Unforgettable

The Pub

Although I worked there 35 years ago during my UMass days I'm embarrassed to say I did not know Natalie Cole made her performance debut at The Pub in Amherst town center.  One of the many advantages of being a "college town" I suppose.

Although I do remember her classic "This Will Be" playing as standard fare on weekends when the restaurant turned into a nightclub and my job was to keep the rowdies in line.

What a talent.  Obviously the chestnut did not fall far from the tree.

And now they are reunited for an eternal duet.

Keep Hope

 The two arrows do not take up much space but are a tad ugly

In addition to seeking permission to move Hope the cow across the street to Relocation Park, pointman Jerry Gates also asked the Public Arts Commmission to support his quest to remove the temporary arrow signs the DPW installed back in the early 1970s when North Pleasant Street was initially realigned.

 Jerry Gates (right) at Public Arts Commission meeting 12/17/15

That traffic project created a small island of turf where the road once ran, and in 1994 the Public Arts Commission approved the art project called, appropriately enough, "Realignment Park".

 The Business Improvement District uncovered and now maintains the pocket park

a

 Hope is designed to hold three large football lineman

Hope will be  reinstalled just outside the art work footprint to the north, close to where the DPW road signs are currently located and she will continue to face west.  The Design Review Board already gave permission for the move but wish to see whatever signage is attached to Hope.

The Select Board, as keepers of the public way, have final approval over the relocation and the removal of the aging "temporary" DPW road signs.

SantaCon Cancelled

To no great surprise, SantaCon Amherst is not going to happen.

Almost certainly due to the Select Board threat last Monday to hold (both) idiot downtown bar businesses responsible should anything go wrong.

And with 200 college aged youth, on the last day of classes, all dressed up as Santa's, crawling downtown bars, what could possibly go wrong?

UPDATE:  Saturday morning 7:00 AM

And nothing did go wrong.  Overall a rather uneventful overnight.  Well, except:

AFD responding to Townhouse Apartments, North #Amherst for a " trash fire in the quad."

— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) December 12, 2015

Who knew Rudolph was a smoker?

Tonight APD and ACPD will be on alert for Crossett Christmas, where UMass kids usually arrive in swarms to take over Amherst College.

UPDATE:  Sunday morning 7: 00 AM

Although there were a bevy of AFD transports for alcohol OD Amherst College PD and extra private security forces managed to keep the chaos under control this year.  And since Amherst College is tearing down the social dorm this spring, the last Crossett Christmas goes out with a whimper.

Keep Them Doggies Movin'

Hope

Why did the bovine cross the road?  To avoid a major demolition.

Hope the cow will move from her current location at 233 North Pleasant Street, the former Carriage Shops, to Realignment Park directly across the street at 236 North Pleasant Street, in front of a building owned by Barry Roberts.

The cow was fabricated as a combination public art project piggy bank with all the proceeds going to Craig's Doors homeless shelter.

The Design Review Board voted unanimously last night to approve the relocation although point person Jerry Gates said he would come back for approval of any smaller signs placed on Hope (like "Ride at your own risk").

The board also suggested she continue to face west after relocation so folks approaching her from Kendrick Park or town center will have a more inviting view of her sides rather than rear end.

Click to enlarge/read

The Business Improvement District also submitted a letter of support pointing out they have cleaned up the public art space around "Relocation Park" and wish to see the popular cow stay in town center.

The relocation will need the approval of the Public Arts Commission and it is on their 12/17 agenda.  Chair Rene Theberge was also in attendance last night and seemed supportive.

The Amherst Select Board as "keepers of the public way" have final authority over the move and with this being an election year they are probably not going to want to mess with a popular downtown icon -- especially one named "Hope".

Hope (visible top center) would be located a few feet north of this art installation

He's Baaaaack

Mr. Frost has been reinstalled

The DPW used longer bolts to attach Mr. Frost to his solid seat

The silhouette of Robert Frost -- making up half the public art installation known as a "A Poetic Dialogue" -- returned to his perch recently curtesy of the DPW.

Now his dialog with Miss Emily, the Belle of Amherst, can continue.

Meanwhile the First Congregational Church directly across the street replaced their stolen rainbow flag, only this time decided to place it in a spot making it much harder to grab and go.

Seriously?

Lord Jeffery Inn

You could tell Select Board member Jim Wald (who works for a sorta competing higher education entity) was not overly impressed with a request from Amherst College owned Lord Jeffery Inn for a 50% break on parking fees for an event next March.

