Is nine too many?

110 Logtown Road

The occupancy capacity of the little house at 110 Logtown Road,  a one family unit which is limited by a generation-old town zoning bylaw to no more than "four unrelated occupants," comes up for discussion at a Zoning Board of Appeals hearing Thursday night.

The landlord and tenants are appealing a Notice of Violation, "Cease & Desist" order issued by Amherst Building Inspector Jon Thompson in mid-July.  If the ZBA overrules the Building Inspector the proposal for a waiver of the 4 person limit will then proceed to the Planning Board as part of a Site Plan Approval.

At less than 1,250 square feet of finished space the house is kind of small for even four people, let alone the request for nine.

The main concern in a "college town" with increasing density per unit of housing is that it will result in "college aged youth" negatively impacting a residential neighborhood with loud noise, inappropriate activities children should not be exposed to, and general unsightliness with housekeeping bringing down property values.

But since these particular youth are involved with farming, the usual negative neighborhood fallout is probably not going to happen.

Still, that house is awful small for nine people.

Click to enlarge/read

It would help of course if the building owner, Onesta Properties, had a better reputation.

 

What A Difference 1 Year Makes

AFD at Kennedy Dorm for ETOH female

The exciting thing about living in a "college town" is every year around this time we absorb a tidal wave of new exuberant youths making Amherst their home for 7.5 months out of the year over the next four years.

The not so exciting thing is the learning curve involved with them fitting in.

Last year (9/6/13) between 6 PM and 7 AM Friday-into-Saturday-morning Amherst Fire Department transported 7 "college aged youth" from UMass for "substance abuse".  This past Friday (9/5/14) into Saturday morning, one year later, AFD transported 13! 

And another 3 transports from just off-campus that in all likely hood were UMass students.


So why the dramatic difference? 

This year (9/5/14) the average temperature between the hours of 11 PM and 1:30 AM, when the majority of ETOH calls occurred, was 23 degrees higher than last year (75 vs 52 degrees).  Warmer weather brings out the herds to roam the streets in search of a party.

And beer does not help with hydration.

Even with four extra firefighters paid for by UMass to cover the peak weekend demand, we still had to rely on surrounding fire departments five times.

Like for instance the cyclist who crashed his bike on North Pleasant Street and sustained a serious head injury.  Northampton FD transported him to Baystate Critical Care unit in Springfield.

 Cyclist down North Pleasant Street (awaiting ambulance) 12:45 AM

How many more warm weekends can we look forward to before winter sets in?  How many more seriously injured citizens will have to wait for an out-of-town ambulance to arrive?

   AFD Weekend Run Summary 9/5/14

 Left column humidity, right column temperature

Hot Child In The City (Running Wild ... )

North Pleasant Street near UMass 12:43 AM

So yes, as with much of rowdy student behavior the weather -- sunny, hot and clear -- was a contributing factor in the mayhem unleashed in the Friday overnight.

But I have to assume that all the "college aged youth" transported to the hospital during the overnight had plenty of days in their own hometown like yesterday .. pretty much all summer long.

 AFD @ Washington Dorm (freshmen housing) 11:15 PM for intoxicated male

But mix in the first weekend or two of being away from parental supervision for the first time in their lives, and throw together many thousands in that same ark (without benefit of Noah) and you have a volatile reaction bordering on explosive.

Around 12:40 PM a cyclist was down in the center of the road on busy North Pleasant Street which cuts through the heart of campus, unconscious and barely breathing.

Original reports stated a car vs bicyclist, hit and run.  But upon investigation, although the cyclist may have been trying to avoid a car, he was not hit by a vehicle, only the center of the road.

With his head. And he was not wearing a helmet.

 AFD @ UMass Visiters Center parking lot for intoxicated male 12:04 AM

Now pay attention:  Due to call volume -- MOST of it alcohol related -- an ambulance had to be dispatched from Northampton Fire Department (2nd one within an hour), thus causing a delay for his transport to Baystate Critical Care unit in Springfield.

Yes, AFD Engines 1 and 2 were on the scene sooner (Engine 1 running at paramedic level and Engine 2 first on scene operating at "first responder level"), so he had good care from AFD ... but with a serious head injury you really need the level of care provided by a trauma unit ASAP.

