Initiative seeks to inject $50,000 into the local economy

FLORENCE—To reaffirm its commitment to community, Keiter recently announced a $25,000 donation to the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce for its annual Keiter Card promotion. This initiative, now in its fourth consecutive year, seeks to inject over $50,000 into the local economy. 

Through this promotion, Keiter’s contribution enables consumers to receive $50 in spending power with the purchase of a $25 Northampton Gift Card. 

As the longtime Florence contracting and construction management company expands to West Springfield, Keiter remains committed to the Northampton area. 

“Our ties to the Pioneer Valley run deep, and we are honored to play a role in its ongoing success,” said Scott Keiter, CEO of Keiter and a former Northampton Chamber board member. “Giving back is ingrained in our company culture, and initiatives like this allow us to express our gratitude to a community that has given so much to us, our families and our employees.” 

The 2024 Keiter Card promotion will begin Monday, Aug. 5, and Keiter Cards will be available while supplies last. Cards can be purchased only at the Chamber offices at 99 Pleasant St., Northampton, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Those interested must request a Keiter Card upon purchase. 

The promotion is applicable only to $25 Northampton Gift Card purchases with a limit of one card per customer, per transaction. The Northampton Gift Card is accepted at over 115 local businesses, spanning restaurants, shops, services and spas. 

For further information, please visit Keiter.com or contact the Chamber at 413-584-1900. 

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The gift supports a $750,000 capital campaign to fund updates and renovations to the well-loved venue

FLORENCE—Florence Bank recently announced it has donated $100,000 to the Iron Horse Music Hall, supporting a $750,000 capital campaign for renovations and updates to the well-loved music venue in downtown Northampton. 

Chris Freeman, executive director of the Parlor Room Collective in Northampton, which purchased the Iron Horse last fall and has been updating it since, said the bank’s gift will help fund ongoing work to the venue at 20 Center St.

He explained that the collective has already expanded the Iron Horse into a storefront next door that formerly housed a Christian meeting space, and is in the process of moving the bar into that new space along with 10 bathrooms. The bathrooms in the basement of the venue will be updated and reserved for visiting artists only; the remainder of that downstairs space will be remodeled to be “more artist friendly,” and artists alone will be able to access the area, Freeman said. 

Other work being undertaken at the music hall includes the installation of a new sound system, lighting, flooring and an HVAC unit for cleaner, fresher air. 

“Florence Bank is a big community supporter. They were our first corporate ask,” Freeman said, noting the Parlor Room Collective is running the capital campaign for the Iron Horse through the bank. “Florence Bank understands our mission, our vision for what the Iron Horse can become. We’re so grateful they stepped up in such a huge way.”

He added that, when the Parlor Room became a nonprofit, it leaned into Florence Bank for funds to start an open mic series, a program that has since become self-sustainable. “Without that early gift from Florence Bank, we wouldn’t have been able to get it started,” Freeman said.

The Parlor Room is a small listening room in Northampton, founded 11 years ago as a facet of the Signature Sounds record label. Freeman was a musician in a band that recorded on the Signature Sounds label in those days, becoming more involved with the Parlor Room after the pandemic. In 2022, the Parlor Room became a nonprofit and is now known as the Parlor Room Collective. 

Florence Bank President and CEO Matt Garrity said the Iron Horse has been at the core of the local music scene since its founding in 1979, and the bank is proud to support the Parlor Room Collective’s revival of the venue. “We value the collective’s mission-based approach to the return of the Iron Horse,” said Garrity. “The Iron Horse has long been a space in which local patrons and musicians from far and wide can celebrate art, music and community, and we look forward to the return of that energy.”

The Iron Horse is scheduled to reopen May 15 with a performance by Rachael & Vilray, a configuration of friends with sounds that range from an intimate duo to a nine-piece formation, such as on their newest album, “I Love A Love Song.” Taylor Ashton, a Canadian singer songwriter from Brooklyn, will also take the stage in the show from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

“The calendar is filling up for the summer and into the fall,” Freeman said. “We’re so thrilled with the response from artists and the excitement about getting the place open.”

