., “fka” Faith Baptist Church of Greenfield Inc., to David Edward Sulsona and Donna Deneen Sulsona, trustees of the David Sulsona Beneficiary Trust, 38 Phyllis Lane, $485,000.
Douglas H. Hansen and Craig B. Hansen, trustees of the Hansen 2012 Irrevocable Trust, to Pamela J. Martins, 11 Smith St., $430,000.
Donald Choiniere to First Generation Investments Group LLC, 52 Silver St., $80,000.
Nancy B. Alexander to Daniel Cojan and Natalia Cojan, 50 Fargo Drive, $430,000.
Frederick R. Bliss to Jennifer C. Lippman and John M. Lippman, 115 South Shelburne Road, $225,000.
Betsy B. Nordell, trustee of the Betsy B. Nordell Revocable Trust, to Maura Magistrali and William Malcolm, 44 Ferrante Ave., $385,000.
HADLEY
Hampshire County Radio Controllers Inc., to Dennis F. Pipczynski and Katie Ann Szelewicki, 25 Honey Pot Road, $23,000.
HAMPDEN
M. Tilli-Johnson and John Johnson to Chamber Investment Group LLC, 474 Glendale Road, $160,000.
Deeds
Gerrit J. Devries, Linda A. Devries, Gerrit M. Devries and Paul A. Devries to John Wajdula Jr., 37 Genevieve Drive, $518,000.
Lori A. Cummings, Dana S. Pixley and Noel P. Pixley to David Edward Rosso, 189 Scantic Road, $325,000.
HATFIELD
Matthew R. Szczepanek and Kara E. Szczepanek to Alister R. Shanks and Anne M. Shanks, 121 Depot Road, $502,500.
HEATH
11 Bellor LLC, to Yanet Kaps-Walter and John Walter, Bellor Road, $159,000.
11 Bellor LLC, to Yanet Kaps-Walter and John Walter, 11 Bellor Road, $480,000.
Erich J. Holan to Stephen Sylvia, 40 Papoose Lake Drive, $260,000.
HOLLAND
Ronald L. Leighton, trustee, Audrey B. Leighton Living Trust, trustee of, and agreement, Audrey B. Leighton Living Trust, trustee of, to Jennifer Ribeiro and Michael Ribeiro, 32 Stony Hill Road, $305,000.
HOLYOKE
Ariel Jesus Gonzalez and Amanda Jacqueline Lambert to Hayven Sea Belsapin, 16 Maple Crest Circle, Unit K, $226,000.
Donald A. Shewchuk and Lynn M. Shewchuk to Massachusetts International Festival of Arts Inc., 124 Chestnut St., $400,000.
Donald J. Haberman Realty trust, trustee of, Hal W. Haberman, trustee, Greenfield Savings Bank, representative, and Alfred I. Haberman, estate, to Ryan Randall Realty LLC, and KMak LLC, 179 Sargeant St., $125,000.
Fitzgerald Home Solutions LLC, to Michael L. Brouillette and Catalina P. Herrera Denegri, 44 Washington Ave., $300,000.
Manuel Diaz, Carmen Diaz and Carmen J. Diaz to Juan C. Gonzalez, 4 Faille Ave., $300,000.
Marc F. Marinello and Stephanie A. Marinello to Kelsie Bacon, 198 Mountain View Drive, $590,000.
Michael J. Ciolek Jr., trustee, S-hr-trust, trustee of, S H R Trust, trustee of, and South Hadley Realty Trust, trustee of, to Center for Human Development Inc., 494 Appleton St., $1,770,724. Pah De3 LLC, to Chapeaurouge
Investments LLC, 232 Elm St., $388,000.
Patricia A. Carlson to Dina Flemati, 11 Roosevelt Ave., $280,000.
Ryan Almeida to Alex Ortensi, 22 Maple Crest Circle, Unit 22J, $220,000.
Three Harps LLC, to CFC Development LLC, and Real Estate Investments Northeast LLC, 246 East Dwight St., $197,000.
HUNTINGTON
Leta Herman and Jaye McElroy to Melissa K. Mutter and Olivia M. Laura, 204 Norwich Lake, $437,000.
Richard E. Carney and Rita C. Carney to Svetlana Moskvitch and Mykhailo Krynytskyi, 7 Summit Ave., $42,000.
LONGMEADOW
Arnold H. Vogel and Joan L. Vogel to Robert E. Girvan III, and Sarah L. Germani, 36 Lees Lane, $680,000.
