As 2024 comes to an end, We-Ha.com looks back at West Hartford’s most read stories of the year.

By Ronni Newton

Happy New Year, and a hearty welcome to 2025!

Each year at this time I like to take a look back at which stories and topics were the most popular with our readers. I review our stats on Google Analytics every day, but when I take a look back at a full year’s worth of data, I’m still often surprised by some of the stories that make the top-10 list.

As is often the case, the public is drawn to articles about tragic events, and this year was no exception. Also not surprising is that three Business Buzz columns were among the top 10. Food-related and other business stories were also among the top reads, along with several features.

Animal stories are often at the top of the list, but while a story about a bear wandering through Blue Back Square in late May was in the top 20 for 2024, none were in the top 10. I do love a good animal story, and am hoping we have some fun ones in 2025!

We-Ha.com celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024, and I am so proud of reaching that decade milestone, of the growth in readership, and of the service we are able to provide to the West Hartford community. Since our inception, more than 21,500 articles have been published on the We-Ha.com site.

As planned, we refreshed our template in 2024, and I hope you enjoy the new look. We met our goal of securing a sports sponsorship (thanks to Keating Agency Insurance), and recently added classified ads, games, and West Hartford-themed merchandise to the site. If you’re interested in the details of sponsorship, contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.

This year our readership again was well over 3 million page views, from nearly a million unique visitors. While some people access We-Ha.com from our Monday/Wednesday/Friday morning newsletter, which has roughly 10,000 subscribers, others are engaged through social media posts, and others find us by going directly to the home page or searching for news stories. Facebook continues to be our busiest and most engaged social media platform, and as of late December we had 16,098 Facebook followers, an increase of 1,378 (9.4%) from this time a year ago. I am not a very frequent poster on X, and our number of X followers has dropped a bit, from 4,400 to 4,300, as many have left that social media platform. I have set up “Threads” and “Bluesky” accounts, but they’re in my personal name and I haven’t yet started using them for sharing news stories. But despite my [still] not doing a very good job posting regularly, we now have 4,084 followers 3,674 followers on our Instagram account (@westhartfordite), 410 (11.2%) more than we had at this time last year!

In collaboration with 2020 Media we launched a podcast in 2023 and we have continued to record podcasts throughout this year. You can find those episodes here as well as on your favorite podcast platform (Spotify, Apple, etc.).

Our regular columns continue to be very popular, including Jeff Murray’s “From the West Hartford Archives” (the April 11, 2024 column about the abandoned highway was in our top 20) and Harlan Levy’s “Consumer Diary.” I continue to be extremely grateful for the unique voices these West Hartford residents bring to the We-Ha.com site.

I am also thankful for the continued contributions of sports reporter Paul Palmer, the great work over the summer by second-year intern Bridget Bronsdon and newcomer Kaley Martinez, and the assistance of various freelancers. Many thanks to Craig Rosenberg, Howie Lam (now off at UConn), Fox Mace, Grayson Rivers, and other contributors and freelancers for their fantastic work as well.

We-Ha.com is a small, locally-owned business. The site is primarily advertiser supported and we remain committed to providing our content without a paywall. And while I try to personally stay away from that side of the business, I firmly believe that an ad on We-Ha.com is one of the best ways to get exposure in the local market (there are a lot of eyeballs on the site, and the ads appear on all pages).

Because it’s tough to survive on the advertiser-supported model, three years ago we added a way for readers to provide direct support for our mission, and we thank those who have already contributed through PressPatron.com. At the bottom of this article, and at the bottom of every article (or in the top righthand corner of the home page), there is a blue “Become a Supporter” button. If you are able and so inclined, we welcome your support.

Also, please don’t ever hesitate to email your suggestions or comments to me at [email protected].

Thanks for reading!!

