Wolf in the fold (or so the little boy cried)

UPDATE 9:30 PM (Tuesday). I stole the brief video of Ms Awad giving her Nixon like resignation speech at last night's Select Board meeting from Mary Carey's blog. I was at the meeting sitting at the journalists table from 6:50 until about 8:35 live blogging but she gave the speech just prior to the 'public comment' period at 6:30 pm.

Original Post (about noon Tuesday):
When I took a photo of Mr. Weiss’s late model auto covered with lefty bumper stickers, I was standing on a town road located only 20 or 30 yards from his front door. When I took a photo of Ms. Awad gardening at her South Hadley home--also from a public road--I was over a hundred yards from her front door (my $100 Kodak digital camera has 3x optical zoom) as the house is located at the top of a steep hill.

Although he never complained about my photo shoot at his home, Mr. Weiss describes the latter as “harassment”.

Of course he also described my Open Meeting Law complaint (later upheld by the District Attorney) as having a “chilling effect” on his Select Board.

I never actually photographed the Amherst condo complex (only the real estate sign down on the front lawn advertising an Open House--where presumably any citizen could have walked through their supposed residency. Or you can go to Sawicki Real Estate web cite and take a virtual tour of their condo (bedroom included).
Take the tour (they are not home)

In our initial phone conversation (prior to calling back to apologize for shouting) Mr. Hubley voiced concerned about my use of the term “locked and loaded” on my blog, considering that a “threat” to do gun violence.

Of course I felt like responding that I would not need a gun to take him out, but knew that might be considered a threat, so I simply laughed and pointed out it was, you know, a metaphor.

Guess I will not bring my daughter Kira trick-or-treating to their South Hadley mansion this Halloween.

Select Board "discussion" July 4'th Parade

7:22 PM Nobody from the Amherst July 4’Th Parade Committee is here (under advice from an attorney). The usual cadre of malcontents are here—you know, the type that causes Rockwell to roll over in his grave.

Alisa clarifies what his Lordship misstated: that the 7/4 Parade Committee has, in addition to this evening, refused to meet with the Town Manager. She points out they met many times.

7: 30 PM Sounds like the Town Manager is backing down by saying the private committee could still have their parade next year.

Stephanie states she is “extremely disappointed” nobody from the (private) Committee is here.

Harry Brooks wants to invite the private Parade Committee to take part next year in the Protest Parade (yeah right Harry after you “take over”, eh?)

Ernie Uvater babbles about how he marched a few years back with a sign about a "Gulag" and nobody said anything to him. Of course I remember biking up to him and asking him to leave and he refused. And then got lost as I was looking for a police officer.

7:35 Town Manager confirms that this year the town will not pull vehicles but next year they will pull them if the private committee does not allow protest signs (Hmmm Boss Hogg , I thought there was not going to be a private parade next year?)

Ms Awad thinks it would be unfortunate if we have two parades next year. What the hell does she carem South Hadley probably only has one.

Jon Nelms does not want any parade next year.

Bob Romer, who has been a "member of the ACLU for 58 years", is not impressed with their recent letter saying it is only one attorney (little does he know how many attorneys vetted that letter)

Ed Cutting points out that the town could not selectively ban hate speech or obscenities if they decide to do their official protest parade.

Terry Franklin likes the idea of two parades. "Evicting" the private parade was not cool. Defends the committee for not showing up tonight. Plenty of time to fit in two parades that day.

7:50 PM. Emily Lewis (yeah, she was here on 9/10/01 trashing American flags in the downtown) doesn't like the committee using the word "Amherst". She never voted for that. "I don't want this parade representing me and my kind." Inaccurate, unfair and undemocratic to call the parade "Amherst parade."

Bob Ackerman: Boxing out the private parade by claiming the town needs all day to do its parade next year seems like a scene out of a 1950's Hollywood anti-communism propaganda movie.

8:00 (prosecutor) Rich Morse: How did this parade committee get fed into a "meat grinder." Yes, it's a "little constricted" but we should all be able to find something to love about America that day just for that hour. "Why can't we just have a celebration," One to "Celebrate what we love about America."

Nancy Foster (God, will somebody time this as she will go on and on and on...) Plugs her column in this week's Bulletin cheering the Town Manager's "take over" of the Parade.

His Lordship Weiss (mercifully) interrupts her and says not to get too deep into history. Yea! she's done.

Harry's wife Paulette doesn't want the parade privatized (where has she been for the past seven years?).

Chairman Weiss: Would advise The Town Mangler to shorten his time for the public parade next year and allow the private one as well.

Stephanie: The private committee is pretty clear what they want to do. The folks in the room tonight seem to be all over the map. Agrees a public parade would open the town up to unintended consequences as to who may show up.

Diana Stein: We can't speak for the private parade. But let's form a committee for the public parade but allow the private one.

Anne Awad (yeah, she's still here): "Form a committee, but be fair to the other (private) group."

Alisa Brewer: Folks who want to have an Amherst public protest parade might not like the idea of police and fire vehicles anyway. Opposed to spending town money on a town run parade. Don't want to see Leisure Services running a parade. Busy enough with other programs. I don't see any reason for a town parade.

Weiss summarises: So you would not have a public parade next year but would also not allow police and fire equipment in the private one? "Yes", she responds.

Ms Awad: A community parade doesn't have to cost anything (wonder if she ever heard the expression: "You get what you pay for?). Let anything and everything march at the last minute.

Carol Rothery: (League of Women Voters) Town should have a parade. But would love to have military police and fire (but you gotta wonder if they will want to attend?)

Weiss: "Do we want to give the Town Manager any direction? (pause) I don't think we're ready tonight."

(Sagacious) Stephanie: Sounds like the Board is coming around to allowing the private parade committee to have their parade again next year. Can we make that official?

I move the Amherst July 4 Parade Committee be granted a permit for 7/4/09 and they have their 3:00 pm start, but no town equipment.

Weiss: what we can agree to is the town will not take up the entire day next year and the private 7/4 parade committee will be granted a parade permit.

I don't want my comment to make it seem like I oppose what you did (speaking to Town Manager)

Shaffer: You can't tell me what to do concerning a Parade or about the use of town equipment. However, I'm deeply respectful (I just knew there was going to be a "however" in there pretty quick).

Alisa calls him on it: Community is not looking to Town Manager to solve this they are looking to elected officials (especially the ones who actually live in Amherst)

WEISS: I move the "sense of the board" is that the private group can have their parade next year but not with town equipment. After thought suggestion but not part of the official motion he "respectfully asks the committee to strike the word Amherst"

Vote passes unanimously.

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.