Home and Garden, and Real Estate- April 14, 2024

GARDEN NOTES

HAMPDEN Beekeeping program

The Hampden Garden Club will be presenting a program, “Beekeeping 101,” by guest speaker Lee Duquette on April 18 at 7 p.m. at Academy Hall, 625 Main St. Duquette is a local beekeeper who has been keeping bees since 2009. For more information, call Lil at 413-566-1137. Guest fee is $5.

MONSON Garden Club scholarships

The Monson Garden Club has two $500 scholarships available to high school seniors who reside in Monson and plan to continue school at a two-or four-year college to study in any branch of the life, natural, or environmental sciences.

Applications with instructions may be obtained through school guidance offices and are due by April 23.

STOCKBRIDGE

Botanical Garden programs

Berkshire Botanical Garden presents these upcoming programs:

• “Landscape Graphics and Communication,”

Thursday, April 18, to May 23, 6 to 8 p.m. Taught by Chuck Schnell and Walter Cudnohufsky, participants in this class will focus on the free-hand drawing techniques that precede the more precise and highly technical world of hard-line drafting of construction documents. Students will learn and put into practice conceptual and schematic style graphics. This class will teach an illustrative and informative approach to landscape plan rendering, and help students learn to

SEE NOTES, PAGE F3

The garden’s waking up

Here’s which spring chores to tackle first

By JESSICA DAMIANO Associated Press

As trees, shrubs, perennials and insects enter a new phase of life in our gardens, we, too, emerge from a type of dormancy in spring, a pause from yard work.

Well, buckle up, buttercups. It’s showtime.

First, inspect and assess the garden for safety. Have any tree branches snapped during winter storms? Are any broken and hanging? Now’s the time to remove them, as well as any dead wood. Use a sharp pruning saw to make clean cuts on the diagonal, just outside the branch collar (the swollen, bulbous area where the branch meets the trunk).

If the damage is within reach, you can tackle it on your own. But for anything higher than your head, it’s best to call in a professional arborist.

Prune shrubs, too, except for spring bloomers. Those should be handled right after their flowers fade.

Cold weather can threaten spring fruit, blossoms

TDon’t rush to clean up garden beds

I know you like things nice and tidy — so do I — but refrain from applying mulch to garden beds until the soil has sufficiently warmed. Doing so earlier would trap cooler temperatures in the soil and delay root awakenings. Instead, mulch when tomatoes are planted in your region. In my New York garden, that means waiting until late May and biting my lip when the neighborhood landscapers started spreading the stuff in March.

Next, only after nighttime temperatures have remained above 50 degrees for an entire week, cut down last year’s spent perennials and ornamental grasses to make way for new growth. The idea is that many beneficial insects and pollinators, which take their cues from the weather rather than the calendar, will emerge ready to work in your garden at that point.

There’s some disagreement among experts about this timing because different

O ME, SPRING CAN be a manic time of year. On the one hand, no tree is more beautiful or festive than a peach tree loaded with pink blossoms. I’d say almost the same for apples, pears, and plums, their branches laden with clusters of white blossoms. And it’s such a hopeful season. If all goes well, those blossoms will morph, in coming months, into such delicacies as Hudson’s Golden Gem and Pitmaston Pineapple apples, and Magness, Seckel, and Concorde pears. My peach tree was grown from seed, so has no name. But even as my eyes feast on the scene, I can’t forget about the weather’s ups and downs. Specifically, the temperature: Frosty weather has the potential to turn blossoms to mush and ruin the chances for fruit. Especially on my farmden. As in other low-lying locations, on clear, cold nights, a temperature inversion occurs, with heat radiated to the clear sky making ground level temperatures low. Cold air is denser than warmer air, so all the cold air flows down slopes to

collect in valleys.

There’s not much to do to avert that frost damage. A blanket thrown over a tree would help but my trees are too large and too many. Branches could be sprayed with water; water, in transitioning to ice, releases its heat of fusion as long as it’s continuously applied. A helicopter or a “wind machine” could dilute colder air at ground level with warmer air from higher up. These methods might be used commercially but not here.

Rather than worrying myself into the manic phase of spring, I’m going to assess the damage and live with it. For starters, I need to know the temperature.

I have been using a nifty little device called Sensorpush, a 1-inch square cube, a half-inch thick, that I have mounted outside and that continually transmits the temperature to my cell phone. Great. Even better, temperature (as well as humidity) is recorded, and can be displayed graphically or downloaded to my computer. So I didn’t have to be awake to find out if the mercury

www.canr.msu.edu/fruit/ uploads/files/PictureTable ofFruitFreezeDamage Thresholds.pdf.

So now I can take this information, couple it with data recorded by Sensorpush, and foretell my sensory future, pomologically speaking. That’s determined, for each kind of tree fruit, by looking at the growth stage of the bud and the critical temperatures on the Longstroth’s chart.

All this seems very sci-

Reich

CONTINUES FROM PAGE F2

hit 32.5 degrees Farenheit at 12:16 a.m. on some night in the middle of April and stayed there until it began rising around 7 a.m.

Fortunately, researchers have compiled temperatures at which damage to blossoms occurs. Specifically, damage enough to wipe 10% of the crop, and damage enough to wipe out 90% of the crop. And

more specifically, applying those numbers to various kinds of fruits, which vary in their blossom’s cold tolerances. And even more specifically to the various stages of blossoming for each kind of fruit. Generally, less cold is required to kill a blossom the closer it is to bloom time.

