What’s In This Issue?
Photo: Dreamtime
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ANALYTICS
(numbers in parentheses reflect the + or – change since last week)
Number of Unique Page Views:
Last 30 days: 20,387 (+1269)
Last Week: 4677 (+196)
Number of Unique Sessions
Last 30 Days: 10,077 (+528)
Last Week: 2126 (-1166)
MOST READ ARTICLES IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY
1. Letter: Appreciation For Educators And Community – by Sheilah Jones et. al.
2. Fort River Elementary School Leadership Stepping Down in June – by Toni Cunningham
3. Finance Director Introduces New Plan To Complete Four Major Building Projects Over Next Five Years – by Art Keene
4. Parents Voice Concerns Over Prolonged Remote Learning As Effort Is Launched For Partial School Reopening In March – by Marla Goldberg Jamate
5. Active COVID-19 Cases At UMass Climb Past 600 – by Marla Goldberg Jamate
MOST READ ARTICLES LAST WEEK
1. Finance Director Introduces New Plan To Complete Four Major Building Projects Over Next Five Years – by Art Keene
2. School Reopening Plan Is Very Limited As Most Teachers Choose to Stay Remote – by Marla Goldberg Jamate
3. Juvenescence: In Response To Pandemic Lockdown, Area Youth Start Businesses – by Annalise Peterson
4. Average Water/Sewer Bills Projected To Rise By $420/year by 2025 – by Toni Cunningham
5. Opinion: Don’t Ignore The Needs Of Crocker Farm – by Maria Kopicki
WHAT”S IN THIS ISSUE?
ARTS & CULTURE
Culture Club: Good Times in Gloomhaven by William Kaizen
Photo Of The Week: An Indy February Gallery by Art Keene
CAMPUS
Free Webinar On COVID-19 Vaccine
UMass Presents Panel Discussion On Disaster Capitalism, Ecofascism and Euroauthoritarianism
UMass Research Shows Black Lives Matter Protests Associated With Decrease In Police Homicides
CAPITAL PLAN
Building Plan Would Squeeze Budgets And Force Staff Cuts by Toni Cunningham
Public Forums And Workshops Scheduled To Explore Proposed Major Capital Projects
Soft Launch For Digital Public Engagement Platform by Toni Cunningham
Town Council Views Presentation On Proposed Jones Library Expansion by Maura Keene
Letter: Capital Plan Portends Substantial Property Tax Increases For Amherst Residents by Craig Meadows
Letter: Proposed Spending Caps For Capital Projects Are Unrealistic by Christina Platt
CLIMATE / ENVIRONMENT
Energy And Climate Action Committee Looks At Housing Policy Draft by Annalise Peterson
Opinion: Plastics – Another Front In The Campaign To Save Our Climate And Health by Russ Vernon-Jones
Opinion: A Zero Waste Planet For All Seasons by Laura Rojo MacLeod
Almanac: Sweet Sign Of Spring by Stephen Braun
COVID-19
Labor Department Finding In Melrose Case Could Impact Amherst School Reopening Decision by Marla Goldberg Jamate
Amherst Health Director Rescinds Temporary Emergency Order
Northampton And Amherst Approved As Collaborative Regional Vaccination Site
Free Webinar On COVID-19 Vaccine
COVID-19 Daily Update by Art and Maura Keene
EVENTS
Public Forums And Workshops Scheduled To Explore Proposed Major Capital Projects
Free Webinar On COVID-19 Vaccine
UMass Presents Panel Discussion On Disaster Capitalism, Ecofascism and Euroauthoritarianism
FEATURES
Two Massachusetts Court Cases Helped Set The Precedent For Abolition Of Slavery by Ben Herrington
Culture Club: Good Times in Gloomhaven by William Kaizen
Almanac: Sweet Sign Of Spring by Stephen Braun
Town Manager Report For February 22, 2021
Photo Of The Week: An Indy February Gallery by Art Keene
HOUSING
Energy And Climate Action Committee Looks At Housing Policy Draft by Annalise Peterson
Planning Board Hears New Proposal To Increase Housing In The Limited Business Zone by Maura Keene
Letter: Increasing Density In RG Zone Will Destroy The Character Of The Neighborhoods Without Adding Economic Benefits by Myra Ross
Letter: Don’t Let Dense Student Housing Downtown Crowd Out What Makes Amherst Center A Nice Place To Be by Ira Bryck
LETTERS / OPINION
Letter: Capital Plan Portends Substantial Property Tax Increases For Amherst Residents by Craig Meadows
Letter: Proposed Spending Caps For Capital Projects Are Unrealistic by Christina Platt
Letter: Jones Library Presentation Leaves Questions Unanswered by Kay Lisseck
Letter: Increasing Density In RG Zone Will Destroy The Character Of The Neighborhoods Without Adding Economic Benefits by Myra Ross
Letter: Don’t Let Dense Student Housing Downtown Crowd Out What Makes Amherst Center A Nice Place To Be by Ira Bryck
Opinion: Jones Library Presentation – The Medium Created The Misleading Message by Terry S. Johnson
Opinion: Plastics – Another Front In The Campaign To Save Our Climate And Health by Russ Vernon-Jones
Opinion: A Zero Waste Planet For All Seasons by Laura Rojo MacLeod
LIBRARY
Town Council Views Presentation On Proposed Jones Library Expansion by Maura Keene
Letter: Jones Library Presentation Leaves Questions Unanswered by Kay Lisseck
Opinion: Jones Library Presentation – The Medium Created The Misleading Message by Terry S. Johnson
POLICE
UMass Research Shows Black Lives Matter Protests Associated With Decrease In Police Homicides
SCHOOLS
Labor Department Finding In Melrose Case Could Impact Amherst School Reopening Decision by Marla Goldberg Jamate
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Town Council Discusses Proposed Zoning Changes, Funds to Combat Racism by Maura Keene
UMass Presents Panel Discussion On Disaster Capitalism, Ecofascism and Euroauthoritarianism
Two Massachusetts Court Cases Helped Set The Precedent For Abolition Of Slavery by Ben Herrington
TOWN GOVERNMENT
Building Plan Would Squeeze Budgets And Force Staff Cuts by Toni Cunningham
Soft Launch For Digital Public Engagement Platform by Toni Cunningham
Energy And Climate Action Committee Looks At Housing Policy Draft by Annalise Peterson
Town Council Views Presentation On Proposed Jones Library Expansion by Maura Keene
Town Council Discusses Proposed Zoning Changes, Funds to Combat Racism by Maura Keene
Sue Audette Appointed As Amherst Town Clerk
Town Manager Report For February 22, 2021
ZONING
Planning Board Hears New Proposal To Increase Housing In The Limited Business Zone by Maura Keene
Town Council Discusses Proposed Zoning Changes, Funds to Combat Racism by Maura Keene
Letter: Increasing Density In RG Zone Will Destroy The Character Of The Neighborhoods Without Adding Economic Benefits by Myra Ross
Letter: Don’t Let Dense Student Housing Downtown Crowd Out What Makes Amherst Center A Nice Place To Be by Ira Bryck