Too Many (Hair) Triggers?

 

"Sleepwalker," Wellesley College.  Photo courtesy theswellesleyreport.com

Last week during a Community Emergency Response Training class the instructor showed a five- minute dashcam video wherein a police officer perishes in the line of duty, right before your very eyes.

Before clicking play he informed us of the tragic outcome and asked if anyone wished to leave the room.  Nobody did.

I didn't think anything of it as the class was made up of 21 citizen volunteers from all walks of life including a few who are middle-school aged.  So his sincere offer to shield anyone who may be unduly traumatized by the clip struck me as common sense.

The video was indeed hard to watch, but drove home a vital safety lesson I don't think any of us will soon forget.

But I still wonder if rules and regulations need to be formerly enacted to ensure/mandate instructors -- especially college professors who are full-time professionals -- issue "trigger warnings" before making presentations. 

Academic freedom and the First Amendment aren't always pretty.  It's the price you pay for freedom, something we Americans take for granted.

Amherst, a "college town," already has enough problems with political correctness run amok.

Our High School was the only entity in history to cancel a performance of "West Side Story" due to alleged "racism."  And then, only five years later, became the only High School in the nation to allow minors to perform the decidedly R rated "Vagina Monologues," which uses the C-word as often as Valley Girls use the word "like."

Yet they now wonder why our high schools kids feel comfortable spouting the N-word.

Former Amherst Town Manager Larry Shaffer threatened to not issue a parade permit for the privately run July 4th Parade Committee because they would not allow anti-war protesters to march (or the Westboro Baptist Church had they applied).

Last week. to their credit, thousands of UMass students appeared at a rally to counter the Westboro Baptist Church picketing with their hateful signs.  But then a few hours later, some students shamefully heckled former Attorney General John Ashcroft trying to give a speech curtesy of the UMass Republican Club.

A few years ago five committee chairs sent a letter to the local District Attorney requesting an investigation of Amherst School Committee member Catherine Sanderson, concerned over the freewheeling discussion generated by her blog.

Last week on this blog, long time Amherst School Committee member Rick Hood (who formerly had his own blog) tried to stir up the trolls just so he could brand blogs as an electronic version of bathroom stall graffiti.

And we know in Amherst, town officials get overly excited about bathroom stall graffiti.

Interestingly Oberlin College, who seems to have started the hot potato rolling with a proposed passage in its Sexual Offense Resource Guide admits that, "anything can be a trigger."  Um, okay, then lets not discuss "anything."

Amherst Town Meeting starts tonight.  Perhaps before I give any of my usual, gasp, conservative minded (God, Mom, Apple Pie or the American Flag) speeches, I should issue a trigger warning.

Only in Amherst does common sense require such a preamble. 

Daffodil Delight

And they're off!  11:30 a.m. Kendrick Park

Hundreds of runners and walkers of all ages, including a few dogs, turned out for the 4th annual Daffodil Fun Run Road Race to benefit Big Brother Big Sisters, a long-time iconic Amherst social service agency.

Back of the pack

Unlike yesterday, the rain held off for the pre-race festivities, sprinkled a bit as runners were lining up but then held off again for at least the time it takes for the average runner to complete the 3.1 mile course.

Last year 475 runners completed the course with the event raising a total of $40,000.

A site to see: 40,000 daffodils to bloom in Amherst this May http://t.co/iXd8TD139k @AmherstDowntown @MassHort pic.twitter.com/VtT0LdjgTr
— GazetteNET.com (@GazetteNET) April 25, 2014

April Showers

While police and fire personnel were probably doing a rain dance this morning other town officials were certainly hoping for sunshine as the soggy, still recovering,  town common hosted the 5th annual Sustainability Festival.

But the rains won out, reducing the crowds attending the town sponsored event -- especially compared to the Extravaganja festival a couple weeks ago, which of course was not a town sponsored event. 

The good thing about the rainy weather (besides bringing the flowers that bloom in May) is it inhibits outdoor partying, thus making a Blarney Blowout or Hobart Hoedown highly unlikely. 

Although the usual party house disturbances will probably still happen later tonight during the bewitching hours (10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.).

NIMBYs Noisy Distraction

 

172 State Street, North Amherst (under construction)

One of the advantages of ownership is not so much the ability to do whatever you want with your property -- especially in Amherst -- but certainly the 100% guaranteed right NOT to do something with it.

