History Bites- Lunchtime Lecture Series

In the first decade of the 21st century, the Town of Amherst went through a long debate and decision process regarding a proposed change in the structure of the town government. Mr Nick Grabbe will give us historical perspective, beginning with the town’s 1938 decision to do away with the open Town Meeting. Then in 2002 the  Charter Commission delivered its 14-page report, but that was only one more step in the process the process.

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Mr Nick Grabbe, a former newspaperman, worked on the campaign to change to change the structure of the government, which culminated in the vote on March 27, 2018.  We invited him to tell about the campaign.

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The Gritty Berkshires
March 12, 2021
Maynard Seider

In his book, The Gritty Berkshires, Dr Maynard Seider tells how the Berkshires offer insight into so many crucial aspects of the American experience. Moving from the early 1800s to the present, Seider weaves a narrative that details the area’s vibrant immigrant history, slavery’s role in its textile industry, the battle for national unions and the ideological struggles with corporate elites over who best speaks for the community. Enriched by dozens of photographs, these stories focus on the voices of ordinary people as they often do extraordinary things.

Maynard Seider is an Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (formerly North Adams State College), where he taught 1978-2010

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Native American Stone Structures
March 26, 2021
Dr Curtiss Hoffman

Scattered throughout the woodlands and fields of the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada are tens of thousands of stone monuments. These stone constructions have been the subject of debate among archaeologists and antiquarians for the past seventy-five years.  Dr Curtiss Hoffman of Bridgewater State University, the author of Stone Prayers, will share his findings and insights, based on an examination of over 5,000 sites.

Curtiss Hoffman holds a PhD from Yale University in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures (1974), and since 1973 has directed field operations at archaeological sites in southern New England. He is Full Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts and is past president of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society and currently serves as the editor of its Bulletin.

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Early Days at the Valley Advocate, pt 2
April 9, 2021
Chris O’Carroll and David Sokol

In September 2020, Mr Chris O’Carroll reminisced about his time working at the Valley Advocate in the 1970’s. Now he will return, teamed up with the Advocate Music Editor  to tell us more about some of the acts (Bob Dylan, Jane Fonda, Marcel Marceau) he covered as Arts and Entertainment Editor for the local weekly, and about the waysin which arts & entertainment coverage can overlap with hard-news political stories — for example, when local activists picket a movie theatre, or when artists espouse political causes and perform at fundraising converts.