VARIETY OF TOPICS

The Kendrick Park Committee, chaired by Peg Roberts, approved a plan last week for both the use and improvement of the three and one half (3 1/2) acre parcel, owned by the town of Amherst. Located across the street from Bertucci's Restaurant, Kendrick Park is a gift of the Kendrick family to the people of Amherst. The committee decided that Kendrick Park should be a place for beauty and quiet enjoyment while not closing the door to some more intensive uses to include a public market and certain passive recreational activities. There will be much more about the plan but now is the time to extend my gratitude to the members of the Kendrick Park Committee for the time and effort devoted to this enterprise.

The local budget picture is not particularly good for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2009. Fundamentally, the revenue gap that exists between the Finance Committee's initial recommendation and the estimate from the proposed State of Massachusetts House of Representatives budget is approximately 3.9 million dollars for the Town of Amherst, Amherst Elementary Schools, the Amherst share of the regional budget and the Jones Library. This is a very serious issue and without dramatic reductions in expense or increases in revenue, the budget crisis will not be resolved. Staff, the Select Board and the Finance Committee have been working very hard to find an answer to this challenge.

I was very proud to be able to join Nancy Pagano, Senior Center Director and Barbara Southerland, Council on Aging to celebrate and acknowledge Loretta Cavanaugh as the oldest citizen of Amherst. She was presented with the handsome Boston Post cane in recognition of this achievement. Mrs. Cavanaugh resides at the Center for Extended Living.