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Date: 2/18/2020
In February of 2019 we at Reminder Publishing ran our first-annual Community Outlook. The Community Outlook is here to serve as a guide and a resource for our subscribers to read about what’s happening in their communities and neighboring towns over the course of 2020, what projects are coming down the pipeline and what new businesses are opening up in the area.
Last year we had one Community Outlook which was inserted into our – at the time – two free weeklies: the East Longmeadow Reminder, and the Agawam/West Springfield Reminder. Over this past year we have had the pleasure and the opportunity for growth – yes, growth in the newspaper industry. Not only did we re-launch The Chicopee Herald in April of 2019, we purchased The Westfield News and its subsequent publications in July. Since this time last year, we now proudly have four free weeklies, which include The Original Pennysaver and The Chicopee Herald.
Considering we have expanded to serve 30 communities, it no longer “makes sense” for us to have one Community Outlook. After all – we want the Community Outlook to be community–specific...it’s hard to do that when you serve so many towns and cities! This year, we are distributing two Community Outlooks – one to homes East of the ‘river, and the other to homes West.
Countless local officials including your town manager, select board chair, town council chair, mayor or local state representative have penned a column to discuss what is happening in 2020 in your town. For example Agawam Mayor Bill Sapelli writes about stimulating business and economic development, and Granville Town Administrator Matthew Streeter describes upcoming changes to the Granville Transfer Station recycling. State Rep. Smitty Pignatelli wrote on behalf of Russell, Tolland and Otis, noting the struggle for funding in the area for roadway improvements, as well as the Last Mile Broadband Program.
In addition to columns by local officials that describe the outlook for 2020 in your community, we have numerous original articles written by our staff based on education in the area, including a piece on an update of Westfield’s school facilities and the updates buildings need, along with a discussion on the funding that Coburn school in West Springfield has recently been awarded.
Bumpy’s Organics has recently moved from Agawam to Springfield, offering a slew of organic goods to patrons. As Bumpy’s has relocated, Crepes Tea House has opened their second location in Southwick.
Construction is ongoing across Western Massachusetts, with bridge construction continuing through 2020 for the Morgan-Sullivan bridge in Agawam and West Springfield, while Westfield and Southwick have plenty of road work planned for 2020 as well.
In regard to energy in the hilltowns, Eric Stein of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is working with the town of Blandford’s Planning Board and Zoning Board with new bylaws in regard to solar installations. In Westfield, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given a $10.2 million grant to bring 1 Gb/per-second broadband internet to the hilltowns.
The Westfield Health Department weighed in on the topic of vaping and Governor Baker’s recent vaping ban, while the Hilltown Community Health Center in Worthington describes serving the Hilltowns, the services they offer and more.
Local non-profits are gearing up for 2020 by spreading the word about the work they do. In West Springfield, Horizons for Homeless Children has been working to improve the lives of young children and their families experiencing homelessness in Massachusetts. In the Hilltowns, the Hilltown CDC is working to shape the future of the area by working directly with their neighbors to create a model for 21st century rural life.
In the world of online shopping, small businesses such as BudSuds of Westfield as well as West Springfield’s Flag Fables are still experiencing the need for an in-person shopping experience.
Transportation in the region is at an interesting point, as Blandford has been discussed as the host to a potential new exit on the Mass Pike. As this discussion continues, first Hampshire Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa has continued to be a proponent of public transportation in the area, funding for the Pioneer Valley Transportation Authority (PVTA) as well as the Valley flyer, which travels North and South in the area.
Finally, when it comes to real estate in the area, the Agawam Planning Board has been discussing working with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) to consider adopting an accessory apartment bylaw. As the town considers this, in the Hilltowns, Hilltown Real Estate shares that the last few years in Real Estate have been “very productive in the smaller towns spanning the hills.” According to James Adams of Hilltown Real Estate, “Buyers find living in a smaller community along with the natural beauty of the foothills to the Berkshires to be the ideal lifestyle they have dreamed of.”
Wherever you live in the Reminder Publishing circulation area, whether you’re in one of our bigger cities or one of our smaller towns, we hope that our Community Outlook serves you well. As you can see – no matter the location – each one of the towns we cover is bustling, growing, developing and moving forward as we swing into the new year. We at Reminder Publishing thank you for your readership and your support so we can continue to bring our readers quality, hyper-local news. After all, as our motto states, “We are hometown news.”