What’s in This Issue?

Photo: Dreamtime. Creative commons
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ANALYTICS
Numbers in parentheses indicate change from the previous week.
Number of Unique Page Views:
Last 30 days: 62,921 (+1459)
Last Week: 15,843 (+1152)
Number of Unique Sessions
Last 30 days: 37,187 (+1656)
Last Week 9410 (+374)
Number of Active Users
Last 30 Days: 20,541 (+1443)
Last Week: 5757 5459 (+298)
TOP FIVE MOST-READ STORIES LAST WEEK
1. Should Public-Private Dorms at UMass Pay Property Tax? by Maura Keene
2. Letter: Town Council Must Head Off Emerging Library Project Fundraising Crisis by Jeff Lee
3.Affordable Housing and Senior Apartments Proposed for North Amherst by Maura Keene
4. Candidates in Short Supply for November 4th Town-wide Election by Maura Keene
5. Board of Health Reiterates Its Opposition to Poured-in-Place Rubber for Elementary School Playground
WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE?
ARTS
- What’s Happening in Amherst? by Art and Maura Keene
- Benefit Concert for Pioneer Valley Workers Center
- Bringing a Musical Dimension to the Story: How Adam Sweet Transforms News into Songs for His Community by Norah Stewart
CAMPUS
- New Food Pantry Opens at UMass
- Valley Bike Announces Technology Upgrades to Bike Share Program
- Letter: It’s Time for UMass to Address the Chronic Shortage of On-campus Housing by Ira Bryck
CLIMATE / ENERGY / ENVIRONMENT / NATURE
- Town of Amherst Announces Significant Drought Water Use Restrictions
- Help the Shade Tree Committee Plant Trees on Saturday, September 13
- Fort River Source to Sea Cleanup September 27
- Letter: Town’s Breach of Dam at Gull Pond Threatens Wetlands Ecosystem by Sarah Matthews
- Opinion: Get a Heat Pump Now and Save by Darcy DuMont
- Opinion: One More Reason by Russ Vernon-Jones
- Photos of the Week: Visiting Bees, Seed Pods, and a Strange Fungus by Annique Boomsma
DEMOCRACY
- Election Update: A Few New Candidates Take Out Papers as Filing Deadline Looms by Maura Keene
- Western Mass Resistance Calendar and Supplemental Reading List by Art Keene
- What Now? Springfield Community Activism Fair, Saturday September 13
ELECTIONS
EVENTS
- Help the Shade Tree Committee Plant Trees on Saturday, September 13
- What Now? Springfield Community Activism Fair, Saturday September 13
- Benefit Concert for Pioneer Valley Workers Center
- Visit the Amherst Indy at the Annual Block Party
- Second Annual Read and Resist Fest, Saturday, September 20
- Fort River Source to Sea Cleanup September 27
- What’s Happening in Amherst? by Art and Maura Keene
FEATURES
- Bringing a Musical Dimension to the Story: How Adam Sweet Transforms News into Songs for His Community by Norah Stewart
- Photos of the Week: Visiting Bees, Seed Pods, and a Strange Fungus by Annnique Boomsma
HOUSING
- Affordable Housing and Senior Apartments Proposed for North Amherst by Maura Keene
- Questions Remain on Conversion of 8-Bedroom High Street House by Hilda Greenbaum
- Letter: It’s Time for UMass to Address the Chronic Shortage of On-campus Housing by Ira Bryck
- Opinion: Mitchell Farm -The Wrong Site for the Right Goal by Robin Jaffin
- Opinion: One More Reason by Russ Vernon-Jones
HISTORY/HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
- Historical Commission OK’s Demolition of North Amherst Garage by Hilda Greenbaum
ISSUES & ANALYSES
LIBRARY
MEDIA
- Visit the Amherst Indy at the Annual Block Party
- Meet Kiera McLaughlin, the Indy’s New Intern
- Meet Norah Stewart, the Indy’s New Intern
OPINION
- Letter: Town’s Breach of Dam at Gull Pond Threatens Wetlands Ecosystem by Sarah Matthews
- Letter: It’s Time for UMass to Address the Chronic Shortage of On-campus Housing by Ira Bryck
- Opinion: Mitchell Farm -The Wrong Site for the Right Goal by Robin Jaffin
- Opinion: Get a Heat Pump Now and Save by Darcy DuMont
PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY
- School Building Committee Prefers Corkeen but Makes No Decision on Playground Surface by Maura Keene
- Amherst Schools Launch “Handle with Care” Trauma Support Training
- Governor Healey Takes Action to Guarantee Bay Staters’ Access to COVID-19 Vaccine by Art Keene
RESOURCES
- Western Mass Resistance Calendar and Supplemental Reading List by Art Keene
- Where Do Your Emergency Alerts Come From? by Robin Jaffin
SCHOOLS
- Middle School Counselor Returns to Court Seeking Reinstatement to Workplace by Art Keene
- School Building Committee Prefers Corkeen but Makes No Decision on Playground Surface by Maura Keene
- Regional School Committee Adopts New Meeting Format. MARS Report on Budget Postponed by Kiera McLaughlin
- Amherst Schools Launch “Handle with Care” Trauma Support Training
SOCIAL & ECONOMIC JUSTICE
- Middle School Counselor Returns to Court Seeking Reinstatement to Workplace by Art Keene
- New Food Pantry Opens at UMass
- Benefit Concert for Pioneer Valley Workers Center
- Second Annual Read and Resist Fest, Saturday, September 20
- Opinion: One More Reason by Russ Vernon-Jones
TOWN GOVERMENT
- Jones Library Trustees Address Fundraising Questions by Jeff Lee
- Middle School Counselor Returns to Court Seeking Reinstatement to Workplace by Art Keene
- Election Update: A Few New Candidates Take Out Papers as Filing Deadline Looms by Maura Keene
- Affordable Housing and Senior Apartments Proposed for North Amherst by Maura Keene
- Town of Amherst Announces Significant Drought Water Use Restrictions
- Council Defers Decisions on Removing Heatherstone Mini-Roundabouts and Funding Wastewater Treatment Plant Study by Maura Keene
- School Building Committee Prefers Corkeen but Makes No Decision on Playground Surface by Maura Keene
- Commission For Persons with Disabilities Left out of Loop Again by Maura Keene
- Rob Morra Re-appointed Temporary Planning Director. New Appointments to Commission for Persons with Disabilities, CPA Committee, and Public Art Commission by Art Keene
- Regional School Committee Adopts New Meeting Format. MARS Report on Budget Postponed by Kiera McLaughin
- Historical Commission OK’s Demolition of North Amherst Garage by Hilda Greenbaum
- Questions Remain on Conversion of 8-Bedroom High Street House by Hilda Greenbaum
- Help the Shade Tree Committee Plant Trees on Saturday, September 13
- Letter: Town’s Breach of Dam at Gull Pond Threatens Wetlands Ecosystem by Sarah Matthews
- Letter: It’s Time for UMass to Address the Chronic Shortage of On-campus Housing by Ira Bryck
- Opinion: Mitchell Farm -The Wrong Site for the Right Goal by Robin Jaffin
TRANSPORTATION & ROADS