Let the sun shine

Ye Old Landfill 1:55 PM

Okay, so unlike his predecessor--that PR challenged guy who flew the coop not too long ago--Town Manager John Musante really gets PR. Although I think he goes a tad overboard with the spin-like intro that Amherst will be a "leader in our region on solar energy," when Athol has beaten us to the punch. Yes, Athol.

But BlueWave Capital is certainly a well-connected, heavy-hitter, as their lead principal John DeVillars is a former environmental affairs secretary for Mike Dukakis who worked his way up to (federal) EPA regional honcho.

And the current Governor seems to be into all things solar and is putting those all important tax credits behind that enthusiasm (at taxpayer expense).


Our modest solar start

Select Board serious about student parties

Perhaps this weekend and the particularly outrageous late night party at 83 Morgan Circle was a tipping point, as last night Select Board Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe threw down the gauntlet saying in effect "enough is enough" and backing it up with budget recommendations: overtime for police and fire and a new position in Housing Inspections and code enforcement. Can you just imagine the violations a health inspector would have uncovered in that "single family" house packed with over 500 alcohol fueled party goers?

Foxborough gets tough on public drinking (although not as tough as Amherst)

UMass SGA candidate arrested for noise violation

Party House serial offender

83 Morgan Circle (A residential neighborhood!)

Despite verbal assurances to the Amherst Police Department that they had changed their evil ways, the denizens of 83 Morgan Circle reverted back to their party habit over the weekend--with a vengeance.

According to APD narrative: "Extremely loud music and yelling was ongoing and unreasonable upon arrival. Approximately 500-600 people eventually left the residence with some resistance. Peace was restored and three parties were placed under arrest for Unlawful Noise."

Mark Edward Holland, age 21
Michael Jason Cabasso, age 21
Sergey Vuytik, age 25


83 Morgan Circle: Previous award for "Party House of the $emester."

Downtown Deja Vu

Winter, 2011

Boltwood Place, a mixed use $4 million showcase, immediately behind Judie's restaurant and just in front of the Boltwood Walk Parking Garage is a downtown dream project about to come true for co-developer David Williams (who is also co-owner of that iconic restaurant.)

A dream that started over twenty five years ago with Amity Place, an ambitious $3.5 million dollar development only a stone's throw away, that failed in 1983 to garner the required two-thirds vote of Town Meeting necessary for a zoning change.

Williams, an architect, had assurances of a $1.4 million federal Urban Development Action Grant for a multi-level parking garage that would be blocked from view on Amity Street by upscale retail/office space and screened along the side by the Amherst Cinema and on South Prospect Street by eight plush condominiums--thus a forerunner of "mixed use," the current hot template for Amherst development.

So when Mr. Williams, a long-time Amherst resident, is quoted in the Springfield Republican saying, "We got so much good cooperation. This town has really changed," he is the quintessential voice of experience.

Gateway Project supporters hope these positive winds of change continue to blow...

Amity Place would have occupied the town owned metered parking lot and what is now Peoples Bank flush with the Amherst Cinema

Sign of confidence?

Landlord Barry Roberts must be fairly sure the Amherst Brewing Company will get Zoning Board of Appeals approval at next week's hearing (even with Hilda Greenbaum Chairing) for a move into the former Leading Edge Gym location on University Drive a mile down the road; or--like the smart businessman he is--just hedging his bet.

Tighten the noose on rowdy student behavior

The Municipal Strategies Subcommittee of the Campus and Community Coalition has come up with a commons sense recommendation, first floated by Amherst authorities years ago, to continue putting pressure on off-campus student misbehavior.

Yes, the same folks who brought us the fine increase to $300 for alcohol violations and nuisance house bylaws to hurt party hardy types where it hurts the most--their bank account--now contemplates asking the University to extend the "Code of Student Conduct" to apply equally to off-campus shenanigans.

As they rightfully point out, "It is the behavior, rather than the location, that is rightfully the University's concern, and that should be reflected in its disciplinary system."

A few years back UMass banned an admitted rapist--a violation of the Code of Student Conduct-- from living on campus thus sending him off to the town of Amherst, kind of like the Catholic church's long ago habit of relocating pedophile priests to some other unsuspecting congregation.

Let's hope the University also treats the fines accumulated by students for the off-campus parties and alcohol violations in the town the same way they do parking tickets on campus: In order to receive a diploma at graduation outstanding balances must be paid in full.

Free speech for all--even wackos

The Supreme Court, not surprisingly, ruled 8-1 in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church to spread vile, hateful, exceedingly painful messages by capitalizing on the tragic deaths of our military personnel, using solemn funerals to promote their obnoxious agenda in the same way perverts post disgusting graffiti on public bathroom stalls.

But the true measure of a great country is not by speech we cheerfully allow, it is by that infinitesimally tiny minority--where we need to hold our nose and then later take a shower for having heard or seen it.