Home & Garden
ANTIQUES: This ink well was once a status symbol, F6
GARDENS: How to pre serve your garden harvest, F7
LEE REICH: The key chemicals for effective composting, F3
Perfect tone & Real Estate
7 ways to get a colorful home without going gaudy
By Jennifer Barger
The Washington Post
GWYNETH PAL-
trow’s beige-on-white California mansion.
Cream-colored bouclé chairs for sale at big-box home stores such as CB2 and Pottery Barn. Taupe and gray on, well, everything in home makeovers by the Property Brothers and Chip and Joanna Gaines. So far, the designs of the 2020s seem stuck in neutral.
“People fear making expensive decorating mistakes or being judged by others, like someone coming over and saying, ‘Wow, you upholstered your sofa in acid green?’” says New York City interior designer Nick Olsen. “It pushes them toward softer colors, neutrals or no color at all.”
Studies show that using color in residential environments can improve people’s moods and make them function more effectively. But you don’t have to paint all your walls bright blue or buy a hot pink sectional sofa to liven up your space. Here’s how to add color to your home without making it look like a funhouse.
Go soft
Ballet pink ceilings, pale green walls and whisper blue ceilings all bring more life to rooms than basic white.
“When people say they don’t like color, I think what they mean is screaming color: red, traffic-light yellow,” says Annie Elliott, a D.C.-based interior designer.
Instead, try less intense shades. (Think the bottom or second-from-the-bottom hues on paint cards.) Test any color you’re considering by tacking
up painted pieces of poster board — or larger sample stickers (available from many paint makers or samplize.com) — on the walls.
Look at the samples on every surface you are considering covering at different times of day (and night) to see how natural and electric light affect them.
Some interior designers or paint store experts will do in-person or video paint consultations; expect to pay $100 and up per hour for a home consult or $50 per hour or so for a video consult from representatives at brands such as Farrow & Ball and Benjamin Moore.
Take cues from a print or piece of art
You can pay thousands of dollars to have an interior designer come up with a subtle color scheme for a space. Or you can do it yourself by taking cues from a “hero” fabric, rug or piece of art.
“Start with something that has multiple colors to pull from: a vibrant upholstery fabric, a multicolor carpet,” Olsen says. “That sets your palette, and it does the work for you. Then pull colors out from that, maybe getting lamps and pottery in one shade and a lampshade or a slipper chair in another.”
“I often push clients toward a bright painting or print, even if a space is more neutral,” says Nicole Lanteri, an Arlington, Virginia-based designer. “Art isn’t the largest piece in your home. You don’t sit on it. It just pops, and you see it for what it is.”
Painting a smaller piece of furniture in a cool color can really jazz up a space. But in rooms with colorfully painted or upholstered furniture, keep the wall paint subdued.
Reich | In the Garden
ABIT OF CHEMISTRY
might be good for your compost. Just a bit. Actually, we mostly need to deal with only two familiar elements of the 100-plus known ones. These two elements are carbon and nitrogen, and they are the ones for which the “bugs” that do the work of making compost are most hungry.
“Work” is too strong a word, though, because these composting bugs do nothing more than eat. Nonetheless, a balanced diet — one balanced mostly with respect to carbon and nitrogen — does these bugs, the composting microorganisms, good.
This time of year, the microorganisms’ smorgasbord is set with an especially wide array and abundance of carbon-rich
foods. You can identify these foods because they are old plants or plant parts. As such, they are mostly brown and mostly dry. Autumn leaves, for
example. Other carbon-rich foods include wood chips, straw, sawdust, hay, and even paper, made — after all — from wood pulp or other old, dry
plant material. By far the bulk of high carbon — carbohydrate — foods for my compost organisms this time of year is hay that I scythe from odd corners here and there in my meadow. (Most of the meadow gets mowed by tractor once a year.) The hay is a mix of a wide variety of plants, mostly various species of grasses and goldenrods, but also, depending on where I cut, loosestrife, asters, New York ironweed, Joe Pye weed, and others. That varied mix is good for a compost pile. Microorganisms, like us, thrive on a varied diet which provides a slew of macro- and micronutrients which then end up in the finished compost and then my vegetables.
Just as we humans cannot live on bread and pasta alone
(carbon-rich foods), so it is with composting microorganisms. So, let’s now peruse the smorgasbord for some nitrogen-rich fare. This would include green stuff: young, succulent plants and plant parts. There’s not a whole lot of this stuff around this time of year, but there is some, including grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and old, spent tomato, broccoli, pepper and other garden plants.
My scythed hay also provides some nitrogen-rich food — early in the season when it’s lush and green and only a foot or two high. But it has to be used in moderation because there’s not a whole lot of carbon-rich foods early in the season. Except that is, for the previous autumn’s fallen leaves and arborist
Owner
GARDEN NOTES
STOCKBRIDGE
Upcoming programs
Berkshire Botanical Garden presents the following upcoming program on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2 to 3:30 p.m., “Overwintering Your Garden.” Many summer-blooming plants can be stored indoors as rootstock:
corms, tubers, rhizomes, and bulbs. Some annuals are easy to propagate from stem cuttings, but they require optimal indoor lighting. And all need a plan for how to use your indoor space. Chris Ferrero will lead this class. Cost is $25 members, $40 nonmembers. To register or for details, visit www. berkshirebotanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.
AGAWAM Agawam Garden Club meeting
The next meeting of the Agawam Garden Club will be held Tuesday, Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m. at the Agawam Public Library, 750 Cooper St. After a short business meeting Dan Ziomek will present a program on Hydrangeas. All meetings are open to the public and not restricted
to Agawam residents.