Marc J. Zerbe and Madona Zerbe to Connor Dendieval and Elise Jackson, 927 Converse St., $620,000.
Ralph Carmichael Elder and Annmaria L. Elder to Duane A. Farley and Mary C. Farley, 44 Meadowbrook Road, $686,000.
Robert E Girvan (III) and Sarah L Germani to Vikas Arora and Smita Middha, 237 Burbank Rd, $475,000.
LUDLOW
Akehurst Homes LLC, to Stephanie N. Goncalves, 0 Vienna Avenue, $450,000.
Brian D. Hite and Mark Hite to Erin K. McCullough, 25 Bluegrass Lane, $350,000.
Elena C. Caldeira to Kathleen Parker-O’Toole and Maryanne Parker-O’Toole, 6 Mclean Parkway, $540,000.
Katie J. Leary and Martin D. Leary to Jennifer Jorge, 31 Armand St., $365,000.
Peter S. Kawie to Sun Construction LLC, 250 West St., $1,100,000.
Randy C. Kulis to Rina Ngoc Le and Joshua David Thomson, 82 Laroche St., $335,000.
Susan E. Michalski, representative, Sarah Rivera, representative, and Elaine A. Podsadowski, estate, to Joshua Dayton and Laura Dayton, 52 Gaudreau Ave., $321,600.
MIDDLEFIELD
Bruce James Blaney to Alan W. Vint Jr., and Leanne M. Every, Skyline Trail, $27,000.
MONSON
Anita D. Collins to Jaxnos Properties LLC, 8 Whitney Ave., $550,000.
Phyllis D. Kelly to Jason J. Kelly, Jamie L. Pinto, Dylan J. Pinto and Phyllis D. Kelly, life estate, 190 Palmer Road, $100.
NORTHAMPTON
John Piech, John Piech, personal representative, Helena Piech, estate, and Helen Piech, estate, to Wesley Janssen and Levi Janssen, 60 Williams St., $305,000.
David J. Beaudin and Colleen R. Beaudin to Shannon J. Beaudin, trustee, and Beaudin Family Irrevocable Trust, 93 Spruce Hill Ave., $100.
Clare Doyle and Emma Koramshahi to Erika T. Knerr, 15 Ryan Road, $325,000.
Patricia M. Greaney to Community LD LLC, Main Road, $35,000.
Matthew A. Berlin, trustee, and Nira Harper Elkins Trust to Matthew Cornell and Mary B. Cornell, 14 Bixby Court, $610,000.
Richard P. Marsh to MMS Realty Holdings LLC, 9 Union St., $500,000.
Stephen J. Cahillane and Carol A. Cahillane to Onstar Properties AA LLC, 1-7 Glenwood Ave., $750,000.
Ricki D. Clark to Rasif Bin Rafiq and Marcella Joy Jewell, 94 Williams St., $511,000.
NORTHFIELD
Amy B. Weeks to Heidi Howard, 34 Old Bernardston Road, $340,000.
ORANGE
Bernardino Alvarez and Noreen Alvarez to Maria E. Rodriguez De Desarmes and Ulrick Desarmes, 512 South Main St., $315,000.
JAR&ZB Realty LLC, to Holyoke 420 LLC, 104 Governor Dukakis Drive, $700,000.
PALMER
Y. Murphy to Thomas J. Mileski, 1098 Pleasant St., $285,000.
RUSSELL
Christopher M. Kudlay to Ronald L. Hess and Sandra F. Hess, 0 Huntington Road, $20,000.
Paul J. Pappas and Linda L. Pappas to Ronald L. Hess and Sandra F. Hess, Huntington Road, $30,000.
SOUTH HADLEY
Jennifer Loftus-Rooney to Scott Loomis, 41 West Summit St.,
$25,000.
Mark A. Beauregard, personal representative, and Margaret H. Gregoire, estate, to Mary Alice O’Sullivan, 19 Alvord Place, $315,000.
Paul Cooney Jr., and Melissa Cooney to Melissa Cooney, 3 Burnett Ave., $100.
Kenneth M. Ittner Jr., to Oscar Alvarez-Pinguil, and Darwin Guamarica Buri, 25 Bartlett St., $400,000.
SOUTHAMPTON
Joseph A. Samsel, estate, and Martha B. Bzdel, personal representative, to Russell J. Mawdsley and Helene M. Mawdsley, 22 Pomeroy Meadow Road, $465,000.
