DUI Dishonor Roll

About 300,000 people drive drunk daily with only 3,200 arrested

Once again we had a relatively safe weekend on our public roads when it comes to the significant dangers presented by impaired drivers.

Amherst police took only one driver, a college aged youth, off the road and charged him with Operating Under the Influence.

 Shear-Yashuv Shearammisha, age 22, stands before Judge Thomas Estes

Interestingly Mr. Shear-Yashuv took both the Portable Breath Test (not admissible in Court) and the official chemical breath test (Court admissible) back at the station with the same results, .12 -- or 50% over the limit.

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But it does go to show the PBT, widely used in the field, is accurate.

The other area arrest (in Hadley) we may see more of all too soon once recreational pot is legalized.  Again, the chemical breath test is interesting because it shows 0.0 for a reading, as obviously it is designed to detect alcohol, not pot.

So in this particular case the prosecution will have to rely on the observations of the arresting officer.

 Shane Leehim, age 26, stands before Judge Estes

   Hadley Pot Arrest

But Is She Overqualified?

Amherst College President Biddy Martin at reopening of Lord Jeff (does not require a microphone)

Precinct Five Town Meeting members, of which I am one, will meet on Tuesday to fill a vacancy for a three-year seat among three individuals who each received two write in votes on election day: Christopher W. Benning, Steven D. Heim and Carolyn Arthur Martin.

Not to be sexist, but she gets my vote.  If Biddy Martin can run Amherst College she sure as heck can handle Amherst Town Meeting.

I guess the real question is, can Town Meeting handle her?

Only 7 names appeared on the 3/29 ballot for 8 open seats

Charter Commission: So Far So Good

Town Clerk Sandra Burgess swears in the 9-member Charter Commission

The first meeting of the Amherst Charter Commission in over a dozen years went as well as could be expected, probably better.

All nine newly elected members showed up, the meeting started on time and the Commission organized itself with unanimous votes making Andy Churchill Chair, Mandi Jo Hanneke Vice Chair and Nick Grabbe clerk.

All three officers had been supported/endorsed in the election by Amherst For Change, an offshoot of the group who helped collect over 3,000 signatures required to force the potential change in government question on the ballot.

The Commission heard an Open Meeting Law primer from town attorney Lauren Goldberg who formerly worked for the Secretary of State and specializes in governmental issues like this.

She laid out the state mandated time frame starting with a public forum to get public comment that must be held within 45 days of the election, meaning not later than May 13th.

Within 16 months after the election they must publish their "preliminary report" and then within four weeks of that hold another public forum to get public reactions to the report.  And the drop-dead deadline is 18 months from their election to get their "final report" to the Select Board for placement on the town election ballot.

About 2 dozen spectators showed up for the meeting and it was broadcast by Amherst Media

As for discussion in general among the Commission it didn't take long for the battle lines to be drawn.  When Chair Andy Churchill brought up the $30K request of Town Meeting for charter related expenses the three Town Meeting loyalists -- Diana Stein, Gerry Weiss and Meg Gage -- balked.

They said it was too early in the process to be asking for so much money and it would breed discontent and suspicion.

Irv Rhodes worried about losing six months by waiting for Fall Town Meeting and he pointed out that if any money is left over at the end of the process it automatically goes back into the town coffers.

In his first act of diplomacy the Chair decided to put off the vote until their next meeting Monday night.

Churchill had gone before the Finance Committee last week and Select Board last night on his $30K proposal but both bodies requested he get a vote of the full Commission before they decide on whether to recommend it to Town Meeting.

Temporary Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner said he was paid $22K as a Charter consultant by Wellesley and he suggested the Commission stick to the $30K figure.

The first vote next week on the money request will be indicative of how the process will play out over the next year.  And two-thirds support is plenty enough.

What A Difference A Day Makes

Principal Bobbie Finocchio resignation is effective June 30th

From: Larry Kelley
To: Gerykm
Sent: Sat, Apr 2, 2016 4:40 pm
Subject: Bobbie Finocchio resignation

Hey Maria,

According to her hometown paper Ms. Finocchio signed a "three year contract" with you two years ago. So does that mean you will be paying her one full year to buy out her contract?

Or on the flip side, if the Public Schools help fund her doctorate at Boston College the past two years and paid relocation fees to bring her to Amherst in the first place is she refunding anything to Amherst to be released from that three year contract?

