Crowd of 1,000 behind 17 Hobart Lane Sunday 3:30 PM like leaves on a tree
Townhouse Apartments Sunday 3:15 PM
The party scene on Sunday shifted from the west quad at Townhouse Apartments in North Amherst to Hobart Lane somewhat around the corner off North Pleasant Street.
As they did the previous day Amherst police made individual arrests for "liquor law violations" (open container and underage drinking) but pretty much let the crowd, who were gathered on private property, have their day in the sun.
Mill River Recreation area Sunday afternoon
Police also responded a number of times to the Mill River Recreation area for noise and parking complaints from a large student related gathering that had a permit to use the town property.
The Spring Concert at the Mullins Center Sunday night was designed to keep students on campus so they would not be a burden on town first responders.
But the two extra outside detail ambulances that Chief Nelson requires of them were not enough to handle the slew of substance abuse cases, five of which happened within an hour.
All told Mullins Center Command had 30 patient contacts, with 8 transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital (three by AFD and five by special detail ambulances) and another patron taken into Protective Custody by UMPD.
Although, sadly, these numbers were pretty much in the predicted range.
Monday Morning aftermath:
17 Hobart Lane
North Pleasant Street across from Hobart Lane
Mill River Recreation Area parking lot
Townhouse Apartments (from Saturday)
There's a reason they call it @ZOOMASS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6EGarnPt5l— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 18, 2016
Townhouse Apartments late Saturday afternoon
Whatever group used Mill River should be denied any future town permits unless it hires a private cleanup service. The noise level of amplified music was intolerable and the mess is inexcusable.
ReplyDeleteYes the permit does state they are required to clean up after the event.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Larry. Please tell us, what is the name of the group that organized the Mill River event yesterday?
ReplyDeleteDon't know.
ReplyDeleteYou can ask the Select Board office tomorrow who took out the permit.
Mill River was one of the most disrespectful acts against this community that I have seen in a long time. For anyone who doesn't live in North Amherst, there was a party that at one point had over 500 perhaps even more people at it (Dave Ziomek put it higher, I'm just trying to not exaggerate). The noise level was intolerable thought the day into the evening. The park was not usable by anyone else in the community. But the worst was the mess they left behind. It is incomprehensible how anyone could have allowed that to happen. DPW was at Mill at 630 this morning and they took away at least two dump trucks full of garbage and bottles (yes alcohol). Broken glass, broken fences, destroyed toilets and the list goes on. The DQW had to have put in several hours of work to clean up this mess (shout out to Dave Ziomek who was there with garbage bag in hand pitching in!). This was disgraceful!!! Permit or no permit, how did this happen!!! And why did the police not break it up. I myself called the police twice, and was told I was not the only one calling. We keep saying we are not going to let this keep happening and yet it does. And folks wonder why us folks in North Amherst complain so much. It is comprehensible to me WHY we keep letting this happen.
ReplyDeleteThis has to be the most ridiculous thing I have read. The level of racism that exist in this world is unreal. I have watched white people do far worst and we can clearly see from the pictures up above. Yet everyone, such as yourself, seems to only have a problem with the colored group of people. You people disgust me!
DeleteI was at Mill Park. When I went over to the seating area IN the park, I could barely hear the music. There was food, drinks, music and dancing. No one broke anything, destroyed public property or made an exceptional mess. Actually there were two families picnicking right next to us! The collection of mainly white students at the town houses on the other hand broke windows and doors, destroyed public property AND LIT A COUCH ON FIRE!!! Just be honest about your racism and say you didn't want to have black and brown students enjoying themselves around you, it'd be easier for all of us. Disgusting racist prick.
DeleteComplain to the mayor...
ReplyDeleteEspecially if he/she lived in the area.
ReplyDeleteI have searched the Select Board agendas and cannot find a mention of a permit as far back as February. Can only assume it was done under the radar for obvious reasons. I think those who DO know the group responsible are fearful to disclose it for fear of politically-correct reprisals.
ReplyDeleteI felt especially bad for the little-league baseball teams trying to practice that day. The "music" was so loud there is no way they could hear each other. To say nothing of the fact the promised improvements to the dugouts and fields have not even started.