For more information, you can see a chart of this information that was compiled and photographed by Mark Longstroth of Michigan State University at

Notes

convey with both graphics and carefully crafted words the design intent. Cost $250 members, $275 nonmembers;

• “Sprint Plant Based Cooking,” April 19, 6 to 8 p.m. This class, led by Rachel Portnoy will focus on demystifying plant-based ingredients and recipes, resulting in incredible flavor combinations to taste and explore. Participants will explore vegan, vegetarian and veggie-forward appetizers, main dishes and desserts to satisfy all tastebuds. Cost $75 members, $100 nonmembers;

• “Gardening for Hummingbirds,” April 20, 10 a.m. to noon, “Gardening for Hummingbirds.” Make your yard a haven for these tiny flying jewels with a great selection of native plants that provide food sources and nesting sites all season long. This class is taught by Duncan Himmelman. Cost is

$25 members, $40 nonmembers;

• “Cyanotype Tote Bags,” April 20, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This alternative photographic process uses a light-sensitive solution on paper, sunlight and pressed plants to make beautiful botanical images. For this class, taught by Madge Evers, participants are encouraged to bring objects or pressed plants with interesting silhouettes from home to use in their compositions and print on tote bags. Cost $60 members, $80 nonmembers;

• “Native Groundcovers,” April 20, 1 to 3 p.m. Discover a selection of tough, versatile native plants to use as groundcovers in a variety of growing conditions with Duncan Himmelman. Cost $25 members, $40 nonmembers.

To register for these programs or for more information, visit berkshirebotani cal.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 W. Stockbridge Road.

ence-y comforting, and it is. As with most garden science, though, things are more complicated, to some extent, than can be easily predicted. For one thing, some variation in cold hardiness undoubtedly exists from one variety to the next. In the case of my trees, I have American hybrid and European hybrid plums; they might more generally differ in blossom hardiness. And what about the length of time at a given temperature, and the

effect of humidity?

Overall, the chart has calmed me down. Not to mention that a certain amount of fruit loss would, actually, be a good thing. A tree has just so much energy, and too big a crop makes for less flavor and size. Only 5% of blossoms of an apple tree need to set fruit for a full crop. Now, I can move on to worry about insect and diseases that might hone in on my fruit.

These apple buds are about to burst into flowers to welcome in spring but, depending on their growth stage, can be threatened by cold weather. (LEE REICH PHOTO)

By Jason Nark The Philadelphia Inquirer

When it comes to wild mushroom foraging, Barbora Batokova has a simple rule for beginners: learn what can kill you, then go have fun.

Batokova, 38, works in tech and software but a childhood passion has nearly evolved into a second career in Pennsylvania. She’s president of the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club, has a website and 126,000-plus followers on her @fungiwoman Instagram account, and hosts guided walks for budding mycologists.

Now she’s releasing her first book: “Hunting Mushrooms: How to Safely Identify, Forage and Cook Wild Fungi.”

Hunting and photographing mushrooms in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park in 2017, cured a bit of homesickness, Batokova said, and she hasn’t looked back. Her family had a summer home in South Bohemia, Czech Republic and spent many days foraging for chanterelles, boletes and blushers.

“I was looking for a way to get grounded again and find some purpose. That’s when I started to come here,” she said in the park on a recent damp Saturday. “This is what my family used to do during the summer in the country.”

Pennsylvania and the Czech Republic have similar climates, Batokova said, and both have an abundance of mushrooms and fungi too. In Frick Park, she left the trail every few feet to point out the mycology.

“So this is a violet-toothed polypore, not to be confused with turkey tails, which are said to have medicinal ben-

efits,” she said, holding the fungus in her hand.

The polypores aren’t edible, she said, because they’re too tough but there’s plenty of edible mushrooms growing in Pennsylvania, including chanterelles, chicken of the woods, and honey mushrooms.

“In the Czech Republic, foraging and eating mushrooms are part of our tradition. We’re not scared of them,” she said.

“But you know, here in the States, it’s quite the opposite.”

Czechs, Batokova wrote in her book, forage 60 million pounds mushrooms, yearly.

A small number of the world’s mushroom species can make you sick, she noted, and the number of truly dangerous mushrooms, like the death cap

and funeral bell, is smaller. Some toxic mushrooms can resemble edibles to the untrained eye, however, and no one should eat one if they can’t identify it, Batokova said.

“There’s an edibility spectrum to mushrooms,” she said.

Batokova’s book delves into all aspects of mushroom identification, along with tips for picking and preserving them, and how to gently “taste” them to check if they are poisonous: “You can touch and taste any mushroom, and as long as you spit it out, you will be fine.”

The book also includes 16 recipes, one of them her grandmother’s yellowfoot chanterelle goulash.

With Pennsylvania so heavily wooded, Batokova said it

makes for an excellent state to forage in. She often travels to Cook State Forest in the Northwestern region of the state, and even the Poconos.

“Obviously, the old-growth forest is the best place to be,” she said.

Batokova first came to the United States in 2001 as an exchange student and attended Chatham University and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She grew up in the Czech town of Tabor and returns every year for Christmas

“Once you go on a walk with me, you start seeing that mushrooms are everywhere and it changes the way you observe the woods.”

BARBORA BASTOKOVA

and Cook Wild Fungi.” (TNS)

and again in the summer to visit the beloved country home in rural Vícemil.

“Summer is a must,” she said, “to go foraging.”

In Pennsylvania, she tries to re-create the magic of her childhood walks.

“Once you go on a walk with me, you start seeing that mushrooms are everywhere and it changes the way you observe the woods,” she said. “But I still call it hunting, because you really have to search for the ones you want.”

Barbora Batokova, president of the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club, has published “Hunting Mushrooms: How to Safely Identify, Forage

& Kim Kovel | Antiques & Collecting

Newcomb College quality remains top-notch

CERAMICS COLLECtors know Newcomb College for its famous pottery. From 1895 to the 1940s, students at the college, which was, at the time, Tulane University’s coordinate women’s college, decorated the ceramics that Newcomb Pottery sold. In accordance with the Arts and Crafts movement, the intention was to both teach the students vocational skills and encourage their appreciation for decorative arts and fine craftsmanship.

Like many Arts and Crafts communities or guilds, Newcomb College students worked in multiple media. They bound books, crafted metalwork and, perhaps most notably, created textiles, with fiber arts classes introduced in the early 1900s.

This sewing bag, which sold at Treadway Gallery, is one of the textiles made during the program. Unlike the pottery, it is not signed or marked; we don’t know the name of the artisan who made it. Like the pottery, the design incorporates local Louisiana plant life; here, a landscape with trees. Made in linen and silk, it is simply designed and skillfully crafted. Its rarity as well as its quality and the Newcomb College name brought its sale price to $4,445. Newcomb pottery can also sell for as much and even more.

