Vote Early Vote Often

Gazette is lucky to get 1,000 views per story so 10 times that is a tad suspicious

Entertainment oriented Internet polls are probably the reason why election voting is not currently available via the web since those quick polls are so easy to hack they give the process a bad name.

For instance I had no problems voting numerous times on the Gazettenet poll concerning the hot button issue of the new $67 million Mega School by using three different devices, an iPhone, Ipad and Mac laptop.

And after clearing cookies or changing browsers you can do it again, and again, and again.

But I'm sure somebody will use this poll as evidence of overwhelming support for the Mega School on the floor of Town Meeting when the issue is taken up again next month.

Just as defenders of the failed project insist on trumpeting the "will of the voters" by pointing out the razor thin margin of victory (less than 1%) at the November 8th election where a majority of voters did not even support the project.

P.T. Barnum (or the Russians) would be so proud.

If At 1st You Don't Succeed

 DPW Fire Station Advisory Committee

The DPW Fire Station Advisory Committee met yesterday for a lick-your-wounds strategy session after one of two proposals failed on the floor of Fall Town Meeting.

Specifically the $350,000 requested for a more advanced schematic design phase study of a new DPW building, which seemed like a lot of money compared to the $75,000 Town Meeting approved for an initial Fire Station study.

If the Fire Station can now catch up to the DPW by spring then the Committee will recommend two separate warrant articles for the Annual Town Meeting of around $350,000 each for the required schematic design phase, although most members agreed it would be helpful if each project had identified a building site by then.

The plan still seems to be for the Fire Station to locate where the DPW is now but town officials have now given up on Fort River School as a DPW relocation site.

Chair Lynn Griesemer was adamant the very preliminary proposed "ideal" DPW building is simply too expensive especially given it's three times that of the new Fire Station ($37 million vs $12 million).

 Weston & Sampson preliminary cost estimates new DPW

Over the next few months the committee will work with consultants Weston & Sampson to try to bring down the cost which normally does happen once a site is selected.

Another suggestion is for the committee to propose a maximum cap, say $25 million, and ask the consultants what kind of a DPW building can they come up with for that amount.

 Anything of course would be an improvement over what they have today.

DPW is located in 100 year old former Trolley repair barn in a really nice neighborhood

Just Build It!

Former sawmill property currently pays $10,000 annually in taxes

North Square at Mill District will pay over $500,000 annually in property tases

The good folks from Beacon Communities completed an exhausting trifecta this week with professional presentations to the Select Board on Monday, Planning Board on Wednesday and the second of three appearances before the all important ZBA last night.

And as usual the NIMBYs were out in force.

The North Square development is seeking a Comprehensive Permit to allow the 130 unit project to move forward.  Located on a 5 acre former industrial site with relatively flat terrain and good soil conditions the $45 million project would address two BIG problems in our little college town:

Over half our property is owned by tax exempts -- mainly our institutes of higher education -- so those of us on the tax rolls have to shoulder more of the burden.  And of the 50% of us on the tax rolls 90% is residential and only 10% commercial.

Former sawmill will be demolished 

The Beacon Project is mixed use with commercial on the ground floor or 20% of the entire project, which will of course feed off the other 80% that is residential.

Amherst currently has an 11.3% Subsidized Housing Inventory but the ONLY reason it is still above the 10% threshold (avoiding a Ch40B development) is because Beacon purchased Rolling Green Apartments 2.5 years ago and kept all 204 units on the SHI.

The 26 units of subsidized housing would be a significant contribution to that under served demographic since the 42 unit Olympia Oaks went online 18 months ago.

But because of the state and federal money involved the entire 130 housing units -- not just the 26 affordable ones -- will count towards the town's SHI thus guaranteeing protection from a hostile Ch40B for many, many years to come.

Beacon purchased Rolling Green for $30.25 million ($1.25 million of town CPA $) thus keeping it on our Subsidized Housing Inventory

Unfortunately in this town anti-development sentiment is an ingrained religion which does not differentiate between visionary projects like this one proposed by Beacon Communities and quick-buck cookie cutter projects  targeting our #1 demographic,  college aged youth.

 Zoning Board of Appeals last night

The ZBA should send a positive message to responsible developers state wide and wholeheartedly support North Square at Mill District with a unanimous vote on January 5th.

