(3/12/07) Here is a collection of bits and pieces of news and information from around Amherst.

Greenbacks:  Residents can support clean energy alternatives and help earn matching funds for the Town by enrolling in the Massachusetts Clean Energy Choice program. If 3% of Amherst residents sign up by making a donation to the New England Wind Fund by March 31st, the Town could earn up to $28,000 in matching funds to be used for municipal green energy projects.  Donations in any amount are welcome, but to qualify for the matching funds, a minimum donation of $100 is required.  Learn more here and here, or click here for your printable enrollment form.

Logan Express:  100 area college students will be taking part in an alternative Spring Break by working with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild the area ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.  To help save money, they are looking for volunteers to take the students to Logan Airport on Saturday, March 17th, and to pick them up on Saturday, March 24th or Sunday, March 25th.  If you are interested in making a 3-hour commitment to help efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast, contact Chandler Patton, the chair of Smith College's Habitat for Humanity chapter by e-mail, or by phone at (room) 585-6369 or (cell) 817-437-3031. 

Rating the Reps:  Sustainable Amherst is a web site launched by Baer Tierkel, and names himself, Clare Bertrand and Andy Churchill – fellow writers of the monthly Bulletin column “Amherst Center” – as its Editorial Board.  The site promotes strong schools, open space, cultural diversity and broadening the tax base among its values.  It rates Town Meeting members on their voting records for 21 votes identified as “good indicators of whether a member was voting for or against an Amherst that could be fiscally sustainable to support strong schools and services,” and offers a printable list of recommended candidates to vote for in the upcoming election.

The Upside:  A lecture titled “Why Environmentalists Should Like Genetically Engineered Agricultural Crops” will be given by Wellesley College Political Science Professor Robert Paarlberg on March 13th at 3:30 p.m. in the Cape Cod lounge at the UMass Student Union.  The lecture is part of the Environmental Institute's spring lecture series, and it is free and open to the public.

Library Budget:  A public hearing will be held to discuss the FY08 library budget Tuesday, March 13th at 7:00 p.m. at the Jones Library.  Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about proposed cuts, ask questions and offer comments.  Learn more about the library's budget process and the Library Trustees' proposed cuts under a 1% budget here.

Meet the Candidates Live:  The League of Women Voters Candidates Night takes place Thursday, March 15th at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Room at Town Hall.  There will be refreshments at 7:00 and the forum will begin at 7:30.  The event will be broadcast live on ACTV and re-broadcast multiple times before the election.

Meet the Candidates On-Line:  Last week's nuggets included candidate web site links for Robie Hubley, Alisa Brewer and Kathleen Anderson.  This week we add Andy Churchill.  Know of more?  Send them along.

Apply Yourself:  Those interested in serving on one of the Town's volunteer boards and committees can now fill out the Citizen Activity Form on-line.  The form is an application, and applicants must be appointed to serve.  Different committees have different appointing authorities (the Select Board, the Town Manager, the Moderator) but submitting the form is the first step toward getting involved.   

Grow Old at Hampshire:  Much recent financial discussion involves encouraging new housing for seniors, because it doesn't add kids to the schools.  Often mentioned is the planned Veridian Village development at Hampshire College, which will feature approximately 120 senior condos with shared amenities such as a common room, meeting room, and exercise and art space.  These units will pay property taxes, and construction is planned for 2007 through 2010.  Learn more about the project here.

Got a nugget?  Send it along.

-- Stephanie O'Keeffe