Q. We have 21 large totes, all wrapped, full of the Royal Copley collection, and are wondering how to sell them all together. We have more than one of some pieces, and we have names and prices in a notebook. Could you help with this?

A. Royal Copley is a name used by the Spaulding China Company in Sebring, Ohio, from 1939 to 1960. The most famous Royal Copley pieces are figurines, figural planters and head vases, which were sold at department stores. There are several options for selling an entire collection. You

The skilled craftsmanship, earthy colors and organic design on this Newcomb College sewing bag recall what makes the college’s famous pottery so appealing. (COWLES SYNDICATE INC.)

can check antique shops and consignment stores in your area to see if they sell similar items. Consignment shops usually know what price to ask, but antiques dealers will want you to set the price. An auction house is another option. Or you could contact a matching service like Replacements LTD to see if they are interested in buying your collection. No matter what you do, be sure to check for any fees or insurance requirements and get a signed contract before you sell.

Q. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction to identify a claw and ball parlor table. It is not at all like any I’ve researched. It possibly was customized at one point. It has a gold finish with what appears to be a faux marble finish on the top and lower shelf. Wondering if it’s trash or treasure. Can you suggest a place where I can research similar items?

A. Parlor tables were popular

in the Victorian era, or mid- to late 19th century, when every fashionable household had to have a parlor room where the family could relax and, more importantly, receive guests. They were usually small (so they could be easily moved to accommodate guests) and of course highly decorative, often with a lower shelf to hold items like books, writing supplies or games. Claw and ball tables were especially popular in the Golden Oak period, which lasted from about 1880 to 1920. Victorian furniture usually had lavish decorations like carvings, moldings, finishes, inlay and gilding. Faux marble finishes have been used for hundreds of years. It’s possible that your table could be from the Victorian era, or it could be a later reproduction. Or, as you suggested, it could have been altered. It may take an expert to tell. Look for local resources — consult a furniture dealer in your area or look for books at your local library about furniture history, especially Victori-

an furniture, reproductions and how to authenticate antique furniture. If there is a house museum in your area or an art museum with a decorative arts department, they may also have helpful information. Of course, we also suggest looking at the furniture sections of Kovels price guides to see if anything looks familiar!

TIP: The original color of old fabrics may be an off-white color or ivory, not the gleaming white we see in modern fabrics.

Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material, and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. Write to Kovels, The Republican, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or email 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.

Sewing, kit, egg-shape case, plastic, green, gold-tone netting, contains three needles, two pins, two safety pins, thread, thimble, marked, Mosell, 2 1/2 inches, $70.

Villeroy & Boch, vase, art nouveau, light green ground, stylized flowers around shoulder and lip, hand engraved, six-sided, c. 1900, 12 inches, $110.

Toy, dollhouse, two-story, Georgian style, two hinged front panels, painted, red trim, black roof, two chimneys, wood, 20th century, 24 x 27 x 10 inches, $200.

Cloisonne, box, round, lid, phoenix, turquoise feathers, multicolor, geometric borders, blue ground, red lacquer interior, Japan, late 19th century, 3 3/4 inches, $260.

Purse, leather, shoulder bag, Looping, brown, allover monogram, tan leather rolled handles, brass zip closure, suede interior, Louis Vuitton, 8 1/2 x 10 inches, $595.

Jewelry, necklace, pendant, bow, diamonds, rose cut, old European cut, single cut, detachable pin back, art deco, 22 inches, $755.

Orrefors, vase, Kraka, shaded blue, fishnet, cased glass, marked, no. 22, Sven Palmquist, c. 1960, 13 inches, $875.

Store, sign, “Millinery.”, capital letters, black, white ground, painted, wood, two-sided, 19th century, 16 x 146 inches, $1,095.

Rug, Beshir, 24 panels, checkerboards & diagonal stripes, Turkmenistan, early 1900s, 11 feet 4 inches x 9 feet, $1,475.

Furniture, desk, writing, L. & J.G. Stickley, top hutch with eight drawers, long center drawer flanked by two drawers on each side, refinished top, branded mark, c. 1912, 36 x 48 x 30 inches, $2,175.

Terry

30-year US mortgage rate edges closer to 7%

Highest level since early March

By A LEX VEIGA Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose to its highest level in five weeks, a setback for prospective homebuyers during what’s traditionally the busiest time of the year for home sales.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 6.88% from 6.82% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.27%.

When mortgage rates rise, they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much they can afford at a time when the U.S. housing market remains constrained by relatively few homes for sale and rising home prices.

Rates have been mostly drifting higher in recent weeks as stronger-than-expected reports on employment and inflation have stoked doubt among bond investors over how soon the Federal Reserve will move to lower its benchmark interest rate. The central bank has signaled that it expects to cut its short-term rate three times this year once it sees more evidence of cooling inflation.

After climbing to a 23-year high of 7.79% in October, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage has remained below 7% since early December, though it also hasn’t gone below the 6.6% it averaged in mid January.

Mortgage rates will likely continue to hover between that 6.6% and 7% range until inflation shows convincing progress towards the Fed’s target, said Hannah Jones, Realtor.com’s senior economic research analyst.

Deeds AGAWAM

Beverly A. Ventura to Karen Franz, 5E Castle Hill Road, $315,000.

Chenevert Properties LLC, to Oma Inc., 106 Silver St., $185,000.

Christopher J. Frawley to Matthew Czepiel and Ashton DiDonato, 649-651 Springfield St., $342,000.

Donna M. Walen, representative, John O’Neil, estate, and Elizabeth M. O’Neil to Edward Haskell and Deborah Haskell, 90 Stewart Lane, $281,000.

Leslie R. Everett to Charlene DeGray and Tod A. DeGray, 77 Alfred Circle, $2,000.

Maple Tree Rentals LLC, to Zachary Riopelle and Jonathan Riopelle, 31 Maple St., $460,000.

AMHERST

Steven D. Brewer and Alisa V. Brewer to Steven D. Brewer, trustee, Alisa V. Brewer, trustee, Steven Daniel Brewer Revocable Trust and Alisa Victoria Brewer Revocable Trust, 5 Fairfield St., $100.

