Hello, and welcome to the weekend!

I’m not going to stick around for long, but I did promise to synthesize some of the survey results from this week. Here’s a not-quite-exhaustive list of things that came up in the survey, along with ideas for future exploration. I’m still chewing on a lot of this information. It’s great feedback, and I thank you from the very depths of my heart!

If you’re planning to send your teen to volunteer at the library today, or to apply for the senior housing unit in Grandview Commons, visit this post. And now, a look at the summary survey results.

What do People Love About the Buzz?

In order of frequency:

• Coverage of local schools and government, including meeting summaries and background information
• Everything! (Aww, thanks!  )
• Upcoming events
• Hyperlocal reporting that is fact-based and as neutral as possible

What do People Want to See More Of?

In no particular order:

• Guest writers and more human interest stories
• Followup on events that seem to have been forgotten
• More government and meeting coverage
• Public works projects (This is in the works!)
• Business and restaurant news
• Newspapery stuff - Police blotter, obituaries, wedding/birth announcements, etc.
• Arts, humanities, nonprofits, other community activities
• More in-depth access to town leadership

Answers to Questions

Q: Is there a website archive?

A: Yes! Everything is available at www.burlington.buzz forever.

Q: Is there a monthly membership option?

A: Yes! Substack offers a monthly option for $6/month. Unfortunately, I can’t accept other payment options monthly, as it would be too much to manage.

Q: Can I pay for my membership by check, Venmo, PayPal, or other method?

A: Yes! Just reach out to me at hello@burlington.buzz and I’ll get you sorted.

Q: Can’t I find all this information in other places online? Why pay for the Buzz?

A: While there is a certain level of content aggregation to the Buzz, the publication provides added value in a number of ways:

• It delivers the information into your inbox; you don’t have to go looking on 10 different websites for it.
• It provides summaries and background you can’t find in meeting minutes, which also take weeks to be approved and posted.
• The writing is relatable, plain-language, and responsive to reader feedback.
• The Buzz has built relationships with businesses, non-profits, and government leaders that are leveraged to provide information directly to readers that they might otherwise not even know to look for, and to lend a historical lens to current issues.

Things to consider for the future

• Stipends for people to attend meetings and write them up
• Adding a section for obituaries, wedding/birth/anniversary announcements
• Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly features, either print or podcast—human interest, government leaders, clubs, nonprofits, etc.
• Collaboration with Shawsheen, BHS and local universities for some reporting help

As you can see, this is a rough list of next steps, but this feedback, along with the work I’m doing to secure outside funding and other opportunities (which hopefully I’ll be able to report on by the end of the summer), will help the Buzz step into a more sustainable future.

I thank you again for the feedback and look forward to another 18 months and more with you!

See you tomorrow,

Nicci