Nothing to do but pray

Amherst Town Manager John Musante, SB Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe

(See 1:30 PM update below)

I rejected using the above photo on the night of August 22 because it looked as though Selectboard Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe and the Town Manager were bowing their heads in prayer or observing a solemn moment of silence. Now the town is collectively doing exactly that, holding our breath, awaiting an update.

(They were actually reading a draft report of Mr. Musante's job performance, which was concisely summed up by Ms. O'Keeffe as "stellar.")

This week started out emotional enough as memories of 9/11 fill the air on the runup to Sunday's milestone anniversary. If 9/11 taught us anything, it is that life can change forever in a single moment. Whether trudging to work on a stunningly clear Tuesday morning, or walking your dog in the rain.

And yes, that's far from fair.
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UPDATE: 1:30 PM Some good news to report!

Marlene Musante, through Town Hall, is issuing the following statement with regard to John’s condition, following his accident Tuesday morning:

John has been and remains in stable condition, and he is continuing to improve. His physicians have never assessed his condition as “critical” and reports to the contrary are erroneous.

John is being cared for in Baystate Medical Center’s Critical Care Unit. He would have been in the Intermediate Care Unit if there had been a bed available. These units provide the frequency of nursing care for the monitoring he requires.

It is understandable in such a circumstance that people will speculate on how this accident occurred, but the cause is unknown. In particular, our beloved dog may have had nothing to do with John’s fall, but he certainly was instrumental in John being identified and assisted.
John and our whole family are grateful for the enormous outpouring of prayers, good wishes and offers of assistance we have received.

It is such a comfort to have the support of friends, co-workers and the community in a difficult time like this. Thank you all very much.

Springfield Republican reports the sad news