Death bird in a dead tree

Turkey Vulture hanging out in my father-in-law's Florida neighborhood (patiently waiting for something to die.)

If Amherst needs a new mascot for the 250'th celebration...

No Splashing!

UPDATE: Tuesday morning. So the venerable Gazette reports that 40 people packed the Select Board meeting last night, not a bad showing. Hey, it worked for the Lincoln Avenue anti-speed folks (cars not drugs that is) so at the very least pool supporters got their attention.

Of course the next thing I would do is organize a standout in town center with the High School swim team and some senior citizens as well (preferable in wheel chairs) all in swim suits at high noon when the temperature is below zero.


Original Post: Monday morning. A gaggle of concerned citizens will crash the Select Board meeting tonight to lobby for the moribund Middle School Pool. Unfortunately the Select Board and Town Manager have no control over the Pool and little control over the Amherst School Committee who do have jurisdiction.

And since Stephanie, the new Select Board Chair, dislikes trying to solve problems during the the 6:15 Question Period--it's a pretty safe bet she will simply try to postpone the issue to a future agenda.

What's to discuss? The cost to retrofit the pool to come into compliance with federal safety law is fairly negligible and if the other unrelated mechanical problems are really that bad then why did they not close the pool earlier; or--you know--FIX THEM!

Why not Amherst (2)

So progressive South Hadley (Mayor/Council here they come), with our cast off School Superintendent Gus Sayer, decided to ignore Federal Law on pool safety and will keep their school pool open until coming into compliance next week with a year-old law.

Of course you have to wonder if a volunteer rookie skin diver is certified to install the retrofit kit. But since the local Board of Health is not empowered to enforce the law, who the Hell cares.

And in the People's Republic of Amherst the local Board of Health doesn't seem to care that an elementary school with over 400 kids operates without hot water (a violation of state and federal law). So why be overly careful with the pool?

The Republican reports

Wow, I'm somebody now!

The Valley Advocate, no less, gave me a Halo as opposed to Horn (which Town Mgr Larry Shaffer earned):

Granted, we wouldn't relish the idea of having Amherst blogger-provocateur Larry Kelley (onlyintherepublicofamherst.blogspot.com) lurking around our fence, snapping shots as we yank dandelions from the garden. But that doesn't mean that Kelley wasn't well within his rights to raise questions, and do some investigative reporting, about how Select Board member Anne Awad planned to represent the town now that she was selling her Amherst home and moving to South Hadley. Awad and her sympathizers branded Kelley's reporting "harassment," obscuring the very legitimate issue he raised.

Why not Amherst?

You would think overly enlightened Amherst, where “only the h is silent,” could lead the way on issues concerning school improvement.

The schools are never very shy when it comes to asking for more money from residents, but an email suggestion box--that could turn up money saving ideas--is considered the Devil’s work.

Williamstown listens

Amherst does not

Water over the dam

Puffer's Pond 12/29/08 10:45 AM

6/20/05

A balmy New York excursion

The Chrysler Building beaming thru the flog
The Holland Tunnel was a sea of cars trying to become a narrow stream.
A New York Irish Pub. The perfect thing after a long drive in from Washington
A block from Rockefeller Center
The tree at Rockefeller Center
We take a Pedal Cab from the lights on Broadway to our car six blocks away