Do You Know The Way ...

Beautiful downtown Amherst, in the shadow of UMass

Pretty soon visitors to our bustling city-like community disguised as a quaint little college town will be able to find their way around in style.

Using a $10,000 "Downtown Initiative Program" grant from the Department of Communities and Housing Development the town hired Mark Favermann to design a new logo for the town to use on all signage, starting with the downtown.

 Branding & Way Finding Working Group found its way to Town Hall this afternoon

Favermann told the working group -- made up the town officials, business and academic representatives -- that signs perform four basic functions:  Identity, informational, directional, and restrictions.  But they all should tie in via color scheme, font or graphic.

Favermann presented 5 basic design concepts each with slight tweak using a different color scheme for a total of 15.  Planning Director Jonathan Tucker told the group to narrow it down to three and Favermann would work with them and come up with new variations.

   Amherst Branding and Way Finding Signs

The group quickly voted down option #4 calling it the "haunted house" design and option #5 which was supposed to be the twin trees on top of Mt Pollux, but don't really look all that great without benefit of the hill they overlook.

 Select Board Chair Alisa Brewer was concerned about using a tree image  for downtown signage

BID Director Sarah la Cour also presented a hand drawn design showing a skyline with the outline of three buildings and a tree, but did not want it photographed for public consumption just yet.

Another meeting will be held the first week of October that will include extensive public input.

Final draft designs will be presented to a joint meeting of the Select Board and Planning Board in late October or November.

 Town Mgr John Musante (yellow shirt) and Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek (pink) attended

The Select Board, as "keepers of the public way," have the final say.

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Dickinson Museum just installed new signs only last month (that don't include iconic Dickinson Homestead graphic)

Troubles At The Top?

Town Manager Musante (right), SB Chair Alisa Brewer (left)

Tonight the long awaited evaluation of the Town Manager by the 5 member elected Select Board on his progress with 15 goals in various areas of responsibility showed interesting criticism from the two most experienced members of our executive branch -- Chair Alisa Brewer and Jim Wald.

Ms. Brewer gave Mr. Musante "unsatisfactory" a total of nine times (out of possible 44) while Mr. Wald checked it off five times.

Brewer and Wald were in unanimous agreement in response to goal #5, "Relationship With the Select Board"  by giving him "unsatisfactory" to the same five of eight statements. Ouch!

Brewer and Wald checked off "unsatisfactory" to 5 of 8 statements

In fact the other three SB members did not issue a single "unsatisfactory" out of all 44 response statements.

Last week 13 current and former Regional School officials evaluated Superintendent Maria Geryk, currently the highest paid town employee ($158,000), on a bevy of criteria but only a single "unsatisfactory" was issued.

The Select Board will meet again before the end of the month in Executive Session to make Mr. Musante a contract offer and presumably a raise from his current $150,000 salary.

So it will be interesting to see -- especially with this surprising number of "unsatisfactory" scores -- if he gets the 5.5% raise necessary to make him the highest paid employee in town.

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Although statement G should probably include Blogs, Facebook and Twitter 

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 Selectman Jim Wald reacts to media coverage (and my title) on his blog

Public Documents Redux

Amherst Regional Middle School

Sometimes you hit a treasure trove and sometimes it's just junk, but a public documents request -- which my friends in the bricks and mortar media make all too infrequently -- is never a waste of time.

At the very least it sends a message that anything public officials say relating to public matters can and will be used against them.  Or for them as the case may be, since sometimes the information gained sheds a positive light.

   Concern Over Public Documents Release by Larry Kelley

Click headline "Concern over Public Doc Release" to better read document

As the 4,500 of you who read the previous release of internal emails may remember, the $180,000 payoff of Carolyn Gardner was done without the standard "non disclosure agreement," after the schools did everything in their power to have it included.

Gardner's legal team insisted the settlement not be done under the cloaking device of a non disclosure agreement. 

Of course maybe that's why the Public Schools are more inclined to give away the store with  legal cases, since they assume the non disclosure agreement will protect them from prying eyes.  All the more reason to challenge it.

At every opportunity. 

Good News Crime Report

Eastern Hampshire District Court this fine summer morning

So for those of you who think I spend too much time documenting the sorry underbelly of Amherst i.e. drunk driving and other drug/alcohol related carnage please take note:  For the 2nd Monday morning in a row Amherst Police Department had no arrests/arraignments in Eastern Hampshire District Court.

And yes, based on my boots on the ground coverage of said District Court that is a tad unusual, sort of like a man biting a dog (or a woman scratching a cat).