ZBA presenters (front row) and audience last night

Preaching To The Skeptical

Town Meeting cheerleaders rah, rah, rahing

The usual suspects

The Amherst Charter Commission had its largest turnout to date on Monday night for a routine meeting with a packed house of over two-dozen spectators for a presentation by perhaps the most unique subcommittee in Amherst, a town overrun with committees.

I say unique because the "Town Meeting Coordinating Committee Subcommittee on Policies and Procedures" is made up of seven individuals but five of them are NOT members of the Town Meeting Coordination Committee.

Who ever heard of a subcommittee made up of members independent of the main committee?

Even more interesting they had another aficionado present -- John Fox -- to the Charter Commision in their behalf described as an avid follower who is not even an official member of the sub committee.

Only in Amherst I guess.

Naturally all they offer is band aid solutions to improving Town Meeting, kind of like offering a final stage terminal cancer patient a vitamin pill.

A clear majority of Charter Commission members favor something other than the current Town Meeting for a legislative branch of town government, but they are still in the discussion stage; but time is starting to pass quickly.

Even head town meeting cheerleader Gerry Weiss is willing to consider a downsized Town Meeting but still wants it substantially large, probably to include the boatload of NIMBYs present at every session.

When asked by Charter Commissioner Julie Rueschemeyer  "what are the main issues you are trying to address?" TMCC member Chris Riddle responded "We don't have a main issue, we are happy with the way it is now.  We don't see a major problem"

The blind leading the blind.

 Select Board 11/28 discussed just completed 4 session Fall Town Meeting

Interestingly at last week's Select Board meeting during a post mortem analysis of the most recent Town Meeting Chair Alisa Brewer pretty much distanced herself from all things TMCC calling the Warrant Review, Bus Tour, and Precinct meetings they sponsor a waste of staff's time.

Further she said the town should completely disassociate itself from the not-open-to-the-general- public Yahoo Town Meeting listserve privately owned by TMCC member Mary Streeter.  Pulling no punches Ms. Brewer branded it "poisonous".

Ouch!

Fifteen years ago on of the biggest battles fought within that Charter Commission was over abandoning Town Meeting or not.

But they rather quickly (by a 7-2 vote) came to the conclusion Amherst could only be improved by ditching the quaint but antiquated good-old-boys-and-girls network of do gooders, mainly interested in self interest.

Air Raid On Pearl Harbor!

USS Arizona 12/7/41

USS Arizona today

“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (12/7/41)


“With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt (12/8/41)

Total killed at Pearl Harbor 2,402

Attack begins:  7:48 a.m.

USS Arizona explodes: 8:10 a.m.

USS Arizona:  1,177 killed in action, the highest loss of live in US naval history. 

Try Try Again

Select Board looking dejected on last night of Special Town Meeting

The illustrious Select Board all but announced a Special Town Meeting would be called in the near future to have a second go round at the $67 million Mega School project that could not even muster a majority vote in Town Meeting when a supermajority of two-thirds is the minimum threshold for passage.

At last night's meeting they set aside Wednesday morning December 28 for an additional SB meeting to address the 200 signature petition should one be handed in by then.  Hmm ... anyone want to take bets?

And yes the Town Clerk's office confirmed a petition form to call a Special Town Meeting was recently taken out.

The Select Board can, however, with a simple majority vote,  call such a meeting.   But since all the important articles they unanimously recommended at the recent Town Meeting session -- including the Mega School -- were badly defeated, they should probably rely on someone else taking responsibility for the revote.

Although if they wish to be particularly heavy handed they could call the Special Town Meeting for March 29 a day after the Town Election and a day before the MSBA deadline for getting the two-thirds approval, that way school supporters could run one-issue candidates in the town election to stack the deck in favor of the Mega School.

A Protest A Day

TD Bank main sign is covered over

About the same number of folks showed up today at the somewhat downtown TD Bank on Triangle Street for a protest over the Dakota Access oil pipeline although I did not see a single Sioux tribesperson among them.

Yes the Army Corps recently nixed an easement needed over the property so the battle is somewhat won so I guess this was a victory celebration to some extent.  Unlike the Veterans 'Raise Our Flag' protest/celebration which was cancelled yesterday so as not to seem like gloating.

