There Is A Season (Turn, Turn, Turn)

UMass

Amherst College

South Amherst

Mill Lane

East Village

Bramble Hill Farm

North East Street 

Upper North East Street

Owens Pond

Kendrick Park

The Battle Continues

 Wildwood new Mega School project on the November 8th ballot

From: Debbie Westmoreland 
Date: September 28, 2016 at 10:04:02 AM EDT
To: Anastasia Ordonez , Cara Castenson , Emily Marriott , Katherine Appy , Phoebe Hazzard , Stephen Sullivan , Tara Luce , Trevor Baptiste , Vira Douangmany 
Cc: Michael Morris 
Subject: Fwd: My Concerns
 
Dear School Committee Members:
 
I grew up in Amherst and am an ARHS alumna as well as my son. I am extremely active with the Hurricane Athletic Boosters and am on the Board of A Better Chance (ABC) House. Although I do not currently have children in our schools, I am deeply involved with funding programs which benefit many students. I am proud of our schools, teachers, programs and especially our students! 

I am also a business professional in Amherst - specifically a Realtor. Realtors promote our community and all of its amenitiesto families, young professionals, and retirees who wish to settle here. Realtors greatly depend upon the viability of the public schools to sell our community and create confidence around a major home purchase. 

Over the past three years I have witnessed the dysfunction of the school committees (Regional, Amherst and Pelham). The infighting amongst members and the negative press our public schools are receiving in the Hampshire Gazette/Amherst Bulletinas a result is horrifying! 

It is abominable to think that the personal agendas of a few members has created this major schism in what was once a stable, collaborative and mindful group. To listen to self-proclaimed activists destroy our schools and community is deplorable. 

These so-called activists are simply masquerading under the guise of commitment, but in reality are intent on destroying Amherst. In particular, I blame two members for the demise of school committee credibility ____________and Vira Cage should be ashamed of themselves! 

I must remind you that your actions and decisions reflect greatly upon the economy and growth of our community. As a long-time Amherst resident and Realtor, it is becoming extremely difficult to accept a school committee system that is so broken. I no longer want to explain to clients and potential residents the school committee “situation” that is reported in the media. I much prefer to focus on the strengths of our community’s public schools. 

I implore all school committee members to be mindful of the community, public schools, teachers and students at all times. As elected officials, please listen to constituents and stop listening to yourselves! 


Respectfully,



Karen S Dunn


#####

Vira Douangmany Cage response posted to Facebook:

I wrestled with sharing this public document but I think it is more important for people to see what folks of color experience when we challenge the status quo...even in a progressive community like Amherst. I redacted the other school committee of color named and cell phone numbers.

On Fri, Sep 30, 2016 at 11:06 AM, wrote:


Dear Ms. Dunn:

Thank you for writing in below. I am glad you are so open about your view and expressing them in such a public way. That takes courage and commitment.

Thank you for sharing your philanthropic causes to help the ABC House and our athletes.

Thank you for sharing that negative media attention is destroying Amherst and our schools and thank you for feeling so comfortable in naming me as your scapegoat.

I know your confidence comes from a very powerful and entrenched place of privilege in this community.
While I welcome your comments, I am not clear about what specifically you are shaming me for?

Are you shaming me because I support Amherst small schools and voted against the elementary school grade reconfiguration and consolidation plan? Many white homeowners are not happy and have said they will remove their children from our public schools if the mega-school proposal goes through. 

I like preserving our K-6 elementary schools (what is left!) don't you? The people of color I know don't like it either. Marks Meadow was a gem but parents lost that struggle.

Are you shaming me for calling our school committee to successfully restore the paraeducator positions that were set to be eliminated in our elementary school
libraries?

Are you shaming me for attempting to protect the public's money in voting against our previous school superintendent buy-out? Certainly, it wasn't my personal money I was giving away.

Are you shaming me for standing up for a particular mom of color from Pelham? I think it is a mistake to dismiss her plight because there is an assumption she has no money or social capital and therefore we can get away with the oppression and vilification and violation of her civil rights.

I read your letter, however, I am not understanding your basis for your public condemnation.

Feel free to clarify.

Have a great day!

Best,
Vira Douangmany Cage

Amherst School Committee
Term 2015-2018

Don't Stop

Current drought monitor map

Drought monitor last month

While conservation measures enacted since late August have been helpful, Mother Nature's teasing response to pleas for drenching rain has been a tad less so.

Take today for instance:  Just enough to screw up your outdoor barbecue but not nearly enough to float a boat on the growing sandbar at closed Atkins Reservoir. 

On September 21, the day Atkins shut down, after we had been pumping close to one million gallons of water per day for the previous few weeks, our main reservoir stood at 9' 7" down with 60 million gallons of water remaining from 200 million gallons when full.