Larry

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Winter's Last Offensive

Tuesday morning. Back to looking pretty

Truck into stump Belchertown Road (Rt 9), driver transported to CDH

Sunday the white stuff was just enough to make things look pretty, but on Monday it brought a little chaos, closing public schools (except UMass) and contributing to dozens of accidents all over our town and surrounding communities served by Amherst Fire Department.

 Mill Valley Road, Hadley: car into tree (no injuries)

Some drivers were fortunate in not finding a solid object to stop their vehicle after going into a slide on ice and simply needed a wrecker to pull them back onto the road.

 Car pulled back onto road South Pleasant Street

Others were less fortunate as bridge abutments, trees, telephone poles, stumps and guard rails brought their out of control vehicles to an instant stop.

Car into bridge abutment South East Street

DPW counterattacks, town center

Miss Emily and Mr. Frost yesterday:  having a pleasant conversation

Miss Emily and Mr. Frost today:  "What the Hell?!"

Pretty In White

North East Street (Click photos to enlarge)

Town center

UMass

UMass Southwest

Wildwood Cemetery

South Amherst

East Village

Although, the windy storm did cause some damage, taking down a tree on East Pleasant Street into a utility pole that briefly knocked out power, and a beautiful birch tree in front of St Brigid's Church also came crashing down.

 Tree into wires East Pleasant Street (near intersect with Pine Street)

Birch in front of St. Brigid's fell, fortunately not on anyone

The Clickers are In, The Clickers Are In!

The 260 unit system cost $26,000

The electronic voting system hardware arrived at Town Hall in three convenient carry cases earlier in the week just in time for the 258th Annual Town Meeting, although probably too little too late to save the quaint but antiquated form of government.

 Sort of like buying a new saddle for a dying horse.

The system will help speed up the cumbersome process of Tally and Standing Votes cutting the time from 10 minutes down to less than one, and will provide better transparency as more votes will be recorded.

Fortunately the units can also be used for other meetings and public forums.  For instance the new Charter Commission at their first public hearing could ask the audience if it's time to ditch Town Meeting in favor of a City Council.

The units could send either a simply yes or no, or the questions could also be framed "On a scale of 1-10 how effective and responsive is Town Meeting?"

Town Meeting will also be asked for $25,000 to hire an expert consultant to assist the Charter Commission over the next year.

Kind of ironic if Town Meeting votes down that request using the new $26,000 voting system, eh?

Another Principal Resigns

Fort River could merge into a mega school if a $30+ million Override passes in November

Well today certainly has been a day for high profile resignations, first the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and now the Fort River Elementary School principal.

I've lost count of how many principals have left the Amherst school system over the past six or seven years but suffice it to say, a LOT.

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Amherst Chamber Leader Resigns

 Don Courtemanche

While Amherst is heading into the final stages of hiring a new Town Manager the Amherst Chamber of Commerce will also have to start looking for a new Executive Director, as Don Courtemanche has stepped down after only two years on the job.

The Board of Directors has appointed Jerry Guidera to serve as Acting Executive Director for the time being.  Mr Guidera helped found 'Amherst For All', the organization that collected 3,250 signatures to place a Charter question on the ballot, which was easily passed by voters on Tuesday.

In addition to the Chamber of Commerce promoting business we also have a tax surcharge supported Business Improvement District that specializes in downtown programming.

And the town recently hired Geoffrey Kravitz as Economic Development Director.

The Cost Of Democracy

Andy Churchill, who received the highest number of votes for the nine member Charter Commission at Tuesday's election, appeared before the Finance Committee last night to defend his petition article to Town Meeting requesting $30,000 in seed money over the next year or so for Charter expenses.

 Andy Churchill is a former School Committee Chair

Churchill told the fiscal watchdogs he had talked to a member of the Collins Institute, a think tank who has provided such work to 14 Charter Commissions, and he corroborated the amount as "ball park".

Furthermore, the 2001 Amherst Charter Commission spent a total of $29,249 (over two campaigns) and East Longmeadow recently approved $30K for its Charter Commission.

The money would mainly go towards a consultant who would provide, "Expert support, do the legwork between meetings, research, organize articles, collect citizens input, and help draft the final legal document that will pass muster with the Attorney General."

The town is legally required to provide $5,000 to a Charter Commission within 20 days of the election and Churchill said his $30,000 figure did not include that amount, so he would amend his motion down to $25,000.

