DUI Dishonor Roll

The rate of drunk driving is highest among 21 to 25 year olds (23.4%)

When it comes to drunk drivers Amherst was no more dangerous over the holiday weekend than usual.  Of course the bad news is "usual" means APD took two potential killers off the road: Sage Grasso-Monroe (age 19) and Josh McDuffe (age 22).

The scary news is how many did they not catch?

Both had a plea of innocent entered in their behalf by Judge Shea and their cases continued for pre-trial until next month as they were going to hire their own private attorney.

Joshua McDuffe stands before Judge Shea

Click to enlarge/read

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Sage Grasso-Monroe stands before Judge Shea 

   Dangerous driver

Attention To Detail

Big Y flag today

The flags originally came down to half staff for a damn good reason, honoring Marine Captain Richard W. Vincent on the day he was buried in his home city of Westfield after laying hidden where he fell on the island of Tarawa over 70 years ago.

 Post Office on University Drive (next door to Big Y) today

So I feel a little guilty pointing this out, but the Governor's half staff order was only supposed to be from "sunrise to sunset Thursday, July 2."

Post Office town center today

Having the flags down at half staff on July 4th (which of course all of these were) kind of sends the wrong message.  Like flying the flag upside down.

And the longer you fly them at that somber position of mourning, the more average people will start to tune out the real meaning.  That too is sad.

 UMass Amherst, the flagship of higher education

Update:  One of my more sagacious readers pointed out the flags are down for State Senator Thomas Kennedy, ordered so back on June 29 by the Governor  "until interment," which apparently is tomorrow.    

Of course now I wonder how the Governor ordered the flags down to half-staff on July 2 for Captain Vincent when they were in fact already down for State Senator Kennedy. 

Happy BDay America!

Amherst Town Center 7:15 AM

South Amherst Town Common 9:45 AM

 And they're off!  For a few leisurely laps around the common:

Entering the 1st turn

Abe Lincoln (and his dog) came a calling

The rains stopped just minutes before the 5:00 PM start time of Leisure Services and Supplemental Education July 4th extravaganza at UMass McGuirk Stadium. 

McGuirk Stadium 6:00 PM

McGuirk Stadium 7:30 PM 

And of course FIREWORKS!

Umass McGuirk Stadium 9:30 PM

Smokey haze envelopes McGuirk Stadium 10:10 PM

Post event traffic was a nightmare:

South Amherst Office Park Expansion

Amherst Office Park (looking from the east).  New building on right

The Amherst Office Park, a sedate mix of government, business, and some residential space had been expanding with a new building about every five years after their initial founding almost 40 years ago.

 Click to enlarge/read

Except for the recent past when they hit a dry spell, as the last building went up overlooking the Hickory Ridge Golf Course back in 1998.

 Building will have solar panels top roof center section

That will all change come September as a new 30,000 square foot three story, energy efficient building comes on line. 

As with most mixed-use buildings the first floor is commercial and the upper two residential, providing 16 apartments, 14 of them one-bedroom and only two 2-bedroom.

The basement also received approval for one additional one-bedroom apartment unit.

 All but 2 of the 16 units have balconies

Each apartment has one full-bathroom and one half-bathroom.  The two 2 bedroom apartments have two full-bathrooms and one half-bathroom.   Rents range from $1,000 per month for a smaller one bedroom, $1,450 for a larger one bedroom and $1,650 for the largest two bedroom units.

Thanks to the Amherst "Stretch Code", which added about 30% to the cost of construction, all the units are super energy efficient with extra insulated walls and windows.  And yes there's even a fitness room. 

  High efficiency water heaters

Mitsubishi heating/cooling units

Building has six garages for rent although there's plenty of free parking on site

You can tell the complex is family-owned as the buildings don't look nearly their age and the new building gets fine detail attention even in the stairwell.

While I was being given a tour this fine Friday morning (second generation) owner/developer Ron LaVerdiere was lugging 45 pound bags to their destination.

 Wood enclosed window in the stairwell.  (Building does have an elevator)

The Amherst Master Plan recommends increasing density in the Village Centers. This new mixed-use building is the best of both worlds -- adding badly needed residential units along with low-impact commercial office space.

South Amherst will be all the better because of it.  

