It’s Monday, and we’re back with our weekly outlook to the public meetings, activities and events for the upcoming week.

The Jones Library Trustees Budget & Investment Committee — Monday

The committee will cover the FY26 and FY27 budgets, review the Friends Annual Fund and Capital Campaign Reports, and approve minutes. Monday, 3:00–4:30 PM, virtual meeting only. MORE 

Design Review Board — Monday

The board will hear a signage application for Zinneken’s Waffles at 28 Amity Street and receive a presentation on Downtown Design Standards from Dodson & Flinker. Monday, 4:30 PM, virtual meeting only. MORE

Community Meeting: Flooding & Culverts – Monday

Join the Town of Amherst for dinner and discussion at this community meeting about flooding and culverts. Your local knowledge is crucial to help us identify problem areas and develop plans for a resilient future.

At this event, we will ask you to share your experiences with local flooding and help us identify problematic culverts and road washouts. This will inform our understanding of current conditions and prioritize our needs for new culverts.

This event is part of a regional project spearheaded by the Town of Amherst, in partnership with Hadley, Belchertown, Pelham and Shutesbury, that aims to protect the Fort River Watershed. The Fort River Watershed Culvert Improvement & Prioritization Plan Project focuses on Critical Infrastructure, Climate Resilience, and Environmental Stewardship to achieve these goals:

• Improve flood resilience for the Town to prevent road damage and assess safety risks.
• Improve Aquatic Habitat Connection under roads.
• Work toward a townwide Culvert Prioritization Plan (all stream crossing culverts and bridges assessed for conditions and aquatic connection).

Monday, 6:00-9:00 PM in Town Hall. MORE

Finance Committee of the Town Council — Tuesday

The committee will vote on a Water Fund appropriation and transfer order for watershed land purchase, discuss the regional school budget from the March 14 Four Towns meeting, and review the budget calendar. Tuesday, 1:00–3:00 PM, virtual meeting only. MORE

Amherst School Committee FY27 Budget Hearing — Tuesday

The committee will hear a presentation of the FY27 draft budget, take public comment, and discuss the proposed budget. Tuesday, 6:30–9:00 PM, hybrid: Amherst Town Hall, and on Amherst Media. MORE

Public Art Commission — Tuesday

The commission will receive chair’s updates on Percent for Art, For Want of a Nail, the Town Hall gallery, Electrify Amherst, and Art Night+, followed by a web and social media update. Tuesday, 7:00–8:30 PM, virtual meeting only. MORE

Joint Capital Planning Committee — Wednesday

The committee will discuss remaining department project requests, review the capital inventory and prior-year unspent articles, and consider resident capital requests. Wednesday, 5:00–7:00 PM, virtual meeting only. MORE

Planning Board — Wednesday

The board will hear presentations on Downtown Design Standards and the Clean Energy Bylaw, discuss mixed-use building amendments and a possible referral to Town Council. Wednesday, 6:30–9:30 PM, virtual meeting only. MORE

Vernal Equinox at the Sunwheel – Friday

The public is invited to celebrate the spring equinox, which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, at the standing stones of the UMass Amherst Sunwheel on Friday. These hour-long Sunwheel events, at sunrise and sunset, mark the astronomical change of seasons when days and nights are nearly equal in length all around the world.

Observers standing at the center of the Sunwheel’s standing stones will see the sun rise and set over stones placed to mark the equinoxes, very close to due east and due west. Other structures around the world mark this astronomical change, such as the pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico and England’s Stonehenge.

At the gatherings, UMass Amherst astronomer Grant Wilson will discuss the astronomical cause of the sun’s changing position during the gatherings. He will also explain the seasonal positions of Earth, the sun and moon, phases of the moon, building the Sunwheel and answer questions about astronomy. Friday, 6:45-7:45 AM and 6:15-7:15 PM at the UMass Sunwheel (south of McGuirk Alumni Stadium, just off Rocky Hill Road). MORE

Tim Eriksen & Peter Irvine at The Drake – Friday

Head to The Drake on Friday to hear songwriter Tim Eriksen with percussionist Peter Irvine. Eriksen’s work has been covered by Alison Krauss, Bonny “Prince” Billy and Joan Baez. The long collaboration between Eriksen and percussionist Peter Irvine has included Bosnian ensemble Žabe I Babe and folk/noise trio Cordelia’s Dad, the only band to have appeared with both Doc Watson and Nirvana. Friday, 8:00 PM at The Drake. MORE

Dance to Benefit the ACLU – Saturday

Join local dance band the No-Nos and local Americana band On the Lam for an evening of music and dance to support the ACLU of Massachusetts. Shake it up and dance away the winter blues! Saturday, 7:00-10:00 PM at Munson Memorial Library. MORE