What’s In This Issue?

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ANALYTICS 
(numbers in parentheses reflect the + or – change compared with the previous week.
Number of Unique Page Views:
Last 30 days: 23,139 (-1364)
Last Week: 5941 (+1099).
Number of Unique Sessions
Last 30 Days: 10,194 (-419)
Last Week: 2710 (+579)

TOP FIVE MOST READ STORIES LAST WEEK
1. Letter:  The Attached Image Shows How Proposed Garage Would Overpower Buildings On North Prospect Street by Suzannah Muspratt
2. Board of Health Hits Pause On Zero Waste Initiative. Notes Uptick In COVID Cases In Amherst by Art Keene
3. Wetlands Boundaries Disputed At Site Of The Proposed Eruptor Project In North Amherst by Maura Keene
4. Town Police And Fire Respond To Report Of Unresponsive Women At UMass Fraternity House
5. Letter: An Exchange Between Steve Bloom and Town Councilor Andy Steinberg On The Garage And Downtown Development by Steve Bloom and Andy Steinberg

WHAT”S IN THIS ISSUE?

NEW / BREAKING (News that’s been posted since last Saturday)

Almanac: Happy Solstice! by Stephen Braun

COVID-19 Update For The Week Of December 15, 2021 by Art and Maura Keene

Community Kwanzaa Celebration

Amherst Health Department Distributes At-Home Test Kits To Vulnerable Populations

A Better World Is Possible: How Community Land Trusts Create Affordable Housing by Anna Bergen

Letter: Amherst Firefighters Union Opposes Extension Of Chief’s Tenure by Ben Graham

ARTS
Parents to School Committee: Restore Elementary Art and Technology Teachers To Full Time by Toni Cunningham

Photo Of The Week: Stop-worthy Morning Skies By Vira Douangmany Cage

CAMPUS
UMass Facilitating A Fast And Fair Energy Transition

UMass Researchers Name Top Air And Water Polluters, Climate Gas Emitters In The U.S.

Mark The Winter Solstice At The UMass Amherst Sunwheel

CAPITAL PROJECTS / DEVELOPMENT
Planning Board Remains Firmly In The Grips Of Developers by Maura Keene

Developers Withdraw Application To Build The Eruptor, A Business Incubator, In North Amherst by Art Keene

MSBA Conference Sings the Praises of Renovation by Maria Kopicki

Public Comment: Critical Information Is Missing In Parking Facility Proposal by Ruth Hazzard

Letter: Council’s Plans For Garage Are Incomprehensible by Gerry Weiss

Letter: Vote No On Parking Facility Overlay And Let Town Planners Do Their Job by Ken Rosenthal

Letter: Will Proposed Parking Garage Cause The Demise Of The Downtown CVS by Sarah McKee

Opinion: Elementary School Building Project Moves Forward by Alison McDonald And Cathy Schoen

CLIMATE / ENVIRONMENT / NATURE
Almanac: Happy Solstice! by Stephen Braun

UMass Facilitating A Fast And Fair Energy Transition

UMass Researchers Name Top Air And Water Polluters, Climate Gas Emitters In The U.S.

Opinion: Remembering Marty Nathan w/ a reprise column by Marty Nathan

Opinion: Spice Up Your Talking About Climate – A Number For Each Day Of The Week by Russ Vernon-Jones

Almanac: Comet Hunting by Stephen Braun

Photo Of The Week: Stop-worthy Morning Skies By Vira Douangmany Cage

EVENTS
Community Kwanzaa Celebration

Mark The Winter Solstice At The UMass Amherst Sunwheel

FEATURES
Almanac: Happy Solstice! by Stephen Braun

A Better World Is Possible: How Community Land Trusts Create Affordable Housing by Ana Bergen

Survey Indicates Most Oppose Parking Garage Rezoning by Jeff Lee

Almanac: Comet Hunting by Stephen Braun

From Other Sources: News For And About Amherst (#42). This Week: Fascism, COVID-19, Local News Roundup. by Art Keene

Photo Of The Week: Stop-worthy Morning Skies By Vira Douangmany Cage

IN MEMORIAM
bell hooks obituary by Margaret Busby

Opinion: Remembering Marty Nathan w/ a reprise column by Marty Nathan

ISSUES & ANALYSES
Issues & Analyses: Government For The Greater Good. What You Need To Know About Conflicts-Of-Interest by Kitty Axelson-Berry

