God bless America (but then, this is Amherst)

How embarrassing is this: the ACLU is at odds with the People's Republic of Amherst. Yikes!

So let's hope Town Manager Shaffer has bigger and better things on his plate rather than costing the taxpayers over $10,000 to launch a competing July 4'th Parade so war protesters can march.

And last I looked the War in Iraq is pretty much over and guess what? We won! (and they hate that).

The Republican Reports Link is not perfect so click "Amherst" after clicking this hyperlink

Only in China and...

Original Post 10:00 AM

Yeah, when I was in China recently for a couple weeks I was amazed by their ability to control the Internet. In addition to censoring President Obama's inaugural speech reference to communism they also put a blogger in jail for "inciting state subversion" by exposing lousy school building construction that killed so many children in that awful earthquake in the Sichuan Province in May.

Of course the stark contrast between school buildings that pancaked like the Trade Towers compared to other government buildings nearby that withstood the quake was hard for even the highly-skilled Chinese censors to cover up.

The People's Republic of Amherst simply threatens pesky bloggers with arrest, and then has a "Trespass Notice" hand delivered by a Sheriff. But hey, at least the difference between the Schools and the other town buildings is only in hot water provided (off the charts at the Bangs Center and Town Hall) and not in sturdy construction...I hope.
#################################################################
10:25 AM UPDATE

Ironically I was checking my open public sitemeter and found someone who arrived here a few moments ago from a search engine called "Onekey—the kid safe search engine,” and of course across the top appeared the names of Amherst schools. They also hit “search the web” rather than “search arps.org”.

According to their ‘About Us’ link: “OneKey partnered with Google.com provides the largest database of kid safe sites”. So I guess we do censor the Net even here in America. But still, a big difference between porn and politics.

Nice to know the Amherst schools have not banned my blog.

Freedom of the blog? Not in The People's Republic!

UPDATE: 4:15 PM Super Sprague responds...finally.
-----Original Message-----
From: Al Sprague
To: amherstac@aol.com
Cc: Helen Vivian
Sent: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 3:09 pm
Subject: Re: Permission to use the 1'st Amendment

Dear Mr. Kelley:

I’m sorry I was not able to respond to the request you sent at 3:17
p.m. yesterday asking to attend the school committee meeting last night.
Unfortunately, we were in budget planning meetings for the entire
afternoon and did not have an opportunity to check email until this
morning. If you wish to attend public meetings on school property in
the future, please call 362-1810 with as much advance notice as
possible. That is the best way to ensure we will receive your request
in time to consider it.

Al Sprague
Co-Superintendent
##############################################################
Of course my reliable sources tell me the school administration was having a BIG party while watching the inauguration and everybody had to bring in food either from Hawaii or Kenya (at least they did not send out for pizza at taxpayer expense)
##############################################################
UPDATE: 9:25 AM (Wednesday)
So the local media, swept up in Obama fever, had nothing to offer in their morning edition's of the Regional School Committee meeting last night where if indeed a FY2010 budget was presented makes it an important meeting.

And since I have live blogged a few Select Board meetings in the past or usually if covering a meeting on school property—such as Town Meeting—where there is no free wireless (that costs Ed $30/month) I get my posts up within the hour.

Soooooooo, if I had attended that critical meeting last night you would now be reading my impressions. And yes, I took 'Journalism 101' and watched 'Dragnet', so I know how to relate the facts.

Even if colored with my sometimes (okay, oftentimes) snarky observations, at least you would now be better informed. That is, if I were given permission to attend the meeting.
###################################################################################

Original Post Tuesday 8:00 PM
So I was reminded by email from a blog reader that the Regional School Committee was meeting at 7:00 PM tonight and Acting –Co-Superintendents planned to unveil the FY10 budget, a huge component of Amherst’s $60+ million operation (with some slightly strange ideas for cost savings.)

At 3:17 PM (what we in the private sector refer to as normal business hours) in order to avoid arrest I emailed for permission to attend. It’s now 7:55 PM and no response. Hmm….



-----Original Message-----
From: amherstac@aol.com
To: spraguea@arps.org
Sent: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 3:17 pm
Subject: Permission to use the 1'st Amendment

Alton Sprague, Co-Superintendent Amherst Schools


Please consider this a formal written request for permission to set
foot on Amherst School property--specifically the Amherst Pelham
Regional High School--to attend the Regional School Committee meeting
this evening January 20 at 7:00 PM.

Larry Kelley

Not ready for prime time

So according to the Town Mangler’s only upload thus far this year on his ‘Amherst Town Manager’s blog’ (1/16/09): “The skating rink has been created at Kendrick Park and is ready for use. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see people skating in Kendrick Park.”

I had a variety of business uptown today--including parking in town center with my laptop to use the free wireless and catch President Obama’s speech (as I have no TV at home) and every time I passed by the “skating rink” it was empty. The “ice” does not look overly inviting.

The torch has been passed...

Now you see them...

So the Town Manager released his gloom and doom budget, up 3.2% over this year’s and tad over the Finance Committee’s recommendation to keep increases to only 2%. Four full-time positions will be eliminated…sort of.

