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2016 Luncheon Reports
25 October
President Allen Hanson called the meeting of
the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, October 25th, 2016, at
the Monkey Bar/Bistro 63, and welcomed us
all.
Now that we are meeting only twice each month, on the second and fourth Tuesday, several members suggested that we have a brown bag lunch at one of the member’s homes on the third Tuesday of the month. Allen thanked Nancy Brose for inaugurating this process by graciously inviting the members to her house for a brown bag lunch on Tuesday, October 18th. Twelve people came and had an enjoyable time! Allen asked if any member would like to host a similar event for November15th at noon. So far no one has offered to host this date, although Barbara Freed offered to host a brown bag lunch on December 20th, and Jean Miller will host one on January 17th. If anyone would like to host November 15th, please let Allen know. Our Talented Members: Phyllis Lehrer congratulated Ellen Kosmer for winning third prize at the juried art show now on display at the Amherst Historical Society’s Strong House. Announcements: Saturday, November 12th. Save the date – The 2016 Amherst Historical Society’s House Tour will take place on Saturday, November 12, from 10 am to 4 pm. This popular event is one of their largest fund raisers. This year’s tour features one of the oldest homes in town and the newest institutional building. A recurrent theme in five of the six buildings is renovation. For example, the earliest house on the tour, built circa 1770, has served as a home, a tavern, a public meeting place, an antique store, and a law office. Buy tickets securely online with PayPal or credit card, or you can purchase tickets at A.J. Hastings, Hadley Garden Center, and at the Strong House, 67 Amity St. Tickets are $20 for AHS members, $25 for non-members in advance, $30 on the day of the tour. Further information at info@amhersthistory.org . Saturday, November 19th. Friends of the Jones Library Holiday Book Fair. 9 AM - 3 PM Friends of the Jones Library sale of gently used books for adults and children, CDs and DVDs at bargain prices. Donate your like-new books to them now! Make room on your shelves for nice new books from the Sale! Speaker: Ellen Kosmer introduced our speaker, Judith Lorei, co-founder of Green Burial in Massachusetts. As a young woman, Judith apprenticed with a funeral enbalmer and funeral director. She decided this wasn’t the career for her but as a result of what she learned in her apprenticeship she became interested in the whole process of modern burials in America – so expensive both financially and in terms of usage of the earth’s resources. Her organization, Green Burials in Massachusetts, promotes a form of natural burial which uses no enbalming, no metal casket, and no burial liner or vault – none of which is required by Massachusetts law. In fact, no state laws regulate burial practices: they are controlled by the town and the particular cemetery – if you choose to use a cemetery: if you have enough land, you may bury people at home. Some cemeteries are now setting aside a portion of their land for green burials. Judith gave examples of someone who was buried in a hand-made rattan casket, and other people who disposed of the casket altogether and were buried in a shroud – all acceptable, if the cemetery allows it. One legal requirement is to have a funeral director present at the burial to ensure that things are done properly. The family must also fill out the necessary paperwork as required by your town. Plain pine boxes or more elaborate carved wooden boxes may be bought from some craftsmen and from some monasteries. For more information, go to www.greenburialma,org or info@greenburialma,org, or call 617-393-5011. Raffle: Phyllis Lehrer won the wine. Nancy Brose won the $10. Your scribe, Linda Honan |
18 October
President Andrea Battle called the meeting
of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, October 11th, 2016, at
the Monkey Bar/Bistro 63, and welcomed us all. Andrea reported that member Paul Bacon has just had bypass surgery at Bay State, and will certainly welcome our good wishes. A card with good wishes for Paul was passed around. Claude Tellier announced that this year’s fundraiser for water projects in Cambodia successfully raised $10,000. Congratulations, Claude! Note – the club will not meet on Tuesday 18th. The next meeting at the Monkey Bar will be on Tuesday, October 25th. However, on Tuesday, October 18th, Nancy Brose invites all members to gather at her house at 36 Triangle Street, Amherst, for a brown bag lunch at 12 noon. With questions, call Nancy at 256-8425. Activity: Phyllis Lehrer announced our November activity, a visit to the Valley Light Opera production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore on Sunday November 13th at 2 pm at the Academy of Music. Pre-show talk by Michael Greenebaum at 1:00p. Two people have signed up, but at least 10 people are needed to get the reduced price of $18/ticket. Call Phyllis at 253-5179 for reservations.. . Announcements: 45th Annual Fall Foliage Walk/5K Run on October 15th, 2016 supporting A Better Chance - Please join us for the annual event to take place on October 15th on the Amherst Common. Registration will open at 8 a.m. There will be an auction, food, entertainment, and other events. History Bites Lunchtime Lecture series at the Strong House, 67 Amity Street, Amherst, at 12:15 pm. Friday October. 