The permit would have been issued by the Leisure Services department, but it's the Select Board to whom you should register your complaint.
ReplyDeleteI hope whoever took this permit out is billed for the clean up costs.
ReplyDeleteThere must have been a deposit left by the users to cover the cost of clean up if any was needed. At least I should hope so?
ReplyDeleteI wish that there was a better way for us, young and old, to work together and still celebrate springtime. This, however, seems a bit much to me.
ReplyDeleteIs that what this was? A celebration of springtime? Oh.
DeleteLarry, I can't see Enku Gelaye permitting any student group signing for a permit for anything along the lines of what this event appears to have been -- Anything any student group does has to be approved by CSD which extends to the point of protest rallies. No student group (or even group of students) would dare get any form of town permit without CSD approval, and CSD would never have approved this. (They won't even approve campus pond concerts anymore.)
ReplyDeleteNo Larry, if I'm right on this, you need to stop blaming UMass students and instead blame UMass itself, starting with the Alumni Association and Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity.
Sunday was the end of Black Alumni Reunion Weekend and this most likely was the "after-party" for the volunteers (i.e. students) who worked the event.
The "Official" UMass Visit W3Schools.com!
w\Website list Tracy Whitley as both the contact person for the reunion and the volunteer coordinator.
Reunion Attendee List -- In addition to Mary Custard, there is a Debora Ferreira -- she's the Executive Director of EO&D (aka "Affirmative Action Office"), Chief Diversity Officer, and has some form of "Chancellor" in her official title. Sidonio is also a UM Administrator.
Heaven only knows who signed out the permit -- it well might be someone like Delta Sigma Theta, but Amherst is a very small town and folks ought to be able to figure out if what I suspect is what happened.
Two other things: First, there is nothing inherently wrong with an "after-party" for the folks who had to work an event -- I always did this (although I kept mine under control).
Second, there is nothing wrong with having a "young adult" event after an event largely scheduled around older adults -- CPAC does this.
Now as to what part of "thou shalt not discriminate" these folks don't understand, well...
Me too, Anon 1:27, me too...
ReplyDeleteWhat bothers me,if I am right on this, is the hypocrisy and double standards, starting with the very concept of a "Black Reunion." What would Mary Custard say if ARHS alum wanted to have a "White ARHS Reunion? (Probably pretty much what I'd say, but why did she attend one?) Worse was UM's chief non-discrimination person -- how can she then condemn any other form of discrimination?
NB: What I noticed was the names I didn't see on that list.
Likewise -- whoever pulled the permit -- it appears that some people (who may not even have been UM Students) are treated differently than the rest of the students are -- that is wrong.
And folks, look for the term "Student Bridges" -- that's SATF-funded "outreach" to minority high school students in Springfield & Holyoke. In theory, it's not inherently bad, but instead of things like peer-tutoring in basic stuff like basic grammar & math, they fund parties. Not saying it happened, but I would neither have been surprised to see high school kids at an event, nor to find them less than sober.
You're all invited to my ARHS White Reunion Party because, well it's only fair.
DeleteI won't even begin to educate yo u on why there is huge difference between white alumni reunion and a black or other minority group alumni reunion. I won't because I doubt If I were to explain it or give you articles to read you would not read them or give them a full minute of contemplation.
DeleteIn terms of Student Bridges, you "not saying it happened" in terms of funding the party or High School students being there, but you are implying it which is still accusatory and damaging. You clearly are willing to draw any conclusions or degrade any gathering or group that you do not even fully understand or have knowledge of.
The students in Student Bridges are critical and hardworking. They want only to work with and improve the lives of young people. If their party or gathering was loud or left mess, that is a valid criticism, but to try and degrade the work of their organization is petty and irrational.
Dr. Ed, thank you for lifting the veil of secrecy from this event. LSSE is clearly out of control.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure LSSE had a choice, or merely did what they were told to do.
ReplyDeleteAnd as I suspect the Malcolm X BBQ had to be "toned down" as it was part of the official itinerary, this may have been part of that compromise.
