Flag Kerfuffle

Seems like Facebook, being such a visual medium, is good for a daily dose of outrage (or two).

When you use an image as powerful as the American flag it's easy to get noticed ... sometimes more so than you bargained for.

My initial reaction to a "flag flap" is always that of a police detective working a crime scene:  what's the motivation and intent of the perpetrator?

As long as no disrespect is intended and no gross liberties are taken with the (unenforced) Flag Code, I'm quick to declare innocence.

So if a man who serves this great country of ours wants to wrap his newborn babe in an American flag, that works for me.  Especially if the photographer is also a proud veteran.

I would much rather see him doing it than a two-bit politician wrapping himself in the flag as part of an orchestrated election campaign.

The all too typical Ivory Tower induced flag controversy in California, where students at UC Irvine voted to ban the American flag from their government offices, did bring on the shiver of deja vu.

Their left wing 20 point manifesto brands the American flag as representing "colonialism and imperialism" only to "serve as symbols of patriotism or weapons for nationalism."

Kind of like the UMass professor who strongly criticized the 29 commemorative American flags hanging in downtown Amherst on the night of September 10, 2001: "Actually, what the flag stands for is a symbol of terrorism and death and fear and destruction and repression."

Even without social media that quote, dubbed "The ill timed quote of the century" in a front page Wall Street Journal article, still managed to reverberate from sea to shining sea -- almost instantly.

29 commemorative flags are allowed to remember 9/11 once every 5 years on "milestone anniversaries."  Next time up is 2016 -- the 15th anniversary

The irony of course is flag detractors oftentimes do their symbolic bid for attention at some obscure governmental meeting.  But when the Chinese curse kicks in ("Be careful what you wish for") they dive under their desks and complain about all the negative feedback.

Lesson #1 about a most precious freedom our flag represents:  The First Amendment is a two-way street.

Powdered Problems

Don't snort this at home kids

As if alcohol isn't a BIG enough problem nationwide, now it's only going to get worse with the recent Federal approval of easily transported and even easier to conceal powdered alcohol.

This will of course be even more problematic in "college towns" where binge drinking is considered a rite of passage. 

How many rapes -- reported and unreported -- involved alcohol?  How many violent domestic assaults?  Or deaths by drunk drivers, or falls, or even suicides?

Fortunately our progressive state of Massachusetts, according to a legal interpretation by the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, will prohibit the sale of powdered alcohol because it does not meet the definition of an alcoholic beverage.

Probably hinges on the word "beverage," which is pretty much synonymous with wet. 

But if nearby states don't move to ban it you can bet it's the kind of thing that will find its way into our town, UMass dorm rooms and the Mullins Center when hosting an EDM concert.

Rather than approving it for nationwide use the Feds should have told Palcohol to take a powder.  

Protecting History

 Current protective cover is getting a tad tired

The 100 year old historic downtown fountain at Sweetser Park will get a protective make over in the near future if Town Meeting approves the Community Preservation Act Committee package of 9 proposals this Spring.

The town Planning Department submitted a $20,000 proposal to the CPA Committee for a consultant to "perform an assessment and engineering study of the Enos Cook Memorial Fountain ... prepare bid specifications for its restoration ... and design and construct a cover to preserve and protect the Fountain during the winter."

The fountain anchors the western end of Sweetser Park closest to the heart of downtown.  In the spring and summer it is a magnet for families out to enjoy New England weather -- especially after a hard winter.

The Fountain underwent a $50,000 renovation 20 years ago after remaining dry for many years. 

The Sweetser Park Gift Account received $20,000 from the Rotary Club and Friends of Sweetser Park two years ago after the fountain was shut down in 2013 due to plumbing problems, which were temporarily addressed by the DPW.

The gift account money should be enough to cover renovations, but if not town officials will return to the Community Preservation Act Committee for additional funds. 

Ah, Spring

A Different Approach

Amherst Police Department, 111 Main Street

The Amherst Police Department was recently awarded a $33,615 state grant for the next two years by the Department of Mental Health to train officers in a "team approach" for dealing with behavior health problems rather than the standard cycle of arrest, District Court hearing, release, back on the streets.  Repeat.

Chief Livingstone was "pretty excited about receiving the grant".  According to the Chief, "This team approach model has had successes in many other police agencies across the country.  This is a nationwide problem that cannot be solved by police and court systems alone."

Department wide training will begin in June and after officers have been selected to form a "Crisis Intervention Team" they will receive additional higher level training.

Downtown businesses have been complaining for the past few years about the increasing number of homeless in the downtown, some of them under the influence of drugs or alcohol, getting out of control.

Downtown will also see addition police presence during business hours if the Town Manger's FY16 budget is approved by Town Meeting this spring.  After years of calling for increased police staffing the Town Manager, finally, added one sworn officer to his budget proposal.

