News

South Deerfield native Ashley Randle named state agriculture commissioner

By CHRIS LARABEE

BOSTON — With a background in showing cattle at fairs and working on the family farm in South Deerfield, the state’s new agriculture commissioner has a regional flair to her.South Deerfield native Ashley Randle has been tapped by the Healey-Driscoll...

Hadley town administrator gets high marks in first performance review

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — Town Administrator Carolyn Brennan is receiving high grades from Select Board members and municipal employees for her work ethic and respect for her colleagues in the first comprehensive performance review since she was hired in late summer...

Affordable housing plans for EconoLodge divisive

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — A proposal to turn a Route 9 hotel into housing for up to 63 low- and moderate-income individuals is receiving both support and skepticism from residents and municipal officials as Valley Community Development begins the permitting process...

Olver left indelible mark: Colleagues, constituents, friends remember longtime politician, who died Thursday at 86

By SCOTT MERZBACHand BELLA LEVAVI

AMHERST — John Olver of Amherst, who served as a U.S. congressman for 22 years and was on the local and national political stage for more than 40 years, died last Thursday, leaving a legacy of progressive advocacy and achievements that continues to...

Amherst regional schools’ budget limit could cut 15 positions

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — More than $1 million in spending cuts, including approximately 15 staff layoffs, may be needed to bring the regional schools’ budget to a level that the towns of Amherst, Pelham. Shutesbury and Leverett are able to pay.At a four-towns...

14 staff positions in jeopardy at Amherst’s 3 elementary schools

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Four classroom teachers and 10 paraprofessionals may lose their jobs at the town’s three elementary schools based on an expected cut of almost $900,000 from a so-called level services budget presented to the Amherst School Committee last...

Amherst readies to send designs for new school to state

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A packet containing schematic designs for a new elementary school and other related documents is being submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, a milestone step before the project is brought before voters this spring.The...

Amherst School Committee postpones moving sixth graders to middle school until at least 2025

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Sixth graders at Amherst’s three elementary schools won’t be joining seventh and eighth graders at the Amherst Regional Middle School until fall 2025, at the earliest.In a reversal from a fall 2021 vote in which this year’s fifth graders...

Psst, check out this hidden Amherst bar: The Archives is quietly making a name for itself

By SCOTT MERZBACH

In a small vestibule in the basement of 30 Boltwood Walk, at the end of an awning-covered ramp leading to Brick & Mortar Realty’s office, music can be heard coming from what appears to be a wall of filing cabinets.For those who know how to make their...

New nightclub in the works in downtown Amherst

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A new nightclub in downtown Amherst to be operated by the same entity as a nearby watering hole is being planned for a vacant commercial building.The Spoke Live is the name of the business that is coming to the 1-11 Pray St. building that...

Could junior high, high school merge? High capital costs at aging regional schools prompt discussion

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Anticipated soaring costs related to the capital needs of the middle and high schools, including a project to replace the middle school roof that has been put on pause, is prompting local officials to ask if a single campus for regional...

CPA Committee in Hadley considering $1.24M request to stabilize Russell School

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — A nearly $1.24 million request to stabilize the former Russell School and prevent continued deterioration of the 1894 building is among four projects seeking Community Preservation Act money this spring.The CPA Committee is reviewing...

UMass announces $2 million gift to renovate Curry Hicks Cage as indoor track & field facility

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

The Cage is dead. Long live the Cage.A $2 million gift from Dr. Jim and Ellen Hunt will serve as the lead gift in the UMass athletic department’s fundraising campaign to renovate Curry Hicks Cage, which last hosted a UMass basketball game in 2011 and...

With accessory apartment bylaw nearly done, Deerfield Planning Board seeks input

By CHRIS LARABEE

DEERFIELD — Although the final draft of a revised bylaw governing accessory dwelling units is nearly complete, the Planning Board held off on approving it at its meeting on Feb. 6 with the intention to encourage public input before sending it to Town...

Arts Briefs: Book launches in Amherst, jazz in Goshen, collage art in Holyoke and more

Launch those books by writers from the areaAMHERST — Spring is still more than three weeks away, but the days are lengthening, temperatures are mostly creeping up, and it’s not too early to think about what you might plant in your garden this year —...

Around Amherst: Sunday program explores Black music from 1619 on

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — As Black History Month comes to a close, an event on Sunday afternoon will celebrate the music of African Americans over the past 400 years.The Human Rights Commission and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are cosponsoring “The...

Jones Library tea party a civilized affair, despite protest over drag queen

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A children’s story hour presented by drag queen Giganta Smalls at the Jones Library Saturday morning went on as scheduled after publicity surrounding it drew a number of demonstrators, most in support of the event but also some opposed.Even...

Firefighting appeal: Departments seek ways to draw scarce new talent into their ranks

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — On social media channels in Amherst, photographs of firefighter/paramedics accompanied by narratives about them are revealing why they are working for the town, along with fun facts about their lives.“Amherst Fire is an amazing place to work...

Amherst educators will work to rule, calling for face-to-face contract talks

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Teachers, paraeducators and other members of the Amherst-Pelham Education Association are halting doing any unpaid tasks in or out of school, such as overseeing extracurricular activities for students and developing new courses, until...

Amherst proposal renews call for noncitizen voting rights

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Amherst is likely to renew its efforts in seeking legislation to allow noncitizen residents who are at least 18 years old to vote in municipal elections and run for local elective office. If successful, the town would join several other...