Barn Blast

 290 Lincoln Avenue.  A barn no more

Despite a desperate last minute attempt from neighbors for a stay of execution, the quaint old barn at 290 Lincoln Avenue is now kindling, paving the way for the construction of an additional non-owner occupied rental unit.  The other thing neighbors are seriously concerned about.

The Historical Commission decided not to impose a one-year demolition delay on the barn, rumored to have once been used by poet Robert Frost (but a rumor started by a real estate agent, so not exactly a reliable source).  On Monday rookie Building Commissioner Rob Morra issued a demolition permit, but neighbors filed an appeal with  the Town Clerk, setting up a possible hearing with the Zoning Board of Appeals.

That deliberation, however, would only judge whether the Building Commissioner acted properly in issuing the demolition permit, and since the landowner, You-Pan Tzeng, had a legit permit in hand at the time of this morning's demolition, the episode is now moot.

Somewhere in the distance, a Barn Owl wailed.

Right Way To Party

 UMass Amherst, the flagship of higher education and #1 employer in Amherst

So yes, UMass students in general get an undeserved bad rep from a distinct minority of classmates more interested in the next party as opposed to the next mid-term paper. But this once-every-four-year election certainly demonstrates the vast majority of our town's temporary citizens will soon lead responsible, productive lives outside the Ivory Tower.

 Bangs Community Center. Students by the busloads descended on voting precincts

Since mid-August our beleaguered Town Clerk's Office registered a whopping 7,000 new voters, a 33% increase, pushing the current total to over 22,000.  Town Clerk Sandra Burgess guesstimates students make up 95% of those new registrations, overwhelmingly from UMass, but a noticeable number from Amherst and Hampshire College as well.

Late last night, after major main stream media called the election, UMass (Southwest) erupted ... but with revelry of the good kind.  Like last year when President Obama made a late night announcement that Osama Bin Laden had finally recieved his well deserved dose of old fashioned justice.  

According to UMPD Chief John Horvath last night's  gathering was, "Celebratory in nature with no arrests. The crowd dissipated and dispersed without police intervention."

While I do not celebrate the outcome of the election yesterday, I most certainly celebrate what the process represents:  America at its finest!

Patriotic Pavers

Gallagher Asphalt applies Recycled Hot Emulsified Asphalt Treatment to University Drive

How would Miss Emily vote?

The Amherst of old (before UMass/Amherst became the giganormous flagship of higher education) was a L-O-T more conservative than we are today.  So I would have to imagine our beloved reclusive poet Emily Dickinson -- never able to vote in her lifetime -- would have supported our current Senator, Scott Brown and Republican challenger, and former Governor of our liberal state, Mitt Romney for President.

And since she was brilliant, Miss Emily would also have been smart enough not to tell anyone in the Amherst of today how she voted.

Bye-Bye Party Boys

Peter Clark: “As long as I’m here, there will always be a party to go to.”

So it looks like UMass finally took the hint and took out rowdy ringleader Party Boys Peter Clark and Emerson Rutkowski.  No, not with a predator drone strike, as our military does with terrorist hierarchy in Pakistan.

But whatever means they used, the less than dynamic duo no longer show up in the official UMass People finder database.

And they most certainly did on the morning I published this two weeks ago.  Now if only UMass would do the same with Paul Markham, we could really open a bottle of sparkling cider to celebrate.

Considering she misspelled my surname, I hope Chelsea was not in a Journo class

Party Apartment of the Weekend

Presidential Apartments, half-mile from UMass

In case you think the almost zero tolerance displayed by Amherst Police Department for noise/nuisance dwellings is not working I offer the following, normally not newsworthy events, occurring late Saturday night: Police received a call from Phi Sigma Kappa, a Frat located at 510 N Pleasant Street for help clearing a large throng of college aged youth who had showed up looking for a party and were now lingering in their parking lot.

APD and UMPD were happy to oblige and the potential party goers were quickly sent on their way.

And just before midnight a young woman on South East Street (far from the UMass campus) called for help dealing with hundreds of young adults who had showed up to her party "uninvited" and would not leave.  Amherst police convinced them to vacate and the cooperative party host was not ticketed.

Presidential Apartments (#82), on the other hand, was a less than cooperative scenario.  Police were called early Sunday morning (1:09 AM) for "loud noise coming from the basement."  A party of 25 was cleared out but the party goers belligerence, resulting in three arrests.

Louis Zachery Jacobson, 115 Converse St, Longmeadow, Ma, age 21 arrested for Noise and Nuisance violations
Austin J. Seabury, 130 Westmoreland Ave, Longmeadow, Ma, age 20 arrested for under 21 possession alcohol
Lucas Manzi, 148 Grassy Gatter Rd, Springfield, Ma, age 19 arrested for Disorderly conduct, Resisting arrest

On Sunday around noon in a follow up report concerning 11 noise complaints over the weekend an officer, in response to "ongoing problems with parties being held in the basement of Presidential Apartments", sent an email to property manager Kamins Real Estate, putting them on notice.  

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Police also arrested a perp for doing something stupid on Amherst Police Department headquarters (which I assume has 24/7 security cameras EVERYWHERE).  Last week three nitwits leaving their cell threw debris in the front entryway and were ticketed for littering, and this weekend at 1:50 AM Dax Tucker was arrested for "disorderly conduct" for peeing on the station's brick wall. 

Fire: A Dangerous Joke!

 Toy Box N. Pleasant Street, Amherst (my childrens favorite store)

Amherst police are investigating back-to-back incidents of arson that occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday (3:28 AM), striking two businesses close to downtown Amherst. 

Smoke was coming from the door of The Toy Box on the northern end of town center, possibly from a pizza box used as kindling, and only moments later police responded to the eastern end of town center for reports of two individuals "lighting a table on fire" at The Lumberyard restaurant on Main Street.  When police arrived, a wicker table was ablaze.  AFD quickly extinguished the fire.

 Lumberyard Restaurant (left) Main Street, Amherst

One of the perps is described as "Asian with glasses" and the other was wearing white green sweatshirt.

In late December 2009 a one night, 15 fires arson spree left two individuals -- an elderly father and his mentally disabled son -- dead, and the entire city of Northampton terrorized.  Anthony Baye was arrested for arson and murder but his taped confession to State Police investigators was later thrown out by the courts.