After Chair Alisa Brewer breathlessly explained that the Lord Jeff had booked the event before realizing the parking rate had doubled from $5 to $10 per bag (thus reserving the space for their use only) and they were requesting a one time rollback to the old rate.

Mr Wald responded incredulously with only word, "Seriously?!"

Probably because the Lord Jeff Inn is valued at over $5 million, although to their great credit they do pay both property taxes and the town's local Hotel/Motel Tax (unlike cheapskate UMass Campus Center Hotel).

Which set the tone for the rest of the brief discussion.  The board unanimously approved setting aside the 40 spaces, but at the current $10 rate.

Last year: bagged parking meters in front of Lord Jeff for a wedding

Ho, Ho Humbug

Select Board could suspend permit of a downtown bar causing a public disturbance

The Amherst Select Board, who are also the official state "Liquor Commissioners" for the town, heard a brief report last night from Interim Town Manager Dave Ziomek on the town's preparedness for the downtown pub crawl Santa Con, stumbling into town center on Friday.

He has "Every confidence we are as prepared as we can be.  Staffing will be up in both police and fire departments and Chief Livingstone will be on duty ... we will be prepared."

But Select Board Chair Alisa Brewer let it be known "If things go badly I want their names -- the establishments who participated -- in public.  If they created a problem I want it to be known."  She requested Mr. Ziomek provide a public post mortem at their December 14 meeting.

Connie Kruger also displayed her displeasure with the event asking Mr. Ziomek for ongoing reports the night of the event while she clearly stated, "My message is this event really is unwelcome in this town."

There was also some discussion -- and you could practically see their eyes rolling -- about how UMass Isenberg School of Management is probably not overly proud of their recent graduate turned hospitality entrepreneur.

And how perhaps the Campus & Community Coalition could have done more in response to this event -- especially after they recently opposed a beer/wine permit for a hard working small business owner on the outskirts of town center.

NPR reports

Another Day, Another Massacre

It's getting that our flag is down in a position of mourning so often that people will start to tune it out. 

If they haven't already.

 Click to enlarge/read

UPDATE 3:00 PM:

This is an update to the below order from Governor Charlie Baker. *In accordance with the Presidential proclamation Flags will remain at half-staff until sunset on Monday, December 7, 2015.

Sudsy Santa

And what's that Santa is holding in his right hand?

The kiddies promoting this childish event took umbrage at the Santa Con (Manhattan) photos I used to illustrate my post when I first broke this sordid story, and two weeks later they are still crying about it on the front page of the venerable Daily Hampshire Gazette.

But it was okay for them to use a photo of an obviously passed out drunk Santa in their Facebook promotion of the event?

Which also exposes their true motives for unleashing on our downtown this travesty.

Ho, ho, hick-up.

 Today's Gazette:  "Jollity" indeed

Signs

A most Catholic time of year

Even more holiday decorations being installed downtown

DPW put out the free, free, free sand pile

Essential Voyage artwork at base of Merry Maple almost gone

Nothing To Ho Ho Ho About

What kind of message will SantaCon drunk Santas in the downtown send our children?

You would think after the downtown bar promotion that forever changed the way Amherst views St. Patrick's Day -- and dare I even breath its name? -- our illustrious downtown dens of debauchery would give up on pernicious promotions ... period!

But Nooooooo, and now they are after the most blessed holiday of all, Christmas. Where, Only In Amherst, is it celebrated with a Merry Maple tree on the town common.

Click to enlarge/read

Rather than coinciding with the last day before Spring Break for a Blowout this Christmas promotion coincides with the last day of classes, which is celebratory enough as it is.

Let's hope the Grinch has a chat with "Event Mavericks."  Soon.

UPDATE: Saturday morning
Now that the Gazette has, finally, caught up with this story it will be interesting to see if it actually happens or not. Especially since the promoter's own former place of employment -- Club Lit -- has pulled out.

Sprucing Up The Town's Living Room

Jones Library:  "The town's living room"

Downtown anchor and all around gem in the bag of treasured municipal buildings, the Jones Library is a destination spot that attracts thousands of customers of all ages and socioeconomic standings.

One of the many attractions is the comfortable interior that allows one to settle in for concentrated study of important historical documents, the latest non-fiction best seller, or just a casual reading of the local newspapers (all two of them).

