The Gov came calling

So I checked out the Governor’s public happening in the People’s Republic of Amherst (located west of I-495 otherwise known as “the boonies.”) The affair was scheduled from 2:00 to 3:30 so I arrived with my new young daughter just after 3:00 PM hoping maybe for a Photo Op with the Gov.

A can’t miss combo: Handsome black dude, adorably cute Chinese baby girl--probably the most recent US citizen in the state (almost certainly in the town of Amherst.)

But he was pretty tied up sitting at the head table flanked on both sides by attentive aids otherwise known as his cabinet. And most of the speakers—A Hadley Select Man, a Greenfield Mayor, or a South Hadley Select Woman—spoke at him rather than to him.

And of course, everybody wanted more money.

The room was beyond packed—probably 175 or more (probably a fire code violation) with many standing along the perimeter. A half hour after the scheduled finish they were still going at it.

Jada started to squirm and then whimper, and I knew banshee bellowing was not too far behind, so we left.

But yeah, it was indeed good of the Governor to stop by. Although I have to wonder if maybe he could have learned a lot more with a lot less investment of time and tax money if he simply invited an Amherst DPW worker, firefighter or cop (off duty of course) out for a beer or two.

Yeah, when you Da Man you can park anywhere

And in case you did not know he was Da Man

Battle of the Blogs

Will the Town Manager’s new blog become the ‘Air America’ of the blogosphere?

Yeah, when insiders figured out just how politically powerful conservative talk radio had become, suddenly the Libs thought “I can do that”.

Except they did it very poorly. As in BORING!

And the problem with bureaucrats is they don’t wish to offend ANYBODY, and as a result usually sound like a Daily Hampshire Gazette editorial: “On the one hand; but, on the other hand…”

Still, I can’t wait until the Town Mangler steps up to the plate (where I tend to throw bullet-like fastballs, low and inside)

Bully article

How the seat was won

After the no foolin April 1’st election, Precinct 9 had two open seats because Stephanie O’Keeffe and Diana Stein were elevated to Select board.

Robie Hubley and two others all had received one write-in vote for Town Meeting (probably their own). So on April 16 the Town Clerk convened a meeting of Precinct 9 Town Meeting members to fill the two open seats and Hubley came in second with eight votes.

Simply because we say so

July 1, 2008

222 North East Street. Unit 5
Amherst, MA 01002
June 29, 2008

Board of Registrars for the Town of Amherst
Town Clerk
Town Hall
Amherst, MA 01002

Dear Sirs and Madams:

We have received your mailing that advises us of a complaint against us which claims that we are not residents of the Town of Amherst and therefore we are not legally registered voters in Amherst

Mr. Lawrence Kelley has made his determination that we do not live on Amherst on several erroneous assumptions:

1. Voter residence and registration. Both Anne Awad and Robie Hubley are registered as legal residents and voters in Amherst, and nowhere else. We both affirm that that is the case. It is the burden of the complainant to prove that we are not residents and voters of Amherst for this procedure to move forward. If the complainant cannot prove those allegations the complaint must be dismissed.

2. Homestead Act. Mr. Kelley maintains that a Homestead Declaration equals residence. Actually, MGL Chapter 188 says “An estate of homestead…may be acquired…by an owner or owners of a home…who occupy or intend to occupy said home as a principal residence.” [emphasis added]

3. Mortgage documents language. . The mortgage document relating to the South Hadley home includes a phrase that we should take occupancy by June 10, 2008. Mr. Kelley maintains that the occupancy date is an inflexible and compulsory matter of law. Florence Savings Bank officers have assured us that this provision is a rule of the bank, not a matter of law

If summoned by you, we shall appear and respond to any questions you may have about our residency. You have here our declaration that we, Anne S. Awad and Robie Hubley, are and remain long-time residents and registered voters in the Town of Amherst. We live here, sleep here, eat here, and go about our lives here. It is true that we purchased a house in South Hadley and we plan to move to that house when it is appropriate. When that occurs, we shall register as residents and voters in South Hadley, and proper notice will be given to the Registrars/Town Clerk to remove us from the voter rolls for Amherst.



________________________________________________________________________
Anne S. Awad Robie Hubley

More than one way to skin a rat

Office of the Secretary of The Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place
Boston, Ma 02108
7/14/2008

Dear Secretary Galvin,

Please consider this a formal complaint under 950 CMR 56:00 regarding the (in) actions of the Amherst Board of Registrars taken—or I should say not taken—on July 3’rd, and a request for a formal investigation by your office.

I requested a local hearing in accordance with Chapter 51, 48 to decide whether there is “sufficient grounds for an investigation” concerning the legal residency of Amherst Town Meeting member Robie Hubley and his wife Anne Awad a member of the Amherst Select Board (resigning as of 8/31).

On April 10 Mr. Hubley signed a Homestead declaration for a new home at 4 Jewett Lane, South Hadley. He and his wife Anne Awad also both signed another legal record that day.