 Since B2 can't sneak up folks turned their signs to her

Another pro-Hampshire College protest yesterday in town center attracted about the same small number of folks as today (75) but they decided to block traffic in town center -- specifically a legally permitted convoy enroute to Hampshire College.

 Yesterday APD had to move along protesters blocking traffic

 With gentle persuasion from APD sheet is removed

Today's protest was much better behaved, but they did cover over TD Bank's main sign for almost an hour and also tied up four Amherst police officers for nearly a half-hour.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

B2 casts a tiny shadow (bottom center) compared to Lifeflight helicopter

One of the things I lose sleep over at night is concern about low staffing of our Public Safety departments.

For instance very early this morning I was still awake to hear a Northampton ambulance come to Amherst via mutual aid to deal with an overly intoxicated student at Amherst College.

And that's in spite of AFD having four extra on duty staff paid for by UMass.  Because we only have five ambulances and they were all tied up at the time.

But that is in a sense an off seting factor, knowing that when AFD needs assistance to carry out their vital duty fellow EMS professionals from Northampton, Belchertown, South Hadley, etc are there to respond.

And in the case of a major structure fire another half-dozen or more surrounding FDs.

Another gem in the toolbox for Emergency Medical Response is the Lifeflight medivac helicopter operated by UMass Medical Center.  Because like a drone a helicopter can drop in to a small clearing, and then unlike a drone pick up a severely injured patient and safely deliver them to a critical care center in record time.

Note to readers:  I had permission of First Responders at the scene and the pilot of the helicopter to put B2 briefly in the air for a quick photo. Photos below with regular camera and iPhone.

 Look, up in the sky!

Had no concerns about being directly underneath since they are such a pro operation

A little noisier than B2, but a welcome sound for the critically injured

Today they dropped in to Amherst College soccer fields as a training exercise with the College and AFD.  While we do not use them very often they can and do make a life and death difference, which to some extent helps me sleep better at night.

A Little Disruption Now And Then

Anti-Trump protesters block traffic in town center this busy Sunday morning

After about 5 minutes APD "moved them along"

One of the criticisms of the huge gathering of Vets and their supporters at last week's Hampshire College "Raise The Flag" protest was, well, they were scary.

That many people waving American flags is scary to some I guess.

 Last week Hampshire College:  A sea of flags is scary to some

 Aerial photos show NO Confederate or Nazi flags in the crowd

But certainly none of them were accused of breaking any laws and neither APD or AFD had to respond to the scene.

This morning in Amherst town center a crowd of anti-Trump protesters used their God given, err, Founding Father given right to assemble and use their Free Speech on the Town Common which has seen protests like that for over 350 years.

Fair enough.

But then before the rally/demonstration dispersed they blocked traffic on South Pleasant street at a busy time of the morning inconveniencing those average citizens going about their business.

The specific target of their blockade I suppose was to stop a patriotic convoy that left Whately and toured through UMass and were enroute to Hampshire College.

The rally had been planned a few weeks ago and was to coincide with yet another "Raise The Flag" rally which was canceled at the last minute due to a gracious VFW leadership.

An admirable trait these downtown protesters seem to know nothing about.

Note to readers:  At no point was B2 directly over anyone's head except my own

A lone Vet with a flag greeted the caravan at main entrance to Hampshire College

A Sporting Gesture

The Rally heard round the world

The veterans who rallied around the flag at Hampshire College -- both figurative and literally -- have canceled tomorrow's Raise The Flag event, which was originally scheduled as another demonstration to pressure Hampshire College into doing the right thing, but then became sort of a victory celebration after they indeed DID THE RIGHT THING.

 Click to enlarge/read

Probably because they don't want folks to think they are gloating.

So no ticker tape parades through Times Square as we saw over 70 years ago on V-E and V-J Day, but still a major victory to be savored ... until the need arises once again. 

Freedom requires eternal vigilance.

B2 however is dissappointed

High Stakes Gamble

Amherst could apply to MSBA for Fort River Mega-School as soon as next month

The town already heard back from the Mass School Building Authority and as expected they rejected the idea of twin grades K-6 schools vs the just defeated concept of twin grades 2-6 schools as being a slight enough tweak to keep the current overall $67 million Mega School building plan in play.

