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Sunday, June 28, 2026

Phoenix News aims to complement—not replace—existing local media

 Introducing Cheshire CT Phoenix News – A Community News Project



Over the past several weeks I've been quietly developing a new community website:

https://www.cheshirectphoenixnews.com/

I'd like to share the vision behind it and invite your thoughts.

The goal is not to recreate newspapers of the past or compete with the many excellent Facebook groups, websites, sports pages, and social media creators that already serve Cheshire. Instead, I'd like to build something that brings them together.

My vision is a community news and information hub where residents can easily find:

• Local news and government information
• Community events
• Local history
• Sports
• Business news
• Arts and culture
• Nonprofit organizations
• Community resources

Today, much of Cheshire's news and information is spread across dozens of Facebook groups, websites, YouTube channels, X accounts, Instagram pages, and organizational websites. There are many talented people creating valuable local content, but it can be difficult for residents to discover everything that's happening.

Phoenix News aims to complement—not replace—these existing resources by helping residents find information in one central location while encouraging them to visit and support the original creators.

At the same time, we are committed to producing as much original content as our volunteer writers, photographers, historians, researchers, and community contributors can provide. Our hope is to build a growing library of original local reporting, feature stories, community profiles, historical articles, photographs, and event coverage that reflects the people and organizations that make Cheshire unique.

Initially, everything on the site will be available free of charge while we work to establish Phoenix News as a trusted and valuable community resource.

If the project proves successful, the long-term goal is to establish a nonprofit organization governed by a Board of Directors and supported through grants, donations, local advertising, website and content services for businesses and nonprofit organizations, sponsored content, merchandising, Google advertising, and other appropriate revenue-sharing opportunities.

Most importantly, this is not something one person can build alone.

I'd like to invite Facebook group administrators, local historians, photographers, sports media, civic organizations, nonprofits, businesses, schools, churches, and other community organizations to consider becoming community partners. Whether that means sharing information, contributing original content, allowing us to promote your organization, or simply helping residents discover the work you're already doing, every contribution helps strengthen our local information network.

One commitment I am making from the very beginning is to respect intellectual property rights. Whenever possible, Phoenix News will direct readers to original sources rather than republishing someone else's work. We will follow established copyright guidance regarding hyperlinks, social media embeds, RSS feeds, photographs, and other online content. The goal is to promote and support local creators—not appropriate their work.

This project is still in its early stages, and your ideas, suggestions, and constructive criticism are genuinely welcome. Community input will help shape what Phoenix News becomes.

There are many influential people in our community with the experience and resources to help ensure that Cheshire has a strong, sustainable hyperlocal news outlet. Before asking for that level of support, however, I'd like to demonstrate that there is also a dedicated group of residents willing to contribute their time, talents, and enthusiasm to making it succeed.

If you believe Cheshire would benefit from a collaborative community news organization that informs, connects, and celebrates our town, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you for reading and for supporting local community journalism.

Rick Smith
Founder, Cheshire CT Phoenix News










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Thursday, June 25, 2026

Digital Media’s Impact on Local News in Cheshire

 

From the Printing Press to the Facebook Feed: Digital Media’s Impact on Local News in Cheshire


The way we stay informed about our own neighborhoods has shifted dramatically over the past two decades. The traditional morning routine of picking up a printed newspaper from the driveway has largely been replaced by looking at a smartphone screen.

According to data from the Pew Research Center and Gallup, 86% of U.S. adults now get their news from digital devices at least occasionally. While national news remains highly accessible across these platforms, local community journalism faces significant pressure. This transition is reshaping how residents in communities like Cheshire, Connecticut (06410) find out about everything from municipal budgets to school board decisions.



The Shift in How We Access Information

Nationally, social media has passed television as the most common source of news for a majority of Americans.

News Platform

Percentage of U.S. Adults Using It

Social Media

54%

Television (Cable, Broadcast, or Streaming)

50%

News Websites or Apps

44% – 48%

Radio (Talk Radio or NPR)

11% – 17%

Print Publications (Newspapers or Magazines)

7% – 8%

This digital shift features a notable generational divide that influences how a community shares information:

  • Adults Under 30: Nearly 80% get their news from social media. For this demographic, news consumption is often passive; they run into news updates while scrolling through platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube rather than actively seeking out a dedicated news outlet.

  • Adults 65 and Older: This group strongly prefers traditional media. Nearly 60% turn to a specific television network or established news organization first when a major news event occurs.

The Rise of Hyperlocal Digital Spaces

In many towns across America, the decline of print advertising revenue has created "local news deserts"—areas with little to no coverage of municipal government, local education, or neighborhood events. Research from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University indicates that print newspaper circulation nationwide has dropped by 70% over the last two decades, leaving 213 U.S. counties with no local news outlet at all.

