Wag The Dog

School Superintendent Maria Geryk, Andy Steinberg, RAWG Chair

Shutesbury, a partner in our Regional Public School School system for over half a century -- but only 4% of that region by population -- is holding firm to their demand that the new pre-K though 12 Regional expansion should include an "on ramp" for their entry somewhere down the road.

Shutesbury representative Elaine Puleo was as clear as ice that it's an absolute deal breaker.  Even facilitator David Singer, after over an hour of sometimes heated discussion, tried to get the committee to agree to it, calling the lack of an on ramp a "show stopper."

Regional Agreement Working Group (3 members each from all four towns)

Why should the other three towns, who make up 96% of the Region care?  Because this new expanded educational Leviathan needs the approval of all four towns to amend the current Regional Agreement (which covers Middle School and High School).

Yes Shutesbury -- even though they do not plan to join the expanded Region -- still has to support it via their Town Meeting, and the three representatives stated unequivocally last night that would not happen without an on ramp. 

The first hour of the meeting was taken up discussing overall "savings" and how they would be distributed.  The first year of transition could cost Amherst (who makes up 88% of the Region) an additional $357,000.

The committee, citing "equity", voted unanimously to place a cap on savings to individual towns and to distribute savings over that cap to the town (Amherst) that faced increases.  Or what Pelham rep Jeff Osborn described as, "Robbing Peter to pay Paul."

The 2nd item of discussion, an "on ramp" for a non-participating town, was far more divisive.

The  participating towns are concerned that the first few years of the new Region is a formative time, although Shutesbury seemed amenable to a "protected period" (three years) where they could not suddenly attempt entry.

But their representative argued strenuously that as long as they are willing to absorb any impacts they should be allowed entry at any time in the more distant future.  Especially since they are already a long-time partner in the current Region. 

Trevor Baptiste, Pelham rep and new Regional School Committee Chair, described it as a "trust issue," likening it to a (hopefully successful) marriage.

 2 Regional School Committee members -- Rick Hood and Lawrence O'Brien -- observed from a safe distance

The motion that almost gained consensus called for a provision in the Regional Agreement to allow the on ramp but with a "protected period" (possible three years), an impact study, and then good faith negotiations to mitigate those impacts.

Amherst rep Alisa Brewer wanted it clear the answer could still be "No", if they fail to mitigate those impacts.

The meeting adjourned at 9:40 PM, with only 1 of 5 agenda items voted on.  Next meeting is scheduled for September 2 (location to be determined) at 6:00 PM.  RAWG wants to make their recommendation to the Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee by the end of September.

   Amherst Memo School Expansion

And a two-thirds vote of the Regional SC would send the issue to all four Town Meetings to vote on two articles:  The first simply allowing the Regional Agreement to be amended, and the second article calling for an expansion of the current grades 7-12 Region all the way down to pre-Kindergarden through 6th grade.

All four towns have to agree to amend the Regional Agreement, but do not have to agree to join immediately. At this point, within the Regional Assessment Working Group, only Amherst and Pelham seem to be a sure thing. 

Know your reps:

Shining A Light

Shine the light on the story, not yourself

I consider myself an aggressive reporter.  When at the scene of a fire or riot, if I don't get yelled at by police, then I'm doing something wrong.  But whether covering a chaotic outdoor disturbance or a boring indoor zoning board hearing, I always try to stay out of the way.

When using public documents to uncover truths for a story, I try to let the documents speak for themselves.  The hard part is knowing such documents exist and who it is you need to hit with a public documents request.

The events unfolding in Ferguson are -- as Commander Spock would say -- "fascinating".     For many reasons.

As usual, folks are quick to jump to conclusions based on their built up biases.  I'm a BIG fan of public safety (admitting my bias for those of you who may be first timers to this blog)  but an even bigger fan of journalism.

I will, however, never suppress or ignore the truth to protect either of them.  

There's no question Ferguson police could use a refresher course on respecting constitutional rights, and just plain old public relations.  The images of Darth Vader like squads of police armed for Armageddon is not the kind of thing you want presented on the nightly news ... or even that newfangled thing, the Internet.

Reporters want to report, it's kinda their job.  And it's really hard to do that when police keep you corralled up far from the scene of the action.

Police, conversely, want to quell the very action reporters need to report, and it can sometimes be difficult to do when reporters get in the way.  Or worse, their presence serves to incite an already amped-up crowd.

 

UMPD firing pellets into the crowd (burning sugar) 10/31/13

At all the disturbances I've covered involving rowdy students both on and off the UMass campus, I have never yet seen a TV news camera not cause a volatile reaction from the crowd.  And yes, when police don their riot gear, that too incites the crowd.

So what we now have in Ferguson is the worst combination of the two.

