Blarney Blowout 2014

 

AFD Central Station 9:30 a.m.

Scroll down for updates

Scene along North Pleasant/Fearing  about an hour before the riot

Original Post:  10:00 a.m.

The Dunkin Donuts drive thrus all over the area are swamped with college aged youth, probably pregaming with caffeine, and throngs of them are moving on foot from UMass central campus north towards Townhouse Apartments, scene of last years Blarney Blowout riot.

 Security already gathered at Townhouse Apartments 9:45 a.m.

 Crowd already line up downtown bar 10:15 a.m.

Security was already on scene at Townhouse and APD is out in force.  Already between Amherst and UMass police a half-dozen students have been arrested for alchol violations.  

Ch 22 shooting kids hanging on a balcony (and getting them fired up) 10:00 a.m.

APD arresting one for liquor law violation North Pleasant Street 10:20 a.m.

It's gonna be a l-o-n-g day.

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UPDATE 5:00 p.m.

 

APD Chief Livingstone (white hat) leading the troops (note tear gas plume in road)

 Yes I stayed close behind the folks with the (tear gas) guns

Around 2:30 p.m. riot clad police moved into a crowd of over 2,000 that had gathered behind a Frat House on the corner of Fearing Street and North Pleasant.  Police had to shut down N. Pleasant Street, the main road through the heart of UMass/Amherst for almost 15 minutes while trying to clear the huge gathering. 

Large crowd on the site of the infamous former Frat Row

Normally busy with cars N. Pleasant looking toward UMass

Yes, tear gas was fired (carefully) into the crowd to facilitate their cooperation. 

2 under arrest Fearing Street/North Pleasant

Arrest in front of Frat House on North Pleasant Street 

 

Half dozen Mass State Police vehicles are parked at APD headquarters

Blarney Blowout: Eve Of Destruction?

Townhouse quad this morning:  Calm before the storm?

Unfortunately the "Blarney Blowout" is a state of mind.  And unlike the Hobart Hoedown, which was always pretty much grounded in a certain narrow location, you really can't lock down the entire town.

 Hobart Ln:  Note sign height to avoid souvenir hunters

Perhaps the Select Board should have nipped things in the bud by pulling the liquor license of McMurphy's and Stackers three years ago when they first dreamed up this abomination.  Town officials (and the mainstream media) have been behind the curve on this issue since inception.

 Gazette trying to make up for last year

So here we are now, the day before the biggest party event of the year.  Yes, this time town and UMass officials have done an avalanche of advance messaging, dutifully carried by the mainstream media.

But nobody hired a shaman (or the CIA) to bring us a blizzard tomorrow.  The predicted weather is for the best day we've seen in a l-o-n-g while. And in this case, good weather is a cop's worst enemy.

 McMurphy's this morning:  note absence of Blarney Blowout advertising

Police and private security will try to be proactive and keep crowds from growing to the massive throng was saw at the Townhouse quad area last year.  But that may not be all that easy or even legal since the constitution does guarantee the  "freedom to assemble in public places."

Or as the hard core rowdies might put it, "Fight for your right to p-a-r-t-y."   Probably not what our Founding Fathers had in mind, however.

Daily Collegian with helpful Blarney Blowout advice  (They forgot "Don't drink and drive!")

 

Even the damn lawyers are into it

Downtown bars loading up Noon Friday

Can You See Me Now?

Lights, cameras, action

Amherst Public School buses and vans will become more secure next year if the Joint Capital Planning Committee approves the $54,000 request made this morning by Ron Bohonowicz, Direct or Facilities, for a digital camera system to outfit 9 buses and 14 vans owned by the School Department.

Each vehicle would be outfitted with three cameras: one on the driver, one on the stair entry/exit to the vehicle and one showing the entire back passenger section.  A 4th camera could also be added in the future to show outside the bus to record cars that don't stop when the school bus stops.

The units are equipped to record both audio and video, but would only be reviewed if there was a reported problem.  Even the police would need permission of Superintendent Maria Geryk to review a recording.   

The cameras would help reduce instances of bullying.  South Hadley, made notorious over bullying, installed them a while back, and according to Bohonowicz it "substantially improved the situation."

Bohonowicz also told the committee the contract for the company that provides the other 31 buses used to transport school children is up next year, and he may write into a new contract the provision that all buses be camera equipped. 

If the JCPC approves the $54,000 request it still must pass muster with the Town Manager and then Town Meeting before the money could be spent in the new Fiscal Year starting July 1st.