His administrative assistant Gail Weston is getting the ax but will relocate to another position in the Leisure Services Recreation Empire. And the “human resources consultant” position currently occupied by Kay Zlogar who took early retirement a few years back and then returned as a “consultant” is also history. Last year she consulted $43,000 worth (on top of her retirement benefits).

But don’t play the violin for Ms.Zlogar, as she too is merely being reassigned: now she will consult/oversee the Health Claims Trust Fund--probably to the tune of $43,000.

I believe my Irish mother would describe these maneuvers as “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

What took them so long?

So, "I'm-here-to-help-you" Government can snatch private land by eminent domain for Schools, Fire Stations or Sewer Treatment Plants and the Supreme Court recently decided they could also take a man’s or woman’s Castle simply to promote economic development (“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”)

But the Feds had to waste three years negotiating with a quarry company over the sacred ground where Flight 93--at an unheard of speed for a Boeing 757--came to its final resting place?

Only in America!

The AP reports

Take this "shard" and shove it!

Click photo to enlarge

Springfield Republican Reports (The only thing I wish the reporter included was the clearly established scientific facts regarding water temperature and scalding and at 110 it would be near impossible to scald hands in a lavatory setting)

ORIGINAL POST (Thursday early afternoon)
So the venerable crusty Gazette editors did not even deem this (Only In Amherst) school safety issue important enough to reprint in this week’s ultra-crusty Amherst Bulletin. Probably a good thing. Maybe journalistic integrity strikes them every now and then--like the dead clock that’s correct twice a day.

Here’s my reaction:

I’m disappointed—but not surprised—at the cold water (board) torture I received in the Gazette after they, finally, got around to covering the lack of hot water in the Wildwood Elementary School bathrooms.

First off, uncorroborated allegation that I left a “broken shard” in the boy’s room. The entire thermometer is made of “high impact resin” (both the tubular part containing the non-mercury red dye and the plastic backing it is housed in). I took one apart and dropped the tubular section three times from a height of five feet and it did not break.

Then I whacked it with a hammer, and the two pieces were far from sharp.

So yes, something very small was accidentally left behind (after searching I assumed it went down the drain) but it was completely harmless. Use of the word “shard” gives the impression it was one of those Viet Cong punji stick booby traps waiting to impale some innocent child--although I assume kids wear shoes in the lavatory.

The lead paragraph also suggests the Health Department checked “boys and girls rooms at Wildwood Elementary School,” when in fact the report clearly shows only one Boy’s room was checked and the temperature came back at 86.7 degrees. Certainly not” hot.”

And school officials did have over 24 hours notice the Health Department was coming so I’m sure they did everything possible to increase the water temperature in that Boy’s room (my findings were 70 degrees one time and 78 the next), and 86.7 was the best they could do?

The “No Trespass” order came after my third and last visit (a full month after accidentally leaving behind a harmless thermometer). I adhered to Superintends Sprague’s telephone demand from the previous visit and announced myself at the Main Office. I was accompanied to the rest room by Principal Matt Behnke and we both made sure no children were present.

He was with me the entire time but, yes, when he asked me not to take a photo of the thermometer readout I declined and took one photo. So I guess the 'Trespass Order' was for insubordination.

The Gazette article extensively quotes Facilities Director Ronald Bohonowitcz claiming the water is kept low to prevent “scalding”. Hmmm. A google search shows the following for scalding to occur:

Temperature Time to Cause
of Water a Bad Burn
-------------------------------------
150°F (66°C) 2 seconds
140°F (60°C) 6 seconds
125°F (52°C) 2 minutes
120°F (49°C) 10 minutes

Notice they don’t even go below 120 because most people—especially children—do not spend that much time washing their hands. And since the jump from 125 down to 120 was pretty dramatic I would guess at 80-95 degrees it would take the entire school day.

And yes, I’m amazed the state has “no minimum” temperature required for rest rooms--meaning we could shut off entirely the hot water. And if Mr. Bohonowicz is correct that the state does mandate a maximum temperature of 110, then he needs to look at the bathrooms in Town Hall and the Bangs Center that I tested yesterday at over 120.

After smashing with a hammer
#############################################################

After complaint, Amherst school water found to be OK
By MARY CAREY
Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

AMHERST - Town health officials found no problem with the water temperature in the boys and girls rooms at Wildwood Elementary School, after investigating an Amherst resident's complaint.

The temperature of the water is in conformance with the state plumbing code for public buildings, Ron Bohonowicz, facilities manager for the town and schools, said Monday.

"There is no legal issue there," he said.

Bohonowicz said the temperature in the restrooms is set between 80 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, so that children don't scald their hands. The water in the boiler is set at 160 degrees, but it is mixed with colder water before it reaches the restrooms, Bohonowicz said.

"When one of these little kids comes in from the outside and their hands are freezing, they can't tell how hot the water is. We don't want to take any risk whatsoever of burning a child."

Amherst resident Larry Kelley had taken the temperature of the water in the boys room and posted on his blog the opinion that it was too cold and posed a health risk.

He has since received a no-trespassing order requiring him to stay out of the schools, after he left a broken shard of a non-mercury thermometer behind in the restroom while conducting one of his own investigations.

Kitchen water temperature higher

Water used in the kitchen, meanwhile, is set at higher temperatures and the temperature in the dishwashers is even higher, because they are equipped with temperature boosters.

State building code says that water temperature in public buildings should be set at a maximum of 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

It does not specify a minimum temperature.

