What’s in This Issue?

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ANALYTICS 
As of early June, we have removed from our counts all visits to our site that didn’t result in meaningful engagement with the content. While total visits to our site continue to grow (over 105,000 in June), only about a third resulted in meaningful engagement, such as opening an article or clicking a menu. The other visits are likely bot traffic. From now on, we’ll only tally meaningful engagement. Numbers in parentheses indicate change from the previous week.

Number of Engaged Page Views Last 30 Days: 24,564 (-2415)
Number of Engaged Page Views Last Week: 6206 (+449)

Number of Engaged Sessions Last 30 Days: 16,304 (-1902)
Number of Engaged Sessions Last Week: 4082 (+ 113)

Number of Engaged Users Last 30 Days: 10,786 (-1507)
Number of Engaged Users Last Week: 2939 (+7)

TOP FIVE MOST-READ ARTICLES LAST WEEK
1. Jones Trustees Ask Who Will Raise the Money? by Jeff Lee
2. Opinion: Question 5 is an Attack on Our Public Services by Billionaires by Kevin Young
3. Zero Waste Amherst Urges Biweekly Trash Pickup, Fair Bidding Process in Hauler RFP by Darcy DuMont
4. Future of Mass Save in Limbo as Legislature Stalls on Energy Bill by Jordan Wolman (c/o CommenWealth Beacon)
5. Healey Leads Minogue by 25 Points in Latest UMass Amherst/WCVB Poll by Amherst Indy (c/o UMass News & Media)

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE?

ARTS

•  What’s Happening in Amherst? by Art and Maura Keene

BUDGET

•  Jones Library Building Project Financial Status: October 2026: $8.4 Million Still Owed to Town by Maria Kopicki

CAMPUS

• Healey Leads Minogue by 25 Points in Latest UMass Amherst/WCVB Poll
• Feinberg Series Panel Will Explore Role of Corporations in Shaping US Immigration Law
• Opinion: UMass’ AI Guides Should Test What Students Can Verify by Gleb Tsipursky

CLIMATE / ENERGY / ENVIRONMENT / NATURE

• Town of Amherst and Kestrel Land Trust Begin Improvements at Amethyst Brook Conservation Area
• Opinion: Stop Chasing a Nuclear Fantasy by Rob Okun
• A Forest That Remembers by Rizwana Khan

DEMOCRACY

• The Massachusetts Ballot Questions, Explained
• Feinberg Series Panel Will Explore Role of Corporations in Shaping US Immigration Law

ELECTIONS

• Healey Leads Minogue by 25 Points in Latest UMass Amherst/WCVB Poll
• The Massachusetts Ballot Questions, Explained
• Can Question 7’s Zoning Reform Ease the Housing Crisis in Mass? by Dylan Vrins (c/o The Shoestring)
• Opinion: Question 5 is an Attack on Our Public Services by Billionaires by Kevin Young

EVENTS

• Halloween Events in Amherst for Kids & Dogs!
• First Congregational Church’s Cranberry Fair Saturday, October 24, 9-3
• Feinberg Series Panel Will Explore Role of Corporations in Shaping US Immigration Law
• What’s Happening in Amherst? by Art and Maura Keene

FEATURES

• Craft Revivals, the Creative Economy, and Social Welfare: Boosting Well-being in the Valley at the Turn of the 20th Century by Hetty Startup
• A Forest That Remembers by Rizwana Khan
• Photos of the Week: Great Balls of Fire by Karin Lee

HISTORY / HISTORICAL PRESERVATION

• Craft Revivals, the Creative Economy, and Social Welfare: Boosting Well-being in the Valley at the Turn of the 20th Century by Hetty Startup

HOUSING

• Planning Board and CRC Propose Fixes to ADU Bylaw, Discuss Possible Data Center Ban by Maura Keene
• Overlay District Proposed for Neighborhoods South and East of UMass; Work on Rezoning East Amherst Proceeds by Maura Keene
• Valley Residents Invited to Help Shape the Region’s Housing Future
• Can Question 7’s Zoning Reform Ease the Housing Crisis in Mass? by Dylan Vrins (c/o The Shoestring)
• 2026 State Election: Information & Reminders from the Town of Amherst

ISSUES & ANALYSES

• Mystery Surrounds Jones Library Litigation by Jeff Lee
• Can Question 7’s Zoning Reform Ease the Housing Crisis in Mass? by Dylan Vrins (c/o The Shoestring)
  

LIBRARY

• Mystery Surrounds Jones Library Litigation by Jeff Lee
• Jones Library Building Project Financial Status: October 2026: $8.4 Million Still Owed to Town by Maria Kopicki

OPINION

• Opinion: Question 5 is an Attack on Our Public Services by Billionaires by Kevin Young
• Opinion: Stop Chasing a Nuclear Fantasy by Rob Okun
• Opinion: UMass’ AI Guides Should Test What Students Can Verify by Gleb Tsipursky
• It’s a Wonderful Life (deleted scene) by Ira Bryck

RESOURCES

•  The Massachusetts Ballot Questions, Explained
• 2026 State Election: Information & Reminders from the Town of Amherst

SCHOOLS

•  Chronic Absenteeism and Discipline Disparities Persist in Regional Schools by Maura Keene

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC JUSTICE

•  Feinberg Series Panel Will Explore Role of Corporations in Shaping US Immigration Law

TOWN GOVERNMENT

• Mystery Surrounds Jones Library Litigation by Jeff Lee
• Jones Library Building Project Financial Status: October 2026: $8.4 Million Still Owed to Town by Maria Kopicki
• Planning Board and CRC Propose Fixes to ADU Bylaw, Discuss Possible Data Center Ban by Maura Keene
• Overlay District Proposed for Neighborhoods South and East of UMass; Work on Rezoning East Amherst Proceeds by Maura Keene
• Town Council Holds Listening Session on Possible Changes in Town Government. by Maura Keene
• Chronic Absenteeism and Discipline Disparities Persist in Regional Schools by Maura Keene
• Town of Amherst and Kestrel Land Trust Begin Improvements at Amethyst Brook Conservation Area