Letter: Insufficient Notice for Scheduled Power Outage Endangered Residents
The historic Charles Osgood house was moved from 24 Dickinson St.to North Whitney St. on the night of October 29. Photo: Screen shot of flyer announcing the move.
The following letter was sent to the Amherst Town Council on November 9, 2026.
I would like to add my voice to the others dismayed by the way power was cut to move a house on Oct. 29. As I understand it, the developer agreed to provide paper notices in advance to all residences in the affected area. Most of us did not receive this advance warning. It is not sufficient to say that it was in the newspaper – that is no guarantee of coverage. Many of our neighbors require electricity for health and safety reasons – Oxygen, CPAP, heat, illumination for folks with limited mobility, etc. I have none of those conditions, and I still walked into a wall. The lack of notice meant I hadn’t had a flashlight handy.
I ask the developer to issue a public apology, explaining to the affected residents why he could not put this essential communication in place. Who has oversight?
Lynn Waldron
Lynn Waldron is a resident of Amherst’s District 4.