A little bit of this and a little bit of that – news briefs and updates on a variety of topics:
No more orange tickets: Well, almost. The town’s Parking Enforcement officers have switched to handheld computers that print tickets directly onto white weather-resistant paper. The devices use thermal imprint rather than ink, which improves their resistance to the elements. According to the town web site, “Orange envelope violations will continue to be issued for traffic hazards and snow ban violations, however the bulk of violations in the Town’s center will be printed by the new computers.”
Pho Noodle Soup has opened: The Vietnamese noodle restaurant is located at 41 Boltwood Walk, at the southwest corner of the parking garage, near the alleyway next to Antonio’s. Hee-Young Hong said they opened last Tuesday, and that business has been pretty good so far. Their full-color menu offers 20 dishes, including 10 varieties of pho soup, three noodle dishes, four varieties of fried rice and three rolls. For a previous article about Pho Noodle Soup, click here.
Everyone is going to the museums: Museums10 – a collaboration of seven museums from the Five Colleges and three independent area museums – registered a 15% jump in attendance from January through August of this year, over the same period in 2005. They credit their Go Dutch! promotion, which partnered local businesses with the museums to offer thematic cultural attractions. A “passport” encouraged visitors to collect stamps from 6 of the 22 Go Dutch! partner sites, to be eligible for a trip to Holland and Belgium, donated by Cross-Culture Journeys of Amherst. Just over 100,000 people participated, and Galina Vromen of Amherst was the lucky grand prize winner. Learn more about Museums10 at www.museums10.org.
International Thanksgiving: The International Students Club at Amherst Regional High School will host its annual Community Thanksgiving Celebration, Thursday, November 9th from 6:00- 8:30 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. According to the ISC, “This event began as a way of sharing the American traditions of this holiday with newcomers, and in return, enjoying the traditions that they have brought with them.” All are invited to this free event, and are encouraged to bring a dish to share reflecting their own family’s holiday traditions. For more info, contact ISC Advisor Lila Feingold at feingoll@arps.org.
Join the fun: The town’s web site lists the following Town Meeting vacancies: Precinct 2 – 2 vacancies; Precinct 3 – 1 vacancy; Precinct 4 – 6 vacancies; Precinct 10 – 2 vacancies. According to the site, “In accordance with Section 1.5422 of the Amherst Town Government Act, the above vacancies may be filled by filing a petition with the Town Clerk to request a special meeting. The petition shall be signed by no fewer than 10 elected town meeting members from said precinct. For more information contact the Town Clerk’s Office by email (townclerk@amherstma.gov) or phone (259-3035).”
Then there were two: The third of five fraternity houses on North Pleasant Street was demolished Wednesday. This moves the properties one step closer to being acquired by UMass for $2.5 million. The house at 389 North Pleasant requires asbestos removal and the submission of a “clean air report” to the town’s Inspection Services division before demolition can occur.
It won’t be long now: Opening night at the new Amherst Cinema is Wednesday, November 22nd, but the kick-off starts a few days earlier. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place Saturday, November 18th at 11:00 a.m., to be followed by an open house until 2:00 p.m. when the public can tour the building. For more details, check out www.AmherstCinema.org.
So you like stained glass windows? In an effort to share their Tiffany and La Farge treasures with the wider community the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst has arranged for private guided viewings in addition to public lectures. Those who call the Meeting house at 253-2848 can arrange to view the windows with a knowledgeable guide. Lectures about the windows are scheduled for Sunday, November 12th at 2:00, when Mount Holyoke Professor Paul Staiti will speak about the gilded age, in a talk entitled, “The American Renaissance: Art, Architecture, and Civilization;” and Sunday, December 10th at 2:00, when noted stained glass consultant Julie L. Sloan will speak on the rivalry between the artists and the history of these two windows. Both lectures are free and open to the public, and donations are welcome. For previous coverage about the windows, click here.
-- Stephanie O'Keeffe
