Revenge Firing?

Paula, Dylan, Steve Akalis June 6

Bad enough that Amherst Regional High School Principal Mark Jackson forbid Dylan Akalis to march with his classmates at the Mullins Center graduation ceremony last weekend -- but did allow a shrill senior to march who violated Dylan's privacy with a bullying Internet petition.

Or that Dylan essentially lost the last four months of his senior year because school officials favored three black youths who bullied him to the point of making a desperate Facebook threat about "packin" a weapon to school for self defense. 

But now Amherst Regional Public School Superintendent Maria Geryk has gone one better -- or I should say worse -- by firing Dylan's dad, school electrician, Steve Akalis.

As you may remember back in late January when Mr. Akalis was trying to get school officials to do something about his son being bullied, he was suspended without pay for three days for using company time to ever so briefly discuss the scary situation with Dean of Students Mary Custard.

Now he's been fired for using the common electrician (and computer) term "slave unit,"  in the presence of a school employee who happens to be black.

Being an overly polite kind of guy (like most former Marines) Mr. Akalis said to the employee, "No offense, but the slave unit will not work unless the master unit is plugged in."

So yes, I suppose you could interpret that in one of two ways:  either he is invoking the sad history in our country when blacks were enslaved (but somewhat apologizing for it) or he could simply have been saying that she should take no offense ... he was, err, not questioning her intelligence.

Either way, summary execution for an innocent expression used without malicious intent is a tad draconian. 

When it comes to alleged racial issues it seems the public schools have lost sight of the expression, "teachable moment."

Masslive (co) reports

DUI Dishonor Roll

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday before Judge Mary Hurley first time offender Tyler Chambers, age 25, took a standard DUI 24D disposition for his April 26 arrest, which involved leaving the scene of a (potentially fatal) two car motor vehicle crash. 

 Tyler Chambers, age 25 stands before Judge Mary Hurley

Chambers will lose his license for 45 days, pay $600 in fines, $250 bar advocate fee, and $567.22 for drug/alcohol school and be on probation for one year with an additional $65/month probation fee. 

An expensive lesson learned (we hope).

APD "statement of facts"

When Products Compete

Over the strong objection of Shumway Street neighbors and Marvin Spence, who has owned and operated Spirit Haus, a College Street institution in town for 40+ years, the Amherst Select Board unanimously approved the relocation of an all alcohol off premisis liquor license for Amherst Wines & Spirits from 233 N. Pleasant Street to 308 College Street.

308 College Street

Amherst Wines & Spirits has been in business for over twenty years in the heart of downtown Amherst.  But due to the impending sale of the Carriage Shops building, they needed to find a new home.



The town has 8 All alcohol licenses available and all of them are taken.  So it's not like this is a new competitor for the nearby Spirit Haus or an additional store selling mega packs of cheap beer.

 

Spirit Haus, 338 College Street

There He Goes Again

33 Phillips Street

The poster boy for lousy upkeep of student rental housing, Stephan Gharabegian, is at it once again.  On good old Phillips Street naturally, where he owns almost half the houses on the slummy street. 

Building Inspector Jon Thompson has given him until June 24 to either demolish a bootleg four bedroom basement apartment or file for a Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals, where he's been turned down in the past.

And since the illegal basement apartment did not have a second means of egress in case of fire Gharabegian is lucky the town did not file endangerment charges!

   33 Phillips Street - Cease and Desist

Important Positions Quietly Filled

With no fanfare or even just a basic announcement (other than updating the town website), Moderator Jim Pistrang made two appointments -- Stephen Braun and Bernie Kubiak -- to the all important Finance Committee, a sort of watchdog financial adviser to Town Meeting.

Former FinCom Chair Andy Steinberg resigned after winning a seat on the Select Board in the 3/25 election, and rookie member Sarah Swartz recently resigned for personal reasons.  Probably the bigger of the two losses since she had experience running a small business. 

Oddly, FinCom does not make recommendations concerning the viability of projects financed with Community Preservation Act money.

Which always seems to be used for funding controversial articles, like the recent $1.25 million in public money spent to keep 41 private units of housing at Rolling Green Apartments affordable. 

