Heavy rain closes portion of Potwine Lane in Amherst

AMHERST — Twin culverts carrying the Plum Brook below Potwine Lane have been compromised by recent heavy rain, prompting the Department of Public Works to close that section of the road.

Until replacement culverts are installed, the road will be closed between 216 Potwine and 256 Potwine, with those accessing the Plum Brook Recreation Area’s soccer fields required to enter from West Street.

That recreational area gets significant use from the Amherst Youth Soccer Association.

Residences along the road will be accessible either from the west from West Street or from the east from Middle Street. But Potwine Lane is otherwise closed to all through traffic until repairs are made.

For more information, contact the DPW at 413-259-3050 or publicworks@amherstma.gov.

Jazz sextet to perform on Forbes Library stage

NORTHAMPTON — Now’s the Time, a jazz sextet, will perform outdoors on the Hess Performance Stage at Forbes Library on Wednesday, Aug. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Attendees are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket, a picnic dinner and friends for the performance. In case of inclement weather, the event will move indoors to the Coolidge Museum on the library’s second floor.

The group plays a mix of hard bop jazz, blues and swing, with a horn section of trumpet, alto saxophone and clarinet alongside upright bass, keyboard and drums. The sextet has performed together for 15 years, drawing on the music of jazz composers including Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley.

More information is available at michaelfavalagoldman.com/nows-the-time-jazz-sextet.

Historic Deerfield to offer free admission

DEERFIELD — Historic Deerfield will offer free admission Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as part of the Highland Street Foundation’s August Adventures program.

The monthlong statewide initiative offers free admission to a different Massachusetts arts or cultural site each day in August. Historic Deerfield, a museum of early American life in an 18th-century village along the Connecticut River, is the featured site Aug. 19.

Visitors can tour the museum’s historic houses and galleries, walk its mile-long grounds and explore exhibits on early New England life.

“August Adventures is a wonderful opportunity to welcome new audiences while celebrating the importance of preserving and sharing our collective history,” said Claire Carlson, Historic Deerfield’s director of museum education. “We hope visitors from across the region will spend the day exploring everything Historic Deerfield has to offer.”

General admission is normally $20 for adults and $5 for youth ages 13 to 17. Children 12 and under, Historic Deerfield members, and Deerfield and South Deerfield residents receive free admission year-round.

Donations sought for baby shower benefiting women veterans

New England Wound Care is collecting donations for a baby shower benefiting women veterans and service members, organized on behalf of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of Central Western Massachusetts.

Donations can be dropped off from Monday, Aug. 10, through Friday, Sept. 18, at New England Wound Care’s offices at 94 N. Elm St., Suite 102, in Westfield, or 101 Munson St., Suite 215, in Greenfield.

Needed items include infant swings, strollers, high chairs, pack ‘n plays, mini cribs, sound machines, bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, bibs, diapers, wipes, baby hygiene products, bathtubs, bath toys, blankets, Safety 1st kits, diaper cream, board books, towels, fitted crib sheets and clothing in multiple sizes.

The donations will be given to expecting veterans and service members at a baby shower hosted by Veterans Affairs of Central Western Massachusetts on Saturday, Sept. 26.

More information is available from Katelyn Dobbs at New England Wound Care, at 413-475-3233, ext. 208, or Katelyn@NewEnglandWoundCare.com.