News

Amherst tightened outdoor water use to Level 2 and kept cooling centers open as extreme heat continued this week, even as Town Hall moved ahead on several fronts. Town Manager Paul Bockelman named Daniel Garcia the new director of Senior Services, effective July 20, while the town's Ham…

Amherst opened cooling centers and kept a Level 2 water restriction in place Tuesday amid extreme heat, even as officials pressed ahead on bigger structural questions facing the town. Town Manager Paul Bockelman announced Daniel Garcia as the new Director of Senior Services, starting Ju…

Amherst begins Bangs Community Center renovations as cooling centers open for the summer heat wave. Work at the Senior Center and adjacent Room 101 area covers health and safety, accessibility, and building upgrades, with the town projecting completion in early 2027 while keeping the ce…

Amherst moves forward on zoning options for the closing Hampshire College campus on a quiet Fourth of July. The town posted an update on its zoning study for the Hampshire property, which is set to end academic operations after December 2026, while also flagging a Level 2 water use rest…

Extreme heat drives Amherst to open free pools and cooling centers through the July 4 holiday weekend. With a heat and humidity advisory running through Friday, July 3, Town Manager Paul Bockelman's office activated multiple relief options — including no-cost public pool admission Wedne…

Amherst names a new senior services director and activates drought restrictions days before the holiday weekend. Town Manager Paul Bockelman announced the appointment of Daniel Garcia as Director of Senior Services, with a start date of July 20, as the town simultaneously moved to enfor…

Amherst Recreation moves to Wildwood as the town juggles summer logistics and a drought response. The department's relocation to Wildwood, announced by the town June 26, coincides with Level 2 water use restrictions now in effect under the town's Water Management Act Registration — thou…

Amherst fills senior services leadership and recruits DPW planning help as summer gets underway. Town Manager Paul Bockelman named Daniel Garcia as Director of Senior Services — a role Garcia takes up July 20 — while simultaneously opening applications for a resident seat on the DPW Bui…

Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman opened recruitment Monday for a seat on the DPW Building Committee. The temporary committee advises on design and construction of a new public works facility, with application review beginning July 6; Bockelman also unveiled a free Independence Day fi…

Amherst faces mandatory drought water restrictions and a new FY27 budget proposal as Town Manager Paul Bockelman packed consequential action into a single midweek news cycle. Bockelman triggered the water-use limits under the town's Water Management Act Registration — citing the Connect…