Yes, the FinCom recommendation was unanimously in favor of that warrant article.   With any CPA article, however, their deliberation is to simply confirm the purchase falls within the state guidelines for use of CPA money -- and not on the merits of the purchase itself.

And I'm quite sure more than a few Town Meeting members do not get the distinction.

Since the town attorney also goes over any use of CPA spending for legality issues, the Finance Committee duplication is a waste of time.

This becomes even more important as Town Meeting voted to place an increase in the CPA surcharge from current 1.5% to 3% on the November election ballot.

I shudder to think of the excesses we will see at future Town Meetings if that double down is enacted.  All of them unanimously approved by the Finance Committee.

Steady, Aim, Release

The Amherst Archery Academy held its annual "Spring Gathering" today at Bramble Hill Farm,  an in house event where students get to practice under tournament like conditions.  The targets were set at 15, 20, 25 and 30 yards respectively.

 

Archers taking score

Mysterious Explosion

 Residents on N. East Street, College Street and South East Street all heard/felt it

Dispatch received multiple calls last night around 8:15 PM reporting a huge explosion somewhere in east Amherst.  The reporting party on Jenks Street said it "shook the house," and upon first arriving on scene an Amherst police officer noted smoke off in the distance woods.

But by the time he hitched a ride out to the suspected area, the smoke was gone.  I went outside immediately after the first 911 call aired to scan the skies for a military jet, but did not see or hear one. 

Mystery solved.  Or NOT

What The Ruck?

5:00 AM Bramble Hill Farm: Moment of respect before the journey begins

If you happened to notice that flag bearer -- which in Amherst tends to stand out -- with a crew of 30 enthusiastic participants close behind this morning glistening under a stunning blue sky, that was the  GoRuck Light Challenge.

Kind of a one (long) day intro to special forces training, this band of brothers and sisters awoke very early this morning for an 0500 start.  And spent the next 6 hours sweating across nine scenic miles of Amherst.

10:30 AM In Amherst town center

Rucksacks are military quality backpacks sold by GoRuck, a company founded by an ex-Green Beret. GoRuck Light events use the backpack (packed with bricks), in an extended group workout that is sort of a combination of Outward Bound and Crossfit.

The event is not an individual competition where the object is to win, the goal is to come together as a team, listen to your Cadre (former special forces group leader) and then carry out his commands.  Adversity becomes the challenge to overcome.  As a team.

And for these now hardier individuals, the day was a success. Go team!

Groff Park

Inevitable End?

Food For Thought Books

Like losing a child, it's almost impossible to describe to those who have not endured it the heartbreak that coincides with locking the door to your long-time business one last time.

In America -- built on the unforgiving survival of the fittest model -- it happens all the time. 

A majority of small business start ups fail to celebrate their first anniversary, and the vast majority do not make it to double digits.

Food For Thought Books' run of 38 years was stellar.

The Internet has, after all, changed everything -- giving consumers the instant ability to find exactly what they want at the cheapest price possible.  Even worse for book and record stores or DVD rental shops (or print newspapers): the very nature of the product has been transformed from physical to digital.

Jeffery Amherst Books closed in town center half dozen years ago after 70 years in business

The upside is when consumers pay less for products they keep more money in their pockets, which they can spend on other products at another -- hopefully local -- business.

The downside is now we have another vacant commercial spot in the heart of Amherst, a town with far too few businesses as it is. 

Gallons Of Prevention

First flush sends up a geyser

AFD Fire Prevention officer Mike Roy and UMass Fire Prevention Services Supervisor Mike Swain were on scene this morning for a flushing and inspection of the water system which ties in to the sprinklers at the new Olympia Oaks affordable housing development which is scheduled for a ribbon cutting ceremony next week.

AFD does not currently have the proper equipment to do the sprinkler test so they borrow a unit from nearby UMass.  Just as AFD is almost always assisted by APD for emergency calls in town, anytime they are dispatched to the UMass campus, Environmental Health Services shows up to assist.

 UMass does not have its own Fire Department but does have Fire & Safety Services

The "Hose Monster" costs around $1,300 and the readout gauge and coupler adds another $500.

After the system is first flushed out for pebbles or other debris (which could possibly jam in the head of a sprinkler and cut off the water flow) the gauge is attached and another measurement taken with full water running.

