ANTIQUES: Bygone ads often featured household moms, F7
REICH: The three garden pests who make trouble at this time of year, F4
GARDENING: How to make cut flowers last well beyond Mother’s Day, F6
The secret to making chores more fun
You may even start to look forward to them
By Jolie K err The Washington Post
WHAT IF SOME-
one told you they had a secret that made household chores — unloading the dishwasher, folding and putting away the laundry, etc. — so fun that you looked forward to doing them? You would look at them askance, sure, but then you might also ask, “Okay, what’s this secret?”
The secret is called “gamification,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like: Making those (often dreaded) tasks of daily life into a game that comes close to resembling actual fun.
Gamification techniques abound; we’ve rounded up some of the best for lending some excitement to everything, whether it’s taking out the trash or filling out insurance forms.
‘Admin
Night’ parties
As writer Chris Colin describes it, an Admin Night
party is “the lamest party ever.” It adds a dash of social fun to such tedious-but-unavoidable tasks as paying bills, filling out school forms, canceling subscriptions or filing expenses. After his friends began ditching plans to stay home to deal with insurance claims, Colin proposed a get-together in which beer and good company made all those responsibilities easier to bear. The
idea took off immediately, and the first Admin Night party was such a success that, six years in, Colin has a waiting list.
‘The poop rule’
It’s juvenile — not to mention pretty gross — but people, especially those with ADHD, swear by “the poop rule” when deciding whether to keep something or to get rid of it. The idea is simple: When decluttering, ask yourself, “If this item was covered in poop, would I still keep it?” The aim is to simplify the decision-making process, turning organizing and decluttering efforts into a game. The poop rule helps to make process goals, such as reducing the amount of stuff you have, into outcome goals, such as having a home where you can always find your keys or that simply looks and feels calmer.
Quest cards
For people who struggle with task initiation — that’s a fancy term for “getting up off your butt” — quest cards can be a game changer, literally. Quest cards, which you can make yourself or buy from sites such as Etsy, gamify household chores and other mundane duties
Timed challenges
The 10-minute tidy, a 30-day home glow-up, oneroom-a-day challenges, even a Sunday night reset — these are all examples of challenges that set time constraints around chores, reducing executive dysfunction and motivational challenges by providing structure and confines.
Timed challenges work by creating urgency and setting limits, reducing the decision fatigue that an endless to-do list can evoke.
The
‘just one song’ motivational
method
by mimicking board games. Users choose a chore card from a deck and assign jobs to themselves or others; these chore cards provide focused, actionable tasks and often feature a reward system such as points or badges when the “quests” are completed. Quest cards lend an element of focus by doling out assignments and boost motivation by turning chores into a cooperative (or competitive!) game.
Points systems
A points system — a more low-fi version of quest cards — assigns points to chores based on difficulty or on just how much you hate doing them.
So, making the bed might be one point, emptying the dishwasher might be three points, mopping the floors or scrubbing the grout might be 11 points - there’s a lot of flexibility and ways to customize a points system to suit your preferences and aversions.
A points system works best when accompanied by a rewards system: gold stars, extra screen time, that 7-Eleven hoodie you’ve had your eye on … the options are as endless as our chores can often feel.
Do you have a walk-up song? Entry music that accompanies your main-character energy wherever you may roam? A tune you listened to before exams, at the start of every road trip, or before competitions to get focused and/or hyped? (It’s “Playing in the Band” for me.) Great! The “just one song” method will be perfect for you. This subset of micro-organizing involves putting on a favorite song and banging out quick and/ or low-effort chores such as doing the dishes, putting the laundry away or tidying up a chaotic entryway. The combination of minimal commitment and the mood-boosting power of music creates the momentum to get small but tedious jobs done and out of the way.
Apps that gamify chores
Finally, in this modern age there is, of course, an app for that. Gamifying apps including Habitica, Habit Hunter and Nipto help organize household chores, family tasks and personal goals in an easy-to-use app that lends structure, rewards and, yes, even fun to jobs that can feel like drudgery. Gamification apps can also help reduce family or roommate conflicts by turning data into a leaderboard that specifies who has, or has not, done their chores.
Quest cards enable users to choose a chore to assign to themselves or others. (ADOBE STOCK IMAGE)
The secret is called “gamification,” which is making those (often dreaded) tasks of daily life into a game that comes close to resembling actual fun. (PHOTO / COVER PHOTO ADOBE STOCK IMAGES)
“Had
Lee Reich | In the Garden
Beware of these three garden pests
ICONSIDER VEGETABLES
generally easy to grow, especially if you grow lots of different kinds. If one kind does poorly one year, there are lots of other vegetables in the garden doing well, and there are other years.
Still, vegetable — and flower — transplants are especially apt to suffer attacks from three pests this time of year, each leaving a telltale clue to its presence or handiwork. Stems might be chopped off at the soil line. Leaves might be chewed. Or leaves might be shot full of tiny holes. The culprits? Respectively: cutworms, slugs, and flea beetles.
All three culprits have cosmopolitan tastes, attacking practically any transplant you set out. Fortunately, these pests can be controlled to some degree without toxic (to you, and nontarget creatures) sprays, usually without resorting to any sprays. Cutworms take only a few bites
HAMPDEN
Perennial plants wanted
The Hampden Garden Club is looking for perennial plant donations for their Memorial Day Plant Sale. If you are looking to thin out your perennials, garden members will come and dig the plants you want to donate. Contact Lil Fedora at 413-566-1137 to set up a dig day.
STOCKBRIDGE
Upcoming events at Berkshire
Botanical Garden
Berkshire Botanical Garden presents the following upcoming program. Saturday, May 16, “Cultivating Mushrooms: Connecting to the Hidden Fungal Network,” 10 a.m. to noon. This two-hour workshop blends practical learning with ecological insight, teaching participants how fungi can be cultivated for nutrition, medicine, and environmental restoration. Together, we’ll explore three
versatile mushrooms — wine cap, shiitake and oyster — and practice key techniques like building a wood-chip bed and inoculating hardwood logs. Participants will gain the knowledge and confidence to grow mushrooms at home and deepen their connection to the hidden fungal networks that sustain life. Cost $50 members, $70 nonmembers. For more information, or to register visit www. berkshirebotanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.
