What’s In This Issue?

Welcome to our Table of Contents. You can also receive a listing of all new items in the Indy each week by signing up  here. The subscription is free and will deliver to your inbox a listing of all new content, each Saturday at 6 a.m. 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  .
(numbers in parentheses reflect the + or – change compared with the previous week.
Number of Unique Page Views:
Last 30 days: 27,075 (-1038)
Last Week: 6254 (-165).
Number of Unique Sessions
Last 30 Days: 13,122 (-835)
Last Week: 3088 (-55)

LOOK HERE FOR OUR YEAR-END 2021 SUMMARY STATS

TOP FIVE MOST-READ ARTICLES LAST WEEK
1. Public Comment: Personal Testimony On Growing Up Black In Amherst by Alexis Reed
2.Board Of Health Rescinds Indoor Mask Mandate by Maura Keene
3. School Building Project Clears Two Hurdles by Toni Cunningham
4. Opinion: My Conversations With Andy Churchill by Meg Gage
5. Dear Reader by Art Keene

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE?
NEW / BREAKING
Public Comment: Trees In Sunset And Fearing Neighborhood Should Be Preserved by Paige Wilder
Amherst Ceremony Calls For End To War In Ukraine by Art Keene
Opinion: Love Justice And Climate Change. Climate Change And The War In Ukraine  Russ Vernon-Jones
COVID-19 Weekly Update For The Week Of March 23, 2022 by Art and Maura Keene

ARTS
National Evening Of Science On Screen On March 22
New Exhibit By Diane Steingart At Gallery A3

CAMPUS
Mark The Spring Equinox On March 20 At The UMass Amherst Sunwheel

CLIMATE / ENVIRONMENT / NATURE
Amherst High School Students Seek Community Support To Plant 405 Trees In Town by Art Keene
Opinion:Don’t Weaken Amherst’s Net-Zero Bylaw by Rudy Perkins, Anne Perkins and Christopher Riddle
Almanac: Mind Of A Squirrel by Stephen Braun

DOWNTOWN
Letter: Form Based Code Is Fine If It Is Specific by Ira Bryck
Opinion: A Civil Conversation, Part 3 by Andy Churchill and Meg Gage

ETHICS / TRANSPARENCY
Jo Comerford, ACLU Push For Permanent Remote Access To Public Meetings by Jeff Lee
Opinion: Why Can’t Amherst Have What Littleton, Massachusetts Has? by Ira Bryck

EVENTS
Mark The Spring Equinox On March 20 At The UMass Amherst Sunwheel
Rally For Immigration Justice On March 21
National Evening Of Science On Screen On March 22
Community Chat On Jones Library Building Project Planned For March 25

FEATURES
Almanac: Mind Of A Squirrel by Stephen Braun
A Better World Is Possible:  The Corsi-Rosenthal Box by Art Keene
Photo Of The Week. Amherst Fire Fighters Respond To A Vehicle Fire. By Amherst Fire Fighters Local 1764

HOUSING
Sunset–Fearing Townhouse Project Moves Forward by Maura Keene
Town Selects Way Finders To Develop Two Affordable Housing Projects

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

New Preservation Restriction For Jones Library Only Requires Preservation Of Building’s Exterior by Hilda Greenbaum

LIBRARY
Community Chat On Jones Library Building Project Planned For March 25
New Preservation Restriction For Jones Library Only Requires Preservation Of Building’s Exterior by Hilda Greenbaum

OPINION
Letter: Form Based Code Is Fine If It Is Specific by Ira Bryck
Opinion: Jennifer Shiao’s School Committee Blog. Regional School Committee Approves High School Track And Field Project by Jennifer Shiao
Opinion:Don’t Weaken Amherst’s Net-Zero Bylaw by Rudy Perkins, Anne Perkins and Christopher Riddle
Opinion: Why Can’t Amherst Have What Littleton, Massachusetts Has? by Ira Bryck
Opinion: A Civil Conversation, Part 3 by Andy Churchill and Meg Gage
Opinion: Once Again, America Is In Denial About Signs Of A Fresh Covid Wave by Eric Topol (for the Guardian)

PUBLIC HEALTH / PUBLIC SAFETY
State Announces Downsizing Of “Stop The Spread” COVID-19 Testing Program. Amherst And Holyoke Sites To Close On April 1
COVID-19 Weekly Update For The Week Of March 16, 2022 by Art and Maura Keene
Opinion: Once Again, America Is In Denial About Signs Of A Fresh Covid Wave by Eric Topol (for the Guardian)
Photo Of The Week. Amherst Fire Fighters Respond To A Vehicle Fire. By Amherst Fire Fighters Local 1764

SCHOOLS
Amherst High School Students Seek Community Support To Plant 405 Trees In Townby Art Keene
Opinion: Jennifer Shiao’s School Committee Blog. Regional School Committee Approves High School Track And Field Project by Jennifer Shiao

SCIENCE
COVID-19 Weekly Update For The Week Of March 16, 2022 by Art and Maura Keene
Mark The Spring Equinox On March 20 At The UMass Amherst Sunwheel
National Evening Of Science On Screen On March 22
Almanac: Mind Of A Squirrel by Stephen Braun
A Better World Is Possible:  The Corsi-Rosenthal Box by Art Keene

SOCIAL JUSTICE
Jo Comerford, ACLU Push For Permanent Remote Access To Public Meetings by Jeff Lee
Rally For Immigration Justice On March 21
Shabazz Resigns From Board Of Registrars by Art Keene

STATE GOVERNMENT
Jo Comerford, ACLU Push For Permanent Remote Access To Public Meetings by Jeff Lee
State Announces Downsizing Of “Stop The Spread” COVID-19 Testing Program. Amherst And Holyoke Sites To Close On April 1

TOWN GOVERNMENT
Jo Comerford, ACLU Push For Permanent Remote Access To Public Meetings by Jeff Lee
Sunset–Fearing Townhouse Project Moves Forward by Maura Keene
Shabazz Resigns From Board Of Registrars by Art Keene
Town Of Amherst Finalizes Purchase Of Former Hickory Ridge Golf Course
Town Selects Way Finders To Develop Two Affordable Housing Projects
Community Chat On Jones Library Building Project Planned For March 25
Opinion: Why Can’t Amherst Have What Littleton, Massachusetts Has? by Ira Bryck
Opinion:Don’t Weaken Amherst’s Net-Zero Bylaw by Rudy Perkins, Anne Perkins, and Christopher Riddle