The Iron Horse is collaborating with Dave Schrier of Daily Operation of Easthampton for the hall’s food menu and intends to bring back an updated version of the Wicked Wally, a brownie sundae many people might remember from years past. 

The Iron Horse is still seeking donations and sponsorships. To donate, visit IronHorse.org.

“It’s such a fun cause to fundraise for,” Freeman said. “So many people have memories about being at the Iron Horse. “It’s an amazing spot. We’re incredibly grateful to the bank and the whole community.”

Learn more at ironhorse.org/revive-the-iron-horse.

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutual savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield, and Springfield. Additionally, it offers 25 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through FSB Financial Group (FSBFG) to consumers and businesses. Florence Bank is consistently voted best local bank by the readers of the Valley Advocate.

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LACONIA—The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction has announced its boot drive collections, sponsored by local fire departments. All proceeds support the Children’s Auction and thus, local children and families in need. 

Collections will take place as follows:

Friday, Nov. 24, in Belmont, at Belknap Marketplace, 96 Daniel Webster Highway, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and in Laconia at the intersection of Main and Pleasant streets, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Saturday, Nov. 25, in Bristol, at the intersection of Lake and Pleasant streets, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and in Gilford, at Hannaford, Walmart, Lowes and Shaw’s, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 26, in Tilton, at the Tanger Outlets at 120 Laconia Road, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This year’s auction will be held from Dec. 5-8, and early access bidding starts Nov. 24. The event will be live streamed daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on LRPA TV Channel 25, laconiadailysun.com, and childrensauction.org. 

For more information, to donate or volunteer, visit childrensauction.org or call 603-527-0999. 

About the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction:

Numerous fundraising events in the Lakes Region throughout the year support the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, including our four-day signature event every December. In the past four decades we have distributed more than $8 million to over 80 nonprofits that serve low-income families and children in the Lakes Region, all through volunteer efforts, community donations and corporate sponsorship. The Auction falls under the umbrella of the Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps local community organizations that serve children and families in need. For more information about the Auction, the nonprofits it supports and how you can help, visit ChildrensAuction.org.

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LACONIA -’Tis the season to support the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, and local businesses are now selling decorative ornaments for in-store display or to take home. The ornaments cost $1, $5 or $10 and help raise money for the auction, which will be held this year from Tuesday, Dec. 5 through Friday, Dec. 8, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Belknap Marketplace in Belmont.

The ornaments are four-inch-round cardstock ornaments that customers can write their names on for display at a business or to take home. All proceeds benefit the auction.

Ornaments are available at many community partner locations:

Alton: Foster’s Tavern, 403 Main St.

Bristol: Cielito’s Mexican Restaurant, 50 South Main St.

Danbury: Danbury Country Store, 705 US-4.

Gilford: Bank of NH,One Country Club Road; Bank of NH, 1441 Lakeshore Road Route 11; Gilford Country Store & Nahamsha Gifts, 1934 Lake Shore Road; ​Gilford Hills Tennis & Fitness Club, 314 Old Lakeshore; Gunstock Mountain Resort, 719 Cherry Valley Road; H. Salon, 28 Weirs Road; Patrick’s Pub & Eatery, 18 Weirs Road; The Wine’ing Butcher, 28 Weirs Road; Winnipesaukee Bay Gulls 2, 18 Weirs Road; Fireside Inn & Suites, 17 Harris Shore Road.

Laconia: Bank of NH, 62 Pleasant St.; Body Covers, 94 Primrose Drive North; Café Déja Vu, 311 Court St.; Case n’ Keg Laconia, 855 Union Ave #2554; Crazy Gringo, 306 Lakeside Ave.; Defiant Records & Craft Beer, 609 Main St. Units 1 & 2; High Octane, 1072 Watson Road; Laconia Village Bakery, 660 Main St.; LACS Snack Shack, Memorial Park; Tower Hill, 264 Lakeside Ave.; Water Street Cafe, 141 Water St.

