A (war) story worth telling

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How far the mighty have fallen

South Hadley seems to be collecting Amherst’s castoffs: Former School Superintendent Gus Sayer, Town Manager Barry Del Castilho and now Select person (former Czar) Anne Awad.

I find it hard to believe you would spend $310,000 on a new house and then rent it out.

As to whether she legally changes her address and steps down as an Amherst town official because of this relocation, Ms Awad tells the Gazette that she will “let them know.” In other words, none of your damn business!

Ms. Awad carried on a long-standing relationship with Robie Hubley then married him before telling voters--including the time leading up to his election on the Select board she chaired. Hubley paid for it last year when Alisa Brewer trounced him by a two-to-one margin.

So it’s a pretty safe bet she stall for a year, the time remaining in her Select board term, before publicly announcing this important decision.

The Amherst Select board is already struggling with image problems after allowing the Boss Hogg Town Manager to make policy: kicking the Boy Scouts Christmas tree sales off town land, or nationalizing the July 4’th Parade—something Awad tried to do a few years back when she was at the peak of her power.

The Select board, if they wish to remain relevant over the next year, need to call a Special Election and bring aboard a new member vested in the community.

The $12,000 cost of that Special Election is money well spent.

Bully strikes out

Journalism’s #1 cardinal rule is FACTCHECK! The Amherst Bulletin failed miserably that basic concept (yet again) with their editorial Sieg Heiling the People’s Republic of Amherst arrogantly nationalizing the July 4th Parade in 2009.

First and foremost, the ELECTED Amherst Select Board NEVER voted to “back Shaffer on the question” (asserted not once, but twice).

The Boss Hogg, unelected Town Mangler deliberately dictated to the Select Board (like banning Boy Scouts from selling Christmas trees at Kendrick Park next year) his decision: Kill the private committee’s 7/4 Parade and “take over” a prime patriotic holiday Amherst discarded in 1976.

And how dare the Bulletin suggest we “find a better home on a holiday that is not so closely aligned with the cherished principles of free speech and independence.”

A group of affluent white, middle-aged men declare independence from a stodgy monarchy; but it was the ultimate sacrifice of the fledgling military—honored on Veterans Day and Memorial Day—that made it happen.

In addition to retracting the erroneous Select Board vote that NEVER OCCURRED, the Bulletin owes all Veterans an apology for pronouncing July 4’th more “cherished” than Memorial Day or Veterans Day.

Yes indeed, Shaffer’s “stance creates a hundred and one headaches for himself and other town officials before Independence Day rolls around in 2009.”

Amherst is a $65 Million enterprise that is a $1 million or so in the red. Perhaps our highly paid, appointed Town Manager could find better ways of spending his valuable time?

And if Gazette/Bulletin editors can’t find the time to properly research their viewpoints, then perhaps they should spike these editorials altogether.

Why is Northampton different?

Click photos to enlarge.

So I went to the Gay Pride Parade yesterday in Hamp—their 27’Th year. No I’m not Gay--not that there's anything wrong with that, I just love a Parade (and support Gay Rights).

Could not help but notice the lack of anti-war signs, or homophobic signs from some Religious fundamentalist group. And even the 'Raging Grannies' left their anti-war placards home. Also noticed almost a dozen police officers doing traffic detail and I bet the city picked up that cost.
But when one of the 'Raging Granny' spokespersons called me last month inquiring about the Amherst July 4’Th Parade she was ever so quick to announce she was in a wheelchair (Yes, we allow wheelchairs) and equally quick to ask if we allow anti-war signs:

No, you can carry a banner designating your group and sing all the anti-war signs you like (did not even ask if they know the Star Spangled Banner) but no extra signs dealing with politics-be it war, abortion or gay rights.

http://amherstjuly4thparade.com/

After the Pride Parade I took my darling daughter Kira to the Amherst Common School Carnival, where I also noted a lack of anti-war protesters or politics of any kind.

And last year Kira proudly participated in the other July 4’Th Amherst (Bike) Parade in South Amherst for kids that has been happening for over 100 years: also no war protestors.