Cheshire has historically maintained a dedicated media footprint, anchored for decades by the weekly print publication The Cheshire Herald (founded in 1953). However, local information habits have increasingly migrated online. Today, residents frequently look to digital-first spaces for rapid updates:

  • Algorithmic and Community Sites: Platforms like All About Cheshire CT provide rapid news, video, and print coverage of local lifestyle, sports, and community events, alongside independent community blogs.

  • Official Municipal Channels: For official government alerts—such as school polling place updates, bulky waste schedules, or Town Hall holiday closures—the Town of Cheshire maintains its own dedicated digital feeds directly on the town website.

  • Social Media Groups: Local Facebook groups and neighborhood networks function as modern town squares where residents share real-time updates regarding traffic delays, power outages, or community notices.

While these digital platforms offer immediate access to information, they rely heavily on community contributions or automated feeds rather than traditional investigative reporting.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The introduction of generative AI tools has brought both new efficiencies and economic challenges to local news services.

On the positive side, modern newsrooms use AI to manage routine tasks like transcribing long public meetings, organizing public data sets, or drafting basic weather and template-based reports. This can free up limited staff time to focus on complex local reporting. Additionally, the Reuters Institute notes that 10% of global users (and 16% of those under 35) now use AI chatbots to discover news items, including localized queries.

On the negative side, AI presents an economic challenge. When an AI chatbot scans a local article and provides a direct summary to a user, that user has less reason to visit the original local website. As a result, the original publisher loses the web traffic and potential ad revenue necessary to sustain operations. Furthermore, the low cost of AI text generation has led to a rise in automated websites that package unverified content to mimic real, boots-on-the-ground journalism.

Moving Forward

The media environment in New England towns like Cheshire is in a period of transition. While digital tools make it easier than ever to share regional high school sports highlights or announce town festivals, maintaining consistent coverage of town council meetings, zoning boards, and local infrastructure requires ongoing support. The future of community journalism depends heavily on how effectively local platforms can adapt to digital models and whether residents actively seek out verified, local reporting.

Local news outlets are finding that surviving in a digital world requires a delicate balance: they need to reach younger audiences where they already spend time, without losing the credibility that makes them valuable in the first place.

The question of whether to join platforms like TikTok is no longer a matter of "if," but "how."

Meeting Audiences Where They Are: The Case for TikTok

Research shows that for adults under 30, short-form vertical video is a primary search and discovery engine. If a local news outlet ignores these platforms, they risk becoming entirely invisible to a third of their community.

However, media experts emphasize that local newsrooms should not try to become "entertainers" in the sense of chasing viral dance trends or comedy sketches. Audiences quickly spot and reject that kind of forced content. Instead, successful local newsrooms use short-form video to "translate the newspaper."

  • The 60-Second Explainer: Instead of a long text article or a structured 3-minute televised broadcast package, a reporter stands directly in front of the camera and explains a complex local issue—like a town zoning dispute or a school budget deficit—using simple language, graphics, and captions.

  • The "De-Formalized" Tone: The presentation is conversational rather than robotic. The reporter feels like a knowledgeable neighbor talking directly to the viewer.

  • Actionable Context: Some newsrooms use TikTok to take viewers behind the scenes of a town council meeting, cutting down three hours of public comment into a 90-second summary of what actually happened and how it affects local taxes.

While TikTok is excellent for brand awareness and reaching younger residents, it has a major drawback: it does not generate meaningful revenue. The platform does not pay creators well, and links cannot be easily embedded to drive users back to a newspaper’s subscription page. Therefore, social media is used as a "hook" rather than the final destination.

The Broader Strategy for Survival

To build a sustainable future, local outlets are diversifying how they operate. Becoming more accessible on social media is just one piece of a much larger puzzle.

                 ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐

                  │   The Modern Local News Survival Mix   │

                  └───────────────────┬────────────────────┘

                                      │

         ┌────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┐

         ▼                            ▼                            ▼

┌──────────────────┐        ┌──────────────────┐        ┌──────────────────┐

│  Business Pivot  │        │   Distribution   │        │  Operational AI  │

├──────────────────┤        ├──────────────────┤        ├──────────────────┤

│ • Nonprofit model│        │ • Short video    │        │ • Auto-transcribe│

│ • Philanthropy   │        │ • Direct emails  │        │ • Data formatting│

│ • Subscriptions  │        │ • Niche apps     │        │ • Free up staff  │

└──────────────────┘        └──────────────────┘        └──────────────────┘


1. Shifting to Nonprofit Models

Because traditional commercial advertising no longer pays the bills, hundreds of local news startups have launched as registered nonprofits or public benefit corporations. This allows them to avoid corporate taxes, accept philanthropic donations, and secure grants from organizations like the American Journalism Project to fund basic reporting.