SOUTHWICK
National Residential Nominee Services Inc., to Glenn Billings, 24 South Loomis St., $445,138.
Karrie Ford and Bryan Richard Barnowski to Allyson Wendy Lopez, 11 Lexington Circle, $725,000.
Kenneth Shane Nielsen to Tyler E. Richmond and Megan E. Richmond, 8 Field St., $375,000.
Linda Pezzote, representative, Charles G. Berthiaume, estate, Shelby N. Littlefield, Shelby N. Fettes, Derrick Fettes and Derick Fettes to Jacob Dugard and Sydney Dugard, 25 Davis Road, $670,000.
Robert Dale Brodhagen and Kelli Amanda Brodhagen to National Residential Nominee Services Inc., 24 South Loomis St, $445,138.
SPRINGFIELD
Alexandra Fortich to Melquisedez Gomez-Rodriguez, 10 Monroe St., $385,000.
Birgit T. Garcia-Guerra and Kenneth Guerra to Jacqueline A. Dion and Ernest Montenegro, 45 Olney St., $375,000.
DB Investments & Properties LLC, to Elias De Castro, 226-228 College St., $390,000.
Carla Sarno and Genaro K. Sarno to Michael G. Robie and Lisa I. Robie, 191 Porter Lake Drive, $240,000.
Carlos Morales and Carlos O. Morales to Maxime Langlois, 8-10 Kensington Ave., $490,000.
Carmen J. Santos to Joniel Pagan Rivera and Amanda Lopez, 159 East St., $275,000.
Carmen R. Melendez Rodriguez and Felix Vega De Jesus to Bryan J. Garcia Ramos, 265 Pheland Ave., $305,000.
Christian M. Henriquez and Brianna Henriquez to Dambar Sunuwar and Dal Sunuwar, 32 Greenleaf St., $335,000.
Christian S. Carmona to Yelitza Rodriguez Centeno, 7 East St., $250,000.
Cig2 LLC, to Sophie Parquet, 147 Quaker Road, $320,000.
CL Holdings LLC, to Jad Realty LLC, Goldenrod Street, Lot 48, $60,000.
Debra Watson and Derrol Brown to Pierre Keu and Alesace Lauraine Kene Tagouatio, 209 Morton St., $420,000.
Derek Chandonnet to Zulmy Azulema Pedroza Zepeda and Brayan Maudiel Lima Medina, 37 Pennsylvania Ave., $340,000.
Donna Diamond Nardi, trustee, Diamond Realty Trust, trustee of, and Donna Diamond, trustee, to Umar Chaudhry and Akkasha Amin, 61 Caitlin Drive, $385,000.
Duarte S. Henriques, Herminia Henriques, Antonio S. Henriques, Vitalina Henriques, Lucilia H. Moura, Lucilia S. Moura and Humberto Moura to Anthony Bixby, 1075-1077 Worcester St., $350,000.
Elizabeth A. Aguayo to Joanne Skala, 779 Dickinson St., $279,900.
FH Vision Estate Inc., to Virjinett A. Placeres Ortiz, 81 Osborne Terrace, $254,900.
Guadalupe Martha Trujillo De Friedson, Guadalupe M. Friedson and John M. Friedson to R&R Home Improvement & Remodeling LLC, 18 Pascal Drive, $250,000. John Wynne to Shea Medea Farrow, 58 Champlain St., $186,000. Karen I. Rogers to Bobby Cheng and Shu Jin Huang, 49 Bamford Road, $286,000.
Luping Pell to Dalizbeth River-Szczypien, 175 Riverton Road, $262,000.
Marvenia Shubrick to Rhodaja Shubrick, 24 Oakwood Terrace, $252,000.
Mary T. Callaghan to Edwin Arcentales Lopez, 17-19 Tacoma St., $315,000.
Matthew J. Foley to Alfredo Wilson and Kathryn Wilson, 107 Valley Road, $310,000.
Milan Property Group LLC, to Riccardo G. Albano, 39-41 Wilcox St., $269,000.
Naples Home Buyers Trust, trustee of, Lucas Giusto, trustee, and Dominic Santaniello, trustee, to Nexus Apartments LLC, 60 Ringgold St., $162,000.
Natividad Pena Bourdier and Angelina Marte to Natividad Pena Bourdier, Angelina Marte and Stephanie Mejia, 128-130 Massachusetts Ave., $100.
Nga Ngo Van and Hahn Bich Nguyen to Engel Francisco Garcia Rodriguez, 224 Cambria St., $320,000.
identifying resident microorganisms. Hmmm; interesting, but is it really necessary for a green thumb?
