President Andrea Battle called the meeting
of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, July 14th, 2015, and
welcomed us all. Andrea discussed the idea of moving to the Monkey Bar to try it out for our lunch meetings. Because of the season, only a small number of members are attending meetings this month. Some of the members present objected to the Monkey Bar as a venue on the grounds of the difficulty in parking and walking to it. Therefore, Andrea announced that we will postpone trying out a new venue until September. This coming week we will meet at the ABC as usual. Announcements: Arthur Kinney reminds us that the Hampshire Shakespeare company presents The Merry Wives of Windsor outdoors at the UMass Renaissance Center, July 15-19, at 7:30pm. Please arrive early in order to purchase your ticket and take your seat. The Youth Action Coalition is having a “fun” fundraising party on Friday, July 17th at the Red Barn in Amherst. $25 with ticket, or $30 at the door. For tickets, call Andrea at 516-749-5056 or email andreabattle08@gmail.com. Celebrate Medicare’s 50th Birthday on Thursday, July 30th! Short festive gatherings will be held with music at Springfield City Hall, 36 Court Square, 9 am; Holyoke City Hall, High and Dwight Streets, 11 am; Pittsfield Federal Building, 79 Center Street, 12 noon; Northampton City Hall, 210 Main Street, 1:30 pm; Greenfield Town Common, Main and Federal Streets, 3:30 pm. For more information, contact Jackie Wolf, lwvahealthcare@yahooo.com. Raffle: Elsie Fetterman won the wine. Andrea Battle won the $10. Speaker: Philippe Galaski introduced our speaker, Professor Scott Jackson, Extension Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Scott is working with colleagues on a report on the proposed Kinder Morgen gas pipeline’s impact on the western Massachusetts environment. In western Mass., it will mainly pass through Franklin County, which has areas of considerable environmental importance. In fact, the proposed pipeline route cuts through some of the most important terrain in Mass. UMass cannot take a position for or against the pipeline, but is merely reporting what its research finds are the probable outcomes of its installation. The pipeline’s existence and proposed route are governed by federal, not state, law. Whether the pipeline is needed is not considered by the UMass report. When completed, the pipeline route will be 100 feet wide, allowing room for a tractor to mow along it on either side. It may be planted with grass, or with shrubs, or allowed to support wild plants. Your scribe, Linda Honan |
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