A little bit of this and a little bit of that – news briefs and updates on a variety of topics:

A legend comes to town: Music legend Bob Dylan is performing at Mullins Center Wednesday, November 15th. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30, opening with The Raconteurs. Tickets are $45 and as of this writing are still available. They can be purchased at the Mullins Center box office, or by phone at 413-733-2500, or on the web from Ticketmaster.

A candidate came to town: Jill Stein, the Green-Rainbow party candidate for Secretary of State, was downtown on election day. Her green bus was parked in front of Bart’s at lunchtime, and she spoke to a small crowd of supporters and curious onlookers about her open and inclusive platform. That appearance, the leaflets distributed on her behalf, and the guy in the chicken costume all probably gave a boost to her local support. Stein received 2,627 votes in Amherst, a little more than half of the Town’s total for incumbent William Galvin.

High ranks: Mark’s Meadow Elementary School had some exemplary results in the latest round of MCAS testing. Based on unofficial rankings done by Boston.com that compare each school’s results per subject and grade with those statewide by combining the percentage of students achieving “Advanced” or “Proficient” status, Mark’s Meadow ranked 3rd out of 1,006 for 4th grade math and 33rd out of 933 for 5th grade science. For additional results, click here.

Hoop store opens: The Art of Basketball opened on Halloween day. The store features visual arts displays and basketball merchandise and is located in the rear of the Starbucks building, fronting on the parking garage. Owner Warren Lett is still tinkering with his concept and inventory and hopes word-of-mouth and advertising help to build some buzz for his business. For an earlier article about this store, click here.

Safety Walk: The UMass “Walk for Light” takes place Wednesday, November 15th, having been postponed from last week due to bad weather. Students, faculty and staff are invited to gather on the steps of the Student Union at 6:00 p.m., and divide into groups to cover different routes around the campus, taking note of any safety concerns along the way. The Walk began several years ago and participant efforts have brought about such safety improvements as better lighting and additional call boxes. Refreshments will be served afterwards at the UMass Police Department. For more information, contact Angela Plassmann by e-mail or at 545-2125.

Donate that cell phone: So now you’ve got the latest and greatest new cell phone, and your old one is stashed in a desk drawer somewhere. Why not put it to better use? The Amherst Police Department is collecting cell phones on behalf of the Amherst TRIAD/S.A.L.T Council, for distribution to local seniors for 9-1-1 emergency use. Drop off your old cell phone at the front desk at the Police Station, or ask for Captain Sullivan. Your old phone might just save a life.

A row no more: The last of the five “fraternity row” houses on the east side of North Pleasant Street was demolished on Saturday afternoon, November 11th. Clean up of the site continues. One of the houses had asbestos issues, and required a “clean air report” for the Town before it could be torn down. The report was made satisfactorily and that house came down last Wednesday.

Good books, cheap: The Friends of the Jones Library System will hold a “Best of the Books” book sale Saturday, November 18th from 9:00 a.m. until noon in the Jones’ Large Meeting Room. It is billed as “An outstanding selection of this year’s best quality donated books.”

Tidbits from the Amherst Town Libraries Annual Report:

Number of Amherst Residents with C/W MARS cards, as of 6/30/06
Adults -- 16,431
Children (age 4 -13) -- 2,085

Total FY06 Library Checkouts
Jones Library -- 446,600
Munson Memorial -- 39,468
North Amherst -- 41,067
Sent to other libraries -- 34,542

It’s that time again: WFCR is looking for volunteers to answer phones during the upcoming fund drive, December 2nd through the 9th. Shifts are available all day, from early morning to late evening, so you can choose the time that works best for you. As an added bonus, food is provided from fine local establishments to ensure that volunteers are happy and well-fed. Go to the volunteer page on the WFCR web site, or contact Jorge Luis Gonzalez by e-mail or at 545-1684 for more information.

-- Stephanie O’Keeffe