WEST SPRINGFIELD Garden Club plant swap
The West Springfield Garden Club will hold their plant swap on Sunday, Sept. 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mittineague Park-across from Santa’s House. This bring a plant, take a plant event, done on the
honor system, will also include a few give aways. Bring disease free perennials, house plants, and small shrubs. Please bring your plants potted and labeled. RSVP by emailing sdamours68@gmail.com with info on the plants you might be brining or if you have questions.
Send items for Garden Notes to pmastriano@repub.com two weeks prior to publication.
wood chips that I stockpile. I also make some haystacks to save late-season hay for use in winter and early in the growing season.
When there’s insufficient nitrogen foods to balance out all the carbon foods you could now find for your compost, it’s time for dietary supplements. Nitrogen-rich supplements for a compost pile include manures and nitrogen fertilizers. Manures usually also add some carbon food, in the form of the straw, wood shavings, or whatever else the animal was bedded in.
No need to get out the chemistry set to analyze how rich a food is in carbon or nitrogen so that you can get them in exact balance (which, if you must know, is a ratio of 20:1). Just keep in
mind that the younger the plant part, the richer it is in nitrogen. Also, that rabbit manure is richer in nitrogen than is chicken manure, which is richer than, going down the line, sheep, horse, duck, cow, and, finally, pig manure. Nitrogen fertilizers are very concentrated sources of nitrogen.
If I need to supplement the compost diet with extra nitrogen, from fertilizer, I use something that acts organically in the soil, such as soybean meal, which is readily available from feed stores. Its nitrogen is released as various microorganisms feed on it.
So, pile anything and everything that was once or is living into your compost bin, balancing carbon-rich foods with nitrogen-rich ones. Compost happens: any pile of organic materials will, given sufficient time, become compost.
Terry and Kim kovel | Antiques & Collecting
When inkwells could be status symbols
EVERY ANTIQUE TELLS A story. It’s often one of change, sometimes over a relatively small amount of time. Look at the simple act of writing. Most of us probably have several ballpoint pens scattered throughout a desk — and most of our writing, whether it’s a professional project, a school paper or just filling out a form, is done on the computer anyway. It’s only about a century ago — not that much time, in the world of antiques — that you had to dip a nib pen into an inkwell to sign your name. Fountain pens, which use ink cartridges, were invented about 1880, but inkwells remained in use into the 20th century. They were often decorative and could be luxury items, made of precious metals, fine porcelain or cut glass. They could also be novelties, like this one, shaped like an early car and made of an inexpensive metal like pewter or spelter, which sold for $82 at an auction by Morford’s Antique Advertising Auctions at antiqueadvertising.com. It would have been a useful and stylish item when it was made in the 1910s or 1920s, possibly a status symbol for the proud owner of a Model T. Now, it captures a moment in time when writing was done with a dip pen, instead of a cheap ballpoint or a computer screen, and cars were a new advance in technology instead of something in everyone’s driveway.
Q. I bought an old king-size canopy bed, but I don’t know which era it is from. Can you please assist me?
A. Canopy beds were popular from the late 1700s to the early 1800s (often called the Federal period in American furniture), and again in the Colonial Revival of the 1930s. The easiest way to determine the era of an antique bed is to measure it. American bed sizes were standardized by the 1920s. A king-size bed is 76 inches wide by 80 inches long. If that is your bed’s size, it was probably made in the 20th century. Beds made before 1900 are usually shorter and narrower than standard sizes, so it can be difficult to find a mattress that fits an antique bed. Before the mid1800s, mattresses were held in place with ropes, which had to be tightened periodically. A bed from this period will have holes, sometimes pegs, in the side rails for the ropes. Wooden slats to support the mattress were introduced by the mid-1800s.
When’s the last time you saw a car like this on the road or needed an inkwell to write? Antiques can remind us of how much and how quickly styles and technology change. (MORFORD’S ANTIQUE ADVERTISING AUCTIONS)
Q. I have a cup and saucer a good friend gave me years ago. The name on them is “Royal Carlton” and the number on them looks like “7865” (it’s hard to see). In between the name and number is printed what looks like a cross of two feathers. Both the cup and saucer are covered with pinkish roses. They are both backgrounds of light blue. The cup has a gold circle handle. Most cup and saucer sets are flat in the middle, but this one is raised in the center. I am wondering about the worth of them.
A. “7865” is the pattern number for this design. “Royal Carlton” is a trademark registered in 1957 by Arnart Imports, Inc., a company based in New York that imported custom-made porcelain dishes and giftware. Their products were usually marked “Arnart” with a sticker or paper label. These labels often wore off, so sometimes the only mark on an Arnart piece is the printed trademark. They used several trademarks, including Royal Carlton, Royal Chintz and Royal Crown, and various printed marks. Their printed marks often resembled the well-known marks of famous European ceramics firms. The
crossed-feather mark, like the one on your cup and saucer set, is also known as “crossed arrows.” It is a copy of the mark used by the Porzellanmanufaktur Kalk in Thuringia in Germany. Arnart imitated several famous European porcelain factories; they also used a beehive mark like the one found on Viennese porcelain and made porcelain figures that resembled Hummels. A single Royal Carlton cup and saucer will sell together for about $25.
TIP. Clean a glass inkwell carefully. The old ink may cover a crack. Wash in warm water with mild dishwashing liquid or soap, never dishwasher detergent. Don’t use ammonia if the glass is decorated or iridescent.
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product.
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.
Advertising, figurine, Ward’s Riverside, owl, with tire, wearing cap and goggles, gold tone, round base, Buy Wise, chalkware, 5 inches, $60. Cloisonne, bowl, ivory ground, black dragon, scalloped rim, gilt trim, marked, label, early 20th century, 8 inches, $90.