Interestingly the two School Committee members in the JCPC said their Committee had not yet discussed the "policy question" of having cameras recording the actions of minor children. 

Decisions, Decisions

Could Amherst voters decide fate of $15/hour Minimum Wage hike?

UPDATE (Friday morning):

The Town Clerk just confirmed that even if the Select Board set the referendum election for September 9, the date of the State Primary, it would only result in "minimal savings."  The cost for the Special Town Election would still be around $10,000 vs a normal stand alone election cost of $12,000.  

Separate ballots would still have to be printed and the number of check in and check out workers at every precinct would need to double.

#####

After reading this morning's article Matthew Cunningham-Cook, the optimistic architect of the $15/hr minimum wage hike for all Amherst laborers, wished to add an interesting point:

If Town Meeting should reject his article at the March 19 Special Town Meeting he will "referendum" that decision by collecting 880 signatures within five business days and bring it directly to the voters of Amherst in a Special Election that will cost taxpayers $12,000.

Since he's already collected 200 signatures to force the $15/hour minimum wage warrant article on a Special Town Meeting, his threat is not to be ignored.

And when I mentioned how difficult it can be he responded, "That's true.  We're a big group and five business days afterwards would be the 26th.  Collecting signatures on election day(3/25)  is pretty easy."

The Town Clerk confirms his deadline analysis and agrees she can't stop folks from collecting signatures near a voting precinct unless they are interfering with voters.

The rule stating no electioneering within 100 feet of a voting precinct on election day would not apply since this issue has nothing to do with what's on the election ballot.

Since 1998 only twice has a Town Meeting action been referendumed by collecting the signatures of 5% of active voters:  The Parking Garage in town center and the Soccer Fields on Potwine Lane.

Both capital items had Town Meeting approval, and the referendum was an attempt to overturn that approval.

Both referendums failed.  In fact, in order to pass at least 18% of registered voters have to vote "yes," otherwise it automatically fails.  And Amherst only turns out over 18% at a local election if there's a (much needed) change in government question on the ballot or a Proposition 2.5 Override Question. 

The really interesting thing happens if Town Meeting fails to muster a quorum on March 19.  Obviously the lone article is then pocket vetoed, but there would be nothing to referendum.

And unlike the scene in "House of Cards," you can't send out police to drag Town Meeting members to the Amherst Regional Middle School to attain a quorum.

The Town Clerk has asked the Town Manager to ask the Town Attorney for guidance, since there's nothing in state law at the moment to address this quirk.  In other words, how long does the Moderator wait before he announces there's no quorum, and hence no meeting?

Perhaps the safest route would be for Town Meeting to approve the article (only requires a simple majority), thereby avoiding a $12,000 Special Town Election, thus sending it on to the State Legislature where it will be Dead On Arrival. 

Fight The Power

UMass is -- by far -- the town's largest employer

I received the following press release last night from UMass Grad Student Matthew Cunningham-Cook regarding the Only In Amherst minimum wage hike to $15/hour warrant article Town Meeting will vote on March 19 (if they get a quorum).

According to Mr. Cunningham-Cook the bylaw, unlike most town ordinances, is a "home rule petition" that further requires State Legislature approval so it would then apply to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the #1 employer in town.

Mr Cunningham-Cook is a contestant for Town Meeting but since the local town election is a week after the Special Town Meeting, he will not be able to support it on the floor of Town Meeting. 

It will be interesting to see if he can find a single business owner in town who would agree that student workers with "more money in their pockets" would translate into more business.  As it would take a tremendous boost in business to offset the steep increase in overhead brought on by the new increase in the cost of labor.

For most small businesses, the #1 overhead cost is labor.

#####

AMHERST, MA-- The Student Labor Action Project at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst is launching a multifaceted campaign to end poverty through higher wages.

Amherst's poverty rate is 20.2%: overwhelmingly composed of students, as only 7.2% of families in Amherst are below the poverty line. At the same time, UMass is a huge employer, with nearly all of the university's 21,000 undergraduate students working on campus in one capacity or another.

Almost all work for less than $10/hour-- nowhere near enough to afford the cost of living in Amherst, where rents for a room frequently exceed $800/month.

Nationwide, fast food workers have gone on strike for a minimum wage of $15/hour. Sea-Tac, Washington just passed a ballot initiative mandating a minimum wage of $15/hour, and activists in Seattle are organizing to put an initiative on the 2014 ballot there as well.

SLAP is planning to replicate these successes here in Amherst, where the poverty rate has reached crisis levels, all while bloated administrative salaries extract funds out of the pockets of student workers and contribute significantly to the gentrification of the Pioneer Valley. (Men's basketball coach Derek Kellogg tops the list at $719,664. All told, 224 UMass employees make more than $200,000 per year.)

Our campaign has begun by collecting the requisite signatures to call a Special Town Meeting for a home rule petition to the legislature which would grant the Town of Amherst the power to implement a minimum wage of $15 per hour.

We are also launching an aggressive pressure campaign to make UMass may pay the $15 an hour minimum wage in the event that that the home rule petition fails to pass the legislature.

We are calling for inclusive language including the entire Town of Amherst because 1) small businesses in the Town will gain a massive source of new revenue were UMass' undergraduate student workers to have 50% more money in their pocket, and 2) we believe all employers should be held to the same standard of providing a living wage, which only $15/hour can achieve.

Given that UMass has 21,000 undergraduates with Amherst's population at 37,000, the overwhelming majority of low-wage employees are employed by UMass.

The Special Town Meeting has been called by the Select Board for March 19 at 7 PM for the Middle School Auditorium. We encourage all supporters to attend.

Amherst is a microcosm of the global trend of increasing wealth inequality, which the United Nations Development Program recently said "can undermine the very foundations of development and social and domestic peace."

UMass SLAP is a joint project of Jobs with Justice and the United States Student Association. Most of us work low-wage jobs on the UMass campus. This campaign is also supported by the Amherst Area Workers Rights Committee.

Death and Taxes

The Zombie tax increase that refuses to die returns to Town Meeting this spring courtesy of a citizens petition signed by ten registered voters. 

Amherst first passed the Community Preservation Act, a sort of sneaky way around Prop 2 1/2, in 2001 at  the 1% level, then increased it to 1.5% in 2006, but failed to double that to 3% in 2008.

Now it's back for another go at 3% -- the highest allowed by state law.

CPA money, plus a 28% match with state money, can only be used for affordable housing, open space and historical preservation.  Each of the three categories must be allotted at least 10% annually and the other 70% can then go back to any one of the three categories, or for recreation.

This year about $500,000 will be raised between local taxpayers and the 28% state matching funds.

The tax is unfair to business because homeowners get an exemption of the first $100,000 in valuation but commercial property owners do not.  And Amherst also recently passed a Business Improvement District in the downtown that also increased the property taxes paid by commercial property owners.

Can you imagine if the $15/hour minimum wage bylaw and the extra 1.5% CPA property tax surcharge are both enacted by Town Meeting?  Amherst town center will become a ghost town.

Rental Registration Sabotage

The new Rental Registration Bylaw, overwhelmingly passed by Amherst Town Meeting last spring with a start date of January 1st, would come to a screeching halt if this "citizens petition" article is passed by Town Meeting this coming spring.

"Death by delay" is a tactic commonly used by NIMBYs and other parties with vested interests -- and there's no interest like self interest. 

Of course this article, even though it only took ten signatures to make the Annual Warrant, would still require a majority of Town Meeting support to pass.

And since the original article passed resoundingly on a voice vote (so no standing count was needed), what sounded to me like two-thirds, it's hard to imagine so many would now backtrack to support this obstructionism.

Tintin On The Move

So yes, as one of my sagacious Anons pointed out in comments last week the Jones Library has indeed moved the suddenly (in Amherst anyway) controversial Tintin series of comic books.  But no, it has nothing to do with political pressure -- including hints of racism -- brought to bear by parents and others concerned about dated, racially insensitive material.

 

Jones Library:  Amherst's living room

According to Library Director Sharon Sharry:  "Librarians are constantly re-thinking space needs, so as part of this ongoing dialogue, we reviewed the placement of our comic books and decided to give them a new home within the Children's Room.  It's a very nice, cozy, bright spot that we think the kids will love."

 

New cozy home for comics section

A very small number of parents asked the Jones to relocate the comics out of the children's section entirely making them less accessible to their target audience, children.  They pointed out the books are located in the main entry to the Children's Room and therefor have a higher profile.

Comics section former home

I'm told the Tintin comic series has been popular at the Jones Library for the last 30 years or so. And the recent tempest seems not to have unduly tarnished their popularity: On Friday when I asked for a sample copy to photograph, I was informed all 24 comics are currently out.

DUI Dishonor Roll

Last weekend APD took five (5) impaired drivers off the road -- one of them, Carlos Saravia, age 27, now a third time offender.  Keep your fingers crossed this coming weekend, with the Blarney Blowout.  Or better yet, stay off the roads.

   Amherst DUI

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   Amherst DUI

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   Steven Laing Combined

 

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Foot In The Till?

Amherst Youth Soccer

The Amherst Police Department is investigating bookkeeping irregularities reported to them by the Amherst Youth Soccer Association.  Either cash disappeared or membership checks were written to an individual and the amount never showed up in the AYSA bank account.

The Director of Coaching and Player Development during that time was Chris Streeter.

   Amherst Youth Soccer PD Issue

What's Yours Is Mine

 40 Dickinson Street, Amherst 

Amherst Town Meeting will weigh the taking of private property by eminent domain this coming session after citizens petitions were filed by yesterday's noon deadline (only requiring the signatures of ten registered voters).

Amherst College, the largest landowner in Amherst, recently purchased the Classic Chevy building on Dickinson Street, adjacent to some of their holdings, and the College plans to continue using it as a garage for their large fleet of vehicles.

The building was assessed at $548,200 and sold for $474,000.

   Take Classic Chevy

Problem is the building now comes off the tax rolls since it is owned by a tax exempt educational institute and therefor will not pay a little over $10,000 in property taxes this year (or any year hereafter).

A few years back Amherst College also purchased the Fiber Arts Building in the downtown and removed that from the tax rolls as well (formerly paid $16,000 in taxes).

But Amherst College is also the #1 taxpayer in town for all the houses they own and rent to professors, as well as the commercial Amherst Golf Course and Lord Jeff Inn, paying roughly $500,000 this year.

And on top of that they will "donate" to the town $90,000 (for AFD protection) and another $75,000 to the Schools.

 Echo Village Apartments

Activists also want the town to take Echo Village Apartments, 24 units of formerly affordable apartments purchased last year by Jamie Cherewatti for $3 million (along with an office complex).  The property is currently assessed at $1,795,000 so it pays the town roughly $35,000 in taxes.

If Town Meeting approves an eminent domain article, which requires a two-thirds vote, the Amherst Select Board still must approve the taking by a majority vote.

   Take Echo Village

No Drones For You!

Look, up in the sky!

Amherst Town Meeting will tackle the high flying issue of a drone ban for all town departments via a citizen petition filed yesterday before the noon deadline.  

Amherst Police Department seems to be the focus of their attention, as if APD is in the habit of taking down perps without due process.

I wonder what's next, banning the use of binoculars? Or how about the Massachusetts State Police helicopter?

Chief Livingstone confirmed that APD has "no immediate plans" to use drones and then adds jokingly, "I can't afford them."

   Drone Ban Bylaw

Amherst To Set Domestic Policy?

Current Minimum Wage in Massachusetts is $8/hour, Federal rate is $7.25

Tracy Kidder once famously said of Amherst that we are the only town "to have its own foreign policy."  Well on March 19 Amherst Town Meeting could set a domestic policy not normally within the purview of local town government by passing an ordinance requiring a $15/hour minimum wage anywhere within the confines of our 27.8 square miles, surrounded by reality.

Since 200 registered voters signed the petition the Amherst Select Board had no choice but to call the Special Town Meeting, although SB Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe called it "very unusual."

The idea is the brainchild of UMass Grad Student Matthew E. Cunningham-Cook.  Originally he was going to run for Select Board in the 3/25 election but became preoccupied with collecting signatures for this Special Town Meeting.

Although it does sort of fall within his educational field of study at the UMass Labor Center.

Spring is a very busy time with the town election on March 25 and the annual Town Meeting starting April 28.   Some of the Select Board members wondered if this March 19 Special Town Meeting would get a quorum -- especially since it's only for one issue.

Without a quorum the article is defeated, as there would be no "do over."

Amherst small business owners would breathe a sigh of relief, as laying off workers can be stressful.  Although small business owners in neighboring towns would perhaps be disappointed. 

Amherst to hold Special Town Meeting to vote article calling for minimum wage in Amherst of $15/hr.  Activist collected 200 signatures.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) March 4, 2014

Targeting Blarney Blowout 2014

Hide the women and children on Saturday, March 8

Last year UMass made a monumental error not being proactive about the childish Blarney Blowout.  They failed to send out stern warnings to students and parents because they were afraid it would only add to the allure of the Blarney Blowout while providing it tons of free publicity.

Obviously the small minority of college aged youth who were going to engage in rowdy behavior that day were already well aware of the event, and perhaps took the absence of official notice from UMass as being a sign the University didn't really care.

Amherst town officials were infuriated, leading to some of the more terse exchanges in recent history.  But everybody put aside their differences, and Amherst and UMass are now working closely together via the Town Gown Steering Committee to help navigate a calmer course for the two superpowers over the next few decades.

UMass also learned from last year's mistake.  Enku Galaye sent out the following email to staff, students and parents.  The UMass employee who just forwarded it to me said he "can't recall ever getting a letter like this before."

Speaking of childish:  With defenders like this ...

Blarney Blowout Letter by larry_kelley_1

Maybe we can get UNH to issue a warning to their students! 

Favorite this if you're going to Blarney Blowout at #zoomass this weekend. We all need to meet and represent!  #WildcatNation
— UNH_Confessions (@UNH_Confessions) March 5, 2014

Just Another DUI

 "There's a killer on the road ..."

While I wait for Eastern Hampshire District Court to get me the "Statement of Facts" Public Documents I requested for APD's  Driving Under the Influence arrests -- all five of them -- over this past weekend in our little "college town," here's one from last week I almost missed because it was a State Police officer who made the arrest.

Safe bet State Police will be out in force this coming weekend for the Blarney Blowout.    

   MSP Arrest Amherst DUI

DUI Dishonor Roll

By refusing to take the legally admissible breath test back at APD headquarters Frank J Dellaglio, age 32,  will be absent from the driver seat for six months .  All evidence indicates he was impaired -- especially the "Portable" Breath Test he took in the field showing him well over the .08 limit. 

But in Massachusetts the Portable Breath Test cannot be used as evidence in court; and a refusal to take the legally admissible (non "portable") breath test back at the station also cannot be used in court, although that automatically brings a six-month license suspension.

But if he should win his case in front of a judge or jury -- and with the PBT results and refusal to take the real breath test both inadmissible -- that likelihood is a tad higher, then his license is immediately reinstated.

Massachusetts needs to get serious about prosecuting drunk driving laws by allowing the state to use the results of a PBT (just tell the judge it's kind of like Twitter -- not 100% infallible) and also to allow the refusal to take the fancier chemical breath test back at the station be admissible as evidence.

 

Blarney Blowout: Another Eruption?

Blarney Blowout 2014 (3/8/2014)

From: Larry Kelley 
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2014 17:16:28 -0500 
To: UMass and Amherst town officials

Subject: Blarney Blowout FYI 

So just like last year around this time I'm now a getting a tidal way of hits over the past day or two from individuals doing a search using the term "Blarney Blowout 2014" or some variation on that theme. 

And no, it's not coming from some kid who posted a link to my latest Blarney Blowout diatribe on Reddit or Facebook. 

These are from individuals taking the time to enter the term into a search engine.

I'm talking somewhere in the range of 500 individual searches in the past 24 hours. That is a LOT. And NOT a good sign. 

Larry

#####

Larry -

Thanks for your email, I have been watching the Blarney Blowout Twitter feed for a few days and have noticed an increase in activity so I am not surprised that you are seeing an increase in traffic as well.

A few weeks ago, we had a meeting with officials from the Town to discuss plans for this off-campus event.  UMass is doing a number of things, including preparing messages to students and their parents about the consequences of negative behavior off campus as well as targeted communications to students living in apartment complexes, especially in North Amherst.

We have also been sharing information about Blarney t-shirts which include our logo or the Minuteman with our Licensing Office, as these t-shirts may be in violation of licensing agreements.

I noticed that one of the Facebook pages has already been shut down.  In addition, our Dean of Students office is reaching out to the students involved in these entrepreneurial activities to inform them about the consequences of creating an environment that leads to incivility.

On the day of the event, the UMPD stands ready to help APD and will have officers dedicated to this effort.

The campus is being and will continue to be proactive in messaging about behavior and in shutting down inappropriate activities where we have the ability to do so.

Thanks,

Nancy

Nancy Buffone
Executive Director, External Relations and University Events

 Blarney Blowout coverage more than doubled unique visitors last year

Blarney blowout could rank as one of the most overrated events ever.. Buncha people standing in the cold just yelling and throwing things

— Peter Renda (@P_Renda831) March 2, 2014
 

Too Many Cooks Spoil The Region?

 RAWG:  Three members per town (Amherst, Leverett, Pelham, Shutesbury)

Although they didn't click their ruby red shoes three times while chanting magic words, the 12 member Regional School District Planning Board magically became the Regional Agreement Working Group on Saturday morning, now an official sub-committee of the 9 member Regional School Committee.

The front line Dirty Dozen has been meeting for two years trying to craft a plan to expand the four town Region from grades 7-12 all the way down to kindergarten.  Both the Regional Middle School and Regional High School are physically located in Amherst, and our town makes up 88% of the region by population.

The other three towns -- Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury -- makes up the remaining 12% of the Region.

Thus Amherst is a very large dog with a very small tail.




Proportional representation on the new Regional School Committee (if the notion of the expanded Region should receive support of three out of four Town Meetings) will be a major issue, as Amherst should have the vast majority of committee make up.

But the three Hilltowns can be a tad ethnocentric, and at least one of them points to the divisive years when Amherst School Committee member Catherine Sanderson tried to bring positive change to the sacred cow education system and was gored in the upheaval. 

Amherst Select Board member (and former long-time School Committee member) Alisa Brewer has agreed to temporarily replace Andy Steinberg as Chair of the committee so he can have more time to campaign for Select Board in the upcoming March 25 election. 

During public comment Amherst Town Meeting member Janet McGowan pointed out none of the current 12 committee members has children in the elementary schools and perhaps the committee should be expanded to include those important stakeholders. 

The group hopes to have a proposal crafted  and sent to the Regional School Committee by the end of May.  Once approved by a two-thirds vote of the Regional School Committee the new entity must then be approved by three out of four Town Meetings, optimistically speaking, in the fall.

Sharing The Burden

 John Musante bottom left, School Superintendent Maria Geryk right, Sean  Mangano standing (Rob Detweiler's, err, replacement)

Amherst Town Manager John Musante made it perfectly clear which method of financing he prefers to fund the Regional Schools next Fiscal Year at the Four Town Meeting of the Regional Schools Saturday morning.

The four member towns -- Amherst, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury -- use their own modified system (more complicated than the IRS tax code) based on a rolling average, called the Regional Agreement Method.

And every year -- because of a "five year rolling average" -- one of the four towns seems to pay a little more.  This year it's Shutesbury's turn.

The state recommends their own Statutory Method, also very complicated, but with less of a variation every few years.  Using the Regional Agreement Method, next year Amherst would pay $14,541,118 of the total $18,834,753 Regional budget (77%), an increase of $382,288 or 2.7% over last year.

If however the Region switches to the Statutory Method of funding, Amherst would pay $14,682,553 of the total $18,834,753 Regional Budget.   An increase of $523,723 or 4.1% over last year.  Musante pointed out the difference between those two dollar amounts is $141,435, but as a percentage is a whopping 33% increase. 

The problem is Shutesbury is complaining (as they often do) about their 6.3% increase under the usual Regional Agreement Method.  Should their Town Meeting reject the appropriation that would scuttle the entire Regional Budget.  In other words it requires a unanimous vote of all four towns.

Whereas if the four town Region uses the state approved Statutory Method one town can vote no and the budget still passes.  In other words the vote does not have to be unanimous.

Shutesbury has already played the spoiler by pulling out of the proposed expansion of the Region all the way down to kindergarten from the current 7-12 Region.  Shutesbury voted not to join the proposed expanded Region but wishes to stay in the grades 7-12 Region but possibly share the same Superintendent for their elementary school.

Although at the four town meeting yesterday one Amherst official voiced the opinion "you are either in or out" of the new Region, and no special allowances should be made for non believers.

Profit vs Image

Turning up the heat on Jamie Cherewatti on a freezing afternoon

About a dozen protesters descended on Jamie Cherewatti's 55 North Pleasant Street downtown office location, above a bar naturally, to publicly shame him for not selling Echo Village Apartments in East Amherst to a developer picked out by the town to maintain the 24-unit rental operation as "affordable."

 Echo Village Apartments yesterday (remember folks to shovel out fire hydrants)

Meanwhile, the day before, when protesters first staked out his downtown business, Mr. Cherewatti purchased the immediate neighboring house to Echo Village Apartments (also a multi-unit rental) for $360,000 cash, a little below assessed value of $377,000.

 310 Belchertown Road

 And guess who Rocky Hill Road Partners LLC is?