It’s Monday and we’re back with our roundup of the week’s events. Here are this week’s town government meetings, and cultural, recreational, and athletics events that caught our eye.

Public Forum on FY26 Budget – Monday

The Town Council and Finance Committee will host a public forum on next year’s budget on Monday evening. The forum will begin with a presentation about the FY26 budget as well as the supplemental appropriation of Free Cash totaling $5.5 million. Monday, 6:30-7:00 pm in Town Hall and on Zoom. MORE

Town Council – Monday

The Town Council holds its regular meeting also on Monday evening. From 5:00-6:30 pm, the Council will participate in a “reading period” to read materials related to the Town Manager evaluation. After the conclusion of the Public Forum, the Council meeting will continue with a presentation and discussion of the financial planning for the four major building projects – elementary school, Jones Library, Fire/EMS station, and Department of Public Works building. The Council also will consider voting on the supplemental appropriations of Free Cash. Monday 5:00-6:30 pm and 7:00-10:30 pm, in Town Hall and on Zoom. MORE

Public Hearing: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Advisory Committee – Monday

The CDBG Advisory Committee will host a public hearing about the current activities funded by the 2022/23 grant as well as suggestions for the 2025 grant process. Community Development Block Grants are state funding to support housing, community development projects, and social service activities benefiting low-and moderate-income citizens. Monday, 7:00-9:30 pm on Zoom. MORE

Amherst School Committee – Tuesday

The Amherst (elementary) SC at its meeting on Tuesday will consider a resolution in support of a proposal from MASS Promise to invest, a group that’s advocating for the state legislature to fully meet its commitment to school funding equity by addressing the high cost burden of charter school and school choice public funding on low and moderate income school districts. The SC also will discuss a letter to the state Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education regarding the expansion request of the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School. And, they’ll consider a vote on the application for a new private school in Amherst. Tuesday, 6:30 pm in the library at ARHS and on Amherst Media MORE

Planning Board Meeting and Public Hearing – Wednesday

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing during its meeting Wednesday about the proposed zoning overlay district on University Drive. This proposal is intended to increase economic development and encourage significant new housing, including affordable housing, along University Drive between Rte. 9 and Amity St/Rocky Hill Rd. 

Read about why the Planning Board recommended this proposal to the Town Council in this brief memo and see a map, here. Some community members have expressed concern about the possible impacts of this overlay district to the commercial area where Big Y and CVS are located. A zoning overlay district keeps the uses allowed in the underlying zoning. Overlay districts allow for flexibility without having to change what’s already allowed. What’s being considered wouldn’t change existing businesses and any decision to change would continue to be in the hands of the property owners.

The Amherst Municipal Affordable Housing Trust at its meeting last week expressed its support for the proposal because it encourages apartment housing that will be affordable and will help meet the recognized demand for additional housing in Amherst. The Town Council is expected to consider a vote on the proposal in December. Wednesday, 6:30-9:30 pm on Zoom. MORE

Jimmy Greene and Noho Jazz Workshop – Wednesday

Head to the Drake on Wednesday evening to hear Grammy®-nominated saxophonist Jimmy Greene with the Noho Jazz Workshop. A native of Hartford, CT, Greene is one of the most respected saxophonists of his generation. His most recent recording, As We Are Now, will be released in 2025. His 2014 release, Beautiful Life (Mack Avenue), garnered two Grammy Award nominations: one for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and one for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for Greene’s song “When I Come Home.” Wednesday, 7:30 pm at The Drake. $ MORE

Community Preservation Act Committee – Thursday

The Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) meets on Thursday to hear 3 more presentations about funding requests received by the Committee. The presentations are about a request for development funds for a fence at North Cemetery, recreation and conservation signs, and trails and footbridges. Thursday, 6:00-8:00 pm on Zoom. MORE

Community Conversation: Navigating Differences – Thursday

The Town of Amherst Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is hosting a community conversation about navigating differences on Thursday. This event is part of the Town’s “Becoming a Beloved Community” Series. These events provide the opportunity to engage in DEI-led civic conversations that foster a safer, more welcoming environment and better quality of life for members of the Amherst community. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend! 

Coinciding with this event, the DEI Department and CRESS will be holding a separate space for community members to process the election results with one another. Facilitated by Camille Theriaque, Director of the Community Responders for Equity, Safety, and Service (CRESS), this discussion is meant to bring the community together and support a path forward. Thursday, 6:00-8:00 pm in the Bangs Community Center. Free. MORE

Bellwether Series: Lyd – Thursday

On Thursday, Amherst Cinema’s Bellwether series continues with a screening of Lyd. The Bellwether Film Series celebrates fresh approaches to fiction, non-fiction and experimental cinema. 

Lyd, by Sarah Ema Friedland & Rami Younis, is a speculative documentary that follows the rise and fall of Lyd—a 5,000-year-old metropolis that was once a bustling Palestinian town until it was conquered when the State of Israel was established in 1948 and was renamed Lod. Lyd dares to ask the question: what would the city be like had the Israeli occupation of Lyd never happened?

Made by a Palestinian from Lyd and a Jewish American, Lyd provides much-needed context for this moment, as it goes deep into the history of the Nakba from the perspective of Palestinians who survived. Co-director Sarah Ema Friedland joins in person for a post-film discussion. Thursday, 7:00 pm at Amherst Cinema. $ MORE

Seo Jungmin: One, My Utopia! – Friday

To witness Seo Jungmin in performance is to be mesmerized. If Seo’s virtuosic command of her instrument, the 25-string gayageum, weren’t sufficiently transportive by itself (and make no mistake, it is), there would still be no escaping the enchanting power of the expansive, boundary pushing music she and her ensemble produce. 

In One, My Utopia!, Seo’s masterful gayageum playing is complemented by You Byoungwook’s percussion and Kim Yulhee’s pansori (traditional Korean story song) vocals. Come out and be spellbound by this deft blend of tradition and contemporary expression from one of the planet’s most influential cultures. Friday, 7:30 pm at Bowker Auditorium at UMass. $ MORE

Making Mugwort Pillows – Sunday

On Sunday afternoon, head to The Hitchcock Center for an event making mugwort pillows! Mugwort oh my, it’s everywhere. We can use this plant as we clear it from our meadows. Learn how to make a lovely aromatic dream pillow and a simple salve out of this plant you likely have in your neighborhood! Both make lovely gifts! Materials (and MUGWORT!) provided. Sunday, 2:00-4:00 pm at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment. $ MORE

Community Input Needed: Amherst Housing Production Plan – Now through November 30

The Town of Amherst invites the community to participate in a survey to help shape the future of housing in Amherst. Feedback from this anonymous survey will inform the Town’s Housing Production Plan by helping to understand current housing needs and preferences in order to develop strategies to address them. Responses are welcome from year-round residents, students, and residents of other communities in the region, especially those who work, have lived, or would like to live in Amherst. Read more and take the survey HERE.

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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.

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