Toy, truck, dump, red bed, battery-operated headlights, side decals, pressed steel, hard rubber tires, Buddy L, c. 1930, 21 inches, $295.
Advertising, sign, barrel, Pennsylvania Dutch Root Beer, fraktur style lettering, red heart, man holding mug, It’s Wonderful Good, Made from an Old Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe, curved, 9 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches, $390. Furniture, bench, Egyptian Revival style, bamboo, rattan, drawer under seat, rolled arms, 1940s, 31 x 13 x 22 inches, $510.
Sampler, pictorial, house, flowers in pots, trees, baskets, flying angel, flowering vine border, Sarah Smith, 11th Year of her Age, frame, 19th century, 19 x 15 inches, $590. Lamp, two-light, sconce, tole, open twisted finial and pendant, green glass leaves, crystal flowers and hanging prisms, Italy, c. 1930, 19 inches, pair, $700.
Sevres, plate, soft paste, feuille de choux, musical trophies in center, pink roses, flower garlands, cobalt blue and gilt trim, 1766, 9 1/2 inches, pair, $875.
Pottery, midcentury, pot, San Ildefonso Pueblo, blackware, Avanyu water serpent, signed, Maria + Santana, Maria Martinez, c. 1950, 6 1/2 inches, $1,145.
Pressed glass, thumbprint, bowl, dome lid, finial, pedestal base, scalloped foot, mid-19th century, 16 inches, $1,500.
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, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or email us at collectorsgallery@ kovels.com.
The best ways to preserve your garden harvest
Here are some methods simpler than canning
By Jessica Damiano Associated Press
IF YOU’RE LUCKY, you’ll find yourself with more homegrown food at the end of the season than you can consume before it spoils. Rather than waste your hard-earned bounty, it’s time to think about preserving your harvest — and carefully consider safety. Many folks successfully cook fruits,
vegetables and sauces and “can” or process them for shelf-stable storage, and my hat’s off to them. I play it safe (and easy) by freezing and drying herbs and produce rather than canning, which, if not done properly with specialized equipment and specific recipes, can result in food-borne illnesses.
One year, after an excruciatingly hot September day spent outdoors washing, cutting, cooking, straining and processing jars of tomato sauce with my family, they nearly kicked me out. Sure, it was all fun and games for the first hour or two, but as the day progressed, I nearly had a mutiny on my hands. To make matters worse, I used a very deep pot over too-high heat and burned the whole batch. I envy those who have mastered the process.
Easy ways to preserve tomatoes
These days, I boil whole tomatoes for just a minute or two, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing their skins with my fingers. After cutting them into wedges, I pulse them in a
food processor, then cook them on the stovetop for 30 minutes and salt to taste. When the sauce has cooled, I pour it into airtight, zipper-top freezer bags, Mason jars or plastic containers, allowing an inch of headspace for expansion.
If I have plans to use the sauce for pasta, I’ll add fresh basil and garlic cloves to the container so that it’s ready to go when I am. If I’m uncertain of the sauce’s fate, I’ll freeze it plain and season it as needed.
Another way I keep tomatoes is by freezing them whole, and it couldn’t be easier: I rinse each fruit, pat it dry and place as many as will fit into a gallon-size, zipper-top freezer bag. Freezing them whole not only preserves their flavor and texture but also makes it convenient to use them in soups, stews or other recipes. When I want to add tomatoes to a dish, I grab one from the bag, peel off its skin, which removes easily, then drop the tomato in the pot and break it up with a spoon as it defrosts.
Herbs are even easier
Although they can be dried, my preferred method
for preserving chives and flat-leaved herbs, like basil, parsley and cilantro, is to freeze them, either as whole leaves or chopped in oil infusions (directions below).
For the best flavor, harvest herbs in the morning, after the sun has risen but before the dew has dried. This is the time of day when their essential oils are most concentrated.
To freeze leaves for individual use, remove them from stems, rinse and pat dry, then spread on clean towels in a single
until all the residual rinsing moisture has evaporated. Toss occasionally to ensure even drying. This may take a couple of days. Next, place leaves in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze overnight. Place frozen leaves in a zipper-top plastic bag and return to the freezer for future use. This method allows you to remove individual leaves as needed; skipping the evaporation step would result in a frozen block that would be difficult to break.
layer
Above left, chives growing on Long Island, N.Y. At right, herb snippers are used to cut fresh chives to prepare them for freezing. (PHOTOS BY JESSICA DAMIANO VIA AP)
A jar of cooked tomatoes with basil ready for the freezer. (JES-
SICA DAMIANO VIA AP)
Basil leaves set out to dry in a single layer atop paper towels on Long Island, N.Y. (JESSICA DAMIANO VIA AP)
Average long-term US mortgage rate holds at 6.35%
Fed expected to cut rates next month
By M att O tt Associated Press
The average rate on a 30year mortgage in the U.S. was flat this week ahead of an expected interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve later this month.
The rate remained at 6.35% from last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 7.12%.
Before last week, the last time the average rate was this
Deeds
AGAWAM
low was May 11, 2023. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners seeking to refinance their home loan to a lower rate, eased a little this week. The average rate fell to 5.47% from 5.51% last week.
A year ago, it averaged 6.52%, Freddie Mac said.
Signs of waning inflation and a cooling job market have raised expectations the Federal Reserve will cut its benchmark interest rate next month for the first time in four years. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including how the bond market
Louis Cardaropoli, trustee, and 1162-1172 Springfield Street Realty Trust II, trustee of, to PCR Agawam LLC, 1162-1172 Springfield St., $5,155,652.
Louis Cardaropoli, trustee, and 1176 Springfield Street Realty Trust, trustee of, to PCR Agawam LLC, 1176 Springfield St., $234,348.