While the panoply of microorganisms discussed was impressive, I contend that even a well-aerated compost pile or tea is bound to have some poorly aerated pockets. It’s not a “bad guys” vs. “good guys” situation, but a question of generally favoring an excess of “good guys.” Also, once compost is spread on the ground, the large surface area presented is going to tip the balance even more in favor of aerobic conditions.
To identify what organisms are in a compost pile, you have to get them out of the pile and onto a microscope slide. Easy. Just soak some compost in water and strain it. Or use a compost teabag. But wait! Is that really the spectrum of microorganisms that call that compost home? Not necessarily. What are staring up at you from that microscope slide are creatures that can be leached most readily into water. What you see also might depend on how long you steeped the teabag and who can squeeze out into the water through whatever size holes are offered by the strainer or the teabag.
More fundamentally, I question basic assumptions underlying the use of compost tea. Even if you have beneficial organisms in hand (figuratively) and sprinkle them on the ground,
$490,000.
WARE
Post Investment LLC, to Pedro Flores-Baez and Dennis FloresVelez, ES Bay St., $295,000.
Ronald L. Dion III, and Jacqueline Dion to Shantelle Wills, 5 Blueberry Hill St., $278,575.
Saprenia Anita Mohamed, trustee, and Jewell Family Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, to Allison Lynn Jette, 107 Rollins St., $278,000.
Sarah Ragonese to Jake J. Falcone, 76 Regal St., $290,000.
Shawn J. Green to Shelly A. Green, 75 Cuff St., $92,000.
Springfield City to Merrick Park Apartment S Limited Partnership, East Side Maple Street, $11,000.
Taylor Tran and Phung Vo to Jeanne Ann Whaley, 172 Mallowhill Road, $350,000.
Vieira Family Properties LLC, to Tyrone Miranda, 42-44 Harvey St.,
they’re bound to expire unless the environment is suitable. Microorganisms in the tea might have enjoyed life within the dark, moist innards of a compost pile; the soil environment ain’t nothin’ like home for them.
Spraying ACT or any compost tea on plant leaves should likewise have little or no effect on plant diseases; again, conditions on a leaf surface aren’t conducive to their survival.
In the evolutionary scheme of things, why would a microorganism that thrives in the dark, moist, nutrient-rich innards of a compost pile survive on the sunny, dry, nutrient-poor surface of a plant leaf, let alone provide any benefits?
Over the last few decades, people have spritzed plants and sprinkled soils with compost tea, looking for effects such as improved soil structure or drainage or increased plant resistance to pests. Independent well-designed, vetted studies do not generally support claims made for compost tea.
True, there are some studies that show some benefits. I contend that if you spray just about anything on a plant leaf and have enough plants in the study along with sufficiently detailed measurements, some statistically significant effect might be noted. But every statistically significant effect isn’t also biologically significant. And looking over a number of studies, a few show a benefit from compost tea, many demonstrate no effect, and for a number of them, the effect of compost tea is detrimental.
Soluble nutrients do leach out of a compost teabag into water. The resulting compost tea, then, becomes a liquid feed for plants, effective either poured on the ground or even sprayed on leaves. So, there can be some benefit from compost tea, a nutrient effect, not a microbial one. Except in special situations, soil environments naturally host microorganisms that thrive best in them. A similar situation exists with earthworms. Years ago, perhaps still, advertisements in the back pages of gardening magazines would offer earthworms for sale. The reasoning went that good soils are teeming
WEST SPRINGFIELD
WESTFIELD
Michael F. Matondi III, Michael F. Matondi and Ashley Matondi to Melinda Lauren Dennis, 51 Pleasant St., $390,000.
Beverly A. Sullivan to Thaddeus J. Cembura Jr., trustee, Kathleen D. Cembura, trustee, and Cembura Living Trust, 28-30 West Main St., $300,000.
Dominick Lee and Denise Lee to Stephen J. Dembkoski, 314 Palmer Road, $350,000.
Elaine J. McLean to Nadina Pendleton, 41 Benham Ave., $100.
Allyson Ridz to Jennifer A. Bousquet and Daniel J. Stecker, 21 Eagle St., $220,000.
WENDELL
Kathleen M. Swaim to Jennie Goldfarb, 32 West St., $399,000.
Alyaa Hadi Saleh and Saddam Al Akraa to Vivian Azums and Ezinne Vivian Azums, 176 North Boulevard, $339,000.