The relative calm will only last until this coming weekend with the return of our vital and exuberant "college aged youth."

Kick back, suck down the lemonade and enjoy the leisure paced summer quiet over the next few days ... because change is just around the corner.

Reflections of The Way Life Used To Be

UMass exit ramp Rt 116 in Hadley

You sagacious types may have noticed in June/July the state contractor out on Rt 116 between Rt 9 Hadley and Sunderland center doing work that left mysterious newly patched holes 8" in diameter in the center and side roadway every 10 yards or so.

Over the past week the answer to what was going on became more obvious with the installation of new reflectors in the roadway, although located in a slightly different spot from the ones that had been removed.

 Newly installed road reflector

The reflectors were originally touted as "snowplowable" but maybe the company had Georgia or South Carolina in mind when they advertised them as such.  Those that had not been taken up by New England snowplows were removed and new ones installed.

 Let's hope these really are "snowplowable"

The reflectors of course make it a little easier for night driving but are certainly not a critical component of highway safety.  Amherst town roads have none for instance.

The state can be pretty anal with their roadways.  A half dozen years ago they spent $1.7 million installing mile markers every .2 of a mile along all 776 miles of state roadways. 

And of course what baby boomer can forget the infamous "call boxes" all along Rt 91 (that preceded ubiquitous cell phones) that never worked.

Judge: Go Ahead & Build It

Kendrick Place (left) proposed One East Pleasant site circled in red

Hampshire Superior Court Justice Richard Carey allowed the town of Amherst and Archipelago Investments LLC "Motion for Summary Judgment," ending a lawsuit filed by abutter/competitor Joel Greenbaum over the proposed construction of a five-story mixed use (mostly residential) building on the site of the former Carriage Shops, in the north end of the downtown business district.

 

Amherst Carriage Inn circa 1960

   One East Pleasant, Amherst by Larry Kelley

The Amherst Planning Board, after five public meetings, gave Site Plan approval with two Special Permits allowing the building 5' extra height and 10% extra lot coverage.

Greenbaum filed suit claiming the proposed structure was a student dormitory, had too little parking and would cast an evil shadow on his property.

Essentially Judge Carey found that Mr. Greenbaum, with two nearby private parking lots, did not prove the new building -- which does provide 36 parking spaces where none are required -- is not a an injury "special and different from the concerns of the rest of the community."

   Greenbaum vs Archipelago

And Judge Carey was not at all impressed with the testimony of Rolf Karlstrom, finding he's "not an expert authority on parking."

The Judge goes on to declare, "Karlstrom, as a biology professor and town resident, does not possess the knowledge necessary to evaluate city parking.  As such, any opinion in Karlstrom's affidavit will be stricken from the record."  Ouch!

Kyle Wilson (standing), Dave Williams (seated) aka Archipelago Investments LLC

While Mr. Greenbaum can appeal the decision it's unlikely that a panel of three judges would overrule such a strait forward finding from Judge Carey, who is known and respected for his thorough grasp of land use law.

Recycling Dirt

Dirt pile on South East Street

That rather large dirt pile growing off South East Street on the grounds of Colonial Village Apartments in East Amherst is from the Presidential Apartments expansion project in North Amherst.  Both complexes have the same owner (Allen Cohn).

Presidential Apartments:  Nine new buildings opening September 1st

The Zoning Board and Conservation Commission both gave permission for temporary storage of 4,000 cubic yards of material and the Con Com will need to approve any future use of the dirt at the Colonial Village site.

Have dirt, will pile

10/18/15  Job complete

School Superintendent Individual Evaluations

ARPS Superintendent Maria Gery answers to Amherst & Pelham School Committees, Regional School Committee (4 towns), and Union 26

They say a doctor who treats oneself has a fool for a patient.  But apparently in the operations and management world it's not uncommon to do a self-evaluation for your supervisor -- especially when those overseers are elected unpaid volunteers.

In her personal self evaluation School Superintendent Maria Geryk answered "needs improvement" to only one of 24 statements/traits, "Shared Vision".  She checked off "proficient" for another 18 and the highest rating,  "exemplary,"  5 times.

   Maria Geryk Self Evaluation 2015 (click link to better read)

Interestingly, School officials who evaluated her think "Managing Conflict" was her weakest performance.  Five of 13 checked off "needs improvement" and one (Vira Douangmany Cage) gave her the sole "unsatisfactory" of her entire evaluation.