AFD on scene Kennedy Dorm (freshmen housing) for intoxicated 17 year old female 12:12 AM

In all AFD had to rely on "mutual aid" ambulances five times during those bewitching hours before and after midnight.  All them dispatched to UMass, our flagship of higher education.

Meanwhile, Amherst taxpayers are left holding the bag:  In the short term, for an ambulance to arrive from a surrounding town for a family emergency; and in the l-o-n-g term for town officials to finally step up and properly staff our Public Safety Departments. 

 

APD on scene large Frat party North Pleasant Street 12:30 AM

FG360° SHOUT-OUT TO AMHERST FIRE + POLICE, DISPATCH + UMPD FOR AN OUTSTANDING JOB LAST NIGHT | FG360 ADMINS
— FIREGROUND360° (@FIREGROUND360) September 6, 2014

Hot Time @ UMass/Amherst

 Union activists marching around Whitemore Administration building

A couple hundred union employees took a loud march around the UMass campus today at noon starting from the usual rallying point, The Student Union, to the usual endpoint, Whitmore Administration Building, and then back to the Student Union.

 Protesters did not enter Whitmore Admin building (like in the good old days)

Apparently five campus unions are displeased over the summer-long negotiations with Amherst's #1 employer.

Branding Miss Emily

Dickinson Homestead built 1813.  Sign will be moved forward closer to sidewalk and enlarged

The Amherst Planning Board voted 6-1 earlier this week to waive restrictions due to "compelling reasons of public convenience, public safety, aesthetics, or site design" for the Emily Dickinson Homestead Museum and Evergreens estate next door (owned by Miss Emily's brother Austin) to allow additional signs that can be placed closer to a sidewalk than 30" and higher than the 48" regulations. 

Large new sign to left of fence pillar, westerly most end of property

The one dissenting voter, Rob Crowner, thought the signage change required a Special Permit from the Planning Board and therefor would mean the Museum has to refile an application.

Executive Director Jane Wald described the signage as a way for the Museum -- birthplace of our most famous resident -- to "refresh its branding and logo."  

Additionally the signage will more clearly delineate to visitors (15,000 annually) the distinction between the Dickinson Homestead and the Evergreens next door, that together occupy three acres just at the edge of town center.

 Large new sign between traffic light pole and fire hydrant easterly most end of property

Two large signs will act as bookends on the east and west ends of the properties with the other three smaller signs replacing those located along the fence that runs parallel to Main Street.

As part of Site Plan Review (which allowed the Planning Board to "waive" signage rules) the PB also approved drainage work and the addition of a "chiller unit" located out of public view behind the garage on the north end of the property.

The Dickinson Museum will benefit by the addition of a new Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning system and the installation of a fire suppression system, to significantly protect the building, which is so historic it's practically sacred.

The Evergreens, built 1856

The Evergreens too will see physical improvements in the form of exterior painting and woodwork repair, including new gutters, all of which were approved by the Dickinson Local Historic District Commission.

The total budget for these improvements comes to $1.5 million.  The Museum recently received a $380,000 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund as well as a $380K matching grant from Amherst College. 

The balance will be raised by private fundraising and additional support from Amherst College.

The Evergreens from above just west of Dickinson Homestead

If You Build It

Town of Amherst, born 1759.  UMass/Amherst born 1863

This afternoon's meeting of the Town Gown Steering Committee, the first after a preliminary presentation earlier this month from their $60,000 consultant, was by far the best attended meeting since the super-committee was formed almost one year ago, with the audience numbering around 50.

Besides the usual crowd of neighbors living near the University, housing developers, business folks and elected town officials this meeting, for the first time, also attracted many students, most of them fraternity members.

Considering "college aged youth" make up the majority demographic in town it was nice to see that ratio nearly matched at this meeting which greatly concerns the future of the town and our flagship institute of higher education.

 Town Gown Steering Committee

The critical component upon which much hope rests is the Public Private Partnership model.  A private company develops a mixed use (housing and commercial) "student village" that increases housing supply for students (our #1 demographic) and commercial space for goods and services to sell them.

