AMHERST — A food rescue and redistribution program based in Springfield for 30 years is expanding into Hampshire County, including Amherst, this summer.
Rachel’s Table, a program of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, will have seven Hampshire County-based drivers, three new food donors in Amherst, Hadley and Northampton, and two new agencies in Amherst and Northampton.
Jodi Falk, director of Rachel’s Table, said in a statement that the organization’s goal has been to support food security in the region.
“While we have had a presence in Hampshire County through our gleaning program, we have now been able to expand and fill in the hunger gaps in this region by making sure local food goes to local people and not to landfill,” Falk said.
During the pandemic, Rachel’s Table delivered meat, milk and produce through its Healthy Community Emergency Food Fund.
Atkins Farms Country Market in South Amherst, Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton and several Pride gas stations are donating food three days a week to the Manna soup kitchen in Northampton.
The Amherst and University of Massachusetts Police Departments are bringing back the Amherst and UMass Police Youth Adventure Academy this summer.
The academy, featuring classroom instruction and sessions at the ropes course near the Notch, will run from July 26-30, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Students entering sixth through eighth grades are eligible to attend the free academy, which is limited to 20 participants. A preference will be given to Amherst residents and UMass-affiliated families
Visit www.amherstpd.org for more information or an application form. Forms are due July 12.
For more information, contact Amherst police detective Yvonne Feliciano at 259-3311 or felicianoy@amherstma.gov or UMass police officer Brian Kellogg at 545-2121 or bkellogg@admin.umass.edu.
David Clooney, a veteran Amherst Fire Department firefighter, recently was promoted to the rank of captain.
A vacancy was created when John Ingram departed to become Belchertown’s fire chief.
Clooney joined the department initially as a member of its student force while earning his degree at UMass.
The Amherst Education Foundation, an organization that raises money to support projects in the Amherst, Leverett, Shutesbury and Pelham public schools, is holding a fundraiser at the Western Massachusetts Golf Center in Hadley on Sunday.
The miniature golf competition is the first for the foundation.
For more information, send email to amherstedfound@gmail.com, and to sign up go to bit.ly/AEFminigolf
Amherst Police Officer Thomas Clark and K-9 partner Dash recently helped locate a person with dementia in the woods of Shutesbury.
On the afternoon of June 17, Dash acquired the scent of the person and tracked through a dense forest, locating the endangered individual within 30 minutes of getting to the scene.
Mill River Recreation Area’s basketball courts are being overhauled.
The Department of Public Works crews recently began repaving the courts, where there will be two full-length basketball courts and two half courts.
Leverett and Wendell are receiving a $133,275 community compact grant from the state to provide regionalized police services.
Leverett Police now provides patrols for the neighboring Franklin County town.
They were among 48 cities and towns and four school districts that earned grants to promote efficiency and regionalization.
The state program, started in fiscal year 2017, provides grants for one-time or transition costs for municipalities, regional planning agencies and councils of government.
MONDAY: Town Council, 6:30 p.m., via Zoom.
TUESDAY: Jones Library trustees, 4:30 p.m., via Zoom.
WEDNESDAY: Planning Board, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.