AMHERST —The Amherst Community History Mural, formerly located at the West Cemetery on the back side of the former Amherst Carriage Shops, is in the process of being restored at the site by its original artist.
David Fichter of Cambridge who completed the original work 14 years ago, has begun bringing back the mural, recreating it on a blank wall on the back side of the One East Pleasant mixed-use building under contract with Archipelago Investments.
Along with Liane Noddin, a Somerville artist, Fichter has put alkali-resisting primer on the well-scrubbed brick. “I power washed the heck out of this wall,” Fichter said.
After taking hundreds of photographs of the mural, Fichter tweaked the original design, adding graphics to places where windows and air-conditioning units had been on the now demolished Carriage Shops.
Fichter then placed the work on a large scroll and created a numbered grid, which is being transferred to the wall so the mural is accurately reproduced.
Noddin said tracing the elements into the right boxes can be challenging, but as long as work is being done in the correct box, the mural should come out right. “You find intersections and go from there,” Noddin said.
The plan is for Fichter and Noddin, as well as an apprentice or two, to be on site on dry days through June and then return in late August or early September, when the weather is more conducive to painting.
Fichter said the mural will have the same purpose as it had when unveiled in 2005. “The idea is to connect people to local history, which this cemetery is the epitome of,” Fichter said.
Amherst will hold its traditional Memorial Day events Monday with a parade beginning at the Town Common, followed by a ceremony at War Memorial Pool.
The parade starts at 9:30 a.m., heads north on North Pleasant Street and East Pleasant Street, and then turns onto Triangle Street before reaching the pool.
At 9:50 a.m., the ceremony commences with the National Anthem by members of the Amherst-Pelham Regional School chorale, followed by a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. There will then be a welcoming address by Town Council President Lynn Griesemer, remarks by State Rep. Mindy Domb and a talk by Tracy Taylor, a Gold Star mother.
The Amherst Education Foundation is marking its 25th anniversary with a spring celebration for the milestone.
The event, to be held May 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the UMass Marriott Center, will feature several special guests, including co-founder and retired State Rep. Ellen Story, State Sen. Jo Comerford, Domb and Griesemer.
The evening will feature cocktails, appetizers and a silent auction. Tickets are at eventbrite.com/e/aef-a-toast-to-25-years-tickets-55337421718.
A proclamation recently adopted by the Town Council notes the organization’s founding was done by residents “committed to promoting students’ educational equity, supporting diversity, stimulating excellence, and mobilizing broad community support for public schools” and that money it has provided through grants has supported students, teachers, staff and administrators.
Amherst is celebrating National Public Works Week by having daily recognition on the town website and through social media of the town Department of Public Works accomplishments.
This includes showcasing road and sidewalk projects, the honor earned for adopting a complete streets policy and the planting of 1,660 public shade trees in the past five years.
In addition, the Town Council this week received a proclamation about the state’s Drinking Water Week from Assistant DPW Superintendent Amy Rusiecki, who is also president of the Massachusetts Water Works Association.
“Amy being president of Water Works is a testament to the level of sophistication and leadership we bring,” Town Manager Paul Bockelman said.
Amherst and UMass police are again holding the free Police Youth Adventure Academy, which will run daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 22 to July 26.
Students entering sixth through eighth grades are eligible to attend, with a cap of 20 participants. The Youth Adventure Academy features both classroom instruction and sessions held at the Amherst Adventure ropes course.
Applications can be obtained at the Amherst and UMass police departments or amherstma.gov/police. The application deadline is June 16.
For more information, contact Amherst Detective Yvonne Feliciano at 259-3311 or felicianoy@amherstma.gov or UMass patrol officer Brian Kellogg at 545-9461 or bkellogg@admin.umass.edu.
TUESDAY: Finance Committee, 1 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall; LSSE Commission Meeting, 6:30 p.m., LSSE conference room, middle school.
WEDNESDAY: Bylaw Review Committee, 8:30 a.m., First Floor Meeting Room, Town Hall.