LIBRARY
Jones Trustees Laud Chris Hoffman, Kent Faerber at December Meeting by Jeff Lee

OPINION
Letter: Amherst Firefighters Union Opposes Extension Of Chief’s Tenure by Ben Graham

Public Comment: We Have Bylaws On The Books To Regulate Rogue Lawn Signs But Nothing For Industrial Solar Arrays by Michael Lipinski

Public Comment: Critical Information Is Missing In Parking Facility Proposal by Ruth Hazzard

Letter: Council’s Plans For Garage Are Incomprehensible by Gerry Weiss

Letter: Vote No On Parking Facility Overlay And Let Town Planners Do Their Job by Ken Rosenthal

Letter: Will Proposed Parking Garage Cause The Demise Of The Downtown CVS by Sarah McKee

Opinion: Remembering Marty Nathan w/ a reprise column by Marty Nathan

Opinion: Spice Up Your Talking About Climate – A Number For Each Day Of The Week by Russ Vernon-Jones

Opinion: Elementary School Building Project Moves Forward by Allison McDonald and Cathy Schoen

Opinion: Now More Than Ever, Town Council Needs A Citizen Advisory Committee by Meg Gage

PARKING
Public Comment: Critical Information Is Missing In Parking Facility Proposal by Ruth Hazzard

Letter: Council’s Plans For Garage Are Incomprehensible by Gerry Weiss

Letter: Vote No On Parking Facility Overlay And Let Town Planners Do Their Job by Ken Rosenthal

Letter: Will Proposed Parking Garage Cause The Demise Of The Downtown CVS by Sarah McKee

Survey Indicates Most Oppose Parking Garage Rezoning by Jeff Lee

POLICE AND FIRE
Letter: Amherst Firefighters Union Opposes Extension Of Chief’s Tenure by Ben Graham

Amherst Creates New Departments To Address Racial Equity and Community Safety

Amherst’s William Laramee Recipient Of The Richard Werenski Police Officer Of The Year Award

PUBLIC HEALTH
COVID-19 Update For The Week Of December 15, 2021 by Art and Maura Keene

Amherst Health Department Distributes At-Home Test Kits To Vulnerable Populations

Huge Spike In COVID-19 Cases Prompts Northampton Board Of Health To Ramp Up Testing, Urge Vaccination

COVID-19 Update For The Week Of December 15, 2021 by Art and Maura Keene

Amherst Among High Need Communities Slated To Receive COVID At Home Rapid Tests

From Other Sources: News For And About Amherst (#42). This Week: Fascism, COVID-19, Local News Roundup. by Art Keene

SCHOOLS
Excitement Expressed As School Building Project Officially Launched by Toni Cunningham

MSBA Conference Sings the Praises of Renovation by Maria Kopicki

Parents to School Committee: Restore Elementary Art and Technology Teachers To Full Time by Toni Cunningham

Opinion: Elementary School Building Project Moves Forward by Allison McDonald and Cathy Schoen

SOCIAL JUSTICE
bell hooks obituary by Margaret Busby

Amherst Creates New Departments To Address Racial Equity and Community Safety

SOLAR
Planning Board Remains Firmly In The Grips Of Developers by Maura Keene

Public Comment: We Have Bylaws On The Books To Regulate Rogue Lawn Signs But Nothing For Industrial Solar Arrays by Michael Lipinski

TAXES
Tax Credit Available For Donors To Valley Community Development Corporation

TOWN GOVERNMENT
Planning Board Remains Firmly In The Grips Of Developers by Maura Keene

Excitement Expressed As School Building Project Officially Launched by Toni Cunningham

Amherst Creates New Departments To Address Racial Equity and Community Safety

With Zoning Amendment Votes Postponed, Council Addresses Routine Matters Expeditiously by Maura Keene

Issues & Analyses: Government For The Greater Good. What You Need To Know About Conflicts-Of-Interest by Kitty Axelson-Berry

Public Comment: We Have Bylaws On The Books To Regulate Rogue Lawn Signs But Nothing For Industrial Solar Arrays by Michael Lipinski

Opinion: Now More Than Ever, Town Council Needs A Citizen Advisory Committee by Meg Gage