Steven A. Aviles and Christine E. Aviles to Alex Korotich and Ivan Korotich, 113 Bridge St., $330,000.
U S Bank Trust, trustee of, and RCF2 Acquisition Trust, trustee of, to DFG Property Group LLC, 131 Alfred Circle, $205,000.
AMHERST
Catherine A. Epstein and Daniel L. Gordon to Catherine A. Epstein, trustee, Daniel L. Gordon, trustee, Catherine A. Epstein 2021 Trust and Daniel L. Gordon 2021 Trust, 90 Spring St., $100.
BELCHERTOWN
Robert J. Labrecque and Charlene P. Labrecque to John Labrecque, Richard Labrecque and Michelle Labrecque, 61 Daniel Square, $100.
Ralph P. Guisti Jr., and Tatiana Minina to Alison C. Averette and Duane H. Averette, 565 George Hannum St., $625,000.
Claire A. Gingras, trustee, and Claire A. Gingras Revocable Trust to Belchertown Town and Belchertown Town Conservation, State Street, $125,000.
BERNARDSTON
Frank A. Fellows and Vicki Fellows to Northfield Mount Hermon School, 273 Northfield Road, $430,000.
reacts to the central bank’s interest rate policy decisions. That can move the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.
The yield, which topped 4.7% in late April, has pulled back sharply since then on expectations the Fed was poised to lower its main interest rate. It was at 3.75% in midday trading in the bond market Thursday.
After climbing to a 23-year high of 7.79% in October, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage has hovered around 7% for most of this year. That’s
CHARLEMONT
Melody L. Whelden, “aka” Melody L. Wheldon, to Maria Frias, 193 Main St., $355,900.
CHESTER
Renee A. Healy and Andrew J. Desormier to Jose A. Andino Jr., and Abigalys H. Bahamonde, 278 Route 20, $226,000.
CHESTERFIELD
Tessier Family Trust and Melissa Anne Betsold, trustee, to Gregory M. Bishop and Thomas M. McGrew, 108 South St., $686,875.
CHICOPEE
Carl Buss to Bret Thibault and Jessica Thibault, 87 Rimmon Ave., $305,000.
Geraldine Talbot to Matthew S. Bishop and Marisa L. Fernandes, 142 Park Place, $220,000.
Jordan Alexander LaFrennie to Joseph C. Rogers, 77 Davenport St., $304,900.
Matthew Talbot to Geraldine Talbot, 142 Park Place, $100.
Nancy C. Godbout, conservator, Mariann Tirrell, Mariann Tirell, Scott Tirrell and Scott Tirell to Liana Charter, 73 Horseshoe Drive, Unit 6132B, $210,000.
Natalie Bys to Robert Ducharme and Anita Ducharme, 45 Armanella St., $345,000. Parisi Family Partnership LP, and Parisi FP LLC, to Western Mill LLC, 1380 Sheridan St., $2,922,556.
Paul H. Courchesne and Catherine T. Courchesne to Dylan R. Casey, Jeanna P. Casey and Dakota Lofland, 64 Narragansett Boulevard, $225,000.
Ronald R. LaRocque, representative, and Mary M. Blain, estate, to Mariana Enriquez De Figueroa, 48 Charpentier Boulevard, $270,000.
Sandra A. Parsons and David M. Soltys to
more than double what it was just three years ago.
Elevated mortgage rates, which can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, have kept many would-be homebuyers on the sidelines, extending the nation’s housing slump into its third year.
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes are running below last year’s pace, though they ended a four-month slide in July as homebuyers seized on more attractive mortgage rates.
Still, new data on contract signings for U.S. homes, a bell-
Rita D. Dutra, Lombard Street, $94,000.
Strong Building Co. LLC, to MJTD LLC, 48-50 West St., $960,000.
Wegman Family Trust, trustee of, and David C. Wegman, trustee, to Shelby Johnson, 81 Applewood Drive, Unit 6074D, $215,000.
CONWAY
Sheila A. French to Kate French and Russell A. French, 115 Ives Road, $450,000.
DEERFIELD
Virginia H. Weimer, individually and as personal representative of the Estate of Lance M. Hodes, to Mill River Holdings LLC, 54C & 54D Whately Road, Units 3&4 Brookside Condominium, $400,000.
Madelaine Elisabeth Bartlett and Mark Trebicki to Simon M. Elliott, 31 West St., $515,000.
John P. Regish, individually, and John P. Regish and Terri A. Delaney, trustees of the John P. Regish & Terri A. Delaney Joint Living Trust, to David Alexander Wemhoener and Heather Anne Wemhoener, 24 Elm Circle, $440,000.
EAST LONGMEADOW
Daniel F. Bechum, Amanda Christine Bechum, Alyssa Nicole Bechum and John Joseph Bechum III, to Pah Properties LLC, 9 Edwill Road, $275,000.
Janet L. Wrinkle to Rafael Crespo Jr., and Tania Noemis Maldonado, 27 Albano Drive, $258,000.
Thomas Mclaughlin, Thomas Mclaughin and Carol Greco, to Kimberly S. Staggs, 27 Wedgewood Road, $525,000.
EASTHAMPTON
Coutney B. Jaworski to Julia Phipps and Julia C. Phipps, 5 Saint James Ave., $441,000. Thayre A. Trzepacz to Danielle Buzzee, 23 Monska Drive, $345,000.
wether for future home sales, point to potentially further slowing of home sales.
The National Association of Realtor’s pending home sales index fell 5.5% in July from the previous month, the trade group said last week. Pending transactions were down 8.5% from the same month last year.
A lag of a month or two usually exists between when a contract is signed and when the home sale is finalized. That suggests a possible pullback in sales of previously occupied U.S. homes for August or September.
