Let's try to get this right

Subject:Half-Staff Notification for May 13, 2009
Date: May 11, 2009 4:39:41 PM EDT
Good Afternoon Everyone,

Governor Patrick has requested both the Commonwealth and American Flags be lowered to half-staff on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 from sunrise to sunset in honor of Petty Officer Second Class Tyler John Trahan who was killed in action in Iraq

Pursuant to gubernatorial protocol which states,

"The U.S. flag shall be flown at half-staff at all state buildings from sunrise until sunset on the day of interment of any service member from Massachusetts who is killed in action in a war zone while on active duty,”

Please be advised that Governor Patrick has ordered that the United States flag be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings from sunrise until sunset on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in honor of Explosive Ordnance Disposalman Petty Officer Second Class Tyler John Trahan of East Freetown, Massachusetts who was killed in action in Iraq on April 30, 2009.

If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

Suzzette
State House Event Coordinator

Sometimes a Stand Up Guy

Left to right: Shaffer, SB Princess Stephanie O'Keeffe and rookie Aaron Hayden.

So on some things Town Manager Larry Shaffer is a Stand Up Guy.

Certainly not when it comes to basic American values like a good old fashioned Rockwellian July 4’th Parade, or allowing the Boy Scouts of America unfettered access to property they have used for sixty years to sell Christmas trees, or even flying American flags in town center to commemorate the victims of 9/11.

But he did stand in support of the $20,000 in Article 18 of Community Preservation Act money to improve the landscape of the West Cemetery (you know, the final resting place of the Dickinson family including of course Miss Emily.) The article passed fairly handily 108-51.

And I assume when the recorded Tally Vote (a step up from a standing vote) is released for full-funding of the Civil War Memorial Tablets (a much closer vote at 91 to 84) he will also have voted in favor.

Town Manager Barry Del Castilho (now South Hadley’s acting Town Manager) never once voted on the floor of Town Meeting in his twenty-year tenure. And the Moderator, Harrison Gregg can--but never has--voted. I even think State Senator Stan Rosenberg could show up and vote if he wanted, but never has.

If you construct a budget, as Town Managers are supposed to do, then why would you not support individual items within that budget?

Escape from Oz

Amherst Town Meeting (that also runs on hot air) is on hiatus until June 15. I will be in Korea (the good side). Double yea!

A captain without a ship

So the July 4'th Parade Committee was put on notice last year that no town vehicles would be allowed in the procession unless the private committee acquiesced and allowed war protesters in the line of march.

Of course almost simultaneously the Town Manager announced town government would run (take over) the July 4'th Parade in 2009 and the private committee would just have to pick another day. Then that pesky ACLU changed his mind about shutting down the private committee's July 4'th Parade (always held--you know--on JULY 4'th)

AND--that was well before both the long-time Police and Fire Chief's announced their retirements from the Public Safety organizations they helped build, and are proud to serve.

The July 4'th Parade Committee (tried to) bestow the honor of Parade Co-Grand Marshal's on AFD Chief Keith Hoyle and APD Chief Charles Scherpa. When Chief Hoyle asked the Town Manager if he could have a fire vehicle for escort he was told "No!"

As a result, he will not march.

Sooooo...we can use the Ladder Truck--the biggest most expensive piece of equipment in the AFD arsenal to escort Santa Claus to the Merry Maple (not to be confused with a Christmas Tree) festivities in December, but will not allow any vehicle to escort the outgoing Fire Chief in a Parade celebrating the birth of our great nation?

Only in Amherst!

Gross indeed!

So yeah, this is after all the People’s Republic of Amherst form of governance: give these Uber-Libs any opportunity, any microscopic opening to climb up on their soapbox and they will fire off that tired 'Holier than Thou' philosophy.

Hmmm…by all means, abolish jails and prisons (somebody please cue the soundtrack to “Born Free”) eject all the murderers, rapists, and muggers to roam free.

And while we’re at it, tell those overpaid, lazy-ass sheepherders to surrender their weapons and cage their border collies in case a hungry coyote or wolf should come calling.



Mr. Grosscup of course voted against flying the American flags in the downtown on 9/11 to commemorate the 3,000 Americans slaughtered that day.

Amherst's Uber-Lib "Hall of Shame"

Anything for you Vince

Amherst's own Napoleon.

So along with Cambridge, the People’s Republic of Amherst experimented (in a Nazi sort of way) with “Rent Control” back in the 1980’s. Naturally this being the United States of America where supply and demand rules, it did not work.

Yet it took us this long to put a bullet in the back of the head of the 'Housing Review Board.'

Notice how former Chair Harry Brooks (still drunk on the power he once possessed) delights in retelling the story of brow beating and intimidating a women he describes as a “friend of mine”. Yikes!

Mr. Brooks is currently one of seven members of the “Town Meeting Coordinating Committee” (they come up with new rules and regulations for the antiquated body); and he’s one of three members of the Amherst Registrar of Voters (the folks who sided with former Czar Ann Awad after she moved to South Hadley but wanted to remain an Amherst town official to bolster her retirement pension benefits) and his wife Paulette Brooks, also a town meeting member, is Executive Committee President of ACTV (the cable access TV folks who consume $250,000 annually to broadcast Amherst government functions).

Double yikes!