21st: Bring your brown bag lunch, beverages and cookies provided. Program lasts 30 minutes. Free. Amherst Historical Society Antiques Appraisals at the Strong House, 67 Amity Street, Amherst, at 4-8 p.m. Doug Kimball of Kimball’s Auctioneers will appraise your antiques. $15/item. Speaker: Ellen Kosmer introduced our speaker, the newly appointed director of the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, Carmine de Senso. Newly arrived from Providence, Carmine communicated the enthusiasm he feels for the broad ranging work of the Damin Humane Society. Most of us know about their work adopting out cats and dogs, but Carmine reminded us of the truly impressive range of activities they carry out annually, at their original shelter in Leverett and their much bigger state-of-the-art facility in Springfield, where they are equipped to perform surgery and medical procedures of many kinds. Tens of thousands of animals owe their lives and health to Dakin’s work: their spay and neuter clinics have greatly reduced the number of unwanted animals in our area, and their vaccinations and other health procedures greatly contribute to the reduction of suffering among the animals we have. Human Seniors benefit too from the Dakin’s project to include pet food in Meals on Wheels deliveries, and for distribution from local food pantries – work to which the Club has contributed. Raffle: Philippe Galaski won the wine. Claude Tellier won the $10. Your scribe, Linda Honan |
27 September
President Gigi Barnhill was called away
from hosting today’s meeting and tapped Therese Donohue, Club
Treasurer, to serve in her stead. Therese called the meeting to order
at 12:50 pm. Therese announced that the Club’s experimental, twice-monthly meetings would reign during the coming quarter, Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. We will meet on the second & fourth Tuesdays at Bistro 63. In October, that will be the 11th and 25th. Therese asked for volunteers to host ‘tweener Tuesday bag lunches at their homes during the coming quarter. Nancy Brose will host one on Oct. 18, and Jean Miller will host another in November, date to be decided. Would someone like to host a bag lunch in December? Phyllis Lehrer announced that the Renaissance Center’s free Wednesday afternoon lectures begin Sept. 28th and continue for 4 additional weeks. Phyllis announced the Hitchcock Center opening celebration that will be held at its new site on the Hampshire College campus on Sat., Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free. Phyllis acknowledged the fabulous talk by Bonnie Isman on the Dewey Decimal System last Friday at the Amherst Historical Society. For her last announcement today, Phyllis raised kudos to Lois Barber for designing the winning NPR coffee mug for 2017. Surinder Mehta then passed around the sample of his design for NPR’s coffee mug contest of 2016, which, though it did not win top prize, was nevertheless roundly applauded by today’s lunch goers. Nancy Brose conveyed our former waitperson Melanie’s gratitude for the cash gift our members put together in recognition of Melanie’s exemplary service to us at Bistro 63. Claude Tellier announced that the Cambodian Water Project’s annual fundraiser will be held at Pulpit Hill Co-housing on Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m. A delicious Cambodian dinner is the evening’s highlight. The Project’s fiscal sponsor, PDF, this year celebrates the long life and effective work of this group, which over 13 years has raised more than $100,000. In light of Amherst’s water ban, Tina Berins asked for a vote on prepouring water at our luncheon tables, with or without ice. Our waitperson, Patrick, will do whatever we wish. It was decided that glasses would continue to be set on tables and that water with ice would be poured only for those who request it. Jacquie Price asked that anyone wanting to become a Renaissance Center docent during any of the four available time slots contact her. Docents spend 2 hours once a week during the UMass academic year, providing a presence in the Main Reading Room to deter any precious materials from marching out the door of this public facility. Philippe Galaski introduced today’s speaker, Herbert J. Bernstein. A Fellow of the American Physical Society, Dr. Bernstein is professor of theoretical physics at Hampshire College and inaugurator of the College’s Institute for Science. Dr. Bernstein and the Institute of Science have tackled biological issues such as an aquaculture project in the Ecuadorian Amazon for the Secoya Indians, as well as physical issues such as the military waste clean-up at Westover Air Base, a pioneering effort that inspired work all over the United States. Today’s talk, titled “SuperDense Quantum Teleportation: NASA’s Entry in the Newest (3-way) Mini-Space Race,” focused on two areas: 1. what this