Both buildings tested at over 42.5 on the picot scale which translates to over 250 gallons per minute flow rate, enough to pass state regulations.  With today's test completed, 15 of 17 buildings have been tested and they all passed.

 AFD inspector Mike Roy reading the Pitot Gage

Today's test was just for the underground water system as it comes into each building.    The above ground sprinkler test of all outlets inside the building is an additional inspection that also costs $125 per building plus 5 cents per square foot.

Some units are much farther along than others

Sprinkler systems combined with smoke detectors makes for a formidable defense against fire.  The most recent Amherst fire fatality occurred last year at Rolling Green Apartments, which did not have a sprinkler system. 

D-Day at ARHS

I guess I'm not the only one who viewed the past four months discombobulation in the Amherst School system as a bit of a three ring circus.

Principal Mark Jackson has declared next Thursday "Dialogue Day" where students and staff will take school time to "process the year".  I find it interesting he uses the term "allegations of" preceding the R-word. 

But I wonder how open and honest kids will be under the constraints of teachers or administrators standing guard.  Wouldn't it have been better to bring in outside, unbiased, professional help?  And to have scheduled it last week when seniors were still in school?

Well at least there's ice cream. 

One Million Down ...

So I should have stayed up a little later last night because sometime just before midnight the milestone one millionth visitor came a calling.  Not that my sitemeter gives me their email so I can award him/her a prize.

Over the past seven years I have tried to cover the stories that my friends in the bricks and mortar media may have missed, or to cover them in a way that offers more of the backstory.

Living here all my life and having operated a small service-oriented business for 28 years gives me Google-like institutional memory and a fairly extensive list of ultra-reliable sources.

Sources who trust my use of "off the record," knowing that North Koreans could hold a flamethrower to my head and I would never give them up.

If you looked at my widget for "popular posts" (which is continuously updated real time) four months ago, six of the top ten stories had nothing to do with  "rowdy student behavior."

Cowardly Anon Nitwits constantly accuse me, a proud UMass grad, of being "anti-student" where all I ever write about is the tiny minority of students who screw up.

So I kind of liked that I could respond with, "60% of my top ten stories have nothing to do with students behaving badly."  Well unfortunately, that is no longer the case.  This year's Blarney Blowout -- not exactly a "tiny minority" of students -- pushed not one, but two new posts into the top ten.

Now 60% of my "popular posts" do involve student bad behavior (4 of them specifically related to Blarney Blowout).

But I take great journo pride in the two stories that were pushed out of the top ten:

The potentially catastrophic basement fire at a Hobart Lane (students) apartment that exposed a (well known) landlord coverup of shoddy conditions -- including orchestrated violations of the bylaw restricting one family units to no more than four unrelated tenants.

A case that came at just the right time to help pass the Amherst Rental Registration & Permit Bylaw last year, the most important piece of legislation enacted by Town Meeting in a generation.

And the other case that you have also read about here more than any other media outlet:  A working class family unfairly sanctioned by an overly PC Amherst School system.  A sad story that is still ongoing.

I hope to be around to bring you a conclusion.

Blowing The Whistle

Competition of a different kind

Since Amherst Regional High School officials overreacted to the initial incident by declaring a "lockdown" over two errant assistant coaches from Smith Vocational High School, no big shock they are now blowing the whistle on the earnest young recruiters ... which may not look good on their resumes.  

Since both assistant coaches signed in the day they visited ARHS obviously they were not trying to hide anything.  And by not signing out they only demonstrated unfamiliarity with a security system that is a tad confusing.

Smith Vocational High School, operated by our sister city to the west, Northampton, is one of two vocational schools that attracts away Amherst Regional students (thereby impacting the school's budget via payouts).  

Between Smith Vocational and Franklin County Technical ARHS lost 38 students this year.So maybe there's a measure of payback involved in this bit of hyperbole.

Of course when the shoe was on the other foot ...

The past four months in the Amherst schools have been a three ring circus.  

Continuous lockdowns, racist graffiti in the High School bathrooms targeting a teacher of color, and a racial bullying incident (that did not fit the PC agenda) that lead to a Facebook "threat" that closed the High School.

