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 and recreational events that caught our eye.
Town Council – Monday
At its meeting on Monday, the Town Council will review and discuss an update on plans for the Hickory Ridge site as well as the process for the Town Manager evaluation. The Council also will consider action on a pair of citizen petitions for zoning bylaw amendments, a proposed amendment to zoning bylaw to allow for fee-in-lieu of affordable units in new developments, the Regional School district’s debt authorization for the middle school roof project, and a request from the Charter Review Committee for an extension on its report delivery deadline. Monday, 6:30-10:30 pm in Town Hall and on Zoom. MORE
ARHS Varsity Athletics at Home – Tuesday-Friday
Catch ARHS varsity athletes in action at home this week! Boys & Girls Cross Country, Tuesday at 4:30 pm vs. Longmeadow. Girls Field Hockey vs. Southwick, Wednesday at 6:00 pm (Gooding Field at Amherst College). Girls Volleyball vs. Westfield, Thursday at 6:00 pm and vs. Easthampton, Friday at 6:00 pm. Boys Football vs. Putnam Voc/Tech, Friday at 7:00 pm. MORE
Finance Committee – Tuesday
The Finance Committee meets on Tuesday to discuss the Regional School district’s debt authorization for the middle school roof project, and to review and continue discussion of financial guidelines related to the fiscal sustainability of the Regional Schools. The Committee also will plan its schedule for developing financial guidelines for the FY27 municipal budget development. Tuesday, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on Zoom. MORE
Frederick Law Olmsted, Cemeteries, and the Gardenesque – Tuesday
UMass Downtown kicks off a three-part lecture series on Tuesday called Wildwood Remembers: UMass Connections to Wildwood Cemetery. At this first talk, Dr. Ethan Carr, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at UMass, and Rebecca Fricke, General Manager of Wildwood Cemetery, will discuss Frederick Law Olmsted, Cemeteries, and the Gardenesque. Tuesday, 7:00-8:00 pm at UMass Downtown. MORE
Sofia Samatar: A Reading & Discussion – Tuesday
The Amherst College Visiting Writers Series continues on Tuesday with a reading and discussion with Sofia Samatar. Samatar is a writer of fiction and nonfiction, including the memoir The White Mosque, a PEN/Jean Stein Award finalist. Her works range from the World Fantasy Award-winning novel A Stranger in Olondria to Opacities: On Writing and the Writing Life, a National Book Critics Circle Award Longlist selection. Her 2024 novella The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick, Nebula, and Hugo Awards. Samatar is Roop Distinguished Professor of English at James Madison University, where she teaches African literature, Arabic literature, and speculative fiction. Tuesday, 7:00 pm at the Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Lyceum at Amherst College. MORE
Planning Board Public Hearing & Meeting – Wednesday
The Planning Board hosts a public hearing on Wednesday about a site plan review for a mixed-use building at 363 Main St. (the former Bruno’s Pizza location) to reduce the first floor commercial space to 650 SF and construct a new 4-bedroom residential unit. The Board also will review and discuss the preliminary study report for a possible East Amherst Local Historic District. Wednesday, 6:30-9:00 pm on Zoom. MORE
Conservation Commission Public Hearing & Meeting – Wednesday
The Conservation Commission hosts two public hearings at its meeting on Wednesday. One is a hearing about wetlands area delineation related to the PureSky Development solar project on Shutesbury Rd.; the other is related to mixed-use development at 126, 140 & 148 South East Street and 43 Belchertown Road. Wednesday, 7:00-10:00 pm on Zoom. MORE
CDBG Advisory Committee Public Hearing – Thursday
The Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee holds a public hearing on Thursday about the proposed reallocation of $612K in grant funds from FY23. The grant funds had been allocated for sidewalk, crosswalk, and pavement improvement work on Belchertown Rd. in East Amherst Village Center, and on South East St. extension near the site of the former South East St. School. The Belchertown Rd. work was eliminated and the South East St. extension work was postponed. Thursday, 7:00-8:00 pm on Zoom. MORE
Hamed Sinno: Poems of Consumption – Thursday
The UMass Fine Arts Center presents Hamed Sinno’s ‘Poems of Consumption’ as the kickoff performance in Next50, its special anniversary season series. Next50 features artists on the rise and artists actively engaged in reimagining the media in which they work. Sinno, through their latest work, fits both criteria. Though well established from their time as leader of the Beirut-based indie rock band Mashrou’ Leila, Sinno is only now building a presence as a solo artist. And they’ve taken their work in a stunning new direction with new sounds, new instrumentation, a fantastic multimedia stage show, and a boundary-pushing creative process. Thursday, 7:30 pm at Bowker Auditorium. MORE
Cuppa’ Joe with Paul Bockelman & Director of Senior Services Lisa Borchetta – Friday
Head to the Black Sheep Deli on Friday morning for coffee with town manager Paul Bockelman and the new director of senior services, Lisa Borchetta. Lisa began as the new Director of Senior Services at the beginning of September. She joins Amherst with a robust background in senior services administration, human services support, and mental health counseling. As she begins her work, Lisa has been meeting with staff, seniors, and community partners to learn about Amherst’s values and needs. At this event, she is eager to connect with the broader community to discuss how to make Amherst an even better place for older adults to thrive, focusing on expanded programming and new intergenerational initiatives. Friday, 8:00-9:30 am at the Black Sheep Deli. MORE
History Bites: In Defiance Book Talk – Friday
Authors Tom Weiner and Amilcar Shabazz will talk about their recent book In Defiance as part of Amherst Historical Society’s Lunchtime Lecture Series. In Defiance: 20 Abolitionists You Were Never Taught in School uncovers the untold stories of individuals who risked their lives to fight enslavement, serving as a compelling call for justice and the preservation of history. This book brings to light the often-suppressed stories of those who risked everything to end enslavement. Profiling 20 Black and white men and women, the book highlights their courage, activism, and unwavering commitment to freedom. Through vivid vignettes, including their own words, their struggles and sacrifices come to life. Friday, 12:00-1:30 pm in the Bangs Community Center. MORE
Tree Planting – Saturday
The Amherst Public Shade Tree Committee invites you to join in a tree planting event in order to help make Amherst a greener, more livable town! No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome! Saturday, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at Amity St at the Town Common. MORE
Fire Department Open House – Saturday
Celebrate Fire Prevention Week by joining the Amherst Fire Department for our Annual Open House! Activities will include meeting firefighters, taking photos with Sparky the Fire Dog and Smokey Bear, checking out new equipment, and – NEW this year – watching a live fire safety demonstration at 12 pm. This family friendly event is free and open to all! Saturday, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Central Fire Station. MORE
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.
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