teleportation is, and 2. why it is important to NASA. Dr. Bernstein explained that old ways of “knowing” are becoming obsolete as new ways of transporting knowledge are being developed. One new way is the delivery of knowledge via quantum teleportation. The basic unit of quantum information is the polarization of a single photon. It is characterized by the angle of polarization. Your polarized sun glasses, for example, layer millions of photons vertically. A simple way of perceiving quantum teleportation is to picture rotating those polarized sun glasses at an angle that captures a single photon, or particle, and imagine transmitting that single photon carrying information to a destination. The angle of polarization is its quantum information. NASA, always interested in orders of magnitude, is vested in Dr. Bernstein and the Institute’s seminal work in quantum teleportation of information because of its superdense properties. In this context, “SuperDense” refers to the order of magnitude of the transmission of knowledge. Previous transmission delivered information using the binary model of ones and zeros (that is, just two points on a single axis). As a result of his development of sending out and decoding knowledge by using three axes (x, y, and z), the amount of quantum information can be increased by a Factor of 2, a major first step toward NASA’s ultimate goal of multiplying transmission of information by a Factor of 10. Dr. Bernstein thus explained that this superdense quantum teleportation allows a maximum amount of information to travel to its destination via a minimum of data-bearing bytes. (My thanks to Professor Bernstein, whose edits in the above paragraphs clarified a talk that, for me, at least, introduced a very new language for knowing.) There was no wine for today’s raffle. The $10 was won by new member Sylvia Burruto. Your scribe, Jacquie Price |
24 September
Vice-President Gigi Barnhill called the
meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, September 20th,
2016, at the Monkey Bar/Bistro 63, and welcomed us
all.
Guest: We welcomed Tina Berins’ guest, Jules Chametzky – who is interested in joining the club! Poem: Bonnie Isman read Nikki Giovanni’s poem “I Am Jazz”, from her book Bicycles. Activities: Phyllis Lehrer announced our November activity, a visit to the Valley Light Opera to hear Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore on Sunday November 13th at 2 pm at the Academy of Music. Pre-show talk by Michael Greenebaum at 1:00p. Call 253-5179 for reservations, and let Phyllis know if you are coming. Announcements: History Bites Lunchtime Lecture series at the Strong House, 67 Amity Street, Amherst, at 12:15 pm. Friday Sep. 23rd: Amherst Club member Bonnie Isman will speak on Amherst College and the Birth of the Dewey Decimal System. Bring your brown bag, beverages and cookies provided. Program lasts 30 minutes. Free. Apple Harvest Festival on the Common! Saturday Sep. 24th 10am-4pm. Free. A re-creation of an old-fashioned New England community fair with Juried craftspeople and/or exhibitors Wonderful food from local restaurants, shaded with a picnic area Children’s games (pony rides and more, preschool avenue) Day-long family and general entertainment including a Pre-School Fair Silent Auction How Can Amherst Get to Zero Waste? Claude Tellier invites us to a showing of “Trashed” and a discussion about waste issues in Amherst at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 121 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, Tues. Sep. 27 at 7 pm. Fill out the survey at Amherstma.gov/zerowaste. Cambodia Massachusetts Water Project 13th Annual Fund Raising Dinner. Saturday October 8th at 5:30 pm at Pulpit Hill Co-housing Common House. For information, tickets or to make donations call Claude Tellier at 992-7711. Upcoming Speaker: Philippe Galaski announced that our speaker on Tuesday (9/27/16) will be Herb Bernstein, a Physics professor at Hampshire College. The title of his talk is: "SuperDense Quantum Teleportation: NASA's Entry in the Newest (3-way) Mini-Space Race". Speaker: Ellen Kosmer introduced our speaker, member Therese Brady Donohue,who introduced us to the fascinating world of puppets! Therese has created and presented puppet shows, sometimes mingled with ballet performances, for years, both in the U.S. and overseas, including shows for the National Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For years she created puppet shows based on Eric Carle’s children’s stories. She is now working with other New England children’s authors including Tomie de Paolo, and her next show will be presented at the Eric Carle Museum on Thanksgiving weekend. Particularly fascinating were the actual puppets she brought, and the intricate engineering and designs that make it possible for them to move in natural ways – all created and made by her. What talented members we have! Raffle: The wine was won by Elsie Fetterman and the $10 by Philippe Galaski. Your scribe, Linda Honan |
13 September
President Allen Hanson called the meeting of
the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, September 13th, 2016, at
the Monkey Bar/Bistro 63, and welcomed us
all.