 Amherst Office Park from the south.  Note new solar panels.  New building top center

Final Stretch

Kendrick Place nearing completion

Maybe we should take up a betting pool to see which new building opens for business first -- Atkins North, Kendrick Place or Amherst Office Park new addition.

 Atkins North almost ready for an influx of cars

With Amherst often being criticized as having a "7 month economy" due to our reliance on higher education it's a well known fact that September 1st is go time.

 Amherst Office Park new 30,000 square foot building hoping for September occupancy

And most businesses like to have a soft opening a couple weeks early before the deluge begins, just to work out the kinks.   So I would not be surprised if the winner opens by mid-August. 

Last Measure Of Devotion

Flags across the Commonwealth are flying at half staff today to remember and honor Captain Richard W. Vincent, D Company, 2nd  Battalion, 18th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, United States Marine Corps.

He was killed in action the first day of bloody fighting on the far flung island of Tarawa, but his remains were recovered only last October.  He will be buried today in his hometown, Westfield.

Semper Fidelis Captain.  Welcome home. 

Last Minute Big Ticket Items

Crocker Farm Pre-School play area will cost $270,000

The Amherst Community Preservation Act committee briefly discussed three new proposals last night that have just come in vying for the $1.273 million they have left in their piggy bank.  If all three receive CPA and then Fall Town Meeting approval,  it comes to just over $600,000.

Last Spring -- the usual cycle for CPA spending -- Town Meeting approved all 9 new projects endorsed by the CPA committee for a total of $523,346.

One of those 9 projects included $25,000 for making Crocker Farm pre-school playground ADA compliant.  But town and school officials have decided that would simply be a band aid, so this new proposal is a complete tear down and renovation from the ground up with all new commercial quality equipment.

Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek submitted the expected request for 30% matching funds required by the state for a $500,000+ proposal to rehabilitate the historic North Common in front of equally historic Town Hall.  That will cost the town between $150,000 and $165,000.

The proposal that came somewhat out of the blue, submitted only the day before the CPAC meeting, came via Carol Gray:  $190,000 to $240,000 for the moving of the Amherst College owned "Little Red Schoolhouse", built in 1937, and now standing in the way of a $100+ million Science Center.

Little Red Schoolhouse facing east

Back on May 19 the Amherst Historical Commission hit Amherst College with a half-hearted "one year demolition delay," but suggested if the College really can't see any workable alternative after trying really hard, then they could probably tear it down sooner.

 South East Street Alternative High School was mentioned as possible home for Little Red

Ms. Gray suggested the solid brick building could be moved to town owned property.

 Greenway Dorm construction

Amherst College is currently busy with construction on the new Greenway Dorms, which are not expected to open until the Fall of 2016.Construction on the new Science Building would start pretty much the next day.

 Amherst Community Preservation Act Committee meeting last night

The Community Preservation Act Committee will devote their next two meetings (8/25 and 9/8) to hear presentations, discuss, and then vote on the three proposals.

A majority of Amherst Town Meeting must also vote in favor for the money to be released.

Can You Find Me Now?

New sign near Sweetser Park

Three new signs were installed yesterday at both ends and the middle of the long stretch of frontage at the Emily Dickinson Homestead Museum, perhaps Amherst's greatest cultural asset.

Not that small businesses in the downtown would mind having foreign travelers stopping in to ask direction and grabbing a cup coffee.  The Museum attracts 15,000 visitors annually.
 

Click photos to enlarge

Original Signage:  Large one left will be removed small one in driveway replaced by slightly larger one moved down closer to sidewalk

New sign in driveway installed yesterday

Last September the Amherst Planning Board gave Site Plan Approval for renovations at the Museum and waived restrictions about the signs over size and placement.

Corner of Main & Triangle Street

Sweetser Park: now if we could just get the town to spruce up some of their signs ...

Festive Family Fourth of July

South Amherst Town Common.  South Congregational Church (top left)

The historic South Amherst Common comes alive the morning of July 4th, as it has done for over 100 years, with the sights and sounds of a Children's Parade.  

Happy kids, with their awesome steeds all dressed up in red white and blue taking a few laps around the bucolic common.

Rockwell would be ever so proud. 

