Called Back

 
A continuously changing collection of trinkets and mementos adorn EED's tombstone

 

Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage 

Miss Emily's final resting place, centered in West Cemetery, is enclosed by an ornate black wrought iron fence constructed in 1858 for one of the elite families of Amherst--the Dickinson's.

Today the tranquil site enclosing four tombstones attracts visitors from all over the world, almost exclusively to pay homage to the "Belle of Amherst".  And it has been showing its age for too many years now.

More recent plaque looks fine

 The original 1858 gate was stolen in the 1970s and returned in 2004

Next month Amherst Town Meeting will consider recommendations of the Community Preservation Act Committee, whose sole charge is to sort out capital requests concerning Recreation/Open Space, Affordable Housing and Historical Preservation.

Enter the Holy Grail of Amherst history, the decaying fence that has protected the Dickinson family for over 150 years. The $40,000 request, added to $21,000 appropriated two years ago, will allow for complete refurbishment of the entire fence to good as new condition.

The renovation will start this summer and is expected to be completed before first snowfall, although the fence will have to be disassembled and taken off site.

Since Emily Dickinson is arguably the most famous citizen in our 250+ year history, it's a safe bet Town Meeting will approve the spending article.  Although the occasional curmudgeon does point out that perhaps Amherst College with its $1.6 billion endowment and owner of the Dickinson Homestead now turned Museum should shoulder the cost.  After all, her grandfather Samuel Dickinson founded Amherst College. 

But Miss Emily does not belong to Amherst College; she belongs to us all.

Controlled Burn

So I paid the newly instituted $25 fee (good for unlimited burns through May 1), had the Fire Department come do an inspection, ran a hose out to the debris pile, and then lit a match..or two...or three.

One man's trash...

Longmeadow Drive, South Amherst

Last weekend Amherst Police responded to a reported theft of a "55 gallon drum and tires" from this location.  The road side attraction is a sign of displeasure with Butternut Farm, the 26 unit HAP low income housing development that opened last June.

Orchard Valley neighbors put up a bitter, expensive legal challenge that dragged on for years (no doubt enriching their attorney Michael Pill) but inevitably failed to kill the project.  Obviously hard feelings still linger.  After finding no suspects, APD told the reporting party, "facing signs about the new development right at or next to the property would probably lead to the signs being taken down."

Meanwhile over on Snell Street, an irresponsible midnight dumper used the convenient access provided by the road that suddenly terminates to dump trash--including a 55 gallon drum and construction debris--into the woods. Arlo Guthrie is not a suspect.

Whiny to the bitter end

The Joint Capital Planning Committee voted 7-1 this morning to approve $3,153,200 in recommendation to the Town Manager that backtracked only slightly from last week's fireworks laden meeting, mainly to now include $20,000 for 16 Jones Library surveillance cameras and $10,000 for maintenance work at the town owned Hitchcock Center building.

Hitchcock Center

After the camera initiative was properly vetted by IT directory Kris Pacunas, the price had precipitously dropped from $60,000 to $20,000 and will certainly provide peace of mind for patrons made nervous by frisky teens frolicking in the unattended downstairs, or the homeless wandering in looking for a place to sleep.

Library Trustee Carol Gray took exception once again to cuts that were upheld: $150,000 for fire protection system and $15,000 for building insulation, which she claimed would return about $3,000 in annual energy savings, or a five-year payback. Although she neglected to factor in the $15,000 that was approved last year for insulation and never spent, thus the payback period is really ten years.

And of course being a former lawyer she held up the architectural study commissioned by Library Trustees that highlighted minor deficiencies in the current fire protection system suggesting the town would be liable for any injuries sustained in the (unlikely) event of a fire.

Ms. Gray also took a cheap swipe at $90,000 earmarked for planning studies split between two major projects:  Last fall "Form Based Zoning" failed to garner the two-thirds vote necessary (119-79) at Town Meeting--with many opponents saying the article required "more study"--that would have rezoned North Amherst center and the Atkins Corner in South Amherst.

