Town Opens Cooling Center Friday as Season's First Heat Wave Peaks
A town-designated cooling center is open today — Friday, June 12 — as an extreme heat and humidity advisory grips Amherst through Sunday, June 14, marking the first heat event of the season and the period health officials consider highest-risk.
TOWN HALL
The town opened a cooling center Thursday and Friday in response to the heat wave, and has published weekend cooling suggestions online for the days after the center closes. Officials note that while summer heat events are common, the first of the season carries elevated health risk because residents have not yet acclimated. Full guidance is posted at amherstma.gov.
A Puffer's Pond swimming update is also live on the town's website; residents planning a weekend swim should check current conditions before heading out.
Residential rental property owners face a Monday, June 15, deadline to renew their permits or incur a late fee. The town issued a reminder this week that annual renewal is required and that the clock runs out at the end of the business day Monday.
On the drought front, Amherst has implemented water use restrictions under its Water Management Act Registration in response to the Connecticut River Valley drought, though the town is clear that its own water supply remains stable and is not currently threatened.
The town also continues to accept public feedback on Downtown Design Standards — a framework meant to guide public improvements and private development downtown — through July 1.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
The weekend brings a run of community events worth marking on the calendar. Saturday, June 13 features the Annual Pancake Breakfast for Puffer's Pond alongside the regular Amherst Farmers Market. On Sunday, June 14, two significant gatherings take place: the Youth Hero Awards and Race Amity Day Celebration, and Ancestral Bridges' 6th Annual Juneteenth Legacy Celebration: A Homecoming.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
No new coverage from Patch, MetroWest Daily News, or The Boston Globe in this cycle.
COMING UP
- **Monday, June 15:** Rental permit renewal deadline — late fees begin after today; Design Review Board meeting; Town Council meeting - **Tuesday, June 16:** Finance Committee of the Town Council; Amherst School Committee; Hampshire Public Health Preparedness Coalition