Alexandria S. Moynihan to Garrett Moynihan and Kelly Marie Moynihan, 70 Plain St., $100.
Dolores A. Cooley, trustee, and Douglas O. Cooley Funding Trust to Dolores A. Cooley, trustee, and Dolores Cooley Living Trust, 17 Chapman Ave., $100.
Thomas G. Conner to Thomas G. Conner and Lee-Ann D. Conner, 37 Garfield Ave., $100.
Elizabeth Butler to Abigail Whittier, 64 Mount Tom Ave., $250,000.
Candice P. Craig Girouard and Fleur Sustache, attorney-in-fact, to M & H Property Ventures LLC, 165 Main St., $339,900.
ERVING
Paul A. Kowacki, personal representative of the Estate of Rae Kowacki, “aka” Rae A. Kowacki, to Dale C. Kowacki, 11 High St., “aka” 15 High St., $285,000.
William A. Bembury Jr., and Linda Downs-Bembury to Arthur Bembury, 6 Church St., $400,000.
GILL
Bryan Hobbs and Linda Hobbs to Daniela Jacobson and Samuel Phillip Plotkin, 26 Oak St., $640,000.
David P. Tetreault and Deborah D. Tetreault to Alexander Sergey Pirozhkov, 47 South Cross Road, $392,000.
Sheue Ying Hwu to Pacled Properties Inc., 7 Oak St., $327,500.
GRANBY
Kimberly E. Marsh, trustee, Donald L. Marsh Trust, Jennifer A. Marsh, trustee, Jennifer Marsh Baker, trustee, and Laura E. Marsh Trust to Christina L. Hevey, 7 Lyn Drive, $340,000.
Sharon Livingstone, personal representative, and Ruby Livingstone, estate, to Sarah L. Kellogg and Zachary R. Brittain, 6 Jackielyn Circle, $295,000.
Deeds
GREENFIELD
Carsten R. Dahl, Sarah D. Pruitt and Christopher Sawyer-Laucanno, “aka” Christopher D. Sawyer-Laucanno, to Heather Marie Greene, 205 Davis St., $250,000.
Caleb M. Stempel to Hallie Abelman and Lucie Berjoan, 14 Pierce St., $360,000.
Elisha Hutchinson and Heath Hutchinson to Nathalie Arnold, 2 Earl Ave., $248,000.
George R. Marchacos and Nancy J. Marchacos to Misti Boettiger and Daniel Ennio Matera, 246 Silver St., $368,500.
Lucas Giusto and Dominic Santaniello, trustees of the Naples Home Buyers Trust, to Kathleen Harris, 97 Ferrante Ave., $335,000.
HADLEY
Judith A. Diruzza, trustee, Richard M. Diruzza, trustee, and Richard M. Diruzza Trust to Constance J. Hallquist, trustee, and Constance J. Hallquist Revocable Trust, 4 Maegans Way, $999,000.
HAMPDEN
Susan E. Crowley and Susan Crowley Sullivan to Gary J. Monteleone and Gesenia Monteleone, 54 Genevieve Drive, $406,000.
HATFIELD
Stephen F. Bruscoe III, Suzanne V. Bruscoe and Stephen F. Bruscoe, IV., to Szawlowski Properties LLC, 163 West St., $1,100,000.
HEATH
Bruce C. Phillips, trustee of the Phillips Investment Trust, to Peter McGregor Maitland and June Peckingham, 5 State Farm Road, $529,000.
HOLLAND
Shannon Horn-Eldred and Timmothy W. Horn-Eldred to Charles Jetter and Melanie Jetter, 161 Stafford Road, $440,000.
HOLYOKE
Sherani Weatherington and Michael Weatherington to Michael Forman, 91 Elm St., $426,000.
Tricia B. Carl to Andrew D. Carl, 115 Southampton Road, $40,000.
HUNTINGTON
Jeffrey Keeney to Eduard V. Nudniy,
Goss Hill Road, $22,000.
Jeffrey T. Wyand and Deborah A. Wyand to Jeffrey T. Wyand, 19 Pleasant St., $100.
LEVERETT
Kenneth Hoffman, personal representative of the Estate of Andrea B. Cousins, to Kristine M. Downing and Benjamin A. Ewing, 63 Montague Road, $632,000.
LONGMEADOW
Daniel S. Regan and Samantha Regan to Mei Chen Chu and Chi Chu, 498 Converse St., $422,500.
Justin D. Weber and Courtney J. Weber to Jeffrey E Jean-Charles, 85 Franklin Road, $319,000.
Lawrence Nedwed and Amy Nedwed to Jared Butlin and Sara Mamo, 146 Silver Birch Road, $807,000.
Leo J. Berrouard and Lee M. Berrouard to Joseph Berrouard, Joseph A. Berrouard and Kelly F. Berrouard, 392 Bliss Road, $290,000.
Philip J. Godeck III, Philip J. Godeck and Dawn M. Quercia to Diane Verlee Yensen, 108 Berwick Road, $750,000.
Robert E. Kelley Jr., and Jessica A. Kelley to Howard G. Hinds and Tatiana P. Rodriguez-Hinds, 37 South Ave., $408,000.
LUDLOW
Frederick Gamache III, to Faith Elizabeth Ackerman and Robert V. Ackerman Jr., 557 Chapin St., $300,000.
Karl E. Hoeckh and Anabela Hoeckh to Carol E. Robin, 419 Alden St., $455,000.
Katherine L. Provencher, Katherine L. Scott and Gary R. Provencher Sr., to Carlton R. Roy and Kate A. Deady, 336 Alden St., $375,000.
MONSON
Olatunde Cooper and Sabrina Lynette Cooper to Dimitri A. Lowell and Deborah J. W. Lowell, 15 Elm St., $329,900.
Paul R. Webster, representative, and Steven J. Webster, estate, to Christopher J. Olson and Yekaterina Breault, 31 Crest Road, $300,000.
MONTAGUE
Martha L. Alexander and Sean D. Alexander to William Butcher, Ashley Hodson, Jena Holt Hutton and Mark D. Hutton, 34 School St., $560,000.
Henry A. Brown to Elinor Janvrin, 8890 2nd Street, “aka” 88-90 Second Street $330,000.
Bryan G. Hobbs and Tyler G. Hobbs to Colby A. Mailloux, 90 South Prospect St., $310,000.
Anne T. Harding to Ivy R. Handschuh and Billy McKnight, 105 Turnpike Road, $40,000.
NORTHAMPTON
Irven A. Gammon and Brenda S. Gammon to John Fraize Jr., and Dina M. Shea-Fraize, 298 Ryan Road, $440,000.
Thomas Tyler Read Palin, trustee, and Cordelia C. McKusick Trust to Aaron David Brandes and Tamreh Herlihy, 21 Mountain Laurel Path, $600,000.
Passage Holdings LLC, to Alexander Jon Indyk-Zapka and Nadia Indyk-Zapka, 15-17 Munroe St., $899,000.
Miko Yoshiyama, trustee, and Miko Yoshiyama 2009 Revocable Living Trust to Julie Dick Palmer and Meredith Robbins Palmer, 64 Federal St., $570,000.
Mark F. Merrett and Susan Merrett to Denise M. Kearney, 50 Hawley St., $500,000.
Veteran Stan LLC, to Alessandra L. Morgan and Jasmine C. Gerritsen, 28 Longview Drive, $365,600.
NORTHFIELD
Jo Ann Ferguson and William E. Ferguson to Joel H. Padovani, 17 West Lane and 20 Woodruff Way, $185,000.
Emily G. Witz and Matthew T. Witz to Juan G. Morales and Sofija R. Sutton, 27 Aldrich St., $325,000.
ORANGE
Jason A. Sherman to Make Investments Great Again LLC, 12 Adams St., $185,000.
David Christopher Simpson and Kimberly Simpson to Winridge Holdings LLC, Rogers Avenue, $30,000.
Brent R. Salvetti and Mandi Salvetti to Cynthia L. Teto and Levi Teto, 55 Benham St., $240,500.
Foster L. Gambrell III, personal representative of the Estate of Ellen Hamilton Gambrell, “aka” Ellen H. Gambrell, 387 Walnut Hill Road, $140,000.
Rabbit Run Properties LLC, to Kevin P. Chauvette and Brianna R. Marsh, 28 Johnson Road, Unit 1, 28 Johnson Road Condominium, $242,000.
Kim M. Jarvenpaa and Scott M. Jarvenpaa to Daniel Rowe, 108 Lake Mattawa Road, $240,000.
PELHAM
Victoria A. Dowling and Victoria D. Jacoby to Marisa Pizii and Matthew Alan Pizii, 21 Arnold Road, $519,900.
SHUTESBURY
Mari L. Vlach to Ian Mahoney and
Claire Pless, 325 Montague Road, $399,000.
SOUTH HADLEY
New England Property Management LLC, to Diamond Property Management LLC, 180 Willimansett St., $330,000.
Stephen A. Rondeau, trustee, and Stephen A. Rondeau 2023 Revocable Trust to Amer Ahmed and Shelly A. Perdomo-Ahmed, 20 Meadow Lane, $1,025,000.
Skinner Woods LLC, to Katherine E. Hutchinson and John D. Giroux, 6 Skinnerwoods Way, $579,900.
James Myers to Michael J. Flanagan, 150 Old Lyman Road, $396,900. Kristen Briody to Tara Alterman, 64 Columbia St., $360,000.
Michael E. Craven to Kristen Briody, 4 Edison Drive, $600,000.
Ernest D. Harris and Luis A. Delgado to Emilio Velez, 21-23 Taylor St., $425,000.
SOUTHWICK
Harley J. Dulude Jr., trustee, Valerie K. Dulude, trustee, and Harley & Valerie Dulude Realty Trust, trustee of, to Austin F. Orszulak and Marija C. Orszulak, 9 Noble Steed Crossing, $1,153,000.
SPRINGFIELD
A P I Limited Partnership and A P I Corp., to Allen Park Apartments LLC, 41-367 Allen Park Road, $100.
A P II Limited Partnership and A P II Corp., to Allen Park Apartments LLC, 320-500 Allen Park Road, $100.
Amber Dawn Degrandpre to Elisandro Guardado-Aleman and Angel Lemus-Guardado, 24 Thornton St., $325,000.
Annie Mary Guzman, Emanuel Valentin, Emanuel Garcia and Emmanuel Valentin to Annie Mary Guzman, 74 Huron St., $5,000.
April Berry to Felix Perez Patrocino, 10 Mulberry St., Unit 311, $123,000. Creton Spencer to Jessie N. Lozada Gomez and Jose Ramos Dejesus, 194 Island Pond Road, $300,000.
Eliezar Garcia LLC, to 413 Realty LLC, 47 Colton St., $170,000.
Irene Eliopoulos, Irene Collins and George Eliopoulos to Santos C. Jimenez, 17 Beaumont Terrace, $365,000.
James Scott and Yvonne Scott to Bricmore Property Investments LLC, 116 Amherst St., $212,000.
Jobmtc LLC, to Efrain Guardado, 800 Wilbraham Road, $300,000.
JoeJoe Properties LLC, to Amanda Vega, 19 Greene Place, $236,000.
Joseph M. Santaniello to Yuriko Maldonado and Josue Hidalgo, 10 Ferncliff Ave., $315,000.
