Eric Carle Museum Workers Move Toward Union Vote

DATELINE — AMHERST

Employees at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art are moving toward a union vote, according to a report from Hyperallergic, a labor push at an institution that has drawn more than a million visitors to Amherst in 23 years. The news came as the town opened applications for a new civic education program and Amherst schools marked a round of staff honors and student achievements.

TOWN HALL

The Town of Amherst is accepting applications for its free, eight-week Civic Academy, which lets residents explore the inner workings of local government, meet directly with town staff, and take behind-the-scenes tours of municipal operations. Applications are due by Sunday, September 20.

Separately, the town is asking residents, including those who don't currently subscribe, to weigh in on their cable television experience through a brief survey open through Friday, August 7.

SCHOOLS

Amherst Central High School has a new leader: Patrick Kapperman has been named principal. The district also celebrated 74 students who presented projects at the Seal of Civic Readiness Civics Fair, each earning a medal to wear at graduation, and recognized Julie Furlong as the 2026 General Music Educator of the Year.

The district's Substitute & Jobs Expo, open to all grades and buildings, is set for August 12; interested applicants should apply online by August 5. Smallwood Drive Elementary also capped off its "See the Good, Be the Good, Spread the Good" character program with a Community Day, earning the school its seventh Promising Practice character award.

COMMUNITY & ARTS

The Amherst Public Art Commission is calling for artists to submit work for two initiatives, Electrify Amherst and the Town Hall Art Gallery, with entries for Electrify Amherst due Friday, August 7. The Amherst Public Library's Friends group will hold an Artist Reception on Saturday, August 8, at 1 p.m.

The library's ATL Reads series will discuss "All Systems Red" by Martha Wells at two sessions, Tuesday, August 11, at 1 p.m. and Wednesday, August 12, at 6 p.m. The library's "Plant a Seed, Read!" summer reading program wraps with an Ice Cream Social finale on Friday, August 7, at 2 p.m.

ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS

"Eric Carle Museum Workers Push for Union Vote," Hyperallergic reports. Staff at the Amherst museum are organizing to hold a union election, according to the outlet, which notes the museum has welcomed more than a million visitors since it opened 23 years ago (read it at https://hyperallergic.com/eric-carle-museum-workers-push-for-union-vote/).

"Terry Fenstad Obituary (1942 - 2026)," an Amherst-area obituary distributed via Legacy.com on behalf of the Daily Hampshire Gazette notes. The notice remembers Terry Morton Fenstad, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, who died in July (read it at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/gazettenet/name/terry-fenstad-obituary?pid=211977977).

COMING UP

The Amherst Board of Education meets tonight, August 4, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the District Board Room. The Town Council's Board of Health and its Planning Board & Community Resources Committee both meet Wednesday, August 5. The library hosts "Let's Play Mahjong!" on Thursday, August 6, at 1 p.m.

Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.