Easthampton
Massachusetts
City Of Easthampton
Vision for Easthampton
The Easthampton Development and Industrial Commission has been working on a variety of issues and projects which it believes will positively effect the town's image and economic well-being. In the process of doing so, it has become apparent to the Commission that the town has a wide range of events, activities, natural resources, and citizen-driven initiatives that have the potential to "put the town on the map." If these efforts are better leveraged through coordinated planning they will benefit all of our residents and businesses. The Commission's explorations along those lines have led to the conclusion that such leveraging is best achieved through informed, voluntary citizen input.
To that end, the Commission has explored possible approaches to developing a shared outlook and sense of direction for the town that will encompass all of Easthampton's key constituencies: industry, small business, downtown merchants, restaurateurs, schools, human services and social organizations, municipal services, residents of all ages and income brackets, etc. The Commission has concluded that the best possibilities lie in a broad-based "community visioning process" led by an experienced, professional facilitator.
An increasing number of cities and towns in our area have embarked on this type of process in their efforts to "redirect" or rejuvenate economic bases and downtowns that have suffered severe displacements from shifting markets and labor distributions. Many have been successful, some dramatically although these transformations take time, usually 5 - 10 years or more. Experienced facilitators have developed methodologies which maximize input and a sense of joint ownership within reasonably condensed time-frames. Similar "visioning" exercises are in different stages of activation and implementation in neighboring Holyoke, Northampton, and Amherst.
Easthampton, with its storied past, change-oriented present, and uncertain future, is classically positioned to benefit from such a broad-based visioning process. It has both resource/locational advantages and an inherent energy which are keeping the town and economy going - and which, linked together, have potential for tremendous synergies and community benefit.
With approval from Town Government, the Commission has engaged Walter Cudnohufsky Associates to lead Easthampton in a shared visioning process.
Recent News
City Of Easthampton News Come Share Your Ideas And Concerns - Envision The Future Of Main Street
Easthampton, MA - The City is beginning the process of re-imagining Main Street. As part of a multi-year design process, a community meeting will be held on the Main Street Transportation Improvement Project (TIP) at the Easthampton Congregational…
Read More »City Of Easthampton - Council on Aging urges older residents come in for a “benefits check-up”
Older residents living on a small, fixed income may be having trouble paying for groceries, medicine, housing, and other living costs, particularly with the higher costs of basic necessities such as utility rates. Council on Aging outreach workers…
Read More »City Of Easthampton February 9, 2023 COVID-19 Dashboard
I don't see anything alarming in the metrics from last week. Hampshire County is still in the low risk category based on cases and hospitalizations, and still in the "substantial" community transmission category (based on CDC categories). More MA…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard February 2, 2023
All in all, I think the update continues to be moving in a positive direction. Notably, the rate of new hospitalizations dropped significantly last week in tandem with a decrease in the percent of hospital beds being occupied by COVID-19 patients.…
Read More »City Of Easthampton - Awarded $50,000 for Climate Action Plan
City of Easthampton awarded $50,000 from the Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services FY23 Best Practices Community Compact Program for funding assistance in developing a Climate Action Plan. Easthampton, MA – the City was recently…
Read More »City Of Easthampton -Celebrates Black History Month
On Wednesday, February 1st, the City of Easthampton will raise the Pan-African flag in honor of National Black History Month. The raising of the flag at City Hall acknowledges and celebrates Black scientists, artists, scholars, lawyers, activists,…
Read More »City Of Easthampton : And Conway School Partner To Create Pollinator Action plan
The project centers around creating a vision for increasing pollinator habitat on both public and private lands in Easthampton. EASTHAMPTON, MA - Graduate students from the Conway School of Ecological Landscape Design and Planning will be…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News January 26, 2023 COVID-19 Dashboard
The official case rate and percent positivity increased last week, although the wastewater surveillance data doesn't show any increase in viral concentration. I'm not sure what that's about - most likely it means nothing, and the numbers are…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News - 2023 State of the City
Mayor Nicole LaChapelle Delivers 2023 State of the City Address Mayor LaChapelle collaborated with E-Media to pre-record her annual State of the City address as COVID concerns are still present in our community. The Easthampton 2023 State of…
Read More »City of Easthampton Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard - January 19, 2023
COVID-19 numbers are down in Easthampton and Hampshire County across the board this week, including viral concentration in wastewater and hospitalizations. The proportion of viral particles in wastewater that are the XBB 1.5 variant continues to…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News : COVID-19 Booster Clinic on Tuesday, February 7, 2023
The Easthampton Health Department is hosting a COVID-19 bivalent booster clinic on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, from 4 PM – 7 PM at Mountain View School located at 200 Park St. Pfizer (ages 5+) and Moderna (ages 6 months +) vaccines will be…
Read More »City Of Easthampton : Police and the City of Easthampton Have Been Awarded aMental Health and Wellness Grant
Easthampton, MA – The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) offers funding opportunities to support law enforcement and public safety activities in state, local, and tribal jurisdictions; to assist victims of crime; to provide training…
Read More »City of Easthampton Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard - January 12, 2023
The most important trend I see this week is that viral concentration in wastewater in Hampshire County is down. We are not quite past "holiday hours" affecting testing, given that the 14 day averages span from Dec 25th to Jan 7th, although they are…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News - Health Department Year in Review Annual Report
Health Department Year in Review Annual Report I am excited to release our 2022 Year in Review report. I am so proud of our dedicated and professional staff, who work tirelessly to provide exceptional service to the City of Easthampton. We have…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News : Easthampton Health Department Launches Anonymous Ordering System For Harm Reduction Products
