"That's a wrap"at 23 North Pleasant St. in downtown Amherst is no more. But they still have locations in Pittsfield, Dalton and Williamstown, although kind of far for take out.
The sandwich shop opened just under a year ago. And since restaurants occupy the top of the list for start up failures, I guess it's not shocking news. They seem to have followed the business model of Bueno Y Sano by targeting college towns, although that popular burrito establishment is just around the corner, while local culinary icon Antonio's Pizza is only two doors down.
White Hut also recently opened nearby. Downtown Amherst is like a Mall's food court, with the rents almost as high. A small business is full time enough when the product you offer is non perishable. Throw in the fresh ingredient factor and the work is never done.
Well, I knew the Amherst school system was pretty weak with math, but this is ridiculous.
Rather than use the actual dollar amount of $697.73 vs. state average of $445.97 or a difference of $252.76 per student (57% higher!) for presenting administration costs, the Amherst Regional School Committee was shown an overall percentage figure of the Region's total spending instead (4.03%), which averages a whopping $17,144 per student vs. state average of $13,055.
Or if you prefer percentages, a whopping 31% over state average.
When Rick Hood ran his yacht factory, if his labor costs were on average 31% higher than a competitor, it's hardly reassuring that administration costs were--as a
percentage of total spending--average, because that means the actual dollar
amount spent on administration would still be 31% higher than it should be.
Simply put, the $251.76 extra per child in current administration cost over state average, times 1,545 regional students comes out to an extra annual administration cost of $388,969.20! The real reason for such high admin costs
Now come Alan Seewald, former Amherst, current Northampton city attorney and private practice attorney, to join the Shutesbury library legal fray by filing a "Motion To Intervene" on behalf of ten No voters requesting a Superior Court Judge review three additional yes votes, besides the one already ruled invalid, on identical grounds: residency.
The three challenged votes--two Pills and another Buck-- are the same previously challenged ones the Board of Registrars allowed at the January 25 recount where they did, however, sustain one challenged vote: Christopher Buck. That brought the contentious vote tally back to 522-522, override fails.
Pro-override voters then filed a lawsuit against the Town Clerk and Board of Registrars demanding a Shutesbury couple with 37 years of residency, but who winter in Florida, be disenfranchised; and that Christopher Buck--who signed a legal document in Kentucky shortly before the Shutesbury election with the provision, "I do not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky"--be counted.
Now counter-petitioners are asking the Judge to rule Christopher Buck's wife Jessica, who also lives with him in Kentucky, ineligible. Shoshana Holzberg-Pill, and Jacob Holzberg-Pill, who live and work full-time far from the bucolic community of Shutesbury, also make the short list.
And if that is not reassuring enough, attorney Seewald throws in the kitchen sink, asking the judge to declare the entire second override election invalid because town officials--in their haste to fast track the library--neglected to return to Town Meeting for a second spending authorization contingent on a Proposition 2.5 Override.
This entire legal maneuver will be made moot in the likely event the judge disagrees with pro-overriders and allows the original January 25 decision of the Board of Registrars to stand.
Despite cheerleader like support from 40 to 50 parents, children and staff in the audience--about half of them hoisting supportive signs--the state Board of Education and Secondary Education unanimously voted to support the recommendation of Commissioner Mitchell Chester to renew the five year charter for Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School, but rejected amendments to allow expansion to high school or increased enrollment in the elementary grades by 120 students.
Signs of support (in English)
Although a last minute amendment by Commissioner Chester grandfathered the seven current eight graders, so they may attend ninth grade but the school cannot solicit any additional students. And since each additional student represents an average of $13,000 in revenue, a costly sanction indeed.
The lone voice and three minute testimony of the parent of a former student had the undivided attention of the board. The mother of the now 10 year old boy who was banished to a tiny room for seven hours--without parental notification--the day after an alleged shoving match took place in the boys room.
A Department of Children and Families investigation branded two school employees--one of them Principal Kathy Wang--guilty of neglect, and a follow up investigation by the Department of Education found four additional areas of concern: discipline, special education, governance and leadership.
Jeff Wulfson, Deputy Commissioner BESE
The mother asked the Board of Education and Secondary Education members four questions:
Why are the two employees who have been found guilty of neglect still working around children?
What pupose does a school's family handbook serve if the board of trustees can unilaterally overturn portions of it as they see fit?
How can public tax money now be used to pay for the legal appeal of those found guilty of neglect?
Even if the State Ethics board found it legal for a husband and wife to hold the positions of Executive Director and Principal in a charter school, how can it be acceptable?
In closing, she countered the BESEs simple solution of telling the Chinese Charter board of trustees to shape up and provide more governance. "To have the board of trustees try to correct themselves and be responsible for overseeing school administrators seems like a leap of faith, and high risk."
