AMHERST — A survey being launched by the town’s Health Department is seeking input from residents on how $424,000 in opioid settlement funds will be used to address the impact of opioids on the Amherst community.
The money coming to the town, as with other municipalities, is being allocated annually through 2039 and is designed to strengthen opioid response, recovery and prevention measures. The funds are the result of the 2021 Massachusetts settlement with opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies for their role in the overdose epidemic.
“The opioid epidemic has contributed to a tragic loss of life in the region and continues to affect many individuals in our community,” Public Health Director Kiko Malin said in a statement. “Our goal is to spend the funds in a way that is aligned with the needs of the community that has been most affected by the crisis — people who use drugs or who are in recovery, their friends, families and loved ones.”
Malin adds that the hope is to gather input from those most affected by the epidemic so that current and future harms will be mitigated and stigma will be reduced.
The survey is at amherstma.gov/opioid-settlement-funds-survey and will be posted through Sept. 30. Physical copies of the survey are at the Health Department offices in the Bangs Community Center, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. In addition, listening sessions and community forums may be scheduled.
For more information, contact the town’s Health Department at publichealth@amherstma.gov or 413-259-3077.
Steinberg not running
At-Large Councilor Andy Steinberg, who will not run for another tenure on the Town Council in November, is advising his colleagues and those who will serve starting in 2026 that they will have a big challenge ahead.
At this week’s Town Council meeting, Steinberg attributes the challenge to Amherst having so much land off the tax rolls, a town tradition of not wanting large development that has led many commercial ventures going to Hadley and having a high tax rate with a burden on residential properties.
“Amherst has always had a lot of ambitions, and our ambitions have always exceeded our capacity to do all that citizens would like to have happen,” Steinberg said.
Steinberg said it was a difficult decision to step off after five terms of elective service on two different governing boards, starting on the Select Board.
“I have valued the support of voters who have chosen me to represent them in townwide elections,” Steinberg said.
The Closet moving
Sunday will mark the final day that The Closet will be located in the North Square at the Mill District in North Amherst, with an anticipated move to a vacant storefront on Main Street later this summer.
Andrea Marion opened the store, a curated clothing boutique with mostly secondhand clothes, in April 2022.
In a Facebook, Marion wrote that “this next chapter brings fresh opportunities to reach new clients, reconnect with longtime friends and join the vibrant downtown community.”
New firefighters
The Amherst Fire Department recently swore three new firefighters into duty.
Charles Beall began his tenure with the department on June 17, followed by the arrivals of Jessica Gilmore and Lauren Kovarik on June 23.
Police accreditation and hires
The Amherst Police Department recently earned its eighth accreditation, which it has maintained every three years since becoming the second department in the state to achieve the award in 2001. The accreditation comes by adhering to certain standards.
Three new officers also have begun their duties with the department. Tatiana Sirbu, Erik Lamotte and Nichole Hubbard have all started in a mentorship program and will be entering the Holyoke Police Academy.
Band concert
A Quincy Jones tribute will be the next Community Band concert at Sweetser Park July 26 from 6 to 7 p.m.
Part of a summer concert series, people are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket to the free outdoor concert. In case of rain, the concert will be moved to the parish center at St. Brigid’s Church.
Meeting
WEDNESDAY: School Equity Advisory Committee, 6:30 p.m.