Gov. Baker awards 10 low-income housing vouchers for use by homeless at Amherst Supportive Studio apartments
Updated 12:38 PM;
AMHERST – Persistent affordable housing shortages in town have not been solved, but it is widely recognized as a problem and efforts have been underway to address it.
Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday announced that the state will provide ten housing subsidies/vouchers, for homeless individuals, to live at the 28-unit building being built along Route 9, at 132 Northampton Road, called Amherst Supportive Studio apartments.
Northampton-based Valley Community Development Corporation is leading the effort, which was approved in November by Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals.
Amherst School Committee unanimously approves $22 4M budget masslive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from masslive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Local and Green with Darcy Dumont: Towns moving from planning to action on climate
Stock image of a solar array. Courtesy of Metro Creative Graphics. Metro Creative Graphics
Thursday, March 11, 2021
Across the state, cities and towns are moving from planning to pursue climate action to actually taking action! Municipalities working with citizen activists, volunteers, nonprofit organizations and businesses are taking bold steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energy.
Many communities, like Amherst, have used the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program to help fund the creation of a Climate Action Plan. And, more and more municipalities have now moved to take innovative actions to accelerate emissions reduction. The following are some examples of programs already up and running (though some are imminent) that provide energy efficiency, renewable electricity, clean heating, microgrids and energy storage.
Amherst school district to add 10 substitute teachers in grades K-6; subtract 14 jobs in 7-12 regional system
Updated Mar 09, 2021;
AMHERST – Getting the elementary schools up and running for in-person learning by next months means hiring 10 substitute teachers.
Figuring out a spending plan to operate grades 7-12, however, will tentatively involve cutting out, or not filling, a total of 14.6 full-time equivalent positions.
The elementary school is overseen by Amherst School Committee; the grades 7-12, by Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee, which also includes towns of Leverett and Shutesbury.
In the coming weeks and months, Amherst Town Council will be reviewing two school budgets: one for the elementary schools; another for the town’s nearly 80% share of the grades 7-12 regional district budget.
Most downtown Amherst businesses reject idea to remove parking as part of North Common renovation
Updated Mar 08, 2021;
AMHERST – A majority of downtown businesses are rejecting a municipal idea that would strip parking spaces from North Common lot, as part of a planned $1 million to $2 million common renovation project.
Results of a survey indicate 63% of downtown businesses oppose removing North Common parking spaces, at the north end of it; 37% are in favor of the town administration’s “preferred plan.”
The survey of 27 downtown businesses was recently completed by Amherst Downtown Business Improvement District [BID], to gauge what the businesses think of the administration’s idea.