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.

ARHS Varsity Athletics at Home – Monday-Friday

Catch ARHS varsity athletes in action at home this week!  Girls Tennis vs. Ludlow, Monday at 5:00 pm. Girls Softball vs. Lee, Monday at 5:00 pm. Boys Lacrosse vs. Granby, Monday at 7:00 pm. Boys Baseball vs. Commerce, Tuesday at 4:00 pm. Girls Lacrosse vs. McCann, Tuesday at 4:15 pm. Girls Ultimate Frisbee vs. Northampton, Wednesday at 7:00 pm.  MORE

Town Council – Monday

The Town Council meets on Monday and will hear a presentation from members of the Public Art Commission regarding the “Percent for Art” at the elementary school building project. The Council also will discuss and potentially vote on the FY26 budget for the Regional school district. Monday, 6:30-10:30 pm in Town Hall and on Zoom. MORE

Finance Committee – Tuesday and Thursday

The Finance Committee continues its detailed review of the proposed FY26 budget and capital program at two meetings this week. On Tuesday, the Committee reviews the budgets for the Department of Public Works and the water and sewer rates. On Thursday, the Committee reviews the budgets for Conservation, Planning, & Inspections, Sustainability, Public Health, Senior Center, Veterans Services, andRecreation. Tuesday, 1:00-4:00 pm on Zoom, MORE; and Thursday, 9:00-11:00 am on Zoom, MORE.

Amherst School Committee – Tuesday

The Amherst School Committee meets on Tuesday to discuss the FY26 budget. The Amherst SC voted in March to approve a budget that includes a 6% increase in municipal funding over the current fiscal year, which is higher than the original guideline of +4% that the Town Council had recommended for all municipal budgets. The Council in April amended the guideline for the elementary schools to +5% and the budget that the Town Manager submitted to the Council earlier this month aligns with the amended guidance. The Council may not increase the budget or any line item within the budget, so the Amherst SC will need to discuss the funding gap between the budget it approved and the funding that is likely to be provided by the Town.

The Amherst SC will later consider entering executive session to discuss strategy related to litigation filed by two employees. Tuesday, 6:30 pm on Amherst Media. MORE

Personnel Board – Wednesday

The Personnel Board meets on Wednesday to discuss the FY26 budget as well as the Finance Director, Town Clerk, and Senior Center Director vacancies. Wednesday, 10:00-11:00 am in Town Hall, 1st Floor Meeting Room. MORE

Planning Board – Wednesday

At its meeting on Wednesday, the Planning Board will hear a presentation by The Barrett Consulting Group of the draft Housing Production Plan that was developed throughout 2024. They’ll also discuss draft regulations for accessory dwelling units and potentially vote to refer the regulations to the Town Council. Wednesday, 6:30-9:00 pm on Zoom. MORE

Cinema Seminar–Movie Censorship in the US – Wednesday

Head to Amherst Cinema on Wednesday for this month’s edition of Cinema Seminar. Local film historian, Nina Kleinberg, presents the seminar on movie censorship followed by a screening of Cinema Paradiso. You’re likely familiar with the MPAA ratings system and the kind of content associated with films rated G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17. But have you ever wondered how we got here?

From the dawn of cinema in the late 1890s, movies have been subject to censorship—by the government, by the Church, by a random assortment of self-appointed guardians of public morals, and even by the filmmakers themselves. It was not until 1952 that the Supreme Court ruled that movies were protected by the First Amendment, and, even then, censorship continued… and does today. Local film historian Nina Kleinberg will walk us back in time and through the many forms of censorship imposed upon the movies. 

After the seminar, enjoy the screening of Cinema Paradiso, Giuseppe Tornatore’s loving homage to the cinema. Wednesday, 6:30 pm at Amherst Cinema. MORE

Meet Amherst A Better Chance – Thursday

The Amherst League of Women Voters invites the community for a conversation about the impact of A Better Chance (ABC) on Thursday. The Resident Directors of the ABC House Tem Blessed Ferreira and Nancita Alejandro and Board Co-President Rika Clement will explain how the residential high school program prepares academically talented and highly motivated African American, Latino, Asian, and Indigenous American students from educationally underserved school districts for college and future leadership roles. Thursday, 7:00-8:30 pm on Zoom. MORE

Salsa in the Park – Saturday

Head to Mill River Recreation Area on Saturday for an evening of dancing and great music under the outdoor pavilion! Hosted by Salsa con Tacos Dance and sponsored by Amherst Recreation, the evening kicks off with a free salsa dance lesson with Ray and Rebeccah from Salsa Worcester. Later, enjoy the Latin Dance Social of salsa, bachata, and merengue with DJ Picu. Grab food at the food truck or bring your own picnic. The event is free and family friendly. Saturday, salsa lesson 6:00-7:00 pm and Latin Dance Social 7:00-9:30 pm at the pavilion at Mill River Recreation Area. 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.

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