About Burlington Buzz

What’s the Buzz? In a word, you.

Burlington Buzz is the news website and accompanying daily newsletter connecting Burlington, MA, residents with the community information and resources you need to live your best life in our fair town. Founded in February 2022, the Buzz quickly grew to be a trusted source for news and information about local government and current events in Burlington.

We deliver news that’s important to you in a way that’s easy to understand—and even enjoyable!

At Burlington Buzz, we value curiosity, connection, and community. Readers know the Buzz will keep them up to date with what’s going on in the community, explain the history and context behind the way things are today, and connect why all those things matter.

Burlington Buzz offers:

• In-depth stories about issues our readers care about
• Connection with events and resources to improve how we get to know, interact with, and support one another
• Profiles of candidates and questions on your local ballot
• Profiles of elected and appointed Boards and Commissions in town (and why you should care!)
• Easily readable summaries of meetings of elected and appointed government bodies
• Guest features and podcast episodes where residents, business leaders, and town officials share their unique perspectives on Burlington

Here are some of our community’s most-read Buzz stories from around Burlington:

• 🔒 Hive Member Exclusive: Buzz In-Depth | School Buildings Across Burlington
• 🏒 Three Burlington Girls Are National Hockey Champs
• 🏃🏻‍♀️ Resident Spotlight: Sh;ft Your Mindset and Get in Shape at new Fitness Studio
• 📢 Students, Parents, and Community Members Urge Action from BPS and School Committee following anti-pride actions by some students

Why Should I Subscribe to the Newsletter?

The daily newsletter is Burlington Buzz’s flagship product. This five-minute read connects readers with their community through relatable, relevant stories about the town of Burlington and how it works. Receive this daily roundup directly in your inbox, and you’ll never wonder what’s going on in town again. The Buzz provides a schedule of municipal meetings and community events, recaps of key meetings, sports scores and schedules, and more.

Why Should I Pay for a Hive Membership?

The majority of Buzz stories are free to everyone, forever. By becoming a paid member and “joining the Hive,” you will be going above and beyond by supporting:

• Greater civic engagement and community involvement
• Enhanced access to your elected and appointed officials and their work
• Vibrant discourse that has nothing to do with national political lines and comes from a place of curiosity and a genuine desire to understand
• In-depth community listening, reporting, and Hive community events
• Community-focused news

In addition to supporting a local business and helping to keep local journalism alive, you’ll be invited to take part in exclusive offerings, such as:

• Advance access to certain products, such as podcast episodes and TownVote, our pilot partnership with the civic platform, VoteLight
• Exclusive invitations to Hive-only events, like our monthly coffee hours
• The opportunity to be profiled in the Buzz
• Priority consideration for coverage requests

Your Hive membership allows the Buzz to continue doing this work and keep the publication free for all. And members stick around: Only about 5% of members have unsubscribed over the life of the publication, which means 95% of readers stay around to continue supporting this work.

A $100 annual subscription would cost you around 16¢ per issue, or just over a dollar a week. And you’re paying for the time it takes to write and edit each issue, record and edit podcasts, interview folks and gather information for stories, and all the other invisible overhead that goes into running a publication like this.

Hopefully it goes without saying: a paid membership is very much appreciated. We have several options to choose from.

Who Are We?

Nicci Kadilak

Publisher and Founding Editor

Nicci is a Burlington resident and parent with a background in education and creative writing. In addition to creating and nurturing the Buzz, she works as an education consultant and writes stories of all kinds, both true and made-up. For more from Nicci, including updates about her books and essays, visit her personal newsletter at Nicci’s Notes.

Reese Oxner

Editorial Assistant

Reese is a journalist, product manager and web designer based in Austin, Texas. He joined The Buzz to contribute to the growth of the publication and its mission to inform Burlington residents. In addition to helping with editorial and administrative tasks for The Buzz, Reese works at a Texas statehouse nonprofit newsroom. In his free time, you’ll find Reese cooking, testing a new recipe, eating at a restaurant with friends, swimming or any other random side quest.

Bill Boivin

Columnist

Bill Boivin is a scientist, retired from 30 years of active duty with the United States Public Health Service. He is a Burlington Town Meeting Member and Conservation Commissioner. He and his wife, Jane, grew up in Lynn and now live in Burlington with their 2 mini dachshunds, 7 chickens, and Maya, a ball python. Bill and Jane have shared a love of nature, gardening, and wildlife for over 50 years. They have fostered, healed, raised, and loved a remarkable variety of animals in their time together. Learn more about Bill.

Can I submit a story, press release, or coverage request?

We welcome feedback, press releases, coverage requests, and story pitches at hello@burlington.buzz. We can’t promise to act on or respond to every email, but we do our best!

Welcome Aboard

The Buzz started from a single Facebook post and has built a strong subscriber base that grows every day. And not only are people subscribing to the Buzz, they’re reading and appreciating it. On a January, 2024, survey, 99% of readers said they are Somewhat Satisfied or Very Satisfied with the Buzz overall. Scroll down to see some of the things people are saying.

Welcome to the Buzz, and thanks for being here. You’re gonna like it.