GREENFIELD Seed Library
The Greenfield Public Library has officially launched its new Seed Library. Home gardeners are invited to visit the Seed Library, located on the second floor of the library at the Information Services Desk, to choose up to five packets of seeds for their gardens. A wide variety of vegetable seeds (arugula to zucchini), as well as herb and flower seeds (amaranth to zinnia) will be available. Borrowing guidelines will be
out of new transplants, which would not be reprehensible if those few bites were not at ground level. Seedlings topple and, because they are just seedlings, never recover. The damage should not be confused with damping-off disease, which is a fungus that also attacks at the soil line, but only afflicts newly emerged seedlings. To make sure, scratch with your finger in the soil near the toppled plant and look for the bugger. Then squish it.
Cutworms are easily repulsed with some sort of barrier, such as a cardboard collar around each plant. Toilet paper tubes cut a couple of inches long are convenient for this purpose. Surround each transplant and press the collar a half inch or so into the soil.
Before a cutworm takes a bite of a plant, it wraps its body around the plant’s stem to make sure the stem is tender enough to bite into.
provided, and gardeners are encouraged to return seeds after the harvest season ends. This program is free and open to everyone. For more information, contact Nancy Little at nancy.little@ greenfield-ma.gov or call 413772-1544.
AGAWAM
Agawam Garden Club monthly meeting
The next meeting of the Agawam Garden Club will be held Tuesday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Agawam Public Library, 750 Cooper St. After a short business meeting Ed Sourdiffe, Western Mass. Green Thumb Guru, master gardener, and garden educator will present a talk on organic gardening. He is the go-to gardening expert on WWLP’s lifestyle program, “Mass Appeal.” Covered will be the basics including how to make your garden work for you instead of against you. How to save money and have amazing results with age-old and modern gardening techniques. It’s all about creating
Once stems of vegetable and flower transplants toughen, cutworms leave them alone.
SEE REICH, PAGE F5
a healthy environment for you, your plants, and the planet.
Annual plant sale
The Agawam Garden Club is planning its annual plant sale for Saturday, May 30. This year’s event will be held at the Historical Thomas Smith House, 251 North West St., Feeding Hills, and will run from 9 a.m. to noon. The sale will include many perennials and shrubs all from members gardens and all a bargain. Because the plants are all grown locally in members gardens, they are well acclimated to the area. Proceeds from the sale go towards funding the club’s scholarship and providing educational programs for the year. Please check the club’s website for further information, agawamgardenclub.com
WILBRAHAM Plant & Bake Sale
The Wilbraham Garden Club will hold its annual Plant & Bake Sale on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Wilbraham Public Library grounds.
Shoppers will find a wide selection of perennials, annuals, hanging plants, sun-loving and shade-loving plants, and many other garden favorites — all offered at reasonable prices. Inside the library’s Brooks Room, visitors can enjoy the club’s popular bake sale, featuring an assortment of homemade cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, bars, cupcakes, muffins, and more. This event is the club’s major annual fundraiser, supporting its scholarship program and a wide range of community service projects.
MONSON
Plant Sale
Down to Earth Gardeners will hold its 285th annual plant sale on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to noon, rain or shine at United Methodist Church, 162 Main St., (corner of Main and Cushman Streets, across from Dunkin’ Donuts). Featuring many plants for shade or for sun, a large selection of perennials, ground cover, shrubs, herbs and more.
NOTES, PAGE F10
Cutworms live in the soil and cut off the stems of young transplants near the soil line. (LEE REICH PHOTO)
Flea beetles pock leaves of eggplant. However, the plants, if vigorous enough, outgrow the damage.
(LEE REICH PHOTO)
I used to fool cutworms by sticking one toothpick in the ground right up against each of my transplants. It worked. The insects think they are embracing small, woodystemmed trees and leave the young plants alone.
Another method to foil cutworms (which I have not tried) is to trap them in foot-deep holes, made with a broom handle or an inchthick dowel. As daylight approaches, the cutworms climb into these holes for shelter.
What the cutworms do not realize is that they are incapable of ever climbing back out.
The life of the cutworm is not easy: this pest is also food for birds and ground beetles and is parasitized by certain small wasps. I have to admit that I haven’t used any of these cutworm control methods for years and years. I never see cutworms or their damage anymore.
I’d like to think that it’s evidence of my having a green thumb, but much more likely are the robins and mourning doves that I see patrolling my garden early every morning.
Moving on to slugs ... these creatures love wet weather. Slugs slither around at night and by morning their presence is made known by the shiny trails and ragged leaves they have left. Here in the Northeast, they are up to a couple of inches long. In other parts of the country, they get as large as a half a foot or more long.
Slugs don’t like anything sharp or caustic rubbing against their slimy bodies, so if you sprinkle a circle of sharp sand, diatomaceous earth, or wood ashes around your plants, a slug will think twice before crossing this barrier.
Unfortunately, these barriers must be renewed after rains, which is when slugs are most active.
You could take a flashlight
into the garden at night and sneak up on slugs while they are at work. They are slippery to handpick, so take along a saltshaker. Sprinkling salt on them will kill them. It’s gruesome to watch, but very effective.
Beer is a somewhat effective poison bait for slugs. Put some beer — Budweiser is one of the best — in a shallow pan or can and sink it into the ground so the lip is about one inch above ground level. Almost immediately slugs will start inching to their demise.
No need to open a fresh bottle each night, for slugs are happy even with stale beer. Some gardeners report good results with only yeast plus water. You might need lots of traps because slugs won’t “hear” the siren song of beer beyond a few feet.
Flea beetles, which perforate leaves with small holes, are the most difficult of the three pests to control without pesticides. You may not notice the beetles because they’re only a couple of millimeters long and hop away when approached.
Predatory nematodes, which you can purchase, might also limit flea beetle damage by attacking eggs in the soil.
I added predatory nematodes that have the potential to perennialize to my soil, available from the Shields Lab at Cornell University. These have been shown to be effective against some pests that spend part of their lives in the ground. Patience is needed as their numbers multiply.
