AMHERST — Yoga Center Amherst, in the heart of Amherst on the upper floor of the Odd Fellows Hall, is leaving its physical space.
Though owners Matthew and Corinne Andrews don’t have a new brick-and-mortar site to move to, and have been offering exclusively online classes since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a virtual farewell was held from the studio Mon Dec. 28.
Yoga studios have often been modeled after gyms and fitness businesses, but the Andrews aren’t sure that is the way they need to be.
“Our decision-making process has always been guided more by our understanding of the teachings of yoga than by business strategies, so we have some experience making decisions from a place that doesn’t rely on data or predictions,” Matthew Andrews wrote in an email.
He noted that the Yoga Center has already diverged from being a typical capitalist model to one in which participants use a Pay from the Heart system, paying the recommended price, or more or less, for each class.
He expects the Yoga Center to eventually have another physical location, though possibly not.
“But ultimately we will inquire within, and as clarity develops about next steps we will take them,” Andrews wrote.
More than 7,000 food items were recently purchased by area teenagers as part of a food competition that, in part, benefits the Amherst Survival Center.
Rachel’s Table, the food rescue program of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, sponsored the annual Foodraiser shopping competition
Youth from Amherst, Northampton and beyond, shopped online, together, on a Zoom call that was also streamed on YouTube, using the new virtual product donation platform OneDeeds. All food bought was shipped to the Providence Ministries, the Amherst Survival Center and the Franklin County Community Meals Program.
During an hour of competition, the teens purchased 7,353 items, with Taylor Street Dental, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and individual donors providing the money.
Rachel’s Table’s Director Jodi Falk said in a statement that the event was critical this year. “The Foodraiser went virtual because of the pandemic, but because of the pandemic, more people need food,” Falk said.
An initiative to stop impaired driving is underway in Amherst through the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.
Using grant funds from the Highway Safety Division of the state’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the enforcement mobilization runs through January and encourages people drinking alcohol or using marijuana and other drugs to designate a sober driver, use a ride-hailing service or take public transportation.
“Impaired drivers are always a concern for our community,” Police Chief Scott P. Livingstone said in a statement.
Amherst Police have investigated more than 440 traffic collisions in 2020 and the department is working with the Highway Safety Division to decrease that number.
A North Amherst apartment complex has been refinanced by a commercial mortgage company
Berkadia announced that on Nov. 30 it secured a $12 million refinancing through Fannie Mae for Brandywine Apartments, the 180-unit student housing community off Meadow Street.
Berkadia Managing Director Laura Smith said this is fourth time her team has refinanced the site.
“With COVID-19 restrictions, low interest rates and an unprecedented volume of agency loan requests, it was a bit of a roller coaster to get the financing completed,” added Associate Director Rossana Bouchaya. “However, the end result is one that is very attractive to our client.”