The FDIC backed mortgage from Florence Savings Bank, signed under pains and penalties of Federal Law, clearly states: “Borrower shall occupy, establish and use the Property as Borrower’s principal residence within 60 days after the execution of the Security Instrument and shall continue to occupy the Property as Borrower’s principal residence for at least a year after the date of occupancy”

And as I’m sure you know, a Homestead is a notarized one-page legal document that clearly states: “I own and am possessed and occupy said premises as a residence and homestead.”

In response to this legal information going public, the couple published a Letter in the Amherst Bulletin declaring: “The homestead declaration, cited frequently by this newspaper as proof that we are already living in South Hadley, was an error on our part. We were unaware that such protection can only apply to one’s primary residence. We removed the homestead declaration as soon as we realized the error. It now applies only to our Amherst home as it has for years."

But according to a check of the Registry of Deeds this afternoon the Homestead for the South Hadley residency was never “removed” and is still in legal effect.

At the July 3’rd “hearing” the Amherst Board of Registrars completely ignored the Homestead evidence and they declared the mortgage residency requirement a “private matter.” Both Anne Awad and Robie Hubley attended the hearing but were not asked any questions by the Board of Registrars.

The Board unanimously voted, after a half-hour discussion, that there were no grounds to move on to a formal investigation.

To allow this Keystone Cops “investigation” to go unchallenged will only undermine the confidence of Amherst voters in our system of government when a vital national election is only four months away.

Sincerely Yours,


Larry Kelley
Amherst Town Meeting
Amherst Redevelopment Authority
5Th Generation Amherst resident

Deep Creek Maryland

Only in America (There's a place for us)

At 4:35 PM this afternoon, as she was carried off Continental Flight 88 from Beijing in New Jersey’s Liberty Airport, Jada Kelley became an official All American Girl.

You can go home again

Professor Li, a Chinese visiting scholar to Babson College and a friend of ours lives here in Hefei and picked us up at the airport. His university is only a few blocks from the Novotell and he once had the main manager as a Grad student so he got us a room upgrade from economy closet to penthouse suite.

He also hired a comfortable van and driver for the two-hour trip to Kira’s orphanage and came along with his 11-year-old daughter to act as interpreter.

Although we had prearranged the visit a week prior to leaving the US and paid the $150 tour fee plus $50 to our adoption agency for delivering the cash to the orphanage, the director still seemed surprised by our mid-morning visit.

He said we could take pictures outside the main gate but had to stow the cameras upon entering the compound. Ten years ago the BBC aired a documentary—“The Dying Rooms”--about the horrors of Chinese orphanages; the proud country became enraged and shut off international adoptions for a while.

Thus they are still distrusting of anyone with a camera. Probably a good thing.

The orphanage is bordered on one side by a graveyard and as we stood at the front gate swarmed over by dozens of children anxiously grabbing the small toys and trinkets we brought a cacophony of booms rang out, like the grand finally at a July 4’th fireworks.

Professor Li was told it emanated from the graveyard—to ward off evil spirits.

As the sun climbed higher in the pale blue sky the concrete/tile structure oozed heat. Combined with oppressive humidity and carrying my new 25-pound daughter who screamed if I even thought about putting her down on the ground, I was once again bathed in sweat.

The compound, about half the size of a football field, consisted of a perfect square made up of four narrow hall-like walls two stories high allowing for a large courtyard inside with an overgrown garden and one small, recent play structure (monkey bars, slide and swing)

Kira’s old room still looked the same: 21 ft by11 ft with one large open window in the center back wall. Three metal cribs on each sidewall with two babies per crib. The room was stifling. An air conditioner mounted on a wall up near the ceiling went unused.

Just as well, because the stench—even with the window wide open-- was overpowering. The white plaster walls, discolored and streaked with a sooty grayness, added to the somber scene.

They use industrial strength brown reusable diapers that look as rough as burlap and then cover them in plastic. Large 10-gallon red clay pots are lined up outside each room as bathrooms. Although we would occasionally see children simply squat in the courtyard and relieve themselves.

The older children helped the caregivers distribute baby bottles with formulae. The toddlers knew enough to lie flat on their backs to receive the bottles. And the nipples had extra large holes so the formulae flowed swiftly.

The second floor had four rooms marked “infant rooms” although only one, with five babies in residence, were what I would describe as infants (under one year old). The other three rooms were at full capacity (one dozen) and they all seemed to be about Jada’s age (18 months) or even older,

While Jada now eats solid food, drinks from a glass and dresses in normal clothes (over diapers) these children were still on the bottle and probably stayed in nothing but diapers the entire time.

The Huainan Children's Welfare Institute currently houses 100 children with responsibility for another 30 outsourced to foster parents in the community.

They have 30 employees. The director was not the same as five-and-a-half years ago when we adopted Kira. He was in his early 30’s and seemed as harried as he was bored.

My batteries died after only 3 or 4 photos out in the unrestricted area. One of the workers who shadowed us the entire time looked mentally challenged, so I’m sure if my camera was working I could have seriptiously snapped a few photos.

The wide-eyed kids with open sores on their face, a child with no hands, an albino boy, and the less than hygienic condition of the kitchen or piles of dirty diapers in the doorways.

