The Empire Strikes Back

Yeah, and we all know what an expert the Town Mangler is at producing parades. Yikes!

If you can't stand the heat...

Click to enlarge

UPDATE: 3:35 PM. Somebody just pointed out that Ms. Awad's term expired in 09 not 2010. She couldn't even get that right!

Of course she also stated in a Letter to the Amherst Bulletin that she removed the Homestead on the new South Hadley home and filed one on the Amherst Condo (that is up for sale). Both claims are false.

Blogger (1), Powers that used to Be (zero)

So finally their tortured existence—at least as Amherst town officials—comes to an end. The resignation of Anne Awad from the Select Board caps a month of arrogant refusal to acknowledge the inevitable. Aided of course by a supportive Town Manager and a hired gun town attorney.

Yeah, the bricks and mortar media could have and should have done a lot more--especially after they used the Commentary Pages of the Amherst Bulletin to lie to the general public.

But all’s well that end’s well. Damn…now what do I do?

Ding Dong the Witch is Gone!

Amherst Select Person and former Czar Anne Awad is going, going, GONE as of of September 1'st! (because she moved to South Hadley on or about April 10'th).

Of course now you gotta wonder if she votes on the winning side of an issue over the next two months and it's a 3-2 vote, is that going to hold up in court?

Bloody Sunday

So the town website is down (upgrading to "new and improved").

Thus our only source of information about Monday's Select Board meeting is Ms. O'Keeffe. Sound like the Town Manager carried out the long laundry list wishes of SB member Alisa Brewer and put together a package of background material on the 7/4 Parade fiasco.

Of course Stephanie also mentions that the Town Mangler wrote a response to the ACLU letter--that I of course just requested from her under Public Documents Law--but then town officials do get to take Sunday's off (unlike citizen journalists) so she can ignore my request until tomorrow.

UPDATE: 8:45 PM. So Stephanie just responded and she hopes/wishes/pleads I will wait until tomorrow to get the Town Mangler's letter back to the ACLU from somebody other than her at Town Hall. She's concerned (and I said in my response that she is showing her rookieness) that circulating the document could get her in trouble. Hmmm. It's a freaken PUBLIC DOCUMENT (in my response I said that 3 freaken times).

Yeah, we have a (gentle-persons) agreement that our email exchanges are 'off the record' so I will not post the actual exchanges.

What you looking at

Real American values

Victor Patnaude, 91, passed away a few weeks back. Just one of the 1,000 WW2 vets disappearing per day. At his private funeral over in Hadley (where strangely enough many Amherst townies repose, including generations of my family) a member of the renowned ‘Highlander Bagpipes Group’ piped “Amazing Grace” while a matched pair of F-15 fighter jets swooped in low, fast and loud.

A fitting tribute indeed to a distinguished member of the “Greatest Generation,” who selflessly performed their duty that--in his case--included blocking Hitler’s equally insane ground version of a surprise kamikaze attack: the “Battle of the Bulge”.

Sergeant Patnaude’s obituary in the Daily Hampshire Gazette also declared: “One of the highlights of his life was being selected as Grand Marshal of the 2005 Independence Day Celebration Parade.”

And while perimeter patrolling on my mountain bike that day, I do so vividly recall as his open car crept into the heart of Amherst town center the jeers, catcalls and derogatory bellows from a marginal group of anti-war protesters clustered on the usual (protest) corner directly under the official town flag.

Including one idiot holding aloft a placard emblazoned with “Sieg Heil!”.

Fortunately normal folks--including a bevy of exuberant children--cheering, waiving, and saluting far outnumbered the whackos.

Obviously he did not blame his hometown of Amherst, as his final written statement to all who knew him or of him, declared that brief and shining 7/4 episode (only an hour) a "highlight," out of a very long life, exceeding well lived life.

Thank you sir! Give my regards to your band of brothers.