Flea beetles are especially fond of cabbage and its kin, as well as spinach, beets, and potatoes. They’re mostly a problem on my eggplants; actually, just about everybody’s eggplants. I and many other gardeners and farmers thwart them, by covering plants with a barrier of a “floating row cover.” These lightweight materials, made from spunbonded or woven synthetic materials,
are permeable to water, air, and sun, but impermeable to insects. The barrier must be in place before seedlings emerge or right after setting out transplants. Sometimes it’s appropriate just to ignore pest damage, for a while, at least. Small transplants often outgrow flea beetle or slug damage, provided the plants are growing rapidly enough and the pests are not too many or too hungry.
Slugs are slimy creature at slither out at nightfall to munch on young leaves. (LEE REICH PHOTO)
Making cut flowers last well beyond Mother’s Day
By Jessica Damiano Associated Press
THERE’S NOTHING
quite like receiving a fresh bouquet of cut flowers. They can cheer up a room, bring a bit of nature indoors and, if you’re lucky, release a heavenly fragrance.
But nothing kills that vibe quicker than stinky, slimy, wilted flowers poking out of a vase full of brown water.
Bacteria is one of the main causes of premature bouquet deaths. Its presence in vase water clogs stems and speeds up decay. Dehydration, either from a lack of water or a stem’s inability to absorb it, results in wilting. And exposure to ethylene gas exuded by neighboring decaying flowers or ripening fruit hastens aging.
But with proper preparation and care, you can greatly increase the lifespan of your bouquets.
First, I’d like to put an end to some bad advice that’s been floating around: Despite what you might have read, smashing the cut ends of flower stems does not increase water uptake. In fact, it would destroy a portion of the stems’ vascular system, responsible for transporting water through the stem. It would also expose fresh plant tissue to water, which accelerates rotting. Don’t do it.
At left, preparation for a flower arrangement begins with trimming the stems on an angle and removing lower foliage. At right, the finished arrangement appears in a clean vase filled with water.
If you are cutting flowers from your garden, do so in the morning when stems are the most hydrated, then immediately place them into a container of water.
Regardless of whether your bouquets are picked or purchased, these tips will greatly improve their longevity.
1. Always start with a clean vase.
2. Remove any leaves that land below the container’s water line, or they will introduce bacteria as they rot.
3. Using a clean, sharp knife
or garden pruners, trim 1-2 inches off the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle. This will maximize the surface area, allowing flowers to take up more water and preventing blockages that can result when stems lay flat against container bottoms. For woody stems, scrape a bit of bark away from the sides of angled cuts.
4. Add flower food. The little packet that comes with your bouquet contains sugar, citric acid and bleach, which lower the water’s pH and inhibit bacterial growth. Follow the dosing instructions on the packet;
/ ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE)
using too much can burn foliage and shorten the life of your flowers.
5. Add ¼ cup of sugar-sweetened citrus soda or a tablespoon of vodka (or other clear spirit) as a booster. Soda helps keep water acidic and feeds flowers; vodka inhibits spoilage.
6. Keep flowers away from drafts, such as open windows, ceiling fans, forced-air heaters or air conditioning units, out of direct sunlight and away from fruit, which releases ethylene gas as it ripens.
7. Wash the vase, remove fading flowers and leaves, trim
another one-quarter to onehalf inch off stem bottoms and replace flower food and booster every other day.
8. There’s a reason florists store flowers in a refrigerated case. Just as it does food, refrigeration keeps flowers fresher longer. Tuck your bouquet into the fridge every night to slow the aging process.
Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.
Can this startup automate home maintenance?
By M ichael J. D e L a M erced
The New York Times
LAST YEAR, JESSICA FAIN was frustrated by how much work her San Francisco Bay Area house needed.
There was the cord for internet that snaked out of her garage and into the living room. Towel rack holders that needed to be attached to the wall. A door that would not close.
But friends had convinced her that she and her husband — both non-DIY people, by her own admission — should try using Casa, a new startup promising to offer a home management service for a monthly fee.
Casa is now preparing to formally announce itself to the world after laboring in so-called stealth mode
for about two years. Its founders, two veterans of Travis Kalanick-era Uber, say the company offers services like handymen on call and proactive home maintenance work.
“It’s a full-time concierge that can reach out for any home project you might have,” Michael York, a Casa founder and its CEO, said in an interview.
The company is the latest effort to streamline the business of hiring repair workers, though many, like TaskRabbit, function more like marketplaces. (Confusingly, one similar business is also named Casa, and it has a similar web address.)
But Casa has amassed some influential backers who have collectively invested about $27 million. They include
the venture capital firms Forerunner Ventures and Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners, which was cofounded by Sheryl Sandberg, the former Meta chief operating officer. Kalanick is also backing the startup.
York said that he and his fellow Casa founder, Michael Mizrahi, were inspired by their interest in home-improvement activities, and by their careers in packaging up real-world services in digital offerings, including at Uber and at CloudKitchens, Kalanick’s ghost restaurant company.
By mid-2024, Casa was born.
When members sign up for the service, a team digitally catalogs their entire home with gadgets including lidar scanners and a device that can detect the shade of paint on a wall.
The onboarding process compiles a list of potential work to be done, with an allocation of 1.5 hours’ worth of complimentary “handyman time” each month. (Users pay for services beyond that.) And artificial intelligence software keeps track of what might need fixing and when.
“The ultimate vision is that Casa is building the autonomous home,” York said.
The repair work is done by individuals like Franco Biondi, once a factory manager in Peru. Biondi, who is based in San Francisco, said that he had done tasks like installing thermostats and building daybeds and tree houses. Casa tells him exactly what needs to be done.
(SALLEE ANN HARRISON
Terry & Kim Kovel | Antiques &
Collecting
Household moms often pop up in old advertisements
CELEBRATE MOTHER’S Day with a look at mothers in collectibles! Decorative arts are filled with images of mothers in domestic scenes, attending to household responsibilities, or enjoying time with their children. Mothers and children are often pictured in advertisements, selling images of wholesome domesticity and implying that the advertised product is the key to a happy home.
A framed sign advertising Elkay’s Straw Hat Dye from about 1940 shows a smiling woman using the product on a faded straw hat while her children watch. It sold for $256 at Morphy Auctions. The cheerful domestic scene may imply how easy and safe the dye is to use. Note the light-colored clothes of the figures in the advertisement, and the fact that the dyeing is taking place in a clean, tidy room with a bowl of flowers on display. Apparently, splashing and staining aren’t too much of a concern.