But no camera could capture the most stunning assault on the senses: the smell, that awful smell. Smells like…misery.

Last leg of a long journey

For American adoptive parents in China no matter where you spent the last week picking up your child all roads lead to Guangzhou, home to the only American Consulate that does entry visas for these children about to become American.

Around 3:00 Tuesday afternoon, 31 sets of parents boarded a bus at the White Swan Hotel and took a 30-minute ride to the American Consulate. We took an oath that everything stated in the US Immigration paperwork was true and then received our entry papers to the United States of America for our adopted child.

The moment we land on American soil (beautiful New Jersey) Jada becomes an American citizen.

In Guangzhou we lost our novelty status as we shared the streets with about 100 other western couples with Chinese babies all staying at the White Swan. And like us, many of them were on their second or third adoption.

It was an odd mix of Average America—most of the couples older, many of them overweight. In fact, the majority would not survive the newer stricter adoption regulations recently enacted by China.

We are now heading to Hefei, capital of Anhui Province a small city of 2 million, where we will once again be an oddity. We will stay at the Novotel (a nice 4 star hotel half the price of the White Swan). In 2002 we first met our daughter Kira in their ballroom.

Night and Day

View from the 15'th Floor of White Swan

We need the Top Cop

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
July 7, 2008


Dear Attorney General Coakley,

On May 20 I requested you undertake a ‘quo warranto procedure’ to remove from office Amherst Town Meeting member Robie Hubley. On April 10 Mr. Hubley signed a ‘Homestead’ declaration for a residency in South Hadley and also signed (with his wife) an FDIC mortgage from Florence Savings Bank that also requires “primary residency” at the South Hadley home.

The Amherst Town Attorney wrote to you and politely suggested you stay out of the matter until the local option occurred, G.L.c. 51, 48—a hearing before the Amherst Board of Registrars.

On Thursday, July 3’rd the Board did meet (as I am currently in China adopting a second daughter, I did not attend) and according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette both Robie Hubley and his wife Anne Awad (who recently resigned her Select Board seat) attended but did not speak, because—amazingly--the Board of Registrars did not ask them any questions!

The issue of the “Homestead” declaration was not discussed and the bank mortgage “primary residency” requirement was dismissed as a “private” matter.

One of the three Registrars, Harry Brooks, is a personal friend of Anne Awad and failed to recuse himself from the proceeding.

The Town Clerk (who moderated the meeting) serves at the whim of the Amherst Town Manager. Anne Awad and Robie Hubley were both Amherst Select Board members two years ago and made the decision to hire him. Town Manager Shaffer has steadfastly defended the couples right to declare Amherst their home no matter the evidence to the contrary.

Since this initial July 3 hearing was simply exploratory to ascertain whether “sufficient grounds for an investigation” exists, it is beyond comprehension the Board of Registrars unanimously decided that no such grounds exist —right up there with the earth is flat, Apollo 11 never landed on the moon and Elvis is alive.

Obviously the proceeding was far from impartial and if allowed to go unchallenged will undermine the confidence of Amherst voters in our system of democracy.

Could you now, please, bring your office into this matter?


Sincerely Yours,

Larry Kelley
Amherst Town Meeting
Amherst Redevelopment Authority
5’Th generation Amherst resident

via email

There are two China's

Those who can afford Guangzhou’s luxurious five-star White Swan Hotel, and everybody else.

At $150 night (Internet an extra $15)--twice the room rate of the Regal Hotel we just came from, plus $45 for a dinner entrée (a la carte) $5 for a 12 once can of diet coke and with $1,000 statues and artwork available in the numerous boutiques a hip young Chinese couple could easily spend in one weekend what a farmer in Guiyang makes in an entire year.

The White Swan’s window washers, bellhops, cooks and maids are like Amherst’s police, fire, and DPW: they built and keep the operation running, but could never afford to call it home.
The Community Park around the corner Monday morning:

Same Park Sunday morning:

Bear any burden

Happy Birthday America

Here in this far flung city in the South West region of China—consider the “boonies”—I can have breakfast at Starbucks, lunch at Kentucky Fried Chicken, dinner at Pizza Hut, catch a cab instantly to go shopping at Wal Mart and then retire for a luxurious night at the Sheraton.

Other than seeing only one other westerner over the past week, this city of 3.5 million could easily pass for Boston or New York (locals even wear the white “I love (red heart) China.”

China Daily, the overly pro-establishment newspaper, (kind of reminds me of the Amherst Bulletin) carried a Front Page tearjerker article yesterday including a photo of an attractive young woman in a wedding dress clutching a framed photo of a soldier in uniform.

He had recently perished of “acute exhaustion” after a month of performing earthquake relief. He was being hailed as a “martyr.” A few pages later another photo shows a supine child on a stretcher saluting the “Peoples Liberation Army” soldiers carrying him out of the rubble.

Another Front Page story briefly covered a riot of 30,000 citizens over the death of a 17-year old middle school girl. Rioters thought she was raped and murdered by the relative of a government official. The government denied the charge and claimed she committed suicide. And I’m sure that is the end of the story.