Meredith: Bank of NH, 312 Daniel Webster Highway; Great Northern Trading Company, 312 Daniel Webster Highway at Mill Falls; Fitness Edge, 169 Daniel Webster Highway; Forestview Manor, 153 Parade Road; Giuseppe’s Pizzeria & Ristorante, 312 Daniel Webster Highway at Mill Falls; Harley-Davidson Laconia, 239 Daniel Webster Highway; Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery, 72 Main St.; Middleton Building Supply, 157 Main St.; The Wine’ing Butcher, 81 NH Route 25; White Birch Gifts, 63 Main St.

Moultonborough: Bank of NH, 960 Whittier Highway Route 25; Winnipesaukee Bay Gulls 118 Whittier Highway.

Plymouth: Bank of NH, 6 Riverside Drive.

Gilford Country Store and Nahamsha Gifts will have a raffle at both locations; for every $1 donated by purchasing an ornament, the customer will receive a raffle ticket to win a $100 gift basket (at each store).

Winnipesaukee Bay Gulls in Gilford & Moultonborough offer three one-day-old bagels with the purchase of a $5 ornament and six one-day-old bagels with the purchase of a $10 ornament.

Country Cook’n At the Lakeside and Great Northern Trading Company: For every $1 of donation, the customer will receive a raffle ticket to win one of five $25 gift certificates.

Businesses interested in offering ornaments at their location should call 603-527-0999 or email jenn@childrensauction.org.

About the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction:

Numerous fundraising events in the Lakes Region throughout the year support the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, including our four-day signature event every December. In the past four decades we have distributed more than $8 million to over 80 nonprofits that serve low-income families and children in the Lakes Region, all through volunteer efforts, community donations and corporate sponsorship. The Auction falls under the umbrella of the Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps local community organizations that serve children and families in need. For more information about the Auction, the nonprofits it supports and how you can help, visit ChildrensAuction.org.

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LACONIA —As the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction gears into its busy season in preparation for the 2023 auction to be held at the Belknap Marketplace and online, Tuesday, Dec. 5 through Friday, Dec. 8, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., its leaders are still seeking sponsors.

View sponsorship options at childrensauction.org/sponsorship. To get involved as a sponsor or donate items, email Jenn@ChildrensAuction.org or call 603-527-0999. 

Sponsorships help raise awareness for an organization. For instance, those who sponsor a day of the auction are featured the entire day, with the organization logo visible to bidders and community members. The organization is also featured on air and on the digital screen that appears in the broadcast and streaming.

“The Children’s Auction would not be successful without our sponsors, and the beauty of sponsorship is that it’s a win-win for businesses. They get to raise awareness about their organizations while also helping children and families in need in our communities,” said Jennifer Kelley, executive director for the auction.

Kelley also thanked these area sponsors who have already come forward. 

Hannaford is the event’s Presenting Sponsor and MB Tractor the OverBid Sponsor for the Week. 

Other sponsors include: Bank of New Hampshire, Bonnette, Page & Stone, Children’s Dentistry, Dairy Queen, EPTAM, Gilford Hills Tennis and Fitness, Granite State Glass, Hi Gloss Boat Restoration, Irwin Marine, Juggernaut Fitness, Laconia Harley Davidson, Meredith Insurance Agency, Meredith Village Savings Bank, Pike Industries, Sawyer’s Dairy Bar, The Edge, and The Xavier Group.

Media Partners are Breezeline, Lakes FM 101.5, Lakes Region Public Access, SnapRoot Creative Digital Marketing and The Laconia Daily Sun. And in-kind partners are Belknap Marketplace, Belmont Self Storage, SOS Tech, Huot Career and Technical Center, and Taylor Rental.

Viewers can bid online at ChildrensAuction.org. The event will be streamed live on the auction website and at LaconiaDailySun.com and Facebook.com/ChildrensAuction. Watch live on Breezeline Channel 12 and Lakes Region Public Access TV Channel 25, or listen on Lakes FM 101.5.

Learn more about the Auction at ChildrensAuction.org.

