With the publication of this issue, we mark 24 years of connecting Farmington Valley businesses and residents with The Valley Book. Encouraging people to patronize local businesses is the most important part of what The Valley Book does, especially at a time when on-line purchasing and big box stores have made it increasingly difficult for local companies to compete. And now that the COVID has largely passed, Farmington Valley residents need to come together to patronize their local businesses and help them do better than ever.

In recent years we began a new program to customize advertising packages for local businesses. These include:

• Beautiful full-page Department Leader photos taken by our incredibly talented photographers directly opposite full page ads designed by our first-rate graphic artist;

• And advertising packages that include articles profiling local businesses, along with photos of their locations, products, owners, and employees.

All of these options provide local businesses with a unique message tailored by our talented staff to connect them with local residents and presented in the highest quality format by direct mail and carefully targeted additional circulation. Anyone interested in talking about these options can contact Steve Walsh on his cell phone at 860-670-6575 or steve@webbooksct.com.

I would also like to reintroduce my son Dan, pictured with me above, to the Farmington Valley community. Dan has completed his third sales season for The Valley Book, which is now a real family business. He has made an incredible contribution as Marketing Director and by all accounts has represented Distinctive Directories with the highest level of professionalism and personal connection. We are excited and grateful to have the valuable addition of his youthful energy, talent, and enthusiasm.

So please use your latest edition of The Valley Book as a resource to commit a larger percentage of your purchasing power to the wide variety of local businesses presented in our 17 departments. You will increase the quality and usefulness of the products and services that you buy while protecting the character and charm of our local community. And you will help those businesses thrive after a long and unprecedented struggle.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the incredibly talented staff and freelancers (listed on page 17) who produced this 24th Annual Edition of The Valley Book, including the writers, editors, photographers, illustrators, graphic artists, salespeople, and office staff. I am very proud of your efforts and extremely grateful for the honor of working with you.