Amherst Names New Senior Services Director, Seeks DPW Committee Member
Town Manager Paul Bockelman has appointed Daniel Garcia as the new Director of Senior Services and is recruiting a resident to join the DPW Building Committee, while the town gears up for a free July 3 fireworks celebration at UMass Amherst.
TOWN HALL
Town Manager Paul Bockelman announced Daniel Garcia as Amherst's next Director of Senior Services, with Garcia expected to begin his role on July 20.
Bockelman is also seeking one resident to fill a seat on the Department of Public Works Building Committee, a temporary body charged with advising on the design and construction of a new DPW facility. Application review begins July 6; residents interested in shaping that project should submit materials before that date.
The town is also reminding residents that Level 2 water use restrictions are in effect. The town's water supply is described as stable and not currently threatened, but the restrictions are required under Amherst's Water Management Act Registration in response to the broader Connecticut River Valley drought.
Separately, a free Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks is set for Friday, July 3, at UMass Amherst's McGuirk Alumni Stadium South Lawn. The event will feature fireworks, live entertainment, food vendors, and family-friendly activities.
The public comment window for the Downtown Design Standards — which establish a shared vision and design framework for downtown Amherst — closes July 1. Residents who have not yet weighed in have one week to submit feedback.
SCHOOLS
The Amherst School Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday, June 25. At Amherst Central High School, local and Regents exams continue through June 25, with June 26 serving as Rating Day and the last day for teachers.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
Amherst Town Library hosts an Evening of Poetry on Thursday, June 25, at 7 p.m. Also on Thursday morning, Tots & Tunes runs at 10 a.m. and Creative Corner is at 4 p.m. for younger visitors.
The library's "Plant a Seed, Read!" summer reading program — open to all ages — runs through Friday, August 7. The library is closed Sundays through Labor Day.
On Thursday evening, June 25, the community calendar lists an opening reception for the exhibit "In Defense of our Just Rights & Liberties," as well as a community conversation titled "Grief and Love are Sisters: Processing the Closure of Hampshire College," both at venues listed on the town calendar.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
No new coverage from Patch, MetroWest Daily News, or The Boston Globe in this cycle.
COMING UP
- **Thu., June 25:** Amherst School Committee meeting; Board of Health; Zoning Board of Appeals; Board of Assessors; Board of License Commissioners (note: Community Resources Committee meeting is cancelled) - **Thu., June 25:** Evening of Poetry, Amherst Town Library, 7 p.m.; Tots & Tunes, 10 a.m.; Creative Corner, 4 p.m. - **Fri., June 26:** Bubbly Babies, Amherst Town Library, 10 a.m.; Office Hours with State Representative Mindy Domb - **Tue., June 30:** ATL Reads Fiction Book Club, 1 p.m.; Sprinkler Storytime, 10 a.m. - **Wed., July 1:** Downtown Design Standards public comment deadline - **Thu., July 2:** Parade Bike Decorating, 1 p.m.; Slow Doodling, 2 p.m.; Let's Play Mahjong!, 2 p.m. - **Fri., July 3:** Free Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks, McGuirk Alumni Stadium South Lawn, UMass Amherst - **Sun., July 6:** DPW Building Committee application review begins