AMHERST — Amherst officials and Jones Library staff are marking Banned Books Week with both a proclamation and a brief video, encouraging people to read children’s, teen and adult books that have been challenged in libraries, schools and bookstores.
On Monday evening on the steps of Town Hall, members of the Town Council and trustees for the library read a recently adopted proclamation that states we “encourage all libraries and bookstores to acquire and make available materials representative of all the people in our society, and urge our residents to read freely, now and forever.”
The proclamation notes that the community “celebrates the freedom to choose or the
freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or
unpopular, and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or
unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.”
As part of Banned Books Week, library staff produced a video showing children’s librarian Mia Cabana conversing with puppets and dolls about two books that have been challenged: “Something Happened in Our Town” and “And Tango Makes Three.”
“Librarians like me oppose censorship and we speak out about book banning,” Cabana said in the recording, also praising state Rep. Mindy Domb and state Sen. Jo Comerford for their advocacy of the Freedom to Read Act that was signed by Gov. Maura Healey over the summer.
The video is at: https://canva.link/r50t2owsqpolnxb.
The theme of this year’s week, running from Oct. 4 to 10, is “Let Books Be — Protect the Freedom to Read.”
Middle School Grow Club
The Grow Club at Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School is earning a $300 Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Mini-Grant to expand hands-on student learning related to agriculture, food production and the environment.
The grant money is supporting a collaboration between the Grow Club and Pause & Pivot Farm in Williamsburg, with students exploring plant-based product development, growing lettuce hydroponically during the winter and connecting the school-based growing activities with the larger food system.
Club advisor Kerrita Mayfield said the grant will build on the club’s existing work and provide students with additional opportunities to learn about food production and changes in agricultural practices.
“When we think about plants and earth activity, you don’t protect what you don’t love, and you can’t love what you don’t know,” Mayfield said. “Pause & Pivot Farm’s work adds another dimension to that learning. The farm shared that its use of controlled-environment agriculture was influenced by climate change, the limited availability of fresh local greens during the winter, and a desire to introduce young people to farming as a viable career that can take many forms, including careers incorporating technology.”
Coronation Cafe expands
Coronation Cafe, the 103 North Pleasant St. restaurant, will have more space for customers following the completion of its expansion.
Located in the former long-time home of Bart’s Ice Cream since opening in 2022, Coronation Cafe is taking over space that was used for close to 40 years by Hair East.
As part of the expansion, the cafe has created an ice cream window that will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Accessory dwelling units approved
Two accessory dwelling units within walking distance of the University of Massachusetts campus, located in the North Prospect-Lincoln-Sunset Local Historic District, can proceed.
The Local Historic District Commission in late September approved the certificates of appropriateness for the ADUs that will be built at 290 Lincoln Ave. and 321 Lincoln Ave.
In both cases, design changes were made by Rachel Stevens of Maple Street Architects in Northampton, who put the plans together for College Street 1957 LLC, a company run by You-Pan Tzeng of Longmeadow.
At the 290 Lincoln site, the new building will be a single-story building, farther away from Fearing Street and close to a beech tree.
At the 321 Lincoln site, one more parking space will be added, but with the removal of a two-car garage, there will be less asphalt. Stevens said the design is also careful to limit impervious areas and that vehicles in the driveway will be less visible than previously.
Amherst High graduate honored
Jimmy Camacho, a 1986 Amherst Regional High School graduate, was recently recognized by the Holyoke City Council for his work on an exhibit on Puerto Rico volleyball at the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Last month, councilors unanimously presented the citation to Camacho for organizing and researching the exhibit and for documenting the sport’s cultural ties to Puerto Rico.
Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia praised Camacho in a Facebook post.
“Over several years, he dedicated himself to researching the history of Puerto Rican volleyball, including traveling throughout Puerto Rico to collect artifacts, photographs and the stories of the athletes, coaches, leaders and communities who helped shape the sport.”
Town Hall Art Gallery opening
Gene Rork and Evelyn Villa will have photos of flora and fauna on display at Town Hall through November, with a reception, including refreshments, to meet the artists Oct. 15 from 5 to 7 p.m.
The images are mostly local, though some are from their travels to Australia. “We hope that everyone seeing this exhibit will come away feeling better about our natural world with a renewed desire to take care of it,” Rork and Villa said in a statement.
The gallery is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