About the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction:

Numerous fundraising events in the Lakes Region throughout the year support the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, including our four-day signature event every December. In the past four decades we have distributed more than $8 million to over 80 nonprofits that serve low-income families and children in the Lakes Region, all through volunteer efforts, community donations and corporate sponsorship. The Auction falls under the umbrella of the Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps local community organizations that serve children and families in need. For more information about the Auction, the nonprofits it supports and how you can help, visit ChildrensAuction.org.

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All proceeds to benefit the Auction

LACONIA — For the first time, the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction will host a Halloween Spooktacular Boo-tique, starting on Saturday, Oct 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 55 Canal St. 

The boutique will be held every Saturday in October from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be Halloween home decor and clothing donated from TJMaxx and HomeGoods for sale. All proceeds benefit the Auction. 

For more information, contact Jennifer Kelley at Jenn@ChildrensAuction.org or call 603-527-0999.

Learn more about the Auction at ChildrensAuction.org.

About the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction:

Numerous fundraising events in the Lakes Region throughout the year support the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, including our four-day signature event every December. In the past four decades we have distributed more than $8 million to over 80 nonprofits that serve low-income families and children in the Lakes Region, all through volunteer efforts, community donations and corporate sponsorship. The Auction falls under the umbrella of the Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps local community organizations that serve children and families in need. For more information about the Auction, the nonprofits it supports, and how you can help, visit ChildrensAuction.org.

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LACONIA — The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction raised nearly $15,000 through its second An Evening of Broadway performance at the Colonial Theatre Laconia on Tuesday, August 15. The family-friendly event was a success with over 500 people attending. 

“The goals of our Broadway fundraiser are threefold,” said Jennifer Kelley, executive director of the Children’s Auction. “We raise money for the nonprofits that support local children and their families in need. We highlight the extraordinary talent in this community, and we create an event that gives children who might not otherwise have the opportunity a chance to experience the arts.”

Nearly 300 children from local nonprofits attended the show at no cost, thanks to donations from the community. Organizations that were able to give tickets to children included Advantage Kids, Belknap House, Boys and Girls Club, Central NH Foster & Adoptive Parent Support Group, Circle Program, Cooper Canyon Camp, 4-H Club, Gilford Got Lunch!, Hands Across the Table, Interlakes Day Care, Lakes Region Mental Health, Red Oak School, Twin Rivers Food Pantry, and Waypoint Family Resource Center, Laconia.

The show offered Broadway musical performances from local community theater and dance groups including, Broadway North Dance Studio, Franklin Footlight Theatre, Gilford Performing Arts, Interlakes Children’s Theatre, Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative, Stages Dance Academy, Streetcar Company and The Winnipesaukee Playhouse. 

The event was made possible through sponsorships from Franklin Savings Bank and Lakes Region Fences and media sponsors Laconia Daily Sun, Lakes 101.5 FM and 104.9 The Hawk. Steve and Krista Alperin also donated bags of popcorn for children sitting in sponsored seats.

“An Evening of Broadway was such a fun night filled with exceptional talent and a great sense of community,” said Jenn Demers, Franklin Saving Bank marketing and community engagement officer. “It was heartwarming to see so many people come together to support the children of the Lakes Region.”

Kelley also thanks the show’s production team: Jessica Alward, Heidi Bourgeois, Matt Demko, Kelli Powers and Paige Thompson.

“Everything that we do as an organization is geared toward engaging the community to financially support children and families in need,” Kelley said. “Thank you to all for making this event a success.”

Alward said, “Year after year, I continue to be awed by the amazing talent right here in the Lakes Region. So many kids, teens and adults, passionate about the performing arts, find safe spaces to hone their craft because of what the GLRCA does. Those programs would not be possible without the support of the folks who come out for this event. I am so lucky to live here and be a part of this amazing show.”

The evening’s emcee was local radio personality Pat Kelly, a loyal supporter of Lakes Region events and organizations, and, in particular, the arts.

Learn more about getting involved in the auction at childrensauction.com/getinvolved or learn more about sponsorship opportunities at childrensauction.com/sponsorship.