But the key requirement as far as the town is concerned is that the project be on the tax rolls.  UMass is the #2 landowner in town, behind #1 Amherst College.  As a tax exempt educational institution UMass pays no direct property taxes to the town, which has the highest property tax in the area, mostly shouldered by homeowners.

Good crowd on hand, including students

When an audience member asked why businesses seem to do well in Hadley compared to Amherst Committee member David Webber, also Chair of the Planning Board, pointed out Amherst Town Meeting prioritizes open space over development, trying to maintain that small town feel.

And any pro development zoning change requires a two-thirds vote of that legislative body.  So until more progressive members are elected in larger numbers, economic development will continue to be an unrealized dream.

A couple of audience members suggested the University buy the run down tenements on Phillips Street and build a housing project for staff, faculty and grad students.

Back in 2006 UMass purchased 5 fraternity/sorority houses adjacent to Phillips Street, a slum area known as "Frat Row", and demolished them.  The property now sits as open space.

Rolf Karlstrom

Downtown businessman Nick Seamon, owner of the Black Sheep Deli, voiced concern over the idea of commercial projects being built on state property competing with the downtown and pointed out UMass food services is already "swallowing up" downtown food establishments.  He suggested the Town could help downtown business by building a "real garage."

Most of the students who spoke to the committee identified themselves as fraternity members and extolled the benefits of Greek life, pointing out they have more oversight than students who rent single family homes.

Maurianne Adams, a 40 year resident and long time neighborhood activist, told the Steering Committee this year long process was the first time she had witnessed the University and town really coming together to work for their own common good.  She closed enthusiastically:  "This has been a real morale boost for those of us who have lived here for many years."

Of course the elephant in the room was the March 8 Blarney Blowout incident, made even more palpable with the impending release of the  $160,000 Davis Report.

Recent editorials in our two local papers lament the lateness of the report, saying it should have been released before the students' return. 

Uncontrolled students -- as small a percentage as that may be -- feeds the ubiquitous  anti-development behavior of Amherst Town Meeting, and the Blarney Blowout was the ultimate day of debauchery.

The Town Gown Steering Committee should orchestrate a pubic meeting just like today's to discuss the Davis Report with all the stakeholders -- especially students.

Because until we solve the problem of rowdy student behavior, all of these development projects are but a pipe dream.

 Blarney Blowout busts

What NOT To Call A Police Officer

Phillips Street, midnight 9/1/14

As I pointed out in my weekend wrap up, Phillips Street -- the slummiest street in Amherst -- was almost impassable to vehicular traffic just after midnight in the Sunday overnight leading into Labor Day morning.

Problem with that is an ambulance or fire truck can't make it down the street, and when you mix that large a crowd with equally large amounts of alcohol it's not uncommon for an ambulance or firetruck to be needed in a hurry.

So Amherst police, acting like herding dogs, will move in to redirect the crowd.


Obviously Luke V. Gatti did not want to be herded ...

Click to enlarge/read

Page 2 continues:  "a temper tantrum like behavior.  Mr. Gatti then clenched his hands and held his arms in a defiant manner consistent with an agitated state.  He was arrested for Disorderly Conduct."

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Tuesday Judge Payne imposed a $100 (Court cost) fine and placed Mr. Gatti on probation for four months.

 Luke Gatti, age 18, stands before Judge John Payne

About 30 minutes after his original arraignment Mr. Gatti returned to the courtroom to ask Judge Payne for extra time to pay the $100 fine, as he did not want to place it on his credit card. 

Makes you wonder who gets to see a copy of his monthly statement.

Dog Bites Children Story

 New sign at Crocker Farm Elementary School

I'm feeling remiss to even publish the link to this petition on everyone's favorite left wing platform, Change.org, since I'm sure it will probably stimulate a signature or two and School Superintendent Maria Geryk tells me she gets livestreamed email notification with each signature.  Yikes!

I always thought not having dogs on school grounds during school hours was the kind of thing you did not need to put signs up over.  Kind of like those warnings on motor oil not to drink the product.

Considering today's front page Gazette article confirms the dog that viciously attacked two school children on school grounds during school hours still has not been identified, thus forcing the children to undergo rabies vaccination, it's probably not the best time to start such a petition drive.