2. Reclaiming the Audience via Direct Newsletters

Rather than relying entirely on social media algorithms (which can change overnight and cut off an outlet's reach), newsrooms are focusing heavily on email newsletters. A daily or weekly digest sent directly to a resident's inbox builds a consistent habit and gives the publisher direct, unmediated access to their readers.

3. Using AI to Cut Administrative Costs

To keep reporters out in the field doing actual investigative work, newsrooms are deploying AI behind the scenes. AI tools are used to instantly transcribe hours of public town hall recordings, organize complex municipal financial spreadsheets, or format local high school sports scores. This dramatically reduces the time spent on office work, allowing a small staff to punch above its weight.

The Takeaway: The goal for a local news outlet is not to become an entertainment channel, but to use modern communication tools to deliver the same vital civic information they always have—just in a format that fits natively into a 21st-century lifestyle.
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Monday, June 22, 2026

From Isolation to Inclusion: Mainstreaming Special Needs in Cheshire

 

Rick Smith

Historical Disclaimer
Please Note: The following historical account contains terminology such as "retarded," "mental retardation," and "subnormality." While these terms are recognized today as outdated and discriminatory, they are preserved here solely for absolute historical accuracy to faithfully reflect the legal titles, primary source documents, and public records of the mid-to-late 20th century.

