AMHERST — Amherst Police officers recently received a visit from a 10-year-old girl who is aiming to meet someone at a law enforcement agency in every Massachusetts city and town.
Dakota Matthews, who chronicles her quest on the She Loves Police Facebook page, is attempting to drop by all 351 municipal departments across the state by her 13th birthday. To count toward her goal, though, she has to interact with at least one officer.
In her post about Amherst, which included a photo of her wearing a police department mask and leaping in front of the Main Street station, Dakota expresses appreciation for the officers, as well as Capt. Gabriel Ting, who was able to get her a free ice cream being given to first responders.
“The officers were all super nice and captain made sure that both mom and I got APD masks. They are so comfortable,” Dakota wrote.
The Amherst stop was among several in Hampshire County for the Mansfield girl that takes her total to over 200 departments. The other recent visits included Hadley, where she got a new volleyball and other gifts, and Pelham, where she viewed a collection of police patches similar to her own, as well as South Hadley, Granby and Belchertown.
Accompanied by her mother, Cherie Boisvert, Dakota said in an email her trips are not planned in advance and she isn’t sure yet when she will be back in western Massachusetts to get to other local departments.
Meantime, Amherst Police will have a comfort dog joining the force Sept. 10 following a donation by Peggi and Dave Brogan of Boonefield Labradors in New Hampshire.
The male English Chocolate Labrador Retriever will be partnered with Officer William Laramee.
Police Chief Scott Livingstone said the comfort dog will be an important tool for positive interaction with the community. A contest to name the dog is being launched through the department’s social media channels at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Recently sworn in by Town Clerk Shavena Martin, three new firefighter-paramedics are bringing the department back to its authorized strength.
Keyvin Lewis, previously a member of the West Hartford Fire Department and a medic for AMR, David Kelsen, formerly of the Middletown Fire Department, and Sarah Forsaith, a call and volunteer firefighter in the Berkshires and Hilltowns, are in the midst of two to three weeks training to get acclimated to the job.
“It’s sort of exciting for us. We have three completely different people we’re bringing in,” Fire Chief Walter “Tim” Nelson said.
Forsaith is a brand new paramedic, Nelson said, while Kelsen and Lewis each bring a few years of knowledge in the field.
Long-awaited traffic signals that should ease some of the congestion in North Amherst center, and which has prompted the removal of light poles that are often clipped by large trucks, are in place.
The smart traffic lights, with a high-tech controller, were recently positioned on wires above the intersection of North Pleasant, Pine and Meadow streets.
The Town Council earlier this year approved spending about $80,000 on the project.
A protected left-turn signal will eventually be in place for vehicles traveling from Meadow Street onto North Pleasant Street, though that has not yet been activated.
Several people stood outside the downtown Amherst post office to lend their support for the agency’s mission and express displeasure at changes being contemplated or underway that could delay mail and undermine mail-in ballots for elections.
Though organized protests were held in Northampton and Belchertown, Joshua Hornick of Amherst said he wanted to do his part, so he made a sign and went to the building at the corner of North Pleasant Street and Kellogg Avenue. There he was joined by a handful of others for the impromptu rally, with signs reading “save our elections, don’t mess with my mail” and “save the postal service.”
The U.S. House of Representatives the same day passed a bill to spend $25 billion on the post office.
MONDAY: Public Art Commission, noon, Local Historic District Commission, 4 p.m. and Town Council, 6:30 p.m., all virtual meetings.
TUESDAY: Finance Committee, 2:30 p.m., virtual meeting; Board of Registrars, 8 p.m., town clerk’s office, Town Hall.
WEDNESDAY: Planning Board, 6:30 p.m., virtual meeting.
THURSDAY: Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., virtual meeting.