Fortunately the senior prom went off last Friday without incident (or at least any incidents that required police intervention).  This Friday ARHS graduation is hosted at the Mullins Center, which seemingly straddles three police jurisdictions -- Hadley, Amherst and UMPD.

According to APD Chief Livingstone:

"I have met with school officials and with Chief Horvath of UMPD regarding the High School graduation and after graduation party and I’m confident that the security measures planned will be adequate and sufficient.

 

Our goal is that it is a safe and enjoyable evening for all of those in attendance…"

Attempted Coup d'état

Tellers huddle with Moderator at June 2 Town Meeting

Apparently members collaborated before the final session of Amherst Town Meeting Monday night, although all the usual suspects were involved so probably not much more collaboration than usual.

The Planning Board wished to refer a hot potato zoning article they had placed on the warrant back to themselves for further study after it was not overly well received by the business community.

With Vince O'Connor absent, his mini-me Jim Oldham led the sneak attack by asking Town Meeting to vote down the "motion to refer" so the article would stay on the floor and he could then make a simple amendment (although with zoning nothing is simple) "within the scope of the article" targeting mixed-use developments in the downtown.

After an extra unanticipated 55 minutes of discussion, Town Meeting did pass the motion to refer 86 Yes 70 No, which actually sounds kind of close.  But since a zoning article requires a two-thirds vote to pass, not close at all.  Keep in mind this gerrymandering occurred in the final hour of the 9th and final session of the 256th Annual  Town Meeting, which started back in April.

The real scary overthrow of decorum occurred just before this article, when once again Vince O'Connor caused Town Meeting to waste over an hour-and-a-half discussing citizen petition zoning articles that had been ruled illegal the week before.

 Vince O'Connor strutting to the podium last year

Since O'Connor had submitted his 100 signature petitions too late for the Planning Board to hold a Public Hearing and issue their required report, the Moderator ruled the two articles could only be "refereed back to a committee" or "dismissed."

Mr. O'Connor demonstrated supreme hubris by not only refusing to make the motion to refer but he did not even bother to show up to Town Meeting.  The Select Board made the motion to dismiss.

 And then the drones took over and squandered even more time.

Each motion to dismiss was adamantly opposed and each required a Tally Vote (which takes up another ten minutes) because of doubters who could not accept defeat.  The first motion to dismiss passed 88-78 and the second one 87-77.

 

Usual Suspect:  Hipster Rob Kusner

Now put that together with the final vote (86-70) on Mr. Oldham's attempt to hijack the Planning Board article at the end of the night and you get an idea of the overall strength of the drone bees.

While 70 or so out of 250 is a distinct minority -- they are dedicated.  The average turnout on any given night is under 200, so those 70 can block any zoning article that requires a two-thirds vote.

Usual Suspect:  Mary Streeter

Unfortunately, any pro-development zoning article is viewed as a conspiracy to benefit the rich and powerful while trampling upon the rights of "the people." 

Or the folks with too much time on their hands.

 Jim Oldham at podium, David Webber, beleaguered Planning Board Chair in front

Blarney No Blowover

Blarney Blowout, March 8 "in the area of 374 N. Pleasant Street"

At almost the three month mark from that day of infamy, the court system is still dealing out justice to those (58) "college aged youth" arrested during the Blarney Blowout.

Dana Mahar standing before Judge Payne

On Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court before Judge John Payne, Dana Mahar, age 22, accepted what now seems to be the standard plea deal:  Case continued without a finding for six months (probation) plus $200 restitution to Amherst Police Department, 20 hours of community service  and a letter of apology.

 Page 2 continues: " ... from the other individuals in the area.  Additionally, during the struggle, the strap on my pepper ball gun broke and caused the gun to fall.  This rendered it temporarily out of service."

Meanwhile, I'm told the (Ed) Davis Report with recommendations on how to avoid another Blarney Blowout should be completed within the next three weeks "or so".

Hey, for $160,000 I guess it's better they spend a little extra time to get it right. 

DUI Dishonor Roll

I guess it's a good thing the majority of drunk driving arrests occur in the late night early morning hours as Meghan M. Gesek, age 21, was taken off the road after crashing her vehicle into a fence on a school playground. 