Oh, and Larry, This one was not ETOH: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/04/woman_wanted_by_pelham_police.html#incart_most-read_news_article
ReplyDeleteLook at the picture of the truck -- not much damage, did she just drift off the road & up onto the WPA embankment? Not that excessive speed is good, but if she lost control at a slow speed, ummm....
I need to know Dr eds story..please...someone tell me....he is obviously a "disenchanted " UMass employee / Amherst citizen....
ReplyDeleteHe is neither, just our token nut job. He went to school here and never got a life. He won't leave because no one else will talk to him. We keep him around to make Larry money, he kind of grows on you after awhile.
DeleteThe Dr. Ed story is a bit more complicated, as you will learn when my book comes out (assuming you can read) but the bottom line is how is it relevant here?
ReplyDeleteThe Purgatorial Cesspool known as UMass didn't have a racist event? The head of EO&D isn't on the attendee list of said racist event? 0r racism isn't wrong?
Likewise, what I've figured out and/or been told about a problematic event last Sunday isn't true because of whom you allege me to be -- not even who I am but whom you maliciously libel me as being. Apparently water is no longer wet if I am the person mentioning it -- right...
Whatever. Amherst Delenda Est....
Sorry, Larry, but it is time to plow salt into the soil of Amherst.
7:42@5:51
ReplyDeleteSee I told you. His psychosis is kind of entertaining, don't you think?
So now that everyone knows that it took five workers--including Ziomek--five hours at time-and-a half, who is paying for this? If police came through and saw alcohol/marijuana/illegally-blocked access how come thy did nothing? Can we at least be assured that anyone/group involved in will be denied a permit in the future?
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:48, my guess is that the police were ordered to do nothing.
ReplyDeleteSome people are more equal than others.
Exhibit A for Donald Trump presidency. Not many places are as understanding as Amerst (no H).
ReplyDeleteLet's all ignore the damage done at both Hobart and Townhouses where furniture was set on fire and the accumulation of trash was similar if not much worse than the Mill River Rec park according to the photos. All events should be criticized equally.
ReplyDeleteI won't even begin to educate yo u on why there is huge difference between white alumni reunion and a black or other minority group alumni reunion.
ReplyDeleteWhite, heterosexual males were less than 10% of the graduate students in the School of Education when I was there. If you take out the "older" students, with established professional careers, it was less than that -- my MEd program was 94% female...
Hence I truly understand what it means to be "marginalized", except for one thing -- a lot of the people I'd want to see at a reunion aren't White heterosexual males. And unlike others, I actually believe in this "content of one's character" stuff....
I won't because I doubt If I were to explain it or give you articles to read you would not read them or give them a full minute of contemplation.
0r I might raise the above issue, which you can not rebut. Exactly what part of "thou shalt not discriminate" do you not understand?
"In terms of Student Bridges, you "not saying it happened" in terms of funding the party or High School students being there,"
Ummmm, I think YOU just did....
"but you are implying it which is still accusatory and damaging."
I know what we had Student Bridges (and the CSD) "dead to rights" on -- stuff that people could (and should) have gone to jail for. Laundering SATF funds & giving them to Jason Vassel, someone who was not even a student, comes to mind.
(Larry, if you ever want to publish it, I'll see if I can get you the .pdf of the third issue of the Minuteman -- the one that UMass would not let us publish....)
Past behavior predicts future behavior, past license predicts future license....
You clearly are willing to draw any conclusions or degrade any gathering or group that you do not even fully understand or have knowledge of.
Perhaps I understand better than you are willing to admit.
"The students in Student Bridges are critical and hardworking."
Perhaps.
Above & beyond the aspects of racism, I don't have a problem with the underlying concept of peer mentoring/tutoring, of encouraging at-risk high school students to learn the stuff they need to in high school. The problem I have with Student Bridges is the leadership. Like one graduate student who used SATF funds to purchase her own personal textbooks, which is illegal. Like God-knows-what now that no one is even checking anything anymore...
"They want only to work with and improve the lives of young people."
