Garden report: I harvested the first batch of potatoes. They are really embedded in the dirt. All the dirt has to be removed to get to the spuds. I will email a picture of my potatoes and tomatoes for my column. However, I don’t know if there will be space. In that case the photo can be seen online.
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Reminder: Tuesday, Sept. 1 is an Election Day, the state primary. The polls are open for 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. I will be at Crocker Farm Elementary School in the morning. Please note Fort River is not a polling location this year since the new building will just be opened. District 2B voters will be at Amherst Regional High School.
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Salsa in the Park will be held rain or shine Saturday, Aug. 29 at 6 p.m. at the Mill River Recreation Area. It’s free and open to the public. Put on your dancing shoes.
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Amherst’s DEI Department will hold a Community Heart and Soul session Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the Bangs Center. The goal is to engage residents in civic conversation about what they love most about Amherst, according to the press release. It’s part of a continuing series and is free and open to the public.
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Hetty Startup of Amherst sent me an email about the annual District One North Amherst Pot Luck that will be held Sunday, Sept. 6 from 3-5 p.m. at the Mill River Recreation Area. Pizza will be available but bring a dish to share.
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Mary Carey and Brian Shultz of Amherst sent me an email photo of the postcard they are sending me from Mallorca, Spain. They viewed a spectacular total solar eclipse from a boat in the Mediterranean. They went to a remote beach and saw mean goats that bother people. The trip included a visit to ancient caves. They were the final entry in my summer postcard contest where the card or email from the greatest distance wins vegetables for the senders.
The winners this year are Joyce and Allen Austin of Amherst who sent email photos from Ephesus in Turkey, that is over 5,000 miles from Amherst. Amy Driver who works in Amherst won the domestic contest with a card from Cape Cod. I added the domestic category since people said they couldn’t win with a postcard from the U.S. I put the names in a paper bag and pull one out so it’s random.
The winter contest which runs to December features homemade cookies for the winners. Again mailed or hand-delivered postcards and email cards count. It’s difficult to find stamps or mailboxes in some countries.
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Send items for the Lehrer Report to: phyllehrer@gmail.com.
