(4/23/07)  Life has disrupted the nuggets lately, but we've managed to put a few of them together here.

Wonky Week:  Lots of stuff related to the Town and its finances this week:

Tuesday, April 24:  Budget Orientation Meeting, 7:00 p.m. in the Town Room at Town Hall.  Put on by the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee, of which this reporter is a member, this orientation is aimed at providing new Town Meeting members with an introduction to the budget's preparation and structure.  It may also be useful for returning members and interested town residents, and all are invited.  The meeting will be carried live on ACTV and rebroadcast on channel 17 at the following times:  Wednesday, April 25th at 7:00 p.m., Thursday through Sunday, April 26th -29th at 7:30 p.m.  See the ACTV schedule for additional times.

Thursday, April 26:  Informational Meeting about the Proposed Override and Three-Year Plan, 7:00 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium. Organized by the Amherst Plan Committee, of which this reporter is also a member, this meeting will feature Town officials presenting information about the different budget cut scenarios that will result from the override vote either passing or not passing on May 1st.  The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions. All are invited. 

The ACTV program Conversations with Isaac BenEzra features an interview with Town Manager Larry Shaffer and Finance Director John Musante about the proposed override.  It will be shown on channel 12 on Wednesday, April 25th at 8:00 p.m.  That will follow what is expected to be a new episode of the program at 7:00p.m.

Gone Missing:  Less than 24-hours after they were put out, around 100 lawn signs opposing the override were stolen.  A reward is being offered for information leading to the culprits.  But of course, you should already know all of this from reading Larry Kelley's blog. 

Literary Thursday:  The famed short-story writer, poet and activist Grace Paley will give a reading at the National Yiddish Book Center on Thursday, April 26th at 3:30 p.m.  The event is free and open to the public.   

Literary Thursday II: R. Todd Felton will read from and sign his book A Journey into the Transcendentalist's New England on Thursday, April 26th at 7:30 p.m. at the Jones Library.   Per the info from the library, “Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Amos Alcott, George Ripley, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Emily Dickinson are placed firmly in their historical, social, philosophical, and literary contexts. Felton deftly explores their varying relationships with each other, and the impact their idealism continues to have on Americans.”  Felton and his family live in Amherst, and the public is invited to meet him at this free event. 

Clean out your shelves:  The final day for donating books to this year's League of Women Voters Book Sale is Friday, April 26th.  Books are being collected at all three Town libraries, Stop & Shop in Hadley, The UPS Store on University Drive, and the League's sorting and pricing center at 7 Pomeroy Lane, #7 and #8.  The sale will be held on the Town Common May 4th - 6th. For more information, call the League at 253-0633.

Move it or lose it:  The RFP has officially been issued for offers to purchase and move the last remaining house on the Kendrick Park property.  The proposal documents are available weekdays at the Department of Public Works, and bids are due back to the DPW Superintendent by 2:00 p.m. on May 27th.

Bye Bye Blue Sky:  After five years in business, Blue Sky Contemporary Crafts is closing up shop at the end of May.  First housed upstairs in the building at the front of the Carriage Shops, Blue Sky has been at 220 North Pleasant Street – the building with Hair by Harlow and Valley Books – for nearly a year.  The store features the work of almost 100 national and local crafters, and it will all be on sale with discounts increasing as the closing date draws nearer. 

Permit Progress:  The Inspection Services Department at Town Hall will be closed Thursdays in order to devote that time to permit requests and plan reviews.  The goal is to coordinate inspectors from the Electrical and Building divisions, and the Fire and Health Departments to review submitted plans and apprise applicants of any potential code conflicts that the group identifies.  In a press release on the Town Web Site, Town Manager Larry Shaffer said, “The Fire Department, Inspections Department and the Health Department are absolutely dedicated to bringing about a coordinated approach to plan review and the permitting process.  We clearly recognize that the present system needs to be revised if we're going to improve upon our customer service.  We are very confident that this approach will allow us to communicate in a coordinated fashion more effectively and efficiently to the people that we serve.”

Chamber Gala:  The Chamber of Commerce's annual “Stars of the Valley” awards dinner will be held Wednesday, May 9th at 5:30 p.m. in the UMass Campus Center auditorium.  This year's honorees will be Barry Roberts, a most fitting recipient for the newly created “Barry Roberts Award,” recognizing outstanding entrepreneurship; Peter Jessop, receiving the Millicent H. Kauffman Award; the Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Committee, the Amherst Bulletin, and UMass Marching Band Director George Parks, receiving Dakin Awards.  A special award will also be presented to John Coull, the recently-retired Executive Director of the Chamber, who is known less formally to this reporter as “Dad.”  Tickets for the gala are $50 each, and tables for eight are available for $375.  Call the Chamber at 253-0700 for reservations and additional information.

Emily's Pup:  There's always more to learn about our beloved poet, such as the fact that she had a faithful canine companion named Carlo.  In homage to Carlo, visitors are invited to bring their own dogs – on short leashes – to the Dickinson Homestead's grounds on Sunday, April 29th at 12:30 p.m. for “19th century dog amusements” and a dog parade.  This is just one of the many Emily Dickinson activities planned for the “A little Madness in the Spring” weekend, in celebration of National Poetry Month.  Lectures, readings, landscape audio tours and other events span Saturday and Sunday, and more details are available on the museum's web site, or by calling 542-8161.

-- Stephanie O'Keeffe