Perhaps we have a different definition of how we might "improve the lives of young people."
"If their party or gathering was loud or left mess, that is a valid criticism,"
So you are confirming that it WAS them, something that I only speculated about.
"but to try and degrade the work of their organization is petty and irrational.'
Not when I am pointing out the moral/ethical bankruptcy of the organization.
Not when I am pointing out that no other group of UMass students would EVER be permitted to do the stuff that Student Bridges has done with total impunity.
The UMass Republican Club got a lot oh heat when one undergraduate (I'm still not sure which one) stapled a flyer into a live tree. One kid, two staples, and a major problem...
Why shouldn't the residents of North Amherst hold the organization(s) responsible for that event responsible for it? Regardless of who the organization was....
Let's all ignore the damage done at both Hobart and Townhouses where furniture was set on fire and the accumulation of trash was similar if not much worse than the Mill River Rec park according to the photos.
ReplyDeleteThey are not equal events.
Only one was officially sanctioned by the Town.
Only one was on town-owned property.
Only one was not immediately ended by the police.
(The Amherst DPW only had to clean up after one...)
All events should be criticized equally.
All SIMILAR events -- Hobart & Townhouse involved tenants having a party adjacent to their legal abodes, Mill River Rec involved a group using PUBLIC PROPERTY.
Facts do matter...
Ed I only thought knowing your left story was important because of the mind numbing and incoherent length and content of your postings as displayed above. What are you a doctor of?
ReplyDeleteStupidity!
DeleteNone of your Fire Trucking business.
ReplyDeleteI don't see a scintilla of evidence that anything I have said is wrong. Nor anything about me would affect the legitimacy of the facts I cite. In fact, attacks on me merely served to confirm the accuracy of my suspicions.
And were I wrong, were it a group of White males (who can be equally obnoxious -- trust me) who'd had the event at the Rec Area, we'd already have had .PDFs of the relevant paperwork posted.
Instead, we've had attacks on me. Which means ......
Anon 8:21, ever heard of "the soft bigotry of low expectations"?
ReplyDeleteNo, I just want the Black and Brown and White (and Purple, Orange & Green) students treated equally.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as there was a complaint about Townhouse -- an unapproved gathering on private property, the APD went and broke it up. (What "public property" was there for them to destroy?)
By contrast, the "Black and Brown students" were at an officially permitted event ON PUBLIC PROPERTY. The police *didn't* go break up their event, notwithstanding numerous complaints. Someone promised to clean up the mess afterwards and didn't do it, as promised.
Hence it's YOU who is the "disgusting racist prick" -- I just want everyone treated the same. What part of that can't you understand?
Hopefully the individual reserving Mill River for The Smith Family Reunion had to show an ID
ReplyDeleteYes they all looked pretty young to me.
ReplyDeleteSmith family must be single generation (college aged youth).
Larry, if your sex is whatever you say it is, and if "love" alone makes a "family", who are you to say who is a member of the "Smith Family"?
ReplyDeleteAll I ask is that they be treated the same way as all other groups that reserve public parks.
"All I ask is that they be treated the same way as all other groups that reserve public parks."
ReplyDeleteOther groups have followed the rules-
The Smith Family destroyed the park- as well as the Patriot's Day holiday for the town employees who had to clean up after them.
"Hechenbleikner said town officials are still tallying the costs of the damage before trying to get the Lynn man who applied for the permit to cover these expenses."
ReplyDeleteOne would think the applicant should be an Amherst resident- or an additional nonresident fee should be imposed.
"Please leave premises neat and clean when you finish your picnic and carry out your trash,” reads the pavilion rental permission agreement.
What a gentle statement! I don't think this event was a picnic (for anyone!) Hopefully the agreement mentions something about charges for clean up, trash removal and any damage left behind!
Does Hechebbleikner honestly believe he'll be able to FIND the "Lynn man"???
ReplyDeleteDr Ed- It helps to read previous posts (you are a bit behind)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous previously stated "Hopefully the individual reserving Mill River for The Smith Family Reunion had to show an ID"
9:27 PM, can you say "Fake ID"?!?
ReplyDelete