If police had been more forthcoming with the facts from the very beginning, the cycle of violence would never have gotten out of hand.  Mainstream media also took too long to awaken to the story, but now it's become a circus where reporters outnumber protesters.

"Sunlight is said to be  the best of disinfectants."  Perhaps why all the mayhem seems to occur after dark.

Recovering

 AFD Ladder 1 pouring water on Southpoint Building #97

Town Manager John Musante told the Select Board this evening that through a coordinated effort of the town, Red Cross and a variety of social service agencies, all the tenants displaced by the Southpoint Apartment fire last week have found housing either elsewhere in the Southpoint complex or in other off site housing. 

Building #97 will require extensive repairs from the direct damage of fire and indirect water and smoke damage.  Two of the other three buildings were habitable on Friday. 

New Sheriff In Town

Trevor Baptiste (new Regional School Committee Chair), Kathleen Traphagan (new Vice Chair)

After garnering only 3 votes for Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee temporary Chair at the contentious 6/24 meeting, losing out to Lawrence O'Brien who received twice that, Trevor Baptiste bounced back in a BIG way at the follow up (official) meeting last week winning five votes, to O'Brien's three.

Two members who had voted for O'Brien over Baptiste at the 6/24 meeting -- Kathleen Traphagan (Amherst rep) and Steve Sullivan (Shutesbury rep) -- had changed their minds, and this time voted for Baptiste (Pelham rep).

And Sarah Dolven (Leverett rep) also had supported O'Brien for temporary Chair but at the meeting last week nominated and voted for Dan Robb (Pelham rep),  who only received that one vote.

At the the 6/24 meeting Trevor Baptiste was nominated for Chair by Amilcar Shabazz but only after Rick Hood had turned down Mr. Shabazz's attempted nomination, saying two years in that position was more than enough.

In both the 6/24 and most recent 8/14 election Mr. Hood supported Lawrence O'Brien for Chair.

While making the nomination this time around Shabazz pointed out that elevating the only other black member of the Regional School Committee to Chair would send a message to the community about the importance of diversity on such an important committee. 

Fair enough.  Symbols are important things.

After the first few days of escalating civil unrest in the embattled town of Ferguson, Missouri the Governor placed in command Ron Johnson, a black state police captain, and it seemed to calm hostilities ... ever so briefly.

Amherst Regional Public Schools start in two short weeks.  It's going to take a lot more than feel good symbolism to counter the past year of simmering discontent.

 

As Vice Chair, Trevor Baptiste called the "illegal" 7/15 meeting to countermand a memo sharply critical of Amilcar Shabazz (on far left)

Ferguson Comes To Amherst

Amilcar Shabazz (center rear)

Organized by nationally known race relations guru Amilcar Shabazz and the local branch of the NAACP, the Amherst edition of the "National Day of Solidarity Actions: Justice for Mike Brown" attracted 75-100 demonstrators of every age, color, and gender to the heart of downtown Amherst. 

The protest was of course peaceful

To Sprinkle Or Not To Sprinkle?

Engine 2 (the quint) on scene Southpoint fire 5:15ish

Unlike the tragic Rolling Green fire (1/21/13) that took the life of Jake Hoffman, a 21-year-old UMass senior, the rebuilding of Southpoint Apartments is a tad more complicated when it comes to the sprinkler system requirement.

 Rolling Green fatal fire (photo by Stephanie Jernigan

Since Southpoint was originally built way back in 1968 they are "grandfathered," but new codes will now come to bear with the relevant three being: "Would otherwise require sprinklers" (Yes); "Sufficient water pressure available in the area" (Yes); and "Work area exceeds 50% of the building" (No).

 Connecting walls are not considered "true fire walls"

And it takes only one "No" to nix the requirement for lifesaving sprinklers.

Southpoint designates the four contiguous structures as separate buildings:  Building #99, #97, #95 and #93 -- but the walls they share are not considered "true fire walls," therefore all four buildings are considered just one really BIG building.

 

Fire started in kitchen (pot left on stove)

Thus the work on #97 where the fire started, even though it's the entirety of the building, is only 25% of the total square footage.

 A jigsaw of four buildings, but considered one

State law, however, gives extraordinary authority to a fire chief, so Chief Nelson can simply order them to install sprinklers as part of the renovation, as he did with Rolling Green Apartments (and they were self insured so it cost them a few bucks).

According to Chief Nelson, "Before we decide we'll have to see what the owners plan to do with the damaged property.  As a general statement, with few exceptions, we always lean toward sprinkler use in occupancies."

Southpoint building #97 5:35 PM

Interestingly the building owners could appeal that to the state (who usually sides with a Chief), but the State Fire Marshal does not even have to convene a hearing for such an appeal. 

Considering how understaffed AFD is, every bit of built-in fire protection installed in occupied major structures is a plus.  And sprinklers are a HUGE plus.