 Atkins Reservoir October 7th still at only 34% of capacity

On Friday, October 7, with no pumping at all for 17 days, our main reservoir stood at 8' 10" down with 76 million gallons remaining from full capacity of 200 million gallons.

 Atkins Reservoir sandbar 8/21

Atkins sandbar 10/7.  Note hot tub depression once fully underwater

In other words not all that much recharge has taken place.  And if the reservoir had not gone off line when it did it would now be at a historic low level.

Water consumption over the past few weeks has been around 3 million gallons per day but not all that much less than a year ago at this same time when no water ban was in effect.

Click to enlarge/read

Note Columbus Day weekend drop off in consumption with UMass kids gone

UMass is a ghost town over Indigenous Peoples Day weekend

The drought task force is expected to advise municipalities to maintain their water bans until at least Halloween and if a lot more rain has not fallen by then probably into the winter.

The Amherst Select Board enacted fines for water ban violations as an emergency edict until the ban is lifted but stopped short of making it a regular town bylaw since the Department of Environmental Protection would then have the authority to force the town to implement it at any time in the future.




Currently our wells are holding up just fine, although there's no way to measure the supply they draw from.

So as long as a Creepy Clown does not sabotage Wells 3 or 4 ...

Student Power

Student Union located in the heart of campus

In addition to the early voting times and places approved by the Board of Registrars last week they met again on Thursday and added UMass to the list.

Early voting will be held in these locations on the following dates from 10 AM to 4:00 PM:

10/25 – The Spot

10/27 – Cape Cod Lounge

11/1 – Cape Cod Lounge

11 /3 – The Spot

Out of about 20,000 total registered voters in town upwards of 30% are students and although they normally don't bother with our local election in the spring they do come out in droves for the Presidential contest.

Of course the big question is whether they will take any interest in Question 5, the new $67 million Mega School that will forever alter the way elementary aged children in town are educated.

A Town Gown Project

Authority Way on left, Olympia Drive right

In addition to approving the multi-million dollar ten year cable renewal contract with Comcast the Select Board yesterday also approved Town Manager Paul Bockelman's deal with UMass to pave Authority Way, owned by UMass but connecting to town owned Olympia Drive.

The town will pay $20,000 of the $84,000 total cost and UMass will pick up $64,000, the lion's share. 

The town was creating a turn around for school buses (that need to serve Olympia Oaks) anyway as well as installing a fire hydrant which represents the $20,000, and while the contractor is there anyway will pave over Authority Way.

Of course it will also help serve the privately owned Olympia Place, the newest five story student housing building owned by Archipelago Investments, LLC.

APD Did NOT Recommend Stay Away Order

Maria Geryk (rt) pondering how to spend $310K

Click to enlarge/read

Or not
 

   Maria Geryk's final emails by Larry Kelley on Scribd

Three Strikes

Bangs Community Center

So you have to wonder if state gas inspectors check for gas leaks by using a flamethrower.

The Bangs Center elevator failed a once-every-five years load test by having an expensive piston explode after the state inspector used 3,000 pounds of weight/pressure on a system rated for 2,500 pounds, or 20% over.

So that would be fifteen 200 pound occupants in the square footage not much more than a walk in closet.  Or one of those circus -- dare I say it -- CLOWN cars.

Now if this was the first time it happened that would be one thing, but just in our little town this is the the third time it has happened.  A few years ago at the Amherst police headquarters, a few months ago at Ann Whalen Apartments and now the Bangs Center.

 Ann Whalen main elevator was down for three months after load test inspection back in May

Makes you wonder how many elevators state wide have been trashed in this manner?

Perhaps the state should rethink the way they do these inspections, especially since it will cost Amherst taxpayers $80,000 to fix the Bangs Center elevator and the most recent cost to fix Ann Whalen Apartments elevator was $76,000.

Hey Governor Baker, tell your elevator inspectors to lighten up!

Downtown Merger

35 South Pleasant is adjacent to Amherst Town Common

The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and the Amherst Business Improvement District will be consolidating their two downtown offices into one larger better located one at 35 South Pleasant Street in the heart of downtown.

Chamber Director Tim O'Brien hopes to be serving hot chocolate to folks attending the lighting of the Merry Maple in early December from the new shared location.

 Chamber's current location opposite Jones Library

Since their current location is owned by Barry Roberts it probably will not take long to rent it out to another business entity or perhaps Amherst Coffee sill simply expand into it.

 Click to enlarge/read

DUI Dishonor Roll

MADD:  Every two minutes a person is injured in a drunk driving crash

Amherst police arrested three drivers on the charge of Driving Under the Influence over Homecoming Weekend and all three took the legally admissible breath test back at APD headquarters.

