AMHERST — After students at the Summit Academy recently wrote a letter to the Amherst Bulletin about their love for the Merry Maple tree and the annual ceremony, Tree Warden Alan Snow dropped in to the school to talk to the class about the process he is using to evaluate the Norway maple.
Town Manager Paul Bockelman said the town council, at its Jan. 28 meeting, could be presented information about the renovation of the North Common in front of Town Hall. At some point, the council will decide whether to move forward with this project, which could affect the well-known tree.
Snow said he explained to the students that there is a lot of uncertainty about the tree’s future because of its age and size.
In an urban setting, Snow said the tree has suffered from years of soil compaction and soil erosion, as well as recent tip dieback in the upper crown and the snapping of a major leader two winters ago.
Snow said the councilors will have to decide when investing in the North Common whether it is worth saving the tree for a potentially short amount of time, and design around it, or whether to remove the tree and design a new space for a new tree to grow into.
The students wrote, “Everything about the Merry Maple and the celebration around it is very heartwarming and brings our community together, no matter what our age, race, ethnicity or religion.”
Even if the tree is removed at some point, the annual ceremony is expected to continue.
A new online publication covering Amherst government and civic life, which aims to promote accountability and transparency, will launch in February.
The Amherst Independent, or the Indy, will be published on a website and be sent through email as a weekly news digest.
The organizers, including Art Keene, Laura Quilter and Kitty Axelson-Berry, intend to report on all Town Council and Planning Board meetings, as well as other multi-member government bodies. The coverage will include the votes of each member.
In addition, the Indy will cover topics such as land use, long-term planning, socioeconomic diversity, capital projects, social justice and sustainability.
Citizen journalists interested in participating should contact Keene at arthurskeene@gmail.com.
Amherst Police will be undergoing an assessment to remain an accredited department.
The state assessment team will be in town Feb. 26 through Feb. 28 to determine if the department continues to meet various standards. Of these standards, 257 are mandatory and 125 are optional, but an accredited agency must meet at least 55 percent of these non-mandated standards.
In 2000, Amherst Police became the second department in the state to be accredited, and received its last three-year accreditation in 2016.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette’s editor-in-chief will be speaking about Helen Gurley Brown, the late Cosmopolitan editor, at the Amherst Woman’s Club on Monday at 1:30 p.m.
“Helen Gurley Brown, a Polarizing Pioneer, and the Challenges of Sex, Singledom, and Success” is the title of the talk by Brooke Hauser.
The club is located at 35 Triangle St.
The event is free and open to the public, with refreshments to be served after the talk.
The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce will welcome new board members and ambassadors and set goals for the coming year during its annual meeting Jan. 23.
The meeting runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the Red Barn at Hampshire College.
In addition to a lunch, the event will salute outgoing board members and offer reflections on the past year.
MONDAY: Joint Amherst-Pelham, Regional and Union 26 school committees, 6 p.m., and Amherst School Committee, 7:30 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.
TUESDAY: Governance, Organization and Legislation Committee of the Town Council, 4:30 p.m., Bangs Community Center, Room 101.