Allen reported that member Rachel Hare Mustin is now home from rehab, but is still not well enough to receive visitors. Greeting cards and notes most welcome! The collection for our former server Melanie has reached just under $200, so it will be rounded up to $200 and delivered to her. There will be a board meeting today after lunch. Allen invited anyone who did not get a chance to read a poem at our poetry slam to read one now, or later. Sadly there were no takers today! Upcoming Speakers: Ellen Kosmer announces that our speaker at lunch on Tuesday 20th will be member Therese Brady Donahue who will talk about her puppet performances at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. She will bring some examples of the puppets and discuss how she translates the picture book into a theatrical experience. Announcement: How Can Amherst Get to Zero Waste? Claude Tellier invites us to a showing of “Trashed” and a discussion about waste issues in Amherst at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 121 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, Wed. Sep. 21 or Tues. Sep. 27 at 7 pm. Fill out the survey at Amherstma.gov/zerowaste. Speaker: Philippe Galaski introduced our newly-elected state representative Solomon Goldstein Rose, his cousin, filling Ellen Story’s seat. A very young representative, Solomon is a graduate of Amherst Regional High School and Brown University. As a high school senior he was a member of the School Committee. He is also an accomplished musician! Solomon laid out his agenda. Education, climate control and limiting fossil fuel use are his major goals. He believes in government activism and in diversity. Contact him at Solomon@solomonforrep.org Tel: 413-687-3088 Raffle: The wine was won by Tina Berins and the $10 by Elsie Fetterman. Nancy Brose donated a flower posy which was won by Ruth Miller. Your scribe, Linda Honan |
6 September
Vice-President Gigi Barnhill called the
meeting of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, September 6th,
2016, at the Monkey Bar/Bistro 63, and welcomed us
all.
