Friday, May 24, 2013

BabeTown Belligerence


621 East Pleasant Street, Amherst aka Babe Town

So after seven consecutive $100/day fines the owner of the van parked on the lawn at Babe Town, a venue for underground music concerts, showed great initiative and backed it up the ten feet required to come into compliance with Amherst zoning bylaw.

Moved 7 car parking problem to Sherman Lane Saturday morning (neighbor submitted photo)

I also could not help but notice the new addition on the overgrown front lawn: a pup tent, that went up when a 4' by 8' plywood illegal sign came down. Maybe the bear gets to sleep there at night.  And no, neither the bear or pup tent or combination therein are illegal.  But you gotta wonder what 's next, Christmas lights?



House next door for sale.  "Shocked, shocked I say ..."


#####

On my way back from the Hampshire Athletic Club, I routinely stop at the Cumby's on lower College Street (assassins take note). Around 11:45 a.m. today, a college-aged youth accosted me with his cell phone snapping at least a dozen pictures as I left the store heading to my car carrying my coffee, egg salad sandwich, and diet root beer.


  
 Shy college aged youth presumably resident of 621 E. Pleasant aka BabeTown


At one point I stopped and looked directly at him saying, "Can I help you?"  But he just kept snap, snap, snapping away. So I open my car door, as he snaps more pictures of my car and license plate, grab my iPhone and he then bounds back to his car leaving the parking lot like a bank robber fleeing the scene of a crime.

Well, I had to run out to North Amherst anyway, in my roles as a Town Meeting member and reporter, so as I drove by 621 East Pleasant Street, aka "Babe Town..."

I could not help but notice from the very public street that East Pleasant Street is, the very same college aged youth sitting on the front porch of his Daddy's mansion.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Larry, maybe this is the universe's way of telling you it's time to let go of the Babetown issue and move on. Your blog readers appreciate your diligence and tenacity but sometimes it's a little much. Really, who gives a bleep about the bear and the cars and the tent? Such things hardly amount to a major nuisance and once mentioned are not worth revisiting.

Larry Kelley said...

Oh, I know a few neighbors who would disagree with you.

Anonymous said...

They must be NIMBYs....

Anonymous said...

Ah, yes. I've been waiting for this.

I am the aforementioned college aged youth who "accosted" you today.

After you took a picture of my home, presumably followed me to a gas station, and then drove past my home two more times, all within the span of about two hours, I called the police only to learn that it's not technically stalking if you don't step onto the lawn.

I am indeed shy, but everything else you have written about me is false. I am frightened and concerned by your actions.

Leave me alone.

Larry Kelley said...

Front and side yards as well.

Anonymous said...

Going after bloggers....ah, just another rite of passage for today's youth.

Anonymous said...

Nice Memorial Day display in the driveway photo (red van and cars of white and blue)

Neighbors are too close by for a concert venue -and folks talking and car doors slamming all night long on Sheerman Lane is an issue

Walter Graff said...

I'd say at this point blogging about this person, his home and his whereabouts verges on harassment. Certainly you can rise above the pettiness and move on to new and interesting topics in town. Of course if the illegal parties continue do report, but beyond that I'd say the topic has been discussed ad nauseam and is only dragging down your credential.

Larry Kelley said...

Geeze, next I'll be pissing off Ed.

Walter Graff said...

You didn't piss me off Larry. People question your authenticity and claims of practicing journalism because you waver between reporting things in the traditional sense and getting hung up on triviality and passive-agressive vituperations. The better man would have reported the story of the illegal concerts and moved on. Now you are making the life of a private individual public without cause. Unfortunately in this litigious society if he had the chops he could take legal steps against you.

Larry Kelley said...

If only I had $10 for every threatened lawsuit just in the past year.

Larry Kelley said...

Shy college aged youth:

Funny, you did not look overly "frightened and concerned" when you were snapping away with your cell phone way less than 10 feet from me this morning (I believe the rule, even for paparazzi, is no less than 10 feet).

As my other favorite character used to say, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."

Tell you what: stop bothering your neighbors and I'll stop shining a light on it.



Anonymous said...

I smell partisanship on the NIMBY front.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Larry Kelley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dr. Ed said...

I called the police only to learn that it's not technically stalking if you don't step onto the lawn.

