Magazine Archive
Magazine Archive
Who is the DNA's Executive Director? Meet Jillian Duclos
Q&A with Jillian Duclos, the Downtown Northampton Association Executive Director
Nearly 150 Years Ago, Smith College was Pioneered by a Self-Educated Woman
Smith College was chartered in 1871 and opened in 1875. The college is named after Sophia Smith, a precocious and passionate woman who bequeathed her inheritance to the groundbreaking institution.
The Town of Longmeadow Splits
On July 1, 1894 the West Village and the East Village of Longmeadow, MA separated into 2 towns- Longmeadow and East Longmeadow. Once again, in early 1894 a petition had been sent to the State Legislature for the division. It passed. Massachusetts Gov. Frederic T. Greenhalge signed the Bill for the separation on May 22nd of that year. It did not require a vote of town voters.
By Design Landscape Concepts - Where Experience and Quality Meet
Peter Loizzo, the owner and operator of By Design Landscape Concepts has lived in Longmeadow all his life, and after he received his degree in Environmental Design and Plant and Soil Science, it was only logical that he start his business and further beautify the town he raised his family in.
Since 1989, By Design Landscape Concepts has been transforming landscapes all over the Pioneer Valley, but for Peter, it’s more than a job.
Famous Longmeadow Residents: Sarah Storrs
The Storrs name is a recognizable one in the life of Longmeadow’s residents today because of the important role of the Storrs Library in our community. But how did the library come to be called the Richard Salter Storrs Library? It may surprise some to learn that it is a woman, Sarah Storrs, who is behind the founding of Longmeadow’s town library.
Here's to a New Year at Home
This is Northampton Living's fourth holiday season, and we are deeply thankful to the residents and businesses that have supported our mission: to put the community and residents on our covers, and to fill our pages with your stories.
We have a wonderful problem and would love your help with the solution. The response from the community has been overwhelming. To accommodate more of our uniquely uplifting content, we have already expanded our page count. To expand again, we need more business sponsors who believe in a positive, family-focused publication dedicated to Northampton.
An Attitude of Gratitude … or Whatever Works Best for You
Enjoy every moment. Stop and smell the roses. Count your blessings.
These wise words of wisdom are part of our vocabulary and ingrained in our culture, but when you’re carting kids around town, trying to make a living, and just generally caught up in daily life, the art of practicing mindfulness can quickly take a back seat.
As the mother of a toddler, I always hear “it goes by so fast, enjoy every second.” And trust me, I believe it…the last two years have flown by. But when I’m changing a diaper or chasing my son down the street, I don’t always have my appreciation hat on.
So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’d like to share a few tips we can use this time of year, and in our everyday lives, to slow things down just a bit. Full disclosure: these are brought to you via extensive research, err Googling. While I have not yet put all of these into practice, I do plan to give them a try.
Erase Your School Anxiety with InfinityEd
Varna Naik began math tutoring more than a decade ago, and realized how rampant “math anxiety” was in our society - she saw a need to create a space for students to ease themselves into Math - and from there, InfinityEd was born.
“Little ol’ me, at a wee age of 18, didn’t understand that these [Math Anxiety] struggles existed; it burst my bubble and forced me into the real world,” said Naik. “Further, it showed me why folks have so many life problems: poverty, debt, and other financial struggles. My experiences in community college solidified into a conclusion: mathematics, as a core foundational skill that teaches critical thinking and creative problems solving, is neither taught nor learned properly. As such, some people struggle their whole lives with no way of breaking free from their circumstances.”
Know Your Student's Educational Options
Even though the school year has just begun, some families may already be thinking about educational options for next fall. This is especially true if their child is at a transition point in their education. Typically, parents will hear about schools – and their reputations – from people in their social circles. Then if they’re especially interested, they’ll go online to seek out more information. The best action families can take after that is to make in-person visits to selected schools and experience the learning environment firsthand. Here are some questions to think about during the school exploration process:
Meet CLOSE: Coalition of Longmeadow Organizing Substance Education
In an effort to combat the growing concern of youth substance use, the community of Longmeadow began rallying together in 2016 to implement comprehensive prevention measures. Recognizing the critical importance of safeguarding their young population, Longmeadow Public Schools helped to develop CLOSE Community, the Coalition of Longmeadow Organizing Substance Education for the Community—led by caring volunteers including parents, educators, health care providers, grandparents, students, police officers, clergy, business owners & civic volunteers.
Northampton Living’s Publisher Named Ambassador of the Year
When Daniel Reider moved to the area in November 2019, he didn’t know a soul in Northampton. After a 12-year career with the National Basketball Association overseeing international television programming, he had a network that spanned the world. Yet he longed to be part of a close-knit community.
In January 2020, Reider started to approach sponsors for Northampton Living, the first local magazine that would put its residents on the cover and give the community the royal treatment. Though the pandemic delayed its launch, the magazine debuted that October. Less than 3 years later, he was named Ambassador of the Year by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce.
Dream House: Valley Home Improvement Does Inspired Work in the Community
Before Steve Silverman moved to Florence, he set a few intentions. He and his wife would trade the Cape Cod shores for acres of farmland. He would “pick up a tool belt and make a hobby into a career.” Maybe he’d be a builder.
In 2004 the couple rented a house and gave themselves one year to buy a home. That September, they headed to the Three-County Fair to celebrate Labor Day. That’s where Silverman came across a posting for a 45-acre horse farm. Within a week, he’d signed a purchase and sale agreement. Now it was time to find work.
When he walked into Valley Home Improvement (VHI) that month, he and the company president, Nelson Shifflett, realized they had attended the same high school on the Cape. Then Shifflett said something even more surprising: “One day I’m going to sell my company and you could be the buyer.” He looked in Silverman’s direction, and Silverman peered over his shoulder, wondering who had entered the room. Then he turned back to his new boss, who now shook the hand of his future successor.
Back to School Tips For Families
With the school year starting, we wanted to share a few tips to help you and your family handle the transition to another year at school. Jeff Londraville is the author of The Filter, and has worked for decades in education.
5 Important Values to Teach Your Kids
Numbers Game: Q&A With Margot Douillet
We sat down with Margot Douillet, a gifted analyst and the first female coach of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, a competitive summer league that mirrors the style of a minor league season. As the Director of Operations for the Pittsfield Suns, Douillet took the field -- and the helm -- last summer when she was 20 years old.
Proudly Forward
Grace Moreno is a force, and she’s the force behind the ever-expanding Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Of its 465 members, more than a quarter are based in the western part of the state – and last November the chamber opened an office in Easthampton to take even better care of them.
Schools of Thought
If you have a child who will start elementary, middle or high school in the fall, you may be deciding on where they will go. Here are your primary options
Bring Boston’s Books to You
Storrs Library gives you access to bunches, boatloads, buckets, and bushels of beguiling books and materials. We can even help you get access to the Boston Public Library (BPL) system. Wait! Drop those car keys and take off those boots. No need to drive across any slushy streets to get to Boston. The BPL is as close as your nearest computer.
Much More in Storrs, Nov. 2022
Many of us here at Storrs Library love reading before going to bed, and we bet you do too. Did you know Storrs offers a digital resource that will allow you to read thousands of ebooks and digital magazines, or play an e-audiobook on nearly any device? If you’re tired of propping up a copy of A Tale of Two Cities on a pillow, you can instead be lulled to sleep listening to it read aloud. Intrigued? It’s time to download Libby.