AMHERST — A $36,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation is allowing improvements to be made at the Amherst Dog Park on Old Belchertown Road, which opened in summer 2022.
A final donation from the Camrbridge-based organization should mean more seating, a larger grassy area and more activity stations for dogs to go over and through, said Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek.
The town will work with the Friends of the Amherst Dog Park, which is responsible for maintenance, governance and operation, on the specific work that will happen at the site.
The Stanton Foundation provided an initial $25,000 design grant and then $225,000 for the buildout of the park on the top of a capped landfill.
The latest improvements come as the Friends group is holding its annual “Halloween Pawty” Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., with actors from the Amherst Community Theater Company to judge the costumes and offer awards, including best costume for large and small dogs and best large dog/small dog and human duo.
A $5 donation is suggested for the event, which will include a baked goods sale and a photo booth. Volunteers from the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity, a University of Massachusetts service organization, will help run the event.
The following day, Amherst Recreation is hosting the annual Halloween Spooktacular on Sunday from noon to 3:30 p.m.
The day begins with trick-or-treating in downtown, put on by the Amherst Business Improvement District, with participating businesses displaying flyers and free paper trick-or-treat bags availabe at the Amherst Visitor Information Center, 35 South Pleasant St. and the Amherst Recreation office, 170 Chestnut St. Suite 1.
A costume parade starts around 1 p.m. from the North Common. Then, a Haunted House & Kids Carnival takes place at the Bangs Community Center, with crafts and a not-so-scary story time with the Jones Library.
For more information, contact Amherst Recreation Outreach Director Becky Demling at
demlingb@amherstma.gov or 413-259-3151.
Wine tasting
The Amherst Woman’s Club marks the arrival of fall with a wine tasting Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Hills Memorial Club House, 35 Triangle St.
Guests will sample wines from around the world and enjoy appetizers and desserts.
Cost is $35 per person. Money raised will provide scholarships to local students and grants to local service agencies. Reservations can be made online at amherstwomansclub.org.
For more information, send email to hello@amherstwomansclub.org.
Trivia bee
Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman will be the emcee for the Amherst Education Foundation’s 31st annual Trivia Bee, being staged at The Drake Monday at 6:30 p.m.
Teams of four members will test their knowledge against others and are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes.
The Trivia Bee is the foundation’s biggest fundraiser of the year, with proceeds supporting programs and projects by public school teachers and staff in Amherst, Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury.
Significant trees
Amherst’s Public Shade Tree Commitee is examining whether to create a sigificant tree ordinance, similar to one that exists in Northampton that requires a formal review in certain circumstances when trees are to be removed.
Committee members said they began evaluating whether such a bylaw could be enacted in Amherst following the cutting down of trees from the Amherst Historical Society property on Amity Street, done as part of the Jones Library expansion and renovation project.
No Kings Day in Shutesbury
The Shutesbury Democratic Town Committee held a standout on the Town Common on Oct. 18, with about three dozen residents holding signs critical of the Trump administration and its policies.
While not as large as one staged on the Amherst Town Common, the organizers offered a place for older people with mobility and transportation challenges to have their voices heard. The Town Common is along a route many used to get to and from the University of Massachusetts campus for Family Weekend.
Shelter Sunday
The annual Shelter Sunday Amherst is being held Sunday to raise money for Craig’s Doors: A Home Association and the Center for Human Development’s Not Bread Alone.
The human service organizations, working in Amherst and Hadley, provide services and resources to community members struggling with homelessness, hunger and economic challenges.
At sites in both Hadley and Amherst, Craig’s Doors is providing overnight shelter, comprehensive case management, resource assistance and low-threshold housing, while Not Bread Alone fosters a caring and safe environment in which guests can eat and chat with friends over community-style family meals three days a week at the First Congregational Church.
Go to sheltersunday.org for more information.