Making the nightly news

Attacking Distrust With A Retreat

Amherst, Pelham, Regional School Committees

About the only thing missing from this afternoon's multi-School Committees "retreat" was a group hug to start off the proceedings.

The Amherst and Pelham School Committees and the members who make up the 4 town Regional School Committee started off by placing dots on a poster board beside statements they deemed the most important.

Click to enlarge/read

"What has gone well and what needs improvement?" was the clear winner.

Most members thought the budget process went well this year but the evaluation of the Superintendent Maria Geryk not so well.  And of course topping the list for outright bad things, all the drama associated with the racial incidents and the factions that were formed within the Committees that carried over to the community.

 Fancy fixings at the meeting which was held in Valentine Hall, Amherst College

Amherst School Committee Chair Katherine Appy admitted, "Trust has been a big problem," adding "factions do drive us apart."  Pelham School Committee Chair Darius Modesto agreed saying, "The School Committee needs to change its tone, it's affecting the students."

Communication was constantly cited, as in, the Committees need to do a better job communicating with each other, School administrators and the general public.

Obviously the public becomes (greatly) concerned because public schools account for the lion's share of annual tax expenditures, and good schools help to maintain high property values.

Also discussed was the role of the School Committee.   Should they act as cheerleaders for administrators, or be more critical and "call them out" in the hopes of micromanaging them into better performing schools?

 Mike Morris Assistant Superintendent, Maria Geryk Superintendent

The former certainly has not worked all that well the past few years ...

 

A good crowd 2 or 3 times larger than the combined committees attended

Email from one of the "factions" drumming up support

Amherst Is No Ferguson

Police in riot gear disperse crowd at the gateway to UMass

Ever since the start of summer I've been anxiously anticipating the release of the Ed Davis study otherwise known as the Blarney Blowout Report -- not that I think taxpayers will get their $160,000 worth.

But now in the wake of the Ferguson, Missouri troubles, I'm hoping it doesn't come out for a while, at least until things settle down in that troubled town.

Other than the image of police clad in riot gear there's no real comparison between what is going on now and what happened in Amherst on March 8.  Although I'm sure clueless critics will try to make that association.

First off,  our police were outnumbered 50-1, as opposed to Ferguson where police seem to outnumber protesters. And at the Blarney Blowout, fueled by copious amounts of alcohol, police came under direct attack from the unruly mob via rocks, bottles and chunks of ice.

The effervescent event was covered by local media in real time and the national media quickly picked up those dispatches.  But no reporters were hassled by police, much less arrested. 

Amherst police do not use rubber bullets, military grade smoke bombs, or tear gas grenades, or patrol in heavily armored vehicles.

And they do not shoot unarmed citizens.

Ever.

Amherst and UMass police made 58 arrests at the Blarney Blowout

Party House E-X-P-A-N-S-I-O-N?

33 Phillips Street

Stephen Gharabegian, one of the more notorious absentee landlords in town, will go before the Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals on September 25 to request a Special Permit to "Change a 3 family house to 4 family house."

Of course these days "family" simply means four unrelated tenants, and on Phillips Street -- where Mr. Gharabegian (aka College Street and Knight Properties LLCs) owns four-out-of-nine dwellings -- that means UMass undergrad students.

Interestingly one main criteria for the ZBA in allowing such requests is, does it fit into the general character of the neighborhood?

And in this case, where 95% of the (supposedly) 64 tenants along the entire street are "college aged youth"-- many of them drawn by Phillips Street's rowdy reputation -- it's hard to imagine an increase of four residents can make a huge difference.

Kind of an "Escape from L.A." scenario where all the refugees are safely secluded in a giant makeshift holding area.  

Still, on general principles the ZBA should deny the permit.  Especially since the proposed expansion trips newer building codes that require a sprinkler system.  And thus far Mr. Gharabegian makes no mention of installing such a lifesaver. 

After the recent major fire at Southpoint Apartments or the fatal one at Rolling Green Apartments, where lack of sprinklers are grandfathered, who would argue that a such a safety system is too much of a burden?

   Mangaement Plan Lease 33 Phillips

A New Engine In Town

AFD new Engine 1 (2013 Typhoon/E-MAX 1500/750/30)

While there's no question AFD is badly understaffed and Central Station is badly in need of replacement, their equipment at least is top notch.

Let the training begin

This Bad Boy just arrived last week and is currently undergoing specialized small equipment installation and being stocked with routine supplies, but should be in service by the end of the month, just in time for the students return to our (currently) sleepy little college town.

The pumper was originally scheduled for purchase next year but the town moved it up to take advantage of low borrowing rates.  And when your talking $400,000 even a small percentage makes a big difference.  

Last May Town Meeting also approved an addition $20,000 for medical equipment and a specialized drug lock box to allow Engine 1 to act as a stop gap ambulance (but cannot transport a patient). 

