Page 9 - BusinessWest February 20, 2023

Julie Thompson and Tim Johnson say the Smith Botanical Garden is a way for the college to connect with the community.
more serious, sad realities of today, it’s so important that we coun- ter that with opportunities for joy and opportunities for celebration and opportunities for those lighter, happier emotions in life and really create a space that’s dedicated to those moments that feels really pivotal right now.”
Coming together — and the desire to see more of that — is the main goal of Northampton’s business owners and city leaders alike, who see continued progress in the weeks and months ahead as Northampton battles its way back from COVID.
At the end of January, High Five Books and Art collaborated with a hair salon and dance studio
Northampton
Continued on page 11
“With all the
more serious,
sad realities of today, it’s so important that
we counter that with opportunities for joy and opportunities for celebration and opportunities
for those lighter, happier emotions in life.”
>>
For this, the latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, Busi- nessWest takes an in-depth look at Northampton and some of the busi- nesses that contribute to its eclectic character.
Buy the Book
High Five Books is located right along a bike path and is accessible for kids to walk or bike from school. Par- ents bring in their younger children after dropping their older ones off at school, or just pass time there during the day, Walters-Wright said.
The space on North Main Street in Florence is shared with Art Always, owned and operated by Lindsey Fogg- Willits, who provides art classes and activities for families in the area that are usually filled after school hours with little creators.
The bookstore portion is filled with shelves of books for all ages. It succeeds because it provides rea-
sons for people to visit — and stay.
“It was always clear from the very beginning that there had to
be something very experiential to make it worthwhile for a family to leave the house and not just push ‘add to cart’ on Amazon, but actu- ally put on clothing and drag your family to a space,” she told Busi- nessWest. “You have to have a reason to do that.”
To keep local kids and families interested, the store and art shop had to be creative, from design/build at-home art kits to events around the area.
Michael Barbara-Jean James Michael Henry “Hank” Joe Doug Lynch DeLoria Montemayor Davey Downey Kulig Gilbert
Our starting lineup.
And stay-with-you lineup. florencebank.com/business-banking Member FDIC | Member DIF
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