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: 27,146 (+997)
Last Week: 5578 (-1718).
Number of Unique Sessions
Last 30 Days: 13,494 (+605)
Last Week: 2776 (-521)

LOOK HERE FOR OUR YEAR-END 2021 SUMMARY STATS

TOP FIVE MOST-READ ARTICLES IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY
1. Amherst Residents Demand End To Local Mask Mandates by Art Keene
2. Trustee Denies Library Grant Application Wrongdoing by Jeff Lee
3. Amherst Now Has Highest Incidence Of Covid-19 In The State by Art Keene
4. Questions Raised About Avoiding Conflict Of Interest In Amherst by Kitty Axelson-Berry
5. Opinion: A Call For Kindness by Maria Kopicki

TOP FIVE MOST-READ ARTICLES LAST WEEK
1, Amherst Now Has Highest Incidence Of Covid-19 In The State by Art Keene
2. Film Review:  Students To The Rescue (Of A College) by Alan Goodman
3. Trustee Denies Library Grant Application Wrongdoing by Jeff Lee
4. Preservation Restriction May Thwart Kinsey Garden Move by Jeff Lee
5. Letter: Indy Should Require Councilor Bahl-Milne To Identify The Experts She Cites by Lynn Nadeau

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE?
NEW / BREAKING
Large Crowd For UMass Energy Transition Institute Launch by Maura Keene
Opinion: What’s Needed – Changes In Our Economic System by Russ Vernon-Jones
Opinion: Jennifer Shiao’s School Committee Blog. School Committee Takes Important Step To Move Elementary School Building Project Forward by Jennifer Shiao
UMass Lifts Indoor Mask Mandate
COVID-19 Weekly Update For The Week Of March 9, 2022 by Art and Maura Keene
Attorney General Reviewing Jones Library Hiring Approach by Jeff Lee

ARTS
Academy Of Music Theatre Plans Youth Production Of Oklahoma!
Poet Denice Frohman Plus Special Guests To Appear At Academy Of Music On March 26

CAMPUS
Large Crowd For UMass Energy Transition Institute Launch by Maura Keene
UMass Lifts Indoor Mask Mandate
Online Petition Seeks Traffic Safety Improvements At UMass Following Death Of Student by Art Keene
UMass Study: 6–10K Walking Steps Daily Can Prolong Your Life
Summer Philosophy Program Encourages Area High School Students To “Question Everything”

CLIMATE / ENVIRONMENT / NATURE
Large Crowd For UMass Energy Transition Institute Launch by Maura Keene
Opinion: What’s Needed – Changes In Our Economic System by Russ Vernon-Jones
Comerford Calls For Action On Net Zero Buildings
Public Discussion On Amherst Zero Energy Bylaw And The New School Building
Local Energy Advocates Of Western Massachusetts Offer Webinar On Ithaca’s Green New Deal
Public Comment: Our New School Must Be Net Zero by Russ Vernon-Jones
Almanac: Blue by Stephen Braun

EVENTS
Town Council Proclaims March 10 As Tibet Day
Public Discussion On Amherst Zero Energy Bylaw And The New School Building
Local Energy Advocates Of Western Massachusetts Offer Webinar On Ithaca’s Green New Deal
Academy Of Music Theatre Plans Youth Production Of Oklahoma!
Poet Denice Frohman Plus Special Guests To Appear At Academy Of Music On March 26

FEATURES
A Better World Is Possible: It Takes A Village – The Treehouse Community At Easthampton Meadow by Mass Housing
Almanac: Blue by Stephen Braun
Majority Polled Favors Solar Moratorium by Jeff Lee
Photo Of The Week: Driveway Hearts By Annique Boomsma
Town Manager Report For February 28, 2022

HOUSING
A Better World Is Possible: It Takes A Village – The Treehouse Community At Easthampton Meadow by Mass Housing

HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Planning Board Recommends Revised Historic Preservation Bylaw. WD Cowls Postpones Subdivision Plan For Proposed Solar Array by Maura Keene

ISSUES & ANALYSES
Issues & Analyses:  Cost Considerations For Determining Size Of New Elementary School by Maria Kopicki

LIBRARY
Attorney General Reviewing Jones Library Hiring Approach by Jeff Lee
Library Garden Move On Hold Pending Historical Commission Response by Jeff Lee

