It was March 6, exactly 28 years ago today, when Hometown Weekly delivered its first newspapers. This pivotal date marks the start of one of the area’s most successful and enduring local newspaper chains. Launched in 1997, this enterprise was the undertaking of two young entrepreneurs, Paul Stanton and Michael DeSario, colleagues at the former Suburban World Newspapers in Needham. Their goal with Hometown Weekly was to bring community news, local feature stories, and business information to residents in the area, all while providing an affordable advertising platform for local businesses.
Originally, the paper was delivered to the mailboxes of more than 12,000 residents in Medfield, Dover, and Westwood via the U.S. Postal Service. The front-page headline of the March 6, 1997 edition read, “Here Comes Spring: Redecorating Is Easier Than You Think!” written by local resident Linda Sussman.
Businesses like Hale Reservation Summer Camps, Gymnastics Academy of Boston, Nobles Day Camp, and Jordan Insurance Company were among the advertisers featured on the front page of the inaugural edition.
Over the next few years, The Hometown Weekly expanded its circulation to include Walpole, Sherborn, and eventually Needham and Wellesley. As circulation grew, so did the company. From its humble beginnings with just two employees, Hometown Publications LLC has employed hundreds of dedicated staffers through the years, all of whom have played an integral role in bringing the weekly paper to homes each and every week.
While 28 is an impressive milestone, other numbers are equally noteworthy. The Hometown Weekly has been delivered directly to mailboxes for more than 1,455 weeks, amounting to roughly 160,000 unique editions. Staying true to its hometown roots, the paper has been headquartered in four different Medfield locations: Main Street, Park Street, Janes Avenue, and currently North Meadows Road. The company has also utilized four different printers in multiple states, the farthest being in Trumbull, Connecticut; nearly 2.5 hours away. There have been three major paper redesigns over the years, each resulting in a different-sized final product. Today, The Hometown Weekly has a circulation of more than 39,000 homes and businesses in six of MetroWest’s most desirable towns. While the exact number of circulated papers over the last 28 years is hard to pinpoint, the paper is on track to print and deliver more than 2 million copies in 2025 alone: a staggering figure, even for two young entrepreneurs starting out more than 28 years ago.
Happy 28th birthday to The Hometown Weekly! Thank you to all the advertisers, readers, sales representatives, writers, and designers who have been part of this journey. It is truly because of you that we have thrived for nearly three decades. Here’s to imagining what the next 28 years will bring.