I'm not so sure about that. They changed the law after the Phoebe Prince suicide and it isn't Chapter 209A but something else, and the other issue is that he isn't a public official -- or a public figure -- and Walter is right on this.

Dr. Ed said...

One other thing -- if it were me, I'd get a second bear and have them doing something really graphic -- I play hardball....

Larry Kelley said...

Oh, me thinks they have playing hardball for a while now.

Anonymous said...

Is it against the law now to park on the street? What next? I do not understand what the problem is with the 7 cars parked on Sheerman Street. Unless there is a no parking sign on the street anyone can park there. Even students.

I hope the folks at Babetown take out a restraining order against you. They may be preparing to do that - hence taking pics of you at Cumbys. If I was them I'd be at court to get the order. You are harrassing them.

And, no, I am not a student. I am a long time Amherst resident nearing senior citizen age.

Dr. Ed said...

Oh, me thinks they have playing hardball for a while now.

No Larry, not the way I am capable of playing it.

I increasingly elect not to -- what many often misinterpret as my "backing down" is actually me deciding that "it isn't worth it" much like a police officer will decide to discontinue a high-speed pursuit -- but you don't even want to *think* of what those boys could be doing right now.

Larry Kelley said...

Anon 11:48 AM

When I went into Cumby's this afternoon for the usual, one of the employees asked me "what the heck happened yesterday?"

When I explained, she said if I need a witness to let her know.

Nothing wrong I guess with parking 7 cars on the street. But I wonder if that will pass muster with the Building Commissioner now that all rentals, including owner occupied, have to register with the town AND submit a "parking plan."

The Commissioner will probably ask why a single family home limited to four unrelated tenants needs to have parking for 9 cars (7 on Sherman Lane, the van in the parking lot and the other van apparently behind the house).

And I'm pretty good with fire related questions but I'm not certain one way or the other if Ladder 1 could make it between those parked cars in the photo (which was taken by a neighbor this morning).

Anonymous said...

As long as a No Parking sign is NOT there those cars are legally parked. If a fire truck cannot get thru then the town needs to put up a No Parking sign. Until then, the neighbor can take all the picsthey want and you can post them til the cows come home. Who cares!

Larry Kelley said...

Exactly!

If my readers fly away in droves because I publish legal pictures taken from a public road of "who cares" subject matter, so be it.

Let the market decide.

But I'll be damned if I let anybody shut me down with idiotic threats of a lawsuit.

Anonymous said...

"Dr. Ed said...

One other thing -- if it were me, I'd get a second bear and have them doing something really graphic -- I play hardball...."

Of course you would Ed. We expect no less from you than some sort of sexual response.

Anonymous said...

Taking you to court and asking for a restraining order is a far cry from hitting you with a lawsuit.

Larry Kelley said...

Make my day.

Just don't try to do it at taxpayer expense.

Like a previous Select Board member did.

And look how well that turned out.

Dr. Ed said...

I have a serious question Larry: At a point when it was perfectly legal to do so, a vehicle was parked on a front lawn. The town then passed an ordinance which made it illegal. Vehicle hasn't moved since it was legally parked there, even though it couldn't be put there now.

I honestly don't think the town can do anything about it.

Dr. Ed said...

BTW, if a fire truck can drive through the brick wall of a 19th Century factory building (and I know someone who had to do just that), I kinda think it could push parked vehicles out of its way.

It might do a little bit of damage to the vehicles, but I have no doubt it could get down the street...

Dr. Ed said...

Of course you would Ed. We expect no less from you than some sort of sexual response

Who said "sexual" -- I was thinking of something far more provocative than that....

Anonymous said...

Larry the fact that you make money on this blog and do so by way of using phptographs, presumably without the person's consent, is an issue. I know there is someone looking into litigation on this.

Larry Kelley said...

Yes I know. On average, about five per month.

Anonymous said...

Well, just know that one has traction. The prepartions are near complete and my understanding is that a filing is soon to come.

Larry Kelley said...

"Traction". I like that. Is that what left a rut in the front yard?

Anonymous said...

Larry, you're not thinking. You're too busy being a smart-aleck to be thinking.

Larry Kelley said...

I have a 3 threat max per CAN per article. You have just reached your limit. CAN.