AMHERST — Artifacts housed at the Amherst Historical Society’s museum recently were brought to life as part of a program between University of Massachusetts students and The Arbors assisted living facility.
Working on her senior thesis project, Emma Hodges, a history major at UMass, said in an email that she and UMass junior Devon King spent four weeks borrowing the objects and showing them to 10 to 12 residents.
Then, the students would have conversations about memories and experiences triggered by these artifacts.
“The goal of the program was to figure out an easy, simple, successful program that can be easily replicated by other historical societies and/or museums as a way to utilize their collections in meaningful ways, especially bringing the objects to community members who need stimulation and interaction,” Hodges said.
The artifacts, selected with assistance from Marianne Curling, the visiting curator at the Strong House Museum on Amity Street, centered around themes, such as containers, wire objects, childhood and the Civil War. During the Civil War week, the students took a 19th-century knapsack and an apothecary’s chest of medicines to show the Arbors residents.
Hodges said her work was similar to a summer 2012 program run by UMass history professor Marla Miller and Elizabeth Sharpe, a former president of the Amherst Historical Society.
The visits were held March 7, 21 and 28 and April 4.
A two-day course offered by the Amherst Police Department will teach survival strategies in the event of an active shooter or violent intruder incident.
The sessions, scheduled for June 26 and 27 at the Amherst Regional Middle School, are coordinated with the ALICE Training Institute of Medina, Ohio.
ALICE takes its name from the five steps outlined the program, which are Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.
The registration fee is $595 per person.
For more information about the trainings, contact Lt. David Knightly at knightlyd@amherstma.gov
The Public Shade Tree Committee is holding the Second Saturday Tree Planting on the North Amherst Common near the Black Walnut Inn from 9 a.m. to noon May 13.
Volunteers are welcome to drop by to assist with the planting.
On June 10, the committee will be planting trees near Country Corners Road and the Atkins Farms Country Market on West Street.
The committee is also accepting applications from residents for the 2017 Amherst Neighborhood Tree Stewards Project, which will lead to the planting of shade trees and demonstrating techniques for caring for newly planted trees.
Interested neighbors should contact committee member Nancy Higgins at nehiggins@amherst.edu.
The Amherst Human Rights Commission is soliciting nominations for the 12th annual Heroes Awards.
The awards will celebrate local youth who have demonstrated acts of kindness, unselfishness, social courage and community service within their families, schools or community over the past year.
Nominations can submitted through May 15 to humanrights@amherstma.gov or to the commission in care of Deborah Radway, Amherst Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave., Amherst, 01002.
An annual community picnic on June 17 at Mill River Recreation Area will celebrate the winners.
Soprano Eun Byoul Song and pianist Matthew Cron will perform at the Amherst Women’s Club, 35 Triangle St., at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
Their performance will include selections by Gabriel Faure and Ludwig Van Beethoven.
Refreshments will be served following the performances.
For more information, call 549-6865.
MONDAY: Select Board, 6 p.m., Band Room, middle school; Annual Town Meeting, 7 p.m., middle school auditorium.
TUESDAY: Transportation Advisory Committee, 4 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.
WEDNESDAY: Select Board, 6 p.m., Band Room, middle school; Annual Town Meeting, 7 p.m., middle school auditorium.
THURSDAY: Board of Health, 5 p.m., Room 101, Bangs Community Center; Select Board, 6 p.m., Band Room, middle school; Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall; Annual Town Meeting, 7 p.m., middle school auditorium.