Jo Ann Costa’s Oct. 2 letter to the editor [“Greenfield — Who’s left to care?”] is evidence of her deep caring about this wonderful city of Greenfield. I want to assure the writer that I join her in caring about Greenfield’s history. I am lucky to have a 70-something year old neighbor, born and raised in the very house where he lives now. Throughout his adult life, he worked at Kennametal where he was a union man. My partner and I love hearing his stories of old Greenfield, when the original Stoneleigh Burnham was located in our Prospect neighborhood. The school had a horse and buggy trail that passed beside his house and continued down to the Green River. We love hearing about the old factories and the many people who worked there, and the department stores that drew throngs of people downtown on celebratory Friday nights where the sidewalks were crowded with people. It must have been grand.
I understand that even today, there remain houses built along Hope Street to accommodate the families of the workers, all of whom were the downtown shoppers and strollers during those energetic days. On Highland Avenue, larger, grander homes sheltered factory owners or at least wealthier people who benefitted from the honorable work ethic of the people of Greenfield. We treasure the hour-long radio documentary, At Sword’s Point, about when “…the dismantling of organized labor began. And also, the story of a town where, against all expectations, working people fought back.” (https://www.nepm.org/regional-news/2024-03-27/at-swords-point). Our Greenfield is that town.
Judy and I are two, relatively new residents, arriving in Greenfield in 2007. We were drawn here because of the caring and Do-something work ethic seen in the Pleasant Street Community Garden, the commitment to community and to healthy food at the Food Co-op, opportunities to help maintain the garden at Energy Park. Now we work in the gardens of Fiske Avenue and the Senior Center. Earlier we sang about peace and justice in a community chorus, and helped a small group of new and longtime residents work together to build the foundation of what has become the marvelous community farm, Just Roots. For me after living here for 18 years, the old heart and soul of Greenfield are alive and well.
Absolutely, things have changed over the years. Factories have left, taking their jobs and money. Stores have left, many shutting down across the country. One of the movie theaters, gone. Nearby towns have changed, and offer more stores and events than in the past. Roadways have been improved and added, making it easier to drive to those towns and cities for entertainment or shopping. And many prefer to buy online, rather than leave the comfort of home, spending money in places other than downtown Greenfield. And still, new people, like us, chose to be an active part of life right here, because we love the heart and soul of Greenfield.
I know there are both old and new residents of Greenfield who care deeply about preserving the history of this wonderful place. As a member of the Preservation Commission, I have heard from people who are actively working on preserving and restoring original machines once used in the tool and die industry, photos and documents from our past, structures on our Fairgrounds, parts of historic buildings and so much more.
Life has changed dramatically in the last nine months, much less in the 79 years of my life, much less since the founding of this geographic area that has evolved into the city of Greenfield. People have been challenged to adjust to what had been unimaginable changes large and small, and they and we have repeatedly done just that — adjust to live today in the best way possible considering the challenges and needs of today. So let’s do it yet again.
Let’s step away from the negativity of social media. Let’s meet and actually talk with each other. Let’s pay attention to each other’s questions, and seek out truthful answers so that, together we can develop solutions that benefit our city and its people. Let’s be willing to see today’s need for more housing, as well as for more people to become participants and consumers in a lively downtown. To help this happen, let’s vote “No” on the referendum in the Nov. 4 election and celebrate our willingness to welcome new people, young and old, to our wonderful city — perhaps even to become our friends.
Wisty Rorabacher is an 18-year resident of the Prospect-Hope Street neighborhood of Greenfield and active participant in numerous aspects of the city.