Like for instance, drilling into bedrock (not the town where the Flintstones resided).

 View from State Street (note soundproofing going up)

North Amherst residents around Puffer's Pond are in full attack mode targeting the renovations taking place at 172 State Street, where the new owners (who paid almost twice assessed value) are renovating both the house and barn across the street.


And yes it is a tad noisy, and probably dusty as well.  But once the work is done tranquility returns and the new and improved home will be paying considerably more in property taxes.

View from Mill Street

So if you really want to ensure nothing happens next door to you, then simply buy the property ... and do nothing with it.   Only don't use taxpayer money.

Blarney Blowout Repercussions

 Blarney Blowout:  2 of 53 arrestees

The justice system is methodically sorting out the 53 arrestees at the infamous Blarney Blowout, with a major offender striking a deal  last week and another one making an appearance on Wednesday for a pre trial hearing that I'm told will be disposed of on June 9 with a plea deal.

Since the six charges include both Misdemeanors and Felonies it will be interesting to see what the Judge decides.  Hopefully the $160,000 study/report from former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis will be available by then as well.

At the very least I hope the consultants have requested copies of all 53 "Statement of Facts" from the APD arrests on that deleterious day.

Stephen Gage, 20, acted as a ringleader, firing up a huge throng of students to assault highly outnumbered Amherst and UMass police officers with "rocks, ice chunks, beer bottles and beer cans."

Also notice that indeed pepper spray was used on Mr. Gage, but only to subdue him as he struggled with officers while resisting arrest.

Yes, the problem with Blarney Blowout (or Hobart Hoedown) is you get a huge crowd of 1,000s of hyped up students -- most of them under the influence of alcohol -- and then it only takes a few "agitators" like Stephen Gage to create a major riot.

Of course when Mr. Gage appears before the Judge on June 9 he will be standing with only his (expensive) attorney.

   Blarney Blowout Stephen Gage

Rescue Me

CERT team practicing leveraging and cribbing

Since the motto for the Amherst Community Emergency Response Team team seems to be, "Rescue the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time" I have to wonder what a specialized CERT team might have done if they were aboard that South Korean ferry last week where chaos and a bad decision led to the deplorable deaths of 300, mostly teen-aged high school students.

Last night the team -- and we are becoming a team -- took on the task of search and rescue.  Again the safety of the team comes first, so if the initial sizeup of the situation indicates a building too badly damaged to enter then you simply do not enter.

Even if victims are inside calling for help, the best you can do is try to keep them calm by reassuring them help is on the way. Rushing in where angels fear to tread can do more harm than good, adding to the burden of the professional first responders who are sure to arrive.

Upon entering a light or moderately damaged building CERT members (who always work in teams) leave a chalk mark on the exterior indicating time of entry.  Upon completing the search another notation is left to confirm what they found and that they made it safely out of the building.

CERT members cannot pronounce someone dead, but as part of a triage if all signs indicate death then you simply move on to try to help the living.  The injured need to be removed from unsafe conditions as quickly as possible.

Archimedes once said, "Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth."  Using the principles of a simple lever, large heavy objects can be moved.   Other team members use "cribbing" (wooden blocks) to place under the object to keep it raised off the victim.

Once the injured party is safely removed from the debris the team needs to carry them out of harms way.  A simple blanket carry allows up to six team members to assist, although in this case the load was not all that heavy.

Last night marked the half-way point for the CERT program and the enthusiasm level is still as high as it was on day one.

Instructor Michael Williamson confirmed he will be teaching another 6 week session in the Fall but will be offering a class introduction next Thursday in the UMPD community room.

If you're interested, email him at:  cert@amherstma.gov  (before disaster strikes!)

DUI Dishonor Roll

Roadside memorial to Dan Haley, Rt. 116, Hadley

Last week marked the two year anniversary of the tragic death -- some would consider "murder" -- of Daniel Haley, 24, killed by wrong-way drunk driver Brittini Benton only a month before he was set to graduate from UMass with a degree in chemical engineering. 

For Benton it was her second offense at drunk driving.

 Click to enlarge/read

Last weekend (Easter Sunday morning no less) Amherst police arrested Jesse Bollinger, age 29, for allegedly drunk driving at around the same early hours of the morning that Dan Haley was killed.  It was also his second offense.  

He was arraigned In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Tuesday, and his case was continued until May 1st so he could hire an attorney. 

