By Nick Grabbe and Sarah Marshall

The Amherst Current is returning after an absence of 15 months – and with new, energetic management.

We started the Amherst Current in July of 2021 with the goal of providing readers with factual, accessible information about town politics and activities. We published more than 120 posts over 12 months, some explaining complex issues in understandable terms and some offering opinions. We provided extensive coverage of the 2021 town election.

We still feel that Amherst needs another voice to provide facts and perspective on the many questions swirling around our town. But we are expecting to move on to new roles in town government: Sarah is running for office and Nick has joined the Board of Assessors.

We were approached by Allison McDonald, who resigned in August as chair of the Amherst School Committee and proposed bringing the Current back to life. We met with her and were impressed with her knowledge of Amherst, her determination to make a difference, and her continued inclination to serve the town.

So we are turning the Amherst Current over to her, including our subscriber list, web site, and gmail account. We’ll be available to Allison for advice, and we may write occasional posts, but she will manage the Current’s content.

We know that Allison possesses excellent communication skills. Last March, she wrote a newspaper op-ed that demystified the school budgeting process. And in September she wrote an eloquent op-ed explaining her decision to immediately resign from the School Committee in the face of harassment and vitriol.

Allison has lived in Amherst since 2002, and has an extensive background in marketing and communication. She has two sons, now 17 and 18, who have gone through the Amherst schools. She has volunteered for PGOs and sports teams, and was a Town Meeting member. She was elected to the School Committee in 2018 and was chosen as the chair in 2020.

We are confident that Allison will maintain the high standards of accuracy and community involvement that we have established. If you would like to contribute to the Amherst Current, or suggest something to Allison, you can reach her at theamherstcurrent@gmail.com.