North Amherst News

Gov. Deval Patrick described the largest conservation deal in state history as a "generational responsibility" during a dedication ceremony Tuesday.

The Kellys, retired school teachers who live in Amherst, are volunteers at Hospice of the Fisher Home, a nine-bedroom house in North Amherst that provides end-of-life care.

Planners will need to take another look at the two village center zoning proposals after Town Meeting opposed the rezoning for a second time.

A University of Massachusetts graduate student who died in a fiery crash May 14 appeared to be having car problems, according to a friend who was speaking with her by telephone before the crash.

The news report of the May 14 Town Meeting vote against Article 25 oversimplified a complex and productive discussion, as if it were merely a clash of naysayers opposed to change against development-minded progressives.

The town now has a bylaw to protect the area surrounding one of its most popular tourist destinations, the Emily Dickinson Museum, and another aimed at upgrading the appearance of rental properties by restricting vehicles from being parked on lawns.

AMHERST - Genevieve Kieras was peacefully welcomed into her husband John's arms May 22, 2012, at the Center for Extended Care in Amherst.

Amherst Town Manager John Musante said that despite Town Meeting's defeat of a proposed new set of regulations to control the appearance of projects, development and redevelopment will still occur especially in North Amherst where a village center already exists.

Supporters of new zoning for North Amherst should dust themselves off after Monday's defeat at Town Meeting and take to heart the concerns pressed by opponents.

The 254th annual Town Meeting began Monday with members approving both the $21.6 million operating budget for the elementary schools, which will also depend on a $218,000 transfer from cash reserves, and a $2.27 million budget for the Jones Library system, of which $1.69 million comes from the town's coffers.