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Hello, Go Local readers!
In America, February has become synonymous with Valentine’s Day. In what is essentially a “for fun” holiday, the day is a reminder of the love in our lives and also gives us all a change of pace as we trudge through the short and cold days of the winter, even if it’s just for one date night.
While I love, love like anyone else, I think I love chocolate more? It’s tough to say.
As a young boy, I inherited a sweet tooth from my dad who showed me the treasures of good chocolate. While he would run the risk of sneaking me treats, little did he realize the chocolate-obsessed person he was creating.
My sweet tooth aside, it only made sense to be on the lookout for a chocolatier in the region who is bringing something unique and different to the scene in our area for this month’s Go Local. Ana Bandiera’s Chocolates in Northampton looks to be just that.
The love in the air during the Valentine’s Day season can also be stretched to the love we have for our families. Family is our first love, so to speak, even if the holiday is oriented around love for partners.
Just ask the Trolio family, of Trolio’s Market in Enfield, another business being featured in this month’s Go Local. The Trolio family recently opened the Italian market last summer but the brother and sister duo running it are well-equipped to do so after a lifetime of lessons and work under their parents who ran their own area restaurant for 30 years.
The siblings' parents came to America from Italy 50-plus years ago and so the new market serves as a good reminder of the importance of the lasting impacts of a loving and hard-working family.
There is also a grand spectacle that comes every February in our country and that is the Super Bowl. As of writing this note, my New England Patriots — coming off their first playoff win since Brady — are gearing up for a big Divisional Round matchup against the Houston Texans.
The six-time champs won their first big game when I had just turned 4 years old, and won their sixth title when I was 21 and a junior in college. Just writing this out is hilarious and I totally understand why we are so despised as spoiled fans in football stadiums around the country.
You may be wondering why this note from the editor has taken a turn into sports talk, but I promise I am about to attempt to stick the landing. We can either laugh about my foolish optimism (prediction: Pats win 23-17), or it will be a nice reflection point of this moment as the Patriots are gearing up for this year’s big game come February.
The third feature set in this month’s Go Local is focused on the new Trinity Health of New England S. Prestley and Helen Blake Ambulatory Care Center & Surgery Center. The new state-of-the-art center in Enfield marks a major milestone in how outpatient care is delivered in the region.
When watching the big game, you may see an injury or two occur. While most regular people will not always experience injuries of the same severity as seen during football, any injury is a good reminder of the importance of recovery from injury, which Trinity Health’s new center is equipped to handle for its clients.
February in our country is a good reminder of love, family and football, and we wish you a happy month ahead as we hit the home stretch of the winter season.
Best,
Trent Levakis, Editor