What’s more, two small children are watching up close, possibly participating in the task. The sign promises the dye “Makes your hat look like new,” which may not be such a serious concern today, when consumers are more likely to simply buy new clothes than repair old ones, and baseball caps, sunscreen, and sunglasses have supplanted straw hats as the preferred sun protection. But even if the product is an outdated one (except maybe to some DIY enthusiasts!), a mother teaching a skill to her children is always a timeless subject.
Maybe your mom didn’t show you how to dye a faded hat, but she probably taught you some more modern ways to take care of your clothes and even extend their lifetimes. It’s thanks to lessons like those and many more that we observe Mother’s Day.
Q. I have five 8 x 10 glossy pictures of astronauts: Frank Borman, Charles Conrad Jr., James A. Lovell Jr., William A. Anders, and L. Gordon Cooper Jr. All of them are personally signed except
How about dyeing straw hats for a wholesome and instructive mother-and-daughter activity? According to vintage advertisements like this, it used to be. (PHOTO CREDIT: MORPHY AUCTIONS)
James A. Lovell Jr. They were mailed to us from National Aeronautics & Space Administration, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas, in the 1960s. We wonder if they have any value.
A. Yes, your pictures have value! NASA memorabilia, especially relating to early spaceflight or moon landings, is highly desirable. All of the astronauts you mention flew on the GEMINI or Apollo missions. Borman, Anders, and Lovell were on the crew of Apollo 8, the first mission to orbit the moon. Conrad was the commander of Apollo 12, the second moon landing, and later the commander of Skylab 2, the first crew to NASA’s first space station. Autographed photos of these astronauts and others from the same missions can sell
for $50 to $250. The precise value will depend on the photograph’s condition. For more information, you may want to contact an antiquarian book dealer in your area; they often deal in signed photographs. An auction house that sells autographs, or one that holds sales devoted to NASA and space memorabilia (there is often overlap between these auction houses, such as RR Auction), may be able to provide more information as well.
Q. Can you tell me about an old crochet purse with a Bakelite handle? Do you know what it might be worth?
A. Patterns for crochet purses were published in magazines as early as the 1820s, but the Bakelite handle on yours immediately helps narrow down
the date. Bakelite was invented about 1907. It became a popular material for jewelry and accessories by the 1920s and was no longer produced after the 1960s.
Crochet purses were in use throughout that time, from the art deco beaded bags of the 1920s to the bohemian styles of the 1960s. Vintage crochet purses without an identified maker usually sell for under $50. Details like unusual shapes or glass beads may increase the value. A popular style of vintage crochet purse from the 1940s, with a textured “popcorn” stitch, rectangular shape, and plastic handles, is usually worth about $20. If you want to further narrow down the age of your purse, you may want to look up vintage fashion resources or crochet patterns. There are many available online. If you know, or can find out, the material the purse is made of, that can give you more information, especially if it is synthetic. For example, rayon was in use by the 1920s; nylon was invented in 1935; and polyester was produced commercially in the United States by the 1950s.
TIP: Light can damage many types of antiques. Furniture finishes will fade; textiles and paper fade or darken. Light will also weaken wood and fabric.
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 close-up 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 collectorsgallery@kovels.com.
CURRENT PRICES
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.
Jewelry, pin, figural, hedgehog, stylized, matte black body, silver, marked, Poul Warmind, Denmark, 1 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches, $50.
Store, case, hardware, 32 drawers, painted, blue, white stenciled numbers, half-moon pulls, 33 x 55 inches, $175.
Furniture, chest, mahogany, two short over three long graduated drawers, inlaid trim, metal pulls, oval, shaped bracket base, early 1800s, 40 x 36 inches, $195.
Moser, goblet, cranberry glass, wide gilt band around rim, white enamel flowers, flared stem, horizontal ribbing, stacked ring base, c. 1900, 11 1/2 inches, $255.
Clarice Cliff, figure, two ducklings, standing, mottled cream, yellow beaks, wingtips and feet, rectangular base, signed, Wilkinson, England, 6 x 4 1/2 inches, $325.
Lladro, figurine, Maternal Joy, woman in blue rocking chair, holding baby above head, signed, Fulgencio Garcia, 1990s, 16 1/2 inches, $425.
Rug, Hamadan, red field, ivory center diamond medallion, ivory spandrels, navy blue main border, wool, Persian, 6 feet 8 inches x 4 feet 8 inches, $875. Stone, soapstone, sculpture, bear, standing, holding cub, signed, Simeonie Kavik, Inuit, 9 inches, $885. Silver-English, salver, round, repousse inner border, scallops alternating with leaves, scrolled rim, three-footed, marked, John Carter II, London, 1774, 8 winches, $945.
Disneyana, lunch box, Disneyland, monorail, gondolas, mountain in background, light blue trim, thermos, castle, red cap, 1960, $1,010.
US long-term mortgage rate returns to levels seen 4 weeks ago
By A lex Veiga Associated Press
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose again last week, reflecting ongoing bond market volatility as surging oil prices due to the war with Iran heighten inflation worries.
The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.37% from 6.3% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. That’s still down from one year ago, when the rate averaged 6.76%.
This is the second straight weekly increase, bringing the average rate back to where it was four weeks ago.
Borrowing costs on 15year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also moved higher last week. That average rate rose to 5.72% from 5.64% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.89%, Freddie Mac said.
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 average rate on a 30-year home loan echoes the trajectory of U.S. 10-year Treasury bond yields, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.
The 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.37% in midday trading Thursday on the bond market. The yield was at just 3.97% in late February, before the war with Iran broke out.
When mortgage rates rise, they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for home shoppers,
Deeds
AGAWAM
David W. Piette, Michelle J. Martin, representative, and Joan Marie Wollmershauser, estate, to IM Home Improvement LLC, 157 Cambridge St., $259,000.
Eric D. Peterson and Jeffrey R. Peterson to Denis W. Punch and Katherine O. Punch, 12A Castle Hills Road, $335,000.
Trust, 97 North St., $360,000.