NET ZERO
School Building Committee Receives Preliminary Cost Estimates For New Elementary School by Maura Keene
Council Reviews Its Role In Elementary School Building Project.  May Reconsider Net Zero Bylaw. by Maura Keene
Comerford Calls For Action On Net Zero Buildings
Public Discussion On Amherst Zero Energy Bylaw And The New School Building
Local Energy Advocates Of Western Massachusetts Offer Webinar On Ithaca’s Green New Deal
Public Comment: Our New School Must Be Net Zero by Russ Vernon-Jones

OPINION
Opinion: What’s Needed – Changes In Our Economic System by Russ Vernon-Jones
Opinion: Jennifer Shiao’s School Committee Blog. School Committee Takes Important Step To Move Elementary School Building Project Forward by Jennifer Shiao
Public Comment: Our New School Must Be Net Zero by Russ Vernon-Jones
Public Comment:  Size of New School Impacts Carbon Footprint and Tax Burden On Residents by Maria Kopicki
Letter: It’s Time to Repoen Take It Or Leave It At The Transfer Station by Norman Brown
Opinion: Amherst Has Opportunity To Lead On Student Debt Cancellation by Ian Rhodewalt
Opinion: The Temporary Moratorium For Large Scale Solar Failed, But We’re Counting It As A Win by Pat DeAngelis, Ana Devlin Gauthier and Lynn Griesemer

PUBLIC HEALTH
UMass Lifts Indoor Mask Mandate
COVID-19 Weekly Update For The Week Of March 9, 2022 by Art and Maura Keene
COVID-19 Weekly Update For The Week Of March 2, 2022 by Art and Maura Keene
UMass Study: 6–10K Walking Steps Daily Can Prolong Your Life

PUBLIC SAFETY
Earl Miller Appointed As Director of Amherst’s Community Responder Program by Art Keene
Online Petition Seeks Traffic Safety Improvements At UMass Following Death Of Student by Art Keene

SCHOOLS
Opinion: Jennifer Shiao’s School Committee Blog. School Committee Takes Important Step To Move Elementary School Building Project Forward by Jennifer Shiao
School Building Committee Receives Preliminary Cost Estimates For New Elementary School by Maura Keene
Council Reviews Its Role In Elementary School Building Project.  May Reconsider Net Zero Bylaw. by Maura Keene
Summer Philosophy Program Encourages Area High School Students To “Question Everything”
Public Discussion On Amherst Zero Energy Bylaw And The New School Building
Local Energy Advocates Of Western Massachusetts Offer Webinar On Ithaca’s Green New Deal
Issues & Analyses:  Cost Considerations For Determining Size Of New Elementary School by Maria Kopicki
Public Comment: Our New School Must Be Net Zero by Russ Vernon-Jones
Public Comment:  Size of New School Impacts Carbon Footprint and Tax Burden On Residents by Maria Kopicki

SOCIAL JUSTICE
Earl Miller Appointed As Director of Amherst’s Community Responder Program by Art Keene

SOLAR
Planning Board Recommends Revised Historic Preservation Bylaw. WD Cowls Postpones Subdivision Plan For Proposed Solar Array by Maura Keene
Council Narrowly Defeats Temporary Moratorium On Large Scale Solar Arrays by Maura Keene
Opinion: The Temporary Moratorium For Large Scale Solar Failed, But We’re Counting It As A Win by Pat DeAngelis, Ana Devlin Gauthier and Lynn Griesemer
Majority Polled Favors Solar Moratorium by Jeff Lee

TOWN GOVERNMENT
Attorney General Reviewing Jones Library Hiring Approach by Jeff Lee
Earl Miller Appointed As Director of Amherst’s Community Responder Program by Art Keene
Planning Board Recommends Revised Historic Preservation Bylaw. WD Cowls Postpones Subdivision Plan For Proposed Solar Array by Maura Keene
Council Narrowly Defeats Temporary Moratorium On Large Scale Solar Arrays by Maura Keene
Council Reviews Its Role In Elementary School Building Project.  May Reconsider Net Zero Bylaw. by Maura Keene
Town Council Proclaims March 10 As Tibet Day
Opinion: Amherst Has Opportunity To Lead On Student Debt Cancellation by Ian Rhodewalt
Opinion: The Temporary Moratorium For Large Scale Solar Failed, But We’re Counting It As A Win by Pat DeAngelis, Ana Devlin Gauthier and Lynn Griesemer
Town Manager Report For February 28, 2022

WORLD NEWS
Russia’s War In Ukraine: Complete Guide In Maps, Video And Pictures by  Andrew Roth, Dan Sabbagh, Paul Scruton, Harvey Symons, Finbarr Sheehy, Glenn Swann and Niels de Hoog (for The Guardian)