Another year of living in Greenfield, and what can I say, nothing has improved for our family. We are simply the home-owning, tax-paying residents seeking viable retail options. I try to write to your left-wing newspaper maybe once a year with my assessment of the landscape in town from the perspective of a mom with two college-aged students.
Greenfield, you have failed me again. A new school year was upon us, and we had clothing needs, dorm/apartment needs, and all of my money was spent out of this town. These radical-left elected town officials care more about gender issues, identity politics and the homeless instead of the people who have immediate retail needs for their families.
This year, our “going-back-to-college” needs grew substantially because my girls now must furnish an on-campus apartment. We needed kitchen and bathroom items on top of the usual dorm stock-up. Thankfully, Hadley got a new HomeGoods in addition to their T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Walmart, and Target. Guess where I have been multiple times to shop this summer? If you have kids with athletic equipment needs, you must go to Dick’s Sporting Goods in Hadley or in Keene, New Hampshire, since there is nowhere in this city to even buy shin guards for soccer or field hockey. I mean, if you are a woman, where would you even buy a good-quality, name-brand, comfortable bra? It is such a joke!
Sometimes, I endure watching the City Council meetings, and I am floored by councilors’ personal priorities, personal agendas and the lack of any progress to make improvements for those of us who need retail options. You have all chosen to serve yourselves instead of us; it is so obvious. Maybe finding retail options is not your job; I honestly have no idea what you do. But aren’t you supposed to be the advocate for your residents? You must know that everyone leaves town to shop for basic goods and if you are unaware of this, you are more out of touch than I originally thought.
To go along with my frustrations around the lack of retail options, this city is so sloppy, hence the potholes up by the Toyota/Ford dealership… does anyone in town government feel embarrassed that this is the road leading up to your “bustling downtown?” What message are you sending? Let me guess: it is not your problem; it is MassDOT’s problem, so why don’t you pick up the phone and call them to get it fixed? It is amazing to me that no one seems to care that your main road leading into the “city” of Greenfield is a pothole minefield. Have some pride.
I must say that the only thing I have ever really seen as an actual improvement in this “city” is the new recycling system. It is much easier now with the containers instead of dragging multiple buckets to the curb. Beyond that, I don’t have much positive to report after another year of my family living in Greenfield.
For those of you who will say, “If you don’t like it, you can leave,” your argument is stale and old. This “city” has really come up short again this year for us and other families in need. Honestly, it is shocking to me that you don’t even care. I just saw a news article tonight that Holyoke is getting a new Walmart Supercenter in their old Kmart location. Fascinating! Poor Greenfield, you are so behind the times.
Jen Davenport lives in Greenfield.