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  Northampton
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like this were proposed, the mayor said the city would “move mountains” to streamline the permitting process to make them happen.
“Northampton is a regional magnet for people who want to come here for entertainment, arts, dining, and the vibe of a walkable city where people like to hang out,” he noted.
The city lost businesses during
the pandemic, including Silverscape Designs, which closed at the end of 2020. Despite the optics of that vacancy in the middle of downtown, Cahillane said a mix of new businesses have been opening at an encouraging pace.
“Between Northampton and Flor- ence, we had roughly 18 businesses that left,” she noted. “And nearly 17 new places opened.”
The return of students to Smith Col- lege and campuses in the surround- ing towns marked a sign of life before the pandemic. Cahillane said the stu- dents brought a needed emotional lift. “There has been a noticeable lighten- ing and brightening downtown since the students have come back. Their return is what Northampton usually feels like in the fall.”
The return of events this sum-
mer has also provided a boost to Northampton. Cahillane said it’s sat- isfying to look at a calendar and see events scheduled once again. “The Arts Council held several concerts this sum- mer, we recently started Arts Night Out, and the Jazz Festival is coming back the first weekend in October.”
Jackson is “cautiously optimistic” that momentum from the summer will continue into fall leaf-peeping season. In this area, Indigenous Peoples Week- end marks prime time for leaf peepers. “One hotelier told me if you don’t book early for that weekend, you won’t find a place to stay,” he said, adding that he’s hopeful activities in November and December will also bring people to the city and surrounding towns.
This fall will be different for Narke- wicz, as he will not seek re-election as Northampton’s mayor. Looking back on his 10 years in office, he discussed several areas in which he’s proud of his administration’s achievements, such as improving the fiscal health of the city and being one of the first communi- ties to stand up for the important role immigration plays in the U.S.
“We stand up for equality for all our residents,” he said. “We’ve received high marks for our commitment to LGBTQ folks and have been doing more work around racial equality.”
For the next few months, he hopes to develop a blueprint for the next mayor. “My goal is to provide a map
of the immediate needs and available resources, so the next administration can work with stakeholders in the com- munity to make sure we see a strong, equitable recovery to COVID.”
Keep Moving Forward
Among many in Northampton, the consensus is to keep moving forward, but also stay safe.
“I don’t know what’s going to hap- pen, but I am eternally optimistic,” Egelston said. “It’s the only way I’ve been able to be in the restaurant busi- ness for so many years.”
Jackson said having events return to the city, sometimes in different forms, went a long way to giving people rea- sons to come to Northampton. “I won’t say this is a new normal, but it feels right for this moment.” u
Janet Egelston says she is “eternally optimistic” despite 18 months of pivoting and persistent staffing challenges.
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            COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 13
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