Every Monday, we spotlight the town government meetings, and cultural, recreational, and athletics events that caught our eye. Read on and mark your calendars!

Solar Eclipse with UMass Astronomy – Monday

Join UMass Amherst Astronomy on Monday to observe the solar eclipse which will reach 94.6% totality at our campus location on Earth. The College of Natural Sciences and the Astronomy department will distribute solar shades at two locations on campus while supplies last—the UMass Amherst Sunwheel and Metawampe Lawn. UMass astronomers will speak about the phenomenon at both campus viewing locations beginning around 2:15pm. On this day, the peak of the eclipse in Amherst will be at 3:28pm. Monday, 11:00 am-4:30 pm at the Sunwheel and at Metawampe Lawn. Free. MORE.

Town Council – Monday

The Town Council will review the proposed updates to the Residential Rental Bylaw at its meeting Monday evening. The Council also will discuss its support for a proposed State law regarding payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT). The bill in the State Senate and House if passed would enable cities and towns with nonprofits owning total property valued at or above $15 million to require them to make PILOT equal to 25% what they would have owed without the nonprofit exemption. Monday, 6:30 pm in Town Hall and online. MORE 

ARHS Varsity Sports at Home – Monday through Friday

Catch the varsity action at home. Girls Tennis vs. E. Longmeadow, Monday at 4:45 pm and vs. Minnechaug, Wednesday at 5:00 pm. Boys Lacrosse vs. S. Hadley, Monday at 6:30 pm and vs. Agawam, Thursday at 4:30 pm. Girls Lacrosse vs. Wahconah, Tuesday at 4:15 pm. Girls Softball vs. Smith Voc, Friday at 4:30 pm. Boys Tennis vs. Minnechaug, Thursday at 4:15 pm and vs. E. Longmeadow, Friday at 4:30 pm. Girls Ultimate Frisbee vs. Four Rivers, Friday at 4:00 pm.  MORE

Public Forum with the UMass Daily Collegian – Tuesday

The Editors from the UMass Daily Collegian would like to hear your opinions, input, and suggestions about the newspaper. Please come and join in this informal sharing session. All members of the Amherst Community are invited – students and non-students. Food will be served. Tuesday, 5:00-6:45 pm in Town Hall. MORE

School Superintendent Finalist Visit – Tuesday & Wednesday

The first of three finalists for the school superintendent position, Dr. Susan Gilson, is visiting the District and community this week and there are several opportunities for community members to engage. There will be two Community Forums, one on Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 pm (online only) and one on Wednesday, 6:30-7:30 pm (in-person only in the library at ARHS). On Wednesday, the School Committees will meet with Dr. Gilson for a public interview, 7:30-9:00 pm in the library at ARHS and on Amherst Media. Details about the finalists, including CVs and reference reports, are available online HERE.

Reading with UMass History Writer-in-Residence, Amy Bass – Tuesday

The Jones Library is hosting the UMass History Writer-in-Residence, Amy Bass, for a reading on Tuesday evening. Emmy award winning writer Amy Bass, Ph.D., is Professor of Sport Studies and Chair of the Division of Social Science and Communication at Manhattanville College. As a writer and scholar, she engages audiences inside and outside of academia with a focus on sport, culture, and politics. Her first book, Not the Triumph, but the Struggle: the 1968 Olympic Games and the Making of the Black Athlete, is considered a standard-bearer for the study of sport from a cultural perspective. She will read from her most recent work, One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game That Brought a Divided Town Together, which was named a best book of 2018 by the Boston Globe and Library Journal. Tuesday, 7:00-8:00 pm in the Jones Library. Free. MORE

Amherst College Creative Writing Series with Sheila Sundar – Wednesday

The Amherst College Center for Creative Writing holds a Fall and Spring Reading Series every year, with all events free and open to the public. ThisSheila Sundar is the author of the novel Habitations, out this week. She is a professor of English and creative writing at the University of Mississippi. Her writing has appeared in The Virginia Quarterly Review, The Massachusetts Review, The Threepenny Review, and elsewhere. Wednesday, 7:00 pm in the Aliki Perroti & Seth Frank Lyceum at Amherst College. Free. MORE

Downtown Amherst Architecture Walking Tour – Saturday

On Saturday, the Amherst Historical Society & Museum will host a guided architectural tour of downtown Amherst, led by architect Steve Schreiber, FAIA and Chair of the Department of Architecture at UMass. The tour will explore the exteriors and surroundings of old and new buildings in the central business district, and will include stops at infrequently seen places. Saturday, 10:00 am-12:00 pm, beginning at the Simeon Strong House. Limited to 20 people; registration is required. $  MORE

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Want more? We’ve gathered the event and program calendars from the many organizations and committees in Amherst onto Community Calendars. Check it out to find even more upcoming events.

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Have an event you’d like us to spotlight? Email us TheAmherstCurrent@gmail.com.