Smells like...victory

So I was two for two last night at the illustrious Amherst Select board meeting.

At 6:40 pm I was on the agenda to request the SB (that’s shorthand for Select board) designate the intersection in South Amherst, where the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School just opened, a “school zone” so the DPW can go nuts with signage. They unanimously agreed, but thought there may be a step or two more in the process so they would get back to me.

And at 7:00 we had the joint meeting between the SB and Amherst Redevelopment Authority a quasi-state agency thankfully independent of town government to replace an open seat. Great minds must think a like as we unanimously voted in Peg Roberts (an icon in downtown development).

And nothing should be made of the fact that she was the only applicant. Since it was known very early on she had applied anybody else with lesser qualifications--that would be the entire town--would have thought twice about even bothering. And (Schools take note) qualifications count.

All in all a great night for a troublemaker like me, who occasionally receives “payback” via a totally different issue: For instance, I think the shameful two-thirds vote of Amherst Town Meeting not to fly the flags on 9/11 was more an anti-Larry Kelley vote than it was against the flag, coming only two weeks after the May 1’st property tax Override (to “save our schools”) went down in flames.

Well at least kids will be safer in South Amherst; and now we can get to work expanding the downtown-parking garage.