Elizabeth F. Morgan and Luke J. Salsich to Carole S. Donlon McAuliffe and James G. McAuliffe, trustees of the Carole Donlon-McAuliffe Trust, 79 North St., $450,000.
CHARLEMONT
Lawrence A. Stigas and Joseph P. Vella Jr., “aka” Joseph P. Vella, trustee of the Joseph P. Vella Jr. Trust, to Branden D. Putnam and Johanna R. Putnam, Legate Hill Road, $83,000.
$515,300.
Jacqueline Shaw, “fka” Jacqueline Swist, and Sharon Smith, “fka” Sharon Kradas, trustees of the Swist Irrevocable Real Estate Trust, to Tracy Willard, 15 Stillwater Road, $497,000.
Ashly Mellon and Jamison Young to Matthew Joseph Despres and MK August Smith Despres, 26 South Main St., $490,000.
limiting what they can afford to buy.
As recently as late February, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage had slipped just under 6% for the first time since late 2022. It’s hasn’t fallen below that threshold since.
While the average rate has remained below where it was a year ago, the rate volatility and other economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East have contributed to a lackluster start to the spring homebuying season, traditionally the busiest stretch of the year for the housing market.
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were down from a year earlier in the first three months of the year, extending nationwide housing slump that dates back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows.
“The expectation of rates below 6% this spring has disappeared, and buyers and sellers likely will face rates in the mid-6% range into the summer,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS.
Home shoppers who are undeterred by the mortgage rate volatility are likely to benefit from buyer-friendly trends in many markets. Last month, the number of homes for sale rose 4.6% from a year earlier, as properties took longer to sell, according to Realtor.com.
Many sellers are responding to the softer market by lowering their asking price. List prices fell in April from a year earlier for the sixth month in a row.
Hailley K. King-Reome, Hailley K. King and Albert Jay Reome to Dinesh B. Patel and Asha Dinesh Patel, 25 Damato Way, $711,000.
Jennifer A. Kratovil-Moriarty and Justin D. Kratovil to Cesar Manuel Alfaro Lopez and Sofia Alejandra Tot Cap De Alfaro, 1086 North St. Extn, $305,000.
Jose C. Silva and Zulmira Medeiros Silva to Sadiye Yarsi, 101-103 Sheri Lane, $500,000.
Joseph Fearn, Stefany Silva Bonfim Dos Santos and Stefany Silva Bonfim Dos Santos to 502 Union Station LLC, 121 Regency Park Drive, Unit 121, $150,000.
BELCHERTOWN
Gregor G. Giesmann to Gregor G. Giesmann and Jean O. Giesmann, 270 Amherst Road, $100.
Dominik Anthony Da Silva, Dominik Dasilva and Alicia Christine Da Silva to Dominik Anthony Da Silva, trustee, Alicia Christine Da Silva, trustee, and Dominik & Alicia Da Silva Revocable Trust, 12 Crestview Drive, $100.
Daniel W. Long to Celeste P. Long and Rachel L. Chagnon, 81 Gold St., $100.
Valthea McGee Fry, trustee, David J. Fry, trustee, Valthea McGee 2005 Revocable Trust, David J. Fy 2005 Revocable Trust and Valthea M. Fry, trustee, to Marciline L. Canton-Kibbe, Cold Spring Road, $75,000.
Courtney S. Pucel, personal representative, Thomas W. McRae, estate, and Thomas William McRae, estate, to Anna Stewart, 18 Country Lane, $345,000.
Lisa M. Lussier to Anton Veretennikov and Inna Veretennikova, 55 North Main St., $285,000.
BUCKLAND
Jennifer Carcio and Marc Carcio to Eva G. Goldman, 13 Bray Road, $342,500.
Patricia Ann Pike Anderson, Susan F. Farmer, “fka” Susan Faye Pike, Lisa Allison Pike Leger, Bethany Marie Pike and Laurie Jean Pike to Patricia P. Anderson, trustee of the Patricia P. Anderson Investment Trust, and Sidney C. Anderson, trustee of the Sidney C. Anderson Investment
CHESTERFIELD
Kristin I. Healy to Kristin I. Healy and Cecilia Healy, 515 Main Road, $100,000.
CHICOPEE
Campagnari Construction LLC, receiver, Chicopee City and Eleanor McNulty, estate, to Campagnari Construction LLC, 0 Royalton Street, $236,120.
Carolyn Roberta Johnston to Rachel Mary Farley and Eric Michael Hodges, 33 Washington St., $410,000.
Jeannette Boulerice to Jacob R Wright and Jamiee Lee Gossman, 184 Chicopee St., $235,000.
Jeannine L. Beliveau to Paul J. Santos, 1181 James St., $228,000.
Joseph W. Martino to John Ashmore, 26 Whitin Ave., $250,000.
Kyla Daigneault, representative, Kym L. Peters, estate, William E. Peters, representative, and Michael F. Peters, estate, to EZ Development Group LLC, 15 Hudson Ave., $70,000.
Nicholas Turnberg, trustee, and School Street Realty Trust, trustee of, to A2Y Realty LLC, 192-194 School St., $575,000.
O & L LLC, to Oscar Rivera and Natalia Richelle Sanchez Rosado, 13 Beston St., $400,000.
Paul G. Black to Zoe T. Haas, 56 Percy St., $270,000.
Peter R. Boutin, representative, and Leane A. Boutin, estate, to Peter R. Boutin, 211 Fuller Road, $100.
Rachel M. Farley and Eric M. Hodges to Joshua N. Menard and Gabrielle J. Taylor, 35 Dresser Ave., $290,000.
William J. Granfield to Consuela Carlson, 283 Fuller Road, Unit T, $80,000.
DEERFIELD
Edward A. Johnson to EDS Enterprises LLC, 42 Hoosac Road, $150,000.
Mary E. Powers and William J. Powers to Area SDRFMA LLC, 93 North Main St., $375,000.
Jill Angela Saybolt, “fka” Jill A. Saybolt-Klein, to Molly Johnson and Jeremy Rosen, 18 Stage Road,
Carol Bradley to Margaret Herlihy and Liam Pitrat, 72 Hillside Road, $405,000.
EAST LONGMEADOW
Barbara J. Nero, Joseph E. Nero, representative, and Beverly E. Palmer, estate, to Phantom Holdings LLC, 44 Lynwood Road, $190,000.