Who Guards The Guardians?

Mary Streeter (right) presents to Joint Capital Planning Committee this morning

The Joint Capital Planning Committee, made up of major players from the Town, Schools and Library, heard a courtesy presentation this morning from Mary Streeter, Chair of the Community Preservation Act Committee.

The JCPC uses regular tax money (7.5% of the total tax levy) to fund equipment and building needs for the town of Amherst, with a total operational budget now breaking the $70 million mark.

Department heads must first get JCPC approval for capital items, but then Town Meeting has the final say, which is almost always 100% in agreement with the JCPC recommendations.
 
The Community Preservation Act surcharge (not to be confused with a tax he said sarcastically) will generate $920,000 this year from properties on the tax roll,  combined with the state match of $239,200 (a lousy 26%), combined with $955,930 in leftover money from last year, giving them a total of $2,115,130 in their pot.

Or as Chair Mary Streeter said to the JCPC, "We're flush with money right now."

The CPA Committee is a separate legal entity and only they can bring proposals to Town Meeting, but they must be related to Open Space/Conservation, Historical Preservation, and Recreation.

Town Meeting can vote down an individual item, but cannot reuse that appropriation amount for anything else. 

All nine proposals brought before the CPA committee earned their recommending for a total of $523,346 ; plus the debt service on previous projects of $321,527; plus the $1,750 annual dues for CPA lobbying group; bringing the total appropriation to $846,633.

That then leaves a balance of $1,268,497 or, still "flush with money."

 CPA Committee may consider another round of funding for Fall Town Meeting

Jewish Community Synagogue steeple repair, a significant project ($175,000), did not make it to final approval because it was withdrawn by the petitioners before the final committee vote was taken, although Ms. Streeter suggested it probably would not have been approved.

The JCPC then moved on to an overall discussion of all the presentations they have heard over the past two months.  Finance Director Sandy Pooler told the committee that pretty much everything was funded except he pushed off until next year $25,000 for Crocker Farm School playground repairs and $35,000 for North Amherst Center Studies and Improvements.

Both of which generated push back.

Select Board member Connie Kruger pointed out things are happening in North Amherst now and pushing that money back sends the wrong message.  School Committee Chair Katherine Appy suggested parents would be unhappy with the delay of the Crocker Farm playground upgrade, which is both a safety and aesthetic quality of life issue.

Mr. Pooler (metaphorically removing his Grinch hat) promised to rework the overall proposal one more time.

The $145,116 gap was filled by using unspent leftover money from previous capital appropriations

Time, Time, Time, Is On My Side

Historic Amherst Town Hall at 6:07 this evening

A good excuse for being late just went out the window as the main town clock in the heart of downtown is now working properly, albeit a couple minutes slow.

Over a month ago during the blitzkrieg of snowstorms the clock stopped working but the panels facing north and south were quickly brought back to life.

The west facing clock looking into town center needed more work and Facilities Director Ron Bohonowicz told the Joint Capital Planning Committee last week he needed a warm day to remove the panel without fear of damaging it.

The clock speed I'm told is affected by the cold weather, as the grease is more solid and it slows down.  But as the weather warms it will speed up.   Changing the length of a pendulum adjusts for this speed change.  The clock also needs winding every Thursday.

And Another One Gone

Chief John Horvath (right) with APD Chief Scott LIvingstone at Davis Report unveiling

UMass Police Chief John Horvath has been approved as the new Chief of Rockport PD,  somewhat far removed from the hue and cry of college aged youth that he has had to deal with over the past 2.5 years.

John Horvath replaced Johnny Whitehead, after he left his 3 year UMass tenure as Chief to become Chief at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Chief Horvath is a good man, as was Johnny Whitehead.

UMass administrators may want to look in a mirror and ask why good men don't last long as the top cop at UMPD.

Deeper Pockets?

Amherst Regional High School

I was a little surprised last week while perusing the town attorney "litigation update" to the Amherst Select Board at the half-way mark to the fiscal year, which ends July 1st.

A pleasant surprise was the number of litigation's and billable hours cost so far are pretty low. In Amherst when you lose a political fight before a board, committee, or Town Meeting the standard response is to "bring in the lawyers."

The town being named the main culprit in Carolyn Gardner's discrimination lawsuit, however, was an unpleasant surprise. I asked why and was told the town is on the hook because she taught a summer math course for the elementary schools, which come under town jurisdiction rather than the Region (Middle and High School), which is a totally separate legal entity.

Carolyn Gardner MCAD complaint names town first

Because a part-time summer job can't possibly entail the same responsibilities as her full-time job at the Amherst Regional High School, and since no incidents of discrimination are alleged to have occurred during that part-time summer job, it sounds like a stretch to me.

 But then, I'm not a lawyer.