 AFD Current Engine 1 ((2001 Cyclone ll 1500/750/30) at rest

Going out fighting:

In what may have been her last battle with The Beast as a frontline piece, Engine 1 was first to arrive Saturday at Southpoint Apartment major structure fire (unfortunately with only 1 firefighter aboard).

Engine 1, alongside Ladder 1 and Engine 2 Southpoint Apartments

No Surrender, Yes Retreat

 Amherst Pelham Regional High School

Silly me, I always thought that when you went "on a retreat" it encompassed more than a couple hours.  Seems the only difference between this "retreat" and a normal run-of-the-mill "meeting" is this one shuts out public comment.

After the last Jerry-Springer-like meeting of the Regional School Committee (well at least the last "official" meeting), I can see why they would like to avoid the general public.

But that is precisely the problem with our dysfunctional education committees:  losing touch with the people who put them in office, although all of them were elected in "contests" that drew less than a 50% voter turnout.

And losing sight of job #1: Providing high-quality education to all children, regardless of race, creed, color, religion ... or political affiliation. At a cost the average taxpayer can bear.

Southpoint Fire Damage (View From Above)

Southpoint Apartments (most fire damage to  rear center building)

Fire cause has been determined:  Tenant left (for the day) a pot on the stove

Considering it took an army of firefighters three hours to bring the stubborn Saturday afternoon blaze under control, I'm actually surprised there's not way more extensive damage to the roof of the structure.  

I just now noticed the time/date stamp on this iPhone video I took, which shows 5:02 PM on Saturday.  Considering the first AFD engine was still a few minutes away, kind of gives you an idea of how far along the fire was before a drop of water was brought to bear

And of course it did not help that the initial arrival truck, Engine 1, had only one firefighter aboard.

Frustrating statement from AFD Local 1764 regarding Southpoint Apartments fire:

   AFD Union Statement Southpoint Fire

Now if you really want to lose sleep tonight envision this scenario repeating itself three weeks from now at Townhouse Apartments in North Amherst, which is almost exclusively UMass students.

And on a Saturday at 5:00 PM too many of them will be under the influence of alcohol.

The extra staffing (4 firefighters) UMass pays for do not report for duty until 9:00 PM on the weekends.

Pay attention! (nothing to cheer about):

A Good Torch

 Flame of Hope enters town center

It wasn't all bad news on the public safety department front yesterday. 

The Western Massachusetts Law Enforcement Torch Run, a 3 mile jog from Amherst PD headquarters on Main Street to Kennedy Dorm Southwest area UMass, managed to step off at the scheduled start, 7:00 PM. 

As they were running up Main Street, South Hadley Fire Department was arriving for a fire alarm at Johnny's Tavern just opposite Town Hall.  All AFD personnel were busy fighting the major fire at Southpoint Apartments.

The Torch Run is a nationwide benefit to raise money for Special Olympics.  This local event is doubly beneficial as the torch run culminates with the lighting of a cauldron to signal the start of the Summer Games.

Line up at APD headquarters

The Morning After

 Crossfire of water directed at roof Southpoint Apartments 6:00 PM Saturday

 

The Southpoint Apartment structures devastated by yesterday's fire are still standing, but four interconnecting buildings are currently uninhabitable -- leaving 36 families, possibly 100 individuals (many of them children), homeless.

 Almost midnight Saturday

In a college town where affordable housing is almost impossible to find.

 

Sunday morning 7:30 AM, AFD still on scene

Salvage operation front lawn 2:00 PM

But it could have been far, far worse.  Two first responders (one PD, one FD) were treated and released at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, but no tenants suffered physical injury.  The psychological injury, however, will take a long time to heal.

 Residents watching fire from a safe distance 5:30 PM yesterday

According to AFD Chief Nelson the list of departments involved via mutual aid goes like this:

Second Alarm

Northampton

Hadley

Pelham

Belchertown EMS

Third Alarm

Belchertown

Leverett

Shutesbury

Sunderland

Fourth Alarm

Easthampton

Northampton – Ladder Truck

Granby

Ware

Town Coverage

South Hadley District 1 – Fire & EMS

South Hadley District 2

Department of Fire Services

Rehab Unit

Incident Support Unit

Other

Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross

The town just last week took delivery of a new pumper that will be used as the front line Engine 1 but it still needs another week or two of equipment installation work, so it was not at the fire yesterday.

Ladder 1 with 102' aerial ladder armed with 1,000 gallons per minute gun swings into action

South Hadley FD responding to fire alarm Johnny's Tavern 7:00 PM

Northampton FD arrived early on to join the fight

Fire was started by pot left on stove in upstairs apartment and spread quickly to attic and then over to other units

Red Cross on scene dealing with "closer to 40 families" from the 36 housing units impacted by the fire

Red Cross confirms this recovery effort will be far more expensive than last year's Rolling Green Apartments fire