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 – East Longmeadow Town Council Chair Kathy Hill discusses the development of the town’s decades-old Master Plan, while state Rep. Kurt Vail, who represents Somers, describes his opposition to raise taxes. Wilbraham Select Board Chair Susan Bunnell shares that a Special Town Meeting on March 9 will ask voters to approve funding to repair the roof of Wilbraham Middle School, and new Longmeadow Town Manager Lyn Simmons noted the renewal of the town’s Open Space Plan will be underway in the near future.

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 marijuana education in local community colleges, as well as a discussion of Western New England University’s women’s hockey team that is set to be introduced in 2020.

New business 4Run3 is opening in March in East Longmeadow, with plans to not only sell running shoes and organize races, but also to foster a sense of community in the area. Though Bumpy’s Organics is not a new business per-se, they have recently made the trip across the river and have relocated from Agawam to Springfield.

Construction is ongoing across Western Massachusetts, with two big projects in Longmeadow including the ongoing Department of Public Works project which has faced unexpected asbestos issues, as well as the new Adult Center which is predicted to open this fall. In Chicopee, construction is being discussed for a rotary at the intersection of Montgomery Street, Granby Road and McKinstry Avenue which could aid in solving the areas longtime traffic concerns.

In regard to energy, the Town of Hampden has strengthened their solar bylaws at their October 2019 Special Town Meeting – what does this mean for the future of solar in town? In Chicopee, Chicopee Electric Light has been looking back on how being a municipal power provider has changed since their business began 124 years ago, and how their new Crossroads Fiber is going to benefit the community as municipal internet.

Local health departments and community organizations weighed in on the topic of vaping in submitted columns. More specifically, Chicopee’s Health Department described their desire to host educational vaping presentations and panel discussions to middle school families and other interested parties. The East Longmeadow’s Youth Safety Committee also hosts informational events about the dangers of vaping, and is planning on continuing their efforts to educate the towns youth.

It’s no secret that Springfield is host to MGM – with one year under the casino’s belt and year two underway, MGM foresees a bright future in Western Mass., and has already tweaked multiple aspects to the casino to continue their success. With that said – entertainment isn’t found only in Springfield. Gateway City Arts is working to turn Holyoke into an arts destination, offering concerts, a beer garden, festivals, a restaurant, private events and more.

Local non-profits are gearing up for 2020 by spreading the word about the work they do. Holyoke–based Womenshelter Companeras has been working tirelessly to empower women and their children for nearly 40 years.

In the world of online shopping, small businesses, such as Holyoke’s The Cottage, are striving to give their customers a unique, affordable selection of merchandise. Hampden’s It’s All About Me boutique owner Diane Dunn notes that she feels, “people need people,” and that shoppers seek out storefronts that “truly care about [the consumer].”

Transportation in the region is at an interesting point, as Massachusetts East-West rail discussions continue and Connecticut ramps up talks of a $50 million rail station in the Thompsonville Village section of Enfield.

Finally, when it comes to real estate, Connecticut Association of Realtors provides an outlook for what buying and selling will look like over the course of 2020, specific to Enfield.

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.”