We Are The Champions

Hampshire Gymnastics scored 1st place team award yesterday. 

My diminutive daughter Jada scored a pair of 9.47s, taking two first places and two second places, to help Hampshire Gymnastics win first place team yesterday at the Thompsons Holiday Invitational Gymnastics meet held at Holyoke Community College.

 Jada scored first place on the balance beam with a 9.47

Hampshire Gymnastics was one of my inspirations/role models when I first opened the Karate Health Fitness Center way back in 1982.

Founders Anne and Norm Vexler were very successful athletes at UMass around the same I attended and after graduation they remained in Amherst making a successful business doing what they love.

They say if you find (or make) a job doing what you love then you never work a day in your life.

Having run an athletic business for 28 years I know all too well that's a bit of an optimistic exaggeration.

But at the end of even the most trying day all it takes is a child's beaming smile after they get something right to remind you of the boundless rewards of running your own business.

Although you can still see Norm and Anne at the Club, it has been handed down to a pair of most capable hands -- their champion daughter, Talya.

Looks better viewed at YouTube site

Note the response of Jada's two coaches, Talya and Miss Betsy, near end of routine

A Horse Is A Horse

 Unless of course that horse's name is Ms. Jada.  Central Fire Station 

With two fires in Amherst quickly stopped by AFD and an unstoppable one in Hadley over the weekend, along with an overflowing number of "college aged youth"  transported to the hospital for intoxication there was, refreshingly, at least one family oriented event that attracted a major crowd to Amherst town center early Sunday afternoon: the annual Halloween Fest.  

 Parade through town center down Kellogg Street to the Bangs Community Center

Even a downtown Bar got into the spirit

Twenty downtown businesses participated, giving out candy to the kids (and occasional parent).  Customers at busy locations like Rao's Coffee, Bart's Ice Cream or Antonio's Pizza seemed amused by the sudden influx of ghosts, goblins, robots, and my little horse. 

 

No fun Amherst event is complete without Representative Ellen Story

Pancakes!

Jaws -- I mean Jada -- enjoying her pancakes at North Station

John Belushi had his "Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger" and this morning the Amherst Fire Department had pancakes and more pancakes at the annual PANCAKE breakfast.

And yes, for us meat eaters there was also bacon and sausage.  All proceeds benefited the SAFE program (Student Awareness of Fire Education).

 AFD North Station, built 1972

Having experienced a major structure fire up close and personal, I'm living proof that it can happen to anyone.  Key word being "living".  Because when The Beast comes calling, knowing what to do can save your life.

The SAFE program brings 4th graders into this important education process; and based on reports from my older daughter Kira, the kids love it.

UPDATE Monday afternoon:  Ed the canada goose wandered off, last seen heading towards UMPD headquarters across the street.

The unofficial greeter this morning:  A Canadian Goose who waddled onto the station front yard on Friday and has taken up residence.

A Better Life? Nyet!

Vladimir Putin on the prowl

You would think a conservative macho dude like Vladimir Putin would respect and appreciate family values; or more specifically, the value of having a family.

By enacting a ban on United States couples adopting children from his country, the  Russian President has -- for all intents and purposes -- sentenced far too many of these children to a life without love.

If he really wanted to get back at the United States for political humiliations, he should have just challenged President Obama to a wrestling match.

There's still China

Fall Foilage Fun: for a good cause

 107 Runners Line Up (walkers left earlier)

As they have done for 41 years, hundreds of folks from all walks of life converged on the historic Amherst town common and then headed out for a scenic 5K jaunt under picture perfect skies, all to benefit the Amherst A Better Chance program that allows inner city minority youth the benefits so many of us take for granted:  a good education.

The morning mist lifted to unveil a beautiful fall day

View looking east

Jada crosses the line (ahead of Mom and dog, Jake)

Paul Wiley presents Jada with award for "youngest runner."

The Catcher in the Rye

Cookie thief

Jada, Jake and Christmas cookies

A kid's best friend

Jada modeling "It's Pooch"

In addition to managing operations at the Amherst Boys and Girls Club in town center, directing the Amherst July 4 Parade & 9/11 Commemoration ceremony, sketching hilarious local political cartoons, former FBI agent and native born 5th generation Amherst resident Kevin Joy is now a fledgling merchandising mogul.

Kevin Joy with "It's Pooch" on the racks at Amherst downtown institution, Hastings.

"It's Pooch" is Joy's answer to "Hello Kitty" and sure to be a hit with folks who prefer dogs over felines. Sketched at the request of his young daughter, the shirts are already a hit with kids (mine for sure) and Joy also reports he sold out of them at the UMass Campus Center to college aged women as well.

Joy plans to place the image on toys, hats, lunch boxes, fridge magnets, etc, and will work with local charitable organizations to help raise contributions via shirt sales.

Maybe dog lovers attending the Conservation Commission meeting this evening at Town Hall should wear them to show support for maintaining the now endangered off leash pooch policy at Amethyst Brook Conservation area.

Hastings: Open every day since 1914 (yes, during recent power outage)

Lights On The Common 9/11/11. Photo by Greg Saulmon, MassLive

Kevin Joy can be reached at (413) 695-1725

Yes Virginia, there is a Halloween

Jada and Kira at the Durnakowski's

Okay fine, half the town is without power because so many lines came down in the storm and yes, some of them could be live and yeah, the roads and sidewalks still resemble a maze made from twisted tree debris...but don't tell me--more importantly my children--that Halloween is cancelled.

The town of Amherst can control roads, schools and liquor licenses, but not a major holiday. Halloween is bigger than that. It's a happy, sugar induced state of mind; and right about now folks could use a little distraction, even if it means dressing up to visit only one or two revered neighbors escorted by a vigilant parent.

And so we did.

AFD Doubleheader

Yesterday it was the Amherst Fire Department Open House in town center at central station, and this morning a just as well received Pancake Breakfast at the North Station, with all of the money raised going to help finance the SAFE Program, an education alliance between the schools and fire departments teaching children safety protocols that could someday safe their life or that of loved ones.

My daughter Kira is excited about the graduation ceremony on Tuesday night.

Who can resist pancakes on a sparkling fall Sunday?

Basketball Jones

Coach Kellogg sets with Jada, then passes off

This morning my daughters got to meet the UMass basketball team and Coach Derek Kellogg at the Big E. What a great bunch of ambassadors they are for the game of basketball and our flagship University.

Jada's first slam dunk

Tonight UMass football takes on Rhode Island in their first home game here in Amherst, and the weather is rather pleasant. Let's hope the fans remember that they too are ambassadors for the University.

Kira getting the team's autographs

2 points!

Rainy Days & Mondays