People's Republic: Here & There

Old traditional style Chinese character

So my daughters birth country, which I have only visited twice, is enacting new--some would argue--more stringent rules to control the Wild Wild West, err, I mean Internet, by requiring bloggers and tweeters to register with their full names, thus removing the cloak of anonymity.

And as I'm sure some of you Anons know, that cloaking device is almost as good as alcohol for inducing bouts of bravery.

Since it's China, I'm surprised they did not go even further and threaten users who dare to criticize their government that they will become tank fodder as a result. But then Tienanmen Square was not all that long ago, so many of them probably still remember.

But I wonder what the big difference is between China and, say, New Jersey where the local school board wants to shun reporters who print stories they don't like. Or the People's Republic of Amherst where then Select Board chair Gerry Weiss wanted to enact a motion to publicly spank me because he did not like the facts I was publishing about another Select Board member (that a certain local newspaper was too timid to pursue)?

Free no more

Spring Street Parking Lot eastern entry 12/16/11

The good news is the Spring Street parking lot in town center is now fully operational; the bad news is now--just in time for Christmas--we must render unto Caesar our hard earned quarters in order to park.

The lot had been mostly operational (if parking was your only concern) since the first week of November, so savvy visitors could park without giving The Man his due. But hey, at least we nickel and dimed them over the past six weeks to the tune of a few grand.

Spring Street Parking Lot Western entry 11/7/11

A Chief returns

Chief Barbara O'Connor

Former UMass Police Chief Barbara O'Connor, who left UMPD two years ago after 25 years of service, eight of them as Chief, to become University of Illinois Chief, is returning to New England, this time to serve as University of Connecticut's first female police chief and Director of Public Safety.

Some of you locals may remember the UMass riot five years ago where a student dropped a full one gallon jug of liquid off a Southwest high-rise dorm, missing Chief O'Connor by only a few feet--an impact that most certainly would have been fatal.

Certainly can't get any worse at UConn.

The Hartford Courant reports

Making the big time

Donna Kelley and Irv Rhodes teach Junior Achievement at Crocker Farm School

So forget those stodgy A rated, peer reviewed, academic journals so many professors are enslaved to, my lovely wife just made the really b-i-g time for publishing: The Huffington Post. Yikes!

Excuse me while I slip into unbiased reporter mode:

Yesterday at the World Bank in Washington, DC, Babson College professor Donna J. Kelley helped to launch the "Global Woman's Report," which she was lead author. A comprehensive study of women entrepreneurs in 59 countries, the report verified an age-old truism: necessity is the mother of invention.

Since starting a business is one way create a life line, it makes sense that in countries where women have less opportunity handed to them their motivation to succeed is higher.

And in countries like America, where desperation is less prevalent, woman correspondingly have less incentive to risk going it alone with a start-up business.

Kelley just returned to her Amherst home on Saturday after a prestigious Fullbright Scholarship took her to Indonesia for three weeks to teach entrepreneurship while she simultaneously coordinated a Junior Achievement business course at Amherst Crocker Farm Elementary school, where her daughters are enrolled.

The Washington Post also reports

Business Week joins the pack

This one's for you

Jon Davies, Worcester FD

From the Governor:

Please be advised that Governor Patrick has ordered that the United States flag and the Commonwealth flag be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings from sunrise until sunset on Thursday, December 15, 2011 in honor of Firefighter Jon D. Davies Senior of the Worcester Fire Department who died in the line of duty on Thursday, December 8, 2011.

A short while before six Worcester Firefighters entered the "Building from Hell" and--despite the best efforts of comrades near and far--perished, I took an eight week Citizen Police Academy course where one night we did interactive, real time, audio visual training of possible patrol situations where I was killed in the line of duty.

Turns out that particular scenario was specifically designed for that chilling result to illustrate how, in certain circumstances, no matter how good your training and how well you execute that training, whereby you do everything right...death can still result.

A sobering truth for all public safety personnel--driven home once again.

The clean up continues

South Amherst Common yesterday

Amherst demonstrated the shop local initiative by signing a one year contract with Wagner Wood (with an option to renew for another two years) to clear the town's public ways of brush and tree debris still remaining more than a month after the devastating October 30 nor' easter.

Wagner was originally enlisted as an emergency measure the morning after the storm reigned down debris like a biblical curse, taking out power, blocking roads and driveways while damaging public and private property.

In those first seven dark days (the time period for Federal Emergency Management Agency 75% reimbursement) Wagner, Amherst DPW and other private contractors collected 3,000 cubic yards of fallout. And over the past four weeks an additional 3,000 cubic yards but with 1,500 remaining on public right of way and 1,500 on private property.

Currently the town has spent about $225,000 to clean up the 6,000 cubic yards, or 3,000 tons of debris.

Although Wagner is contracted and funded by tax dollars for public shade tree clean up only, Amherst has coordinated a deal whereby the town (using Wagner) will extend to private homeowners--many of whom dragged debris curbside expecting town pickup--a competitive $28/cubic yard removal charge, obviating the need to drag the unwieldy material to the town's transfer station to pay $50/ton, which works out to about the same cubic yard price.

Targeted letters will got out soon to impacted homeowners.

Wagner's winning proposal to the town:
For crew and equipment to collect and transfer wood and vegetative debris $28 per cubic yard. For crew of two and equipment (chipper) to collect and chip wood and vegetative debris along public way or Town property is $275.00 an hour. For wood and vegetative waste received at contractor site it is $6 a cubic yard and/or $50 a ton.

Shays Street

Those daring young men...

Shumway Landscaping still cleaning up after the Halloween weekend storm

A brave worker going after sky high, large "hangers" on the grounds of the Emily Dickinson homestead. Nice to see Amherst College using local contractors.