One of the three, Brendan Gillis, compounded his mistake by failing to appear in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday morning for arraignment and a warrant for his arrest was immediately issued.

UPDATE (10/5).  Mr Gillis appeared in Court this morning with an attorney and had his case continued to December.  

Brendan Gillis, age 22, now on the run (APD intake photo)

You can run but you can't hide -- especially in the age of supercomputers.

Anton Kolossov, age 19

Interestingly the BT may actually help Mr. Kolossov as the results are just barely over the limit.

Daniel Cutler, age 32

Clowns To The Left Of Me

No clowns at Southwest (well, at least no killer clowns)

One of the downsides of social media is how fast silliness can spread. And it's all fun and games until somebody gets whacked over the head with a 2" by 4".

The clown rumor that reverberated off the Southwest towers last night raising anxiety levels across the campus started on Twitter, a usual suspect for not overly accurate breaking news.

UMPD Dispatch received call about clown loose in Southwest but the caller only cited Twitter and not actual sighting of said clown.

— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) October 4, 2016

UMass was not the only esteemed institute of higher education dealing with the near hysteria.  In New York last night college students took to the streets "chanting vulgar anti-clown slogans."

Kind of makes me wonder what is going to happen on Halloween.

At the height of the Cold War one of he concerns the Air Force had about UFOs is the mass hysteria brought on by unknown lights in the sky could be misinterpreted as a Soviet attack thus inadvertently setting off a catastrophic chain of events.

Although there were never any reports of the UFOs being piloted by clowns.  Maybe that will be next.

On The Run

Samuel Texidor:  Do not accept a ride from this man ladies

Of course you have to wonder if Samuel Texidor took an Uber ride to wherever he is now hiding out.

In Eastern Hampshire District Court this morning the Commonwealth asked for and immediately received an arrest warrant for Mr. Texidor after he cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet and flew the coop.

Since his arrest for sexual assault on a UMass student last month Uber has upgraded their security by having drivers take a selfie when they first log on for the night making it a tad harder to pull a Texidor and pose as one in order to prey on young women.

UPDATE 3:00 PM from the DA's office:

He was not a fake Uber driver, but a real Uber driver using a fake identity in order to make age requirements. He is 18 and you must be 21 to be an Uber driver.  That was discussed at the dangerousness hearing.

At a dangerousness hearing, a judge must make two findings (two prongs):

1. Probable cause that defendant is dangerous 2. Clear and Convincing evidence that no conditions of release will protect the victim and/or community

In this case, the Commonwealth asked that he be detained. The Court found him dangerous (prong 1) but also found there were conditions of release that could protect the community/victim. Just because one is found dangerous, does not mean they will be held (which is why there is a second prong).

He was released on GPS with house arrest, SA/NC from victim, SA from Amherst, cease Uber employment.

Update 10:00 PM
Perp was arrested in Holyoke.  

Just The Facts, Ma'am

Town Manager and Finance Committee

The Finance Committee put final touches on a memo to Amherst voters at their Thursday night meeting which they hope the local papers -- what's left of them -- will publish prior to the November 8 election, which is shaping up to be the perfect political storm.

The Presidential contest is always four or five times more popular than our local annual town election and with this year's contest spiraling into a bad version of the Jerry Springer Show it alone would generate historic turnout.

Now add to that the state ballot question legalizing recreational marijuana, which will no doubt appeal to younger voters in a town with the lowest median age in the state, and throw in the $67 million school override which will impact homeowners in a BIG way and you have a turnout potential beyond epic.

And for the first time in history the ability to vote early (not often).

The ballot question regarding the schools is #5 after the four statewide referendum questions so maybe folks who are only interested in the Presidential contest or the recreational pot question #4 will not bother to vote on it.

But if they do the Finance Committee memo should be required reading.   It outlines the major tax increase the debt exclusion will require for homeowners and our tiny commercial tax base over a 25 year period.

And, probably to the chagrin of school cheerleaders, the report also points out this is not the final chance to get Mass School Building Authority funding for either a new school or renovations if the question fails with the voters and Town Meeting.

The Finance Committee stops short of making a recommendation up or down on the November 8 vote but that could change when the question comes before Amherst Town Meeting a week later where it will require a two-thirds vote for approval. 

Catch Me If You Can

Fox resting behind Fisher House in North Amherst

The sickly North Amherst fox made yet another appearance this afternoon but managed to elude APD and Animal Welfare officer Carol Hepburn yet again.

 Come out, come out wherever you are

The cute critter has a bad leg and appears to be blind but seemed to move pretty quickly when approached and was last seen high-tailing it across Pine Street heading north. 

