tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post3249271937809765493..comments2023-10-17T22:56:42.784-04:00Comments on Only in The Republic of Amherst: Inside the Ghost ShipLarry Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-61102824680616664622010-05-11T21:26:48.732-04:002010-05-11T21:26:48.732-04:00Is this the big story?Is this the big story?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-45146071489990141852010-05-11T13:00:45.572-04:002010-05-11T13:00:45.572-04:00I think tours are a great idea! As long as the as...I think tours are a great idea! As long as the asbestos is undisturbed, it doesn't pose any risk.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-85274438771427404962010-05-11T11:58:13.502-04:002010-05-11T11:58:13.502-04:00Oh I think it is all pretty much safely enclosed. ...Oh I think it is all pretty much safely enclosed. <br /><br />After all, the Plant did not get much wear and tear.Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-88392354152341688772010-05-11T11:52:55.934-04:002010-05-11T11:52:55.934-04:00come all ye for a 10 dollar breath of asbestoscome all ye for a 10 dollar breath of asbestosAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-30459319071292904972010-05-11T09:31:13.201-04:002010-05-11T09:31:13.201-04:00It's been extremely hard to find anyone who kn...It's been extremely hard to find anyone who knows anything about the sad affair firsthand since it all happened almost 40 years ago, and left almost no footprint on the Web.<br /><br />I'm sure I was the first photographer in there in recent history--probably the first ever.<br /><br />But that selling/salvaging equipment question was on my mind as well. The Attorney General did win a $970,000 suit against the designer for the screw up, so some money was recovered. <br /><br />At this point UMass could probably make some money having guided tours for $10/head.Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-72926146729048290352010-05-11T09:13:21.501-04:002010-05-11T09:13:21.501-04:00That's so cool, I always wondered what it look...That's so cool, I always wondered what it looked like in there.<br /><br />Any idea why they didn't sell any working pieces off to make a bit of money?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-76631568435413628002010-05-11T07:08:58.579-04:002010-05-11T07:08:58.579-04:00I actually had to contact a number (4) of Umass hi...I actually had to contact a number (4) of Umass higher ups in order to get in there (I'm on crutches at the moment so a breaking and entering under cover of darkness was out of the question.)<br /><br />I'm preparing a more detailed article as my final project for a Umass online Journalism course so I'll put that up in a couple days.<br /><br />There once was a huge coal pile sorting facility at Tilson Farm used for the steam plant by the Campus Center Garage but with the new co-generation plant not using coal it has been decommissioned (and let's hope cleaned up).Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-24716458908042741712010-05-11T04:02:37.872-04:002010-05-11T04:02:37.872-04:00How'd you get in there?
And that looks like s...How'd you get in there?<br /><br />And that looks like something out of Cold War Russia...not Amherst.<br /><br />Where does this steam line run exactly?<br /><br />Can you give us some more information? What else is up that way that we don't know about?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-60999594783586346472010-05-10T17:43:20.256-04:002010-05-10T17:43:20.256-04:00Actually the state only kicked in $500,000 on the ...Actually the state only kicked in $500,000 on the $2.2 million purchase price of the golf course.<br /><br />Town Meeting was told by LSSE Director Phill Rollins that course revenues would pay towards the cost of acquisition (a $1.2 million loan with a 10-year-mortgage and the other $1 million was just Free Cash we had lying around).<br /><br />Cherry Hill never ended up paying a dime towards the retirement of that loan.<br /><br />A dozen years later Town Meeting was told golfers would repay the ENTIRE $286,000 in capital improvement loan over the five-year payback period.<br /><br />Again, not a dime.<br /><br />Town Meeting will discuss Capital Items including $15,000 for an irrigation well out at Cherry Hill. That amount does not get tallied against the course as a business operation expense (neither does the clubhouse or liability insurance or employee benefits, about another $25,000.)Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-86064855275610520692010-05-10T16:54:27.225-04:002010-05-10T16:54:27.225-04:00The old steam plant would be a great setting for
a...The old steam plant would be a great setting for<br />a dystopian film or opera, especially with the eerie (super?)natural lighting and the Soviet-style techno-punk. UMass or a clever entrepreneur could make a bundle using it that way - why demolish it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-44689956270459880452010-05-10T16:36:28.903-04:002010-05-10T16:36:28.903-04:00These are not the same thing. The steam plant nev...These are not the same thing. The steam plant never worked. Cherry Hill is a working golf course. It was never proposed that green fees would pay the cost of acquisition. Bad investment. The town now has another park and the majority of it was paid with state money not town money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-45904656022476147202010-05-10T16:13:09.549-04:002010-05-10T16:13:09.549-04:00Our tax dollars up in smoke or should we say no sm...Our tax dollars up in smoke or should we say no smoke.<br /><br />You are really into old news lately. I hope this isn't the big story you have been promising.<br /><br />I think Larry is illustrating the wastefulness of our hard earned tax money. Al that money down the toilet. 2 million for Cherry Hill, we will never recoup that in greens fees. Bad investment.<br /><br />-RyanRy Willeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04655639545105183995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-59584237491324459292010-05-10T16:03:30.510-04:002010-05-10T16:03:30.510-04:00You are really into old news lately. I hope this ...You are really into old news lately. I hope this isn't the big story you have been promising.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com