Joseph Manning, representative, and Susan E. Manning, estate, to Erika M. Berrios, 140 Rosemary Drive, $218,000.
Keith P. DiAugustino and Elspeth J. DiAugustino to Blue Oak Development LLC, 86 Paulk Terrace, $120,000.
Lori J. Marchand, Lori I. Lyons and Raymond Marchand to Tucker J. Lee and Alexzandra Lee, 214 Parkerviw St., $299,900.
Melanie Pham to Yanercy Diaz, 4446 Gordon St., $370,000.
MS Homes LLC, to Arlen Yaritza Urbina Escobar and Rosa Emilia Escobar De Urbina, 37 Jennings St., $400,000.
Shawn M. Boisclair to Michelle Berthiaume, 28 Michigan St., $125,000. Spring Forth Properties LLC, to Timothy Michael Hansen, 83-85 Wilmont St., $362,300.
William F. Cassidy to Brooke E. Coughlin and Brendan M. Coughlin, 842-844 Alden St., $315,000.
WALES
Judith C. Fay and Earl William Fay to Jennfer Bothwell, Mt. Hitchcock Road, $80,000.
WARE
Steven O’Brien and Kathleen J. O’Brien to Danubio Zepeda and Delia L. Garcia Avila, 109 Greenwich Plains Road, $430,000.
Karen Redmond to Adriana Rocha De Alencar Barros, 171 Church St., $295,000.
Daniel C. Veale and Carolyn M. Veale to Susan Lynch and Christina Smajkiewicz, 246 Monson Turnpike Road, $350,000.
Sean P. Guimond and Kristen E. Guimond to Barbara Kimball, 76 Beaver Lake Road, $325,000.
R & L Property Investors LLC, to Elizabeth Paris and Peter Gern, 39 South St., $350,000.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Bethann Cook to William Francis Seney, Sacheverell Lynne Seney and Madelaine Vita Pikul, 119 East Gooseberry Rd, $350,000.
Glen B Gureckis, representative, and Agnes M. Gureckis, estate, to Kimberly L. White & David B. White Revocable Trust Agreement, trustee of, and Kimberly L. White, trustee, 175 Robinson Road, $280,000. MAA Property LLC, to Julianna Brooks and Jazlyn Seda, 28 Spring St., $280,000.
Thomas Bedard, representative, Dorothy Ann Bedard, estate, and Dorothy Bedard, estate, to Sarah J. Howe, 44 Smyrna St., $300,000.
Use color in unexpected spots
Lesser-seen, lesser-used areas of your home can be great places to experiment with bright touches. (Think blue metallic tiles in a powder room, a rainbow-striped duvet on the guest room bed.) “If neutrals are safe comfort food, then color is the spice, the thing that brings flavor and life to a home,” says Charles M. Boggs, a professor of interior design at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
“I like to paint ceilings and interior doors in colors that contrast with the walls,” Olsen says. “I’m currently putting Tiffany blue inside one client’s closet, which will make her shoes look great.” Wall and window trim are also ripe for a dash of color.
Add a touch of wallpaper
For many homeowners, a whole room of wallpaper can feel too dramatic. But pasting a pale-colored toile to a single wall adds drama and interest without looking too madcap. You can also use wallpaper to cover the back panels of a bookshelf or hutch.
Elliott steers clients toward grass cloth, a woven, often solid-colored wallpaper. “It brings way more texture than paint, but it’s still pretty subtle,” she says.
Look to the great outdoors
Natural surfaces and hues are back in style in home remodeling. (Think warm-wood kitchen cabinets or unpolished stone floors.) Part of the reason? Materials found in the wild essentially go with everything. “I love
Deeds
CONTINUES FROM PAGE F9
WESTFIELD
Dominic Santaniello, trustee, Lucas Giusto, trustee, and Naples Home Buyers Trust, trustee of, to Congamond Management LLC, 11 Conner Ave., $130,000.
Glen P. Perlmutter and Tracy M. Perlmutter to Robert E. Kelley and Jessica A. Kelley, 4 Rita Mary Way, $499,900.
Gregory I. Kallfa and Patricia A. Kallfa to Gregory Andrew Kallfa, Nicholas Steven Kallfa, Gregory I. Kallfa, life estate, and Patricia A. Kallfa, life estate, 36 Cornish Drive, $100.
Gregory I. Kallfa to Gregory I. Kallfa and Patricia A. Kallfa, St. James Avenue, $100.
John B. Davies and Sharon Davies to Chelsea
to use green houseplants to add color to a room,” Lanteri says. Or fill a vase with pastel dried flowers.
Go beyond a single ‘pop’ of color
Though a solo strand of turquoise beads looks beautiful against a simple black or white blouse, adding one jolt of a saturated hue to an otherwise neutral room can seem jarring. “It’s easy to have an all-gray living room and just throw some royal blue pillows on the gray sofa,” Elliott says. “But it’s more fun — and less broken-up feeling —to bring in a rug with some blue in it, too, or to maybe reupholster an accent chair in fabric with some similar shades.”
Remember, too, that rooms in the same house should be in conversation with each other. Weave subtle touches of similar colors throughout your space, such as with navy blue walls in a home office to echo a sapphire velvet sofa in a great room.
Paint your furniture
Buying a smaller piece of furniture in a cool color — or painting a bookcase or end table in your favorite hue — jazzes up a space. “I’m a big fan of painted furniture in a room full of dark wood,” Elliott says. “You can hire a pro who’ll use a sprayer to give furniture a glossy coat. I use Unique by Ruth. Or you can also DIY, especially if you’re applying a matte finish or visible brushwork.”