I was also a little taken aback by the Gazette naming the two children.  Our local hometown newspaper has a policy of not naming sexual assault victims so why should dog assault be any different -- especially when they are juveniles.

I've named (and received bitter criticism over it) college aged youth who died via heroin overdose or falling while under the influence of alcohol or even a suicide victim who used a dangerous (to first responders) chemical cocktail in an enclosed automobile. 

But I would not have named the children involved in this traumatic event, even with parent permission.

Although I would be happy to publish the name of the irresponsible dog owner who selfishly left the scene thus sentencing those two children to a scary procedure.

Anyone have any tips? 

First Lockdown of the School Year

File this under the "that didn't take long" department.  And no, the dog biting incident at Crocker Farm Elementary School last week doesn't count since the school did not go into lockdown.  Although it was a traumatic enough incident.

Sometimes saying only a little about an incident is worse than saying nothing at all.  And in the Amherst Public School system, you never have to worry about them saying too much.

Obviously parents who received this email are wondering why the heck an entire elementary school would enter lockdown simply because one child "fell ill" on the playground.

Click to enlarge/read

What the heck was the illness, Flesh-eating bacteria?

Last year was a travesty of loony lockdowns.  This year is not starting well.

ARPS Employee Handbook procedures

AFD Labor (intensive) Day Weekend

AFD Engine 1

In spite of four additional  professional firefighters funded by UMass over the long weekend allowing for five ambulances to be staffed, we still needed mutual aid assist from Northampton FD for an emergency call at Amherst College in the Sunday overnight.

While UMass still has far too many ETOH (overly intoxicated) runs, the percentages seem to be improving. Last spring oftentimes the majority of EMS runs to our flagship University were alcohol related.

Although I suspect some of those trauma via falls with head injury could have been somewhat alcohol related.

   AFD Labor Day Weekend Runs

And So It Begins ...

 

This Frathouse sign raised a few eyebrows from parents (and generated a few calls to APD)

Yeah, I know a bit of a cliched headline.  But the two most common refrains to my live tweeting and Facebooking the festivities over this l-o-n-g weekend was that line along with, "They're baaaaaaack."

Northwestern District Attorney Dave Sullivan was in Court this morning.  Message to students:  "Respect your neighbors, respect yourself."

I even heard both those comments in the halls of Eastern Hampshire District Court this morning, where proceedings were delayed by 20 minutes in order to properly process the paperwork from 20 Amherst police arrests.

Yes, almost all of the arrests were alcohol related and almost all of those involved Umass students.

As usual the District Court used the "diversion" program (converting infractions from criminal to civil) to more efficiently handle the caseload.  For "open container" infractions the perps will pay $300 town bylaw fine, $100 in court costs, take the Brains at Risk alcohol education program at UMass, and be on probation for four months.

For the "minor in possession:" $100 court costs, Brains at Risk program and four months probation.

 Junior Meach stands before Judge Payne for DUI.  Case continued to 10/23

Surprisingly there was only one Driving Under the Influence arrest, Junior Meech, but that doesn't include the driver in the somewhat spectacular accident on South East Street last night, because he has not yet been processed.

 DUI incident 706 South East Street last night. PD arrested Ailton Correia, 22

UMPD had only one arrest compared to APDs twenty, so maybe UMass/Amherst scientists have developed a good behavior force field that encapsulates the sprawling campus.

Phillips Street was almost impassable Sunday night around midnight

Things That Go Bump In The Night

The car driven by Ailton N. Correia, age 22, was traveling at a good clip down a hill on scenic South East Street and careened off the road hitting a tree immediately in front of a solid brick house.

Many emergency vehicles were on scene

Both occupants were ejected from the vehicle and both were transported to Baystate Critical Care unit in Springfield (rather than a routine transport to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton).

 Officers take measurements for accident investigation

An Amherst Police officer accompanied the ambulances to Bay State and the driver of the car, Ailton N. Correia, 22 was arrested for driving under the influence.