David P. Corcoran and Lisa A. Corcoran to Steven W. Longmoore and Amy Longmoore, 106 Canterbury Circle, $785,000.
Jonathan W. Burnham Jr., and Christina L. Roberts to Georgina J. Hatch and Robert D. Mitchell, 82 Lee St., $575,000.
Steven M. Guay and Joy E. Guay to Jonathan W. Burnham Jr., and Christina L. Roberts, 66 Lee St., $699,900.
EASTHAMPTON
Kimberly A. Pisinski to Kimberly A. Pisinski, trustee, and Pisinski Living Trust, 10 Clark Lane, $100.
Carolyn J. Orlick to Heather Marie Dameworth, 19 Florence Road, $400,000.
GILL
Regis A. Crosby, trustee of the Regis A. Crosby Trust, to Clifford Hatch, West Gill Road, $60,000.
GRANBY
Keith D. Cohen, Allison M. Cohen and Allision M. Carvalho to Keith D. Cohen, 5 Pleasant St., $100.
Keith L. Sbriscia and Amanda Sbriscia to Maxim Tischenko, Anastacia Tishchenko and Sergey N. Tishchenko, 6 Jennifer Drive, $420,000.
GREENFIELD
Karyn B. Sandelman, individually and as trustee of the Karyn B. Sandelman Revocable Living Trust, to Duane Karlen, trustee of the Duane Karlen Revocable Living Trust, 52 Emily Lane, Unit 52, Birches Condominium, $170,000.
Matthew Joseph Despres and MK August Smith Despres, “fka” Marykate Smith Despres, to Sara Breem and Ian Haas, 164 Plain Road, $405,000.
Deeds
HADLEY
Deborah Levenson to Anne Marie Cardin and Rebecca A. Smith, 14 Hawley Road, $440,000.
Pioneer Valley Rental Management LLC, to Robert Reinstadler and Jennifer Reinstadler, 84 Russell St., $537,500.
Joseph M. Assad and Margaret A. Assad to Joseph S. Assad and Mary-Leah Messenger, 30 East Commons Drive, $100.
HAMPDEN
Lewis G. Caputo Jr., to Gretchen E. Caputo, 89 Woodland Drive, $159,000.
HATFIELD
Patrick J. Melnik Jr., personal representative, Robert Hebert, estate, and Robert L. Hebert, estate, to Dante J. Vautrain, 59 North Hatfield Road, $349,000.
HOLLAND
Dominick Philip Daponte and Christy McGrail Daponte to Matthew Archer and Marie Archer, 2 Fenton St., $399,900.
HOLYOKE
97 Elm Holyoke Rental LLC, to Augusta Aghaizu-Akukwe, 97 Elm St., $495,000. Caitlin Lugo to Noel Enrique Agosto Sr., 15-17 O’Connor Ave., $412,000.
Jason Casella, Anne T. Casella and Anne T. Wackerbarth to Sell 2 Us LLC, 5 Timber Lane, $275,000.
Roger W. Langevin to Nova Vita LLC, 68 Fairfield Ave., $85,000.
HUNTINGTON
Mechanic Man LLC, to Candace A. Thayer and Richard G. Boucher, 16 Knightville Dam Road and 16 Knightsville Dam Road, $375,000.
LEYDEN
James J. Paolucci III, to Sheryl Allen and David Freitas, trustees of the Allen Freitas Revocable Living Trust, 71 George Lamb Road, $390,000.
LONGMEADOW
Kimberly Adegoke and Adesina Adegoke to Kimberly Paluch and Sergio Paluch, 28 Revere Road, $605,000.
Michel E. Robitaille to Malia Homebuyers LLC, 45 Bellevue Ave., $243,000.
Orange Park Management LLC, to George Anthony Snowling and Lori Jean Snowling, 59 Lawrence Drive, $775,000.
Ronald Johnston, trustee, and Ronald Johnston Revocable Trust, trustee of, to William T. McCarry, 184 Cambridge Circle, $268,000.
LUDLOW
Dwight Manganaro and Leeann Manganaro to George D. Roumeliotis and Jennifer L. Biseinere, 10 Alden St., $635,000.
Ian D. Premo to Jeremy A. Lamontagne and Sonia H. Lamontagne, 6 Harvest Drive, $1,115,000.
Jeffrey S. Nadeau, Maria A. Nadeau and Maria A. Nedeau to Samantha Lopez, 25 Dale St., $415,000.
Pamela J. Desilets to Joseph Dacosta, trustee, Joanne Wu, trustee, and Guadalino & Amelia DaCosta Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, 48 Arnold St., $350,000.
Thomas M. Vallee to Anthony Wheeler Construction LLC, 0 Kirkland Avenue, $70,000.
MONROE
Kenneth L. Cote and Marchelle Renee Cote, “aka” Machelle Renee Cote, to Timothy J. Shonio, Isaiah A. Sleath and Mark R. Sleath. Moores Road, $35,000.
MONSON
Paul L. Bucklin to Cornerstone Homebuying LLC, 3 Maple Lawn Drive, $244,500.
MONTAGUE
Alice M. Wondoloski to Ten Ten Investment Group LLC, 23 Sunset Drive, $260,000.
Stephanie A. Thomas and Peter F. Watroba, personal representatives of the Estate of Marilyn C. Watroba, to 16 Fairfield LLC, 27 West St., $616,000.
Brian P. McCarthy and Lisa McCarthy to Caitlyn Waynelovich and John Waynelovich, 8 Country Club Lane, $550,000.
Marlene A. Felton, personal representative of the Estate of Joan A. Felton, to Rachael Leigh Cowan and Zephyr Lorusso, 18 Crescent St., $315,000.
NORTHAMPTON
Susan Elena Esquivel and Douglas A. Fraser to Frank Bajak and Maria Cecilia Malachowski Bajak, 575 Bridge Road, $391,500.
David Huntley, trustee, and Huntley Realty Trust to Mass Postal Holdings LLC, 56 Mulberry St., and 24 Mulberry St., $150,000.
