NORTHAMPTON — After five years of service to the city, Senior Services Director Kim Park will leave her position Aug. 21 to pursue a full-time career in photography.
Park joined the city in 2018 as assistant director of senior services, where she served for a year before returning in July 2022 as director. Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra credited Park with quickly earning the trust of staff, Senior Center patrons, community partners and colleagues through her “thoughtful leadership, steady presence and deep commitment to Northampton’s older adults.”
“Serving Northampton’s older adults has been one of the greatest privileges of my career,” Park said in the statement. “I’ve been fortunate to work alongside the mayor, an incredible staff, dedicated volunteers and a community that truly values its older adults. While I’m excited to pursue the next chapter of my career in photography, I will always be grateful for my time with the city of Northampton and the relationships I’ve built here.”
The city hopes to fill the director position as soon as possible, Sciarra said.
“While I’m excited that Director Park will be sharing her remarkable talent as a photographer with a wider audience, I am also deeply sorry to see her leave the city,” the mayor said in a statement. “Kim was one of the first department heads I appointed as mayor, and she immediately brought a sense of calm, competence and compassion to the Senior Center. We have seen membership and engagement blossom at the Senior Center, and that is a credit to the welcoming environment that Kim and her staff have created there.”
Coffee Chat closes
After only 15 months in business at 71 Pleasant St., the Coffee Chat cafe has closed its doors.
In a statement posted on Instagram last week, the business cited rising operating costs and lease complications as reasons why keeping the business open was “no longer feasible nor sustainable.”
“We did everything we could to push through and absorb these costs because we never wanted that burden to fall onto you,” the business told customers. “It simply wasn’t enough … after a year and a half of coffee, community and conversation, it is time for us to say goodbye.”
The business’ co-owner Karim Iharratane declined to comment when reached by phone Thursday.
In its social media post, Coffee Chat also thanked staff members for their “passion, creativity and kindness,” along with its customers and the community at-large for their support. The cafe also encouraged those who hold outstanding gift cards to contact the business using social media so that a full refund can be arranged.
“Whether you were on a trip, a casual stroll, or just giving us a try, thank you. You made this place better than it ever could be,” Coffee Chat wrote. “To Northampton: thank you for welcoming us, supporting a small local business, and making us a part of your daily routines. Thank you for every cup, every conversation and every memory.”
Schools receive Terrific Tray award
On the 80th anniversary of the National School Lunch Program, the state awarded Northampton Public Schools the 2026 Terrific Tray of the Year Award in recognition of its regionally-sourced school lunch.
The Terrific Tray competition, which is sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Office for Food and Nutrition Programs and Massachusetts Farm to School, invites school nutrition programs to submit a photo of visually appealing, culturally relevant menus that include regionally-sourced foods.
Winning districts, decided by a public vote, receive $2,500 from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation to reinvest in their school nutrition program.
Northampton’s award-winning meal featured the new “field fritter,” developed by Commonwealth Kitchen with peas grown in Maine, accompanied by carrots grown in Hadley, apples from New York, lettuce from Shirley, tzatziki and allergen-free hummus.
Former Northampton Superintendent of Schools Patricia Bonner, in a written statement, paid homage to the district’s Nutrition Manager Mistelle Hannah for the award, thanking her for her commitment to feeding students healthy and free meals.
“A huge congratulations to our incredible Freshampton team led by Mistelle Hannah,” Bonner wrote. “The team’s dedication to the Terrific Trays initiative ensures that healthy, locally sourced, and completely free school meals aren’t just a district goal — they’re a daily reality for our students. We remain committed to nourishing our community’s future, one fresh, delicious tray at a time.”
