Blarney Snuff Out

 Townhouse Apartments quad 5:15ish

Saturday was supposed to be the "Half Way to Blarney Blowout" celebration, but with the massive (bad) publicity generated by the release of the Davis Report Thursday night the downtown bars didn't dare enact it this year, and the main offenders agreed not to even open until 5:00 PM vs their regular 11:00 AM opening time allowed by license.

But that did not stop many hundreds of "college aged youth" from gathering in the usual spot this afternoon, the grassy quad inside Townhouse Apartments in North Amherst.  Last year that was the  scene of the Blarney Blowout riot, but with only 6 arrests vs this year's 58.

Beer bush

When I first saw the huge number of party goers and the exceedingly small number of police officers (half dozen) I thought about calling up Mr. Davis to have him come do a live demonstration for the Amherst Police Department on crowd management.

Hey, for $160,000 you would think a follow up demo would be in order.

Without donning riot gear, or using "chemical agents," or even raising their voices, the police sorted out the crowd in 20 minutes or so starting with the apartments playing loud music.  Once the music died the crowd got the message and slowly dispersed, leaving behind a mess.

The BIG difference between this and the Blarney Blowout of March 8, 2014?  When the officers politely asked for something, they got it.  In other words, cooperation. 

Interestingly, the kids had no problem invoking their First Amendment rights, as dozens whipped out their smart phones to record the officers, and a fewer number hurled an expletive deleted or two from the protection of their second floor apartment.

Yet some of those very same individuals questioned why I was recording the scene. Which makes you wonder, what is it they would not want parents or guardians to see?

Townhouse Apartments quad March, 2013

The Return Of EDM Mayhem

Fantazia was cancelled last year @ Mullins Center due to concerns about drug "molly"

So once again, if you needed an ambulance late last night for a real life threatening emergency (not self-induced) you would have had to await precious (many) minutes for it to arrive from a surrounding town.

 Two AFD ambulances at UMass Mullins Center last night for drunk patrons

Yes, in spite of extra staffing paid for by our friends at UMass that allowed for five fully staffed ambulances, and despite the two extra out-of-town ambulances Chief Nelson required the Mullins Center to hire ... it still wasn't enough!

 

AFD Engine 3 at Mullins Center last night

AFD had to use Engine 1 as an emergency medical unit to respond with trained personnel who can help stabilize the patient, but they cannot transport to a hospital.

A couple weeks back a cyclist with a serious head injury was first tended to in this way but had to wait for a Northampton ambulance to transport him to Baystate Critical Care unit in Springfield.

 South Hadley Medic 2 staging at AFD North Station last night

The Mullins Center concert had a dozen transports for ETOH (intoxicated) patrons in less than four hours and AFD handled another five (so 17 in total) not related to the concert.

Interestingly the ambulances from South Hadley and Easthampton had to stage at North Station 1.5 miles away because Mullins Center management did not like the "image" presented when they staged on site, as has been the previous custom.  

 AFD at UMass Pierpont Dorm last night for intoxicated student

This disaster comes in the wake of UMass releasing the $160,000 Ed Davis Report, a Monday morning quarterbacking of the Blarney Blowout where alcohol is cited as a major contributing factor. 

AFD Engines 1&3 at Amherst College Frost Library for drunk student last night

Mullins Center Command terminated, Fantazia concert over.  Easthampton and South Hadley ambulances heading home (after long night).
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) September 20, 2014

Blarney Blowout BS

Town Manager Musante and UMass Chancellor Subbaswamy looking glum

While there's not a single "recommendation" made by Mr. Davis in his 65 page, $160,000 report -- especially increased APD staffing -- that I oppose, there's one sentiment I strongly disagree with:  police used too much "force" breaking up the unruly crowds and by donning riot gear in the face of incoming rocks, bottles and cans, officers incited the mob to further violence.

 Last night's media reports blaming police response

 

APD Chief Livingstone (left) UMPD Chief Horvath (right)

Both beleaguered police chiefs stood firm in their support of actions taken by vastly outnumbered officers that regrettable day, with UMPD Chief Horvath going so far as to say it would have been "negligent" for officers not to move in to disperse the crowd once things got out of hand -- which occurred before the riot gear appeared. 

 Print, Television, Digital media in attendance

Despite the last minute notice (3:52 PM yesterday afternoon) the Friday morning press conference was well attended by the media, although only a small percentage of the outlets who carried stories about the Blarney Blowout in the days after the extraordinary event.

 

Ed Davis (center with yellow tie)

Chief Livingstone (white hat) on scene Fearing & North Pleasant streets March 8, 2:00 PM

With his officers outnumbered 100-1, with their backs to the very outskirts of Amherst town center, and with rocks, bottles and ice chunks starting to rain down on them from above, the police had no choice but to break up the surging unruly crowd.  

