Growing up in Central and Eastern Massachusetts, Western Mass seemed like another world to me, almost a different state. When I first came to the region over 15 years ago, it was for school and work. Over 15 years have passed I’m still here… and I have no intentions of leaving any time soon. Like so many others, I was drawn to the landscape, the people, and the culture. Not to sound pretentious, but there’s an ethos here (for lack of a better word). Something draws people here – and keeps them here – like the proprietors of Great Falls Harvest restaurant, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing recently for a “Making It Here” segment on WGBY’s Connecting Point.
Chris Menegoni and Bridgette Chaffee saw potential for their future in Turners Falls, MA
Bridgette Chaffee and Christopher Menegoni are natives of Central Mass, and, as Chris told me, they were drawn to the village of Turners Falls the moment they drove over the bridge from Route 2 into town. They immediately fell in love with Turners, and decided to start their business and raise their family there. Their story is the same as countless others (including mine), but what is it that draws folks to the area and keeps them here? Chris mentions the potential he saw in Turners Falls, and I think that’s a large part of it: potential. Potential in the land, the buildings, the towns… but most of all in the people, in the spirit of those who live here. More than any other region I’ve visited, Western Mass seems to welcome and foster new ideas and concepts. Where other places can be insular and shun them, we tend to embrace and welcome them. Anything seems possible here. It’s what Chris and Bridgette recognized when they drove into Turners Falls, and as they – and so many others – have realized, it’s one of the many things about our neck of the woods that makes it such a wonderful place to live, work and build a future.