Another unpleasant surprise is the town's insurance will not cover this kerfuffle, meaning both the billable hours for the town attorney or the payoff, err, I mean "settlement" to make the lawsuit go away.

Maybe her lawyers think the town, with its sterling bond rating, is a better target for a bigger payoff.  Since Amherst pays over 80% of the Region's budget maybe not such a big distinction.

Another MCAD complaint, more directly related to the elementary schools and therefor the town, also came as news to me.

Last year when it seems the Amherst schools were in a lockdown-a-day mode of operation, a Crocker Farm employee panicked when someone returned to the elementary school searching for a lost umbrella without signing in.

Now that Mr. Ortiz is running a write-in campaign for Amherst School Committee, perhaps we will hear more.

Although, probably not the best campaign platform.

Regionalization Not Ready For Prime Time

RSC voted unanimously to support $30 million budget but no vote on Regionalization

The Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee closed the door on sending an agreement to all four Town Meetings this year by not coming to a vote in favor of the draft document presented to them last month by their subcommittee, the Regional Agreement Working Group.

Since the education expansion involves amending the Regional Agreement it would have required a two-thirds vote of the committee and then must be approved by all four town meetings. 

Currently the four towns -- Amherst, Leverett, Pelham, and Shutesbury -- have been joined in a Region at grades 7-12 for almost 60 years.

 RSC Chair Trevor Baptiste (center)

Regional School Committee Chair Trevor Baptiste started the meeting (8 minutes late) by saying the agenda allowed ten minutes of discussion on the idea but that it should serve to come up with an outline for a longer discussion at their upcoming March 24 meeting.

The Select Board is scheduled to sign the Amherst Town Meeting final warrant at their March 23rd meeting.

The discussion then went on for almost 45 minutes with most members solidly agreeing a lot more time is needed to flesh out a regional agreement, even after the three years of work by their sub-committee.

While improving  the quality of education at the preK-6 level is paramount it still has to  be politically palatable enough to pass all four town meetings, and Amherst School Committee member Kathleen Traphagen suggested it would be helpful if actual cost savings could be documented.

The School Committee's attorney has yet to provide them with a legally vetted document that imbeds all the changes suggested by RAWG into the current Regional Agreement, so it would have been all but impossible to vote on it this evening anyway.

As generations of Boston Red Sox fans would say, "We'll get 'em next year!"

Blarney Blowout: Epilogue

Local and Mass State Police form a gauntlet at Townhouse Apartments North Amherst

The Monday morning quarterbacking over Blarney Blowout was indeed as different as beer and water this time around.  The main complaint seems to be the financial cost to UMass of squelching the dangerous, reputation besmirching rowdiness that garnered international attention last year.

A good thing of course, considering Amherst had 225 police officers -- 60 them Massachusetts State Police -- in town most of the day into the night to ensure peace and quiet.

And in a anti-authoritarian aging-Hippie town like Amherst, you would expect more comparisons to North Korea or some other despotic nation de jour.

Some amateur spinmeisters tried to save face by proclaiming the partying still occurred all over town only it was just not as noticeable as last year.  Well if that's the case then it only proves that it is possible to party without bothering the neighborhood. 

Memo to party boys:  that's the idea!

The Civil War was the most costly conflict in American history.  The turning point was a not so strategically located Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  It was the kind of battle neither side could afford to routinely engage in.

Yes the cost of killing the Blarney Blowout this year was high, but if you consider it a turning point in the war on rowdyism, a price worth paying.

Maybe next year we can get by with a few less police officers.

And yes, it's exceedingly stupid for the Gazette to include the $160,000 cost of last year's Davis Report in the above headline in order to artificially drive up the price of Saturday's successful operation. 

Since peace will be restored for the next 100 years, the Davis Report only cost $1,600 per year.

 Gotta be worth at least a $1 to have these party hardy boys gone

Party House of the Weekend

19 Phillips Street

I almost don't want to file this story under Blarney Blowout since Phillips Street is the most notorious party street in Amherst, with any given weekend having incidents like this -- usually more than one.

 Click to enlarge/read

In fact the overall number of arrests this past weekend was less than an average weekend with schools in session during 2013 or 2014 leading up to that year's riotous Blarney.

Which is of course a good thing.  A very good thing.

Matthew Crosby stands before Judge Poehler

In Eastern Hampshire District Court this morning Mr. Crosby took the typical plea deal offered by the Commonwealth, a "diversion" from criminal to civil with payment of the town's $300 noise bylaw fine.  Plus he has to stay out of trouble for the next four months, aka the rest of the semester.

His partner in crime, Jeremy McGarry, who made the mistake of messing with Sgt Ting, was not in court today but he is expected to be arraigned tomorrow.

DUI Dishonor Roll

Tara Reynolds signs release allowing her to act as own attorney

You don't get any more centrally located than the intersection of North Pleasant and Amity Street, dead in the heart of downtown Amherst.  Not a good place to be so drunk you pass out ... especially if you happen to be driving a car.

 APD Statement of Facts.  Click to enlarge/read

In Eastern Hampshire District Court this morning Tara M Reynolds, age 24, had a plea of "not guilty" entered in her behalf by Judge Patricia Poehler.  A little later she agreed to a typical Ch24D, 1st time offender plea deal with the prosecution:

Continued Without A Finding for one year (a.k.a "probation" @ $65/month), take a Driver Alcohol Education Program, and pay $600 in fines and fees.  In other words a very expensive night out in our little college town.

The "breath test" taken back at APD station is admissible in court (the portable breath test taken in the field is not).  And I have yet to attend a drunk driving trial where a person has beaten the breath test as evidence.

Blarney Blowout: The Biggest Loser

It has not been a good week for the mid-30ish cowardly Worcester blogger who likes to relive his carefree UMass glory days, almost as much as he likes to exude snark from under the protective cloak of anonymity.

First he gets outed by an actual professional journalist, and then his childish attempt at taking me down while championing the outlandish aspect of Blarney Blowout falls flat, like a drunken bozo staggering across a patch of ice.

And I was so anxiously awaiting a decent hatchet job.

No, Larry Kelley did not win.  The town, higher education in general, and in particular students who attend UMass/Amherst -- our proud flagship  -- won.  Resoundingly.

Crawl back to your swamp Turtle Boy you're drunk.

Even better, you're marginalized.

Blarney Blowout 2015

Sagacious Fade user figured it out well before noon

UPDATE Sunday afternoon:

Ultra-reliable source confirms the total number of Law Enforcement Officers involved with snuffing out the Blarney Blowout yesterday was 225.

Since the Western Mass Mutual Aid regional agreement calls for the "host community" to cover the bill for a "pre-planned event," UMass has graciously stepped up to accept full responsibility, rather than the town of Amherst.

Classy move UMass/Amherst!

#####

A sea of uniformed officers strategically stationed in all the usual trouble spots snuffed out the Blarney Blowout.  Decisively. With very few arrests and NO violence.

 Brisk start to the morning

The main difference this year was advance planning, a seemingly endless supply of police personnel and of course THE WEATHER.  Townhouse Apartments, ground zero the last few years for rowdy behavior, remained a cold barren tundra.

 Hard to miss contingent of state and local PD at Townhouse and North Village Apartments

Hobart Lane

Lincoln Avenue/Fearing Street intersection near UMass Southwest

Puffton Village

Police also blocked off the main entrances to these trouble spots and allowed only residents entry.  A modus operandi that was also used at North Village, Puffton Village, Phillips Street, Nutting Ave and of course Hobart Lane.

Phillips Street

 No guest policy at UMass and no visitor parking at apartment complexes kept down the crowds

The MSP helicopter paid a visit bright and early to North Amherst and maintained a highly visible -- and auditory -- presence.

 MSP Air One

The Mullins Center concert attracted thousands of students off the streets so that too was a BIG help.

  Long line of students waiting to get into Mullins Center concert 11:30 AM

And yes, maybe having the half dozen downtown bars not open until 4:00 PM also contributed since it certainly kept college aged youth from swamping town center like they did in previous years.

Long line waiting for Stacker's to open at 4:00 PM

Girl Scouts cookies for sale town center

Equipment:

UMPD Incident Command vehicle set up at Puffton Village Apartments

 

APD Personal Transport Vehicle 

 Mass Fire Services Special Operations vehicle staged at Wildwood School

Many police vehicles staged at Wildwood School 

 

The price tag for all the additional personnel and equipment plus the free concert at the Mullins Center is indeed sizable. But the damage done last year to the town, University and student body is incalculable.

Whatever the cost for today ... it was worth it!

Only 365 days until Blarney 2016.
— ZooMass (@ZooMass) March 8, 2015

Top That!

Kendrick Place, 57 East Pleasant Street

Town received $1.5 million state grant to bury utility lines around the project

Premier Amherst developers Archipelago Investments, LLC held a "topping off" party for Kendrick Place, a five-story mixed use building with 36 units of housing, anchoring the north end of downtown Amherst.  

Investors, friends, and town officials -- including Town Manager John Musante and Assistant Town Manger Dave Ziomek -- showed up for the guided tour over a two hour period.

 Kyle Wilson (center) Judie Teraspulsky (right)

The building, which is well within walking distance to UMass and town center, is expected to be completed in August and occupied by September.

  View of town center/Kendrick Park from 5th floor

As I was turning in my hard hat after the tour Town Manger Musante jokingly suggested  I should hold on to it for today's Blarney Blowout coverage.