AMHERST — Amherst Restaurant Week returns Sunday, with 16 restaurants participating in the event coordinated by the Amherst Business Improvement District.
John Page, executive director of the Amherst BID, said downtown’s restaurants represent flavors from around the world.
“Whether you’re in the mood for something familiar or ready to try something new, there’s a seat at the table for everyone,” Page said.
During the week, which in recent years takes place annually just after commencement season concludes, there will be prix-fixe menus, exclusive deals and specially featured dishes.
Dulces by Vera, for instance, will be having 25% off any dessert, not including the candy wall, Pasta e Basta’s featured dish will be ravioli all’aragosta, lobster and crab stuffed ravioli in a lobster-based cream sauce with shrimp and fresh chives, and DP Dough will offer a two-person meal deal for $30.
On June 13, the final day, Aster & Pine will be hosting free wine tasting from 1 to 3 p.m.
There is also a gift card giveaway that incentivizes people to go out multiple days, with check-ins that can be logged through the Brightr app or via a printed map, which is available for pick-up at the Amherst Visitor Information Center.
A full list of participating restaurants and their featured offerings is at amherstdowntown.com/restaurantweek and will be on the Amherst BID’s social media channels.
Memorial Day recognition
Staff Sgt. Stephen H. Barton, who died in 1944 during World War II, was honored at Amherst’s recent Memorial Day event, moved to the Bangs Community Center due to inclement weather.
Barton, who was born in 1918 in New York City and lived on Lincoln Avenue, graduated from what was then Amherst High School and was pursuing a career as a horticulturist specializing in roses.
Drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1942, it was on his 33rd mission on a B-17 bomber that he was shot down over Romania, crashing into the mountains of Yugoslavia.
He was awarded the Purple Heart and five Air Medals and is buried at the Florence American Cemetery in Italy.
Immigration policy discussion
Laurie Millman, executive director of the Center for New Americans, will discuss “Fostering Access for Immigrants in Challenging Times” as part of a conversation series put on by the Racial Justice Committee of the Amherst League of Women Voters Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Center for New Americans welcomes and supports immigrants, refugees, migrants, and asylum-seekers in western Massachusetts. They offer free classes in English for Speakers of Other Languages, career preparation assistance, support services and immigration legal services in Northampton, Amherst, Greenfield and Springfield.
Millman also is expected to talk about the impact of federal immigration policy on communities across the region.
Go to lwvamherst.org to join the program, named in honor of longtime civic leader Judy Harris Brooks.
Remote participation
The Governance, Organization and Legislation Committee appears unlikely to recommend a change to Town Council rules, or to the town charter, that would allow public speakers participating remotely to be visible while speaking.
Clerk to the Council Athena O’Keeffe told the subcommittee that giving speakers the ability to have their cameras on would strip away the guardrails that prevent so-called Zoom bombings.
While District 3 Councilor George Ryan said he would like to make visibility available to those speaking from places other than the Town Room, O’Keeffe said it would be time consuming to have those participants join meetings as panelists, the only way for them to turn on their cameras.
“There’s also not a method of preventing a panelist from doing whatever they want when they come into a meeting,” O’Keeffe said, noting that this could lead to more upsetting things being presented and would be much harder to shut down.
District 2 Councilor Lynn Griesemer, as the former council president, recalls the challenges of inappropriate behavior.
“I don’t see why we have to insist they show their video, or even provide them with the opportunity,” Griesemer said. “It’s because they want a council meeting to be like a
book club meeting; well we aren’t.”
Song & Story Swap
Transatlantic folksinger Rupert Wates will perform at First Church, 165 Main St., Saturday at 7 p.m. as part of the Song & Story Swap.
Now in its 31st year, the event is sponsored by the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society of western Massachusetts.
Girls on the Run
An end-of-season 5K run for Girls on the Run Western MA takes place at the University of Massachusetts Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
Girls on the Run is a 10-week, physical activity-based, positive youth development program that uses fun running games and dynamic discussions to teach life skills to girls in grades 3 to 8 throughout the four western counties.
This spring, Girls on the Run has 1,100 participants on 73 teams, with 295 volunteer coaches.
Participation in the 5K event is open to the public and all proceeds from the event will benefit Girls on the Run. Registration cost is $25 for adults and $10 for youth under 12 and includes a 5K shirt for the first 1,000 registered. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.