And the Gateway Corridor Town Center rezoning study, a $40,000 item to bring Form Based Zoning to the commercial downtown and the contiguous corridor leading to our largest employer, UMass.

Former Library Trustee (Chair) Pat Holland, who was defeated last year because of her tag-team involvement with Ms. Gray in running off long time library Director Bonnie Isman, is running unopposed for the lone Amherst Redevelopment Authority seat in the April 3 election.

The ARA spearheaded, nurtured and delivered the Gateway Project plan over the past year-and-a-half, but will probably have little future involvement for Ms Holland to sabotage.

O Lorax, Where Art Thou?

100-year-old row of quaint New England sugar maples now on Death Row.

After weathering the last 100 years, including the devastating October 29 tree killer snowstorm, a row of majestic sugar maples that have provided shade, oxygen and protection from the wind to generations of agricultural minded citizens is now threatened by the biggest tree killer of all:  development.

Even though these trees are outside their jurisdiction, the Amherst Public Shade Tree Committee unanimously endorsed a letter to Town Manager John Musante requesting they "be respected and protected for all present and future members of the Amherst community."

Amherst Town Meeting acquired Hawthorne Farm property for $500,000 to preserve open space, add to our pitifully small stock of affordable housing (the land includes a house and barn) and preserve open space/recreation, although many town meeting members assumed it meant passive recreation. 

But soccer parents and politicians who court their votes are quick to rev the bulldozers anytime the town acquires an expensive parcel of property bigger than a breadbasket.   Although, turning the rolling topography of Hawthorne into a smooth aircraft carrier quality flatness will require millions of additional tax dollars.

And, the death of those stately sentinels.

Trouble in Paradise?

 Larry Shaffer fist bump.  About to butt heads with the Mayor

Former Amherst, Massachusetts Town Manager now Jackson, Michigan City Manager Larry Shaffer had a hilarious quote in yesterday's local paper:  "I don't give up easily" asserted Shaffer in response to the city council reversing a yes vote he supports on an expensive solar energy project for their waste water treatment plant.

Mayor Martin Griffin strongly opposes the initiative saying, "I hope the project is dead."  Interesting power struggle.   Since Jackson has a Council/Manager form of government, the Mayor is apparently more of a figurehead than actual CEO.  But, nevertheless, Mayor Griffin looks like a strong guy who takes tough stands (slumlords want him recalled over a rental registration law he supported).

Mr. Shaffer, on the other hand...

Let's see, he took a strong stand on requiring Boy Scouts pay a tax on Christmas Tree sales, a beloved annual (tax free) town tradition for 60 years.  He tried to withhold the parade permit for the privately organized July 4 Parade to create a competing municipal parade that would embrace war protesters.  And he supported the Select Board's annual refusal to fly 29 commemorative American flags in the downtown to remember the horror of 9/11.

Best of all, he railroads the Select Board into giving him a two year extension on his contract and then only a few months later, suddenly, decides to "retire," to Michigan, leaving behind his wife here in Amherst.  Meanwhile his secretary concurrently vanishes with a $25,000 taxpayer payout nobody wishes to talk about.

Doesn't give up easily, eh?  I guess it depends on how you define "easily".  



 

Gas, Bread, and Wine

 Cumberland Farms, Amherst

Perhaps the busiest convenience store in Amherst is about to get even busier.  The Cumberland Farms on College Street (Rt 9) has filed for a Wine & Malt off premises alcohol license--meaning beer and wine to go. 

The town currently has 8 such licenses in this category allowed by law and only two are currently taken, so it's pretty much a slam dunk the Select Board, who are also the town liquor commissioners, will approve the $1,500 license.

A new law that went into effect January 1st allows individuals or corporations to own up to 5 of these permits in the state when previously the limit was only three.  Cumberland Farms will also have to pay the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission $5,000 for the privilege.

Yes, everybody--from the state on down--ferments money from alcohol.

 Spirit Haus, celebrating 40 years. Right across the street.