EASTHAMPTON — Proponents of the “Apartheid-Free River Valley Co-op” petition advocating for the removal of Israeli goods from the co-op’s shelves gathered last Sunday afternoon at the Easthampton store for their first stand-out since the majority of co-op member-owners voted against the petition.

Though the proposed boycott was voted down, its advocates plan to keep pushing for an “apartheid-free community,” especially after employees received notice that they can no longer wear their pins — which many were wearing to express their views on the issue.

Mona Shadi, a River Valley Co-op employee and advocate for the deshelving campaign, said that the standout was “wonderful” and attended by roughly 50 people, including community members and past and present co-op employees. Recently, Shadi had been the recipient of a written disciplinary action notice for violating the dress code by wearing her “Free Palestine” pin. But she said that pins related to Palestine or the boycott are not the only ones affected by the comprehensive “pin ban.”

“What started as Palestine pins now has touched Black Lives Matter and pronoun pins,” Shadi said, explaining that all pins that aren’t issued by the co-op were no longer allowed to be worn by employees.

However, following backlash from employees and community members, this dress code rule has been relaxed for the time being. Shadi said that she and fellow staff members were notified that no disciplinary action would be taken against those wearing pins as co-op leadership awaits a coming meeting with the co-op’s union to discuss the matter.

Rochelle Prunty, general manager of the co-op, explained that the policy requiring no decoration on employee aprons was not new, but that co-op leadership sought to enforce it more strictly following the vote over the boycott.

“After the vote, what really came out was there was just so much hurt over the buttons, so we did reach out to people and say we were going to enforce our policies,” said Prunty. “Since we’ve had this issue, we have to enforce our policies going forward … we have such wonderful staff, people and customers here and we just want to smooth everything out.”

City receives funds for affordable housing project

EASTHAMPTON — The affordable housing project at 385 Main St. in Easthampton, dubbed Growing Green, has received $400,000 in Community Economic Development Assistance Corp. (CEDAC) funding.

The money comes as part of a more than $23 million package of fiscal year 2025 first-quarter loan commitments awarded by CEDAC for acquisition and pre-development costs to preserve and create 18 affordable housing developments throughout the state.

The project on this 53-acre parcel in the city is a collaboration between Kestrel Land Trust and The Community Builders that aims to develop 10 of the acres into 87 new extremely low- to moderate-income homes. The remaining acreage will be preserved by Kestrel as public open space, containing meadows, forested land and riparian habitats that are vital to the local ecosystem.

The project was recently granted a comprehensive permit by the Easthampton Zoning Board of Appeals which is being contested in Land Court by abutters with concerns about what the project will mean for local stormwater runoff and sewage systems.

Town eyes own ZIP code

WESTHAMPTON — Westhampton has long shared a ZIP code with Easthampton, but the town is looking to change that.

After finding space for a Westhampton ZIP code on the “ZIP Code List” between Westfield and West Hatfield, town officials saw an opportunity to cement the town as the unique and independent place that it is.

Residents have often experienced the inconveniences of a shared ZIP code, including misdelivered packages, confused wayfinding apps and GPS systems, and potentially effected emergency responses due to similar street names between Westhampton and Easthampton.

The town falling under Easthampton’s ZIP code may also have impacts on its eligibility for grants and federal funding.

In the past, Westhampton had its own post office on Stage Road, and now the town seeks to establish its own independent post office once more, complete with its own ZIP code.

The process will be long and arduous. The town will have to assess community needs, contact local authorities for support, petition the U.S. Postal Service, select a site, and even undergo feasibility studies and other work with the USPS if the process reaches that point.

With public awareness and support, the effort has potential to move forward.

Municipal Leadership session in Easthampton

EASTHAMPTON — The city is launching its second annual Municipal Leadership Academy for the winter of 2025. The interactive series is designed to offer residents a chance to see how local government operates, aiming to foster transparency and civic engagement.

The series will be led by City Councilors Koni Denham, Tamara Smith and Homar Gomez.

During the series, residents will connect with local government officials, learn about various departments and participate in discussions about the city’s public services to gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of their community.

The academy will be open to all Easthampton residents age 18 or older who meet requirements including being registered to vote and passing a background check. It will be limited to 25 participants, and those interested in participating must apply by noon on Dec. 20. The application is available on the city website at easthamptonma.gov.

For more information, contact City Councilor Koni Denham at kdenham@easthamptonma.gov.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.