In looking closely at some of the downtown revitalization and economic efforts in the region, Reminder Publishing spoke with officials from Holyoke and Chicopee to see how they have managed their unique community challenges while also finding common ground in their growth.
While there is no question that Massachusetts is considered one of the bluest states in the nation, voter registrations in Western Massachusetts over the last 20 years indicate that both major parties are losing voters while the number of independent or unenrolled voters continues to increase.
Each year, more than 4,500 families across Massachusetts open their homes and their lives to care for children in foster care. Much has been written about the children — their experiences and outcomes — but for the parents, it can be an intense series of ups and downs, much of it while navigating the bureaucracy of the state’s legal and foster care systems.
Bridge infrastructure often goes unnoticed in our day-to-day commutes. The maintenance of these connectors of communities and highways is crucial in maintaining traffic flows and quite literally bridging gaps of access for people in the region.
Now that we are a few years removed from the coronavirus pandemic, the theater scene in the area is persevering through challenges, and in a lot of cases, thriving thanks to a new crop of theater groups and established entities making their mark.
CHICOPEE — With the increased capacity of its new location on 25 Carew St. in Chicopee, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is better able to confront the 44% increase in food insecurity brought on by inflation and the end of coronavirus pandemic-era funds, according to Executive Director Andrew Morehouse.