School Committee members to speak at Amherst League of Women Voters

AMHERST — Amherst School Committee Chairwoman Jennifer Shiao and Deb Leonard, the committee’s secretary, will be speaking about issues facing local schools during a virtual program sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Amherst Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The committee is responsible for reviewing and approving school budgets, monitoring ongoing expenses, setting policy, and facilitating communications with the public and school district leaders.

Those interested in attending should register online at lwvamherst.org to participate.

Holyoke to host flag-raising for Sikh community

HOLYOKE — A Sikh flag-raising ceremony will be held Tuesday, April 1, at noon at Holyoke City Hall.

April is a significant month for the Sikh community. Vaisakhi is celebrated, which marks the beginning of the New Year and honors the creation of the Khalsa and the Sikh articles of faith.

These articles impart the values of equality, selfless service, and social justice.

The movement to recognize Sikh Heritage Month began with the aim of commemorating and celebrating the rich heritage, history, culture, and contributions of Sikhs.

The ceremony will include the reading of a proclamation by Holyoke Mayor Joshua A Garcia.

Members of the local and regional Sikh community will offer prayers.

Sikhism, which originated in the Punjab region of South Asia, is the fifth largest independent ethnic religion in the world. More than 700,000 Sikhs reside in the United States.

Local Vocal Chord Bowl this Saturday

AMHERST — The Local Vocal Chord Bowl, an a cappella showcase benefitting schools in Amherst and Northampton, will take place on Saturday, April 5, at Amherst Regional High School.

Originally created by the Green Street Brew, the event is designed to bring together a multigenerational array of choral performers, while raising funds for a local cause. It is truly local event.

The concert this year showcases four well-known high school groups, the Amherst Regional High School Hurricane Singers and Chorale; the Northamptones and Chamber Choire from Northampton High School; two college groups, the Dynamics from the University of Massachusetts and the Smiffenpoofs from Smith College; and three adult groups, Northampton Music Center’s Ujima, The Wise Guys and the Green Street Brew.

This is the 14th year of the Local Vocal and, as in many of the past presentations, the concert is a benefit for the Amherst and Northampton high schools, to support, enhance and enrich their music programs.

Nobel Laureate to speak at UMass

AMHERST — Labor economist David Card, co-recipient of the 2021 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, will deliver the annual Philip Gamble Memorial Lecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Thursday at 5 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In his lecture, Card will explore the links between immigration, minimum wage and inequality. His research has challenged the conventional belief that increasing the minimum wage leads to job losses.

Before joining Berkeley, Card taught at the University of Chicago (1982-83) and Princeton University (1983-96). He has held visiting appointments at Columbia University, Harvard University, UCLA and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. From 2012 to 2017, he served as director of the Labor Studies Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Sponsored by the UMass Amherst Department of Economics, the Philip Gamble Memorial Lectureship Endowment was established by alumnus Israel Rogosa and other family and friends in memory of Philip Gamble, a member of the economics faculty from 1935-71 and chair of the department from 1942-65.

More information on the Department of Economics and the 2025 Gamble Lecture by David Card, as well as a complete list of previous Gamble lecturers with video of all speeches since 2008, can be found on the economics department website.