Paul Reville, Secretary of Ed. Mitchell Chester, BESE Commissioner
So this morning, once again, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education listened to Commissioner Chester...and if the leaders of the Chinese Charter School were also listening today, they will take seriously Commissioner Chester's demand to drastically improve governance and leadership by the September 30 deadline.
Maura Banta, Board of Ed Chair sends "clear message"
314 Lincoln Ave, Amherst (note Southwest towers looming in backyard)
Today's Gazette Property Transfer notices contain a brief entry the average reader would barely notice--unless of course you live on Lincoln Avenue in the shadow of our local Juggernaut, UMass.
Marie E. Desch, Richard M Gold, to Comm Properties LLC, 314 Lincoln Ave, Amherst $450,000.
"Comm Properties LLC" is owned by Chad O'Rourke of Hadley who also owns Pipeline Properties, manager of my very first Party House winner. In fact, at the Zoning Board hearings last September, Hilda Greenbaum asked Mr. O'Rourke how many properties he owns or manages? Fifty four (54). And he was the property manager of 314 Lincoln Avenue before buying it.
One abutter presented a petition signed by 18 area property owners who asked the ZBA to either require the property revert back to the original "one family," or require it be "owner occupied" for two family. Numerous other abutters testified to concerns of noise, lousy landscaping and deferred maintenance leading to a less pleasing curb appeal.
Interestingly the parties involved with the sale submitted a letter of complaint between hearings requesting ZBA member Greenbaum be taken off the case due to a conflict of interest. Hilda Greenbaum or her family owns approximately 70 rental properties in town; but since she does not own anything near 314 Lincoln Avenue, the complaint was ignored.
Since the property was once a fraternity the previous change to a 2 family (allowing 8 tenants) was deemed less of an impact on the neighborhood than the original fraternity. Since Mr. O'Rourke is a long time provider of student rental housing, the ZBA approved maintaining "two family" status, and the $450,000 deal was done.
The wild weekend continued over Saturday night into Sunday early morning as the Amherst Police Department responded to 186 College Street for a report of a young female passed out due to alcohol consumption (ETOH). Once there they found a bevy of dangerous problems all too typically associated with a Party House:
According to APD logs (12:20 AM early Sunday morning):
ETOH 18-year-old female located stumbling around yard outside residence. A large crowd was attending a party inside first floor, where the female patient had originated from. I made contact with RP (reporting party) who stated female was vomiting inside the house and had consumed too much alcohol. Patient transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital by AFD. Large crowd of approximately 200 cleared from residence. Two tenants issued TBL citation for Nuisance House. Significant code violations observed while inside, including no smoke detectors, unsecurable front door and an unstable living room floor which was concaved by approximately 12"
Issued $300 ticket for Nuisance House:
David Shamula, 21 Fairway Lane, Ocean, NJ, age 20
Gregory Cantor, 27 Tri Street, Ashland. MA, age 19
Amherst Police were kept on the go last night all over town to quell loud parties and fighting, issuing five noise warnings all along North Pleasant Street with another four locations ticketed for noise (9 individuals total), nuisance house (8 total) and one underage drinking, for a grand total of eighteen $300 tickets or $5,400.
Perhaps the Perps spent early Friday consuming copious amounts of Red Bull before switching to the cheap beer.
The winner for 'Party House of the Night' goes to 72 Curtis Place as they garnered 4 noise, 4 nuisance house (meaning each resident was hit with $600 in fines) and one underage drinking (also a $300 offense), for hosting a loud event with 300 guests still going strong at 1:30 AM.
Arrested for Noise and Nuisance House violations:
Ross Lapetina, 72 Curtis Place #1, Amherst, Ma, age 21
Gregory Kuhn, 1 Falls Ct, N Attleborough, Ma, age 21
Stefan Valentin, 72 Curtis Place #2, Amherst, Ma, age 20
Mark Salhany, 72 Curtis Place #1, Amherst, Ma, age 21
Alden Michaels, 5 Coltin Drive, Newburyport, Ma, age 20, Possession Liquor under 21
Arrested for Noise and Nuisance:
Andrew Bridge, 34 Cook Street, Westborough, Ma, age 21
57 Woodside Ave
Ticketed for noise:
Anna Guigli, Amanda Holt, Elizabeth Wilson, Katherine Zoufaly, all age 21
UPDATE: Sunday afternoon
AFD, via their Facebook page, reports a hectic Saturday night: "With only seven people on duty, they handled a total of 17 calls on the
overnight. These included: a car accident with entrapment and
transport to Baystate Trauma Center, psychiatric evaluation, Stroke,
Unconscious patient, Alcohol Overdose, Seizure, Lacerations, Shortness
of Breath, Car vs Pedestrian, and several others."
