No one had to stop for a red light in town center
In spite of dire warnings over mosquito borne illnesses --a modern day biblical scourge -- thousands of regular folks, young and old flocked to the downtown for a first of its kind event: Celebrate Amherst Block Party.
Performer on stilts had a great view (as did AFD)
Local businesses set up tents all along the stretch of North Pleasant Street after it was shut down by a blockade of DPW dump trucks on both ends leaving almost a half mile of asphalt suddenly car free. Thus creating the biggest party this town has seen since the last major Hobart Hoedown.
Only at this one, thankfully, no incidents of disturbing the peace.
Ta Da!
Bookend entertainment: Band in Kendrick Park, DJs in Town Center
Wow! That was a lot of fun. Kudos to all those who made it possible. You're right, Larry, nice to see college kids partying in a controlled manner.
ReplyDeleteI liked this so much better than the "taste", it was so much better having more room and not feel like you are climbing over people. I know they woudl never shut the street down for 4 days for the taste but .... this proves there are options.
ReplyDeleteThese UMass kids get a lot of bad press for the few that throw those weekend parties. I was glad to see hundreds of them having a good time and fitting in right in with our locals.
ReplyDeleteWhat time were you there, LarryK and Anonymous@11:07? By 8:30 the college kids were fueled up on ETOH and the bars were rubbing their hands in glee about getting the kids in earlier than usual on a Thursday.
ReplyDeleteI was there until 9:15 or so and I did not run into one obnoxious drunk college student. There were more students on the street at that time then there were at the beginning but they were just having fun like the rest of us. Can this blog ever have a topic where the students are not denigrated?????
ReplyDeleteBTW - I am a 60 year old person who was there with their grandkids.
Ha! Ha! That one comment was obviously written by someone that was not there. I couldn't believe how relaxed all the college students were even with loud music.
ReplyDeleteFabulous event. Well done! Great to see a party that appeals to so many different age groups.
ReplyDeleteSo Larry- after the fact, do you still think this event should not have happened? You were clearly not happy about the town continuing with the event and especially with having children outside because of the warnings. Do you still stand by that assessment? (or will you find a way to prove that you were actually FOR this taking place)
ReplyDeleteActually if you peruse everything I published on this over the past two months it is clear that I was FOR this taking place ... right up until the day before yesterday.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for attending!
ReplyDeleteDavid Mazor
Chair, Marketing & Events Committee
Amherst BID
My pleasure. My family had a blast.
ReplyDeleteJust yesterday you wrote the following: "So it really makes no sense for the town and Business Improvement District to move forward with the 'Celebrate Amherst Block Party'... that's nothing to celebrate."
ReplyDeleteAnd in the comments: "It's not me I'm concerned about (mosquitoes seem to just love my ten year old)."
It is so obvious you are an eternal naysayer, a true curmudgeon. You say they should have canceled it for your kid's safety, yet today you're all "this was great! I wanted it to go on!" Get your complaints straight!
Selective editing on your part.
ReplyDeleteMy close, "That's nothing to celebrate" followed my concern that somebody could file suit if they even thought they acquired a disease after attending the party.
And they would of course, as evidence, cite the Board of Health reverse 911 and email warning from a few days ago to stay indoors.
My other concern is that now nobody will take seriously emergency warnings issued by the Board of Health (or Schools).
I have been saying for a long time that if you gave the college kids something to do that they enjoyed doing, you wouldn't be having them doing all the things that you don't want them doing.
ReplyDeleteOne can argue why having to do this is necessary -- at which point I ask why is LSSE necessary either? And the price you have to pay to have the revenue from the vast number of undergrads that you do is either stuff like this, or dealing with the consequences of not having it.
So which is the less of two evils -- giving the college kids something positive to do that they want to do or continuing to bail against the wind?
So are you glad it happened or not? You didn't want this to happen, now you're saying you had a good time, which is plainly hypocritical. No one can do right! Not even the fabled flag-bearing "country inn" you laud/condemn in equal measure.
ReplyDelete"Scorpion and the frog fable" my CAN friend.
ReplyDeleteEd,
ReplyDeleteDespite the economic reliance on the university, the town of Amherst and it's residents will never admit the good the school brings. At most they will allow a patronizing post such as this to be seen, which begrudgingly admits most students behave.
Even in prior, scathing articles there is only a disclaimer, saying that only 1 or 2 percent of students act this way; yet 100% of the articles are negative.