AMHERST — A book shed at the Amherst transfer station on Belchertown Road is being dedicated in memory of longtime volunteer Keir Moon, who died on April 30.
On Sept. 16 at 10 a.m., the town will be holding a ceremony to honor the person known in the community as either Mr. Moon or Moon.
According to information provided by Town Hall, “those who frequent the transfer station will remember Mr. Moon for his outgoing personality, his helpful tendencies and his pride in managing the book shed. He was a fixture at the transfer station for over 20 years.”
Moon was also a presence at high school and youth football games, periodically holding the down markers.
He also ran the former Adirondack Music stereo store in the Amherst Carriage Shops and worked maintenance for local Amherst apartment complexes while raising his daughters in Williamsburg, before returning to Amherst in 1993. Moon was a grandchild of Winnifred Shumway of South Amherst.
The 2023-2024 grant cycle for the Amherst Cultural Council has begun, with an information session scheduled for Sept. 28 at 6 p.m., via Zoom.
Go to https://www.amherstma.gov/1221/Cultural-Council for links to the application forms. They will be available through Oct. 19.
The Cultural Council page also has a community survey that people are encouraged to complete by Oct. 22.
At the Celebrate Amherst Block Party on Sept. 21, running tom 5 to 9 p.m. in downtown Amherst, the Cultural Council is sponsoring the Showcase Stage.
White Lion Brewing’s Amherst Taproom opens at 24 North Pleasant St. on Sept. 14.
The day will feature a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m. with University of Massachusetts men’s basketball legend Marcus Camby expected to be on hand.
At 191 North Pleasant St., Botanica Home Store has opened. With what it describes as “playfully curated gifts, gallery and home goods,” the store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Reading the Classics with Ilan Stavans” is a book discussion series open to readers of world classics in translation or in their original English. Sponsored by Restless Books, the New York Public Library and the Jones Library, the series will take place via Zoom on the second Tuesday of the month from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Stavans is the publisher of Restless Books and the Lewis-Sebring Professor of Humanities, Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College.
The scheduled discussions resume Tuesday with selected short stories by Clarice Lispector, followed on Oct. 10 by “The Arabian Nights,” Nov. 14 with “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, and Dec. 12 with “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain.
To learn more about the series or to register, go to www.joneslibrary.org or bit.ly/readingwithilan.
Meanwhile, the library is also putting on two author presentations via Zoom. On Wednesday from 7 to 8 p.m., author Heather Wolf will discuss her new book “Find More Birds: 111 Surprising Ways to Spot Birds Wherever You Are.” Then, on Sept. 18 from 7 to 8 p.m., Erica Cirino, photojournalist, scientist and artist, discusses her book “Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis.”
For more information, call Janet Ryan, head of programming and outreach, at 413-259-3223.
Arts on the Lawn is being held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Amherst History Museum.
Previously taking place on June 10 and July 8, the museum at 67 Amity St. is hosting a variety of arts and crafts, including painting, pottery and fabric. During the event, people can also stroll around the Simeon Strong House.
MONDAY: Town Council, 6:30 p.m.
TUESDAY: Public Shade Tree Committee, 5:30 p.m.
THURSDAY: Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m., and Amherst Historical Commission, 6:30 p.m.