As it takes some time for the water from the boiler to reach the restrooms, the water that initially comes out of the faucets may sometimes be colder than the desired temperature, Bohonowicz added.

"Our schools are old. The systems are not designed the way today's nice new efficient systems are."

Co-superintendent Alton Sprague said that boiler replacement for the district's schools - which would run to the millions of dollars - has been on a wish list for school maintenance.

The maintenance has been deferred by the School Building Authority, a state entity, Sprague said.

Kelley had filed a written complaint about the temperature of the water with Epi Bodhi, Amherst's health director. She could not be reached for comment.

Some like it hotter

Town Hall 2'nd floor bathroom

So the venerable Amherst Schools –that consume the majority of our $60+ million budget—can’t provide hot water in the bathrooms for our children, but the town side of the budget--that survives on the left over table scraps--can provide employees and citizen visitors with common sense routine water temperatures. Hmmm
Bangs Center bathroom about 10 yards from the Health Department.

Even in Amherst

So yeah, I thought tonight’s School Committee meeting went pretty well.

First off Clint Eastwood wanna-be Alton Sprague, Acting Co-Superintendent did not show up (he’s the one who signed the Trespass order against me) at least during the 45 minutes I was there; and he knew full-well the issue about Wildwood's bathrooms lacking hot water was going to come up and when.

His Acting Co-Superintendent partner Helen Vivian did the honors. That alone is worthy of an hmmm….

School Committee Chair Andy Churchill starts the ball rolling by distributing a short memo from Epi Bodhi, Director of Public Health dated 1/12/09:

On Friday, January 9’th, I received a complaint that the water at Wildwood School was not hot. Health Inspector, Gary Courtemanche investigated the situation and these are his findings:

On Friday 01/01/09 I went to the Wildwood School based on a complaint regarding water temperatures. The temperature for hot water in the boys bathroom was 86.7. Temperature in this case if governed by 248 CMR 10.14 Uniformed State Plumbing Code. The code states that the temperature cannot exceed 110 degrees., no minimum.

The temperature in the food service area were all within regulations based on CMR 59.0 food Code.

No follow up is necessary.
###################################################################################
But when Acting Co-Superintendent Sprague responded to my email (only CC to his wife) requesting permission to attend tonight ‘s meeting he included a memo from Ron Bohonowicz also dated 1/12/09 on Amherst-Pelham Regional School District stationary that also referenced Gary Courtemanche’s brief report (all one paragraph):

Sorry folks this is going to start to resemble a Kurosawa’s Roshomon but pay attention:

Based on a compliant regarding water temps at the Wildwood School I conducted an inspection on Friday afternoon 01/09/09. The water temperature in the boys bathroom was 86.7 degrees, under the domestic water requirements the temperature cannot exceed 105 (no minimum). The temperature in the kitchen which falls under the food code requirements was at 110 degrees at the hand wash sink, the acceptable range is 110-130 degrees. The dish machine temperatures were 154 for wash and 182 for rinse both food under the food code.

###################################################################################
So if you were paying attention the only difference is Ms. Bodhi edits out the fact finding of 110 degrees at the hand wash sink and condenses the dish machine data. Because my theory, as previously posted on this blog, is that if higher temperatures were not more effective at killing germs than why have the temperature at the hand wash sink higher than the bathrooms?

Acting Co-Superintendent Helen Vivian did not distribute the Bohonowicz memo until after I referenced it. Hmmm…

And when I mentioned that according to Bohonowicz or the Health Inspector the schools could shut off the hot water entirely to the restrooms--since there is “no minimum"-- I think at this point SC member Kathleen Anderson kind of shrugged and said there’s no hot water in the High School either. (As though 2 wrongs make a right).

SC Chair Andy Churchill (obviously no relation to Winston) quickly shushed her up.

Freedom of the Blogosphere

UPDATE: 3:00 PM So the Super has granted me permission to attend the School Committee meeting tomorrow night. Gee, that's right up there with "being allowed" to attend a Town Meeting (or root canal).

He attaches a memo from Ronald Bohonowicz explaining that they purposely keep water temperature down in the bathrooms (so I guess they could turn it up if they wanted) and he includes the Uniform State Plumbing Code that restricts temperature to a maximum of 110 but have no minimums.

But the Mass Department of Public Health has the following:

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
105 CMR 410.000: MINIMUM STANDARDS OF FITNESS FOR HUMAN HABITATION (STATE SANITARY CODE, CHAPTER II)

410.190: Hot Water

The owner shall provide and maintain in good operating condition the facilities capable of heating water. The owner shall also provide the hot water for use at a temperature of not less than 110°F (43° C) and in a quantity and pressure sufficient to satisfy the ordinary use of all plumbing fixtures which normally need hot water for their proper use and function, unless and to the extent the occupant is required to provide fuel for the operation of the facilities under a written letting agreement. The hot water shall not exceed 130°F (54° C).

The Board of Health agent, Gary Courtemanche visited the school on Friday afternoon (01/09/09) and found the temperature at the Boy's bathroom to be 86.7. At the kitchen sink it was fortunately at 110 and the dish machine washed at 154 and rinsed at 182.