Here are our Top 10 of 2024:

• Topping the list of the most-read stories, with 36,584 page views: Second Fire Destroys Clubhouse at Wampanoag Country Club in West Hartford. In the early morning hours of Sunday, April 21, 2024, a second blaze in as many days erupted into an inferno, and the resulting damage was so devastating that the structure was a total loss. The first fire, early Saturday morning, had caused extensive but reparable damage but instead of immediately moving forward with their plans for repair, club leadership and members pivoted and on Monday embarked on a “Build Back Better” campaign with the goal of rebuilding a clubhouse by 2025. Exactly seven months after the first fire, on Nov. 20, 2024, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held for the new clubhouse, which occupies roughly the same footprint but will include modern amenities on two floors, outdoor terraces with views of the golf course, and flexible event space. The cause of the initial fire has not been determined, but days after the incident officials did state that it did not appear to have been intentionally set. I’m often asked how I learn about things that happen in town, and in the case of the the second fire, at about 2:40 a.m. on Sunday I received messages with photos of the inferno from two residents who live near Wampanoag. I was asleep, but saw the messages at a very early hour because our then-9-month-old grandchild, whom we were watching over that weekend, decided it was wake-up time.

• Coming in at a close second, with 35,702 page views, was the following news that broke on May, 7, 2024: Award-Winning West Hartford Restaurant Opening New Location after Prominent Blue Back Square Business Closes. Here’s my lede from that story: “It might sound cliché, but the saying ‘When one door closes another one opens’ will certainly ring true in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square and there’s reason for excitement as the announcement of the closing of Rosa Mexicano this week is concurrent with the news that Coracora – an award-winning, family-run Peruvian restaurant serving made-from-scratch food – will be taking over the space.” I’ve gotten a few peeks at the build-out underway for Coracora at 51 Isham Road, and can’t wait for the opening of the new restaurant, hopefully in early 2025. Coracora continues to receive accolades, including another nod as a James Beard semi-finalist in 2024. If you’re craving Peruvian food, the original Coracora restaurant at 162 Shield Street is open daily, and that location will remain open even after the new restaurant opens.
• Our readers do love restaurant stories, and while they may be picky about what they eat, they are pretty much as equally ready to consume news about fast food and fast casual as they are about fine dining. I’d been following up on rumors, and in touch with the building owner and other sources for quite some time, and knew there would be great interest when on Aug 26 I broke what needed up being our No. 3 story of the year: New Tenant Signs Lease for Former McDonald’s in West Hartford about the plans for Chick-fil-A to open their second West Hartford location, at 2534 Albany Avenue in Bishops Corner. The build-out is progressing, and Chick-fil-A hopes to open in the spring.
• The No. 4 story in 2024 was the the news in May: Conard Principal Announces Resignation. Jamahl Hines had been on medical leave since the previous fall, and in May announced his plans to officially step down as of the end of the 2023-2024 academic year. Jocelyn Tamborello-Noble, who had been serving as interim principal at Conard High School, was officially named to the position on a permanent basis in June 2024.
• As noted above, people do tend to read about tragedy, and an extremely sad story is fifth on the list for 2024. Support Services Being Offered Following Unexpected Death of West Hartford Teen provided information from West Hartford Public Schools following the death in early August of a rising senior at Hall High School.
• On a much happier note, the No. 6 story was West Hartford Ready to Celebrate! Again – complete details about West Hartford’s signature two-day Celebrate! West Hartford festival, held annually in June. I’ve been on the Celebrate! Committee for 10 years, and am pleased to report that plans are moving ahead for another great event in the coming year. Mark your calendars for June 7-8, 2025!
• The weekly Business Buzz that highlights our Monday newsletter has consistently been the overall most well-read feature on the We-Ha.com site, and this year there are three Business Buzz columns that on their own made the top 10 with close to 20,000 page views each. Coming in at No. 7 is West Hartford Business Buzz: July 15, 2024 – with the lead item being … wait for it … Park Lane Pizza. A favorite topic on Facebook has been the recurring “in 2 weeks” estimate given for the reopening plans. Yes, it’s now been almost a year. I do not have any new updates beyond the photos I provided in last week’s Business Buzz column of the virtually complete dining area as seen through the front windows, but I’ll continue to share whatever information I can confirm. My intro to the July 15 column also had a “then and now” look on the 5-year anniversary of our dog Millie’s “gotcha day,” but as much as people do seem to like updates about her I don’t think that’s what drew the readers! Also included among the top 10 stories of 2024 were the Business Buzz columns of June 17, 2024 (featuring Trader Joe’s expansion) and September 16, 2024 (featuring another Park Lane update!). And just out of the top 10, several other columns were in the top 20, including February 5, 2024 (planned transition of Americana to Salt + Lime), July 29, 2024 (planned transition of Halfway to Crush Wine Bar), and September 23, 2024 (planned opening of Gveenah in Black Bamboo’s previous location).