 

Car cut a swath through bushes, across lawn, into tree near house

706 South East Street  Still debris on lawn morning after

A Really BIG Clambake

 Hot time on the Haigis Mall

Thousands of students descended on the Haigis Mall late this afternoon, turning it into the area's largest food court.   For the 5th year in a row, UMass/Amherst has set a world record for food consumption.

Well, the world according to Guinness (no not the beer company).

This year it was an old fashioned New England Clambake: clams, steamers and lobster.  3,003 servings to be exact.  And it took less than two hours to serve them up under the watchful eye of a Guinness "adjudicator."

 UMass Chancellor Subbaswamy readies the starting horn

UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy stoked the hungry crowd with a spirited speech and of course even more uplifting, tunes from the UMass Marching Band.

 

Professor Amilcar Shabazz (center) SGA President Vinayak  Rao (right) SGA VP Jacob Schissel (left) doing their civic duty

Serving World's Largest New England Clambake, celebrating local food and UMass commitment to sustainability pic.twitter.com/ElxvxKtvpt
— Kumble R. Subbaswamy (@KSubbaswamy) September 1, 2014

A Day To Remember

Downtown Amherst Labor Day morn

Considering how arduous was the struggle to bring about sane regulations to protect the rights, health and safety of everyday workers, Labor Day is indeed something to remember.   And to celebrate, even though it should be tinged with reverence and respect for those who died in the endeavor.

Labor Day is one of only six days the Amherst Select Board allowed on the list of holidays worth remembering with commemorative flags in the downtown, at their infamous September 10, 2001 run-of-the-mill Monday night meeting.

Amazingly 9/11 is still not on the list.  Well at least not on the "annual" list.  The town grudgingly allows the commemorative flags to fly on 9/11 every five years on "milestone anniversaries," with the next one not until 2016.

How many of the almost 3,000 Americans murdered that morning were everyday working folks going about their daily work routine?

Between police, fire and military a day probably does not go by without someone dying in the line of duty.  That awful morning we lost 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, 55 military personnel, 15 EMTs and 3 court officers.

But the vast majority of casualties were just civilian workers both blue and white collar.

Slaughtered in cold blood on a Tuesday morning that deserved to be in the record books, but for a different reason:  A stunningly crystal clear blue sky, one of those majestic dying days of summer, which started off without a care in the world ...

If the town can annually fly the commemorative flags on Labor Day, and even more somber days like Memorial Day,  the worst attack on American soil in our entire history certainly merits the same level of respect.

A deserving protocol paid for in the most pernicious currency possible:  the vaporized blood of thousands of innocent Americans.

The Best Laid Plans ...

27 Kendrick Place

I guess the only way to ensure a contract is carried out after you die is to never die, or quickly return as a vengeful ghost.

Eva Schiffer, former Select Board, Finance Committee member and long-time German language professor at UMass, left very specific instructions when she bequeathed her cute little house on Kendrick Place (the street, not the five-story mixed use building currently under construction in the north end of town center) to the Amherst Housing Authority.

After she dies, sell the house for 40% off to a blue collar town employee -- police, fire or DPW -- who would otherwise find it hard to afford the high property values in town combined with the highest property tax rate in the area.

In fact she was so specific she even banned anyone associated with those other branches of Amherst public services, the schools and library.

   Agreement for Eva Schiffer House

Thus the buyer, a town employee, would have benefited somewhat greatly via a hefty discount; but not so much the Housing Authority for brokering the deal.

Instead we have a town employee, Sandy Pooler, with a bleached white collar and member of the $100K club benefiting by a reduced price, $225K vs $269,700 assessed value ($307,000 appraised).

And the Housing Authority also greatly benefits by about $200,000 vs zero if the original contract had been followed.

Finance Director Sandy Pooler presenting to Amherst Town Meeting (showing them the money)

A dozen people did make inquiries about the property and they had equal opportunity to place a bid, so no special favors were shown to Mr. Pooler, the sole bidder.   Plus, those that know him would agree he's about as strait laced, goody two-shoes as they come -- so no aspersions on his involvement.

After all, who doesn't like a great deal on a house within walking distance to your office.

But there's also no doubt that the auction could have been better publicized, or the project turned over to a professional real estate agent (of which Amherst has many) who would have been motivated to work tirelessly for the greatest return.