On Jan 12, 2009, at 10:22:27 AM, amherstac@aol.com wrote:

Co-Superintendent Sprague:

Please consider this a formal written request for permission to set
foot on Amherst School property--specifically the Amherst Pelham
Regional High School--to attend the School Committee meeting tomorrow
night January 13 at 7:00 PM where I believe the water temperature issue
at Wildwood Elementary School will be discussed.

Larry Kelley

No Vaginas for you!

So ahhhhh (that would be a sigh, not an orgasm), NO ‘Vagina Monologues’ at Amherst Regional High School this year! What a shame. Violence against women in Amherst will now get completely out of control.

Last year of course the High School kiddies did an encore performance sanctioned by clueless, spineless PC school officials–although it took four years to get around to it. In 2007 Principal Mark Jackson actually showed some backbone (which he probably does not do all that often) and told the kids no way in Hell. So they went to Northampton Center for the Arts and did it there.

But the following year Mr. Jackson (having attended the NoHo performance with his feminist wife) was so impressed (with all of a month’s preparation) he allowed ARHS sanctioning and use of the public school building. Although the turn out last year was not nearly what it was in 2004, down from a sold out 800 to only 500.

And now this year, ZIP. However will Eve Ensler afford cosmetic surgery?

Of course, Amherst Schools are currently beyond disarray. Four new principals (out of only six) hired in one year. Jackson is the most experienced Amherst Principal with a pathetic five years under his belt (replacing another male principal who apparently made a pass at a 15-year-old male student and has not been heard from since) but Jackson is currently on personal leave for this entire month.

Second in command Marta Guevara--with more experience at ARHS than Principal Jackson--is off for the entire year. She championed the 2004 ‘VM’ performance and later banned the term “freshman” in the High School because it was sexist.

And of course uber-slick Superintendent Jere Hochman left for greener pastures (meaning way more than double salary) giving the Regional School Committee only three weeks notice of his exit. So now we have interim married Co-Superintendents Alton Sprague and Helen Vivian--both W-A-Y beyond retirement age--trying to keep the flotilla of leaky ships from sinking while using prehistoric methodology.

And there’s that little matter of the Middle School Pool closed because bureaucrats can’t handle one year’s notice for a $2,000 retrofit item. And no hot water at Wildwood Elementary School, and God only knows how many safety violations at Marks Meadow.

Rob Okun, who twice over four years wrote touchy-feely drivel editorials supporting the pernicious production on town property by underage teenagers, is no longer director of the 'Amherst Men’s Resource Center For Change' ensconced in a tax-exempt downtown Amherst building (Maybe he had a sex change operation.) And of course last year they were the main recipient of money raised by the kid’s production. Gee, no conflict there.

Sophie Rabinovitz, who was involved in the original production in 2004 (the year Amherst was the only High School in America to sanction the play after nixing 'West Side Story' in 1999 because of racist concerns) but she and the school sat out 05,and 06 then she spearheaded the production in Northampton in 07 and convinced the Big Old Teddy Bear Mark Jackson to allow it at the school in 2008.

Of course now that she has graduated the organization she founded, “Women’s Rights Club” also seems to have floundered [Going from 85 members in 07 down to only 45 this past year.

But hey, she has over 500 “friends” on Facebook. Ahhhhh, the advantage of promoting young girls engaging in public masturbation, or pedophilia (as long as it is women on girl.)
############################################################
On Jan 6, 2009, at 9:45:56 PM, amherstac@aol.com wrote to Jacksonmk@arps.org:

Hey Mark,
So it's that time of the year: Are the kids planning an encore performance?????

Larry

On Jan 7, 2009, at 2:27:45 PM, "MARTA GUEVARA" wrote:
I hope you and your family are well! I'm not working at the HS this year, so I have no idea about the monologues. While Mr. Jackson is away, Ms. Leonard is acting principal, so I'm including her on this reply.
Dr. Marta M. Guevara
Assistant Principal


On Jan 9, 2009, at 8:14:20 AM, "Annie Leonard" wrote:
Larry:

No plans to do the Vagina Monologues at the HS this year.

--Annie
Annie Leonard
Assistant Principal
Amherst Regional High School

I have been served (at taxpayer expense)

So Sheriff Knightly was his usual cordial self. He arrived at my Club a few minutes early to deliver the trespass notice and even agreed to have his photo taken as he performed his public duty. Cost to Amherst taxpayers? $40

Cost to credibility of acting Co-Superintendent Sprague: Priceless!

Kill the messenger!

Click to enlarge photo

UPDATE: 12:45 PM Friday
On Jan 9, 2009, at 11:05:20 AM, "Bodhi, Epi" wrote:

Larry,
Thanks for the information. We will investigate ASAP.

Epi Bodhi
Director of Public Health
Amherst, MA
413 259 3077
413 259 2404


On Jan 9, 2009, at 12:40:32 PM, amherstac@aol.com wrote:

Hey Epi,

Thanks. I can no longer investigate, because the Sheriff’s department
is about to issue me (at 2:00 PM) a "trespass order"

Larry

UPDATE: 11:00 AM Friday
From: amherstac@aol.com
Subject: Formal request for a Health Department investigation
Date: January 9, 2009 10:59:39 AM EST
To: bodhie@amherstma.gov
Dear Ms. Bodhi,

Please consider this a formal complaint and request for a Health Department investigation of the current hot water (or lack thereof) situation at the Amherst Wildwood Elementary School, where over 400 Amherst children spend a significant part of the day.

