Going Green?

Puffer's Pond Conservation area, North Amherst

Pretty sure this is not what the town has in mind when touting the benefits of going green -- buzzwords we hear all too often these days. But at least the paint will wash off.

Sand Hill/State Street intersection about 75' from Puffer's sign

Thus it may not rank up there with Greenpeace leaving self-promoting graffiti at the Nazca archaeological site in Peru recently, but it certainly shows the same level of "look at me" obnoxiousness. 

Puffer's Pond Tweak

 Puffer's Pond:  Paradise of Amherst

Amherst Town Meeting will vote a creative funding deal for repairs at arguably the town's #1 recreation attraction, Puffer's Pond. 

Last spring Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved $15,000 to repair the fencing around the dam to keep pesky youth (and photographers) from climbing the rocks.

Since that article passed Conservation staff subitted to the state a grant proposal for $36,000 for additional repairs to the trails and beach area.  The grant requires a 50% match, so the town will use the original $15,000 already appropriated along with $3,000 in private donations to cover the match.

 Damn people keep climbing up onto the dam

Article 8 calls for authorization of the full grant amount ($36,000) and applies the $18,000 in available funds towards that amount to cover the matching grant requirement. 

If the state approves the $36,000 grant request, thereby giving us an additional $18,000 to work with, it has to be expended before June 30, 2014.  If the state turns down the application, Amherst will simply use the original $15,000 to repair/install fencing.

Got that?

Pancakes For A Cause

Lining up at Puffer's Pond Pancake Breakfast

It seemed a little less crowded this year compared to last at the 22nd Annual Puffer's Pond Pancake Breakfast, a fundraiser for the most popular conservation area in Amherst.

 Puffer's Pond Pancake Breakfast:  A family oriented event

Perhaps it was the oppressive heat or maybe because last year family and friends held a tribute remembrance ceremony to honor revered town icon Stephen Puffer. In my coverage last year I noted how folks on both side of the bitterly contested Village Center Form Based Zoning article (which narrowly failed) were all present, but seemed to sit at different tables.

This year of course the ever-so-related bitter controversy is Article 43, which seeks to kill a much needed taxpaying student housing development in northeast Amherst; but with use of town government's nuclear option, eminent domain.

Isn't Amherst supposed to be a "Nuclear Free Zone?"

Volunteer wearing "Stop The Retreat" button and donated W.D. Cowls, Inc apron

Cold Sundown

Choppy Surface

Puffer's Pond, noon today 

A combination of unseasonably warm weather, high winds and then back to normal deep freeze has produced an interesting mosaic at Amherst's favorite conservation area.

Pancakes and Memories

 A long line awaiting pancakes at Mill River Recreation Area

Cloudy threatening skies did not dissuade an army of hungry (off duty) town officials, local business owners, developers, North Amherst neighbors and recreation lovers from across the Happy Valley to turn out in droves for the Puffer's Pond Pancake Breakfast fundraiser.  In fact hundreds more than expected were in attendance, said to be the biggest turnout in the 20+ year history of the event.

Maybe it was the recent North Amherst Village Center rezoning issue that played out so heatedly on the floor of Amherst Town Meeting last month as both proponents and staunch opponents came together although usually at different picnic tables.

Or it could have been the memorial service for Stephen Puffer Jr. which attracted a hundred friends, family and admirers of the town institution who passed away last December, at the grand old age of 97.

Either way, the event brought together a significant cross section of the town's eclectic movers and shakers while raising significant money to help polish a recreational jewel. Not bad for a cloudy Saturday in June.

Photo collage of Stephen Puffer's life intertwined with Amherst history

 
 Symbols of past jobs: construction,bus drive, Amherst Fire Department volunteer

 

Mr Puffer drove an antique truck before it was an antique

Amherst  250th Anniversary Parade Co-Grand Marshalls:Stan Ziomek, Steve Puffer (center), Barry Roberts 9/27/09

In 2008 Mr Puffer was honored on the floor of Amherst Town Meeting for serving on Public Works Committee for 19 years, not to mention 66 years in town meeting

No dogs at Puffer's Pond

Jake and Jada

Tonight, under a full moon, the Amherst Conservation Commission voted 4 in favor 1 opposed with 1 abstention to nix the off leash policy for dogs at Puffer's Pond North Beach, usually referred to as "Dog Beach," and simply ban dogs from both beaches (and in the water) at the popular North Amherst seasonal destination spot.

The Commission spent the vast majority of the 75 minute discussion period talking about the off leash policy at Amethyst Brook and Mill River Conservation areas.

The first vote on a motion by member Todd Walker (a long distance runner who uses the trails frequently) to enact a leash law at both Mill River and Amethyst Brook--a measure supported by animal control officer Carol Hepburn and Conservation Director David Ziomek--failed with a 3-3 vote.

The compromise motion that overwhelmingly passed 5-1, which Mr Walker considered "no compromise at all", maintains for another six months the ten year old status quo, but restricts the hours for dogs to roam free from dawn until 10:00 AM. New signage will be erected with the off leash hours and rule that dogs must always be under voice control. The commission also strongly encourages the town manager seek to establish a dog park.

With a population in town of around 1,400, it's too bad dogs can't vote.

Sunday morning...

Don't try this at home kids.

Lazy summer day

Yesterday: 7:00 PM

One of Amherst's "loved to death" treasures (kind of like Free Speech.)

The Springfield Republican reports: