Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Blarney No Blowover

Blarney Blowout, March 8 "in the area of 374 N. Pleasant Street"

At almost the three month mark from that day of infamy, the court system is still dealing out justice to those (58) "college aged youth" arrested during the Blarney Blowout.

Dana Mahar standing before Judge Payne

On Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court before Judge John Payne, Dana Mahar, age 22, accepted what now seems to be the standard plea deal:  Case continued without a finding for six months (probation) plus $200 restitution to Amherst Police Department, 20 hours of community service  and a letter of apology.

 Page 2 continues: " ... from the other individuals in the area.  Additionally, during the struggle, the strap on my pepper ball gun broke and caused the gun to fall.  This rendered it temporarily out of service."

Meanwhile, I'm told the (Ed) Davis Report with recommendations on how to avoid another Blarney Blowout should be completed within the next three weeks "or so".

Hey, for $160,000 I guess it's better they spend a little extra time to get it right. 

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

That'll teach 'em... NOT.
The courts and the town are just determined to wait for someone to be killed before they get serious. Just hope it's not a cop or an innocent. Richard Marsh

Dr. Ed said...

Richard, if you are worried about cops getting killed, may I suggest TELLING THEM NOT TO DRIVE SO DAMN FAST?!?!? I mean 80+MPH in a 25MPH zone -- I've seen it more than once.

Richard, telephone poles kill cops too...

And one kid with the guts to fight the charges to the SJC level will toss out what is a British Colonial Charter that the SJC REFUSED to uphold the one time it was asked to and that will be the end of your fascist little gulag.

Although you may be right, I already have my "I told you so" press release ready for national release in the event of fatalities. Heck, I've even got a briefing book that goes to selected "friends" -- profiles of specific people along with "gotcha" questions....

And yes, I'm mean enough to do that....

Kurt G said...

Visiting family in Sweden last summer I was exposed to Systembolaget, a monopoly of government run liquor stores, started there in the 1950's. Of course the concept is too radical and runs contrary to our core capitalistic values to institute fully in USA, but maybe there are concepts that can be modified to work here.

"Systembolaget exists for one reason: To minimize alcohol-related problems by selling alcohol in a responsible way, without profit motive."

Their mandate: http://www.systembolaget.se/English/Our-mandate/

An international group of researchers on what would likely happen were the monopoly to be abolished: http://www.systembolagetkampanj.se/forskarrapport_en/

Anonymous said...

Ed, you are certainly nuts enough.

Anonymous said...

And Larry's picture illustrates one other thing: What a dumpy-looking town.

Anonymous said...

Systembolaget, a monopoly of government run liquor stores, started there in the 1950's

As opposed to the New Hampshire State Liquor Stores that we all love???

(The nearest one is in Rindge next to the Market Basket, there is also one in Hinsdale.)

As opposed to Maine's "Greenfronts" -- the Maine State Liquor Stores? Kurt - those are controversial because people want to know why Maine is in the liquor business.

Anonymous said...

I think Ike summed Sweden up rather nicely:

Only in the last few weeks, I have been reading quite an article on the experiment of almost complete paternalism in a friendly European country. This country has a tremendous record for socialistic operation, following a socialistic philosophy, and the record shows that their rate of suicide has gone up almost unbelievably and I think they were almost the lowest nation in the world for that. Now, they have more than twice our rate. Drunkenness has gone up. Lack of ambition is discernible on all sides.. Therefore, with that kind of example, let's always remember Lincoln's admonition. Let's do in the federal Government only those things that people themselves cannot do at all, or cannot so well do in their individual capacities.

http://pages.citebite.com/w2q1j0x3m2wux

Nina Koch said...

Where I grew up, hard liquor is sold only by the county-run dispensaries; the practice is not that unusual here in the U.S.:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_beverage_control_state

Sweden has extremely strict enforcement of drunk-driving laws. I think that's more important than the existence of the state-run liquor stores. Buying liquor from Systembolaget didn't stop people from getting blotto on Saturday night. I lived in Sweden for a year and my friends had these little devices that would allow them to calculate how many hours they had to wait before they could drive after they had some drinks. Even if they had to wait a whole day, they would do it. People were pretty law-abiding, from what I could see. Paying for public transportation was on the honor system.

Kurt G said...

The Sweden Suicide Myth is just that: according to the World Health Organization Sweden is ranked 43rd worldwide (11 Suicides per 100,000 people per year), USA 33rd (12 Suicides per 100,000 people per year).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate

Alcohol consumption rates are very similar in Sweden and USA; We drink a lot more beer and Sweden more wine.

There are no stats charting "ambition".

Ike said those things 65 years ago and his speculations were way off...this is 2014 not the 50's, let's focus on the problem that happened 2 months ago here in our town (and across the nation.)

One small thing Systembolaget does that makes a big difference: beer is sold by the can/bottle. Here we sell beer by units of six, up to 30 packs. In Sweden you're more likely to buy what you intend to consume and not more, so "binge drinking" is reduced/discouraged.

Kurt G said...

Sweden drunk driving legal limits: 0.02% BAC (imprisonment, up to 6 months), 0.10% (imprisonment, maximum 2 years).

USA drunk driving legal limit: 0.08% BAC

I did not dare even drink ONE beer and drive in Sweden! I drank a couple of 3.5% beers once we got home for the night.

Bonnie, Clyde and a buncha clowns said...

Hey Geryk, you guys ever party hardy with the Bobby D?


http://amherstma.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6192


Never mind little buddy,

I already know the answer.


Morally yours,

-Squeaky Squeaks

Dr. Ed said...

Here we sell beer by units of six, up to 30 packs. In Sweden you're more likely to buy what you intend to consume and not more, so "binge drinking" is reduced/discouraged.

That is asinine. We sell MILK by the quart, half gallon and gallon. (At one point there was a 3-quart container as well.)

So does Hood promote Binge Milk Drinking? Diet Coke is sold in 12-packs -- I guess that is to promote binge drinking too?

And Advil comes in bottles of 160 -- I don't even want to touch that one...

Dr. Ed said...

Hey Kurt, was this what you had in mind when you mentioned a government monopoly on alcohol sales?????

And Larry, you gotta admit that this would be one way of balancing Amherst's EMS budget...