In this opinion post, Ray La Raja writes that disagreement with the Charter Review Committee's report is not about democracy versus exclusion, but about how democratic institutions balance public participation with the capacity to govern effectively.

It’s Monday and we’re back with our roundup of the week’s events. Here are this week’s town government meetings, and cultural and recreational events that caught our eye.

Allison McDonald recaps the discussions in this report of the Regional School Committee meeting on Tuesday, January 13.

Alex Cox and Noelani Schoeber provide this review of Amherst Community Theater’s production of "The Wizard of Oz," calling it a spellbinding reminder of the importance of home and the talent right in our backyard.

Political scientist Ray La Raja argues that the town’s challenge is not a lack of public participation, but an overgrown system of procedures that makes effective governing harder, not easier.

The Town Council met on Monday night and laid out a plan to address action items recommended in the Charter Review Committee’s Final Report. The report was issued on January 5, 2026 and the Council has 90 days to vote upon the recommendations within the report. The vote is tentatively scheduled in early March. Jack Jemsek recaps the discussion in this report on the meeting.

It’s Monday and we’re back with our roundup of the week’s events. Here are this week’s town government meetings, and cultural and recreational events that caught our eye.

Allison McDonald provides this report on the meetings of the Amherst SC and the Regional SC on Monday, January 5.

For the first time since it replaced the Town Meeting form of government seven years ago, Amherst’s Town Council has a new leader. David Porter provides an overview of the vote in this recap of the January 5 meeting of the Town Council.

It’s Monday and we’re back with our roundup of the week’s events. Here are this week’s town government meetings, and cultural and recreational events that caught our eye.

In this opinion post, long-time Amherst resident Stephanie O'Keefe offers a recap of 2025, in verse.

It's Monday again, and this week we will ring in another new year! As we close out 2025, we are looking back at the top stories on the "pages" of the Current. We published 130 stories in 2025 (131 if we count this one) with nearly 114 thousand words. Here are the top stories of the year that drew the most comments and the most readers.

It’s Monday and we’re back with our roundup of the week’s events. Here are this week’s town government meetings, and cultural and recreational events that caught our eye.

On World Meditation Day this Sunday December 21st, people from across the globe will unite online in a 20-minute guided meditation for world peace . Peter Demling writes about the impact of introspective group action in this opinion post.

It’s Monday and we’re back with our roundup of the week’s events. Here are this week’s town government meetings, and cultural and recreational events that caught our eye.

Nick Grabbe is considering whether to cancel his digital subscription to the Daily Hampshire Gazette. He writes about why in this opinion column.

It’s Monday and we’re back with our roundup of the week’s events. Here are this week’s town government meetings, and cultural and recreational events that caught our eye.

Highlights from ARHS athletic events October 26-30 in photos by ARHS senior Sophie Ziomek.

How to adequately fund Amherst’s schools and fix its roads and other aging infrastructure were the two budget concerns most cited by candidates at the outset of Monday night’s Town Council debate hosted by The Amherst Current and the Graduate Student Council of the UMass School of Public Policy. But it was the town’s housing challenges that seemed to loom over the rest of the evening - and they elicited the biggest reaction from the many students in attendance.

It’s Monday and we’re back with our roundup of the week’s events. Here are this week’s town government meetings, and cultural and recreational events that caught our eye.

Highlights from ARHS athletic events October 20 in photos by ARHS senior Sophie Ziomek.

Six candidates for Town Council engaged in a debate Friday night sponsored by The Amherst Current. The debate was moderated by Stan Rosenberg and co-sponsored by the Graduate Student Council of the UMass School of Public Policy. The candidates addressed a range of issues, including budgeting, housing, economic development, infrastructure, and the potential for an override of the state law limiting property tax increases. Read on to learn more, or watch the recording (linked from this post).

It’s Monday and we’re back with our roundup of the week’s events. Here are this week’s town government meetings, and cultural and recreational events that caught our eye. ARHS Varsity Athletics at Home - Monday and Saturday Catch ARHS varsity athletes in action at home this week! Girls Volleyball vs. Agawam, Monday at 6:00 pm. MORE Town Council - Monday…

More than a thousand people turned out on the town common Saturday to protest the drift toward authoritarianism originating in the White House. Nick Grabbe catalogued more than 75 sign slogans and shares our favorites. See the list and images of the rally in Amherst.

Highlights from ARHS athletic events October 14-17, in photos by ARHS senior Sophie Ziomek.