Because the one thing that distinctly differentiates this county from home is that one dare not criticize the government.

In China, my repeated requests to remove a public official over residency would probably land me in jail. And in fact, if the right Chinese official happened to see the AP wire story where that high-ranking local Amherst official branded me a “stalker” the adoption would have been cancelled (at that point I probably would have become a stalker).

At the recent Select Board discussion of the July 4’TH Parade, His Lordship SB Chair Gerry Weiss described America as a country that slaughtered native Americans, enslaved blacks, and withheld from women the right to vote.

But that is the America of the past. Like the dragons in Chinese architecture, I prefer to look forward. America is, quite simply, the best--and she continually strives to become even better.

Something to celebrate!(There but for the grace of God...)

Grand Falls

China Thursday

Like the opening scene of a classic Godzilla movie the monster is heard way before being seen.

Huangguoshu, or The Grand Falls, is the largest waterfall in Asia and a Mecca for folks all over the continent, including China’s last half-dozen leaders.

It was drizzling as we boarded the 7-passenger van with our driver, Mr. Hung who just recently returned from earthquake relief volunteer work. And our guide/interpreter, Xiao Xiao (pronounced show show).

The falls were a two-hour drive from our hotel thru some of the most scenic farmland in China.

This province, in spite of the modern city of Guiyang, is predominantly agrarian and one of the poorest in China. We would pass huge open fields of rice segmented like a patchwork quilt. Some of the fields were flooded, the crops lost.
Rice and corn seemed like the predominant crop and many rows of corns were planted in terrace like steps up the side of mountains.

The round trip cost 1,5000 yuan or $225. With the price of gas (also a little over $4/gallon) and the tolls ($40 round trip) we thought it was well worth it…even though it was raining.

By the time we arrived at the main building to get our tickets ($30 each, plus 30 cents mandatory insurance, children free) it was pouring. The price of admission also included a rain poncho like the kind you can buy at Disney or Bush Gardens for $10.
The Falls were about a mile trek with a 900 foot vertical drop negotiated by stone stairs far more refined than the ones we used to climb the top of the mountain to the ancient Buddhist temple.

Before the descent we passed thru a Banzai Garden (some of the trees are over 100 years old) and within minutes we could hear the distant roar of the monster falls.
After about a half-hour of careful walking we caught our first glimpse and for the next 10 minutes it was constantly in view. The trail under the falls was closed due to high water levels but we got close enough to where Kira was getting spooked.
After a few minutes trying to shoot video in a pouring rain and shrapnel like mist coming off the falls we decided to head back, almost continuously upward.

Three older matronly women gently accosted me, complaining about Jada not being properly protected from the elements (both the mist of the falls and the driving rain). They realigned my poncho and suggested I tuck Jada under my shirt. As they were “helping”, two other younger women snapped pictures.


As we excited the attraction you had to pass a gauntlet of booths selling all sorts of food, souvenirs and clothing. Donna purchased a metal ornate teapot marked 300 yuan ($45) but he ended up taking 100 ($15). It pays to bargain, and it helps to have a translator.
We had lunch at a little fat food restaurant near the main parking lot. An old woman dressed in black aggressively tried to sell us a kid’s trinket for 2 yuan (30 cents) and Jada started screaming. The shop owners chased her away.

It continued raining the entire two-hour trip home. The driver talked non-stop to our guide. As we pulled into our hotel Kira announced she was going to puke.

Donna leaped up grabbed her head with one hand and opened the sliding door with the other…barely in time.

Just then the sun broke through the clouds.

Taken about 10 minutes after the first video after the rain stopped and I no longer feared for my life.

For whom the bell tolls

At least the Gazette is (somewhat) paying attention to this greedy (Only in) Amherst residency scam. Someone emailed me the Jpg of this morning’s article so I could post it, but the Internet connection here is now slower than customer service at a Bank of China.

But in reading the article directly at Gazettenet I was reminded that today’s 3:00 PM hearing at Town Hall is kind of like a Grand Jury indictment proceeding, in that they do not definitively decide the issue today, they simply weigh the evidence to see if there is “sufficient grounds for an investigation”—as in proceeding on to a trial.

So under those laissez-faire conditions, there is no way in Hell they can decide that Hubley/Awad are “beyond a shadow of a doubt” full-time Amherst residents with all the rights and privileges to vote and/or hold local office. Remember, OJ beat the criminal rap but lost the civil case because it only required a "preponderance of the evidence."

I will not be flying 17 hours to attend the hearing so here’s the only question I would ask each of them if they continue to insist--even under oath--that Amherst is their “primary residence.”

To Mr. Hubley: You signed a ‘Declaration of Homestead” on April 10 legally declaring 4 Jewett Lane South Hadley your “Primary residence”, were you lying then or are you lying now?

To Ms. Awad: You signed an FDIC approved mortgage on April 10 (under pains and penalties of perjury) from Florence Savings Bank with a ‘Residency Requirement’ for a home at 4 Jewett Lane South Hadley within 60 days; yet you now claim Amherst is your primary residency. Are you lying now or were you lying then?