Another Sleeping Beauty DUI

 Tyrone Sanders, age 32, stands before Judge John Payne

For the second time this month Amherst police had to awaken a driver so they could arrest him for Driving Under the Influence.

On the one hand you would rather have a drunk asleep behind the wheel of a parked vehicle, but the problem of course is prior to pulling over and passing out, he was a scud missile.

In Eastern Hampshire District Court yesterday, after being arraigned before Judge John Payne, Mr. Sanders took the Commonwealth's offer of a Chapter 24D disposition, available only to first time offenders.

He will lose his license for 45 days, pay over $650 in fines/fees and be on probation (at $65/month) for the next year.

Transportation For All

Downtown Amherst

The Amherst Transportation Task Force held their first meeting yesterday since the Planning Board voted to absorb the Amherst Transportation Plan into the town's Master Plan.

The committee was first appointed by the Town Manager in 2011 and consists of six members, two each from the Public Works Committee, Planning Board, and Public Transportation and Bicycling Committee.

The meeting started with a moment of silence for Vice Chair Charlie Moran who recently lost a battle with cancer.

Town Manager John Musante (rt), DPW Chief Guilford Mooring (left)

Town Manager John Musante was in attendance at the request of Chair Richard Roznoy to give  some direction on what the future holds for the Task Force.  "Let's not have the report collect dust" said Musante, who then suggested the Task Force concentrate on "Bringing to life a traffic calming toolkit."

But the first question was does the Task Force continue to meet as an official committee and work in a leadership role to implement structural changes highlighted in the Transportation Plan, or simply make recommendations back to their home committees?

DPW Chief Guilford Mooring confirmed the consultants Nelson/Nygaard had signed a three year follow up  hourly consulting contract.  Task Force Chair Roznoy said he would arrange a conference call with them at their next July 13 meeting  to "pick their brain" in regards to moving forward.

Either way "traffic calming" will be a major focus of the Task Force in the near future.  Guilford Mooring pointed out that involves the "Three E's":  Education, Enforcement, Engineering.

He also pointed out that "80% of the problems (speeding, bad driving, etc) are caused by people who live there, so that's an education thing."

Monday Morning Select Board Meeting

Aaron Hayden appears before Amherst Select Board this morning

After coming out of a closed door meeting with the Town Manager and spying the media present -- all two of us -- Select Board Chair Alisa Brewer quickly changed the location of the posted meeting from the Town Manager's private office on the 3rd floor to the usual, more spacious, 2nd floor Town Room.

Cable access entity Amherst Media was Missing In Action, so the full one hour meeting was not live streamed or recorded.

First up former Select Board Chair Aaron Hayden representing Amherst College came to request a road work permit to install a fiber optic cable to their building at 271 South Pleasant Street.

Since this was only a "modification of an existing permitted system" the board did not have to hold an official "public hearing" to take public comment, not that Amherst College ever has much problems with NIMBYs.

The Select Board, keepers of the public way, quickly gave the request their unanimous approval

The Select Board then discussed the recent public forum regarding the North Amherst intersection, with Doug Slaughter calling the meeting,  "A good initial start to the process, but there's a lot of work left to do."

The Public Works Committee is planning to hold two meetings to discuss the intersection before making a recommendation to the Select Board, who has final authority.  One idea they will look at is to add a stop sign on Sunderland Road heading north where it intersects with Montague Road.

Stop sign on Sunderland Road is one possible idea for upper intersection

Town Manger Musante said there is one easy quick fix that can be implemented at the southernmost intersection of Meadown/Pine and North Pleasant by simply adjusting the cycle of the traffic control lights.

The Select Board will get recommendations from the Planning Board, Public Works Committee and Transportation Plan Task Force at their 8/31 meeting.

Before hearing the Town Manger's Report the board confirmed a bevy of committee appointments -- all by unanimous vote.

Although Chair Alisa Brewer stated the town was "struggling with many vacancies now," and that even with 16 appointments they just confirmed,  there was still a "significant hole to fill."

The Town Manager had good news for the Select Board telling them he was recently reelected Chair of the Pioneer Valley Transport Authority through 2017.  The PVTA is a critical component in the town's transportation system.

The Town Manager then reminded the Select Board he would be at the Kennedy School of Government for a three week training program July 6 through July 24th, and that Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek will be in charge of day-to-day operations in his absence.