Patricia R. Everett to Patricia R. Everett, trustee, and Patricia Everett Trust, 51 Pine St., $100.

Paul A. Schroeder and Maria Monasterios to Kristin Marie Flewelling and Christine Louise Larson, 44 Chapel Road, $560,750.

BELCHERTOWN

M & G Land Development LLC, to Glenna J. Young, 203 South St., $507,150.

Kimberly Scott Robinette, Kelly Scott Bassett and Linda G. Scott to Kimberly Scott Robinette, 31 Lake Drive and 650 Amherst Road, $100.

Kimberly Scott Robinette to Kimberly Scott Robinette, 31 Lake Drive, $100.

John P. Budz, Judy A. Surniak and Judy A. Budz to William E. Fountain, trustee, and Serenity Farm Nominee Trust, 45 West St., $200,000.

BLANDFORD

Beacon Home Buyers LLC, to Pamela Jean Coon, 9 Cobble Mountain Road, $339,000.

BRIMFIELD

Sam Zhao to Zi Ming Zhao, 59 Sutcliffe Road, $220,000.

Buckland Traci Narkewicz, personal representative of the Estate of Louis Joseph Deleo,“aka” Louis J. Deleo, to Rheanna Bauer

and Benjamin Labbe, 76 Ashfield Road, $235,000.

CHARLEMONT

Bay Path Homes LLC, to Manila Stringer Austin and Richard Michael Jennings, Potter Road Extension, $49,900.

CHESTERFIELD

Jesse C. Paszko and Kimberly A. Paszko to Luis Miguel Ordaz Campos and Yurani Quintero, 185 East St., $420,000.

CHICOPEE

Alexis A. Karwowski to Allen Benzenhafer and Isabel Biernacki, 53 Barbara St., $427,000.

Alfredo R. Ortiz to Ricardo Ortiz and Tamika Ortiz Acosta, 34 Beauchamp Terrace, $325,000.

Barry Pasterczyk to Joel H. Pasterczyk, 68 Lynwood Drive, $150,000.

Chang Lei Jiang and Minxiu Wu to Jonathan Rivera and Civia Fernandez, 1075 Granby Road, $310,000.

Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield to Iglesia Cristiana Casa De Paz y Restauracion, 104 Springfield St., $500,000.

Glorimar Colon to Carlos Cedeno Jr., 16-18 Reed Ave., $360,000.

Janet T. Brewster, estate, and Alyson Brewster, representative, to Seth E. Lorusso and Kimberly A. Lorusso, 48 Rimmon Ave., $310,000.

Kathleen Niemiec and Michael Hill to Thomas Richard Niemiec and Amy Sliwa, 48 Gardner Road, $256,000.

Matthew D. Collins to Dnepro Properties LLC, 13 Lorimer St., $163,200.

R & T Frattesi LLC, to Url Properties LLC, 1875 Memorial Drive, $875,000.

Sopheak Mar and Olivia Mar to

EASTHAMPTON

Donald L. Cykowski Sr., trustee, Paula A. Cykowski, trustee, and Cykowski Revocable Family Trust to David A. Hardy Contractor LLC, Pomeroy Street, $160,000.

Scott A. Richards and Pamela Brooks to Kevin Robert Burke and Shannon Leigh Starkweather Burke, 181 East St., $900,000.

Stuart Nicol, trustee, Emilie Nicol, trustee, and Nicol Family Revocable Living Trust to Pineview Development LLC, 282 Loudville Road, $800,000.

Briana Taylor to Jeston A. Sussman and Edward J. Powers Jr., 20 Searls St., $407,000.

Livingwater Capital LLC, 147 Hampden St., $285,000.

Stefanie C. Adkison, Neil A. Swenson, Roy A. Swenson and Linda C. Swenson to William E. Poirier, trustee, and William E. Poirier Revocable Indenture of Trust of, trustee of, 52 Access Road, $525,000.

Tammie Carroll, representative, Robert Carroll, estate, and Robert J. Carroll, estate, to Yocasta Lara, 61 Montello Road, $175,000.

Colrain

Lisa J. Genetelli to Kristofer J. Billiel, 4 Avery Hill Road, $240,000.

Inge H. Jockers and Walter H. Keintzel to John C. Sherman and Mary E. Sherman, 25 Phillips Hill Road, $453,000.

CONWAY

Austin C. Sikes to Benjamin Eberle and Danielle Thompson, 144 Delabarre Ave., “aka” Ives Road, $80,000.

CUMMINGTON

Ann Marie Tomaselli and Suzanne Greenawalt to Debora Francis Tomaselli, 6 Trouble St., $50,000.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Denise E. Degon to Antonio J. Bordoni and Deborah L. Bordoni, Elm Street, Lot A-1, $75,000.

Denise E. Degon to Jeffrey Struening and Luisa Moreno, 311 Elm St., $290,000.

Donna Decorie to Fumi Realty Inc., 16 Hamlet St., $189,000.

Paul M. Gour and Melissa A. Gour to Julien Gour and Caitlin Jenkins, 22 Knollwood Drive, $360,000.

Sharon B. Coliss and Sharon B. Corliss to Equity Trust Co., custodian, Robert Lareau IRA, and Robert Lareau, 9 Crescent Hill, $218,000.

Robert Scott and Iris Scott to Peter Irvine, trustee, and 1 Louise Ave Trust, 1 Louise Ave., $490,000.

Shawna M. Biscone to Jonathan Michael Ciccarelli and Jill Marie Ciccarelli, 113 Pleasant St., $275,000.

Lisa A. Darragh to Sarah Bogdanovitch and Christopher Tomlinson, 8 East Greene St., $475,000.

GOSHEN

John Sidney Webb to Darrell

Alan Fusaro and Anne Margaret Child, 59 Aberdeen Road, $375,000.

GRANBY

Windell E. Lewis and Wendell E. Lewis to Windell E. Lewis, trustee, and Wel Living Trust, 141 New Ludlow Road, $100.

LaFleur & Son Inc., and L.J. Development LLC, to Katherine MacLennan and Otto Franklin Garver, Cold Hill Road, $90,000.

GREENFIELD

Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC, to Brian Keith Hall, 3 Prospect Ave., $123,488.

Adil A. Behadilialboade to Marjorie Altidor and Heracin Point Du Jour, 52 Riddell St., $300,000.

HADLEY

Regina J. Kotfila, personal representative, and Thomas R. Tudryn, estate, to Paul A. Kelley and Tracy S. Kelley, 40 Shattuck Road, $377,000.

John A. Mathews and Barbara A. Mathews to Vincent M. Biggs and Brigid E. Demers, 79 Mount Warner Road and 59 Mt. Warner Road, $650,000.

Deeds

HAMPDEN

Lee M. Zuber and Brandy E. Alexander Zuber to Douglas P. Rosien and Sarah M. Rosien, 5 Andrew Circle, $580,000.

HATFIELD

Daniel E. Gwozdzik to Jennifer Rose Gwozdzik, 8 Porter Ave., $200,000.

Freedom Mortgage Corp., and Xome Holdings LLC, attorney-in-fact, to Dominic Kirchner II, trustee, and Avet Realty Trust, 129 Prospect St., $319,299.

HOLLAND

David J. Valego to Anthony Roman and Raul Luis Roman, 203 Stafford Road, $310,000.

Janet Zafiris and Janet Zafiras to Katelyn Valley and Matthew A. Adams, 11 Maybrook Road, Unit 3, $220,000.

HOLYOKE

Amador Diaz and Marilyn Ofray Colon to James Poirier, 72 Berkshire St., $285,000.

Dominga Rodriguez, estate, and Edwin Velazquez, representative, to Urbanist Capital LLC, 807-809 Dwight St., $120,000.

Foley Property Management Corp., to Iglesia Apostolica Cristiana De Bethsaida Inc., Monte De Santidad, 1985 Northampton St, $1,000,000.

Gallagher Capital Group LLC, to Sullymar Nunez Andujar, 16 Washington Ave., $385,000.

Gallagher Properties LLC, to John Michael Barrett Jr., 1678 Northampton St., $365,000.

Luis A. Gonzalez to Frilard LLC, 69-71 North East St., $280,000.

OneHolyoke Community Development Corp., to Dwight Ivy LLC, 1435-1451 Dwight St., $1,500,000.

Priscilla J. Myers, trustee, and Priscilla J. Myers Revocable Trust, trustee of, to Ashley Oquendo, 346 Hillside Ave., $217,600.

Silver Hammer Properties LLC, to Manuel A. Cardona, 96 Brook St., Unit 4, $84,900.

Villa Verde LLC, to Alex Vilkhovoy, trustee, and AJ Capital Realty Trust, trustee of, 525-527 Pleasant St., $30,000.

HUNTINGTON

Fitzgerald Home Solutions LLC, to TJF Leasing LLC, 8 Pine St., $100.

LONGMEADOW

Anne W. Hall, trustee, Charles D. Warner III, trustee, and Suzanne S. Warner Living Trust, trustee of, to Alfons Skudlarek Jr., and Lisa Diernisse, 72 Colton Place, $455,000.

David M. Guthrie, Elizabeth Ann Guthrie and Dianne R. Guthrie to Mary L. Hammer, 198 Warren Terrace, $335,000.

Jeffrey G. Clayton and Elizabeth A. Clayton to Vincent J. Mariano and Patricia F. Mariano, 18 Wimbleton Drive, $495,000.

LUDLOW

Fengming Li and Yujun Liang to Nicholas J. Goncalves, 764 Center St., $370,000.

Joao Sanches and Maria J. Sanches to Deny Kim, 132-134 East St., $275,000.

Kevin P. Geissler and Kevin Geissler to Robert Cunningham and Erika Cunningham, 59 Meadow St., $305,000.

Manuel J. Vaz, administrator, and Mary Doris Vaz, estate, to Michael Rodrigues and Rebecca Lasky, 307 Howard St., $50,000.

Nicholas J. Goncalves to Ethan Jones, 325 Alden St., $287,000. Rodman Capital Group LLC, to Joseph Moore and Erica Moore, 97 Church St., $455,000.

MONSON

BG Real Estate Inc., to BD Construction LLC, 32 Main St., $200,000.

Desiree G. Dewey to Shane R. O’Connor, Bumstead Road, $85,000.

Matthew J. Tassinari, Daniel E. Braskie, Rebecca Jean Provost, Rebecca Jean Meacham and Pamela Jean Arbour to Paul Tassinari and Erin Tassinari, Maxwell Road, $100,000.

William J. Manning Jr., and Laurie Ann Manning to Ray S. Frost, 124 Butler Road, $425,000.

MONTAGUE

Kearin S. Dew and Warren D. Thomas Jr., “aka” Warren D. Thomas, trustees of the Thomas Family Trust, to TM Realty II LLC, 1 Fairway Ave., $249,000.

Kearin S. Dew and Warren D. Thomas Jr., trustees of the Warren D. Thomas Trust, to TM Realty II LLC, Fairway Avenue, $2,000.

Kearin T. Dew, “aka” Kearin S. Dew, and Warren D. Thomas Jr., “aka” Warren D. Thomas, to TM Realty II LLC, 163 Montague City Road, Dry Hill Road, 29 & 30 Country Club Lane, Country Club Lane, Fairway Avenue, Montague City Road and

52 Walnut St., $249,000.

Sumwin Corp., to Danica M. Davis, 58 Central St., $370,000.

MONTGOMERY

Eva Anna Yusenko to Natkam LLC, 2 Old House Road, $74,900.

NORTHAMPTON

Phyllis A. Vishaway and Paul B. Driscoll, attorney-in-fact, to Northeast Asset Management LLC, 321 Riverside Drive, $95,000.

James M. Ryan, trustee, Christine H. Ryan, trustee, and James & Christine Ryan Family Trust to James Ryan, trustee, Christine H. Ryan, trustee, and Ryan Family Trust, 40 Pioneer Knolls, $100.

Edward A. Allen and Joyce A. Allen to Gregory Shea, 72-74 Barrett St., $125,000.

Nu-Way Homes Inc., to Charles Davis Foster, 596B Ryan Road, $550,000.

Amity Perman to Nu-Way Homes Inc., Garfield Avenue, $155,000.

ORANGE

Jeanne D. Blair and Ralph O. Blair to Jeannette M. Saben and William Joseph Saben, 29 Pleasant St., $200,000.

Rodger M. Hart and Tarrah C. Hart to Jahmall Maleek Jones, 8 Fieldstone Drive, $291,500.

PALMER

Elaine C. Phifer to Catherine A. Cloutier, 142 Flynt St., $50,000.

James E. Taylor, representative, and Eunice F. Taylor, estate, to Hussein Syed Akbar, 100 Breckenridge St., $285,000.

JJB Builders Corp., to Ryan T. Micelotta and Aliza R. Micelotta, 2022 Maple St., $355,000.

Paul Jones and Kirsten M. Desjardins to Sami Afiri and Megan Rose Afiri, 2018 Pleasant St., $370,000.

RUSSELL

Gerard J. Roy to Melissa King, 69 West Main St., $235,000.

Marsha K. Montori to Alexis King and Steven Smith, 468 Westfield Road, $450,000.

SOUTH HADLEY

Kimberly Scott Robinette, Kelly Scott Bassett and Linda G. Scott to Kimberly Scott Robinette, 31 Lake Drive and 650 Amherst Road, $100.

Kimberly Scott Robinette to Kimberly Scott Robinette, 650 Amherst Road, $100.

Steven J. Cohen to Kathleen E.

Ahamed-Broadhurst, 124 College St., $260,000.

Renee Simon to Gloria D. Neves, 76 Pine Grove Drive, $415,000.

Donna J. Sexton Revocable Trust and Donna J. Sexton, trustee, to Thomas Martin, 48 River Road, $595,000.

Heath G. Molte to Patrick C. Fecher and Kaitlin K. Fecher, 89 Bardwell St., $400,000.

DPR Legacy Enterprises LLC, to Nicholas J. Bryda, 11 Bardwell St., $620,000.

Susan Rachel Barry and Daniel Barry to John B. Belknap and Lauren K. Brewer, 46 Ashton Lane, $700,000.

SOUTHAMPTON

Paula J. Hendrick and Theodore L. Hendrick to Eric Madsen and Doris Madsen, 52 Cold Spring Road, $350,000.

SOUTHWICK

Frank E. Wallick Jr., trustee, and Smith Family Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, to James Ferrara and Rhonda Sue Dillon, 114 Congamond Road, $531,000.

SPRINGFIELD

Springfield Gardens 66-68 120122 LP, and Schweb Partners Springfield LLC, to H P Rum LLC, 120-122 Central St., $1,256,000.

Springfield Gardens 66-68 120-122 LP, and Schweb Partners Springfield LLC, to H P Rum LLC, 66-68 Fort Pleasant Ave., $1,248,000. 56-60 Fort Pleasant LLC, to Springfield Gardens 56-60 LP, 5660 Fort Pleasant Ave., $100.

Andrea Nicole Sanchez to Carlos Mario Sanchez, 49 Delaware Ave., $100.

Birch Properties LLC, to Luz Ramirez, 113-115 Westford Ave., $415,000.

Christine M. Tazzini to Locust22Spfld LLC, 22 Locust St., $420,000.

Federal National Mortgage Association and Fannie Mae to Lissette Compres and Miguel Faneyte, 66 Melrose St., $263,000.

Dnepro Properties LLC, to Benjamin Lawlor, 161 Kensington Ave., $312,500.

Elizabeth Roccamo to Finlay O. Oguku, 54 Lincoln St., $400,000.

Emid Properties LLC, to Erica Arce, 144 Denver St., $340,000.

Eric Cassidy to Carlos Fidel Gonzalez Diaz, 29 Lancashire Road, $230,000.

Everett Sexton to Deepon Realty LLC, 156 Shawmut St., $135,000.

Fannie Mae and Federal National Mortgage Association, to JJJ17 LLC, 106 Barber St., $150,100.

Hector L. Marquez and Erica Arce to Alexis Ramos and Aidalee Quinones, 182 Wrentham Road, $260,000.

JJJ17 LLC, to Cuong Tao and Thuy Duong Duong, 661 Carew St., $242,000.

Jose Cela to Ra Nou, 34 Leyfred Terrace, $425,000.

Joseph Piancentini, representative, and Donna M. Piacentini, estate, to Campagnari Construction LLC, 126 East St., $60,000.

Lawrence R. Pelland Jr., to Heather Rusiecki, 238 Edendale St., $249,000.

Schweb Partners-Springfield LLC, and Springfield Gardens 56-60 LP, to H. P. Rum LLC, 56-60 Fort Pleasant Ave., $650,000.

Maria I. Ortiz and Hector L. Aponte to Hanna L. Carrabba and Mina L. Carrabba, 36 West Bay Path Terrace, $336,000.

Meronda Richardson, Meronda T. White and Ronell Richardson to Genevieve Construction Development Group Inc., 1375 Page Boulevard, $145,000.

Michael Henry and Laura Henry to Northern Flooring & Remodeling LLC, 0 SS Woodrow St., $48,000.

Miosol Rebeca Rodriguez and Jose Leonel Guerrero to Gilberto G. Perez and Alba Nurys Montas Peralta, 198-200 Leyfred Terrace, $350,000.

Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., trustee, Ixis Real Estate Capital Trust 2006-HE3, trustee of, and Carmen V. Fernandez to Modern Creative Contractor Inc., 17-19 Laurel St., $203,000. Pah Properties LLC, to Kehinde Oyedeji and Shana Oyedeji, 94 Lang St., $290,000.

Richard J. McCarthy and Robert P. McCarthy to Linda A. McCarthy and Linda A. Moylan, 130 Plumtree Road, $190,000.

Robert J. Paskins and Sherma H. Paskins to Arnold C. Kamara, 200 Florida St., $305,000.

Ryan A. Reeves to Rukundo Bizimana and Nociata Nyanzonga, 100 Harvey St., $281,000.

Sareen Properties LLC, to Jaime Duran, 43 Ontario St., $290,000.

Springfield Gardens 49-59 LP, and Schweb Partners-Springfield LLC, to H P Rum Llc, 49-51 Fort Pleasant Ave, $2,496,000.

Stephen F. Burke to Juan Rodriguez, 73-75 Glenham St., $362,000.

Tyler J. Ledbetter and Lacey E. Ledbetter to Bridgette Ada Bethel, 127 Bowles Park, $340,000.

6 essential tasks for a stripped-down spring cleaning

By Jennifer Barger The Washington Post

Acentury or two ago, spring cleaning was less of a tradition and more of a necessity. “In a time when people heated their houses with coal or wood, not only was there more dirt on everything after winter, there were limited options for cleaning things up,” says historian Susan Strasser, author of “Never Done: A History of American Housework.” (Vacuum cleaners and automatic clothes washers weren’t in common household use until the middle of the 20th century.)

The arrival of warmer weather still hastens a full house cleaning for many people, but it doesn’t have to. If a top-tobottom spring cleaning isn’t a priority for you for whatever reason, experts say you can use the season to knock out a few once-a-year tasks. And if you can only get to one or two of them, don’t sweat it — there’s always summer.

Clean baseboards and ledges

Seasonally dusting and scrubbing baseboards and ledges — which many people forget to do on a more regular basis — can keep grime and particles from spreading to the floor and other parts of your home. “I vacuum them first,

then wipe them down with a mild cleaning solution,” says Becky Rapinchuk of Clean Mama. “When my children were little, I even had them help by running baby wipes over them.” Oh, and before you scour the bottom of your walls, “knock any cobwebs from the ceiling with a broom covered in a clean T-shirt,” says Rapinchuk.

Tackle your kitchen countertops

No matter how diligent you are about cleaning up after making dinner or morning coffee, stoves throw off grease, and food leaves crumbs and particles. Dana K. White of A Slob Comes Clean recommends throwing anything

that’s been out all winter — knickknacks, spoon rests, empty salt shakers — in the dishwasher. “I even run the cutlery tray from my silverware drawer through, and it makes a visual difference,” she says.

Get porches and patios in shape

If you cover your deck furniture and store porch sofa cushions in a protected place during the winter, you’ll have a head start on spring cleaning your outdoor entertaining spaces. Then, attack surfaces (porch floors, deck rails) where dirt, leaves or other detritus have accumulated with a wet/ dry vacuum or broom, followed by a wipe down with a wet rag or a rinse from the garden hose.

be stashed in zipped up bags (most pros recommend cloth, not plastic, since the latter can degrade and discolor fabric).

This is another task where small hands can help: Enlist your kids to pack up their own winter clothes for the season. “Give each family member their own color bin, and make it seem like a game to toss things into it,” says Alexandria Brouard, owner of Bethesda, Md., cleaning and organizing company Cozy Home Studios. “Then put in a dryer sheet before you close the bin to keep things smelling fresh.”

Wash your windows

According to pros, dirty windows can block up to 40 percent of all light coming into your home. Washing them is among the most popular — and most time-consuming — spring cleaning tasks. But pop-out frames make DIY easy.

“And I love my power washer for outdoor cleaning,” says White. “I use a Ryobi that’s about the size of two shoe boxes. It’s great for a quick touch up.”

Put away winter clothes

Consider starting with a rolling rack, which is what professional organizers often use for a wardrobe clean out. “They’re a terrific way for you to take everything out of your closet and actually see what you have,” says Jane Abrahams, co-owner of Jane’s Addiction Organization. “You can use the rack to determine what you want to keep for next season and to store out-of-season clothes in an attic or basement.”

Whether you hang or fold cold weather clothes for storage, be sure to clean them before storing them — food, sweat and even human skin left on wool, angora or cashmere can attract moth larvae, which love to chow down on woolies while you’re not watching. Most knits can be handwashed in cool water and a little dish soap; woven garments — especially those that are lined — need to go to the dry cleaner. Clothes should

Arm yourself with a squeegee or microfiber towel, a bucket and either a commercial or homemade window-washing solution (clean water, a few drops of liquid soap and a dash of rubbing alcohol to prevent streaks). Start by cleaning off sills with a paper towel or cloth soaked in hot water.

Then wipe the outside of the window with a wet rag, followed by a pass with a microfiber cloth doused in your solution. “Work it in an S motion, and then just wipe from top to bottom and side to side, finishing off in a circle,” says Brouard. After that, dry the window by swiping it with a squeegee. Repeat the process on the other side of the glass.

Clean under your rugs

Even if you’re diligent about vacuuming, fine particulate dirt and dust accumulates beneath your area rugs over time. (Hopefully, you have wool or rubber rug pads underneath them, which keep rugs in place and help them stay cleaner.)

Ideally, every few months you would roll up your shag, sisal or kilim and clean up the desert sandlike substance that lurks below. Practically, you might only get to it once a year. Use either a broom or vacuum to remove the dirt, then go over the surface with a mop or a Swiffer equipped with a wet pad.

Garden

species emerge at various temperatures. But I find it’s a good compromise that protects many insects while allowing you to maintain order in your beds and borders, keep your desired aesthetic and get on with your gardening.

The lawn

If you have a lawn, check it for bare spots. Seed those areas once a week and water twice a day until new growth meets the existing turf height. Don’t let the seeds dry out even once, or you may have to start over.

You can mow seeded lawns when young blades are 3 inches tall.

Pull weeds as soon as you spot them, while their roots are still easy to remove. And avoid walking on wet soil. Doing so would risk compaction and structural damage, which is hard to come back from.

Deeds

Yazan Haddad to Prestigious One LLC, 418 Longhill St., $355,000.

TOLLAND

Jeffrey P. Lacasse, Terri A. Lacasse, Valerie J. Vignaux, representative, and Jeffery R. Parrette, estate, to Bruce McCulloch and Joann Carl, 0 Harvey Mountain Road, $60,000.

Joseph J. Clark IV, to Joseph J. Clark IV, and Kelly L. Clark, Burt Hill Road, $100.