Yes, by means other than asking "pretty please." Now I fear police will think twice about ever using force again.  

Certainly, by all means, let's hope for a better future:

Block Party: Bingo

 North Pleasant Street mobbed by pedestrians

If only town gown interactions could always be this cordial.

 Now that's what you call a blockade

The 3rd Annual Block Party put on by the Business Improvment District with lots of help from the town (Police, Fire and DPW) drew an intergenerational crowd of thousands to the heart of downtown Amherst, to amble safely down the center of a normally busy road, ignore the traffic lights and breath the fresh clean air.

 Judie and her iconic popovers

Starting at 5:00 PM, an hour earlier than the last two years seemed to help draw families, perhaps using it as a good excuse to eat out on a school night, as the food concession stands were doing a brisk business.

 Black Sheep Deli drew a happy crowd

The dunk tank -- raising money for charity -- made a big splash:

Building Inspector Jon Thompson takes a dip

Dr. Kate Atkinson exuberantly hits the icy water

Stilt lady towers above the crowd

Portable lights would turn night into day 

AFD moved 2 ambulances and Engine 1 to the DPW one mile away to avoid congestion in front of Central Station town center

Blarney Blowout Report: Finally!

Townhouse Apartments, Blarney Blowout March 2013 (6 arrests that year)

So I could have guessed that Umass would use a Friday -- the day when mainstream media takes a siesta -- to release the long awaited $160,000 Ed Davis report, analyzing the largest disturbance in recent town history, aka the March 8 Blarney Blowout.

 Town center March 8, 2014 10:00 AM

Amherst police arrested 55 "college aged youth while UMass PD arrested only three.

But I still think tomorrow's press conference will get respectable media exposure -- as well it should.

Get The Lead Out

Amherst Town Meeting will vote on a citizens petition article targeting fluoride -- produced in China -- used in the municipal water supply. 

The petition requests the town purchase the additive only from providers who can guarantee the purity of the product, and calls for the water department to test shipments to ensure they are free from contamination.  

The town of course follows strict state imposed testing requirements on the water supply, and in the most recent "Water Quality Report" (2013) Lead and Copper tested below actionable levels, although those tests were taken in 2011.

The next test for lead (required every three years) is serendipitously scheduled for late October, in time for the Fall Special Town Meeting which starts November 5.

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Party Perp Redux

Luke V. Gatti stands before Judge John Payne Monday morning

I'll let the Amherst Police Department "Statement of Facts" speak for itself. I'm beginning to wonder (If I may speculate) if Mr. Gatti has Tourette's syndrome.

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And yes -- in the interests of being fair and balanced -- I did reach out to Mr. Gatti for comment:

Party House of the Weekend

 115 Belchertown Rd, Amherst

Been so long since Amherst police busted a party house for "Noise & Nuisance" (at $300 a pop) I barely remember how to write these.

Ah, blessed are the summers in a college town.  Unfortunately now over.

Click to enlarge/read

 APD "statement of facts"

The 3 amigos stand before Judge John Payne Monday morning

Since this episode was their first brush with the legal system the prosecution stuck a typical deal called "diversion," where the criminal charges are diverted to civil charges, and each of the perps accepts responsibility for one-of-the-two $300 bylaw violation tickets.

$900 to the town coffers and, hopefully, a lesson learned.  

Unacceptably Typical AFD Weekend

 Antonio's Pizza Saturday afternoon

Amherst Fire Department responded to Antonio's Pizza Saturday afternoon just after 1:00 PM for a minor electrical fire.  At the time Central and North station each had only two professional firefighters available, who quickly scrambled their response via Engines 1 & 2.

But had that fire occurred just 12 hours later, the extremely popular downtown eatery would have been jam packed with students AND the fire department would have been unable to muster much of a response.

   AFD Sept Weekend by Larry Kelley

Because at 12:55 AM Sunday morning a mutual aid ambulance from Northampton had to handle a call as AFD was dealing with four substance abuse cases, all within a half hour, all of which required transport to the Cooley Dickinson Hospital.    

What's it going to take to awaken town officials, another Station Nightclub incident?


Trigger Warning.  Extremely graphic:

Never again. Please God, never again

Repeat Party Offender

Luke V. Gatti (center) and father (right) appear before Judge John Payne this morning

Apparently Phillips Street, alcohol, Luke Gatti and late night weekends, make for a bad combination.  Perhaps because he's only 18-years-old, but still no excuse for such outlandish behavior.

Arrested two weeks ago on Phillips Street for disorderly conduct (which included calling a detective the N-word), this time around Mr. Gatti seemed to go out of his way to get arrested yet again on that same notorious street, and when taken back to the police station, assaulted an officer. 

