AMHERST — With Capt. Christopher Pronovost set to become Belchertown’s police chief Monday, several Amherst Police supervisors will have more responsibilities over the coming weeks, says Police Chief Scott Livingstone.
“We’ll be spreading the wealth so no one gets burdened,” Livingstone said.
For more than six years, Livingstone, and Capt. Jennifer Gundersen, who oversees administration, and Pronovost, who oversees operations, have formed the department’s administrative team.
“We’ve worked closely together, Jen, Chris and I,” Livingstone said.
Some of Pronovost’s job has included scheduling patrols, crafting the patrol budget, ordering uniforms and other supplies, and helping Livingstone with the proposed purchase of new cruisers.
Livingstone said the change comes at a good time for the department because many college students will leave for the summer after the University of Massachusetts commencement Friday.
Normally, plans for promoting personnel would get underway, though this may be delayed.
“We’ll take a breath and see what directions we go in for promotions,” Livingstone said.
From May through August, Livingstone said the department will have more patrols in Amherst center, with continued concerns from the business community about the impact of homeless people hanging out on the streets,
“Downtown is an area we’re going to need to concentrate on this summer,” Livingstone said.
Pronovost is one of several former members of the department who have left to become police chiefs elsewhere, including Capt. Michael Kent, now chief in Burlington, and Sgt. Michael Sullivan, who became chief at Elms College.
“I couldn’t be happier for Chris,” Livingstone said. “Chris has been fabulous for this agency.”
An additional $105,000 placed in the Leisure Services and Supplemental Education budget last year by Town Meeting to help more children in low-income families participate in programs has increased enrollment, according to LSSE Director Linda Chalfant.
“The additional subsidy is working. Thank you very much,” Chalfant said at Town Meeting on Monday.
Chalfant said the fee subsidy has allowed 237 families to have their children in programs between last July and this April, a 38 percent increase from the 172 families who participated during the same timeframe the previous year.
The budget approved by Town Meeting for LSSE this year includes a total of $207,376 for fee subsidies as town officials agreed to maintain this additional appropriation.
The Amherst Invitational will see 32 high school teams compete in what is believed to be the longest-running youth Ultimate tournament in the country on Saturday and Sunday.
The 25th annual tournament takes place on the fields at both the Amherst Regional High School and Middle School. Ultimate, originally called ultimate frisbee, is played with a flying disc.
Seven Amherst teams will be competing, including the high school girls team, which is the seven-time defending champion. Games begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
With the right to serve alcohol suspended at Panda East through June 27, laminated signs at the entrance to the 103 North Pleasant St. restaurant will alert patrons that alcohol is not available, and the reasons why.
These signs are a concept brought by Peter Hechenbleikner, interim town manager, who said they will be printed on town letterhead and explain to customers that Panda East was found responsible for serving minors on three occasions since last fall.
He said police will be checking the restaurant, “both overtly and not so overtly,” to ensure no alcohol is being served.
MONDAY: Select Board, 6 p.m., Band Room, middle school; Town Meeting, 7 p.m., middle school auditorium.
TUESDAY: Public Shade Tree Committee, 4 p.m., First Floor Meeting Room, Town Hall.
WEDNESDAY: Select Board, 6 p.m., Band Room, middle school; Town Meeting, 7 p.m., middle school auditorium.
THURSDAY: Council on Aging, 9 a.m., Room 101, Bangs Community Center; Charter Commission public forum, 7 p.m., middle school auditorium.
