The Spectator of Amherst

11/17/2018

An Amherst School Committee member, Peter Demling, has posted this "action alert" opposing the expansion sought by the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley.

*Action Alert*: you have until Monday, December 3rd to send your input to the Commissioner of Education at [email protected] on this proposed charter school expansion.

I'm grateful to the many elected officials and school committees in our region who have already joined together in support of our public schools. Let your voice be heard.

09/21/2018

http://amherstspectator.com/2018/09/21/amherst-media-plans-state-of-the-art-multimedia-communications-center-fundraiser-sept-29-will-feature-live-music-wine-appetizers/

AMHERST – One of the nation’s longest-running local cable television stations, Amherst Media, hopes to break ground on its own state-of-the-art facility in coming months, and supporters…

08/20/2018

https://amherstspectator.com/2018/08/20/major-concerns-about-air-quality-at-fort-river-and-wildwood-schools-put-to-rest-open-classroom-design-still-criticized/

AMHERST – The Amherst School Committee has reviewed air quality reports from the Wildwood and Fort River Elementary schools, which members said alleviate certain prior worries. “It pu…

08/13/2018

http://amherstspectator.com/2018/08/13/tests-find-no-major-air-quality-issues-at-wildwood-and-fort-river-elementary-schools-dirty-blocked-vents-faulted-for-carbon-dioxide-excess-in-limited-areas/

AMHERST – Tests performed at Amherst’s Wildwood and Fort River Elementary Schools in April showed that both schools have acceptable levels of asbestos, bacteria, mold, and radon. The …

08/04/2018

Hampshire Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey heard arguments yesterday (Aug. 3) in a lawsuit brought by two students from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, who claim their campaigning…

05/24/2018

We will leave our Post between 8:30 AM and 9:00 AM to replace US Flags and hold their Retirement Ceremony at 12:00 p.m.

05/18/2018

A man later identified as local developer Jerry Guidera made an obscene hand gesture at Town Meeting members on Wednesday night, before getting into a dispute with the meeting moderator, James Pist…

04/22/2018

https://amherstspectator.com/2018/04/22/letter-from-amherst-regional-middle-school-interim-assistant-principal-alicia-lopez-defending-the-work-of-interim-principal-patty-bode/

Editor’s Note: An interim assistant principal at Amherst Regional Middle School (ARMS), Alicia Lopez, submitted a letter (below) last week to the district’s School Equity Task Force and…

04/11/2018

https://amherstspectator.com/2018/04/11/middleschoolprincipalwillnotacceptreappointment/

AMHERST – Amherst Regional Middle School’s Interim Principal Patricia Bode has notified the district that she will not be continuing in the role for the 2018-2019 school year. Late thi…

04/11/2018

https://amherstspectator.com/2018/04/11/questions-raised-over-termination-of-amherst-regional-middle-school-principal-search/

AMHERST – The Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee has been asked to explain why a search for a permanent middle school principal was terminated last week by Superintendent Michael Morri…

11/14/2017

https://amherstspectator.com/2017/11/14/amherst-town-meeting-votes-to-spend-50000-on-architectural-study-of-north-amherst-library-boards-criticized-for-neglect-of-buildings-problems/

After decades of functioning without a public restroom, water fountain or a wheelchair-friendly entryway, the 1893 North Amherst Library will be studied for improvements. Amherst’s tiny first…

11/11/2017

Amherst For All, an organization seeking major changes to local government in Amherst, will hold three practice “district” meetings next week. A plan to replace Town Meeting, which has …

11/11/2017

http://amherstspectator.com/2017/11/11/amherst-town-meeting-votes-to-create-new-advisory-council-to-study-proposed-local-projects-laws-select-board-opposes-move/

Amherst Town Meeting has voted to create a new nine-member elected Town Meeting Advisory Committee, which will analyze and report on the bylaws, resolutions and projects proposed to the 240-member …

11/09/2017

The phrase “Amherst Town Meeting” and “exciting” aren’t often used in the same sentence, and yet, there was nail-biting last night in this academic community, where mo…

11/07/2017

https://amherstspectator.com/2017/11/07/the-straight-dope-opinion-column/

Get ready, Amherst – we are now on track to have 8 recreational ma*****na shops! (As a friend of mine noted the other day, we’ve got just ONE bookstore downtown these days.) But whate…

09/27/2017

Michael Morris, the interim superintendent of the Amherst Regional Public Schools, gave a public “job talk” last night, to demonstrate why he should be granted the permanent post when t…

09/21/2017

http://amherstspectator.com/2017/09/21/a-single-new-or-renovated-k-6-school-on-the-fort-river-elementary-school-site-will-be-study-committees-focus/

The Amherst School Committee is expected to vote next week on a mission statement for the Fort River Feasibility Study Committee, and will limit its focus to the Fort River Elementary School. The m…