As the month of October begins ....

and the lunar Super Moon eclipse becomes a recent memory, let’s take stock of what is going on around here. Some endings, some changes and even some beginnings!

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This article was submitted to LongmeadowBuzz by Betsy Huber Port/ Longmeadow, MA.

1. The Absorbine Junior (Young) Mansion is falling apart before our eyes. Such decrepitude! Will the town leaders or Historic District Commission take action? Can they do anything? I believe that something must be done because so many residents really do care about this town and its history! The bank’s inaction is irresponsible, reprehensible and completely dysfunctional! Can I scream now?
    
2. Semolina closed! No story here- just disappointment and sadness. They were a really great sandwich shop! Oh well…what’s next?
    
3. The casino tower, proposed by MGM, is no more! The dramatic skyscraper for Springfield was a dream. Plans have changed and the casino hotel will be low lying and land hugging. Maybe there are more changes ahead…will there be a Connecticut casino?
    
4. Looks like the two middle schools will not merge into one new structure – at least for now. Stay tuned! The buildings from last century (Williams from 1957 and Glenbrook 1967) will need revitalization at some point. When? The high school was honored in Newsweek Magazine as part of the top 500 High Schools in the country. LHS was number 207! We are near the top at the state level! Congratulations everyone!!!!
    
5. Real estate seems stable…homes are selling and new families are moving in. There are two baby girls in our neighborhood! Life goes on despite the overall aging population. The average age in our town is 43. It used to be 38 last time I looked. At last count there are 15,784 Longmeadowites!
    
6. Did you know that there are 9.5 square miles of our town? Permanent open space comprises 30% of the land. There are 750 acres bordering the Connecticut River. Fun fact: Fannie Stebbins Memorial Wildlife Refuge is 320 acres alone! This is a great place to walk your dog! There are six town parks as well, Greenwood, Laurel, Bliss Turner, Storrs Park and the Longmeadow Town Green. Aren’t we lucky?
    
7. Did you know that Springfield’s Forest Park of 735 acres is the largest city park in New England. We are so fortunate to have this land acting as a buffer to the city’s downtown. Bright Nights begins in less than 60 days! Yipee!
    
8. More fun facts to consider: 64.9 % of town residents have attended 4 or more years of college. 82% of the residents commute out of Longmeadow for work. How might this change with high-speed rail in our future? It will be a positive change to feel more connected to Hartford, New Haven and points beyond. It cannot happen soon enough!
   
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This article was submitted to LongmeadowBuzz by Betsy Huber Port/ Longmeadow, MA.