   Amherst Mega School Dilemma by Larry Kelley on Scribd

For the past six months we've heard nothing but how extraordinarily bureaucratic the MSBA is, and that every i must be double dotted and every t double crossed.

Of course the only thing town/school officials really wanted is the extension from February 2 until March 31st to have another attempt at brow beating Amherst Town Meeting into giving it the two-thirds super majority it requires to pass.

 Town Meeting voted down Mega School 108-106

Considering it failed to even garner a simple majority last month, a Herculean task indeed no matter how much time the state gives them to lobby.

But that will not stop the Select Board from trying one last time to ram it through.

Considering how often they played the role of General Custer this past session with ALL of their unanimously supported major articles being shot down by Town Meeting, they better wear arrow proof shirts at that Special Town Meeting.

Half Full Or Half Empty?

Atkins Reservoir December 1st water level 6'7"  down from full

Atkins Reservoir 9/21 water level down 9'4"

Atkins Reservoir, after the 2.8" of recent rain, is now at 50% of its 200 million gallon capacity, or half full.

But for those of us still a little nervous about the drought and our town still relying only on wells for our vital water supply, it's half empty.

Either way it's not now in use as it was shut down on September 21st when water levels hit an almost historic low, down 9'4" with only 70 million gallons of water remaining.

Normally around this time the time we fire up Centennial Treatment Plant which processes water from our other two Pelham reservoirs, Hills and Hawley.

Click photos to enlarge/read

 Water usage in November averaged 2.9 Mgd, a tad below average

While the recent rain was a very good thing overall, it did stir up the water in all three reservoirs but DPW Chief Mooring reports the Pelham Reservoirs will be tapped "soon."

 Current drought map does not yet show impact of recent rains

Growth of drought since July

And as long as we get plenty of snow this winter the current drought could become just a bad memory.  Although a doubled-edged sword, since the DPW is also charged with keeping our roads free from snow and ice.

 Atkins sandbar 10/7

Atkins sandbar 12/1

And Our Flag Was Still There

Hampshire College main flag this morning

Flag Rally Peaceful Demonstration Sunday

Our flag may be many things to many people but almost everyone would agree it's a powerful symbol never to be taken lightly.

 Jonathan Lash (General Robert E. Lee) greets Victor Nunez Ortiz (General Ulysses S. Grant)

For the second time in 15 years the town of Amherst or one its major institutions found that out ... the hard way.

God bless America -- warts and all!

“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” 

Just Say No

East Pleasant/Triangle intersection, gateway to UMass

The Amherst Select Board responded Monday to Town Meeting's in your face 95-77 passage of an "advisory article" undoing five years worth of work by DPW staff and hard-working volunteer committees:

Drop dead!  (Or something like that).

 Vince O'Connor led the charge on the advisory petition to sabotage roundabout

After an hour of discussion including DPW Director Guilford Mooring and Public Works Committee Chair Christine Gray-Mullen the Select Board unanimously decided to stay with the roundabout concept rather than take the advice of Town Meeting and simply tweak the current traffic signals.

Mr. Mooring pointed out in order to see any improvement in the traffic lights phasing a new electrical cabinet and poles would need to be installed at a cost of between $140,000 - $200,000.

Ms. Mullen added that a roundabout is far safer than a traditional lighted intersection reducing fatalities by 90% and collisions with pedestrians by 40%.

 Christine Gray-Mullen and Guilford Mooring present to Amherst Select Board

Since work has been ongoing since Spring and all the concrete for the roundabout ordered and paid for the completion of the roundabout itself will only be another $250,000-$300,000.  That will come out of Ch 90 money which does not require Town Meeting approval.

Last year Town Meeting overwhelmingly supported an easement from Bank of America to assist with the roundabout and the town already cut down five trees at the corner of Kendrick Park.

A state $1.5 million Massworks grant is paying for the undergrounding of utility lines and pole removal near this intersection and the DPW did much of the work in-house to save money that will be applied to the roundabout.

Eversource is expected to be done with pole removal by March and the DPW will work full-time through the spring and summer, but take a brief break during graduations.  The overall roundabout should be completely by September 1st.

 The north end of downtown is being revitalized