On three different occasions I have tested the water coming out the tap in a Boy's Bathroom and all three times the temperature was less than 80 degrees. I believe this to be a health hazard (especially if the cafeteria washes dishes at too low a temperature).

Thank you for your consideration and prompt attention to this public safety matter.

Larry Kelley
5’th generation Amherst resident, taxpayer, voter

CC: Mass Department of Education

ORIGINAL POST: Thursday afternoon
So I went to the Wildwood Elementary School this afternoon around 2:00 PM and as agreed with acting co-superintendent Alton Sprague dutifully reported to the business office as a “visitor." The women said, “You’re Larry Kelley!” And I of course responded “yes” (while looking around to see if they had put up ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive’ posters with my picture).

A few minutes later the rookie Principal Matt Behnke appears. He wanted to know “my intentions.” I said, “well I have to use the bathroom (and at that point I really did) and when I wash my hands (which my Irish mother taught me to do) I am going to check the water temperature”.

He then requested I return after school lets out. I said the bathroom is only 20 yards away and a moment ago no kids were in there. He again said come back later. I said I had to pee and I’m going to use the bathroom; he followed me in. He even looked around to make sure no children were present (because I said if so, I would leave immediately).

We both peed. I started the hot water (instantly noticing the faucet top plate had been switched from my last visit so now the left one actually had a “H”) and let it run for two minutes with my new, larger $2 Wal-Mart thermometer (twice the cost of the previous smaller one) directly in the stream.

While the water was still running I whipped out my camera. He said, “Please do not take a picture”. I said “Why?” He said, “Because I was told not to let you take a picture”. I said “Not good enough” and I took the picture.

As we exited into the hallway Alton Sprague, acting Co-Superintendent hurries in looking pissed. We retire to a back office for further conversation.

He accused me of lying about “picking up the pieces” of the broken thermometer from my previous visit and he actually produced from a folded white business envelope the glass tubular part of the thermometer (completely intact with red dye that is NOT mercury still dutifully recording room temperature) and said a child found it.

I responded that it fell against the side of the sink and the glass tubular part broke away from the plastic backing and after a few minutes looking for it I assumed it went down the drain. Again he mentions “mercury” and again I unequivocally state that the company prints on the packaging (and I just purchased another one an hour earlier) that no mercury is used.

He then threatens (yet again) to get a “restraining order’ against me because I failed to adhere to our previous verbal agreement. I responded that my memory is I agreed to announce myself to the front office. He said “No”, you also need to “get permission” to do whatever, and he had that previous phone conversation “on tape.”

Hmmm…last I looked it’s illegal to tape a phone conversation without informing the person on the other end.

And any number of times I tried to get back to the simple results of my temperature test asking if under 80 degree water temperature was okay, neither of them wanted to answer, Mr. Sprague then asked why should I be allowed to enter this public building with a camera? And I responded “freedom of the press”.

He freaked; end of discussion.

Using the exact same methodology at my house five minutes later.

Who ya gonna call?

So apparently one of our newer (if not newest) ambulances, a six-figure budget item, was involved in a serious accident about three weeks ago. I guess that is the downside of the emergency response business in that you are always in a BIG hurry to get to the Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

Apparently the rig was totaled. Fortunately the crew was okay and--Thank God--we are insured. A new rig should arrive in a couple of months. Meanwhile an overly stretched Fire Department will make due.

You would think somebody would have mentioned this a tad earlier than this past Monday night Select Board meeting where Town Manager Larry Shaffer disclosed the bad news. Hey, he has a blog, or there is always that old fashioned thing called a press release.

Withering on the vine

So both the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Springfield Republican have announced layoffs in the past two days (and even--GOD FORBID--the Valley Advocate), but they were quick to point out that no editors or reporters were caught in the collateral damage.

Of course, the reporters and editors now have to shovel snow, clean toilets and deliver newspapers on their way to work.

Interestingly they all blame the current economic meltdown as the culprit; but insiders know all too well, the real story is spelled I-N-T-E-R-N-E-T.

Strangely, both the Gazette and Republican were fairly early Web adopters although –more so the Gazette—they used the basic template /business model of paper and ink.

The Gazette, for instance, still charges a subscription fee for news content and Masslive (the Springfield Republican) do not. And Masslive continues to attract tons of eyeballs with all the many varied Forums for folks to freely bitch under cover of anonymity.

Over the past 26 years my tiny health club karate business would spend at least $10,000 annually--and sometimes twice that--in display advertising with these three. Over the past six months I’ve spent zero.

Will our local print professional news purveyors survive? Sure they will! But it’s going to get worse, and with inside information available on the Net 24/7 I’m not so sure the loss of our provincial publications—the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Amherst Bulletin--would be a major setback for controlling corruption in The Happy Valley (or just plain stupidity, which is equally bad.)

I have always believed the watchdog role is job #1 for a newspaper, and the Gazette/Amherst Bulletin lost sight of that a long time ago (or at the very least, lost all of their teeth).

But Springfield would be a disaster without the Republican.

Death bird in a dead tree

Turkey Vulture hanging out in my father-in-law's Florida neighborhood (patiently waiting for something to die.)