The R Word

 APD at ARHS

I guess if you say it often enough it becomes true to a lot of people.  Are the venerable Amherst schools guilty of "institutional racism?"  And by extension, the entire community.   Really? 

Apparently Rick Hood thinks so.  You may remember Mr. Hood not long ago at a School Committee meeting demanding the schools fire any employee who fails to intervene in a "racist" incident.

How about the black on white racism/bullying that occurred last January?  A regrettable incident the schools completely mishandled because it did not fit their politically correct concept of racism.

To this day the bullied white youth is still not back in school, while all three of his tormentors have been back almost since day one. 

Meanwhile, the teacher of color (Carolyn Gardner) who was targeted by alleged racist "threats" left in bathrooms has a full-time guard assigned to her while carrying out her duties on school grounds. 

Mr Hood laments an overly white Town Meeting but he fails to mention an even bigger demographic rift -- the age gap.  Amherst has the lowest median age in the state (22) because of "college aged youth," while Amherst Town Meeting could easily be mistaken for a senior center social.

The Amherst School Committee, of which he is a member, is 80% white.

Branding the public schools and the entire community "racist" because of the misguided attention seeking actions of a unknown perp is exactly the kind of overreaction the troll is seeking.

And trolls come in all colors.

Green Developments

Trolley Barn, Cowls Road, North Amherst

Resembling book ends, two three-story developments are almost in the same stage of completion. Amherst Office Park in South Amherst sports a new 30,000 square foot building and the 12,000 square foot Trolley Barn in North Amherst (on Cowls Road) both show off their vibrant green Zip system insulation on this perfect Spring day.

Amherst Office Park, West Street, South Amherst

Hard To Forget

Amherst's famous commemorative flags honoring Patriot's Day

If you were there as it happened or simply watched as the visuals first started rolling in, the scenes becomes permanently etched in memory:  those unmistakable sounds, smoke rising, chaos, people screaming, the wail of emergency vehicles reverberating off multi-story buildings, punctuated by a fear of the unknown.  Who did this and why?

For "college aged youth" currently attending our esteemed institutes of higher education in one of the best college towns in America, Patriots Day will forever be remembered, because last year terrorists unleashed death and destruction in the heart of Boston.

Especially since it occurred at an event that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit, in a sport many still consider "pure".

And in patriotic Massachusetts, where pretty much everyone considers Boston, "our fucking city."

So flying the commemorative flags in downtown Amherst to remind us all of the terror we endured that day is hardly necessary.  We remember.  We always will.

Just as flying those same commemorative flags on 9/11 is unnecessary if done simply to remind us of the horrific destruction unleashed on our homeland that awful morning.  How could any of us possibly forget?

But what if you were only 5-years-old and shell shocked adults sheltered you from the devastating images live streaming out of Manhattan, Washington D.C. and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania?

This coming September the incoming 5,000+ freshman at our Colleges and University will, for the most part, have been only five years old on the morning of 9/11/01 -- too young to remember the chaos, sorrow and sheer terror that covered our country like a coroner's sheet.

Induced by the worst attack on American soil in our entire fucking history.

The commemorative flags are not scheduled to fly in downtown Amherst until 2016, to remember the 15th anniversary.   And then not again until 2021 for the 20th anniversary, when the incoming freshmen classes will not even have been born on that ignoble day.

Thus, collectively, the malicious memory starts to fade -- like Pearl Harbor.  And then suddenly, some fine morning as we busily go about our daily routine, it happens.  Again.

Flying the commemorative American flags in downtown Amherst every 9/11, as we do every Patriot's Day (and Memorial Day), will serve to honor the memory of 3,000 slaughtered innocent Americans and to remind us that evil exists.  It will always exist.

And without vigilance, evil triumphs.

Farmers Market Marks The Big 43

Amherst Farmers Market Spring Street parking lot

The weekly Amherst Farmers Market opened for business Saturday, a sure sign spring has arrived.

As for Amherst institutions the weekly Sunday afternoon anti-war vigil in town center dates back a bit further, to 1966, but since they took a hiatus from 1973-1979 the Amherst Farmers Market 43 continuous years in operation sets them apart.

The Farmers Market seemed less crowded this afternoon than usual, but it may take a while for consumers to get used to them being back in operation after a l-o-n-g winter.

Also, some aficionados for locally grown food may have adopted All Things Local as their go to place since it opened last November.  And since it's a bricks and mortar operation, bad weather is never a concern.

Gimme Shelter

 New shelters have large signage and overhead lighting

The Amherst DPW has installed shelters to enclose the parking payment machines around town, making the system a tad more user friendly.  The town switched over to the machines (which take credit cards) in the winter of 2011, but to a rough start.

 All around DPW installing machines in the downtown on Thursday

The directions were a tad confusing -- especially since the machines do not spit out receipts -- and the tiny screens, which are not backlit, especially hard to read at night. 

The shelters cost $13,000 but since the system generates $8,500 per week in parking meter fees, they should pay for themselves in only a couple weeks.

   Amherst Parking Machine Problems by larry_kelley_1

Above All Else, Do No Harm

I think before the Community Emergency Response Team takes their final exam, the entire class will also swear allegiance to the Hippocratic Oath.

On Wednesday night the CERT team learned basic firefighting skills, and by basic I mean little fires.  But, like the mighty oak, many monster fires start with a combustion point not much bigger than an acorn.

And if you can get to it before it has a chance to feed, the voracious dragon is more easily slayed.

As a lightly trained volunteer the first thing a CERT member does is to sizeup the situation and decide if there is anything they really can do, safely, to help the scenario.

 Hadley fire 10/27/13.  Not your basic fire

First rule, Rule #1, is protect yourself, second rule is protect your family and third rule is to then help those in need, until the professionals arrive.

But only if you can do it without violating rules #1 and #2.

 Streaming Cinda

To drive home the point, powerfully, the class watched a five-minute film with a somber final scene.  The instructor asked before hand if anyone wished to leave the room.  Nobody did.

A police officer on a rural dirt road arrives on an accident scene involving a car and a farm truck, each vehicle coming to rest on opposite sides of the road.   A large body is laying face down halfway between them, directly in the center of the road, but partially obscured by what appears to be smoke.

The truck on the right has a diamond shaped placard attached, although due to heavy fog-like conditions which are getting noticeably worse, it's not easily discernible.

The officer radios dispatch to report the scene, requesting fire and EMS response with a push, and before getting out of his vehicle requests their estimated time of arrival.

He's told, "5-7 minutes." 

His dashcam records the officer quickly move to the victim in the road.   By now both are almost obscured by the mist and you can hear the officer say loudly as he kneels by the victim, "Are you okay?" No answer. 

Then a series of loud hacking coughs.  The officer is no longer kneeling ...

For the next few moments his personal microphone kicks on and off rhythmically, as the officer draws his final breaths.

A firetruck appears from the opposite direction, pulls up close to the scene and firefighters can be seen gearing up for what seems like agonizing minutes, but in fact was probably less than a minute. 

A couple firefighters run a hose to the truck and start spraying it down with water while others scoop up the officer on a portable stretcher.  The film ends.  They both died.

In fact the initial victim the officer desperately tried to save, giving up his own life in the process, was already dead.  The white "smoke" was deadly chlorine gas.

When I took the APD citizens police academy 15 years ago they had a newfangled LaserDisc that stored a 1,000 or more interactive training scenarios projected on a large screen to practice "shoot or don't shoot" situations.  

In the last scenario of three, I died (but took the perp with me).  I was so distraught I asked the instructor the next day what had I done wrong?  "Nothing," he responded. "There are 3 or 4 scenarios on that disc designed to ensure you die."

Thus sending a humbling message any professional first responder knows all too well, as they don't always have the luxury of abiding by Rule #1:  You can do everything right, tapping decades of skills and experience, motivated by the best of intentions ... and death can still win.

.

Aidan 1 Fire 0

Un-American?

Start of WBC protest 12:15 p.m. just after I was thrown off the median strip

While I completely understand the heavy-handed approach UMPD took with "protecting" the Westboro Baptist Church trolls yesterday, it was still a clear  infringement on the "freedom of the press" to report a newsworthy item (slow news day or not).

Amherst College can do whatever it damn well pleases with visitors, including the press, because it's private property.   The University of Massachusetts is a publicly funded institution which should value above all else, academic freedom -- which goes hand in hand with the First Amendment and freedom of the press.

The crowd that had gathered on the other side of Massachusetts Avenue outnumbers the WBC protesters 30-1, but other than being vocal did not represent any sort of threat.  And there were at least a dozen uniformed officers present to keep things from getting physical.

So why prevent reporters and photographers from crossing the street to interview the "church" members?  

