Dickinson Homestead renewal

About 100 folks attended the ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday morning on a gorgeous day (much like the day of her funeral) to celebrate the historically accurate grounds makeover for Amherst's deservedly most famous resident, Emily Dickinson.


The $275,000 project paid for by 17 private donors (one of them kicking in a "challenge grant" of $125,000) with a little town seed money to start the planning process ($15,000 in CPA funds which I supported in Town Meeting back in 2005) the entire project required less than a year.

Since Emily Dickinson confined herself to an upstairs room or beloved garden, the Homestead grounds comprised a significant part of her physical world--tended to by Irish servants who later honored Miss Emily's final written request that her white "coffin [was] not driven but carried through fields of buttercups" out the back to a final resting place in West Cemetery.

A view from the top

A view from the bottom

Make way for the wagon

So as predicted the wondrously beautiful Clydesdale's brought the downtown to a momentary halt as they delivered a case of Bud to business accounts in the downtown.

A Valley with a view

Artwork in progress by Christine Labich

Free at last, free at last!

Thursday 9:00 AM (car from Umass passes across Fearing unfettered on Lincoln Avenue.)

Thank God almighty the "experiment" has ended. The barricades are coming down today although some will be left in place to aid the 250Th Parade on Sunday, but by Monday all traces of the stupidest thing this town has done (since purchasing a Golf Course over 20 years ago for $2.2 million that they could have had for free) will be a distant--malevolent--memory.

Lincoln Avenue: Umass is at your service!
Thursday 9:05 AM (no wonder it will not take long to move them.)

#############################
From: amherstac@aol.com

Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 2:19 PM
To: Mooring, Guilford
Subject: Lincoln Avenue blockade (yikes)

Hey Guilford,

Are they still coming down (or should I say out) on Wednesday? If so about what time (and about how long does it take?)

Larry

Larry,

Yes. They will start coming down on Thursday AM and finish up on Monday. We are leaving the barriers that are blocking access to the UMass Lots until Monday to support the Parade on Sunday.

Once they start coming out it will be quick.

Guilford

Parade Prep

So in addition to the town hanging red-white-and-blue bunting along the waistline of venerable Town Hall, the state put up these large electronic message signs on the main arteries leading into Amherst Center.

And my wife tells me that we also heard from Town Manger Larry Shaffer this afternoon via the “emergency” call system promoting the Parade.

Sunday, September 27 @ 1:00 PM (no protesters allowed.)

Oh, say can you see

Well I never thought I’d live to see the day: bunting on a town building. What’s next, saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the schools?

Yes BUNTING! That all-American decoration former Select Board Czar Anne Awad (now living in obscurity in South Hadley) used as a term of derision for the 29 Commemorative flags on the night of 9/10/2001, now adorns the People’s Republic of Amherst Town Hall.