About the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction:

Numerous fundraising events in the Lakes Region throughout the year support the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, including our four-day signature event every December. In the past four decades we have distributed more than $8 million to over 80 nonprofits that serve low-income families and children in the Lakes Region, all through volunteer efforts, community donations and corporate sponsorship. The Auction falls under the umbrella of the Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps local community organizations that serve children and families in need. For more information about the Auction, the nonprofits it supports and how you can help, visit ChildrensAuction.org. 

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Initiative could inject roughly $60,000 into the local economy

FLORENCE— Keiter Corporation will donate $25,000 to the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce for a promotion that will allow consumers to purchase a $25 Northampton Gift Card and receive $50 in actual spending power.

This is the third consecutive year Keiter has launched the initiative, donating $10,000 in 2021 and doubling the investment in 2022. A $5,000 gift from the chamber’s Neighborhood Revitalization Fund will be added to Keiter’s contribution to continue stimulating the local economy beyond the pandemic.

The 2023 gift card promotion, “Building Our Community Together,” launches on Wednesday, Aug. 9 and runs while supplies last. The $25 Keiter Gift Cards will be sold exclusively at the chamber office at 99 Pleasant St., Northampton, during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Consumers must mention that they want a Keiter Gift Card, and the promotion applies only to $25 Northampton Gift Card purchases. (A $50 gift card would not be valued at $100, for instance.) There is a limit of one card per customer, per transaction. 

Last year’s “Strengthen the Community” promotion was a huge success. In three days, the cards sold out, and the program infused $50,000 into the local economy — a welcome boost to area businesses. Inspired by the community’s enthusiasm and participation, Keiter plans to build on the momentum.

“After the campaign’s success over the last two years, we’re thrilled to invest even more in our community this year to keep Northampton thriving,” said Scott Keiter, founder and president of Keiter.  “Our community matters to us.”

Based in Florence, Keiter has provided general contracting and construction management services in the Pioneer Valley since 2010 for its commercial and residential projects. Keiter Builders, the commercial and industrial division of the company; Keiter Homes, offering residential construction; Hatfield Construction, providing site work; and Keiter Properties, the real estate arm, are all under one Keiter umbrella at keiter.com.

Scott Keiter is a member of the Greater Northampton Chamber’s Board of Directors and its Finance Committee, so he is personally aware of the financial challenges that area businesses can experience. 

The Northampton Gift Card is currently accepted at more than 100 local businesses, including restaurants, shops and spas.

To learn more about the Keiter card, visit Keiter.com or call the Chamber at 413-584-1900.

For more information about Keiter, visit www.hatfieldconstruction.com.

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Area residents who are food insecure and local farmers all benefit

FLORENCE—Florence Bank is pleased to announce it has made a $50,000 sponsorship pledge to Grow Food Northampton to help provide healthy, local food to area residents who are food insecure at a time when federal food benefits are scaling back to pre-pandemic levels.

Helen Kahn, the manager of the Grow Food Northampton Tuesday and Winter Farmers Markets, said the sponsorship will help residents who receive federally sponsored food support through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) double their purchases of local food through Grow Food’s SNAP Match program year-round.

The summer and winter farmers markets are an important source of locally grown, healthy food for low-income families. When SNAP customers purchase tokens at the market, Grow Food Northampton provides an extra $10 of tokens free through SNAP Match. Because these tokens can only be spent at the markets, the program directly benefits the farmers as well. 

The outdoor Tuesday Markets are held every Tuesday behind Thornes Marketplace from 1:30-6:30 p.m., April 18-Nov. 7. From November through March, the market moves inside to the Northampton Senior Center and is held biweekly. 

Florence Bank’s gift, to be offered in increments of $10,000 per year for five years, comes at a time when additional federal support for SNAP provided during the pandemic has been halted, and it also allows Grow Food Northampton to expand its SNAP Match program to serve more families who qualify.

