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HBA History |
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In the spring of 1987
a small group of Hatfield business owners ran an ad in
the Daily Hampshire Gazette newspaper seeking other
local business owners to meet at the American Legion
hall to discuss formation of a Business Association.
Numerous meetings followed with a growing interest and
discussion of the purpose and goals to improve the
business community as well as foster the public
relationship of local support for business while at the
same time businesses support the needs of the community.
For the most part most of these proposals have continued
to be important issues of the association throughout its
25 years thus far:
1. Be a forum for networking issues concerning the local
business environment.
2. Be a venue for education and better business
practices.
3. Be a resource for promoting local support of our
businesses (group advertising, sponsoring community
events, etc.)
4. Offer members reduced costs for business related
services and supplies through group purchasing power and
inter-member discounts.
By September of 1987 there were forty members who voted
to adopt bylaws and elected officers. The first
President was Bill Johnson, owner of the Paddock
restaurant (now Chill 'n Grill); Vice President was Jeff
Bruscoe, Four Star Firewood; Clerk was Christopher
Smith, Hatfield Printing and Publishing; and Treasurer
was Matt Demers, Hatfield Market. The Bylaws called for
the association to be non-profit as well as
non-political. Each of the forty members paid dues of
$100 each.
The first year saw numerous accomplishments and
activities. The Hatfield Shopper was a bulk mailed
advertiser as a first attempt at group advertising and
fund raising. The Shopper continued through to the
mid-1990's and was published several times a year. Many
of the retailers, as well as home service businesses in
town found offering coupons and specials to be effective
methods of growing their customer base. A member
newsletter was begun and announced the upcoming meeting
agendas and guest speakers. There was a wide range of
topics offered by guest speakers from insurance, product
promotion, accounting/tax planning, and even folks from
area Chambers spoke about successes, and not so
successful strategies. One of the first community events
HBA was to help sponsor was the Annual Luminiarum which
at that time was in its seventh year under the
Historical Society. A wonderful holiday party in
December ended 1987 for HBA, catered by member Special
Requests at the place of beginning, the American Legion,
and was attended by 70 members and families.
For busy business people meetings became more and more
less well attended. To encourage monthly meetings HBA
offered door prizes and other incentives, but it was
soon concluded that HBA should go to quarterly meetings.
After several years meetings were held on an as-needed
basis, usually in planning a HBA event.
HBA joined in the 1988 Memorial Day Parade, then known
as the largest parade in the shortest distance in the
county. We celebrated our first full year with a well
attended picnic at Look Park. As our Annual Meeting in
September approached the Board of Directors decided to
reduce renewal dues to $25.00. In addition to our
regular support of the Luminarium HBA did its first
group advertising to promote the event in the Gazette.
Another promotion that proved to be very successful was
Telephone Covers for our local directory that was mailed
to every household in town. The original idea had been
to create a Phone Directory, but was decided that as a
separate booklet it was likely to go unused or be
trashed -- the cover on the other hand gave users
year-round exposure. For members a listing was offered
for free, and larger display was offered for very
reasonable rates. Over the years there were updated
versions of the Phone Book Cover, which many members
have said is one of HBA's most successful promotions,
while at the same time an excellent community fund
raiser.
As we began the 1990's HBA became involved in a number
of community events and projects. For many years HBA
offered scholarships to Smith Academy students who chose
to continue their education in business related fields.
This support of education would later be changed to
sponsoring the purchase of dictionaries for the sixth
grade class moving-up ceremony, taking over from the
Book Club in 1994, with the thinking HBA would get more
community exposure as a prominent guest at this annual
ceremony. HBA was also an early and long time sponsor of
the DARE program, which included providing education
materials, and a Parent's Handbook. In 1992 HBA
President, Maureen Hillard, having learned the
Historical Society would no longer put on the Luminarium,
rallied full sponsorship of the HBA, along with the
leadership of both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to
insure the annual event would continue. Working with
local scouts in 1995, HBA President Peter Rackelbush
introduced the Luminarium Lantern for the first time as
both a new recyclable concept and fundraiser for youth
programs. The lantern starts as a common half-gallon
milk/juice translucent plastic container with a
half-rounded door cut into the lower side, then about 1"
of sand at the bottom, finished with tealight candle.
Scouts and their leaders assembled them into kits of 12
to a box, and they were sold in local convenience
stores. While this was a very popular and successful
project, the fact they were reusable slowly reduced
demand, however they are still available and very much a
part of the ongoing annual night Hatfield shines thanks
to the efforts of Maureen and Peter leadership of the
HBA.
The beginning of the new millennium did not herald a lot
of change for HBA, and after more than a decade of
sponsorship the Luminarium has been the Association's
primary event. In an effort to make it a truly community
celebration, HBA proposed in 2001, and the town voted,
to proclaim it a town event. With the retirement of Paul
Labbee in 2003 as MC of the community carol singing in
front of Town Hall (an original part of the Luminarium),
HBA introduced a new program featuring the Smith Academy
Brass Ensemble, under the direction of Ken Longstreeth.
Then in 2006 with the support of the Town's Cultural
Council, the program welcomed a Umass Acappella group,
The Dynamics, featuring several of the Town's young
scholars.
Of course no one group or organization can claim all the
credit for success of the Luminarium. Each year on the
Sunday evening before Christmas, beginning about 4:30
pm, you will see about town young scouts and their
parents busily setting out Luminarium Lanterns in the
Town commons, then watch the Town light up as over 7000
candles begin to glow by 5:30. As you make your way to
Town center at 6 pm you will hear familiar songs
accompanying the brass ensemble … and after a time
(especially if you are young -- way to long), Santa
appears to give you a sweet treat as you make your way
to the Firehouse to make a holiday cookie, or if older,
enjoy a welcoming hot coffee. Then it is off to the
Congregational Church for a program of bell choirs and
holiday music. As you go up Main Street the roadways are
filled with visiting onlookers in cars, horse drawn
wagons, and spectacular floats filled with lights and
revelers. For many it is also the night for family
parties and gathering of old and new friends, and it is
also the one time of year you will see so many people
enjoying the season together, and then, by about 9:00 it
all becomes quiet as the candles begin to flicker out.
For the HBA 2007 began a new chapter as it celebrated
its 20th anniversary by embracing the 21st century. The
internet has taken business networking to places not
seen before, giving a new meaning to community on
multiple levels. Our goal is that this new web site will
be more than just one resource … it will be the Hatfield
Shopper, Telephone Book Cover, Business Directory, etc.,
as well as a Business Help Center, Business-to-Business
connection, HBA Bulletin Board/Newsletter and hopefully
much more.
Perhaps John Gere, then chair of Northampton Chamber
said it best when he spoke to HBA in 1987 as it was just
coming into existence. The primary mission of any
community Business Association is to educate the
community so as to support the local businesses and in
turn educate the businesses to support their community.
The test he said if widgets were made in Hatfield, and
folks in town bought them in Hadley, or worse the Town
government went out of town to buy them, HBA's job was
to find the reason why … and the answer should not be
that no one knew there was a widget business in town. If
you own a business in Hatfield we hope you will join the
HBA. We are sure you will find by helping all our
businesses to succeed you will also help your own business in the
process. |
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