One last time, into the fray

Shutesbury:  Where the welcome sign is not the only thing frayed

The back-and-forth in the sad saga of the Shutesbury library vote is enough to give an observer whiplash.

With the June 30 deadline looming for the town to accept a $2.1 million state grant, the Supreme Judicial Court last week refused to hear an expedited appeal of Judge Rup's decisive decision to throw out two previously counted yes votes of attorney Michael Pill's grown children thus bringing the (never say) final vote to 522 "no" to 520 "yes" in the $1.4 million override request required to match the state grant.

Originally library proponents had filed suit against the Board of Registrars requesting the court, "Order the defendant Board of Registrars not to count the votes of Richard and Joan Paczkowski, or in the alternative if the Paczkowski votes are to be counted, then order the defendant Board of Registrars to count the vote of Christopher Buck."   Either of those two alternatives would have changed the outcome of the library vote from a failure to passing.

Instead Judge Mary-Lou Rup not only upheld the Board of Registrars decision to allow the challenged Paczkowski votes but then she went a step further and negated the votes of Shoshana Holzberg-Pill, and Jacob Holzberg-Pill.  To date the only negated vote that now seems unchallenged is that of Christopher Buck, who signed a legal document (license) in Kentucky, where he has been  employed full-time for the previous two years, clearly stating Kentucky is his sole legal domicile for voting.

Since town attorney MacNicol is now being so accommodating there's probably enough time for "direct appellate review" by the appeals court of Judge Rup's decision, which most experts believe will be upheld.  By then, however, the June 30 deadline will be at hand and no compromise possible between the opposing sides to get a piece of the $2.1 million state grant.

The picturesque M.N. Spear Memorial Library

The year (1923) Babe Ruth broke the record for all-or-nothing home runs, he also lead the league in strikeouts.  Those who fail to learn from history...

Conservative Values

Governor Deval Patrick addresses large crowd at formal  Paul C Jones Working Forest dedication ceremony

When Cinda Jones throws a party,  a who's who of federal, state, and local officials come to dance--no matter how hot and humid it may be.

Retiring Congressman John Olver directly thanks Cinda Jones for her conservation efforts 

Large crowd of conservation minded officials and friends of the Cowls family

Under a blazing sun blocked by a large white tent nestled on the side of a country road, Governor Deval Patrick and a wagon train of federal, state and local officials came to dedicate the renamed (from Brushy Mountain) Paul C Jones Working Forest, a 3,500 acre (5.4 square miles) swath of God's green earth.

Representative Ellen Story Senator Stan Rosenberg 

Last December, after four years of negotiations, the state paid the W.D. Cowls Co--the largest private landowners in the state--$8.8 million for the development rights to the scenic property.  Cowls will continue to log the land and act as stable stewards, as they have done for the past 125 years.

Paul C. Jones Working Forest

The entities who made it happen

Representative Dan Winslow R-Norfolk (an Amherst native)

Governor Patrick applauds Cinda Jones

No Conservation event is complete without Smokey Bear 

Retiring camera maestro Gordon Daniels gets the shot 

The Official Press Release


Springfield Republican reports

 A previous heartfelt tribute to Paul C. Jones

Party House of the Weekend

807 Main Street, Amherst

At the risk of being branded a bully I still gotta ask, "What were these Nitwits thinking?!"  Just what you need in the neighborhood: noxious fumes from old mattresses with God-only-knows-what having stained them.

According to APD logs:

  

RP passing by (1:00 AM early Saturday morning) reporting a large outdoor fire, AFD enroute.  Large fire with trash and mattresses being burned.  Citation issued for unpermitted burn to one of the tenants at the address.

Milo S Newman, 807 Main Street, Amherst, age 22, Open Burning without a permit

Amherst remembers the fallen

Amherst Color Guard leads the parade

This morning Amherst celebrated Memorial Day in a somber but fitting manner, reaching back 150 years to the most bloody conflict in American history, the Civil War.  Retired Amherst College physics professor Robert Romer discussed the 300 men from Amherst--57 who gave their last measure of devotion (5 of them black)--to save the Union and emancipate the slaves.

Continuing with this historical perspective Stan Rosenberg read aloud the letter from President Lincoln --made famous by the movie "Saving Private Ryan"--to a mother who lost five sons in the great conflict.  Stan also announced that before the 150th anniversary year of the war closes he and Representative Ellen Story will find a way to get the restored "Sacred Dead Tablets" put on public display.

Bob Romer, retired Amherst College professor, discussed the town and Amherst College's contributions to the Civil War

Stephanie O'Keeffe, John Musante, Stan Rosenberg, Diana Stein, Alisa Brewer

Amherst Fire Department

Amherst Police Department

AFD Quint

Goodwin Memorial Zion and Hope Community Church Choir

Hopkins Academy Marching Band (parked) 

The event at War Memorial Pool (built soon after War World 2 ended) was rich in symbolic ceremony: The Star Spangled Banner, the Pledge of Allegiance, taps played twice, the second time in a hauntingly softer manner, reading names of veterans lost over the past year and finally restoring Old Glory from half to full staff with everyone in uniform standing at attention saluting, the crowd with their hands over their hearts. 

Nearby house

Remembered

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air...

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark or even eagle flew --

And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

John Gillespie Magee, Jr

Hadley Highlights Parade

Hadley Color Guard front and center 

God and Hadley make a great team:  He (or she) provides stunning weather, and the town puts on a grand old fashioned patriotic parade reminiscent of Norman Rockwell's glory days.  Trucks, tractors, Boys and Girl scouts, politicians, high school marching band, horses, antique cars and cheering folks aplenty lining both sides of Rout 9.  Of course, aging veterans led the procession with the stars and stripes held high.

Joyce Chunglo Hadley Select Board, DA Dave Sullivan, Senator Stan Rosenberg

Hadley Fire Department

Hadley Cub Scouts

Hopkins Academy Marching Band

Kathy Roberts, Muddy Brook Horse Farm

Patriotic Wagon

Lots of tractors, but no cows

Antique car

Yes they allowed candy tossed to the kids. Parents supervised. My kids got a ton

A yard a few houses down from parade route

Oh say you can't miss

Amherst Town Center Sunday 12:25 PM

Amherst has broken out the really BIG ceremonial flag purchased last year to accompany the 29 commemorative flags in the downtown on the six holidays they are allowed to fly.  Friday of course the big one went up to honor and remember Memorial Day, so tomorrow it will be at half staff from sunrise until noon.

Today, as they have done for almost 40 years, the anti-war protesters showed up at high noon.  Although not as many as Occupy Amherst turned out yesterday, their longevity underscores a resolve that's hard to beat.

Weird lady shows up sporadically but keeps to herself (much to the relief of organized protesters).