Brian G. Signet and Norma A. Signet to Toralben P. Patel and Pravinbhai Patel, 9 Abigail Lane, $707,000.
Chandler Holdings LLC, to 2025 LLC, 42 Myron St., $400,000.
Eric Lawson to Omer F. Akyuz and Arzu Can Akyuz, 37 Colony Road, Unit 37, $158,500.
Igor Kolomin and Jennifer Kolomin to Alyssa A. Demers, 151 Labelle St., $330,000.
Joseph E. Cauley and Michael J. Cauley to Leena Rahmat, 56 Pine St., Unit 56, $400,000.
Raymond Saegaert to Susan Kelley, 176 Canterbury Way, Unit 28, $430,000.
Robin C. Taylor LLC, to 2025 LLC, 54 Myron St., $2,200,000.
with earthworms, so purchasing and importing these creatures to your garden will make your soil better. Not true. The earthworms will die out if conditions and food are not to their liking. The same goes for microorganisms.
(An example of an exception to what I wrote in the previous paragraph is a study that was done in Puerto Rico back in 1950. The USDA was trying, with little success to introduce a more useful, but non-native pine, to the island territory. Mycorrhizae are fungal symbionts that infect practically all plants; the fungus gets some foods manufactured by the plant in return for moving more nutrients and water to the plant for improved growth. The appropriate fungal symbiont was lacking in Puerto Rican soils. After inoculating plants with an appropriate fungus, the inoculated, introduced pines grew six times more than their introduced brethren that had not been inoculated.)
Except in rare situations, as in the example above, earthworms, microorganisms, and other creatures generally inhabit environments most congenial to their flourishing. Perhaps not enough of them, and what they really need is food to give their populations a boost, and food means some form of organic material. That is, bulky organic materials, such as compost, manure, leaves, and straw. Good gardening comes from using a pitchfork, not an elixir. Does anybody still make and use compost tea?
Aleksandr Gitsman and Tatyana Gitsman to Savier Maisonet Pagan and Luis Fernando Figueroa Camacho, 24 Old Feeding Hills Road, $457,537.
Berkshire Land Co., LLC, trustee, and 50 West School Street Land Trust, trustee of, to Paige Hollander and Evan James Ploof, 50 West School St., $306,000.
Christopher Paquette and Courtney Paquette to Alexsandr Rafalskiy, 68 Hagan Ave., $405,000. Lynda M. Mizanoglu to Artur Formejster, Agnes Formejster, Gregory Slowik and Alina Slowik, 549 Russell Road, Unit 14D, $175,000.
Michael J. Davis and Rachel Stower to Michael Bednaz and Melissa D. Bednaz, 247 Munger Hill Road, $685,000.
Roman Yusenko, trustee, and Maple Realty Trust, trustee of, to Joshua Boyer and Michaela Neylon, 82 South Maple St., Unit 44,
$185,000.
Sandra J. Wood to Alexander Hall and Mya E. Keesee, 55 Valley View Drive, $445,000.
Sara Susan Mahoney to Austin T. Lyne and Lisa Lyne, 54 Rachael Terrace, $775,000.
Susan E. Kelley to Jonathan F. Chretien and Athena C. Tapases Chretien, 76 Wildflower Circle, $600,000.
WESTHAMPTON
Maren E. Buck and Michael I. Kinsinger to Molly A. Hogan and Steven T. Hogan, 334 Southampton Road, $710,000.
Patricia M. Greaney to Community LD LLC, Main Road, $35,000.
WILBRAHAM
Bonnie R. Hanson, Bonnie R. Clark and Eric A. Hanson to Michael Dennis MacLure and Tina Lanza, 700 Stony Hill Road, $352,000.
Is dark brown compost tea good for plants? (LEE REICH PHOTO)
Live Onsite &Webcast PUBLIC AUCTION
Live Onsite &Webcast PUBLIC AUCTION
PUBLIC AUCTION
info@towneauction.com / 781.790.7870 www.towneauction.com
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2025
2 PM 5 Burt Ln, Wilbraham, MA Terms of Sale: Deposit by bank check required to register to bid at time of sale. Visit: currentauctions.towneauction.com or call.
to be paid 30 days from sale date. Other terms announced at sale. Auctioneer makes no representations to the accuracy of the information contained herein. NO CASH - S Hill - MA Lic. AU 3381
MORTGAGEE’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE AT PUBLIC AUCTION
Tuesday,
