Born back ceasely into the past

So yes, Amherst did have a July 4 Parade yesterday.  Hundreds of parents, kids, grandparents, friends, family and their dogs descended on the South Amherst town common as they have for over 100 years to participate in the July 4 Children's Bicycle Parade, a grand neighborhood block party painted in red, white and blue.

And 30 years from now some of these children will bring their children, as the baton is passed...

Just say No

Hess Express South Amherst
 

UPDATE 2:30 PM The hearing tonight is off and has been postponed until July 16

The Amherst Select Board acting as Liquor Commissioners should deny the permit request of Hess Express for take out beer and wine sales at their exceedingly busy convenience store in the heart of the tiny commercial village center in South Amherst.

And for the same reasons they denied the request of Cumberland Farms a couple months back. Amherst does not need more convenient access to alcohol. R&P Liquors, a Pop and Son, has been a responsible provider of all things alcohol in that area since 1968; and the Select Board not too long ago gave Atkins Country Market, only a mile down the road, one of these permits.

 R&P Liquors South Amherst

The Hess Station already has self serve gas, lottery, a Subway and Dunkin' Donuts franchise so their clerks are busy enough as it is at most hours of the day. Allowing cold beer and wine to go out the door with milk, bread and a newspaper sends a troubling message.

As former APD chief Charlie Scherpa said about the Cumberland Farms application two months ago, "It will just increase the problem we already have with the distribution of alcohol."
 

 Stores within busy stores: Hess already has Dunkin' Donuts and Subway so they don't need alcohol to survive

Más Mexicano

 Mission Cantina 485 West Street, South Amherst

Although Form Based Zoning, an attempt to stimulate development and create a village center, did not pass muster at Town Meeting for the Atkins Corner in deep South Amherst, the commercial area about a mile north of there is doing just fine--and this new restaurant in particular is thriving.

Mission Cantina opened last summer nestled in the spot formerly occupied by Andiamo and ever since then the parking lot is routinely full. The Mexican restaurant goes before the zoning board on June 7 to seek permission to expand into the adjacent space formerly occupied by South Amherst Liquor Mart who sold their assets to Cousins Market in the center of town last year.

Currently the restaurant only has four tables so, unless you arrive at 4:00 PM opening, waiting is all but guaranteed.  But the expansion should alleviate that. And a bit of competition perhaps.

Because meanwhile, a sombrero throw away, El Comalito, another Mexican restaurant, prepares to open in the old space formerly occupied by Latinos.  Mission Cantina has already proven that customers will flock to South Amherst like it's the American Southwest, so perhaps another offering will only enhance that atmosphere of a culinary destination place.

El Comalito 460 West Street, South Amherst

Merry Maple: Grand but subtle glow

Merry Maple (especially happy to have survived the Halloween weekend storm)

South Amherst town common

Meanwhile, two miles away in sleepy South Amherst, a more traditional multicolored evergreen proudly brightens the common. And since it sits resplendently in front of an ornate church it's probably even called a Christmas Tree.

What a difference...

"Until the morning comes again

I will remain with you my friend

And we will ride until the sun

Goes to the place where it begun

And we will live to laugh and cry another day"

Let the Rapture begin

7:30 PM: Looking southeast

Can't you read the sign...

UPDATE: April 2 (Somebody must have read the sign).

$igns, $igns everywhere $igns...

So in addition to those nickel-and-dime political lawn signs springing up around town like mushrooms after a summer rain, this Big-Boy went up yesterday on Rt. 116. Thankfully the State pays the $2,700 tab for the sign, and Palmer Paving--who won the bid--installed it.

The $2.3 million road resurfacing starts next month and will extend from Snell Street down to Hampshire College but skip the center of South Amherst, where my business is located.

The town "took over" (at tens of thousands in annual upkeep) this section of the state highway four or five years ago in order to redo the South Amherst center in the image and likeness of a quaint little French Village. That was years ago; thus far we did get a used traffic control signal--but no crosswalk.

And no little french bakery.

UPDATE: 1:00 PM

So back from my bike ride fertilizing the ground underneath all those green Vote Yes pro Override signs (Locked and loaded with a super-soaker squirter gun so I could fire from a public road.) I could not help but notice a second $2,7000 State sign on the other side of the 3-mile project.

And furthermore could not help but notice that they are only ONE-SIDED SIGNS. Hmm...even our overly-amateurish, do-gooder local politicos wanna be's with their loose change lawn signs figured out the value of two sided.

But not our illustrious state.

Between the lines...

Abierto! (Finally!)

So after leaping more hurdles than an Olympic track star, Latinos, the little restaurant underneath my health club is finally open. Only took and extra 15 months.

Because, yeah, going from the Amherst Fish Market with take out, eat in and delivery to a Latino Restaurant with take out, eat in and delivery is such a monumental change in use.

And you wonder why Amherst has an anti-business reputation?

Misty Mountain

9:15 AM


An hour later: