Amherst Fatal Bike Accident

 State Police in yellow center, Amherst College PD left, APD right. Large truck top of hill (with MSP looking under) was involved

A truck vs bicycle accident occurred late Sunday afternoon around 4:15 p.m. at the East Drive entrance to Amherst College off College Street (Rt 9) and Dickinson Street killing the cyclist, Livingston Pangburn from Newton, age 22.

At 7:30 p.m. Massachusetts State Police were still on the scene performing an accident reconstruction investigation.

 

APD photographing the scene (helmet and pool of blood behind cruiser)

The mishap was initially called in by Amherst College Police and the first Amherst Police officer on the scene immediately called for a supervisor, who then requested State Police.  AFD transported the victim to Baystate Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

All The PR Fit To Print

Umass/Amherst, Flagship of Higher Education

According to a blurb in PRWeek "The University of Massachusetts at Amherst is seeking PR support for an outreach effort to grow enrollment at the school."  

More specifically, "the campaign is set to take place after the University completes a year-long project with qualitative and quantitative research to develop messages to improve perceptions of the institution. The university system hopes to increase enrollment by making it students' first choice as they pick schools ..."

Value of said contract?  $450,000.     Okay, nothing wrong with a little promotion I guess -- but $450,000!

I always thought that's why UMass/Amherst has an Office of News & Media Relations with a full time, year-round staff of seven with a combined salary expense this year of $451,628.

And that does not include John Kennedy, Vice Chancellor of University Relations at $222,784;  Nancy Buffone, Public Relations Manager at $89,553; and Lisa Queenin, News Office Director of Community Relations at $69,596 or a total of $833,561.   Including employee benefits and health insurance easily brings the grand total to well over a million per year.

And it's not like any of these folks are knocking themselves out over the summer. 

Proud flagship Umass/Amherst has already made a major leap to "improve perceptions of the institution" by joining the town to combat off campus bad behavior by a tiny minority of their students.  And that is something worth marketing.

But does it have to be so, um, expensive?

Lighting The Way

Crosswalk bollards that light up now straddle Snell Street

The Public Works Committee meets next week and will discuss "Amherst College placing bollards on Snell Street," in the public way.  Safe bet they will support the safety move and then pass on that recommendation to the all powerful Select Board who will then vote to approve the project, which is pretty much completed.  

While the more expensive regular full sized pole mounted lighting do a better job illuminating the crosswalk and immediate area, the stubby bolards illuminate just the pedestrian and create a contrast that is more visible to a driver.

Elaborate crosswalk below President's House S. Pleasant Street

A few years ago Amherst College also installed major crosswalks on South Pleasant Street and College Street contiguous to their campus.

Although Amherst College is, like UMass, a tax exempt institution it is also the town's number one taxpayer ( to the tune of $491,364 last year) due to all the houses it owns that are rented to staff, and two businesses that also are on the tax rolls:   Lord Jeffery Inn and Amherst Golf Course.

In addition the College donates $90,000 annually for Amherst Fire Department services. 

Meanwhile the Amherst DPW is installing new LED lighting in all town streetlights, a project funded by a $300,000 state energy grant.  Town Meeting recently voted $130,000 in capital funds for a new bucket truck that could help speed up the project. 

DPW relamping South Pleasant Street

BabeTown Belligerence

 

621 East Pleasant Street, Amherst aka Babe Town

So after seven consecutive $100/day fines the owner of the van parked on the lawn at Babe Town, a venue for underground music concerts, showed great initiative and backed it up the ten feet required to come into compliance with Amherst zoning bylaw.

Moved 7 car parking problem to Sherman Lane Saturday morning (neighbor submitted photo)

I also could not help but notice the new addition on the overgrown front lawn: a pup tent, that went up when a 4' by 8' plywood illegal sign came down. Maybe the bear gets to sleep there at night.  And no, neither the bear or pup tent or combination therein are illegal.  But you gotta wonder what 's next, Christmas lights?

House next door for sale.  "Shocked, shocked I say ..."


#####

On my way back from the Hampshire Athletic Club, I routinely stop at the Cumby's on lower College Street (assassins take note). Around 11:45 a.m. today, a college-aged youth accosted me with his cell phone snapping at least a dozen pictures as I left the store heading to my car carrying my coffee, egg salad sandwich, and diet root beer.

  

 Shy college aged youth presumably resident of 621 E. Pleasant aka BabeTown

At one point I stopped and looked directly at him saying, "Can I help you?"  But he just kept snap, snap, snapping away. So I open my car door, as he snaps more pictures of my car and license plate, grab my iPhone and he then bounds back to his car leaving the parking lot like a bank robber fleeing the scene of a crime.

Well, I had to run out to North Amherst anyway, in my roles as a Town Meeting member and reporter, so as I drove by 621 East Pleasant Street, aka "Babe Town..."

I could not help but notice from the very public street that East Pleasant Street is, the very same college aged youth sitting on the front porch of his Daddy's mansion.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

 AFD Ladder 1 to the rescue

AFD assists the DPW replacing main cord to town flagpole this morning.  Big flag was blown down in the thunderstorm two nights ago.  Cord was 15 years old and due for replacement.  Flag will go back up later today, in plenty of time for Memorial Day observance on Monday.

 Saturday morning

Private Interest, Public Money

 Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst.  Tiffany location now boarded up

I can't remember the last time going into a night of Town Meeting not knowing how I was going to vote on any particular article.  Last night there were two such articles -- both dealing with historical preservation -- and I'm not overly confident either of my votes will turn out right.

The Tiffany Window inside the Unitarian Church -- even in its tired state -- is an absolute thing of beauty.  When viewed from inside the church looking out.  But when looking from the outside in, not so hot.  And $106,000 of public money is a LOT of money.

Angel of the Lillies Tiffany Window from the inside

I also wonder why St Brigid's Church directly across the street can manage to do historical capital projects without asking for town tax money.  

St Brigid's Church this morning

And there is the matter of them whacking the 100+ year old healthy pin oak for the convenience of their expansion.  Sure they grudgingly made an effort (that probably cost less than $3,000) to see if the towering tree could be saved.

Town took down unhealthy Pin Oak near telephone pole

If someone from the town had said a long time ago that you can do your expansion only if the tree survives, you can bet they would have come up with a plan that saved the tree.  And if that plan and change in construction cost an extra $100,000 they would still be $6,000 to the good.

Because now the town is partners in their construction project anyway, to the tune of $106,000 to save the Tiffany.

 

Health Pin Oak (center) coming down soon

So I voted "No."  Next year after the Tiffany goes back into the wall facing North Pleasant Street, one summer night around 7:00 p.m. I'll take a look and then decide if it was worth it.

Ashes to ashes, towering tree to large stump

On the other ancient hand I voted "Yes" to Article #36, a zoning change for historic lots on Main Street just below the even more historic Hills House, thus increasing its value to a private landowner, who is also a Town Meeting member.

The measure passed -- but just barely -- by the required two thirds majority 120-55.  And I say just barely because I almost voted no and if only three more yes votes had also changed their minds ...

The pitch to Town Meeting was the property would be sold to Amherst Media to build their new station because big evil corporate Western Mass Electric is kicking them out of their longtime location on College Street.

Amherst Media (formerly ACTV) current location to be demolished soon

And since Amherst Media is a non profit they could build there anyway, but the change in zoning means they can build on more of the property and lease some of it to other businesses.  Of course if they can't raise the millions required to buy the land and build the new building, the current property owner can simply sell it to another more commercial concern.

Historic Main Street lots.  Beautiful view even on a lousy day

I would have felt a lot more comfortable having a contract saying the zoning change is only for the deal with Amherst Media and if that falls through so does the zoning change, but government doesn't work that way.

Retreat Survives 1st Test

154 acre parcel targeted for eminent domain taking

The Retreat, a badly needed student housing development in northeast Amherst managed to dodge the first scud missile launched their way as the Conservation Commission last night abstained from making a recommendation on Amherst Town Meeting article #43, the unAmerican use of eminent domain to steal the property development rights from W.D. Cowls, Inc, the largest private landowner in the state with local business roots predating the American Revolution.

God Bless America.

   Cowls Memo to Conservation Comm

Lonely At The Top

 

And our flag was no longer there

Last night's thunderstorm took out our really BIG town center flag, which was recovered down by the Police Station.  Disadvantage of large size is strong wind has more to work with. Alan Snow is hoping to have it back up and flapping by the weekend.

More Hats Than A Haberdashery

 Larry Kelley, Amherst Town Meeting member, Precinct 5

So yes, I consider myself a digital first reporter who mostly uses Blogger as a publishing platform, although these days strongly supplemented by Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. 

Basic principals of journo are sacred:  Seek truth and report it -- especially when the powerful wish it kept secret -- mitigate harm to the innocent, and protect with your dying breath confidential sources.

But I can assure you other roles on occasion override my role as reporter.  For instance, if a tornado hit Crocker Farm School this morning my role as a Dad would come first should I be early on the scene.  As a matter of fact even if it was not the particular school my daughters attend, my initial actions would be to help rather than report.



Landlord Richard Gold who spoke against article #29 (Rental Registration Permit bylaw)  Monday night bitterly complained about my actions on the floor of Town Meeting and called into question my journalist ethics:

"As a so called reporter who chooses to sit in the front row designated for the press it is your obligation to keep your opinions to yourself and your mouth shut. Not to interrupt speakers so as to disrupt and discredit what they are saying. It was your voice alone that first objected to a portion of my speech."

First off, the moderator clearly states at the beginning of every town meeting the front row " may be used by members of the press or town staff" (with special ID showing they are "non voters") but does not suggest regular town meeting members should not sit there, as about a dozen usually do.

In fact I have been in that location for almost all my nearly 20 years as an Amherst Town Meeting member.

As to my "point of order" (which yes, a few savvy members of Town Meeting use as a weapon to distract speakers), I was invoking the Rule of Decorum that clearly states a speaker should "refrain from characterizing a member's motives or impugning the character of other members."

And as you can clearly see it was not long after that the moderator himself interrupted Mr. Gold for that very reason.  Twice.  So I think his real problem is what most people refer to as "sour grapes".

Over on the Town Meeting listserve Amherst landlord and ZBA member Hilda Greenbaum who was a staunch opponent of article #29 wrote: "Where were the unhappy folks last night against a well-oiled neighborhood? Everyone (including myself) seemed to be cowed by their persistence. "

Mr Gold also lamented "Most of my landlord colleagues were unhappy with Article 29 and it went beyond self-serving. In the end they turned out to be summer soldiers when it came time to speak out publicly."

After all the sound and fury leading up to the epic vote, it was almost anti-climactic.  Notice the somewhat stunned silence immediately after the resounding voice vote:

Voice vote was overwhelmingly in favor

The voice of experience

They're Back

 Amherst Rotary Town Fair getting ready for action

Ah yes, that brief period when Amherst town center is transformed back to a simpler time, before the University became a bustling big city -- bringing our small town with it.

When you could leave your doors unlocked at night, buy a hammer in the downtown, or when most families in town had milk delivered to their front porch.

The town has changed, children have not.  

Cut Off Nose To Spite Face

621 East Pleasant Street, Amherst aka "BabeTown"

So while the addition to the overgrown front yard is kind of cute -- after all, who does not like bear statues? -- I would guess it's the Bad Boys of BabeTown symbolically extending the middle finger to the town after recent repeated $100 citations for parking on the lawn.

Note van is also still parked on the lawn  

#####

UPDATE: Wednesday morning 

Gaudy sign gone

Van still parked on overgrown lawn

DUI Dishonor Roll

In 2010, 211 children were killed in drunk driving crashes

How can you tell UMass is no longer in session? Zero party house arrests or citations over the weekend.

How can you tell drunk driving is not predominantly a student issue? Four-out-of-five of this weekend's Dishonor Roll winners (and yes I still consider "thirsty Thursday" start of the weekend) are NOT students ... although two are UMass staff, not setting a very good example for students.

Although the one student among them, Chiara Rose Raponi, did distinguish and draw attention to herself by crashing her car with two occupants on board.

 

A Safer Healthier Amherst

Stephanie O'Keeffe, Select Board Chair and strong proponent  of Rental Permit Bylaw

While it was unseasonably hot outside the Amherst Regional Middle School, the auditorium where Amherst Town Meeting convenes was even hotter as the issue of the decade, perhaps a generation, Rental Registration Property Bylaw (permit system) came to a final head.

The vote was overwhelmingly in favor, sounding like a clear two thirds majority. So decisive in fact that no one thought to call for a Tally Vote, since the measure only required a simply majority. 

With unanimous support of the Planning Board, Finance Committee, Select Board and Town Manager and more than a majority of speakers who addressed the issue from the floor, the discussion carried on for just over two hours.  A motion to refer back to the Select Board made by Town Meeting member and landlord Richard Gold failed miserably.

Landlord, lawyer and town officials wait in front row for possible call to speak

Another motion offered by Coalition of Amherst Neighborhoods to exempt owner occupied units from the new regulation also failed by a tally vote of 116-74.

Speakers against the ordinance cited costs ($100/year), constitutional issues (unreasonable search by town inspectors), and suggested Amherst is already known state wide for being over regulated.

But common sense won the day, by a very wide margin.  Not something you see all that often on the floor of Amherst Town Meeting. 

Now of course, the lawsuits begin.

Neighborhood Nuisance?

621 East Pleasant Street, aka "Babetown"

 Can you imagine living next door to a professional Party House, err ... I mean "Art House," that lives to play live music and occasionally skateboard on their half pipe in the back yard? 

"Hot Messy Sex".  Sorry I missed that one

These Bad Boys don't seem to get it.  A residential neighborhood is not zoned for an underground music venue.  Take a bow and get the Hell off the stage.  Or ... fade to black, dude.

Good question!

   Babetown Citations.  Nuisance House

May have to increase cover charge to cover all the tickets

Truth In Advertising

 Atkins Water Treatment Plant, Market Hill Road, Historic Cushman neighborhood

The YouTube video NIMBYs published trying to rally the masses against a private land deal in northeast Amherst is loaded with misinformation.



If they were a business and Amherst Town Meeting does follow their suggestion to steal property development rights via heavy handed eminent domain taking, they would be easy pickings for a lawsuit under Mass General Law 93A (Consumer Protection) for false advertising,  which allows for triple damages.

That of course would be on top of the $6.5 million total Amherst would eventually have to come up with to fulfill the "highest and best use" reimbursement provision for a hostile land taking.

Amherst, the #4 property owner in town,  already owns or permanently protects 27% of its land mass.  And when you factor in the other BIG THREE tax exempt landowners -- Amherst College, UMass and Hampshire College respectively -- a little over 50% of all land in town is tax exempt.

Cowls 154 acre tree farm off Henry Street is hardly "North Amherst's last remaining contiguous woodland."    In fact, Cowls owns 600 acres of forest in North Amherst and this particular tract has the least desirable ranking on the town's master list for land to be conserved.

Click to enlarge

 Salamander Tunnels only "priority area" in the entire parcel

Yes the Salamander Crossing is a beloved icon, a symbol of the town's respect for conservation and saving critters both great and small.  Which is exactly why Landmark Properties has promised to protect the crossing and move the main entry way for the development away from Henry Street over to Market Hill Road, where the non-historic Water Treatment Plant sits on the side a a rocky outcropping.

 Click to enlarge/read

Landmark Properties handout for Town Meeting

Cowls sold that land to the town for the treatment plant and as part of the deal the town installed infrastructure for a future development exactly like "The Retreat."

Perhaps the biggest mistruth is the absurd assertion that the development "Will threaten the Atkins Reservoir."  The land has town water/sewer!   Unlike a lot of the houses on Flat Hills Road and Shutesbury Road that have sprouted "Stop The Retreat" red signs like worms on a lawn after a summer drizzle.

Chairman Mao, err, I mean the narrator asks, "Shouldn’t all in Amherst be involved in deciding how to use this land?"  Well, no.  It's private land and this is not the People's Republic of China.

So no, No, NO!  You do not have a right to be "involved," if that involvement means stealing the property by eminent domain.