AMHERST — Recordings of five Fort River School fourth graders reading Emily Dickinson poetry in Spanish, Korean and English are part of a new mixed-media exhibit “A Something Overtakes the Mind” at the Emily Dickinson Museum.
A collaborative installation by artist Ligia Bouton and poet Matt Donovan, in partnership with the museum and The Boutelle-Day Poetry Center at Smith College, visitors to the Main Street museum are encouraged to engage with the video, found poetry and historic objects reimagining how Dickinson’s life and work are encountered.
Nate Durning and Lissa Pierce Bonifaz, the school’s English as a Second Language educators, coordinated the recording process with parent permission.
“This project is a beautiful example of how our students are celebrated not only for their creativity and learning, but for their voices, in all the languages they bring to our classrooms,” E. Xiomara Herman, Amherst schools superintendent, said in a statement. “We are proud to see them contributing to our local culture in such a meaningful and lasting way.”
The installation invites visitors into the space that once served as the Dickinson family’s laundry room and kitchen.
“A Something Overtakes the Mind” runs through Dec. 21 and is open to the public during museum hours.
Cable Television Advisory Committee
Amherst is seeking residents to serve on the Cable Television Advisory Committee, which will assist with the license renewal process with Comcast, the town’s current cable operator.
Every 10 years, Amherst conducts a comprehensive review and renewal of its cable license to ensure community needs are met and service standards maintained. Currently, Comcast is the sole provider holding a franchise agreement to provide cable services.
“The cable television landscape is changing rapidly,” said Town Manager Paul Bockelman. “We are seeking residents who are eager to dig into the world of cable television and anticipate the needs of the town over the next decade.”
The committee will advise Bockelman on Comcast’s performance under the existing license and assist in gathering public input about the community’s future cable-related needs and interests, with an ascertainment report to be completed by Dec. 31 and a final report due by April 15, 2026.
For more information about the committee and how to get involved, go to www.amherstma.gov/2163/Cable-Advisory-Committee.
Interested residents should submit a community activity form at amherstma.gov/CAF by Sept. 2.
Grand Block changes
Rear porches on the Grand Block, an historic downtown building, could be removed as part of renovations and repairs following a fire that began on one of those porches in May.
Jonathan Salvon, a principal at Kuhn Riddle Architects, recently presented concepts to the Design Review Board showing a reconstructed back side of the building at 69 South Pleasant St., with a more compliant egress stair within the footprint of the building’s masonry shell.
Some masonry will also have to be redone as it was compromised by the heat of the fire that burned through the ceiling and roof, and did damage to balloon frame walls.
None of the porches are part of egress from the building, Salvon said, explaining they are more “an attractive nuisance than an integral part of living in the building.”
Commission member Karin Winter said it makes a lot of sense to bring the building up to code, though she would be sorry to see the porches go. In preliminary suggestions, the board advised keeping the arched lintel windows and doorways.
The Historical Commission will also review the project, due to the ages of the porches, though they are likely not original to the building, which has undergone many changes since being built in 1881. In addition to apartments on the upper floors, the building is the location of La Veracruzana restaurant, Laughing Dog Bicycles and a lawyer’s office.
Community Band concert
Band Classics will be the theme of the Amherst Community Band’s next performance during the 2025 Summer Concert Series Saturday at 6 p.m. at Sweetser Park.
Attendees should bring a chair or blanket. In case of rain, the concert will be moved to the parish center at St. Brigid’s Church.
Hazardous Waste Day
Amherst, Pelham, Shutesbury and Hadley residents can participate in Household Hazardous Waste Day Sept. 6 at Wildwood School on Strong Street.
Registration, which is required, closes Aug. 26. That can be done at https://www.amherstma.gov/FormCenter/Solid-Waste-and-Recycling-13/Household-Hazardous-Waste-Preregistratio-107
Meetings
MONDAY: Design Review Board, 5 p.m.; Town Council, 6:30 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.
TUESDAY: Amherst School Committee, 5:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: Amherst School Committee retreat, 5:30 p.m., middle school library.
