Civil Municipal - April 2024

key areas, and the town has updated its sidewalk infrastructure, so each slab is more water-resistant when Massachusetts rain and snow roar through the area. LaChapelle draws attention to another big collaboration that has her Easthampton residents excited. With help from a local bank and a nearby independent school, Easthampton’s library will be moving to a larger, more accessible space in the historic Main Street district. The best North American cities connect their amenities to each other. That’s why LaChapelle helped secure grants to interlink Easthampton’s natural resources – like bike paths and walking trails – to important community hubs. The latest grant, a $2-million sum, creates a walkable path from the city’s downtown area to a recently opened pre-K through eighth-grade school, a 26-acre beauty beneath the shadow of Mount Tom. “Getting our school community and our students a safe way to get in and out of town is so important,” says LaChapelle. “So, we’re consciously going after that money.” RE-WORKING THE MILL DISTRICT AND EMPOWERING SMALL BUSINESSES The Mill District is the heart of Easthampton. It brought jobs to the area during both World Wars and into the mid-20th century before closing down. Those mill buildings still remain, many of them occupied by manufacturing companies, and under SCHEDULE A TOUR OF OUR VIBRANT AND UNIQUE CAMPUS. Visit us online at williston.com 74 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 04