If Amherst needs a new mascot for the 250'th celebration...

No Splashing!

UPDATE: Tuesday morning. So the venerable Gazette reports that 40 people packed the Select Board meeting last night, not a bad showing. Hey, it worked for the Lincoln Avenue anti-speed folks (cars not drugs that is) so at the very least pool supporters got their attention.

Of course the next thing I would do is organize a standout in town center with the High School swim team and some senior citizens as well (preferable in wheel chairs) all in swim suits at high noon when the temperature is below zero.


Original Post: Monday morning. A gaggle of concerned citizens will crash the Select Board meeting tonight to lobby for the moribund Middle School Pool. Unfortunately the Select Board and Town Manager have no control over the Pool and little control over the Amherst School Committee who do have jurisdiction.

And since Stephanie, the new Select Board Chair, dislikes trying to solve problems during the the 6:15 Question Period--it's a pretty safe bet she will simply try to postpone the issue to a future agenda.

What's to discuss? The cost to retrofit the pool to come into compliance with federal safety law is fairly negligible and if the other unrelated mechanical problems are really that bad then why did they not close the pool earlier; or--you know--FIX THEM!

Why not Amherst (2)

So progressive South Hadley (Mayor/Council here they come), with our cast off School Superintendent Gus Sayer, decided to ignore Federal Law on pool safety and will keep their school pool open until coming into compliance next week with a year-old law.

Of course you have to wonder if a volunteer rookie skin diver is certified to install the retrofit kit. But since the local Board of Health is not empowered to enforce the law, who the Hell cares.

And in the People's Republic of Amherst the local Board of Health doesn't seem to care that an elementary school with over 400 kids operates without hot water (a violation of state and federal law). So why be overly careful with the pool?

The Republican reports

Wow, I'm somebody now!

The Valley Advocate, no less, gave me a Halo as opposed to Horn (which Town Mgr Larry Shaffer earned):

Granted, we wouldn't relish the idea of having Amherst blogger-provocateur Larry Kelley (onlyintherepublicofamherst.blogspot.com) lurking around our fence, snapping shots as we yank dandelions from the garden. But that doesn't mean that Kelley wasn't well within his rights to raise questions, and do some investigative reporting, about how Select Board member Anne Awad planned to represent the town now that she was selling her Amherst home and moving to South Hadley. Awad and her sympathizers branded Kelley's reporting "harassment," obscuring the very legitimate issue he raised.

Why not Amherst?

You would think overly enlightened Amherst, where “only the h is silent,” could lead the way on issues concerning school improvement.

The schools are never very shy when it comes to asking for more money from residents, but an email suggestion box--that could turn up money saving ideas--is considered the Devil’s work.

Williamstown listens

Amherst does not

Water over the dam

Puffer's Pond 12/29/08 10:45 AM

6/20/05

A balmy New York excursion

The Chrysler Building beaming thru the flog
The Holland Tunnel was a sea of cars trying to become a narrow stream.
A New York Irish Pub. The perfect thing after a long drive in from Washington
A block from Rockefeller Center
The tree at Rockefeller Center
We take a Pedal Cab from the lights on Broadway to our car six blocks away

What you lookin at

Max: "Baby it's cold outside!"

Breaking News or Broken News?

Only in Amherst can you peruse a newspaper with nothing of note to report dated 12/26 on Tuesday evening 12/23.

Sooooooo…. if terrorists hijack a C-5 and torpedo Amherst Town Hall tomorrow, we would not read about it for a week-and-a-half in the venerable Amherst Bulletin.

Now you know why the bricks-and-mortar media (especially weeklies) are endangered.

When products compete...

So I of course have to wonder how all the folks who joined the original 'Golds Gym' in Amherst now ‘The Leading Edge’ (without a franchise fee) who are currently paying anywhere from $30 to $50 per month are going to like this new branch operation in Greenfield giving it away for $9.95 per month?



Not quite as large as the Amherst location but not that much smaller.

All That Glitters...

Amethyst Brook in a storm

1:30 PM
So there’s nothing like an hour-and-a-half -hike on snowshoes in the middle of a storm to clear out the cobwebs.
One of many bridges over the brook

With sharp teeth in front snowshoes allowing for easier climbing than with cross country skies.

A large meadow enclosed by forest

Ancient abandoned autos in the middle of nowhere

Downhill is also easier with snowshoes (at least to this non-skier)

One last bridge to cross

When bad things happen

UPDATE Thursday 12/18 4:38 PM So I suppose if I were to headline this as a New Post I would use Shakespeare’s dark “For tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow…” Because yeah, I’m depressed.

But if I titled this brief return-from-a posting-pause “Recovering,” local blog aficionados would remember the incident with pioneering guru Tommy Devine’s last upload a little over a year ago before he-- having entered rehab-- vanished for a month (and scared the Hell out of a lot of his devoted readers with such a L-O-N-G pause).

I have a wake to attend. And I would much rather cycle up Mt. Washington in the wintertime.
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Original Post 2 days ago:
So almost thirty years ago when I first thought about opening my karate school (that later morphed into a Health Club) a fatherly salesman gave me unsolicited counsel: the average number of funeral attendees was –I forget the exact number—somewhere around a dozen.