Either way, mortgage fraud or voter residency fraud notwithstanding, it's perjury and perjury is a federal offense. And the only good thing about Amherst's system of town government is they have a bylaw banning anyone who has a Federal rap sheet.

Even In China

Yeah, and this Super Wal Mart was located directly across the street from the giant Mao statue in the Guiyang center, directly in line with his stare. Maybe they should add a few tears.

To the top of the mountain.

Qian Ling Park reminds me of New York City’s Central Park: an oasis of green among a sea of concrete, although in this case it just outside the capital city and a lot harder to reach via a mile hike with a 500 foot vertical gain.
At the top of the mountain lies the main attraction: the oldest Buddhist temple in the provice dating back 500 years. And it is still active as the sprawling facilities with shrines. Prayer centers and enormous Buddha statues still houses 42 monks, their sleeping quarters, and a vegetarian restaurant.

Our guide (who is a Buddhist) said she recently met the 92-year-old head monk and he is the picture of health.

The base of the mountain, with a peaceful stream, is where the “park” amenities cluster with amusement rides, games, fast food, and ubiquitous trinkets for sale. The Olympic Logo (which reminds me of Teletubbies) in flowers attracted native tourists as a backdrop for photos.
The weather was an almost perfect 72 degrees and only slightly muggy but it was not very long after starting the climb up 12” rock steps cut in the mountain, hugging Jada to my chest, that I was sweating profusely.

About 10 minutes into the climb we spotted our first wild monkey. Our guide warned us they could get aggressive. On her last tour a five year old got too close and the monkey slapped him in the face.
Naturally with hundreds of people making the trek daily the monkeys are no longer afraid of humans and since they get plenty of food some of them are looking a tad overweight. But they are government protected so they thrive.

Because of the steep grade the rock staircase would curve as it snaked its way to the top.

The monkey was sitting on top of the rock guardrail and we stopped to take a picture. Folks coming down the trail stopped to let us get the shot resulting in a slight traffic jam. I noticed the other tourists were far more interested in our multi-racial family than the monkey.

The top of the mountain looked nothing like the tourist attraction clustered down below. It is an active monastery and many of the folks who made the climb performed prayers, the gong of ancient ritual bells frequently pierced the air and the smell of incense was everywhere.

The huge Buddha statues (including the bright gold “laughing Buddha”) were off limits to photographers and robed monks in sandals sat in the entryway to all the buildings.
We descended via a paved road on the other side of the mountain (naturally many tourists prefer to drive to the top rather than hike). About half way down at a sharp corner we could hear the loud whine of a motorcycle so we stepped completely off the road.

Two kids, one about 18 and his passenger maybe 12, were showing off by going to fast and pointing to us. He cut the corner to sharply and went down with a loud crash, sliding sideways down the road for perhaps twenty yards.

They were both stunned into silence. Our interpreter ran over and pulled up the younger one, wiping his bloody arm with a tissue who looked like he was in shock. He had “road rash” on his right arm (exposed because he was only wearing a t shirt) and probably his right hip/leg as well.

The older kid looked like he suffered little damage. The bikes front cover blew off but it managed to restart. Our guide told them to be careful, don’t show off and be respectful.

They restarted the bike and tore off. Our guide shook her head. About five minutes later we came across them on the side of the road as the bike had died.

Almost down we spotted metal tracks looping below. Kira recognized them from Disney World and yelled “roller coaster”. Donna and Kira took a ride ($2.25 each) while I sat with Jada and our guide.
The owners of the ride—a husband and wife about my age—came over and sat next to us at the picnic table. The women gave me a thumbs up and told the interpreter we were “good people” for adopting Kira and Jada.

The husband, who looked Mongolian, said he was ashamed his people would abandon these little girls (as he we speaking I noticed our guide/interpreter wince slightly). I really didn’t know what to say. I could tell he was not patronizing me and genuinely felt bad.

We shook hands, as my other one hugged Jada close.

What you looking at

When in Rome (or China)

Tuesday (7:30 am)

The entire family and our interpreter took a taxi to a nondescript government office on the sixth floor of a building in city center to finalize the adoption paperwork.



The 40 by 20 room room was hot, with a row large windows facing out into the street along the left wall. A large conference table dominated the room and official looking plaques and flags adorned the walls, so it resembled a VFW or American Legion Hall--only all the adornments were red.


The male director of the orphanage and a female teacher (both in their early 30’s) were already there and a Provincial Government official (a pregnant woman in her late 30’s) showed up a few moments late. We signed a few documents and then pressed our thumbs in red ink and placed the thumbprint directly over our signature.

After the paperwork was done we waited a few minutes for another, higher ranked, government official (a professionally dressed women in her late 40’s) to look over all the paperwork and declare it okay. Thankfully she did just that.

Since we needed cash our interpreter took us to a branch of the state owned ‘Bank of China”. We simply wanted to exchange about $100 in cash, $150 in traveler’s checks and take $250 out of our bank via debit card.

