AMHERST — A new pedestrian bridge on West Street over the Plum Brook will be installed by crews from the Department of Public Works and Harold’s Crane Service on Wednesday.
Putting in the precast concrete pedestrian bridge on a section of the state highway between Pomeroy Lane and Mount Holyoke Drive will require the road to be reduced to one lane, likely starting around 9 a.m. and running through noon.
The pedestrian bridge has been closed since August 2020 when an inspection found deterioration on the bridge’s eastern side. Since then, walkers and joggers have had to use the main road, protected by a Jersey barrier in the street.
For additional information, contact the DPW at 259-3050 or publicworks@amherstma.gov.
NORTHAMPTON — Community members are invited to attend a free art exhibit and reception for Art with Heart, a collaboration between local grieving youth and caregivers and area artists.
The exhibit will run through October at the Northampton Center for the Arts; there is a reception on Friday at 5 p.m. All are invited to attend.
Art with Heart, the vision of Shelly Bathe Lenn, a program coordinator at The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens, paired local grieving youth and caregivers with artists to create art as an expression of grief. Children ages 5-17 participated in workshops held in May. Artists Barbara Neulinger, Christine Southworth, Frankie Borrero and Omarthan Clarke each worked with one of four small groups of grieving youth and caregivers. In each of the groups, the participants learned the artist’s medium and made an art piece.
The artwork will be on display throughout the Pioneer Valley each month through June and a culminating event will be timed with the 25th anniversary of The Garden in 2023.
To learn more about the Art with Heart program, contact Shelly Bathe Lenn at 413-727-5749. The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens is a program of the Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice.
AMHERST — As part of the Mill District’s Fall Festival, the Hampshire County Young Professionals will hold its second annual North Square Dog Show on Saturday. The competition runs from 2 to 3 p.m. at 91 Cowls Road in North Amherst.
Participants can bring their dogs down to be judged in categories including best strut, best looking, best personality and best trick. Judges will award each dog points per category. The dog with the most points will win a grand prize.
Other events at the festival include and Exotic & Classic Car Show, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; live music from The Butterfly Swing Band from noon to 3 p.m.; and games and pumpkin painting from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
NORTHAMPTON — Northampton Neighbors will host a virtual event on Friday from 3 to 4 p.m. titled “Aging Well: The Importance of Community and Equity.”
During this virtual event, psychologist and leadership coach Pat Romney will discuss the importance of social connections, community, and equity to a life well lived.
Romney, a longtime clinical and organizational psychologist, is currently a leadership coach to academic and human services professionals.
For 20 years, she taught at Hampshire and Mount Holyoke colleges and wrote more than 20 articles and papers.
She was a founding board member of Amherst Neighbors, and served as co-chair of their fundraising committee.
To participate, visit northamptonneighbors.org and click on the Speakers Series section.
In other news, Northampton Neighbors will host what could be its last outdoor “Mix ‘n’ Mingle” of the season on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Participants meet at Spoleto’s, 1 Bridge St., from 4 to 6 p.m. for a low-key gathering.
The Mix ‘n’ Mingles offer a chance for people to enjoy the company of old friends and new neighbors. There is no agenda and nothing prepared for the gatherings. Masks are encouraged, but not required.