Amherst parents press to keep dual-language program past 5th grade

My Turn: After 250 years, here’s one thing that still makes Americans happy

For Bay Staters, “the pursuit of happiness,” as the Declaration of Independence put it, has often taken place in nature. In 1836, Boston-native Ralph Waldo Emerson described the benefits of time spent outdoors on the human soul in his essay, “Nature.” A few years later, Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” inspired more Americans to connect with […]

Guest columnist Brian Pearson: Two rivers, one overlooked problem

The recent attention paid to sewage spills in the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers is welcome, and overdue. When a pipe breaks and millions of gallons of untreated wastewater pour into a river overnight, it makes headlines, and it should. Beaches close, fisheries shut down, and elected officials take notice. Friends of Lake Warner and the […]

No more lone responders: Amherst adds four firefighters, plans to increase minimum staffing levels year-round

AMHERST — An Amherst firefighter driving an engine to a fire or other emergency ensures a prompt response, but once on scene, a single responder has to wait until other members of the career, on-call or student force arrive. “You can’t effectively do anything at a fire with a single person,” said Sarah Forsaith, president of the Amherst Firefighters Local 1764. But the occasional challenge of having a solitary firefighter on board an engine should soon go away. The town is adding four firefighters and eventually increasing the minimum staffing to 10 full-time firefighter-paramedics year-round, upping this from the current seven […]

Rejected Hadley battery project returns amid lawsuit, resident concerns

HADLEY — A stand-alone battery storage project on Breckenridge Road that planners rejected 18 months ago — and that is now the subject of a pending lawsuit — is back before the Planning Board, where residents this week raised concerns about dangers to people and wildlife, as well as expected noise. Those who live near […]

Belchertown well project stalled amid drought, permit fight

BELCHERTOWN — The Belchertown Water District had hoped to drill a new well to expand capacity and boost drought resilience, but that effort has stalled after a year spent defending the district’s water withdrawal permit before state regulators. The Belchertown Water District has spent the last year fighting to maintain it water withdrawal allowance against […]