With his father looking on, Luke Gatti was arraigned this morning before Judge John Payne who set bail at $250, taken out of the $1,000 bail posted over the weekend to get out of jail. 

Noting the arrest only two weeks ago Judge Payne said to Gatti,  "I'm a little concerned you're going to pull a trifecta before the month is over."

Gatti will appear in Eastern Hampshire District Court with his hired lawyer on October 15 for a pre-trial conference.

Unless of course, in the meantime, he gets arrested again. 

Click label "Luke Gatti" below for additional stories

Privacy vs Free Speech

I always cringe when Massachusetts hastily passes a new law in reaction to a high profile event, such as the exceedingly good intentioned Domestic Abuse Law in response to Jared Remy murdering his girlfriend that now, unfortunately, forbids police was releasing names of perps arrested for domestic abuse.

Or the recent "upskirt" law criminalizing peeping toms who take surreptitious photos of women in public places.

According to the Governor's press release:  "The legislation makes the secret photographing, videotaping, or electronically surveiling of another person's sexual or other intimate parts, whether under or around a person's clothing or when a reasonable person would believe that the person's intimate parts would not be visible to the public, a crime."

Okay fair enough, no arguments there.

But I now wonder if that is the fledgling law UMass administrators are using to bully a freshman for tweeting a picture of a couple -- clearly anonymous, without "intimate parts" showing -- having sex in state subsidized housing on the campus of a state subsidized flagship of higher education?

Amherst College can do pretty much whatever they want in relation to the First Amendment because it doesn't apply to them, since they are not a "government" institution.  UMass/Amherst is, however, a state funded institution -- so the First Amendment clearly does apply.

Arguably our single most valuable freedom enjoyed as Americans.

If the young student who innocently tweeted that image-shattering photo (My God, 18 year old students actually have sex on a Thursday afternoon!) had instead published a photo of white Ferguson police officers combating black protesters, UMass Office of News & Media Relations would fall all over themselves championing her for standing up to authority.

Yes of course the First Amendment can indeed be, um, messy -- especially in this instantly publish Internet age.

Westboro Baptist Church @ UMass 4/16/14

I don't like the racist, homophobic signs carried by the attention seeking Westboro Baptist Church any more than you do.   But suppressing their rights today based on content, only means tomorrow it could be your message banned.

Fuck the censorship!

Say What?

My friends at the Gazette have switched over to Facebook commenting for their online articles, which I of course think is a good thing.  Yes, trolls and cranks thrive under a cloak of anonymity.

But based on a Facebook posting I received in the dead of night (2:00 AM) I'm now not so sure that simply having to identify yourself keeps the discussion civil and prevents namecalling ...

UPDATE (11:15 AM):

 

So Mr. Geryk has removed his incendiary comment from my highly public Facebook page.  

But no, I'm not going to remove it here.  In Massachusetts you cannot record someone without their knowledge, but if someone calls you up and leaves a message on your voice mail then that is fair game.

#####

These are in response to article about Maria Geryk's $11,000 raise:

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Affordable Housing Hand Grenade?

 Boltwood Place, 12 apartments all market rate

Over 100 residents signed a citizen zoning petition that was handed in late this Friday morning before the high noon deadline for placement on the November 5 Amherst Special Town Meeting.

 Click to enlarge/read

The petition article would simply add 16 words to the current Inclusionary Zoning bylaw which would make it harder to develop irregular shaped commercial property for housing, especially in high rent districts like town center.

Currently a developer who owns property with a "by right" development capability can simply ask the Planning Board for minor concessions via a Special Permit (relaxed height limits or setback requirements, increased lot coverage, or waiving of traffic study requirments) and still be exempt from the inclusionary zoning requirements placed on developments of 10 units and up.

The problem with closing this "loophole" is the development cost of the project can exceed the profit potential and the devleloper simply walks away.

 Kendrick Place, 36 units all market rate

A project with nothing but market rate (or even above market rate) units still helps lessen the demand for housing in an overall sense thereby making it less likely for greedy speculators to buy up and convert old single family units to packed in student units.

And a market rate project would have a higher value assessment, paying the town more in property taxes and Community Preservation Tax Funds.

Had this wording been in effect three years ago it would have impacted Boltwood Place and the current project, Kendrick Place, now under construction. 

Carriage Shops proposed redevelopment, 78 apartments all market rate

Or, neither of them would have broken ground.  Which is quite possibly what some of the signers of the petition article have in mind.  The article will require a two-thirds vote of Town Meeting to pass.

The really interesting question is will this petition article impact the King Kong sized redevelopment of the Carriage Shops right up the street from Kendrick Place?