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Enhanced Living at The Inn
Spacious apartment homes for independent seniors seeking a supportive environment
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window treatments. He also carries items in limited fabric offerings that are more easily available and work well with the online store.
“In order to make the launch date of June 30, I put only a few items on the site,” Woodruff said. “As this rolls out, I plan to add smaller accessories on there to give people more choices.”
Work in Progress
One of the many disruptions COVID caused was the nature of where people work. Even now, some people have returned to their worksites, some continue to work from home, while others have left their jobs to pursue the business idea they’d always wanted to try.
Amid these changing dynamics, Belliveau conducted research on how best to use the space at the chamber office on Union Street. The result is a new co-work space called Work Hub on Union.
Moe Belliveau said Shop Where I Live will help businesses respond to economic challenges both now and in the future.
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“We’re looking to address folks who still work from home but need a temporary space, as well as entrepreneurs who are just start- ing out but are not yet ready for a permanent space,” said Belliveau, adding that the chamber will remain on site, so those in Work Hub can benefit from its support.
“We are designing this so the furniture can be moved around to create educational space,” she explained. “We’ll be able to run things like development programs and entrepreneurial support programs. In short, it’s a much more productive use of the space.”
While inclusivity is a big part of Blueprint Easthampton, so is accessibility. Working with two land trusts, the city recently bought 22 acres of land near Mount Tom that connect to state-owned prop- erty. The purchase was intended to save the land from develop- ment. Instead, that area will soon have an ADA-accessible trailhead that goes up to the summit of the mountain.
“I ran on improving accessibility for everyone, so this project makes me very proud,” LaChapelle said.
Riverside Industries was a partner in the trail project. Located in the center of Easthampton, Riverside’s mission is “empowering peo- ple of all abilities to help them achieve their highest potential and live their best lives.” It is best-known for placing people with intel- lectual and developmental disabilities into employment throughout Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties.
Lynn Ostrowski Ireland, president and CEO of Riverside, said anyone can use the new trail because it can accommodate manual or electric wheelchairs, and the ascent along the trail is no greater than the inclines in Riverside’s Cottage Street headquarters.
As someone who has previewed the trail, Ostrowski Ireland reported the summit view is “beyond spectacular.”
“There are plenty of places along the trail to pull off and take a break or just to stop and
enjoy the view along the
way,” she said. “We will
Easthampton Continued on page 42