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So today's front page's of the venerable Daily Collegian and by comparison reverent Gazette demonstrate these embarrassing issues have legs.

Of course the Gazette uses a pull quote from one of their unpaid, Hampshire College professor Columnist's who led the charge to increase costs to maintain the "lunch ladies" as school employees, but now laments the increase in spending for the new Super from Florida.

Hey maybe Rodriguez will pull a Governor Patrick with his $15-K housing/transportation allowance and buy a Cadillac (one that runs on vegetable grease of course)

And it seems the Gazette goes out of their way not to mention the firestorm reverberating within the blogesphere about this outlandish payraise issue.

But at least they are paying attention. So if those pissed off women do indeed burn their property tax bills in a hibachi outside the Superintendent's office window, the Gazette will give it Front Page play (and the AP will probably pick it up as well). BUT, you will see it first on the blogesphere.

And what can you say about nitwit Umass kids who dislike what a newspaper publishes so they ban the paper from future publication and steal the current copies?

The Student Government Association should consider their image. If they want the town of Amherst to take seriously their recent concern with the 4-person unrelated housing bylaw (and they damn well should) then stop doing stupid things like violating the freakin First Amendment!

Ghost of Christmas Future?

Last year Town Meeting turned down (117-63) Ken Bergstrom’s request to rezone his property out on the Sunderland line off Rt. 116, a major highway. He wanted to put in a mix of condo’s and retail under Village Square Zoning.

The property was formerly used by Environmental PC Poster Child Bioshelters, to grow fish and basil (they employed mentally retarded workers, used solar heating and recycled 99.7% of all its water and wastes). And they went belly up.

Now it sits like a set for a post apocalyptic movie (Note to Mel Gibson: If you ever do another Mad Max…). Fine greeting for all those entering Amherst from the north.

The 40,000 square foot pad underneath the rotting shelter is concrete so it’s not like you can farm it. But the Conservation Commission and Agricultural Commission wanted it to stay a fishfarm (although they were not going to invest the millions to get it back up and gurgling)

And our Old Majority Select board, with has-been Gerry Weiss in his brief but glorious reign as Chair voted 3-2 against the rezoning (newbie’s Stephanie and Alisa voted in favor.) Ann Awad told Town Meeting "This is an intense development project on a fragile piece of land that is very wet”

And she of course was the only Select Board member a few years earlier to vote in favor of the hostile rezoning of Meadow Street land (not to far down the road) to ‘Flood Prone Conservancy” that set off a marathon legal battle costing the town $150-K and the landowners over $500-K.

Former Bioshelters CEO John Reid told Town Meeting he was raising funds (estimated at $6 to $10 MILLION) to restart the business. So far, one year later, nothing. Had the zoning change gone thru the development would have been worth millions on the tax rolls, rather than the paltry $200,000 in current valuation.

Town Meeting 5/19/08.
Let's hope Mr Reid takes off his cap when meeting with Venture Capitalists.

Patriots Day

Old Colrain, Ma.

Wilmington, Vt.

Back to that damn raise 2

Gotta love this post on the antiquated Town Meeting listserve (privately owned by Mother Mary Streeter, also member of the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee--you know the folks who recently told the Town Manager to buzz off when he requested to participate in a public forum on Human Service Funding (maybe they figured he was a Zombie.)

While I understand the concerns some folks have about our financial difficulties and thus the reaction to the salary offered to our new Superintendent, people should understand that others hear your complaint from a different perspective. From Crocker Farm, the reaction of some Latino parents that I have talked to is a deep suspicion that the salary backlash is actually a racist response. Because in their mind the "white guy" who was earning $198k at his present Sup job seemed to be the favored candidate for many and they assume he would been
offered/paid whatever he wanted. Yet the Latino candidate is undeserving of a
competitive salary? In the minds of some, this is an unfair response.
They feel the new Superintendent was deemed worthy to be hired and put in chargeof our school district and was offered a competitive salary. Many in the Latino
community are thrilled to see him take charge (he is Cuban-American)
Just so you know that there is another reaction out there...
-- Cheers, Clare Bertrand

Quite frankly I favored "the white guy" but would not have paid him $158-K plus $15-K housing/transportation for two years. Hell at this point I would take the other Rodriguez (a woman no less) for $135-K (and $10 bucks taxi fare to relocate from NoHO)

Spring

I want one of those!

Boulders Apartment South Amherst 11:30 AM, illegally parked

Of course with the People's Republic of Amherst sudden crackdown on four unrelated housemates and the general crackdown on illegals since 9/11, I wonder how many people actually answer the door when this federal official comes a knocking?

Back to that damn raise

From: Debbie Westmoreland
To: amherstac
Cc: Andy Churchill ; Michael Hussin ; Kathy Mazur
Sent: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 3:14 pm
Subject: Re: Public Documents Request

Dear Mr. Kelley:

Kathy Mazur forwarded your request to me because I am the keeper of public records for the three School Committee. As of now, the School Committee has not
voted to authorize release of the executive session minutes you are requesting
so they are still confidential and I am not authorized to release them as a
public record.

Sincerely,

Debbie

Date: April 16, 2009 4:52:49 PM EDT
To: WestmorelandD@ARPS.ORG

Hey Debbie,

Thanks! ( I should have known you were the 'go to' person on this).

I will formerly request the SC take it up at the very next meeting April 28'th; and if they do not vote to release the minutes I will unleash the wrath of God, Yahweh or Allah upon them.

Larry


On Apr 16, 2009, at 9:56:49 PM, "Michael Hussin" wrote:
Subject: re: minutes of executive session
To: amherstac@aol.com

Dear Mr. Kelley,
I received your letter and am just now getting a chance to respond. I am also aware that you have received an email from Debbie Westmoreland, the administrative assistant to the superintendent, with information regarding the release of executive session minutes. I wanted to elaborate further on the necessary procedures for making public the minutes of executive sessions.. Essentially the board must meet in executive session to review and vote to approve the minutes of any of those sessions. After that vote we can then vote to release to the public the minutes of any or all meetings that we have reviewed and approved. That can probably be done at the same meeting. Minutes of any executive session can be released, according to state law, when it is deemed by the board that no harm to the district or to personnel would come from the release of those minutes. As spring break is upon us, we will not be gathering any sooner then the next regional school committee meeting scheduled for April 28. If we need an executive session it is typically scheduled the same evening immediately following our regional meeting. I will be checking with the superintendent to see if that is the best time to schedule this session and if there are any other legal issues involved. At this point I do not foresee any problems with making the information you requested public, but again I will be checking to be sure we are following appropriate procedures.
Thank you,
Michael Hussin

From: amherstac
Subject: re: minutes of executive session
Date: April 16, 2009 10:12:09 PM EDT
To: "Michael Hussin"

Thanks. I look forward to the results of this request. Transparency is a good thing.

Larry