Happy birthday to the United States.
Please note the change in date for the festivities. Amherst will hold its Independence Day celebrations Saturday, July 1 at 5:30 p.m. at the UMass stadium. There will be activities and food. The Amherst Community Band will perform with fireworks after the concert.
However, the traditional South Amherst Fourth of July Parade will be held Tuesday, July 4 on the South Amherst Common. Registration begins at 9:15 a.m, and the parade kicks off at 10 a.m., led by the 123-year-old South Amherst Thursday Club, of which I am a member. We have a banner.
After the parade, the oldest and youngest people at the parade are recognized. Then the games begin. It’s free but donations are welcome.
Tuesday is a holiday with public buildings and banks closed.
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Garden report: The campanula, day lily, fever few and gomphrenia have bloomed. Now the discouraging news. Some critter has chewed the leaves on the the red cabbage plants and the curly parsley plant. It’s discouraging since I only had two red cabbage plants. I had three curly parsley so two are OK. The three flat leaf parsleys are still untouched. I will try to get more red cabbage plants.
I don’t mind seeing four snap pea pods with bite marks since I have a bumper crop.
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Pianist Estela Olevsky of Amherst sent me the listings for the Mohawk Trail concert series. Programs will be held July 1, 4, 8, 15 and 22 at 5 p.m. at the Federated Church in Charlemont.
In addition there will be a concert at noon on July 1 at the Montague Common Hall. The July 4 concert is a jazz program.
The concerts are free but a donation is suggested.
Program details are on the website.
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Janice Doyama of Amherst sent me an email about her photo exhibit, “Hard Times, Good People,” that will be on display at the Sunderland Public Library in July and August. She wrote that the exhibit “consists of 21 portraits of remarkable people from all walks of life who added light to the dark days of the pandemic. The portraits took three years to complete.”
A reception will be held on July 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the library.
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While it’s summer, some spring cleaning of book shelves can be done.
The League of Women Voters, of which I am a member, is holding its in-person book sale again. Books can be dropped off July 6-15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fort River Elementary School. Please do not bring moldy or mildewed books.
Volunteers are welcome to help sort the donations. You get a free book of your choice for your efforts.
The sale will be held July 28-30 and Aug. 5-6.
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The construction at the intersection of Pomeroy and West Street is in the final phase with curbs being installed. Soon we will be able to drive around in circles.
The curbs are also being installed on Route 9 between the town center and University Drive.
We can wave our goodbyes to all the floggers with their “Slow” signs as they urge us to hurry through.
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