The branch had 9 available lines staffed by young workers in smart red (with a little white) uniforms sitting behind bulletproof glass. After about 20 minutes dealing with one teller Donna managed to exchange the American money, but that was it. The teller seemed to suggest we had no money in our savings account for the debit.

Donna then went outside to the bank's ATM and instantly did the withdraw/exchange herself. I went to another line and spent a few minutes filling out a form to cash the travelers checks. She then handed me another stamped form and said go to Line Seven.

There I waited another ten minutes for the single person in front of me to complete a transaction. In the middle of this a man came up to the next window and tried to get service. They sent him away (probably to another line on the other side of the office) and he started shouting (probably because he had just waited in that line).

I worried the police or military would take him away but after the shouting match with two separate bank employees lasting a couple minutes ceased, he sat down and they serviced him.

The young man counting out my money never even looked up. After 45 minutes we finally exited the building with our Chines money. The American banking system has nothing to fear.


EYE see you



Ancient Garden


Built overlooking the river Nanming (means South Bright) by order of the Emperor, the wooden building lasted longer than he did (500 years and counting). The disgruntled workers crafted the dragons on the roof to be looking backwards, a sign of bad luck. Proved that way for the last emperor of Ming Dynasty (who had a very brief reign).

Selling is the same all over the world

Monday (dawn)

The immediate area around the city center are honeycombed with funky side streets and alleyways that look unchanged for generations.

Although you have to pay attention to the cars making their way along the narrow single lane or motorcycles and scooters competing with them.

Call it a Farmers Market melded with a giant flea market as all sorts of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats (cooked and still running around) are available all along the way.

Some of the buildings house mini open markets as well, so this is all probably year round activity.
As the only Americans in sight we stand out. As Americans with two Chinese daughters in a nation that enforces a One Child Policy we stand out all the more.

A few folks even came up and took photos on their cell phones (that, like cigarette smoking, are ubiquitous).

No, I did not consider that stalking.

Greetings from the (other) People's Republic

Sunday morning (Asian time)

Arrived in Beijing after a 13-hour flight from New Jersey. The main terminal is the largest I have ever seen and looks brand new. The marble floors, which span the square footage of a few football fields, look like you could eat off them or use them for a mirror to shave.

Our layover was three hours and we thought we would be hanging out with time to spare but the connecting flight run by China Air took forever to coordinate and we just barely made the packed flight.

We were also spread out in the plane but two passengers’ kindly switched seats so we could sit together. The flight to Guiyang, capital of the Guizhuo province, added another three hours to our airtime. It’s a bustling city of 3.5 million.

The modern airport, about the size of Bradley International in Connecticut, is nestled among mountainous peaks. The driver failed to appear, so we took a taxi to the Regal Hotel, a modern western operation in the heart of the city.

For the brief time we were in Beijing we barely attracted a second look and saw lots of other Caucasians. Here we stand out. After a brief walk around the block almost everyone we encountered looked us up and down (but in a friendly way).

Donna and Kira would use their limited Chinese and some of them would respond with limited English.

Our guide left us a note at the hotel saying rather than getting Jada on Monday afternoon the orphanage will be fringing her to our hotel lobby today at noon.

The government in China even works Sunday’s.

You got that right!

Click to ENLARGE

So I’m glad the Bully showed some journalistic integrity (about time!) by making the July 4’th Parade turnaround article the banner lead and Ms. Awad’s crying wolf story--although still Above The Fold--a bit less hyped.

Although that hardly neutralizes the AP national wire distribution of the story on Tuesday morning, insinuating I was a “stalker”.

And even if they did play it up as the TOP news story of the week, it would not matter all that much because faithful Bulletin readers will remember that Awad and Hubley lied to them a month ago in a Letter claiming they revoked the Homestead on the South Hadley mansion and reinstated it on their tiny (up for sale) Amherst condo.

Gotta Love this Letter in the same edition

Well…I meant the one from Mr. Souweine (owner of the “House” made famous by Tracy Kidder) but Mr. Rivard’s lead letter is also equally sagacious.

Let the trial begin

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Not only do I want the two of them gone from Amherst elected “public service”; but I also do not want either of them to be able to vote on their replacements. And apparently Ms. Awad’s Select Board seat will be filled this September 16. Mr. Hubley has yet to resign his Town Meeting seat, but that body is pretty negligible.

So let’s hold the Board of Registrars investigative hearing to decide their residency (especially since they will be placed under oath—not a requirement to pen a lying Letter To The Editor of the Amherst Bulletin).

And when they are proven to be South Hadley residents, then not only can they not hold local office but also they can also not vote in an Amherst precinct.

Wolf in the fold (or so the little boy cried)

UPDATE 9:30 PM (Tuesday). I stole the brief video of Ms Awad giving her Nixon like resignation speech at last night's Select Board meeting from Mary Carey's blog. I was at the meeting sitting at the journalists table from 6:50 until about 8:35 live blogging but she gave the speech just prior to the 'public comment' period at 6:30 pm.

