An Escalation of Violence

167 College Street, Amherst

A female friend rushed two male UMass students to Cooley Dickinson Hospital around 2:30 AM Sunday morning with "apparent stab wounds" and another college-aged student was transported by Amherst Fire Department to Bay State Medical Center in Springfield with possible head injuries, all the result of "a lot of people and fighting going on outside listed location".

Although the damages are not considered "life threatening," the inner-city gang-like violence underscores the other major problem associated with student party houses: Not just loud noise, vandalism, public urination and the like, but the real potential for a violent, painful, permanent death.

For which it stands

Over 150 citizens gathered to remember the Civil War service of 5 black Amherst residents

For the second late summer Sunday in a row Amherst hosted a rare solemn ceremony to remember war, something the outspoken town does rather routinely, but usually from only one perspective: anti war.

Last week we honored, remembered and cried for 3,000 Americans slaughtered ten years earlier in a two-hour killing spree unprecedented in our history--especially since civilians comprised over 90% of the casualties.

Today we gathered to remember and honor five black soldiers from Amherst who fought in the Civil War, another unprecedented event in our history--the costliest conflict ever when measured in American casualties.

The five veterans are all buried in West Cemetery, where its most famous occupant, Emily Dickinson, tends to overshadow all the other deserving souls buried there. Not today however.

Raymond Brooks, a Native American, and great-great grandson of Christopher Thompson

Bob Romer, Veterans Agent Steven Connor, Reynolds Winslow, Dave Ziomek

Charles Thompson: upstanding citizen of Amherst and the USA

Amherst's "Sacred Dead Tablets" in storage

Saturday night's alright for...

Burning the midnight oil. APD 11:30 PM

Popular PVTA bus stop North Pleasant Street

Sunday morning 7:15 AM

Let the clean up begin. But not by those responsible. This gent only picks up returnable cans & bottles

Hobart Lane

North Pleasant Street

Phillips Street

Allen Street

Basketball Jones

Coach Kellogg sets with Jada, then passes off

This morning my daughters got to meet the UMass basketball team and Coach Derek Kellogg at the Big E. What a great bunch of ambassadors they are for the game of basketball and our flagship University.

Jada's first slam dunk

Tonight UMass football takes on Rhode Island in their first home game here in Amherst, and the weather is rather pleasant. Let's hope the fans remember that they too are ambassadors for the University.

Kira getting the team's autographs

2 points!

Getting High @ UMass

With a sub headline: "The proper way."

U.S. Marine Officer Selection Office practiced take offs and landings today to generate interest in prospective candidates. Semper Fi.

The Importance of Spelling

Okay so maybe I'm being overly picky or my usual micromanaging self, but when I get an official letter, note or newsletter--even if in digital form--I expect perfect spelling. Especially when coming from, you know, a school.

The brief "note from our Superintendent," however, was quite folksy and readable--although one too many exclamation points.

Since it is their first issue, maiden voyage and all that--and the error was only in the email title--I'll forgive it...this time. But they better shape up by next month's edition, or the copy editor gets detention!

Send a stern message

Amherst Police Department, 111 Main Street

Maybe this Friday night the "Have a Heart" coalition of concerned UMass higher ups should play "good cop bad cop" with the hoards of zombie like students traipsing about nearby neighborhoods looking to party.

As the good cop they can hand out oatmeal raisin cookies while requesting restrained civility for the rest of the night while Amherst Police Department can don their riot gear and do whatever it takes to prevent a recurrence of last Friday's riot at 121 Meadow Street.

And perhaps large electronic message signs should be placed at north and south main gateways to campus blinking the stern message: "Get rowdy? Get arrested!" Either that, or spike the cookies with Thorazine.