APD has strict controls over when they can fire a weapon and although it's been 50 years or more since exchanging gunfire with a human, mercy killing of a suffering animal is not all that uncommon.  

When they can catch it. 

Free Speech But Not For Thee

Perhaps Amherst Region High School Principal Mark Jackson needs to take a refresher Civics course specifically relating to the most bedrock of sacred American values, the First Amendment.

And perhaps a basic psychology class as well because the best way to get teenagers to do something you don't want them to do is to directly forbid them to do it.

In his letter to the community Jackson clearly states in writing "These two chants are prohibited": "warm up the bus" and "if you’re winning, clap your hands."  So long as the kids are not chanting "fire" in a movie theater, that's a clear violation of the First Amendment.

What is a worse example to set:  kids being kids at a school sponsored sports event or a school system trampling their First Amendment rights?

 Maybe somebody should ask the ACLU. 

Mr. Jackson's edict

Vote Early, Not Often

Amherst will have early voting for the November 8th election

Now you have even less of an excuse to miss doing your civic duty November 8th as the Amherst Board of Registrars have approved "early voting" in Town Hall  for two weeks prior to the election October 24 through November 4th Mon-Fri (8 AM until 5 PM) and all day Saturday, October 29 (9 AM until 3 PM) at North Fire Station and Munson Memorial Library.

The Secretary of State estimates as many as 25% of registered voters will take advantage of this convenient option, so in Amherst that would be around 5,000 voters.

 The Amherst Board of Registrars

Since this is not a state mandate the town will have to pick up the added costs.  The voting station in Town Hall will be staffed by three extra personnel for the two weeks and each polling station on Saturday, October 29 will also have an additional three for a total cost of around $1,000.

Town Clerk Sandra Burgess is expecting a high turnout due to the normal enthusiasm always exhibited for a Presidential election combined with the added attraction of a ballot question legalizing recreational marijuana and of course the $33 million Debt Exclusion Override for the new Mega School.

 Click to enlarge/read

 State suggested press release

The $67,200,000 Question

League of Women Voters School Building Forum last night

Not sure too many minds were changed by the League of Women Voters forum on the new Mega School last night, which attracted parents, School Committee, Select Board and Town Meeting members in almost equal measures.

Although little to no college aged youth.  

Any yes surely the entire audience of about 100 will be voting on the ballot question on November 8th with probably the highest turnout in Amherst election history.

But continued status quo is not a good thing for proponents of the shiny new co-located school as recent school related chaotic events has eroded confidence in their overall administration.

Proponents of the $67 million project cited equity, health & safety, streamline efficiencies and of course the state's contribution to a little over half the project cost, while opponents zeroed in on the the high overall cost of the building and even higher cost of "grade reconfiguration" which  breaks up the neighborhood school concept in favor of a two grades 2-6 schools in one.

The Finance Committee presented facts that will make the average homeowner break into a cold sweat especially considering the other three building projects waiting in line behind the Schools.

The ballot question will not even have a number attached to it but the School Building Committee announced the state had approved the project at $67.2 million with the town share of $33.7 million.

 Click to enlarge read

The Finance Committee also pointed out that should the ballot question fail or Town Meeting turns down the authorization, the School Building Committee can try again with the same concept as happened in 1996 with the $22 million High School expansion that passed the second time around.

Or they can downsize the project and/or combine it with a renovation of one school and much smaller new school and resubmit a statement of interest to the MSBA.  The state agency does also fund two projects in one town (Granby for instance) as long as one is completed before applying for the second.

Necessity is the mother of invention.  Voting No on November 8 will certainly stimulate a little inventiveness from town officials and send a message about the other major projects lining up in the queue. 

Clearly A Conflict

Amherst Select Board August 15

State Ethics Commission
Enforcement Division
One Ashburton Place, Room 619
Boston, MA 02108-1501
1/12/2016


To Whom It May Concern,

I wish to file a formal complaint concerning a violation of state ethics law — especially as it relates to the “appearance of a conflict of interest” — by Amherst Select Board member  Doug Slaughter at the Select Board September 26 regular Monday night meeting.

Five hours into said meeting the Select Board briefly discussed taking a position on a $65 million Debt Exclusion Override question for a new elementary school that appears on the November 8th ballot.  

Member Connie Kruger made a motion to support passage of the Question, it was seconded by Doug Slaughter, and then all five voted in favor. 

Although at that time of night (11:30 PM) no member of the general public was still at the meeting it is broadcast by Amherst Media thus available for your perusal.  

Since Mr. Slaughter is a full time Amherst School employee he should have abstained from the vote, or at the very least made a public announcement of his school affiliation to avoid the "appearance of a conflict of interest."


 
Sincerely,

Larry J. Kelley
596 South Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01002