• Since I lumped all of the Business Buzz columns together (although if I really did that they would be by far in the top slot), the No. 8 ranking goes to West Hartford Halloween House Dominated by Statue of ‘Liberty’ and Strong Messages About Democracy. I’ve been interviewing West Hartford resident and CCSU Professor Matt Warshauer about his politically-themed Halloween displays every year since 2011 – and this is not the first year a Halloween House story has made the list of top stories. I truly enjoy our annual conversations and writing about his displays, but he did say 2024 was going to be the last year of “Political Halloween.”
• The Center Park Place development will see 58 luxury condominiums rise from the underutilized space currently occupied by an asphalt parking lot, and in May, our No. 9 top story was the announcement: Luxury West Hartford Condominiums Now on the Market. In early December, Kate D’Addabbo, a luxury real estate specialist with Coldwell Banker’s West Hartford office, said 17 of the units have already been reserved. Center Park Place is the first phase of an infill development project approved 8-1 by the West Hartford Town Council in December 2022. Plans to develop the property date back to at least 2016 when a proposal for increased density in the central business district (Zone BC) was submitted but was rejected. In 2017 the Town Council approved an “incentive zoning” ordinance, which allows for some level of increased density in exchange for infill development and certain amenities such as public parks and architecturally-screened and at least partially below-grade garage parking. This is the first application to fall under that ordinance. In early December, the first visible sign of the future development was the demolition of one of two buildings on Arapahoe Road. After Center Park Place, the second phase of the project, by developer Arapahoe Group LLC, will be the construction of a 25-unit apartment building – 75 LaSalle – at the northwest corner of LaSalle Road and Arapahoe Road in what is currently the parking lot of the Webster Bank building.
• The news was bittersweet when the owner of the former Corner Pug decided to retire, but shortly thereafter highly-regarded local chef Ashley Flagg announced her plans to take over the space and “put lipstick on the pug” while creating her passion project – an approachable restaurant featuring sharable plates as well as some comfort food staples like those served at the Corner Pug. The Laurel to Open in Former Corner Pug Space with ‘Globally-Inspired, Locally-Sourced’ Menu was a welcome announcement in July, rounding out our top 10 stories of the year. Flagg has been moving along with updates to the space, and they are hiring for front- and back-of the house positions. When I last checked with Flagg in November, they were on track for an early 2025 opening.

One item that continues to resonate is a blog post written by resident Adria Giordano in the fall of 2021 when her oldest daughter was about to embark on her college journey. While that daughter is now a senior, and her youngest is a freshman in college, Giordano’s touching, heartfelt, and timeless message continues to have impact long after the initial publication date. One Mom’s View … A Letter to My Daughter as She Leaves for College has appeared in our top 10 list the past few years (it was No. 4 last year, with 19,715 page views), and while fewer people read it in 2024, it still had 13,754 page views and was among the top 20.

I spent more than a decade as a features writer and lifestyle magazine editor prior to making the move to hyperlocal news in 2010. When I think back on my favorite stories from the past year, it’s definitely the positive stories and features that top my personal list, including covering the opening of new restaurants, activities involving our local nonprofits, and events that strongly incorporate photojournalism such as parades, the Morley Red Wagon Food Drive, and graduations.

At one point several months ago I counted up all of the stories I had written about the former UConn campus property, dating back to 2012, when I covered (for another media outlet) the announcement by UConn of their plans to move. I was up to 75 stories over time, and I’m sure I’ll eventually reach 100! Next up (as far as I know now) will be the public hearing with the Town Council scheduled for Feb. 11, 2025 for the rezoning and creation of a Special Development District for the 1800 Asylum Avenue portion of the property.

We continue to try to find as many as possible positive “silver lining” stories to share, along with covering the difficult news, and I’m sure there will be plenty of great stories to tell in 2025.

I look forward to another year of bringing hyperlocal news to West Hartford!

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