The WBC performers wrap themselves in the freedoms represented by the American flag, perhaps why they use Old Glory prominently as a prop.  I find it disconcerting my rights guaranteed by that flag were infringed upon in order to overly protect these outliers. 

Of course I couldn't help but notice as they packed up to leave a few minutes before 1:00 p.m. they allowed the stars and stripes to touch the ground.

Red, White and Blue on green grass

Considering the disrespect shown by their signage, not overly surprising. 

DUI Dishonor Roll

Alcohol and driving don't mix

Police arrested Christine Cummings, age 23, on Saturday at 5:45 p.m. on Meadow Street in North Amherst for Driving Under the Influence with a .12% Blood Alcohol Concentration, 50% over the .08% state limit. 

Considering the time of day, on a busy weekend in Amherst (Extravaganja had attracted 6,000 to the town common) and that location near UMass where foot traffic is high, this could have been a lot worse.

Especially since Ms. Cummings first drew attention to herself by having an "extremely overloaded" vehicle. 

#####

Police also arrested Eamon Connor, age 19, over the weekend with a BAC almost twice the state limit.  In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday (with his dad present) his case was continued to May 13 so he could hire an attorney.

Eamon Connor, 19

#####

And Saturday afternoon at 2:45 p.m., right around peak moment for Extravaganja, police arrested Jeremy Lopez, 19, for DUI drugs (pot) about a mile away from town center.  

 

Belchertown Rd (Rt. 9) Saturday 2:50 p.m.

UMass 3,000 Hate Church 5

UMass was indeed united today

Gotta have cute kids

UMass students, high school students and bevy of locals turned out by the thousands to offset the five (5) members of the Westboro Baptist Church who actually did show up this afternoon to spread their hateful anti-gay message.  Not that anyone was listening.

 Huge crowd at Fine Arts Center 11:30 a.m.

UMPD was out in force and did a good job of keeping the groups separate.  The UMass United crowd first formed at Fine Arts Center at 11:30 a.m. and marched to the Student Union, while the WBC arrived at 12:15 p.m. at the intersection of University Drive and Massachusetts Avenue near the Southwest Towers.

The WBC 5

 

How many signs can one hater hold?

A good crowd formed on the opposite side of the road numbering in the hundreds with plenty of media present, but UMPD kept them from crossing the road.  And a little before 1:00 p.m. the five church members packed in their signs and called it a day. 

 Adjacent crowd with plenty of media

Adjacent crowd shot from the rear

UMPD and Office of News & Media Relations keeps watchful eye

At least two signs per person 

Live tweeting their own protest

Calling it a day at 12:55 p.m.

@WBCsigns Well then, since there were only FIVE (5) of you, your math still doesn't add up.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) April 16, 2014

Guess I got their attention

Blarney Blowout Surcharge?

Blarney Blowout confrontation near Pi Kappa Alpha frathouse

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday one of the more egregious Blarney Blowout arrestees, Zach Bodine, age 23,  came before Judge Payne for a, hopefully, final disposition plea deal.

 Zach Bodine, age 23

The prosecution read the charges to the Judge as though the case were going to trial:  Mr Bodine was arrested at the "infamous Blarney Blowout" at the scene of the largest confrontation in and around Pike frathouse on the corner of North Pleasant and Fearing Street.

After police had given an order to disperse they came under fire from projectiles including cans and bottles, some of them launched from a 3rd floor balcony. 

Mr. Bodine, who was intoxicated at the time, was given a direct order to disperse which he responded to by challenging the officers and then getting into a physical wresting match.  He lost.

His court appointed attorney told Judge Payne the facts presented by the prosecution were indeed "egregious," but they represented an uncharacteristic, "once in a lifetime incident."

Mr. Bodine had been a UMass student majoring in Physics (with a 3.2 GPA) and worked as a PVTA driver, but dropped out last winter.

He would like to return to UMass and finish up his degree.

Judge Payne first asked the prosecution if the town and officers involved were aware of the settlement agreement?  The ADA responded, "Yes".

The Judge then handed down the sentence:  Six months probation with all charges continued without a finding, $50/month probation fee, 40 hours community service, no alcohol during probation period, and finally a $200 "restitution fee" paid to the town for police reimbursement.

Should Judge Payne institute that restitution fee on all 53 Blarney Blowout arrestees it would go a long way towards covering the $13,000 in overtime costs incurred by the APD that ignoble day.