AMHERST — Two grants received by the Amherst Fire Department will improve how firefighting operations are conducted at the scene of incidents, and promote the well-being of the town’s firefighter/paramedics.
“The awards will allow us to better protect our fire department team, who are critical in maintaining the health and safety of this community,” Fire Chief Walter “Tim” Nelson said in a statement.
A $25,000 grant from the state’s Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant program will be used for a personnel safety accountability system. This system enables an incident commander to account for and communicate with firefighters and paramedics at a scene, such as fires, wide-area searches or multi-casualty events.
A $15,000 grant from the Emergency Management Performance Grant program will go toward an intercom system for the front-line fire vehicle. This system includes headphone and microphones sets that reduce extraneous noise and improve the Beyond that, this equipment will also lessen the likelihood of hearing loss for firefighter paramedics. Thy can often be affected by chronic exposure to engine and exhaust noise.
Green Faith Action, a network of churches and faith communities focused on initiatives aimed at climate change, staged a bell-ringing at Grace Episcopal Church earlier this month.
Held on the 11th day of each month, at 11 a.m. and for 11 minutes, the bell-ringing serves as a metaphor for “the eleventh hour” of the world, and to draw attention to the need to reduce pollution and protect the planet.
During the event, participants held signs such as “Climate Action Now” and “Stop the Pipeline.”
This marked the second action outside an Amherst church following a Dec. 11 bell-ringing at South Congregational Church.
A memorial page online is showcasing works from Leslie Campbell, a Belchertown photographer who died in September 2020.
With a celebration of his life unable to happen during the pandemic at his Sky Meadow home and gallery, his 70 years of photography, as well as tributes and works from other local artists, are available in the virtual format.
Campbell founded, co-founded or was a member of many camera clubs, including two that remain active: The Quabbin Photo Group and Pioneer Valley Photographic Artists.
The memorial page can be viewed at escampbellphotography.com/memorial/.
Several videos featuring interviews with local musicians and other artists are part of “The Drake Construction Series” that provides a glimpse into the venue coming to downtown Amherst.
The series featuring live recordings by artists capturing the story of the transformation of the space that was formerly part of the High Horse restaurant on North Pleasant Street. Tem Blessed, Lou Barlow of Dinosaur, Jr., Lyrical Faith, Stephen Katz and Frozen Corn are among those who have contributed segments.
Performances can be viewed on YouTube and accessed through The DrakeAmherst.org.
A UMass chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology professor recently earned a five-year, $2 million National Institutes of Health grant.
Jianhan Chen will use the grant to support research in his computational biophysics lab to better understand the role of intrinsically disordered proteins, or IDPs, in biology and human disease.
The grant is designed to give researchers more flexibility and stability for achieving scientific advances in their labs.
MONDAY: Town Council, 6:30 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.
THURSDAY: Budget Coordinating Group, 8:30 a.m., Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m.