Original Post (about noon Tuesday):
When I took a photo of Mr. Weiss’s late model auto covered with lefty bumper stickers, I was standing on a town road located only 20 or 30 yards from his front door. When I took a photo of Ms. Awad gardening at her South Hadley home--also from a public road--I was over a hundred yards from her front door (my $100 Kodak digital camera has 3x optical zoom) as the house is located at the top of a steep hill.

Although he never complained about my photo shoot at his home, Mr. Weiss describes the latter as “harassment”.

Of course he also described my Open Meeting Law complaint (later upheld by the District Attorney) as having a “chilling effect” on his Select Board.

I never actually photographed the Amherst condo complex (only the real estate sign down on the front lawn advertising an Open House--where presumably any citizen could have walked through their supposed residency. Or you can go to Sawicki Real Estate web cite and take a virtual tour of their condo (bedroom included).
Take the tour (they are not home)

In our initial phone conversation (prior to calling back to apologize for shouting) Mr. Hubley voiced concerned about my use of the term “locked and loaded” on my blog, considering that a “threat” to do gun violence.

Of course I felt like responding that I would not need a gun to take him out, but knew that might be considered a threat, so I simply laughed and pointed out it was, you know, a metaphor.

Guess I will not bring my daughter Kira trick-or-treating to their South Hadley mansion this Halloween.

Select Board "discussion" July 4'th Parade

7:22 PM Nobody from the Amherst July 4’Th Parade Committee is here (under advice from an attorney). The usual cadre of malcontents are here—you know, the type that causes Rockwell to roll over in his grave.

Alisa clarifies what his Lordship misstated: that the 7/4 Parade Committee has, in addition to this evening, refused to meet with the Town Manager. She points out they met many times.

7: 30 PM Sounds like the Town Manager is backing down by saying the private committee could still have their parade next year.

Stephanie states she is “extremely disappointed” nobody from the (private) Committee is here.

Harry Brooks wants to invite the private Parade Committee to take part next year in the Protest Parade (yeah right Harry after you “take over”, eh?)

Ernie Uvater babbles about how he marched a few years back with a sign about a "Gulag" and nobody said anything to him. Of course I remember biking up to him and asking him to leave and he refused. And then got lost as I was looking for a police officer.

7:35 Town Manager confirms that this year the town will not pull vehicles but next year they will pull them if the private committee does not allow protest signs (Hmmm Boss Hogg , I thought there was not going to be a private parade next year?)

Ms Awad thinks it would be unfortunate if we have two parades next year. What the hell does she carem South Hadley probably only has one.

Jon Nelms does not want any parade next year.

Bob Romer, who has been a "member of the ACLU for 58 years", is not impressed with their recent letter saying it is only one attorney (little does he know how many attorneys vetted that letter)

Ed Cutting points out that the town could not selectively ban hate speech or obscenities if they decide to do their official protest parade.

Terry Franklin likes the idea of two parades. "Evicting" the private parade was not cool. Defends the committee for not showing up tonight. Plenty of time to fit in two parades that day.

7:50 PM. Emily Lewis (yeah, she was here on 9/10/01 trashing American flags in the downtown) doesn't like the committee using the word "Amherst". She never voted for that. "I don't want this parade representing me and my kind." Inaccurate, unfair and undemocratic to call the parade "Amherst parade."

Bob Ackerman: Boxing out the private parade by claiming the town needs all day to do its parade next year seems like a scene out of a 1950's Hollywood anti-communism propaganda movie.

8:00 (prosecutor) Rich Morse: How did this parade committee get fed into a "meat grinder." Yes, it's a "little constricted" but we should all be able to find something to love about America that day just for that hour. "Why can't we just have a celebration," One to "Celebrate what we love about America."

Nancy Foster (God, will somebody time this as she will go on and on and on...) Plugs her column in this week's Bulletin cheering the Town Manager's "take over" of the Parade.

His Lordship Weiss (mercifully) interrupts her and says not to get too deep into history. Yea! she's done.

Harry's wife Paulette doesn't want the parade privatized (where has she been for the past seven years?).

Chairman Weiss: Would advise The Town Mangler to shorten his time for the public parade next year and allow the private one as well.

Stephanie: The private committee is pretty clear what they want to do. The folks in the room tonight seem to be all over the map. Agrees a public parade would open the town up to unintended consequences as to who may show up.

Diana Stein: We can't speak for the private parade. But let's form a committee for the public parade but allow the private one.

Anne Awad (yeah, she's still here): "Form a committee, but be fair to the other (private) group."

Alisa Brewer: Folks who want to have an Amherst public protest parade might not like the idea of police and fire vehicles anyway. Opposed to spending town money on a town run parade. Don't want to see Leisure Services running a parade. Busy enough with other programs. I don't see any reason for a town parade.

Weiss summarises: So you would not have a public parade next year but would also not allow police and fire equipment in the private one? "Yes", she responds.

Ms Awad: A community parade doesn't have to cost anything (wonder if she ever heard the expression: "You get what you pay for?). Let anything and everything march at the last minute.