The club welcomed back Linda Honan after her hip surgery. An envelope was passed around to gather donations for our waitress Melanie, who has now left us to attend UMass. Melanie was notably helpful and always did everything possible to make our meetings pleasant. Donations will be accepted at the next meeting also. Poem: Jacquie Price read Maxine Kumin’s poem, “John Grace Takes his Warner, NH Neighbor to a Red Sox Game”. Thank you, Jacquie! Upcoming Speakers: Philippe Galaski announced that our next speaker, on Tuesday September 13th, will be our young recently-elected state representative, Solomon Goldstein. Announcements: Amherst Cultural Council open meeting with information on the online grants application process, and any other questions. Tuesday Sep. 13th, 4-6 pm, Jones Library Amherst room. Free and open to all. History Bites Lunchtime Lecture series at the Strong House, 67 Amity Street, Amherst, at 12:15 pm. Sep. 23rd: Amherst Club member Bonnie Isman will speak on Amherst College and the Birth of the Dewey Decimal System. Bring your brown bag, beverages and cookies provided. Program lasts 30 minutes. Free. Speaker: Philippe Galaski introduced Zvi Rozen, president of the Western Massachusetts chapter of J Street, an Israeli-American group advocating for peace and a two-state solution to the Palestinian crisis. Unlike the larger and better-known group AIPAC, J Street supports the Obama administration’s Iran deal, and lobbies both in Israel and the U.S. for a peaceful outcome in Israel. Their slogan is “For Israel and for Peace”. Unlike AIPAC, J Street believes that it is possible both to be a staunch upholder of Israel and to disagree with its current political positions. They criticize the government while supporting the Israeli people completely. For more information, go to jstreet.org and to info@jstreet.org or to facebook.com/jstreet.org. Raffle: There was no raffle today. Your scribe, Linda Honan |
23 August
President Allen Hanson opened today's meeting with the announcement that
this will be Melanie's last day as our Bistro 63 server, as she will
have a class on Tuesdays this fall. "Aaawwww!" was unanimously
expressed, followed by applause for her wonderful attention to our
luncheon needs. Jacquie Price |
14 June: Maury Bohan
President Andrea Battle called the meeting
of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, June 14th, 2016, at the
Monkey Bar/Bistro 63, and welcomed us all. Andrea welcomed back members Arthur Kinney and Carolyn Holstein who have not been with us for a while. She reported the good news that Ruth Miller is recovering from oral surgery, and will certainly welcome our good wishes. Remember - the annual meeting will be on June 21st! Try to attend on that day! Announcements: Thursday – Sunday June 16 - June 19, 2016, the Taste of Amherst festivity on the Common. 21 restaurants will delight our taste buds this year! Saturday, June 18, Garden Opening Concert, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm, UMass Renaissance Center. To celebrate the official opening of our gardens, we invite you to hear three concerts outside on the back patio of the Renaissance Center. The musical talent featured will be Zoe Vandermeer, AyreCraft, and Nota Bene. Guests may take refreshments outside to enjoy during the concerts. No reservations are required. Suggested donation is $5 per person. Saturday, June 25, 2016, Amherst Crafts on the Common Fair. Enjoy visiting the 120 exhibitors, and help out Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Sat. June 25th, Amherst Garden tour, 10 am- 4 pm, to benefit the Amherst Historical Society. Tickets available at the society, and at Hastings and the Hadley Garden Center. Wednesdays, July 27, and August 10. Join the friends of the Jones Library at these Literary Feasts. Come to dinner at a favorite local restaurant, and discuss the literary work cited: Wed. July 27, Chez Albert (413-253-3811), All the Light We Cannot See; Wed. August 10, Judie’s Restaurant (413-253-3491), In the Unlikely Event. Ten percent of the check will go to the Jones Library. Speaker: Andrea introduced our speaker, Maury Bohan. After earning an M.P.H. (Masters in Public Health) at Columbia, Maury earned an educatin degree at UMass. After teaching 5-6th grade in Amherst for some years, she founded a non-profit organization called Baby and Me: Learning Together, which focuses on early literacy and successful child-raising for low-income families in Amherst, including many foreign graduate students at UMass. Baby and Me sends trained volunteers into homes weekly, to mentor parents in child rearing and model successful interactions with babies and toddlers, including bringing a children’s book each week which is read during the visit and then left at the home. The need for such early intervention is vital: it is now well-documented that children from low-income families suffer a huge deficit in vocabulary acquisition which they never make up during the school years. Conversational interaction in such families is limited and often takes the form of negativity without any positive reinforcement. Children from such backgrounds show behavioral difficulties and linguistic limitations if these are not addressed at an early age. Volunteers and donations are welcome: to see how you can help go to (413) 461-0556 or babyandme.amherst@gmail.com or visit the web site at Baby and me.org. Raffle: Gigi Barnhill won the wine. Surinder Mehta won the $10 and generously returned it to the Club. Your scribe, Linda Honan |
