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Date: 9/20/2022
AMHERST – Community members and municipal officials alike gathered for an open roundtable discussion at the Cuppa Joe event featuring Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman and the public health team of Director Jennifer Brown and Nurse Olivia Lara-Cahoon. Hosted in the Large Activity Room of the Bangs Community Center on Sept. 15, the meeting began with updates on various local health issues and eventually shifted to a discussion on possible solutions to road safety issues throughout the town.
Lara-Cahoon mentioned the emergence of a rural harm-reduction van provided by Tapestry Health. Tapestry is a collection of clinics throughout the Pioneer Valley which provides free clean needle exchange, Narcan treatment for opiate overdoses and sexually transmitted infections testing and education. In addition to their brick and mortar locations they also have a mobile clinic in the form of a van which will be visiting Amherst every Tuesday to provide services for local residents.
In addition to the services listed above, the van will also provide new safe-sharp boxes and drug testing. The drug testing will allow users to check the purity and/or composition of the substances in their possession to reduce potential risks from even more harmful additives. The van is discrete, white and unmarked in appearance, but representatives from Tapestry will be present on nearby roads to inform community members of the available services. The van will be parked in various locations, including the Craig’s Doors nonprofit organization building on North Pleasant Street and the University Lodge parking lot on the same street.
Brown had some updates on infectious diseases. Latent tuberculosis (TB) is present in Amherst; this means that there are some individuals infected with TB, but they are asymptomatic and not contagious – active TB is the designation for symptomatic and contagious infection. TB is airborne but it is, in Brown’s words, “hard to get;” prolonged exposure is required for infection.
Due to this year’s drought, it was a low year for West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis. The mosquitoes which spread these diseases lay their eggs in pools of standing water. The water must stay calm for at least seven to 10 days in order for the eggs to gestate. Because of the lasting drought, these pools have not formed, which prevents the spreaders from reproducing, thus minimizing infections.
After a member of the public inquired about monkeypox, Brown listed the current statistics. As of the press time, there were 356 cases in Massachusetts and roughly 2,000 cases nationwide. No cases have been reported in Amherst so far. However, Brown encouraged community members to be aware of the risks. It is a contact-spread disease through open wounds which mainly take the form of scab-like sores. It can also be spread through fomites; for instance, if an infected person’s open wound touches their bedsheets, another person could potentially contract the disease from laying in that bed. Contact with closed wounds also has the possibility to spread but is far less likely than open wound contact. Brown was careful to note that the disease cannot be spread through things like shared doorknobs.
It was at this point that the meeting shifted its focus. A couple from Middle Street entered the discussion seeking answers regarding their unsuccessful efforts to improve safety conditions on their street. The narrow two-way street has become quite hazardous for pedestrians, according to this couple, and they have gathered a petition of over 100 signatories of residents who demand change.
They reported many close calls while walking along the streets, either through almost-collisions with speeding drivers, or simply heated exchanges with drivers passing through, irritated by the presence of walkers on the road because Middle Street has no sidewalks. The couple went on to say that they had contacted several municipal organizations, including the Joint Capital Planning Committee and the Transportation Advisory Committee, but seemed to always get redirected to another party without any tangible process. Another meeting attendee complained of a similar problem on Pomeroy Lane. In addition to pedestrian dangers, both parties also stated that the roads themselves needed repaving due to cracks and potholes.
Bockelman acknowledged their frustration and informed them of some possible solutions to their problems. The intersection of Pomeroy Lane and West Street has already been approved to be transformed into a rotary. This will enhance pedestrian, cyclist and driver safety. Construction is set to begin next spring. On the matter of Middle Street, Bockelman explained that because much of the road boarders farmland, it is not feasible to widen the road or its shoulder. However, it could be turned into a one-way street, which would allow the other half of the pavement to be converted into a pedestrian/cyclist walkway, and minimizes cost.
Bockelman and Director of Communications and Civic Innovation Brianna Sunryd offered to set up a meeting between the couple and the town’s Department of Public Works to further discuss this option and exchanged contact information.
This Cuppa Joe was hosted on a Thursday due to a scheduling conflict with the Elementary School Building Committee meeting on the Friday, but Bockelman stated that future Cuppa Joe’s will return to their usual Friday placement.