Georgia N. Crump and Robert J. Ratcliffe to Georgia Nell Crump, trustee, Robert James Ratcliffe, trustee, Georgia Nell Crump Revocable Trust and Robert James Ratcliffe Revocable Trust, 111 Prospect St., $100.
Brian J. Heafey, Virginia M. Heafey and Virginia B. Heafey to Brian J. Heafey, trustee, Virginia B. Heafey, trustee, Brian J. Heafey Revocable Trust and Virginia B. Heafey Revocable Trust, 76 Blackberry Lane, $100. Eric J. Ulsh, trustee, Patricia A. Ulsh, trustee, and Ulsh Family Trust to Thomas Wartenberg, trustee, Jane Garb, trustee, and 29 Ford Crossing Trust, 29 Ford Crossing and 29 Ford Xing, $925,000.
NORTHFIELD
ARPC LLC, to Brian Johnson, 725 Mt Hermon Station Road and Gerrish Road, $5,000.
PALMER
Austin M. LeClerc and Tory E. Zalauskas to Austin M. LeClerc, 28 Arnold St., $1,000.
Tavernier Investments LLC, to Candido Rosado Jr., 2066-2072 Palmer Road, $450,000.
PELHAM
Cydnie R. Reiman and Wendi M. Weinberg to Cyndie R. Reiman, trustee, Cydnie R. Reiman Revocable Trust, Wendi M. Weinberg, trustee, and Wendi Weinberg Revocable Trust, 11 Country Lane, $100.
David L. Bosch and Brenda S. Barlow to William Dunn and Amanda Keefer, 224 North Valley Road, $648,000.
ROWE
William J. Bernhardt to Jean Bernhardt, 143 County Road, $125,000.
SHUTESBURY
Greenfield Savings Bank, Personal Representative of the Estate of John M. Tomasetti to Patrick Devivo, Eleanor Cannon Smith, Elizabeth Cannon Smith and Randall Piper Smith. 84 Lake Drive. $685,000.
SOUTH HADLEY
Jennifer Thantoni to Donald Wilkins and Deborah Wilkins, 596 Newton St., $300,000.
Anna Jane Rayno-Quirk to Chelsea Quinn Vigue and Steven Phelps Kennick, 9 Lexington St., $318,000.
Rachel M. Powers and Sam Mitchell to Anna Swan, 25 Shadowbrook Estates, $280,000.
Julianne Roberts to Brenda M. Parrella and David S. Parrella, 25 Woodbridge St., $685,000.
Matthew G. Lavallee and Linda H. Lavallee to Leslie L. Kastrop and Kathryn L. Benson, 44 San Souci Drive, $711,989.
JA Pro LLC, to Bernash Realty LLC, 10 Grant St., $317,500.
SOUTHAMPTON
Marvin E. Turner Jr., and Heidi M. Turner to Jeffrey M. Roux and Rhiannon Gregory, 6 Madison Ave., $600,000.
Dena Mechoso, Danna Lockwood and Danna Niedzwiecki to David Niedzwiecki, 32 Moosebrook Road, $100.
Antonios Rizos and Vickie M. Rizos to Frederickie A. Rizos, 2 Geryk Court, $385,000.
SPRINGFIELD
AAD LLC, to Shakurah Abdul Raheem, 21
Mountainview St., $434,900.
Angeljoy Galatians LLC, to Ana M. Pichardo De Nunez and Ana M. Pichardo De Nunez, 42 Florence St., $358,875.
DDMNS Realty LLC, to Jafham LLC, 15 Whipple St., $750,000.
Eulalia Alvarado to Luis A. Alvarado Jr., 27 Montmorenci St., $200,000.
Gilberto Montano and Cheera Montano to Thayris Savinon and Tomas Savinon Jimenez, 57 Narragansett St., $504,900.
Home Dreams LLC, to Jordyn Newsome, 365-367 Water St., $395,000.
John P. Kavanagh, representative, and Daniel T. Kavanagh, estate, to Carlos Xavier Guaba-Concepcion, 47 Holy Cross St., $290,000.
Jose L. Ortiz, Marjorie Lopez Martinez and Jose L. Ortiz Lopez to Joseph Ryan Fearn, 83 Oakdale St., $320,000.
Joseph F. Otero Jr., and Yasmin E. Otero to David Calhoun and Julie Calhoun, 23 Westernview St., $350,000.
Juan A. Ortiz to Benjamin Dreyer, 96-98 Orange St., $415,000.
Juan Acevedo Vargas to Nicole M. Santos, 1128 Page Boulevard, $275,000.
Krista Efantis to Nichole Porter, 244 Nassau Drive, Unit 244, $179,900.
Livina Okorie to Trust Okorie, 622-624 Armory St., $360,000.
Luis A. Diaz to Ryan Patrick Carmichael, 75 Gillette Circle, $330,000.
Luis A. Lopez Jr., to Angel Roa, 195-197 Orange St., $420,000.
Mark C. Bousquet, Carol A. Bousquet and Carole A. Bousquet to MMM Home Buyers LLC, 32 Sargon St., $130,000.
Neisha Nixon to Sana O. Cooke, 13 Bither St., $320,000.
Nghe Van Ho to Naylor Nation Real Construction LLC, 180-182 Bloomfield St., $115,000.
Nicholas Turnberg, trustee, and Main Street Realty Trust, trustee of, to A2Y Realty LLC, 266-268 Main St., $475,000.
Nicki Chan Uy to Rosanna Ceballo Gil and Josue Urena Ramirez, 48-50 Dresden St., $458,000.
Novac Holdings LLC, to Springfield Ga House, 42 Berkeley St., $305,000. Rosalie Sutton to London Realty LLC, 157159 Lebanon St., $176,200.
SR Homebuyers LLC, to CMJ3 Dream Houses LLC, 15-17 Nye St., $225,000.
SR Homebuyers LLC, to Jason R. Hernandez Bermudez and Silvia G. Bermudez De Hernandez, 34 Elsie St., $335,000.
Greater New Life Christian Center of Springfield Massachusetts Inc., and Greater New Life Christian Center of Springfield Inc., to Wellspring Cooperative Corp., 340 Oak St, $300,000.
Teresa Bye Concepcion and Teresa D. Bye to Octaviana Williams and Fredreika L. Hunter, 121 Mallowhill Road, $296,000.
