Town Councilors Pay Tribute to Four Ending Their Terms

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Town Council, December 18, 2023.  Part 2

This meeting was held in hybrid format and was recorded. It can be viewed here. 

Amherst Town Councilors paid tribute at their final meeting of the year on December 18 to the four councilors who were ending their terms. Dorothy Pam, Shalini Bahl-Milne, and Michele Miller did not run for re-election and Anika Lopes failed in her bid for re-election. To honor them, Council President Lynn Griesemer asked two councilors to speak for each of the four. Their words are summarized below.

Anika Lopes
Ana Devlin Gauthier and Pat DeAngelis spoke of Lopes. Devlin Gauthier said, “The first time I spent a significant amount of time with Anika was during and after Monty’s March in 2021. We were just over a month away from being sworn in as two new councilors, and I remember walking with Anika through Amherst, hearing her story and being struck by how deeply interconnected her story was — both with my own, but moreso, how deeply she honored her connection to her ancestors and to our community. While others went home after the march, Anika and I spent the afternoon together volunteering at the Amherst Survival Center and beginning what would become a close friendship and productive collegial relationship.

“We spent many hours talking about how this town, this community and communities past, have shaped our experience and love for Amherst, and how that love has allowed us to look critically at building and sustaining a more equitable community in the future. Anika has dedicated much of herself to honoring the legacy of her ancestors.

“While honoring and uplifting the stories of the past, Anika herself has also been building a legacy that stands on its own. One small piece of that legacy is that she is the first Black and Indigenous councilor to serve on the Amherst Town Council. Outside of council, she is a phenomenal milliner and the founder of Ancestral Bridges. We are seeing the culmination of generations of love and pursuit of justice. I cannot wait to see and support where her path continues. No matter where that is, I know she will continue to uplift stories, speak truth, and make Amherst a better place.”

Pat DeAngelis continued, “The very first time I met Anika, I called her up and asked her to have coffee with me, and she invited me to her home, and we sat down and had coffee. Then she said, ‘Come downstairs and see my studio.’ I went down into her studio, and it was like this explosion of color and texture and light and photographs of family, black and white photographs, man riding a camel, grandfathers, grandmothers, dishes from Amherst College. I was just blown away. I felt like this was a world I wanted to enter, and a person I wanted to know, and I’ve been blessed with getting closer and really becoming friends with her and her mom.

“But I want to talk about what you’ve brought to the council, because you have challenged every one of us councilors to live the values we espouse. Your participation and work shows us that we must speak about creating location and, most importantly, to move from the heart—embracing, empowering, uplifting our community, and the multitude of communities within the one. I will be forever grateful for knowing you and working with you.”

Michele Miller
Andy Steinberg began his tribute to Miller by noting that he was the token male on this Town Council. He said, “Michele is an exceptional person, and I really have enjoyed working with you. Back in 2020 you came before GOL (the Governance, Organization, and Legislation Committee of the council) on behalf of an organization called Reparations for Amherst, but you were presenting a resolution for our consideration, and it was one of the longest worded titles of a resolution that I have experienced in all of my years on the council and even the Select Board—the Resolution on Behalf of Reparations for Amherst Confirming the Town of Amherst’s Commitment Against Structural Racism and to Achieve Racial Equity for Black Residents. That was a heck of a title, but the passion and experience and the wisdom you brought and your willingness to work with us to fashion exact wording that really fit your intent and also address the needs we had to make sure that it was something that was clear, consistent, and actionable was really appreciated. You did a great job representing the interests you were presenting. So when Sarah Swartz decided not to run for council, and I heard that you had decided to declare your candidacy, I was absolutely delighted because I already knew a lot about you and your passion for what you do.

“The first committee that you asked to be on was the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee is not simple, because we’re trying to deal with understanding what the needs and priorities are, and how the town expends its resources, but we also have to be consistent with a lot of demands and a lot of requirements and a lot of barriers, including the charter and state law. But you really dug in, and you were a great member, and I was sorry that you decided you didn’t want to do two years on the committee, but you had other things in mind. 

“When the council was all of a sudden confronted with the question of what was the right surface to have on the playing field in the track, and there was a lot of passion on both sides. I remember the morning that you decided to take an early morning tour with the superintendent and the athletic director of all the playing fields and then crafted a resolution to a problem and allowed the council to state its concerns and to give guidance back to the school committee and allow us to move forward. It was your leadership in creating that very difficult resolution that really enabled us to get on to where we are now, which is a school committee that’s still working on the issue. And then, of course, then there was all of the work you did with AHRA (African Heritage Reparations Assembly) and the national recognition that you received as a result. So, having said all of that, I will miss you as a fellow councilor tremendously. I look forward to continuing to be your friend living on the northern side of Amherst.”

Ellisha Walker added, “As we gather for our final council meeting of this term, I stand before you with a bitter sweet feeling, bidding farewell to a remarkable councilwoman whose dedication and passion have left an undeniable mark on our community. I know you did not seek a second term, but it is with a mix of gratitude and admiration that I speak of your contributions today.