   Maria Geryk Eval by 13 school officials

Of the 15 current and recent past School Committee members invited to evaluate the Superintendent, 13 responded and two -- Amilcar Shabazz and Sarah Dolven -- did not.

Maria Geryk's self evaluation last year

3-out-of-4 Ain't Bad

Superintendent Maria Geryk listens to three School Committees evaluation of her

Last night the Regional School Committee, Pelham and Amherst School Committees and Union 26 sat in final judgement of Superintendent Maria Geryk's performance over the past school year. The final verdict was a good one. Mostly.

Overall they gave her a 3.08 out of 4 which is described as "proficient". But the document was quick to point out, "This is the rigorous expected level of performance."

Interestingly the Superintendent's lowest score, 2.8, came under "Management and Operations" which was probably negatively impacted by all the racial turmoil created in the wake of the Carolyn Gardner affair.

   Amherst School Superintendent Evaluation

The joint committees voted 10-1 in favor of the condensed summary of 13 individual evaluations with only Amherst School Committee member Vira Douangmany Cage voting "No".

Ms. Cage had earlier asked why Pelham School Committee Chair Tara Luce -- an Amherst Regional School employee -- was allowed to evaluate her boss?

The Mass State Conflict of Interest law holds public officials to a very high standard and strongly suggests avoiding even the "appearance of a conflict."

Superintendent Geryk stated the School's attorney had looked at the situation when Luce was first elected and opined that as long as she did not vote on (her own) salary contract, it was not a conflict.

Currently Maria Geryk is the highest paid public employee in town with an annual salary of $158,000 plus $840 cell phone allowance and $10,000 for annuity/life insurance policy.  She does not get a monthly car allowance.

Mediation Vs Facilitation

Amilcar Shabazz addresses his former colleagues on the Regional School Committee

After an hour and 15 minutes of sometimes heated discussion the Amherst Regional School Committee voted unanimously to support a motion calling for them to enter into a discussion with the NAACP regarding their concerns over discipline disparities with a  "facilitator" rather than entering into formal mediation.

Last week the Regional School Committee voted to allow three of their members to do exactly that, but the NAACP turned them down saying they wished to abide by the 1993 legal agreement and enter into formal mediation with the entire Committee.

 A dozen spectators including three former Regional School Committee members in attendence

The original motion from Dan Robb called for exactly that, but was amended by Rick Hood to change the word mediation to facilitation.  That amendment passed with five of nine supporting it: Katherine Appy, Kathleen Traphagen, Rick Hood, Kip Fonsh and Phoebe Hazzard, who was using remote participation via computer.

 Amherst NAACP President Kathleen Anderson:  "Mediation" or federal lawsuit

A few minutes before that NAACP local President Kathleen Anderson clearly told the committee that it was either "mediation" or a lawsuit would be filed in federal court.  Former Regional School Committee member Amilcar Shabazz also passionately urged his former colleagues to enter into mediation to avoid just such a lawsuit.

RSC member Vira Douangmany Cage pointed out the school's attorney Giny Tate makes $225 per hour and her staunch advice about the Consent Decree being a simple "contract" that was null and void could lead to a lawsuit that would only serve to give her many more hours of lucrative work.

Kathleen Anderson reads statement of Mary Lou Conca in support of spending $5,000 on mediation.  Investigation of her complaints against Schools cost $15,000

But Katherine Appy asked why would the committee listen to the NAACP attorney (who claimed it was a Consent Decree still in force) and not their own?  So why waste taxpayer money on a Mediator when it's clearly not required?

When all was said and done the Regional School Committee voted 9-0 to go into "discussion" with the NAACP with a facilitator rather than entering into formal mediation.

The ball is now squarely in the NAACP's court.

 Bulletin board on wall just outside RSC meeting

NAACP Legal Action Too Late?

Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee last week

At a joint meeting this afternoon between the Amherst, Pelham,  Amherst Regional & Union 26 School Committees the NAACP threatened legal action for breach of a 1993 agreement concerning disproportionate discipline actions against minorities will once again be a (hot) topic of discussion.

But in a letter dated August 7 the School District's Attorney Giny Tate pretty much destroys the legal standing of the current threat due to a statue of limitations being l-o-n-g expired.

According to Ms. Tate the original "agreement could only be enforced through a breach of contract action."  Therefor the consent decree was really not a "consent decree" but was nothing more than a simple "contract" between the NAACP and the Regional School Committee.

According to Ms. Tate a "breach of contract in the state of Massachusetts must be brought within 6 years of the breach" (expired 1999).

