What’s In This Issue?

Dear Reader:
Welcome to our Table of Contents. We are still tweaking our design. Please let us know if you find this feature helpful. You can find the Table of Contents for this issue just below the analytics.

You can also receive a listing of all new items in the Indy each week by subscribing here. The subscription is free and will deliver to your inbox a listing of all new content, each Saturday at 6 AM. We can assure you that we will not share your email address, nor will we send you any additional emails to clog up your inbox (except in the case of truly urgent breaking news, in which case we’ll send out a special dispatch). 

Analytics
We have now acquired a month of analytical data on Indy readers.
Here are a few statistics.

Number of Unique Page Views:
Last Week: 3985
Last 30 days: 15,232

Number of Unique Sessions
Last Week: 2084
Last 30 Days: 7,802

The Five Most-read stories from last week were:
1. Letter: Student Parties Will Inevitably Produce A COVID-19 Surge In Amherst by Ira Bryck
2. School District and Union Reach Agreement
3. Public School Return Dates and Remote Learning in Flux Amid Impasse With Union by Marla Goldberg Jamate
4. Letter: Vanderbilt University Imposes Severe Sanctions For Student Violations Of COVID-19 Policies by Richard Sclove
5. Six Candidates Vie For Three Open Seats On Planning Board – by Maura Keene

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE? NEW POSTINGS TO THE INDY, SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 TO SATURDAY AUGUST 29

CAMPUSES AND SCHOOLS
Opinion: Reflecting On My Senior Year Without Cross Country by Annalise Peterson

Virtual Community Forum Scheduled to Discuss Joint UMass-Town Efforts To Mitigate Spread Of COVID-19

UMass Puts 850 Dining Hall And Residence Hall Staff on Indefinite Furlough

New Parents’ Organization Presses for Careful Return to School Buildings as District and Unions Continue Negotiations by Marla Goldberg Jamate

COVID-19
COVID-19 Daily Update by Art and Maura Keene

Letter: UMass Needs Rigorous Policy For Monitoring Off-Campus Students by Stephen Braun

Letter: Second Thoughts On Vanderbilt’s Strict COVID-19 Policies by Richard Sclove

Town Establishes Hotline To Field COVID-19 Questions And Complaints About Parties

Virtual Community Forum Scheduled to Discuss Joint UMass-Town Efforts To Mitigate Spread Of COVID-19

New Parents’ Organization Presses for Careful Return to School Buildings as District and Unions Continue Negotiations by Marla Goldberg Jamate

ENVIRONMENT
Opinion: Is There Still Time? by Russ Vernon-Jones

FEATURES
Photo Of The Week: An Indy Gallery by Art Keene

Fact Check: This Week at the Jones Library August 23 – 29. Questions About Energy and Sustainability by Terry S. Johnson

HOUSING
Opinion: A Tale Of Two Cities. Housing Inaccessibility In The Town Of Amherst by Timothy Scalona

ZBA Continues to Hear Testimony On Supportive Housing Project At 132 Northampton Road by Hilda Greenbaum

LIBRARIES
Fact Check: This Week at the Jones Library August 23 – 29. Questions About Energy and Sustainability by Terry S. Johnson

Jones Library Seeks Comments for Director’s Annual Evaluation

Library Chat with Jones Library’s Sustainability Committee

OPINION & LETTERS
Opinion: Is There Still Time? by Russ Vernon-Jones

Opinion: Reflecting On My Senior Year Without Cross Country by Annalise Peterson

Opinion: A Tale Of Two Cities. Housing Inaccessibility In The Town Of Amherst by Timothy Scalona

Opinion: CRC’s Shameful Recommendation To Not Reappoint Michael Birtwistle To Planning Board Should Be Rejected By Full Council by Maura and Art Keene

Letter: UMass Needs Rigorous Policy For Monitoring Off-Campus Students by Stephen Braun

Letter: Markey Not Accessible To His Constituents by Mary Wentworth

Letter: Why Markey Is My Choice by Hyat Imam

Letter: Racial Equity And Social Justice Should Be Woven Into Each Of Amherst’s Policy And Management Goals by The Racial Equity Task Force

Letter: Second Thoughts On Vanderbilt’s Strict COVID-19 Policies by Richard Sclove

TOWN GOVERNMENT
Opinion: CRC’s Shameful Recommendation To Not Reappoint Michael Birtwistle To Planning Board Should Be Rejected By Full Council by Maura and Art Keene

Letter: Racial Equity And Social Justice Should Be Woven Into Each Of Amherst’s Policy And Management Goals by The Racial Equity Task Force

Towns Seek Poll Workers for November Election

Town Establishes Hotline To Field COVID-19 Questions And Complaints About Parties

Virtual Community Forum Scheduled to Discuss Joint UMass-Town Efforts To Mitigate Spread Of COVID-19

ZBA Continues to Hear Testimony On Supportive Housing Project At 132 Northampton Road by Hilda Greenbaum

CRC Rejects Veteran Planning Board Member by Hilda Greenbaum