AMHERST — A breakfast to commemorate the life of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., held annually since 1984 and serving as a fundraiser for scholarships for high school seniors showing a passion for social justice, has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the MLK Jr. Committee of Amherst, with the assistance of Amherst Media, will broadcast excerpts from past breakfasts Saturday, including guest speakers who have talked about King’s life and inspiration, youth musical performances and songs from the Amherst Area Gospel Choir.
Vira Douangmany Cage, a member of Amherst Media’s board, said staff members at the nonprofit are working to put together the program, with plans to have some newly recorded comments.
Richmond Ampiah-Bonney, chairman of the MLK Committee’s board, said a process has also launched for making sure scholarships can still be awarded this spring and to encourage donations toward the scholarships. That kicked off when William Strickland, a retired University of Massachusetts professor and member of Amherst Media, donated $1,000.
People are encouraged to continue to support the mission of the breakfast, founded by the late Mary Wyatt and Judy Brooks, by sending donations to the MLK Committee of Amherst, P.O. Box 3211, Amherst, MA 01004-3211.
Representatives and officials from Amherst are joining individuals from other Green Communities pursuing solar power for buildings who are calling on Gov. Charlie Baker to sign a new climate bill.
The climate bill, known as An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy. aims to meet local and state climate goals.
“This legislation provides powerful tools — policies, metrics and accountability — that we believe will help propel a just transition to a thriving clean energy economy and sustainable healthy environment for future generations,” write the signers, who include Town Manager Paul Bockelman, Sustainability Coordinator Stephanie Ciccarello, Laura Draucker, Andra Rose and Steven Roof, chairwoman, vice chairwoman and member of the Energy and Climate Action Committee, respectively, and Town Council members Darcy DuMont and Cathy Schoen.
The bill calls for adoption of a net zero stretch code to be devised by the Department of Energy Resources and an expanded Board of Building Regulation and Standards to include energy efficiency experts, which would help keep clean energy affordable and promote human health and comfort.
“It is a misconception that a pandemic is a bad time to pass a climate bill. We believe it is the perfect time. The pandemic has shown that public health and planetary health are critically linked,” the letter states.
Amherst is one of 16 participating municipalities in the Building Electrification Accelerator led by the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Rose said the bill would help Amherst achieve its ambitious climate goals adopted in 2019. She also observes that Mothers Out Front, Climate Action Now, League of Women Voters are among organizations supporting the bill.
“It’s one of those all-hands-on-deck moments for progress on climate in the state,” Rose said.
John Calhoun, a founding member of the New Orleans Food Buying Club established in 2003, recently arrived in Leverett to become the Village Co-op’s new general manager.
Calhoun takes over for Paul Rosenberg, who came out of retirement to provide interim leadership.
In addition to management expertise at the New Orleans Co-op, Calhoun, is a professional benefit auctioneer, performer and comedian, and started a cooperative development organization called Cooperation New Orleans.
Mindy Domb, Amherst’s state representative on Beacon Hill, recently sent a letter to Baker asking him to support calling for the resignation and removal of President Trump from the White House.
“The President of the United States is no longer fit or able to perform the duties of his office, and this places the people of the commonwealth and the nation at grave risk,” Domb wrote.
“Our failure to immediately take every possible action to protect our residents can no longer be condoned.”
Domb wrote that she would be joining in condemning “Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior, his incitement of violence and insurrection, his perpetuating misinformation about the validity of the election results, (and) his wholehearted endorsement of efforts to forcibly prevent the process that facilitates the peaceful transfer of power as evidenced by his support for the riot, vandalism, and criminal behavior exhibited in the U.S. Capitol.”