Attorney Tate continues to pile on:  "Failure to file a breach of contract within the statute of limitations terminates the NAACP's  rights to persue any actions now. The case is dismissed, and the School Committee has no further contract obligations under the agreement."

   Amherst NAACP Too Late

To sum it up succinctly Attorney Tate concludes, "The NAACP had no current right to enforce any terms of the agreement."

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In 2013-2014 White students (60.6% of population) received 29.9% suspensions -- or half their average make up, while Black students (7.4% of population) received 28.6% suspensions -- more than three times their average make up.

Amherst (Selectively) Remembers

First Congregational Church 1:00 PM

In addition to the usual 40+ year Sunday Peace Vigil in town center Amherst's oldest established house of worship, the First Congregational Church, put on their own public display for peace this afternoon by remembering the devastation unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years ago.

Of course they don't anything special to remember December 7,  "A date which will live in infamy."

And thus far, 70 years later, has probably only been exceeded in infamy, by that Tuesday morning almost 14 years ago when death rained down from a crystal clear blue sky ...

Torch Run: A Fitting Tribute

Lining up at APD HQ 111 Main Street,  Saturday 6:55 PM

The spectacular Saturday weather continued into the early evening making the three mile jaunt from Amherst Police Department HQ to Kennedy dorm at Southwest UMass ever so bearable -- especially with 50 other friends, family and co-workers along for the run.

Umass roundabout was no problem for the pack

Pack escorted along University Drive 

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is more than just a special benefit to raise money for Special Olympics -- it's a concrete example of how cops care about their community.

And the power of camaraderie.

 Final stretch: University Drive up Fearing Street to Southwest Kennedy dorm

This Blessed Day

Bikes line up in front of McGuirk Stadium

The weather this morning could not be any more blessed for a long motorcycle ride.   And with AFD Chaplain Bruce Arbour's official blessing under their belts the 19 riders who left from UMass McGuirk Stadium are sure to have a blessed ride over the 100+ mile course.
 

The blessing of the bikes

Jackass 3 -- named for David Bennett Sr.'s propensity to use it as a term of endearment with his many friends and family and not for the hijinks of the movie franchise -- raises money ($1,487) for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in his memory.

 Riders exited onto University Drive

If today is any indication, memories of David Bennett Sr. will live on for a very long time. 

Living Building Taking Shape

 

Foundation and parking lot of new building at Hampshire College 

 

The Hitchcock Center's new super efficient 9,000 square foot "Living Building" on the grounds of Hampshire College seems to be coming along just fine.  The facility is expected to open in the Fall of 2016.

Hitchcock Center current building is too small

The Hitchcock Center has been leading the charge on environmental education since 1962, and currently operate out of the town owned building a few miles up the road at 525 South Pleasant Street.

They have a lease there until 2020.

Hitchcock Center current building according to new town Building Inventory 

 Town DPW is installing road/driveway over on the left as part of a previous deal relating to Atkins Corner roundabout construction a couple years ago

Another Metamorphosis

Hess Express now Speedway 486 West Street, South Amherst

Just when I get used to calling the long time,  always busy, convenience store in South Amherst by its new name they go and get bought out and change their name again.

When I first opened my business next door over 30 years ago it was a Dairy Mart, then DB Mart, then Volaro, then Hess Express and now Speedway.

The most recent metamorphosis is pretty much like all the rest: Speedway purchased 1,200 Hess Express stores for $2.8 billion dollars and simply changed the signage.  Although I'm sure the one over the front entry will get a better, more permanent one soon.

With the perfect location, location, location of this store on Rt 116 (West Street) it has never gone out of business due to a lack of business. Probably the only other store in Amherst with the same daily volume is the Cumberland Farms on Rt 9  (College Street), East Amherst.

Interestingly in the past couple years both of these locations tried to acquire a beer/wine permit, but the Select Board (acting as Liquor Commissioners) turned them down.

Concerns centered on nearby mom-and-pop liquor stores being negatively impacted and -- because they do such convenient high volume sales -- it could put liquor in the wrong hands at the wrong time, like just before getting behind the wheel of a car.

Having an even larger player now in place at that prime location can only benefit the South Amherst Village Center.   

Well I Love That Dirty Water

Umass Campus Center Pond this morning

Students returning to our beloved UMass campus over the next few weeks will find a (hopefully) cleaner Campus Center Pond, as contractors are now performing "hydro-raking" at the behest of the Physical Plant as part of their pond maintenance program.

Although, safe to say, the Campus Center Pond will never rival Puffer's Pond as a swimming hole.

