The Bach must go on: UMass Bach Festival & Symposium returns, this time in virtual format
Elizabeth Chang, a principal organizer and founder of the UMass Bach Festival, plays April 20 and 21 in this year’s event. UMass Dept. of Music and Dance
Celebrated cellist Matt Haimovitz, who specializes in Bach’s music and formerly taught at UMass, will give a livestreamed performance April 25 as part of this year’s festival. UMass Dept. of Music and Dance
UMass bassist Salvatore Macchia plays April 22 at the Bach Festival. An original composition by him, inspired by the Baroque master, will premiere at the festival April 21. UMass Dept. of Music and Dance
Around Amherst: Citizen involvement in town budget likely to be put off COVID
Staff Writer
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST An initiative embedded in the Amherst charter to involve residents in town government by offering them a chance to propose various programs and projects annually is unlikely to get off the ground this year.
A commission preparing a final report for June 1 recently informed Town Manager Paul Bockelman that the COVID-19 pandemic makes such a venture known as participatory budgeting challenging to launch.
The charter requires that a commission propose “a measure to adopt participatory budgeting or other similar method of resident participation in the budgeting process of Amherst.”
Around Amherst: EngageAmherst aims to be portal between town, public
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST A new website launched by the town of Amherst is providing a means for increased communication between residents and officials, including on the topic of the four major capital building projects in the coming years.
As the town looks to replace, renovate and repair the Jones Library, the Department of Public Works headquarters, the Central Fire Station and Fort River and Wildwood elementary schools, EngageAmherst.org is where people can ask questions, offer comments and learn how to use a long-awaited tool for calculating the projects’ financial impact.