Easthampton, MA - The Easthampton Health Department launched an anonymous ordering system for residents to pick up free products to help increase health and safety. Available products to start will be naloxone (commonly known as Narcan), fentanyl…
Read More »Easthampton Fire Department Receives State Grant To Support Fireeducation Programs For Children
Easthampton Fire Department Receives State Grant to Support Fire Education Programs for Children and Older Adults Last week, the state announced grant funding to support fire education for children and older adults across Massachusetts. The…
Read More »City Of Easthampton : Blueprint Easthampton Shifts Operations to the Greater EasthamptonChamber of Commerce
EASTHAMPTON, MA - The City’s entrepreneurial initiative, Blueprint Easthampton, is shifting operations to the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, strengthening a long-standing partnership. The Chamber is adapting to innovative tools to…
Read More »City of Easthampton Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard - January 5, 2023
The official case rate declined slightly again last week, although I am sure this is inaccurate. Just like two weeks ago, the data spans another holiday which comes with dramatically reduced testing. For example, last week there were a total of 230…
Read More »City Of Easthampton : 2022 Annual Department Report
Click Here to view the City Of Easthampton : 2022 Annual Department Report
Read More »City Of Easthampton News Real Estate and Personal Property BillsCollections Notification
Did you know that you can sign-up for Tax Collection reminders? Click here and scroll down to alert center and click the envelope or phone next to "Tax Collector" to receive email or phone notifications. 3rd quarter Real Estate and Personal…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News Mindfulness Mondays Continues At Mountain View School
Easthampton Healthy Youth Coalition is continuing to offer different mindfulness Mondays to middle schoolers in 2023! Please tell your student in grades 6-8 about our program; it's free for all participants, and snacks are included! This program…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News : Real Estate and Personal Property Bills Collections Notification
Did you know that you can sign-up for Tax Collection reminders? Click here and scroll down to alert center and click the envelope or phone next to "Tax Collector" to receive email or phone notifications. 3rd quarter Real Estate and Personal…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News : Wanted : Superintendent Search Committee
The Easthampton School Committee is looking for parent / community volunteers to serve on the Superintendent Search Committee. The selected search committee volunteers are expected to commit to the interview schedule and timeline listed below: …
Read More »City Of Easthampton Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard - December 29, 2022
Confirmed cases are down last week, but wastewater data indicates that infections are continuing to increase. My guess is that the decrease in cases reflects fewer tests being performed. However, the rate of new hospitalizations per day in Hampshire…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News Tax Bills
Reminder 3rd quarter Real Estate and Personal Property bills are due February 1st, 2023 and 4th quarter Real Estate and Personal Property bills are due May 2nd, 2023
Read More »City Of Easthampton Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard - December 22, 2022
As much as we may wish to forget anything having to do with COVID-19, this virus keeps reminding us that we can't do that yet without significant community health repercussions. The trend in increasing cases and hospitalizations continues - this…
Read More »City Of Easthampton : Fiscal Year 2023 Property Values And Tax Ratecertified
EASTHAMPTON - The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) certified Easthampton’s property values and tax rate for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. At December 7, 2022, City Council Tax Classification Hearing, the Council took the Board of…
Read More »City Of Easthampton Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard - December 15, 2022
Cases increased again this week. Wastewater surveillance data confirms that the number of infections in the community is indeed increasing. Hampshire county has moved from "substantial" transmission back to "high" transmission, but is still in the…
Read More »City Of Easthampton Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard - December 8, 2022
Cases and hospitalizations are continuing to trend upwards, but wastewater surveillance data indicates that perhaps we've already reached the peak of this increase. We won't know if it's a pause on the way up or the true peak until next week. It's a…
Read More »City Of Easthampton Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard News - December 8, 2022
The rate of confirmed cases continues to decrease but I don't think that's an accurate indication of true community transmission. I'm more interested (concerned?) with the increase in viral concentration in wastewater data and the increase in…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News Liquidation Auction
Easthampton, MA - The Center School and Pepin School Liquidation Auction has begun in conjunction with Raucher Brothers Auctioneers. All items are posted online and can be viewed at raucherbrothersauctioneers.hibid.com. A live pre-view of…
Read More »City Of Easthampton Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard News - November 24, 2022
11-24-22 Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard In general, case and hospitalization numbers are down again this week, but the viral load in the wastewater in Hampshire county has stopped decreasing. A few MA counties have moved into the CDC's yellow /…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News - PVTU Receives Grant for Brook Trout Study
PVTU Receives Grant for Brook Trout Study Pioneer Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited (the national, non-profit, cold water conservation organization) has been awarded a 10K Embrace-A-Stream grant from TU to survey and study the wild brook…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News : Winter Support and Resources Available forEasthampton Residents
Winter support and resources are available to Easthampton residents. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please contact Community Social Worker, Liz Plouffe at [email protected] or 413-529-1400 ext. 106. Click here to…
Read More »City Of Easthampton News: Curative Closing Covid-19 Testingsite At Millside Park On Thursday, December 15
Easthampton, MA – Curative has announced the closure of the COVID-19 testing site at Millside Park in Easthampton, effective Thursday, December 15, 2022. Curative plans to close all sites nationwide by December 31, 2022. The City of…
Read More »City Of Easthampton Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard - November 17, 2022
The dashboard this week reflects a continuing decline in cases and hospitalizations within the city and widely. All of MA is in the CDC's "low risk" category, indicating that cases and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are down everywhere. All MA…
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