Like The Case Of The Purloined Letter, a real treasure lurks in the background that quietly contributes to the Jones overall ambiance: paintings, statues and rugs.

 Cindy Harbeson (far left) waiting to present to Jones Library Trustees Thursday morning

Recently hired Special Collection Director Cindy Harbeson updated the Board of Trustees on her department which included the public relations outreach, increased security for priceless collection materials and a current appraisal for all the furnishings scattered about the entire Library:

The Library will be unveiling a half-dozen paintings that were recently restored via $10,000 in Community Preservation Act monies Town Meeting approved in 2011, on Sunday, November 22nd.

I can't think of a better way of bringing brightness to an otherwise sad anniversary.

Teen Angst

Wednesday, 1: 45 PM

Turns out the female "driver" of the black SUV that barreled into the Miss Saigon Restaurant Wednesday afternoon is only 14 years old.  Yikes! 

She has been cited by APD for "Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Operating To Endanger, and Wanton Destruction of Property over $250."

The Amherst Regional Middle School has "early release" on Wednesday that floods the town with teens.

This is the way it's supposed to be done

Where Have All The Colors Gone?

Amherst Town Common Wednesday morning

Sweetser Park

Kendrick Park

 President's House Amherst College

Behind Lord Jeff Inn town center

UMass Amherst the flagship of higher education (shot from town center) 

Amherst College #1 property owner in town

The Merriest Maple Of All?

Huge Norway Maple is located dead center on historic North Common

Citizens may want to bring their sunglasses to this year's Merry Maple tree lighting ceremony on December 4th -- the 40th anniversary of the happy wholesome family event.

Because for the first time in memory the holiday tree chosen for illumination is the original BIG tree in the middle of our historic North Common. 

Since the creation of the Business Improvement District the lighting of the Merry Maple did improve somewhat with the addition of lights, and the town has also improved the electricity on the town common somewhat to avoid short outs that would suddenly darken the tree.

But nothing that compared to the original Merry Maple of the bygone days when town center had a hardware store, grocery store and a locally owned drug store.

Or maybe that's just my selective memory.

 Merry Maple appeared for six seconds in movie "Silent Night, Lonely Night"

Of course I do also remember when the Merry Maple was lit up in the spring of 1968 for the filming of  "Silent night, lonely night", which strikes me as a little longer than 40 years ago.

And Another One Gone

All Things Local, 104 North Pleasant Street

Just shy of its second anniversary All Things Local is calling it quits.  For the oldest reason in the book:  spending more than you take in.

The all natural food co-op opened in late November, 2013 in the former location of the Souper Bowl restaurant, who also went out of business due to the same formula.

And so it goes.

We had a good run, Amherst. Thanks for all the support along the way. Go Pats!

— All Things Local (@ATL_Amherst) October 19, 2015

Busy, Brisk Saturday In Our College Town

AFD following UMass Marching Band down North Pleasant Street

Sam The Minuteman

Amherst is always busy when our institutes of higher education are in routine session but even more so today with the largest of the three -- UMass -- celebrating homecoming weekend.

AFD responding to UMass Cance Dorm on Fearing Street for an ETOH (intoxicated) male student.  Great way to start the day.

— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) October 17, 2015

McGuirk Stadium attracted thousands of college football fans (although not nearly enough to satisfy the BIG budget cost of a Division 1 program) many of them warming up for the 3:30 PM game with  tailgating that started at 12:30 PM.

 Amherst A Better Chance Fall Foliage 5K walk/run

The Homecoming Parade, lead by the always motivating UMass Marching Band, wound its way through Amherst town center around 10:45 AM not long after the A Better Chance Fall Foliage 5K race kicked off from our main green.



And as usual Amherst Farmers Market attracted the usual crowd to the heart of our downtown.

Amherst For All took advantage of the crowded downtown to collect voter signatures, surpassing the 1,000 mark toward the 3,215 needed

AFD performed a rescue at Bare Mountain on the top of The Notch in deep South Amherst just before noon, although they did not require the Technical Rescue Team to extricate the injured hiker.

 APD & AFD on scene Bare Mountain 11:55 AM

 McGuirk Stadium 2:45 PM

Fearing Street 3:45 PM (heading towards downtown Amherst from the stadium

Funky clouds over UMass McGuirk Stadium 6:00 PM

As usual AFD was also kept busy dealing with students who consumed too much alcohol, aka ETOH:

 Or what Chief Nelson describes as "Not a quiet a weekend".