MCLP Asset Co. Inc., to Christopher Baker and Nancy Baker, 147 Thicket Road, $160,000.

Michael Clarke to Jessica Woodward and Andrew Woodward, 141 Fox Den Road, $115,000.

Stephanie Weintraub to Stephanie Weintraub and Michael Clarke, 35 Hill Drive, $3,250.

WARE

David Miner Jr., and Elissa K. Dingman to David Miner Jr., 69 Babcock Tavern Road, $50,000.

Felix L. Santana Jr., to Felix L. Santana III, and Laura Goodreau, 13-15 Cherry St., $338,920.

Pull weeds as soon as you spot them, while their roots are still easy to remove. And avoid walking on wet soil. Doing so would risk compaction and structural damage, which is hard to come back from.

Flowers

When flowering bulbs fade, apply a balanced fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 product. But don’t remove leaves until they turn yellow. The plants need them to produce energy for next year’s bloom.

Samuel Ramos to Samuel Ramos and Eliza McLaughlin, 9 Union St., $100.

Steven A. Ross, trustee, and QS Lending Trust to Silas Costa De Faria Jr., 17 Sherwin St., $80,000.

Maxine M. Houle to Linda Lee McDonald and Dale H. Vieu, 34 Berkshire Circle, $355,000.

Beaver Associates Inc., to Dena M. Brayson and Gerard S. Brayson, 26 Coffey Hill Road, $40,000.

Kristel L. Johnson and Timothy J. Johnson to Kirsten Desjardins and Paul Jones, 59 James Road, $619,000.

WARWICK

Alana L. Mankowsky, Anthony N. Miner and Andrea M. Woods to Kathryn Woods, 600 Orange Road, $290,000.

WENDELL

Michael Mulligan to Rachel Patterson and Andrew Spurgeon, Old Farley Road, $15,000.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Boccio Capital Group LLC, to Yudisleydi Martinez-Mendez, 432 Cold Spring Ave., Unit 432, $161,000.

Finally, give established perennials a dose of fertilizer

Ibrahim Aysu to Kidanny Fernandez, 15 Colony Road, Unit 2B, $135,000.

Jessica L. Andrews to Aydin Roma, 80 Brush Hill Ave., Unit 48, $135,100.

Jon E. Polnack and Josephine R. Polnack to Eric Perrier, 46 Wilder Terrace, $338,500.

Karen Chmura and Patti J. Tuzzio to Liudmyla Slyusar and Marianna Nichols, 26 Sagamore Road, $250,000.

Lismel Luciano to Cameron Gray MacDonald, 46 Chestnut St., $243,000.

Michael Molway, trustee, and New Bridge Realty Trust, trustee of, to DDMNS Realty LLC, 178 New Bridge St., $400,000.

Premier Home Builders Inc., to Iyad Z. Bayyad, trustee, Abdulmajid Boukraya, trustee, and Intervivos Revocable Trust 190 Hillcrest Avenue, trustee of, 190 Hillcrest Ave., $479,900.

Richard C. Brown, Linda A. Jones, Linda A. Marciniec and Jennie L. Duprey to Jennie L. Duprey and Alan R. Duprey, 54 Prince Ave., $143,334.

Richard W. Leblanc to Colby E. Quinn and Richard W. Leblanc, life estate, 30-32 Gay Terrace, $100. Wilmington Savings Fund Society,

(I like fish emulsion) as soon as they wake up. And plant new ones, which appreciate six full weeks of growth before the summer heat sets in.

Hold off on planting annuals if you live where spring frosts are possible.

If you’re anything like me,

trustee, and Cascade Funding Mortgage Trust HB1, trustee of, to Marc Dulaimy, 76 New Bridge St., $221,500.

WESTFIELD

Barbara L. Ruffo to Westfield City, 1237 Russell Road, $60,000.

Janice Wojtowicz to Kimberly A. Sevila and Janice Wojtowicz, life estate, 6 Conner Ave., $100.

Kimberly A. Cowles to Fabian C. Montero, 139 Root Road, $230,000.

Linda R. Shepherd to TGC Investments LLC, 12 Ellsworth St., $235,000.

Lynette L. Litourneau to Carole L. Janicki, 36 Berkshire Drive, $275,000.

Maksim I. Loboda and Yekaterina P. Loboda to Roy A. Swenson, life estate, Linda C. Swenson, life estate, Stefanie C. Adkison and Neil A. Swenson, 10 Nicholas Lane, $745,000.

WF1 Realty LLC, to North Elm Realty Inc., 10 Union Ave., $350,000.

Yurany Echeverri to Christina S. Davies and Laura D. Ackerman, 229 Montgomery Road, $412,500.

WHATELY

you’ll probably find even more to do out there. But after tackling these key tasks, you’ll be heading into the growing season in good shape.

Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for the Associated Press and publishes the Weekly Dirt Newsletter.

Nathan S. Nourse, individually and as trustee of the Mary C. Nourse 2017 Trust, to Nathan S. Nourse, 29 River Road, $100.

WILBRAHAM

2301 Boston Road LLC, to Nancy Winterhalter, 29 Cherry Drive, $379,000.

Joseph Omalley to Luis Ortiz, 20 Railroad Ave., $325,000.

Robert Sarasin, trustee, and Robert Sarasin Trust, trustee of, to Jacob Leblanc and Chloe Leblanc, 1016 Main St., $450,000.

WILLIAMSBURG

Anna Pertzoff and Jeremy Reil to Amie Christine Burrell, 7 Depot Road, $264,000.

WORTHINGTON

Peggy

Nathan S. Nourse, individually and as personal representative of the Estate of Mary C. Nourse, to Nathan S. Nourse, trustee of the Mary C. Nourse 2017 Trust, 29 River Road, $100.

Above, a 2016 photo provided by Justine Damiano shows a small shrub branch being pruned in a garden in Long Island, New York. At left, in a photo provided by Jessica Damiano, a pile of pulled weeds on the ground in a Glen Head, N.Y., garden. Damiano recommends removing weeds while they are young, before their roots become established. (JUSTINE DAMIANO ; JESSICA DAMIANO VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS)

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