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: 22,132 (-872)
Last Week: 4689 (-517).
Number of Unique Sessions
Last 30 Days: 11,956 (-265)
Last Week: 2546 (-376)

LOOK HERE FOR OUR YEAR-END 2021 SUMMARY STATS

TOP FIVE MOST-READ ARTICLES LAST WEEK
1.East Street And Belchertown Road Affordable Housing Plans Unveiled by Maura Keene
2. Letter: Catastrophic Failure Of Town Ambulance Underscores Need For New Equipment Replacement Schedule by Ben Graham
3. Letter: Senior Center Lacks Necessary Space, Budget, And Staffing To Meet Needs Of Amherst’s Older Residents by by Richard Yourga, Dennis Vandal, Mary Elmer, Barbara Slovin, Norma Hallock, Kay Weinberg, Rosemary Kofler, Mary Hough and John Magarian
4. CRESS Director Earl Miller Receives Enthusiastic Welcome At Cuppa Joe by Maura Keene
5. Final Performance Of Hair At ARHS Postponed Due To COVID by Maura Keene

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE?

NEW / BREAKING
Almanac: Hammerhead by Stephen Braun
Opinion: Jennifer Shiao’s School Committee Blog. A “Rounding Error” Sized Problem With No Solution by Jennifer Shiao
Opinion:  The Best Use Of The Remaining Elementary School In Amherst by Meg Gage
12th Annual Daffodil Run Raises $50,000 For Big Brothers/Big Sisters Of Hampshire County With Return To In Person Race
Amherst Will Commemorate Jewish American Heritage Month On April 28
Amherst Media Struggles To Find Temporary Home by Maura Keene
COVID-19 Weekly Update For The Week Of April 27 , 2022 by Art and Maura Keene
Amherst Farmers’ Market Returns To Pre-COVID Format by Meg Gage
Photo Of The Week: Amherst Farmers’ Market Gallery By Meg Gage and Stephen King
Challenges At Wildwood And Fort River Sites Similar And Solvable by Toni Cunningham
A Quick Guide To Proposed Jones Library Design Changes by Jeff Lee

ARTS
Amherst Community Theater Presents Broadway Melody
Acclaimed Poet Martín Espada To Deliver Reading On May 2

BUDGET
Virtual Community Forum On FY 2023 Town Budget, April 23
Cuppa’ Joe On FY 23 Budget
Letter: Catastrophic Failure Of Town Ambulance Underscores Need For New Equipment Replacement Schedule by Ben Graham

CAMPUS
UMass Launches Ambitious Goal To Entirely Power Flagship Campus With Renewable Energy By 2032 To Address Perils Of Climate Crisis
Local Energy Advocates Piques Local Interest In Large Scale Building Decarbonization by Darcy DuMont
Acclaimed Poet Martín Espada To Deliver Reading On May 2

CLIMATE / ENVIRONMENT / NATURE
UMass Launches Ambitious Goal To Entirely Power Flagship Campus With Renewable Energy By 2032 To Address Perils Of Climate Crisis
Local Energy Advocates Piques Local Interest In Large Scale Building Decarbonization by Darcy DuMont
Amherst Sustainability Festival To Return On Earth Day 2023
Experts Will Lead Community Chat On Bears In Amherst
Opinion: Love, Justice And Climate Change. Dangerous Radicals by Russ Vernon-Jones
Photo Of The Week: Avian Gallery By Susan Panlilio

EVENTS
Amherst Sustainability Festival To Return On Earth Day 2023
12th Annual Daffodil Run To Support Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Hampshire County, April 24
Virtual Community Forum On FY 2023 Town Budget, April 23
Cuppa’ Joe On FY 23 Budget
Amherst Community Theater Presents Broadway Melody
Experts Will Lead Community Chat On Bears In Amherst
Letter: District 3 Residents Invited To Community Dialogue On April 24 by Dorothy Pam and Jennifer Taub

FEATURES
Speak Up! What Should Amherst Do With A Surplus Elementary School? by Jeff Lee
‘How Could I Not?’ Nadya Tkachenko Journeys To The Ukrainian Border To Provide Support, Relief To Refugees by Rebecca Marshall
From Other Sources: News For And About Amherst. This Week, April 23, Another Local News Roundup by Art Keene
Photo Of The Week: Avian Gallery By Susan Panlilio

HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Historical Commission Needs More Tools To Preserve Town’s Architectural Heritage by Hilda Greenbaum
Large Turnout Prepares Barn For Deconstruction At North Amherst Community Farm

LIBRARY
Letter: Personnel Cuts At Amherst’s Branch Libraries Are Ominous by Natalie Barber
Opinion: Community Safety Working Group Opposes New Young Adult Services Department At Jones Library by Brianna Owen, Tashina Bowman, Darius Cage, Débora Ferreira, Pat Ononibaku, Russ Vernon-Jones and Ellisha Walker

OPINION
Letter: Catastrophic Failure Of Town Ambulance Underscores Need For New Equipment Replacement Schedule by Ben Graham
Letter: Personnel Cuts At Amherst’s Branch Libraries Are Ominous by Natalie Barber
Letter: District 3 Residents Invited To Community Dialogue On April 24 by Dorothy Pam and Jennifer Taub
Opinion: Community Safety Working Group Opposes New Young Adult Services Department At Jones Library by Brianna Owen, Tashina Bowman, Darius Cage, Débora Ferreira, Pat Ononibaku, Russ Vernon-Jones and Ellisha Walker
Opinion: Love, Justice And Climate Change. Dangerous Radicals by Russ Vernon-Jones

PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
COVID-19 Weekly Update For The Week Of April 20, 2022 by Art and Maura Keene
Letter: Catastrophic Failure Of Town Ambulance Underscores Need For New Equipment Replacement Schedule by Ben Graham

ROADS AND SIDEWALKS
Taking The Politics Out Of Repaving: Amherst’s Repair Priorities Are Data Driven by Art Keene
Dispute At Amherst Hills Subdivision Nears Resolution by Maura Keene

SCHOOLS
Speak Up! What Should Amherst Do With A Surplus Elementary School? by Jeff Lee

SOCIAL JUSTICE
Acclaimed Poet Martín Espada To Deliver Reading On May 2
Opinion: Community Safety Working Group Opposes New Young Adult Services Department At Jones Library by Brianna Owen, Tashina Bowman, Darius Cage, Débora Ferreira, Pat Ononibaku, Russ Vernon-Jones and Ellisha Walker

TOWN GOVERNMENT
Taking The Politics Out Of Repaving: Amherst’s Repair Priorities Are Data Driven by Art Keene
Dispute At Amherst Hills Subdivision Nears Resolution by Maura Keene
Historical Commission Needs More Tools To Preserve Town’s Architectural Heritage by Hilda Greenbaum

WORLD EVENTS
‘How Could I Not?’ Nadya Tkachenko Journeys To The Ukrainian Border To Provide Support, Relief To Refugees by Rebecca Marshall