Unexpected and welcome letters from the mayor

Date: 11/28/2018

I received a letter to the editor from Mayor Domenic Sarno on Saturday. It’s a little unusual for a mayor to send a letter such as this one and at first I thought “What did I do this time?”

Yes, I always go for the negative. It’s the way I’ve been trained.

Here is what the mayor wrote: “What’s not to do in Springfield? The Friday after Thanksgiving is known as ‘Black Friday,’ but here in Springfield, we’re starting a new tradition of holiday family fun – day and night. Starting with the Parade of Big Balloons to the Boys & Girls Club Festival of Trees at the MassMutual Center to an outdoor skating rink featuring Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan nestled in between my old South End Community Center and Kringle Candle at MGM Springfield to our Quadrangle holiday lighting event back to MGM Springfield for their Christmas tree lighting to finally back to the MassMutual Center for our beloved T-Birds hockey game – ‘Wow, that’s right, all in our Springfield!’ We welcome you, so come on down. Here’s to a joyous holiday season to one and all.”

The fact of the matter is there was plenty of people and activities downtown and this is a very good thing. I was at the Nancy Kerrigan event – she looks like she hasn’t aged a day – and at the tree lighting. Both were very well attended. In fact, I would estimate – and I claim no great accuracy – there were at least 500 people at the tree lighting.

Does this bode well for my hometown that thanks to some media outlets is continually seen as a dangerous place?

I hope so.

I also hope we start to see more businesses in the vacant storefronts near MGM and that the administration can concentrate on economic development issues in other parts of the city.

It is crucial the momentum that has happened downtown roll across the city and the region.

We need another grocery store to service the inner Springfield neighborhoods.

We need to encourage more small business growth across the city.

We need to finish historical rehabilitations that have been started but stalled for years.

We need to see the Innovation District actually become the Innovation District.

We need to see if there is a way to leverage the fact we have a significant new manufacturing facility in the city to attract ancillary industries.

We need have a coordinated marketing plan for all of the region’s tourism attractions.

We need to be ready for cannabis tourism.

We need greater coordination between Springfield and surrounding communities to make some of these economic development initiatives a reality.

Now I wouldn’t be a bit surprised that people are already working on some of these efforts. If so, I sure would like to know.

I’m on vacation when you read this column and I’ll save everyone valuable time by answering your questions right now.

Yes, I’m sure I enjoyed the time off.

I was at our time-share at Cape Cod. Yes, this is sort of late to go to the Cape, but I didn’t mind. It’s still a beautiful place.

Yes, my wife and I split the week so we could take care of the elderly but still kicking Lucky the Winder Bichon, now in his 18th year.

I brought a computer and worked on my fifth book.

It’s about the cartoon studio founded by Max Fleischer, the man who produced the Popeye and Betty Boop cartoons among many others.

Yes, I’ve been working on this a long time.

Yes, I’m almost done with the first half.

Yes, I hope to have found a decent place for seafood since Seafood Sam’s is closed for the season. I’ll share that with you.

Okay, I think I’ve anticipated the usual questions. Your postcard is in the mail.