AMHERST — Even though electronic vehicle charging stations are installed in municipal parking lots in downtown Amherst, including in the town lot between North Pleasant and North Prospect streets, no on-street options are yet available.
With support from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s On-Street Charging Solutions Program, a survey is being launched by town officials that will help guide decisions on where on-street charging may be appropriate, as well as the challenges in getting these in place.
“This will be useful for grants and for infrastructure,” said Samantha Giffen, communications manager for the town.
The town has identified which locations would be most feasible for on-street electric vehicle charging and listed them in the survey. Residents can use the survey to rate the proposed locations, list sites that may have been overlooked and share preferences and concerns.
Amherst is one of 21 cities and towns receiving backing from the program, which is funded by Commonwealth Electric Technologies and Leidos, and will provide estimated project costs for any new charging stations.
The feedback will ensure that charging infrastructure is accessible, equitable and convenient for all Amherst residents and businesses. According to information from the Clean Energy Center, access to charging can be a significant barrier to electric vehicle adoption for renters and residents who don’t have a dedicated driveway, garage or parking space.
The survey, open through July 25, is available at amherstma.gov/EV-Charging-Survey.
Four area high school students committed to pursuing a future in business or health care-related fields in Massachusetts recently earned $1,000 scholarships from the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
“This scholarship program reflects our shared commitment in investing in the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our community,” Dr. Kevin B. Whitney, president and chief operating officer at the Northampton hospital, said in a statement.
The awards, presented at an event at the Inn on Boltwood, went to: Alana Texidor Melendez, of Amherst, an Amherst Regional High School graduate pursuing a nursing degree from Assumption University; Chase Simonich, of Hadley, a Hopkins Academy graduate interested in consulting or investment banking attending Babson College; Meera Berryhill, of Belchertown, a Belchertown High School graduate pursuing a marketing degree at the University of Massachusetts; and Ariana Miller, of Greenfield, a Frontier Regional School graduate pursuing a nursing degree at Wheaton College.
A longtime Amherst resident known as the Garlic Lady of the Pioneer Valley, for making and distributing a hot sauce and for being the younger stepsister of famed Delta bluesman Robert Johnson, died July 3 in Greenfield at the age of 99.
In 2020, Annye Anderson wrote “Brother Robert: Growing Up with Robert Johnson,” a memoir about her stepbrother, describing how he helped her learn to dance and accompanied her around her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.
An online obituary, written by her daughter Sheila Anderson, recounts aspects of her life, including being a teacher and administrator for the Boston public schools, and then her time growing vegetables in Amherst and sharing them with the Not Bread Alone soup kitchen at the First Congregational Church, and finally authoring the book and sharing her memories of her stepbrother.
“Not having completed her sojourn, she presented her book to a number of Massachusetts’ colleges and the Drake in Amherst. My mama was one busy bee until she had a stroke in December 2023. 99 years it’s time to rest mama!” reads the obituary.
The obituary notes Anderson was to be buried at Wildwood Cemetery.
Blades, the mascot for the Boston Bruins National Hockey League, along with members of the University of Massachusetts ice hockey team, will be dropping by the summer reading program at the Hadley Public Library on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
One of 12 libraries in the state selected for a visit from the mascot after submitting an entry into an essay contest, participants can design and make their own Bruins fan button and take pictures at an ice rink photo station. A special library poster featuring Bruins player Jeremey Swayman also will be available.
This year’s Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners summer library program is titled “When You Read, You Score!”
Claire Cronin, who served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2022 to 2025, is joining the University of Massachusetts Amherst at its Mount Ida Campus in Newton as a scholar in residence for public policy and global affairs.
Cronin will support UMass with initiatives in global education, global partnerships and international student and scholar services, and the university’s professional development programs at Mount Ida.
Chancellor Javier A. Reyes said UMass is thrilled to bring in Cronin. “Just as UMass Amherst is expanding our global engagement strategy and investing in programs to develop global citizens, we are also assessing new federal policies related to international students and other visa holders,” Reyes said. “Ambassador Cronin’s expertise in state, federal and international policy will be invaluable as we navigate these complex issues and prepare students to confront the challenges that await them in in an ever-evolving policy environment.”
MONDAY: Design Review Board, 5 p.m., and Town Council, 6:30 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.
THURSDAY: Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m.
