Enfield Patch Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Initial Publication
ENFIELD, CT — Do you remember where you were or what you were doing 10 years ago today? The date was Jan. 25, 2011, and to give you some perspective, the Alcorn, Nathan Hale and Harriet Beecher Stowe schools were all still open, as was Fermi High School; Scott Kaupin was mayor of Enfield; the Enfield Square still had stores; and Hall of Famers Don Maynard (football), Etta James (Rock & Roll) and Chris Chelios (hockey) celebrated their 74th, 73rd and 49th birthdays, respectively.
Also born that day was the very media outlet you're reading now. After weeks of preparation, Enfield Patch launched on this date 10 years ago. At the time, it was owned by America Online (remember AOL?), and was part of a rapidly-expanding network of hyperlocal websites.
A whopping 237 viewers took a gander at the site on its opening day, but fortunately word began to spread about this relatively new form of media communication. The number of site users steadily increased, then leveled off during a transition period in 2014 when Hale Global purchased the company from AOL.
Since 2015, Enfield Patch has exploded, from averaging just over 3,000 views a day five years ago to our current daily average of nearly 13,000. We thank those readers who have been with us from the beginning, as well as the thousands who continue to discover the value of our local news, features and information.
We have been there for the good times - championships, business successes, special celebrations - and the not-so-good, such as tragic losses, natural disasters and, for the past 10 months, the coronavirus pandemic.
Photos have played an important role in conveying information to our readers. Below, we will look back at one photo from each of our first 10 years - a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly. All photos were taken by yours truly, unless otherwise noted. Thank you for continuing to utilize Patch to keep in the loop regarding all things Enfield.
2011: A freak autumn snowstorm devastated Enfield and most of Connecticut in late October, causing power outages lasting up to 11 days.
2012: Former Enfield High School hockey standout Robbie Baillargeon became just the second player from Enfield selected in the National Hockey League draft, going to the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round. (Photo: Aimee Ziter)
2013: Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre of 20 young children and six educators, debate raged whether or not armed guards should be placed in Enfield schools. Eventually, the guard program was implemented, but was removed after two years.
2014: A true hidden gem of Enfield, the Pearl Street Library celebrated its 100th anniversary with a year-long series of special events, including a centennial commemoration ceremony on May 4.
2015: After a string of arson fires terrified thousands of residents, Police Chief Carl Sferrazza announced the arrest of a teenaged suspect in mid-March.
2016: Father Francis Kerwan, beloved pastor of Holy Family Church since its founding in 1965, died March 22 at age 99.
2017: The first Enfield High School graduation ceremony since its consolidation with Fermi High School took place on June 20, with 339 seniors receiving their diplomas.
2018: A tanker carrying over 8,000 gallons of gasoline rolled over on Exit 49 southbound of Interstate 91 on April 9, causing closure of the ramp for six days while cleanup of the roadway and adjacent neighborhood was performed.
2019: World War II U.S. Navy veteran and longtime activist for veterans' affairs Ted Plamondon died July 16. He was 93.
2020: Signs like this began popping up all over the country in mid-March, at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic.
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This article originally appeared on the Enfield Patch