Affordable Housing Deal is Done

UPDATE:  Tuesday afternoon

Town Officials want it made clear that Amherst currently is not below the 10% threshold for a CH40B development.  The state did a survey about a month ago and the results should be known late summer early fall, where the official number we have to live with will be announced.  

It was agreed, however, that Rolling Green alone could be a deciding factor depending on whether the state allows us to keep all 204 units on the SHI or just credits us the 41.

#####

Original post (from the floor of Town Meeting no less)

Even though one of the better selling points of the town entering into a private deal -- with a $1.25 million entry fee -- to preserve 41 affordable units of housing at Rolling Green Apartments  evaporated like morning mist on a hot summer day, Town Meeting still voted near unanimously to do the deal. 

Let me explain:

For the past generation Rolling Green has accounted for 204 units on our Subsidized Housing Index, a state formula that requires cities and towns to maintain a minimum of 10% of its housing stock as "affordable," or be subject to a developer using Ch40B as a trump card for a mega-development (as long as 25% of the units are "affordable.")

 Even though only 41 of the Rolling Green units were actually affordable, because of a clause in the federal loan agreement used by a developer to finance the facility, all 204 units were counted.  Equity Residential, the current owner, paid off that loan in September, so now that provision is gone. 

With all 204 units counted Amherst stood at 10.8% on the SHI index. With only 41 of the units counting Amherst will register 9% and with all the units lost, 8.5%.  In other words Amherst is now below the minimum SHI index required to stave off a Ch40B development from happening.

But Town Manager John Musante pulled a stunt that would have made P.T. Barnum proud, by announcing that an "offer had been accepted" by the current owner, Equity Residential, from affordable housing developer Beacon Communities.  An offer that required $1.25 million of Amherst tax money that was not yet appropriated.  

Town Meeting then took the bait and voted overwhelmingly to do the deal.

Thus the good news for affordable housing proponents is those 41 Rolling Green units are preserved (although town officials are not sure how many of them are the larger 3 or 4 bedroom units).

The even better news is now that we're (unofficially) below the 10% SHI another affordable housing developer will soon come calling, holding a "build-whatever-you-want" card courtesy of Ch40B. 

Jim Oldham:  $1.25 million is a "little bit of money."

Sophie's (Housing) Choice

Rolling Green Apartments

Having grown up in Amherst, on the wrong side of the tracks, in a single parent household, where my Irish mother had to rent out over half our home, I appreciate the monthly struggle to makes ends meet.

Amherst was not an easy place to afford back in the Kennedy era.  And it's far worse now.

So I sympathize with the tenants of 41 apartments at Rolling Green who face annual rent increases until all the subsidized units hit "market rate."  Which in Amherst only takes one word to describe:  expensive.

But I'm just not sure throwing $1.25 million in public money at the problem is the best solution.

Amherst Town Meeting will be asked to chip in that amount so that a unnamed "highly reputable affordable housing developer" can buy the entire complex -- all 204 units -- just to keep the 41 units forever affordable.

Kind of like the affordable tail wagging the market rate dog.

Two weeks ago Town Meeting approved the Amherst Affordable Housing Trust Fund as a repository for funds to be used to help put together public/private partnerships to jump start affordable housing building projects.

Might that $1.25 million be better spent enticing a brand new development in town rather than helping to purchase units that over 50 years old?

Because what Amherst really needs is more housing -- and LOTS of it.

Atkins North It Is!

Coming soon to a former cow barn near you:  Atkins Farms Country Market

After years of negotiations, and rumors, and a recent Internet petition that garnered over 350 signatures, the dream of bringing an iconic century old Amherst business anchored in the deep south part of town has now come true:

 Atkins Farms Country Market will open a 4,000 square foot bookend operation in the North Amherst Mill District -- twice as big as the Internet petition proposed operation would have been in the Trolley Barn.

Pauline Lannon (left) Cinda Jones (right) ink the deal

Atkins will be occupying the former cow barn (after extensive renovations of course) at 113 Cowls Road, and is expected to open in August of 2015. 

The store will certainly act as an anchor magnet to draw consumers to the sprawling North Amherst location that by then will be populated with many more service oriented businesses.  

12,000 square foot Trolley Barn, opening this September

14,400 square foot former sawmill, ready to rock once again

The Mill District from above