Fauna report: A deer ran in front of my car Wednesday night at about 6 p.m. on West Street, right before the traffic light on East Hadley Road. It was just feet in front of my car. All I saw were legs leaping. My jaw and heart dropped at the sight.

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Lisa Solowiej, volunteer and outreach coordinator at the Amherst Survival Center, sent me an email about a coat drive the center is conducting.

“We are currently collecting new and gently used coats to distribute to our participants during the second week in January, ” she wrote.

Coats can be dropped at the center, 138 Sunderland Road, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays, and from 8:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Thank you.

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The new Merry Maple is nice. The lights hanging down vertically are a clever touch. Despite the drizzle, there was a very good crowd, lots of children.

The UMass Marching Band gave a splendid performance. The musicians deserve a big thank you for standing on wet pavement, playing in the rain while holding very heavy instruments. The drummers have five circling round their waists. In addition, the drums were covered in gift wrap and bows.

Students took turns directing the band.

Santa sat on the back bumper of the firetruck meeting children. Interim Police Chief Gabe Ting held a large flashlight to provide light when families took photos of their children with Santa. It was dark.

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Human Rights Day will be marked Sunday, Dec. 10 at 4 p.m. at the Bangs Center with a reading of the Declaration of Human Rights.

“It encourages our community to embrace every opportunity to reflect and embody the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their work for the community,” according to a news release.

It’s free and open to the public.

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James Barnhill of Amherst is a lawyer and artist. His exhibit, “Time, Distance and Beauty: Images of Arizona,” is on display in Town Hall for the next two months.

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Emily Dickinson is getting older. She was born Dec. 10, 1830 and her 193rd birthday is being celebrated Saturday, Dec. 9 with an open house. However, unless you registered early you can’t go — it’s sold out.

I remember each December when the open house was just that — a come and go — not a formal event that required registration.

The event included a rose for each visitor. A anonymous donor would provide blooms that matched the years since her birth. Since the number was over a hundred, most visitors got a flower.

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Andrew Arceci, director or Arcadia Players, sent me an email about a concert on Dec. 16 7:30 p.m. at Abbey Chapel Mount Holyoke. The program includes Charpentier’s “Midnight Mass for Christmas.” Tickets are available at the website or at the door.

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Send items for the Lehrer Report to phyllehrer@gmail.com.