Carol Rothery: (League of Women Voters) Town should have a parade. But would love to have military police and fire (but you gotta wonder if they will want to attend?)

Weiss: "Do we want to give the Town Manager any direction? (pause) I don't think we're ready tonight."

(Sagacious) Stephanie: Sounds like the Board is coming around to allowing the private parade committee to have their parade again next year. Can we make that official?

I move the Amherst July 4 Parade Committee be granted a permit for 7/4/09 and they have their 3:00 pm start, but no town equipment.

Weiss: what we can agree to is the town will not take up the entire day next year and the private 7/4 parade committee will be granted a parade permit.

I don't want my comment to make it seem like I oppose what you did (speaking to Town Manager)

Shaffer: You can't tell me what to do concerning a Parade or about the use of town equipment. However, I'm deeply respectful (I just knew there was going to be a "however" in there pretty quick).

Alisa calls him on it: Community is not looking to Town Manager to solve this they are looking to elected officials (especially the ones who actually live in Amherst)

WEISS: I move the "sense of the board" is that the private group can have their parade next year but not with town equipment. After thought suggestion but not part of the official motion he "respectfully asks the committee to strike the word Amherst"

Vote passes unanimously.

The Empire Strikes Back

Yeah, and we all know what an expert the Town Mangler is at producing parades. Yikes!

If you can't stand the heat...

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UPDATE: 3:35 PM. Somebody just pointed out that Ms. Awad's term expired in 09 not 2010. She couldn't even get that right!

Of course she also stated in a Letter to the Amherst Bulletin that she removed the Homestead on the new South Hadley home and filed one on the Amherst Condo (that is up for sale). Both claims are false.

Blogger (1), Powers that used to Be (zero)

So finally their tortured existence—at least as Amherst town officials—comes to an end. The resignation of Anne Awad from the Select Board caps a month of arrogant refusal to acknowledge the inevitable. Aided of course by a supportive Town Manager and a hired gun town attorney.

Yeah, the bricks and mortar media could have and should have done a lot more--especially after they used the Commentary Pages of the Amherst Bulletin to lie to the general public.

But all’s well that end’s well. Damn…now what do I do?

Ding Dong the Witch is Gone!

Amherst Select Person and former Czar Anne Awad is going, going, GONE as of of September 1'st! (because she moved to South Hadley on or about April 10'th).

Of course now you gotta wonder if she votes on the winning side of an issue over the next two months and it's a 3-2 vote, is that going to hold up in court?

Bloody Sunday

So the town website is down (upgrading to "new and improved").

Thus our only source of information about Monday's Select Board meeting is Ms. O'Keeffe. Sound like the Town Manager carried out the long laundry list wishes of SB member Alisa Brewer and put together a package of background material on the 7/4 Parade fiasco.

Of course Stephanie also mentions that the Town Mangler wrote a response to the ACLU letter--that I of course just requested from her under Public Documents Law--but then town officials do get to take Sunday's off (unlike citizen journalists) so she can ignore my request until tomorrow.

UPDATE: 8:45 PM. So Stephanie just responded and she hopes/wishes/pleads I will wait until tomorrow to get the Town Mangler's letter back to the ACLU from somebody other than her at Town Hall. She's concerned (and I said in my response that she is showing her rookieness) that circulating the document could get her in trouble. Hmmm. It's a freaken PUBLIC DOCUMENT (in my response I said that 3 freaken times).

Yeah, we have a (gentle-persons) agreement that our email exchanges are 'off the record' so I will not post the actual exchanges.

What you looking at

Real American values

Victor Patnaude, 91, passed away a few weeks back. Just one of the 1,000 WW2 vets disappearing per day. At his private funeral over in Hadley (where strangely enough many Amherst townies repose, including generations of my family) a member of the renowned ‘Highlander Bagpipes Group’ piped “Amazing Grace” while a matched pair of F-15 fighter jets swooped in low, fast and loud.

A fitting tribute indeed to a distinguished member of the “Greatest Generation,” who selflessly performed their duty that--in his case--included blocking Hitler’s equally insane ground version of a surprise kamikaze attack: the “Battle of the Bulge”.

Sergeant Patnaude’s obituary in the Daily Hampshire Gazette also declared: “One of the highlights of his life was being selected as Grand Marshal of the 2005 Independence Day Celebration Parade.”

And while perimeter patrolling on my mountain bike that day, I do so vividly recall as his open car crept into the heart of Amherst town center the jeers, catcalls and derogatory bellows from a marginal group of anti-war protesters clustered on the usual (protest) corner directly under the official town flag.

Including one idiot holding aloft a placard emblazoned with “Sieg Heil!”.

Fortunately normal folks--including a bevy of exuberant children--cheering, waiving, and saluting far outnumbered the whackos.

Obviously he did not blame his hometown of Amherst, as his final written statement to all who knew him or of him, declared that brief and shining 7/4 episode (only an hour) a "highlight," out of a very long life, exceeding well lived life.

Thank you sir! Give my regards to your band of brothers.