Finance Committee Chair Kay Moran also suggested he be less specific and simply make it a request for "Charter related expenses" rather than directly tying the entire amount to a consultant, since there will also be advertising and printing costs.

In addition he should spell out a source for the funding.

FinCom member Marylou Theilman suggested Churchill verify with the rest of the Charter Commission at their first meeting April 5 whether they approve of this request and get back to them by next week's meeting.

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The Charter Commission's initial agenda is to organize themselves by electing a Chair, Vice Chair and Clerk.

Since Churchill was by far the #1 choice of voters, he should be given the leadership role. 

Mill District May E-X-P-A-N-D

(red) Trolley Barn left, Atkins North top center Cowls Building Supply foreground

Atkins North and the Trolley Barn could get some company in the near future in that large lot on the south side of Cowls Road behind Cowls Building Supply, currently home to the saw mill that closed in 2009.

Beacon Communities, who purchased Rolling Green Apartments with $1.25 million in town assistance in order to keep it on our Subsidized Housing Inventory, is considering a mixed use, mixed income rental development with commercial space on the ground floor.

Beacon would manage the residential component and W.D. Cowls would maintain control of the commercial space.

The town's Master Plan calls for development exactly like this in Village Centers and the last two housing studies done for the town indicate an across the board shortage of housing -- especially affordable housing.

Since Atkins North opening last year the Mill District has already established itself as a destination spot.

Ye old saw mill will be demolished

The infusion of more potential customers within walking distance of the current amenities can only add to the vibrancy of North Amherst.

Beacon Communities is still in the planning stages and will no doubt do community outreach before any shovels hit the dirt.

Mill District is within easy walking distance of North Amherst center

Jones Library Jumping Through Hoops

Amherst's "living room" wishes to expand by about 40%

The Jones Library will need to negotiate a pair of hurdles at the upcoming Town Meeting, one of them a tad more sizable than the other because it requires a two-thirds vote: In order to buy adjacent property from the Strong House History Museum, a zoning change from Residential to Business is required otherwise the Strong House becomes "non conforming".

 Land behind the Jones Library and to east side of Strong House needed for expansion

And Amherst frowns on anything non conforming.

The other interconnected problem is the property that the Library hopes to build on currently hosts the Kinsey Memorial Garden and the Strong House History Garden, both considered jewels in an emerald necklace of badly needed downtown greenery.

A citizens petition article #39 to Town Meeting calls upon the Library not to touch the Kinsey Memorial Garden. That will only require a simple majority vote to pass, although it is non-binding.

But it will however -- if passed -- cast doubt on the viability of article #43, the needed zoning change for the Strong House (last article on a l-o-n-g warrant).

 

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Charter Question Passes! (Again)

 In 2001 with a 17% turnout Amherst voted to support a Charter Commission by 63%

By a comfortable -- some would say crushing-- margin of 2039 Yes to 1,340 No the voters of Amherst have spoken, and it's clear they wish to see change in the current antiquated form of government.

And since opponents of the Charter Question chose to make it entirely about Town Meeting using the moniker,  "Town Meeting Works" , it's a pretty good bet the message voters just sent is, "Town Meeting doesn't work."

The 9-member Charter Commission will meet April 5th at 6:30 PM to organize themselves by voting a Chair, Vice Chair, and Clerk.  Then the work really begins.

Turnout for 2016 election was 17.75% with 60% approving Charter

And the winners are:

 Two-thirds of the 'Amherst For Change' slate won

Celebration at The Pub 

Vince O'Connor was thrashed by 2-1 by both opponents

Vince O'Connor was the biggest individual loser of the election and School Committee member Vira Douangmany Cage by strongly endorsing him on her Facebook page also caused damage to her campaign for the state legislature.

The Town Meeting form of government also took a thrashing at the polls in Framingham, as voters there by a whopping four-to-one-margin (4099 to 886) favored forming a Charter Commission.

Ah, progress.

 Long time Town Meeting members Irwin & Martha Spiegelman failed to get reelected.  She was on the 2001 Charter Commission and filed a "minority report" opposing the Mayor/Council/Manager government they came up with and was supported 7-2

Charter proposal that failed by 14 votes in 2003 and 252 votes in 2005

Official unofficial results from our hard working Town Clerk's office