121 Meadow Street. Directly across street from Townhouse Apartments
While top ranked UMass and town officials and Northwestern District Attorney Dave Sullivan staked out the south side of campus Friday night intercepting throngs of students traveling by foot through residential neighbors to discuss civility, respect and politeness all while handing out raisin oatmeal cookies, the north end of campus became party central, culminating in a riot at 121 Meadow Street. According to police narrative (11:57 PM):
1000+ party guests were cleared out. While doing so, bottles were thrown at officers who had to retreat and don riot helmets for protection. It took approximately 45 minutes to clear the party out. All party guests were moved east bound down Meadow Street and toward North Pleasant Street. The resident of 121 Meadow Street was issued a TBL (town bylaw) Nuisance House violation.
Summons issued:
XXX
18 Pond Street Stoneham, MA
age 21
Issuing a $300 Nuisance House ticket sets the groundwork for holding the owner of the house responsible, because after the second offense the town can fine the landlord $300 for not controlling their irresponsible tenants.
Property card for 121 Meadow Street
Fining landlords is absurd. How are they supposed to control students' behaviour. Why not fine UMass for admitting these students to their fine institution? It's like fining the town of Amherst for every speeder. The lawbreaker is the problem and that's where the responsibility lies.
ReplyDeleteThis was a riot with 1,000+ involved, yet just one $300 violation was given?
ReplyDeleteCan nearby homeowners sue these rental property owners and/or tenants?
Just up the Prozac dosage and deal with it the same way you've been dealing with everything else the last 40 years: denial.
ReplyDeleteGreatest little dump on the planet, eh, Amherst?
Covered in roaches.
Karma.
Anon 12:27 pm: You know, I think fining UMass would be an absolutely swell idea. Get the University involved and impose some genuine consequences on the idiot students. One of the roots of this whole problem is that the University tries to have it both ways: the students are just widdle kids who can't be expected to behave themselves, but at the same time they're mature adults so the University has no right to try to control their behavior off-campus.
ReplyDeleteSo if someone has a party that make too much noise the landlord gets fined, but if someone stabs someone in a home invasion the landlord doesn't pay a dime? Perhaps the landlord should serve a prison sentence that's the same as the perpetrator's sentence for any crime that's committed? Or not.
ReplyDeleteYou are trying to hold the wrong person responsible.
Fining landlords is absurd? Landlords are legally responsible for tenants dealing drugs from their property, why not hold them responsible for this behavior? I'm a landlord and if I received a fine for this you can bet I would have a clause in my lease that made receiving a first fine grounds for eviction. These kids know that finding housing during semester is difficult, they may think twice before risking their apartments. And contrary to popular belief, you can evict a tenant relatively quickly and easily for breaking a lease. Most of these Amherst property owners make no attempt to screen their tenants or execute an iron clad lease. They just pile 'em in and collect the dough. I say make them be responsible.
ReplyDeleteThat said, these Umass animals are dangerous. Throwing bottles at officers, I wonder if they're prepared for the consequences if they are identified and arrested. They need to go to prison. Richard.
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/amherst_police_probe_assault_w.html
ReplyDeleteAMHERST - Police continue to probe an assault with a bottle early Saturday at Meadow and North Pleasant streets that left a 20-year-old Westborough man with a serious head injury.
The victim, a UMass student, was taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton by Amherst Fire ambulance. Police, in a release, said that the victim’s injuries are not life-threatening.
The assault, reported shortly before 12:30 a.m., occurred during a large disturbance at 121 Meadow St. amidst a crowd that police said exceeded over 1,000 people. Officers attempting to quell the disturbance were pelted with bottles.
No other injuries were reported.
Amherst police responded to 211 calls for service over the weekend and 68 people were charged with crimes that included disorderly conduct, liquor violations, assault and larceny.
Yeah, maybe we should all move to your hometown and act like the nitwits on Meadow Street did on Friday night.
ReplyDeleteYour "normal" friends and family would love that.
Kudos to Dave Sullivan for being there. I hope he'll prosecute when that's warranted too.
ReplyDelete@dumb Anon 7:01, we Amherst residents are learning. We learned that fines might be necessary, so now we have them. If higher fines are necessary, we'll probably do that too.
ReplyDeleteSo who is learning the lesson? Is Amherst learning to let parties just happen? No. Are students learning how much parties can cost? Maybe.
"u dumb amherst residents" <-- Some times it is just best to be quiet and not show your ignorance.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, if you guys don't like the partying move to Hadley or Sunderland. Umass was here long before you were, so don't complain about it. You knew what you were into when you chose your home, there are plenty of other neighborhoods out there in this state. Maybe if they allowed more parties, the chances of a giant one occurring would lessen. Everyone fled to Meadow St. friday because there wasn't much else to do. Takign away parties, does not mean your taking away kids who want to party
ReplyDeleteu dumb college student,
ReplyDeleteNo need to worry about your sorry ass fighting for a job in the work force. After all, college is for partying, not studying.
Wait till you discover that most of those 30,0000 students you mention actually studied in college and are standing in front of you in the job line.
No doubt you'll then move back home and continue to live off your parents hard work and dedication.
Atta boy!
Actually Anon 2:29 AM (up studying no doubt):
ReplyDeleteMy family has owned property here since the 1850s, a tad before UMass was founded.
Maybe it was impossible to control the crowds of people sprinting into the backyard of the house, maybe they called the police twice before they finally showed up to their own house, and just maybe it took the police 45 min to finally show up and another half hour for the riot police to finally come
ReplyDeleteLarry, I'm thinking that Anon 7:01 pm and Anon 2:29 am are really spoofs of the college mindset. That sense of entitlement cannot be for real. It's gotta be a joke.
ReplyDeleteNo, I've been down this beer drenched rocky road before; sadly, they are for real.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the word "unreal" quickly spring to mind every time they come here to defend the indefensible.
Is it true that the renters called the police for assistance?
ReplyDeleteIf so- why the fine?
Sets a bad precedent- "Don't call for help- we will get fined!"
Yes I believe he was the Reporting Parting.
ReplyDeleteIf you are stupid enough to climb Mt. Washington unprepared and in bad weather and use your smartphone (obviously a lot smarter than its owner) to call for rescue, you will be billed.
Does that send a message "Don't call for help, we will be fined?"
No, it sends the message "Don't be stupid!"
Exactly. The opposite would be not fining those who call to report themselves. This would teach children that they could throw loud drunken parties up to riot proportions and simply call at the last minute to avoid a fine.
ReplyDelete@ dumb anon 7:01, that attitude will take you far in life. Enjoy the next fifty years.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you don't like the no-fun Amherst atmosphere you can always go back to Hubbardston and party 24/7. No one's stopping you.
I still vote "spoof". I need proof that any college students could be that full of themselves, although I admit it is the right age.
ReplyDeleteYep, the victims are responsible.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you wear a short skirt and get raped, it is your fault too. H*ll, lets also fine you for violating the noise ordinance when you were screaming for help.
After all, you gotta learn not to wear short skirts....