Woodside Realty LLC, to Alexis Knight, 613 Nassau Drive, Unit 613, $159,000.
Deeds
WALES
Sean Valley to Timothy Jones and Mikaela Jones, 2 Woodland Heights, $405,000.
WARE
Jessie Rivera and Kenia Gonzalez to Daniel Allen and Sophie Worthen, 24 Clinton St., $410,000.
Polonia Real Estate Holdings LLC, to ASW Fund I LP., 23 Aspen St., $110,000.
Renee Bavineau, personal representative, and Paul Flores, estate, to Renee Bavineau, 44 North St., $100.
Renee Bavineau to Renee Bavineau and Lloyd A. Day, 44 North St., $100.
Automate
“It’s very efficient,” Biondi said. “We don’t waste time. We don’t waste the members’ time.”
In the case of Fain, a software product manager, Casa quickly plowed through her to-do list. When her dishwasher broke, she said, the service gave her three options for replacing it and offered to purchase her choice on her behalf.
Casa’s business revolves solely around membership fees, currently around $200 a month, rather than through other revenue streams like payments from service providers. That aligns the company with customers, York argued, adding that the company has a 97%-member retention rate.
Handymen benefit from steady work from Casa members, York added. For some, the service has become a full-time job: Biondi says that he averages about 40 hours to 50 hours of work a week from the platform and usually does three to four home visits a day.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Andrii Tverdokhlib and Tamara Tverdokhlib to Vladislav Tsvor and Diana Tsvor, 59 Day St., $500,000.
Charles E. Petschke Jr., estate, and Robert C. Petschke, representative, to O & L LLC, 224 Riverdale St., $220,000.
Jessica Aliz Ortiz-Serra, Jessica A. Ortiz and Hugo Jose Luis Serra-Feliciano to Nathan Labonte and Kristen Labonte, 34 Pebble Path Lane, $412,000.
Larkspur LLC, to Shelby Smith, 80 Brush Hill Ave. #61, $189,000.
Let’s Rendezvous LLC, to Springfield C C LLC, 66 Grandview Ave., $210,000.
Sandra Salem McCollum, trustee, and Testamentary Trust of Samuel Salem, trustee of, to EJL Realty LLC, 1422 Elm St., $1,500,000.
Tanya L. Lyon, Brittany Lyon and Tanya L. Samson to Emily Ciccolo, 86 Albert St., $269,900.
Timothy J. Rusiecki, trustee, and Rusiecki Fam-
ily Trust, trustee of, to Angelino Placanico and Annaleesa Adley, 44 Lennys Way, $700,000.
WESTFIELD
Connor Costello and Maggie Barros to Jeffrey M. Mitchell, 30 Deepwoods Drive, $466,000.
No Limit Assets LLC, to Branden Labrie and Jill Labrie, 10 Marla Circle, $625,000.
WILBRAHAM
Bruce Arnold, trustee, and 19 Westernview Realty Trust, trustee of, to Rosa Espinosa, trustee, and Lisae Realty Trust, trustee of, 19 Westernview Drive, $690,000.
Darren Vickery, conservator, and Barbara A. Vickery to Matthew T. O’Neil and Marissa H. O’Neil, 1070 Glendale Road, $625,000.
Phyllis C. Ervin Living Trust, trustee of, Phyllis C. Ervin, trustee, and David B. Ervin, trustee, to Andrew Carlson and Madison Carlson, 172 Main St., $500,000.
Michael Mizrahi, left, and Michael York, co-founders of the home-repair service startup Casa, in San Francisco on April 14. The executives, veterans of Uber and CloudKitchens, have operated Casa in “stealth mode” for about two years; now the start-up, which offers a home management and service for a monthly fee, is going public. (KELSEY MCCLELLAN / THE NEW YORK TIMES)
The business model benefits everyone involved, according to Kirsten Green, the founder of Forerunner, which led Casa’s $20 million Series A round this year. Technology helps the company operate efficiently, and those cost savings get passed onto customers.
Casa operates only in the Bay Area and Los Angeles,
SPRINGFIELD
Springfield Garden Club plant sale and scholarship fundraiser
The Springfield Garden Club will hold its annual plant sale on Saturday, May 30, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Monkey House in Forest Park. Free entry to the plant sale is available at the Trafton Road entrance to Forest Park, 200 Trafton Road.
but York and Green said that the company was eyeing up to six more markets. Yet the team, Green said, does not seem inclined to repeat Kalanick’s strategy at Uber of burning money to expand rapidly. She asked if Casa would “spend like crazy” on customer acquisition. “That’s not the intention,” she added. Another hurdle will be in persuading potential members to sign up for what is still a pricey service. York compared the current nearly $200-a-month offering to Uber’s original car-on-demand service, and said the company had the ability to eventually lower prices.
Yet another challenge, York conceded, is ensuring that the quality of service does not worsen as it expands. “If we’re not earning your business every month,” he said, “you’ll leave.”
For now, Fain intends to remain a member, with Casa monitoring her washing machine every six months and taking on projects like installing a bike shed. She is also compiling a wish list of additional services, like planning children’s parties and car maintenance.
(413) 788-1250 advertising@repub.com
A spring tradition and the Club’s major scholarship fundraiser, this is not the kind of plant sale that focuses on re-selling plants from wholesale growers. Except for a few donations from generous area garden centers, these plants are from members’ gardens or have been grown from seed specifically for the sale.
This is a major fund raiser for their scholarship program and a lot of fun for club members and customers alike. There will be many experienced gardeners and Master Gardeners among here who can offer useful suggestions on which plants to buy or answers to some of your gardening questions.
The Springfield Garden Club awards an annual scholarship of at least $2,000 to a graduating high school senior, undergraduate or graduate college student majoring in a full-time plant science or environmental studies program, such as horticulture, floriculture, landscape design, conservation, forestry, botany, agronomy, plant pathology, environmental control, land management or other allied fields. Using proceeds from past plant sales, the club has given out over $80,000 in scholarships to students in the last 30 plus years and we look forward to adding to that this year. For more information on the Springfield Garden Club events go to www. springfieldgardenclubma. org or visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ SpringfieldMAGardenClub/
pmastriano@repub.com two weeks prior to publication.
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