 “Throughout her term, Michele has exemplified what it means to be a devoted public official. She’s approached her role, not just as a council member, but as a compassionate listener who combines heart and wisdom to craft thoughtful and impactful proposals. Her commitment to bettering our town has been unwavering, and her advocacy for the community has been nothing short of amazing. 

“I have had the opportunity to work on initiatives one on one with Michele, and I’m astounded at her ability to so deeply listen for meaning and understanding, and her courage to ask hard but important questions and to identify themes, and all in the name of seeking solutions. I want to especially highlight Michele’s exemplary leadership on the AHRA, her dedication to advancing social and reparative justice, fostering healing, and creating meaningful dialogue. Michele’s efforts have not only sparked crucial conversations, but have also paved the way for tangible steps to be taken towards a more inclusive and equitable community. Her departure leaves a void. But I am confident that her impact will endure far beyond her two years of council service. As Michele embarks on her next chapter, I have no doubt that her work will continue to positively influence the lives of our town residents and even the decisions that will be made by the next council. Thank you Michele for your dedication, your tireless efforts, and your enduring commitment to making our town a better place for everyone.”

Shalini Bahl-Milne
Mandi Jo Hanneke complimented Bahl-Milne’s five years on the council, saying, “You have really brought a focus of values and community outreach, from having us put a statement of values in the Rules of Procedure to the community stakeholders engagement template, to your work with UMass that you brought me and Brianna Sunnryd (former Communications Director) for Community Click and Amherst Talks to find other ways for resident engagement and bringing the council to the people. You found an intern from UMass to help you on our engagement and the survey for the Residential Rental Bylaw [and developed] the legislative process guide that came today. 

“I think your legacy on the council will be never forgetting that one of our roles is community outreach, and it’s sometimes easy to forget or ignore our need to do that, because it is hard. And the mindfulness you bring to the council. I think one of the first District 5 meetings we went to on Longmeadow Drive, where you started with mindfulness and bringing us all together and reminding us what we were there for and that we should bring an open mind and a clear mind, and that we were all there for the good of the community. So, with that, I’m just going to say we’re going to miss you.”

Cathy Schoen continued, “Mandiy and I shared the experience with Shalini on the Rules Ccommittee those many years ago, and it was she who said, ‘Shouldn’t we have a values statement?’ and not just a thoughtful list. She brought that up multiple times, and it’s been a foundation for all of us. The other thing you have done is you brought a look at how other communities have started to bring in [rental] inspections with a view toward how the tenants responded and worrying about people who lived in substandard housing. [It] brought depth to a conversation that I think we don’t often have.

“I knew Shalini before the council, and one of the other things that she has done is bring a love of living in the dance and ceremony, bringing customs intoin to not just the council meeting, but realizing that color is OKokay. I went to a District 5 meeting when we were still meeting in person. You had this little bell, and you would ring the bell because it was starting with a moment of silence which is like, ‘Just take a moment to regroup before we start,’ and I think it was just a healthy way to begin a meeting. So, I thank you very much, because it’s certainly not a tradition that I grew up with.”

Dorothy Pam
Pam Rooney began by telling of Pam’s going- away District 3 meeting, when one of the cards attached to a gift was an acrostic of her name: D for diligent, O for organized, R for responsive, O for opinionated, Th for thoughtful, and Y for your councilor for District 3. And; and I, in a newly merged district, look to Dorothy as the consummate spokesperson for her constituents. She has advocated for their needs. She brought attention to the issues that they had. 

“Dorothy definitely brings a forthrightness to everything she does and to the discussions. I always appreciated the fact that she got right to the point. We could all learn from you. So, I want to say personally, thank you to Dorothy for her support, and from the rest of the district, thank you for the support and for helping bring the council to this point.”

Jennifer Taub continued, “I think of Dorothy as the conscience of the council. She speaks her mind, and eloquently so, and remains true to her convictions, which are rooted in fairness, empathy, equity, and social justice. Dorothy cut her teeth in the Women’s Movement and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s and ‘ 70’s. She really epitomizes to me what’s meant by walking the walk. As a town councilor, no one provides constituent services quite like Dorothy. She answers every single email, knows almost every resident in her district by name, advocates for her constituents’ issues and concerns, and follows through to make sure every request and concern is addressed.

“Dorothy is truly beloved and held in the highest esteem by her constituents. She and Bob regularly open their home and beautiful garden for neighborhood brunches, celebrations, and gatherings. I’ve been copied on many an email that Dorothy has written well past midnight. From her first day on the council, Dorothy was ahead of the curve, sounding the alarm for improved sidewalks and roads, and she has been a wonderful liaison to the CSSJC (Community Safety and Social Justice Committee) and a mentor and inspiration to me. So, I think Dorothy is looking forward to retiring. I know your fellow councilors join me in wishing you all the very best in your post-council adventures. There’ll be lots more time for baking delectable delights, reading great books, volunteering at the Amherst Women’s Club, teaching and mentoring your students at Holyoke Community College, spending time with your children and grandchildren, and all the other many activities and causes in which you’re involved.”