7 June: Steve Morgan
President Andrea Battle called the meeting
of the Amherst Club to order at noon on Tuesday, June 7th, 2016, at the
Monkey Bar/Bistro 63, and welcomed us all. Andrea discussed the valuable meeting held at Barbara Freed’s house to discuss future plans for the club, including how to expand membership and adjust fundraising to suit the current members’ energy and interests. Further information on this meeting will be disseminated after the Board meeting today. Rachel Hare Mustin noted she encountered a bear on her walk in South Amherst this morning. Ellen Kosmer said she, too, saw a bear accompanied by a cub, at her bird-feeders in South Amherst yesterday. Bonnie Isman announced that League of Women Directories are available now for anyone who wants one. Let her know if you would like to pick one up later. Ellen Kosmer said that she and Philippe Galaski will be arranging speakers for the Club for the coming year. They would like all the members to consider anyone you know who might be an interesting speaker for the group, and let Ellen or Philippe know of any names that occur to you! Remember - the annual meeting will be on June 21st! Try to attend on that day! Induction: Andrea inducted new member Sylvia Berruto and greeted her on behalf of us all. Sylvia has been coming to the club for a few months, and many of us have had the chance to chat with her. We are delighted that she has now formally joined us as a member! Announcements: Wednesdays, June 8, July 27, and August 10. Join the friends of the Jones Library at these Literary Feasts. Come to dinner at a favorite local restaurant, and discuss the literary work cited: Wed. June 8, Osteria Vespa (413-230-3194), My Brilliant Friend; Wed. July 27, Chez Albert (413-253-3811), All the Light We Cannot See; Wed. August 10, Judie’s Restaurant (413-253-3491), In the Unlikely Event. Ten percent of the check will go to the Jones Library. June 13, 1:30-3 pm. Heart to Heart group. Former member and clinical psychologist Dr. Amanda Roberts is starting a support/psycho-educational group for both men and women. Have you had a recent cardiac event or cardiac surgery? Anyone identified by their physician(s), or themselves, as being at risk for cardiac issues is also very welcome. The group will meet weekly for an hour and a half and lasts eight weeks. Some insurance will pay, including Medicare. Next group will commence Monday June 13, 1:30-3pm at the Amherst Senior Center. Call Amanda Roberts PhD, MA at 413-253-0440 for an individual screening and more information. Sat. June 25th, Amherst Garden tour, 10 am- 4 pm, to benefit the Amherst Historical Society. Tickets available at the society, and at Hastings and the Hadley Garden Center, as well as at the gardens. Ongoing: Gigi Barnhill told us that archeologists from UMass are currently digging in the grounds around the Strong House on Amity Street. Come by if you are interested and chat with them! Speaker: Claude Tellier introduced our speaker, Steven Morgan, set maker and designer for the Valley Light Opera, who spoke on Set Design and Construction: Soup to Nuts. Steve took us all the way through the process of designing and constructing the elaborate sets that contribute to the pleasure of attending our own local Light Opera company – to which Club members Barbara Freed and Glen Gordon contribute so much. Particularly fascinating were the rigged nineteenth-century-style sailing ship for HMS Pinafore, and the London double-decker bus! Steve excited us all as we look forward to Ruddigore – the next Gilbert and Sullivan opera the VLO will produce. Anyone interested in helping out with sewing or construction or any other craft needed, should contact one of the Light Opera members. Construction occurs between September and November. Raffle: Kathy Masalski won the wine and Honore David won the $10. Your scribe, Linda Honan |
24 May: Kymberly Newberry
Today we were reminded of the "Pot Luck"
meeting for the Amherst Club at Barbara Freed's house tomorrow,
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at 7p.m. Please come with ideas, suggestions,etc. Phyllis Lehrer reminded us that the Rotary Club Fair starts Wednesday, May 25th (at Town Commons), until Sunday, May 29th. Please come and be supportive. Today's speaker was Kymberly Newberry. Kymberly just graduated from Mt. Holyoke College. She was a Frances Perkins scholar, majoring in International Relations & Foreign Policy with emphasis on Iran. Her Topic was: "Faith Ringgold and Shirin Neshat A New Place from which to Speak" Kymberly talked of the US and race in the 1960"s and Iran in Revolution 1979 and the pespective of these two visual artists interpretations of events. The talk was veru informative and insightful. Many questions were asked and great talking points happened. Nancy Brose won the wine and Sylvia Burruto won the $10. Your less than adequate scribe, Andrea Battle |
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