From Isolation to Inclusion: Mainstreaming Special Needs in Cheshire



For those who have watched Cheshire, Connecticut grow over the decades, the town's evolution is etched into its old schoolhouses, community programs, and local headlines. One of the most profound, quiet revolutions in our local history was the grassroots movement to bring residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities out of distant state institutions—such as the Mansfield or Southbury Training Schools—and mainstream them right here at home.
It wasn't a top-down mandate that started it; it was a dedicated group of parents who refused to let their children be hidden away. On March 10, 1959, this movement solidified locally when The Cheshire Association for Retarded Children, Incorporated was officially chartered.
The Early Grassroots: 1950s and 1960s
Before the mid-20th century, community programs or public education options available for children with intellectual disabilities were virtually non-existent. Local efforts to build visibility and provide localized enrichment started almost immediately following incorporation:
  • The Chapman School Exhibit (May 1959): In mid-May 1959, an exhibit of handcraft articles made by children in a special class at Chapman School was proudly displayed at the Cheshire Public Library in observance of National Retarded Children's Week. During this public relations push, the association presented the library with a copy of the landmark text "Mental Subnormality" by Masland, Sarason, and Gladwin. Mrs. Malcolm White served as the treasurer of the concurrent financial drive to aid these local children.
  • The Fight for Summer Programs (June 1968): By the late 1960s, regional parent groups began lobbying municipal leadership directly. On June 22, 1968, records show that John Neardon, board chairman of the Meriden Regional Center and Work Shop for Retarded Children, petitioned the Cheshire Board of Selectmen for an $880 town contribution to secure a seven-week summer day camp experience for 12 local children. While First Selectman John Mark Bishop and Selectman William E. Kennedy Jr. debated where the town budget funds would come from, a group of more than a dozen local parents personally attended the session to advocate for town-subsidized transportation.
Camp Culture and Community Holiday Bazaars: The 1970s
By the 1970s, the push for local recreational inclusion was turning standard public facilities into hubs of summer and civic activity:
  • Camp Highlight at Highland School: This dedicated day camp became a staple of Cheshire summers. In June 1976 and July 1978, public notices confirmed that Camp Highlight operated right out of Highland School, providing bus transportation, swimming, and structured recreation for the town's special needs children. Concurrently, separate regional programs like Camp Caravan at the Mixville Recreation Area expanded nature study, cooking, and craft options.
  • The Cheshire High School Christmas Bazaar (December 1976): Community fundraising became a true town-wide affair. On Sunday, December 10, 1976, the Cheshire Association for Retarded Children hosted its holiday bazaar at Cheshire High School. Children's room librarian Mrs. Betty Lawlor screened movies to occupy children while parents browsed booths featuring hand-sewn knits, crocheted items, home-baked goodies, and a raffle. Publicity chairman Mrs. Wilmer Specht coordinated the collection of donated tag sale items, funneling the proceeds back into local activities.
The Rise of Vocational Independence: COCO and Beyond
As special needs children grew into adulthood, the town quickly realized that inclusion could not stop at high school graduation. In 1977, a foundational non-profit organization was established to address this gap: Cheshire Occupational & Career Opportunities (COCO).
[Late 1970s: Darcey School Grounds] ───> [1980s: 539 West Main St. Sweet Shoppe] ───> [1991/1995: 691 Business Park]
(Temporary Trailers) (Candy Production Workshop) (Accredited Expansion)
COCO fundamentally transformed adult transition services across three major eras:
  • The Darcey School Trailers: In its early years, COCO operated under cramped, highly modest conditions, utilizing temporary trailers parked on the front lawn of the Darcey School parking lot, which shared a single bathroom for 30 workers.
  • The Sweet Shoppe Solution (1988): To provide realistic vocational training, COCO ran a sheltered workshop on the Darcey grounds alongside a dedicated retail storefront located at 539 West Main Street, teaching clients how to make, package, and sell candy. In late February 1988, newly hired Executive Director Peter Mason took over operations. Local families, including Mr. and Mrs. Neil Longobardi of Sharon Drive, hosted community welcoming teas to display the candy handiwork of their daughter and other workshop participants.
  • Santa’s Secret Shop (1986): COCO quickly wove itself into Cheshire's holiday fabric. Led by Director Diane Link, workshop instructor Diane Yarish, and event co-chairwoman Clare Bauknecht, COCO ran its annual "Santa's Secret Shop" fundraiser at the Cheshire First Congregational Church. Essential to daily retail candy operations, Penny Lynn Smith worked hand-in-hand with this core leadership team, managing the bustling candy retail store at 539 West Main Street. This public boutique network drew nearly 350 children in its first year, allowing local youth to buy affordable holiday gifts handcrafted by COCO clients.
  • Industrial Relocation and Accreditation (1991–1995): By March 1991, under Mason’s continued leadership, COCO officially graduated from its cramped Darcey School trailers into a modern corporate suite at the 691 Business Park on East Johnson Avenue. Receiving a prestigious three-year national accreditation from the National Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, the program supported 28 adult clients. In these rooms, workers like Michael Stango, Anna Cintron, and Joseph Hoffman were trained for mainstream employment.
Civic Support and Infrastructure Integration
This push for inclusion was consistently bolstered by Cheshire's civic clubs and infrastructure planning:
  • The AARP Transit Petition (January 1979): On January 18, 1979, the local Cheshire chapter of the AARP actively petitioned the Town Council for funds to operate a specialized, wheelchair-accessible transit van. The vehicle, purchased by the State of Connecticut, was explicitly designed to bridge the gap for 60 local mobility-impaired individuals traveling between regional medical facilities, the Darcey School Program, the public educational system, and the Cheshire retarded association. The meticulously kept budget from that year reveals the exact grassroots costs of early integration: operating the single van cost $10,763 per year in driver/dispatcher salaries, with fuel budgeted at a mere 72 cents per gallon.
  • The Kiwanis Club Colonial Breakfast (November 1986): On Sunday, November 22, 1986, the Cheshire Kiwanis Club held its 16th annual Colonial Breakfast at Cheshire High School. Led by first vice president Nat Messina and former president John Wolff, the feast served over 325 residents and raised more than $1,200 to benefit the town's special needs citizens and local youth leagues.
Local Corporate Partners: Putting Inclusion to Work
When Peter Mason took the reins at COCO in 1988, his immediate objective was to look beyond the sheltered workshop and secure state Department of Mental Retardation funding to support "community-based training". By March 1991, COCO successfully partnered with several prominent area employers to place adult clients into minimum-wage positions and commercial subcontracts:
Partner Type
Employer / Business Name
Nature of Historical Work / Subcontract
Industrial / Manufacturing
The Siemen Company
Subcontracted client crews to assemble and manufacture wire terminals in-house.
Nutmeg Utility Products Inc.
On-site placement of adult workers for industrial utility assembly lines.
Thompson Candy Factory (Meriden)
High-volume confectionery packaging subcontracts extending from Sweet Shoppe training.
Commercial Retail & Service
K Mart (Wallingford)
Commercial floor maintenance, product stocking, and retail logistics.
McDonald's Restaurant
Early food service enclaves and individual kitchen/dining area maintenance.
Kurtz and McKinley Farms
Agricultural processing, sorting, and seasonal bulk packaging.
Local Civic / Municipal
Sport Club
Bulk promotional mailings; club manager Clay Yalof praised COCO teams for sorting and envelope-stuffing.
Convalescent & Private Homes
Early independent placements; individual clients worked directly in local convalescent homes and eldercare assistance.
The Enduring Legacy
The blueprint laid by these mid-century parents, educators, and early business partners completely restructured how Cheshire viewed community accountability. Today, that original framework survives directly through Abilities Without Boundaries, the modern successor to COCO based right here in town. The multi-decade timeline of advocacy proved that local inclusion was not only a moral imperative but an executable reality—ensuring that Cheshire's special needs children grew up integrated into our schools, employed in our businesses, and valued as lifelong neighbors.


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