Hot Run/Ride In The City

Torch Run starts at APD headquarters 111 Main Street Saturday at 7:00 PM

To heck with running with the bulls, running with the cops is a lot safer. And for a good cause:  The Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Special Olympics.

On Saturday evening at 7:00 PM a joint production of Amherst Police Department, UMass PD and the Hampden County Sheriff's Department kicks off in front of the station for a 3 mile jaunt through our picturesque downtown to UMass Southwest, which is being used as the Athlete Village for Special Olympics.

U3 Advisers Town Gown Report (Yeah, they borrowed my photo)

This Torch Run was cited by U3 advisers in their $60,000 consulting report on town/gown issues as an example of cooperation between the town and our flagship University.   Just one of many examples of "community policing" that makes our local departments shine, like a torch in the night.

Torch is fired up (2011)

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is not the only memorable benefit happening on Saturday.  Amherst Fire Department personnel will be taking part in a motorcycle ride, aka "Jackass 3," to benefit National Fallen Firefighter Foundation and honor/remember beloved AFD fallen member David Bennett Sr.

The ride starts at UMass McGuirk Stadium Saturday morning at 10:00 AM.  The weather on Saturday for both events is expected to be perfect!

Cherry Hill Golf Course: Wasted Resource

Cherry Hill absorbs a lot of sun, and tax dollars

For perhaps the first time in its entire history of municipal operation (1987) the Cherry Hill Golf Course came in under budget for expenditures consuming "only" $240,866 of its $242,949 operation budget.

Of course, also as usual, the Golf Course missed revenues by a fairway generating only $211,680 on a budget built on a $268,000 intake. So the simple math indicates Cherry Hill lost "only" $29,186.

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 Not shown:  $5,046 in insurance

But, as usual, that's only half the sad story. In addition to the $240,866 operation budget the White Elephant Golf business also required $39,721 in Employee Benefits, $12,500 in Capital Appropriations (lawnmower) and $5,046 in Insurance.

Or a grand total spent on golf in FY15 of $298,133 against a pitiful intake of $211,680 -- or a loss of $86,453.   Coming on the heels of a $103,964 loss last year (which could have been better spent hiring two Public Safety professionals).

 War Memorial Park former wading pool (middle/right) is now UFO landing zone

Meanwhile the wading pool at War Memorial Park was ripped out by the DPW last winter and the play equipment is as old as the Town Manager.

 60+ year old Groff Park Wading Pool needs (too much) expensive repair

And the wading pool at Groff Park is on its last legs, losing half the volume of water and requiring a 5 gallon bucket of chlorine every other day due to extensive leakage.

Last year the Town Manager sent a memo to the Select Board saying it was perhaps time to once again look at leasing out Cherry Hill to a private vendor.

At least that way it would generate tax money rather than consume it.  Amherst Golf Course, owned by Amherst College, paid the town $19,158 in property taxes for their successful golf business last year.

 Hadley Solar Array in the middle of a corn field

Better yet, since the town prides itself on being a "Green Community" the expansive swath of God's green earth should be put out to bid for a Solar Array.

Town Hall parking lot with 2 spaces reserved for electric vehicles (still awaiting final installation)

Breach? What Breach?

Attorney Regina W. Tate

So at $225/hour I guess it's a good thing that the Public Schools attorney Regina Tate is so succinct.

Her not overly prompt response to the NAACP complaint about a "substantial breach" of the 1993 "Consent Decree" was certainly short and to the point.

Just say no.

   NAACP complaint Amherst Schools

3 Secret School Meetings: Minutes Revealed

Current Regional Public School includes Amherst, Leverett, Pelham, Shutesbury grades 7-12

Interestingly enough the Amherst Regional School Committee never met in Executive Session to finally approve the $120,000 payment to former math teacher Carolyn Gardner and $60,000 to her esteemed attorneys.

But they did discuss the situation under the protective cloak of Executive Session three times prior to the sealing of the lucrative deal.

 Regional School Committee went into Executive Session at 8:00 PM last night

And of course they had to meet in Executive Session last night to approve those Carolyn Gardner related Executive Session minutes after my Public Documents request.

   Ex Sessions: Amherst School Committee

And I was glad to see secretary Deb Westmoreland and HR Director Kathy Mazur take far better notes than the Amherst Select Board did a few years back when former Town Manager Larry Shaffer suddenly flew the coop.


The discussion this article has stimulated on Facebook is nothing if not interesting, perhaps even more so than the original article.  (Keeping in mind Kurt Geryk is the husband of School Superintendent Maria Geryk.)