North Amherst
“It was really something out of a movie:” Witness recalls major crash on River Road in Agawam
Western Mass News1 DAY AGO
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Single-family house sells in Amherst for $972,500
MassLive.com1 DAY AGO
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2 men facing federal charges of drug trafficking in Vermont
WCAX1 DAY AGO
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Excitement high for a potential new path along Route 116 corridor
MassLive.com16 HOURS AGO
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LATEST NEWS
What’s In This Issue?
Welcome to our Table of Contents. You can also receive a listing of all new items in the Indy each week by dropping us a note with your contact information at amherstindy@gmail.com. The subscription is free and will deliver to your inbox a listing of all new content, each Saturday at 6 a.m. We promise that we will not share your email address, nor will we send you any additional emails to clog up your inbox (except in the case of truly urgent breaking news, in which case we’ll send out a special dispatch).
Exhibit at Historic Deefield – Unnamed Figures: Black Presence and Absence in the Early American North
This coming week is the last remaining days to see a special exhibition called “Unnamed Figures: Black Presence and Absence in the Early American North” at Historic Deerfield. I recommend it before it closes Thursday August 4. The show, curated by the American Folk Art Museum, is a “corrective to histories that define slavery and anti-black racism as a largely Southern issue.” It is unknown to me if the curators or interpreters or docents (ours was excellent) know about Ancestral Bridges here in Amherst. However, in just under 100 artifacts that range from paintings to needlework, to photographs and sculpture, the show “offers a new window onto Black representation in a region that is often overlooked in narratives of early African American history. “
Puffers Pond Remains Closed to Swimming
Puffer’s Pond will remain closed to swimming until further notice due to high levels of E. coli bacteria. There are many factors that could be contributing to this ongoing issue and the town is looking into causes and exploring long-term solutions. The town conducts water quality testing weekly with results posted on Wednesdays at www.amherstma.gov/puffers. The most recent results were posted on Wednesday, July 24 and new results will be posted on Wednesday, July 31.
Town Schedules Three Public Hearings on Proposed Changes to Jones Library Expansion Design
The Town of Amherst has scheduled three public hearings on proposed changes to the design of the Jones Library expansion. Recent value engineering adopted by the Jones Library Trustees in the hopes of lowering the overall cost of the project have resulted in significant changes to the design from what was originally proposed – requiring re-approvals from both the Planning Board and the Amherst Historical Commission. These changes include the elimination of nearly all sustainability features and many historic features that would impact the historic character of the building.
Town Manager Seeks Volunteers to Serve on Town Boards and Committees
Town Manager Paul Bockelman seeks volunteers to serve on Town Boards and Committees. The Town of Amherst has over 30 boards and committees that support and advise the work of town government and each has multiple residents who are members. Terms of service are typically three years; some may be shorter. Members typically serve for two terms. Members with terms expiring who have served one term may be seeking reappointment. Some multi-member groups have vacancies available for students enrolled at Amherst Regional High School (Human Rights Commission and Community Safety and Social Justice Committee).
What’s Happening in Amherst?
You can help us make our events calendar more comprehensive by sending us your listings and including contact information and/or a link for more information. Send events listings to amherstindy@gmail.com. SINGLE DAY EVENTS. FRIDAY JULY 26 THROUGH MONDAY AUGUST 5: LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF AMHERST ANNUAL BOOK SALE. Fort...
Philip Avila Named New Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Town Manager Paul Bockelman announced in his July 15 Town Manager Report that former Amherst Human Rights Commission co-chair Philip Avila will be the new Assistant Director of the town’s office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Avila will begin his duties on August 5. Avila is currently a...
North Whitney Street Duplex a No-go for Now
Application for Non-owner Occupied Duplex Withdrawn. Report on the Meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals, July 25, 2024. This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded. Steve Judge (Chair), Everald Henry, Craig Meadows, David Sloviter, and Philip White. Staff: Christine Brestrup (Planning Director), Jacinta Williams (Planner), and Rob...
Excitement high for a potential new path along Route 116 corridor
SUNDERLAND — The town of Sunderland is partnering up with the town of Amherst to design a mixed-use path from Whately to Amherst. Sunderland has received a $195,090 Mass Trails grant for a feasibility study and designing of the 10-foot-wide path that will go from Whately Park and Ride off Interstate 91 along Route 116 through South Deerfield and Sunderland ending just south of Meadow Street in Amherst.
No trespassing for community members arrested at pro-Palestinian protest at UMass in May
AMHERST — The majority of people who were arrested on May 7 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst were students, but the few who are not affiliated with the university have now been issued no-trespass notices, their lawyers say. It is standard for the school’s Police Department “to issue...
Town Manager Report for July 15, 2024
Editor’s note: Town Manager Paul Bockelman submits a comprehensive report to the Town Council, usually at the first Town Council meeting of each month. The reports, usually 9 to 16 pages in length, provide up-to-date information on what is happening within and across town departments. The Manager’s Report is usually one of the last items on the agenda and is often taken up late at night, leaving little time for Bockelman to do more than mention a few highlights and this is usually all that gets entered into the Council minutes. What follows is a complete, unedited version of the Town Manager’s Report. All Town Manager Reports are available on the town’s website here: Town Manager Reports.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: 41 Wilmington Students Named To Dean’s List At UMass Amherst
AMHERST, MA — Below is a list of Wilmington students who were named to the Dean’s List at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the Spring 2024 semester. In order to qualify, an undergraduate student must receive a 3.5 grade-point average or better on a four-point scale. Joanne...
Nine-bedroom home in Amherst sells for $1.3 million
A 7,146-square-foot house built in 1960 has changed hands. The spacious property located at 1184 North Pleasant Street in Amherst was sold on July 2, 2024, for $1,300,000, or $182 per square foot. This two-story home provides a generous living space with its nine bedrooms and nine baths. The home's outer structure has a gable roof frame, composed of slate. The property is equipped with forced air heating and a cooling system. Situated on a spacious 1.5-acre lot, the property offers ample outdoor space.
“Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life” Is Hampshire College’s 2024 Common Read
Dominant narratives about disability in the United States tend to center on either the “harrowing” realities of living with or the “triumphant” realities of overcoming disability. Wong refuses to duplicate these problematic framings and questions why these types of narratives sell so well. By contrast, her text is filled with joy, community, and an accessible analysis of the social production of disability and the harms an ableist society enacts on disabled people.
2024 UMass Football Prediction & Preview With Betting Odds, Schedule, Key Returners & Outlook
UMass enters 2024 with 2025 plans to return to the MAC. The move should be embraced by UMass fans, as the MAC is an entertaining yet manageable Group of Five conference. While UMass struggled in the MAC from 2012-15 – it went 7-25 in league games – moving to a conference adds stability to the program’s football future. With conference affiliation on its way, UMass could use a few wins in 2024 to build momentum for the 2025 season.
Williamsburg residents looking to address recurring Mill River flooding
WILLIAMSBURG, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Longtime flooding along the Mill River has prompted a MassDOT project to bring two Hampshire County villages together. Last summer, water from the Mill River in Williamsburg was seen rushing everywhere as flooding overtook roads, bridges, and a community. “Last year, we had two different flooding...
This New England State Gets The Most Lightning In The Region
Summertime and the living is easy. The weather can be rough, especially if you don't like heat and humidity – and then there are the summer thunderstorms. All of it beats winter cold and snow, as far as I am concerned. New Bedford has the record for the hottest...
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