Historic North Common in front of Town Hall
The town is on roll with state grants lately ... as in rolling off a high cliff.
Last night Interim Town Manager Dave Ziomek informed the Select Board the $400,000 PARC grant (Parkland Acquisitions & Renovations for Communities) rehabilitation of the historic North Town Common was denied, for the second time now.
The town also recently lost out on mega-million MassWorks grants for rebuilding Pine Street and the funky intersection in North Amherst.
Of course the Community Preservation Act Fund is flush with money after the town increased the surcharge rate to 3%, so town officials will probably move to tap those reserves to get the needed job done.
It is ok to not get grants, actually it is good.
ReplyDeleteThe town is not desperate, it does not need welfare from other parts of the state or the fed.
By not getting the grant(s), the town can tax the citizens who live in the town to pay for stuff in stead of getting the money from those with no real vested interest in the town. People in town rarely make good public spending choices, it would seem almost like theft if we got money from folks far away that do an even worse job of allocating other peoples' money.
This means that locals can take pride in stead of hanging their head low by taking money they did not need and most certainly did not deserve or earn.
Here are some suggestions: remove the decaying wood railroad ties from around the trees, aerate the soil, put in some nice benches and a brick walkway, renovate the fountain, add some statues that kids can climb on so they have something to do downtown. Do it slowly over time. But get started.
ReplyDeleteAnything else you'd like?
DeleteAny event held for adults that requires supervision of this kind is pretty lame. Don't you kids think it's kind of sad that you're out of elementary school now but still require chaperons for your field trips? God help me if I ever participate in something where I still need to be baby-sat.
ReplyDeleteDon't think that the fact that lots of the "grunt workers" on Beacon Hill and in various state agencies are former UMass students isn't relevant here.
ReplyDeleteDon't think that there aren't consequences for your "because we can" approach to the UM Students -- now "they can" and this is only going to get worse as those in Boston with negative memories of Amherst increase both in numbers and seniority.
Never forget the politics of the Quabbin and how the Catholics responded to past Protestant bigotry by really screwing the Protestants in Etna, Dana, Prescott, & Greenwich. (Stuff like burning down the Congregational Church instead of moving it, like they were supposed to do...) Never forget that 4/5 of the General Court represents districts located entirely within I-495, which (as "4" is an even number) connects to I-95 at both ends, forming a circle around Greater Boston.
Senator Stan may now be Senate President Stan, but four-fifths is four-fifths and the real power lies with the Speaker of the House (which is why they are the ones who keep winding up going to jail. And as the state is broke (thank you, Deval...), the four-fifths, with things they want funded "inside 495" (e.g. the MBTA), will be watching the purse much more closely.
Face it folks: You are screwed. Sucks to be you -- and it didn't have to be this way. You could have compromised, and didn't...
(Note that I said "former UMass students" and not "Alumni" because one doesn't graduate from Planet UMass as much as one escapes with a receipt known as a diploma and a very bitter taste in ones mouth. Excepting those folks either on the UM Payroll or otherwise making money from UMass, I have yet to meet anyone who graduated in the past 20-25 years who doesn't hate UMass.)
You 're so smart!
ReplyDelete