In rooms with colorfully painted or upholstered furniture, keep the wall paint subdued. “If furniture is more vibrant, it will pop better if it isn’t competing with strong, saturated wall colors,” Boggs says. “Choose wall colors that complement the pieces, but which are less saturated.”
Popko and Michael Popko, 1272 Western Ave., $150,000.
Nancy R. Pezzini-Pasquini, representative, and Alfred M. Pezzini, estate, to Deborah Anne Duarte Defeo, Dox Road, $100.
No Limit Assets LLC, to Alexis Cooper and Jerod Simons, 14 Stuart Circle, $400,000.
Victor Marchenkov and Liubov Marchenkov to Eduard Pomaznuk and Maksym Pomaznuk, 36 Kellogg St., $350,000.
WESTHAMPTON
Richard A. Ammon, trustee, Richard A. Ammon Trust, James Michael Harrod, trustee, and James Michael Harrod Trust to Lisa Mascaro and Lara Ramsey, 7 Burt Road, $210,000.
David J. Blakesley and Laura A. Blakesley to Lynn Fournier and Robert A. Fournier, 73 Kings Highway, $362,500.
Harvest
CONTINUES FROM PAGE F7
Other ways to preserve herbs
To make oil infusions, remove leaves from stems, then rinse and pat dry with a clean towel or paper towel. Cut leaves into quarter-inch pieces using herb snippers (or clean, sharp scissors). Fill the compartments of a 1- or 2-ounce silicone freezer tray, such as the ones made by Souper Cubes, halfway with herb clippings, and fill the remainder of each compartment with the oil of your choice. Freeze overnight, then carefully pop individual cubes from the tray and store them in a zipper-top bag in the freezer.
Herbs can also be dried to keep them at room temperature. This is my preferred method for those with small, textured or needled leaves, such as thyme, sage, oregano and rosemary.
Rinse, remove from stems and set
Robert Fournier and Lynn A. Fournier to David J. Blakesley and Laura A. Blakesley, 65 Kings Highway, $223,500.
WHATELY
Anita T. DiMartino to Michael F. Mahar and Priscilla J. Mayoussier, 11 Poplar Hill Road, $570,000.
WILBRAHAM
Edith A. Keech, representative, and Steven M. Gray, estate, to SZF Properties LLC, 787 Stony Hill Road, $107,500.
Edward S. Porter and Patricia M. Porter to John T. Medeiros, trustee, and M/W Realty Trust, trustee of, 18 Cooley Drive, $535,000.
Ethan J. LaFreniere to Jeffrey Zacher and Kristen Zacher, 874 Stony Hill Road, $480,000.
At left, a vase holding freshly harvested parsley. Above, parsely leaves in a bowl of water. All crops should be rinsed thoroughly before preserving, whether they will be canned, frozen or dried. (JESSICA DAMIANO VIA AP)
out in a single layer on clean towels to dry. Because the goal here is to dehydrate the leaves rather than allow only excess moisture to evaporate from around and between them, the process will take considerably longer. Toss leaves daily. When they become crunchy, add them to clean jars or other sealable containers and store them as you would dry herbs from the store.
No-work pickles
And if you want to get really easy, try my no-effort refrigerator pickles. Most refrigerator pickles, which are shortcuts in their own right, require boiling a brine made from vinegar, spices, sugar and salt, and pouring it over sliced cucumbers in a jar, then refrigerating.
I skip all that and simply add my own sliced cucumbers to the brine that’s already in an empty jar of pickles. They’re delicious after 24 hours in the fridge and even better after 48 hours. You can get two batches out of that pickle juice. Why let it go to waste?
Joseph Martin Kane, Jenna Nicole Hourani and Jenna Nichole Kane to Vincent E. Spagnolo and Tuyen T Le Spagnolo, 25 Eastwood Drive, $690,000.
Margaret A. Boduch, trustee, Gregory J. Strycharz and Stanley J Strycharz 1994 Revocable Living Trust, trustee of, to Steven A. Paige and Lashawn T Keatts-Warren, 47 Old Boston Road, $300,000.
Richard H. Ryan and Linda M. Dagradi to Steven A. Aviles and Christine E. Aviles, 7 Pleasant View, $525,000.
SZF Properties LLC, to Thomas D. Curcio, Thomas Curcio, Julie K. Grondin and Julie Grondin, 787 Stony Hill Road, $475,000.
WORTHINGTON
Joel M. Upton, trustee, Sara W. Upton, trustee, and Sara W. Upton 2006 Trust to Mohammed Dasser, 130 Prentice Road, $814,000.
Live Onsite &Webcast PUBLIC AUCTION
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PUBLIC AUCTION
ANTIQUE AUCTION
FRI, SEPT. 13, AT 6 P.M.
Fine art including paintings, and prints, Furniture - Early, Victorian, Modern and Custom, jewelry, glass and china, clocks, quantity of Staffordshire figurines, Asian, books, oriental rugs, and more.
PREVIEW: THURS. 8 AM - 4 PM & FRI. 8 AM - 6 PM View Numbered Catalog Online www.DouglasAuctioneers.com
MORTGAGEE’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE AT
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Terms of Sale: Deposit by bank check required to register to bid at time of sale. Visit: currentauctions.towneauction.com or call. Balance to be paid 30 days from sale date. Other terms announced at sale. Auctioneer makes no representations to the accuracy of the information contained herein. NO CASH S Hill MA Lic. AU 3381
Major Home Downsizing Retiredtradesmanselling manyhand&power tools,lawnequip.,weldingequip.,30tonshop press,Harperhandtruck, KennedyToolboxes,car ramps,truckbackrack, HDrachetstraps,new Karaokemach.WPsmall appli.,elec.,furn.,&much more.Sept.6,7&8,9-3, 10PartridgeLane, Southwick, Rain or shine.
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