Therefor if you disappoint or anger a customer with lousy service, chances are they will share that gaff with at least the number of friends and relatives who will someday attend their funeral. Those folks will of course tell their friends and relatives, and so on.

These days on the Internet it’s called “going viral.”

I have been doing this blog for a little less than two years, so in Karate terms I’m still a Green Belt--and yeah--I’ve become pretty obsessed with my sitemeter (that is public by the way so feel free to click it.)

Sunday's "In Memory of..." post had the second highest number of unique visitors in my history (356), above weekly average by 100-125 (and more than double average for a Sunday, the slowest day of the week). But the number of folks who arrived here via a search engine was unprecedented. And over 100 of them (the vast majority) had sought information about 'David Pollack'.

They came from Amherst, Connecticut, Washington DC, California, the United Kingdom and lots of places in between. So I hope they found something of what they were looking for with Ed (all-things-UMass) posting under 'Comments' the heartfelt message from David's Umass Graduate Dean, or the link to Amherst Fire Department website. One great thing about the Net is you can tie together all these tiny islands of information.

Today the Gazette published his obituary (and Dick Johnson’s as well); but since they are a paid subscription operation (even on the Net) here's a Connecticut publication smart enough not to charge.

David Pollack remembered

What you lookin at?

Trina. Loving this Global Warming.

In Memory of...

So on some days I would just assume not open email or answer the phone or for that matter read the Gazette obituaries (yeah, I’m now at that age where I go there rather quickly.)

As of now I learned all three ways about that irrevocable thing we call--oftentimes only in a whisper--death. And the People’s Republic of Amherst is now ever so diminished by the loss of these three individuals.

From an email I learned of the sudden sad passing of Amherst Call Firefighter David Pollack (the song refrain “Only the good die young” springs to mind--but that would cast a shadow on the other two, who were not exactly young but still full of life the last time I saw them.)

I only met David a few times (the most recent 9/11 ceremony at the Amherst Central Fire Station was the last time) but we obviously shared that core respect for all things American that he was happy to tell me about and encourage me to fight on.

Homer Cowles, the quintessential Yankee Farmer, also passed last week that I was surprised to see in the Gazette. Strangely enough, in addition to forever farmer and long-time service in Town Meeting and a half-tenure as Select man he was also a former call firefighter who worked his way up to Deputy Chief in charge of training the Student and Call force (although retired by the time David Pollack came on board)

I can honestly say in my 15 + years enduring Town Meeting Purgatory, the ONLY person I ever looked forward to walking up to the podium to speak was Homer Cowles who just had that engaging homespun way of telling a story.

And my long-time neighbor--and even longer time commercial landlord--Dick Johnson, a larger than life kind of guy (who always wore a cowboy hat and at well over 6 feet tall let’s just say he stood out in a room) succumbed to cancer.

When I was a teen-ager living in the Amherst Irish enclave of Crow Hill, THE upper crust place to be (that my mother only dreamed about) was Echo Hill Development (built by Dick Johnson and his long-time partner Gerry Gates).

And as part of the attraction they had an indoor swimming pool and outdoor tennis courts that spun off from the housing development and became the stand-alone Hampshire Fitness Center, my main business competitor for the first ten or 15 years of my existence (now of course it is Ponzi scheme idiots like Planet Fitness)

Although he tried to stay below the radar over the past 40 years or so I did hear that in the late 70’s or early 80’s Dick ran for Select Board and lost. No big surprise since that was about the time Amherst started down the road to anti-business zealotry.

Rest in peace my three friends. You will be—and in fact already are--missed.


AmherstFD website

Frosty mountain

Saturday morning 10:45 AM

"Houston, we have a problem."

UPDATE: 11:50 AM Okay, as one or two of you noticed, I posted a hot link for Amherst School Committee contact info (apparently located on the old site) and for some reason the link just would not work. So then I simply went to the new site (you know the one that does not want an Electronic Suggestion Box) and was stunned to learn Amherst had cancelled school today regionwide. Yikes!

Hmmm…so I had no problem whatsoever getting my daughter to the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley this morning. What’s up with that? ‘The Powers That Be’ allow a health hazard to exist at Wildwood but they are ever so super-conservative about calling off school for a tiny snow dusting? And their security is such that anyone can walk in the front door unchallenged (well except for a sign saying report to the office first which is of course like a bank posting a sign at the entryway saying "please check masks and guns with the security guy sleeping in the corner.")

Well anyway, here’s the link to the fancy new District Web Page and somewhere on there you should be able to find contact info for the venerable Amherst School Committee. Tell them to do their job!

Amherst Regional Public Schools

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UPDATE: Friday morning 10:10 AM

So normally I update or correct at the Post in question. Somebody just emailed and wanted me to point out on my upload three days ago (an eternity in Internet time) about the School Committee nixing an electronic Suggestion Box should have mentioned that not all School Committee members voted against the common sense idea.

Well, I did reference Mary Carey’s article in the UltraCrusty Gazette (and will post hotlink to the repeat in today’s Bully). But she’s right. And I also think the entire issue is germane to this current controversy because parents with children at Wildwood could have used the Suggestion Box to request the schools abide by Public Health standards and provide hot water.

