Page 11 - BusinessWest March, 21, 2022

Community Spotlight
Deerfield Aims to Better Leverage Its Location
By Mark Morris
Deerfield is one busy town these days. Residents there are engaged in 22 dif- ferent boards and committees planning
several ambitious projects to better the town. Still, while all that activity is admirable, it also invites confusion if anyone feels out of the loop.
“This is an opportunity for
us to make Deerfield a more walkable community. With an aging population, a community’s walkability is a big part of helping people age better.”
A group of 15 residents who serve on several boards and committees in Deerfield were aware of the potential pitfalls and formed the Connect- ing Community Initiative (CCI) to improve com- munication among the various committees and
with municipal officials. Denise Mason, chair
of the CCI, said the initiative came about after increasing frustration among members of several boards and committees.
“Because we are all volunteers, people often don’t have the time to stay on top of activities that fall outside of their committee work,” Mason said. “We created the CCI to eliminate the silos in town so we can keep all our projects moving forward.”
The initiative started in November, with the group meeting eight times since then. Mason said they’ve been successful so far with keeping people informed and projects on track.
One big project involves renovating and repurposing the former Deerfield Grammar School to house the municipal offices. Part of the plan also calls for building an addition on the back of the building, where the town’s senior cen- ter would be located.
“These projects are part of a bigger objective, which is to create a walkable town campus in Deerfield,” Mason said, explaining that 45% of residents are over age 45.
Kayce Warren, Deerfield town administrator,
Deerfield
Continued on page 13
“Yesterday I dared to struggle.
Today I dare to win.” – Bernadette Devlin
Congratulations to Cahersiveen, County Kerry’s Own
Darcy Young
Named to The Irish Echo’s 2022 40 Under 40
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BusinessWest
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
MARCH 21, 2022 11
Deerfield at a Glance
YEAR INCORPORATED: 1677
POPULATION: 5,090
AREA: 33.4 square miles
COUNTY: Franklin
RESIDENTIAL TAX RATE: $15.17 COMMERCIAL TAX RATE: $15.17
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $74,853 MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $83,859
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Open Town Meeting
LARGEST EMPLOYERS: Yankee Candle Co., Pelican Products Inc.
* Latest information available