“Many families relied on those extra funds, and even though the pandemic is ‘over,’ food insecurity continues,” Kahn said. “We expect and hope that the number of people in our community on SNAP who come to our farmers markets to access local food will increase. Local business sponsorships are critical for allowing Grow Food Northampton to meet the increasing demands on the SNAP Match program at our farmers markets.”

Matt Garrity, president and CEO of Florence Bank said, “We have a mission to serve the community, and we are pleased to be able to support Grow Food Northampton and those it serves at a time when the need is great. We are proud to help fund a program that provides healthy and nutritious food options for folks in need.”

SNAP Match serves a broad spectrum of community residents. “From 20-somethings to seniors, individuals and families of all ethnicities within our community are accessing SNAP Match at our markets,” Kahn said. 

She added that it’s important for Grow Food Northampton to keep growing the SNAP Match program because 15 percent of the population of Northampton receives SNAP benefits, but not everyone knows about the program or how to access it. 

In March 2023, 12,640 households in Hampshire County were eligible. Last year, though, only 912 households took advantage of the program, up from 650 households in 2021. 

In 2019, SNAP Match was funded with $14,800 raised from sponsorships. Last year, $45,000 was raised and assisted people at both the Tuesday and Winter Markets. Through local business sponsorships, Grow Food Northampton is prepared to provide $65,000 in SNAP Match during this year’s market seasons.

“We have so much gratitude for Florence Bank,” Kahn said. “Their gift represents a huge percentage of the funds we’re providing to the community. Florence Bank is a great community neighbor.”

Florence Bank is one of 24 sponsors this year.

The Tuesday Market was founded in 2008 by Oona Coy and Ben James of Town Farm; it became a program of Grow Food Northampton in 2016, and Northampton’s Winter Market became a Grow Food Northampton program in 2021.

Kahn was hired by Grow Food Northampton in 2021. Previously the owner of the Cup and Top café in Florence, she said she loves being back in the local world of food and farms: “I’m seeing former customers at the market. I’m in a world I like to be in.”

Florence Bank has branches in Amherst, Belchertown, Chicopee, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Northampton, Williamsburg, West Springfield, Springfield, and it is headquartered in Florence.

To learn more about SNAP Match, visit www.growfoodnorthampton.org/snap-match/.

To learn more about Florence Bank, visit www.florencebank.com.

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutual savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield, and Springfield. Additionally, it offers 25 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through FSB Financial Group (FSBFG) to consumers and businesses. Florence Bank is consistently voted best local bank by the readers of the Valley Advocate and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

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I started my career as a journalist in 1985 at what was then called the Springfield Union-News. I was a part-time correspondent, covering two small towns in Western Massachusetts. We got paid by the word, so I wrote long stories!

I loved my job and felt important.

Later, I shifted into full-time reporting at the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Over about eight years, before I started having children, I covered four communities, wrote feature stories, covered accidents and events, and learned so much about things from zoning laws to budgets to laser surgery.

I worked with editors who were excellent writers and mentors, and I loved my work. Today, I still write for the Springfield paper, now called The Republican, and I work well with editors at the Gazette, who pick up releases I send for clients.

Now, I’m excited that I am forging a relationship with a third daily, the Laconia Daily Sun, in Laconia, New Hampshire.

I began writing features for the paper about four or five years ago, and going forward, expect I will be writing more regularly. I’ve been asked to report on three specific communities and write features, and that feels like returning to my roots.

I value that the Sun is a top-notch paper with solid staff members who are compassionate, solutions-minded, and have a nose for news. (Here’s a story I recently wrote about the Sun’s anniversary and staff team.)

What also excites me is I will continue meeting people in the Lakes Region, where I live near both my brothers and my mom. So far, through my work as a journalist up here, I have met and interviewed community volunteers, police fire and rescue workers, marina and restaurant owners, mountain bicyclists—all kinds of people.

It’s great to be telling their stories and expanding a new network a few hours north of my 30-year network in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts—where I visit several times a month to keep those ties strong.

I will occasionally send you some links to Sun stories.

If you need help telling your story, I’m all ears. Be in touch!

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