So just for the record: the two who voted in favor of hearing from the taxpayers who fund our expensive schools were: Catherine A. Sanderson (yes she’s also the ONLY one who voted against the School Committee's “retreat” next month--something that pushes the envelope on the Open Meeting Law.)

And Kathleen Anderson--who is nothing if not independent--also supported the idea of hearing from us little people (and apparently she will not attend the “retreat” because the facilitator is not of color.)

The Bully reports

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FINAL UPDATE (for tonight) 11:04 PM: So the brand new Wal-Mart thermometer did not contain mercury and there was no broken glass to clean up (as it fell in the sink.) And—perhaps more important--I’m not a Pedophile, or a Stalker or even a “Town Provocateur. "

The initial Comment to this post (that published at 3:20 PM) occurred at 3:48 PM with great concern (not about the cold or dirty brown water that apparently has been the norm since September) but about the possible “mercury poison” from a tiny thermometer.

And when Co-Superintendent of Schools Al Sprague (who splits $125-K with his wife) called me at 4:18 PM on my unlisted home phone number he initially ranted about the mercury thermometer (and almost seemed disappointed to learn it contained no mercury). I particularly liked his antiquated line admonishing me to “act like a man” and talk to school officials “face to face”. Something I may soon take him up on.

When all is said and done, however, the simple fact remains: Wildwood’s “HOT” water temperature was ONLY 70 freaken degrees! How many of you nitwit Anon’s (or Gazette editor's for that matter) take a shower or bath in 70 degree water? And would you frequent a restaurant that washed dishes at such a sub-tepid temperature?

Sure you need to worry about scalding children (Co-Superintendent Sprague was shouting something about that as well) or even saving money on energy, but the cursory Google research I did on hot water and children’s safety routinely states: “If your water-heater setting is at a safe level (between 120°F and 125°F, you don't have to do anything. There is no advantage to setting the thermostat below 120°F.”

And what the Hell was the all that brown crap that came out of the other sink? When the Amherst DPW “flushes the lines” they always warn everybody there may be some sediment stirred up and to let the water run for a little while longer. I did not see that town-wide advisory this afternoon.

Former Czar Anne Awad tried to have me arrested for proving she moved to South Hadley (and where is she now?) to no avail; so school officials should forget ‘Attacking the Messenger’ and get down to solving the real problem: Wildwood has no hot water!
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UPDATE: 8:00 PM: Well the Comments are still coming fast and furious. I had to teach my wife’s Karate class (she’s in Mexico doing her other job—the one that pays) and I had children to feed (my own) and now need to put them to bed. But I will have one more UPDATE before the night is done.

UPDATE: 5:58 PM: The ‘Comments’ are coming fast and furious. I agree, in this post 9/11 world an adult should not be able to just waltz into an Elementary School and do whatever they please (even if only going to the bathroom).

Spin it any way you want: the need for more money via an Override to “save our schools” or “what the hell is going on here where water temperature is only 70 degrees and the color is a tad scary.” And if you can believe those damn anonymous folks on MassLive, this has been going on since SEPTEMBER!

So go ahead: beat up on the messenger (I can take LOTS of punishment); but something certainly ain’t right at Wildwood Elementary School in the People’s Republic of Amherst.
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UPDATE: 4:45 PM So I just got a call from Al Sprague “Interim Co-Superintendent of the Schools” who seemed a tad perturbed. He demanded to know if the thermometer contained mercury (and of course it did not) because he was about to send out a Hazmat Alert (can you imagine how much that would cost state taxpayers?)

Then he asked if I “signed in” to enter the building, which of course I did not. I pointed out that if you tried to enter the Pioneer Valley Chinese Charter Immersion School at 2:00 PM you would have to ring a buzzer to get in (the doors are only open at 8:15 AM for drop off and at 3:30 PM for pick up and the Principal is usually standing in the doorway greeting parents.)

He then threatens to get a “restraining order”. So I verbally assured him (with my almost 2-year-old daughter as witness) that if I ever feel the need to return to Wildwood Elementary School I would be happy to “sign in”. No restraining order necessary (that too cost money.)
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ORIGINAL POST 3:20 PM
I entered Amherst’s Wildwood Elementary School (the one my daughter almost attended if Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School had not found a roof over their head two years ago) at 2:00 PM with my camera in one hand and an empty clean glass and thermometer (brand new from Wal-Mart at 99 cents) in the other.

And I figured the kids all would all have had lunch by now and the Men’s bathroom probably had not seen a lot of use over the past hour or so. I was, once again, the only one in there for the entire time (about 6 minutes)

At my house, where I have a brand new home heating system including new water heater (my old one died about a month ago) I set the thermostat on my new water heater as low as it would go. Then I ran the hot water for 60 seconds captured some in a glass and gingerly lowered the thermometer in and waited 2.5 minutes. Temperature came to 98 degrees


Repeated that same exercise at Wildwood Elementary School: Temperature came to 70. Kind of a big difference.

Sorry for the blurry photo but I was holding the thermometer and white paper background in one hand and taking the photo with the other and then dropped the thermometer (and it broke) so I could not take another shot or two with different light settings. But trust me, the temperature read 70 degrees.

In the other sink (this bathroom had two) I ran the hot water and got that nasty looking reddish/brown water--and it felt as cool as the sink that I used in the temperature test.

Something is definitely amiss in the People's Republic.