Jada

So when I wrote that teaser yesterday about a major breaking story coming up later in the afternoon I had no idea it would be purely personal:

After waiting almost three years for the phone to ring heralding good news from China, the call, unexpectedly, came.

On Wednesday I made the mistake of going to The Rumor Queen, a blog for waiting parents and read reports/rumors suggesting our call would not come for another three months.
http://chinaadopttalk.com/

Then I made the BIG mistake of reading the anguished comments (she had 83 that day) from parents in the same slow boat as me. Heartbreaking. And yeah, I had Town Meeting—the ultimate torture--later that night.

But somehow we managed to make this month’s cutoff; just how I have no idea, and--for once in my life—I’m sure not going to ask questions. We will travel in June before the Olympics rush, stay two weeks, and then return home--thus increasing the population of Amherst by one (from one People's Republic to another).
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Oh yeah, the major breaking news event I had in mind did occur but I can’t talk about it just yet. Suffice it to say, it will bring a swift conclusion to Amherst’s embarrassing Parade fiasco
Amherst July 4'th Parade page
UPDATE: 11:30 AM
Somebody just called on his cell as he was driving through Hamp and wondered if the Gay Pride Parade would allow protesters to march with anti-gay sentiment? Hmm...
1'st Amendment Tolerance in NoHo

You can run but you can't hide

The Town Mangler should really consider a medical checkup…he is hard of hearing. In today’s Gazette he’s quoted: “Excluding certain signage is inherently political.” Shafter said.

Hmmm…what we’ve been saying since Day One is that ALL political signage is relegated to the sidelines on that day, for that brief hour. Meaning NOT JUST ANTI-WAR SIGNS. Also Gay Rights, Immigration (note Gazette photo next to 7/4 article today) Gun Control, Abortion, Baby Seals, etc

Meanwhile over at inamherst.com the rats are abandoning ship. His Lordship just posted saying it was not his decision:

The only thing the SB has decided is to hold a longer conversation with the public after Town Meeting ends.And I believe that the entire SB agreed to do this. Despite what appears to be a Weiss/Shaffer decision for the Town to hold a parade, it was entirely a Shaffer decision. The SB has not voted on this matter.

Let's not forget that we got to this point because of an impasse. The path is not permanently closed; it is still under reconstruction. Dialogue can lead to a satisfactory resolution. I'm willing to wade through these postings to look for suggestions that lead to an unblocking of the path... Posted by: Gerry Weiss | May 2, 2008 08:31 AM

Sometimes, you gotta use dynamite for "unblocking the path."
Posted by: Larry Kelley | May 2, 2008 08:48 AM

I will have a MAJOR breaking update later this afternoon.
And yeah, I plan to respond to the Amherst Bulletin editorial in good time. They may want to read Weiss comment above and plan a correction for next week (if, of course, they have any journalistic integrity--which at this point is suspect)

"Gave proof through the night..."

So last night at venerable, archaic, always boring Amherst Town Meeting I asked--now that the town has decided to “take over” the July 4’Th Parade—thus violating that age old adage “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it," where exactly is our cash strapped municipality going to find the $10,000 required to launch their extravagant Protest Parade?

Actually I think my figures ran anywhere from $10,000 to $90,000 as I pointed out our privately run event at one hour in duration will cost $10,000 this year (and the Committee is all-volunteer) but the People's Republic is planning a nine-hour marathon Parade on July 4, 2009--so that could easily cost nine times more.

The Boss Hogg Town Mangler responded as though I were some pimple-faced Jr. High School student daring to challenge his supreme authority: “All the money will be raised privately,” he said dismissively.

Hmm…Kind of sets the stage for the 250’Th Anniversary Committee coming before Town Meeting later this month to request $25,000 in tax monies for the Anniversary Parade scheduled for September, 2009.

If it’s that easy to privately raise money for a Parade then why not have the LSSE empire raise the $25,000 for the Anniversary Parade; after all, unlike the July 4’Th Parade it only happens once every 250 years!

Springfield Republican Rides to the Rescue Let's hope the AP is having a slow news day.

Our web cite is UP!