Another Major School Shake Up

Fred Dupere, Special Education Counsel for the Amherst Regional Public School system since December, 2010 resigned suddenly, effective June 30.  According to a statement sent out by Interim Director of Student Services Jo Ann Smith, "He indicated that his decision is based upon his current work commitments with other clients in his practice." 
  
In other words he was doing w-a-y more work than expected for a lousy $3,000 month retainer.



The Regional School Committee has scheduled an emergency meeting executive session this Thursday at 4:30 PM at the Regional Middle School with Superintendent Maria Geryk in her private conference room.  How cozy.

Dupere replaced Gini Tate (terminated by a 5-4 Regional School Committee vote on 9/22/10) who stayed on as attorney for all other legal matters at $220/hour.  Well, except for a case or two that she started concerning special education. Those she continues to litigate even though Dupere could have handled them for no additional costs.

In fact, over the first three quarters of this fiscal year--even though fired as Special Education Counsel--Ms. Tate has been paid twice as much as Dupere for her Special Ed services billed to the Regional School District:  $42,472 vs. Dupere's $18,684.  In addition Ms. Tate raked in another $15, 000 for school committee consulting and an addition $32,000 for Human Resources.

Since Ms. Tate is a long-time friend of Superintendent Geryk, and since she already occupied the position of Special Education Counsel--and in fact never really ceased doing it--safe bet she will be the top name on a (very) short list of potential candidates.


Let the coronation commence.

An Inconvenient Truth

When the $6 million Atkins Corner double roundabout construction project finally finishes late this summer the current resulting traffic snafus will quickly fade into a distant memory.  Over the next few weeks, however, they will be as fresh and raw as the fruits and vegetables sold at everyone's favorite local destination spot, Atkins Farm Country Market.

Friday marked the first day of 'The Big Detour' and things went about as well as could be expected considering the magnitude and location of the disruption.  Atkins manager John Thibbitts confirms "a few customer complaints" but the iconic store is doing additional in-store promotions, Facebook updates, and old fashioned print advertising to offset the current less-than-ideal conditions and to keep loyal fans coming back for more. 

Neighbors near the main Hampshire College main entry on RT116 called Amherst police Friday afternoon as a "distraught, very angry and disoriented blonde lady" seemed to be having a nervous breakdown over the blockade.

Still, no accidents or major incidents.  Or...no news is good news.

 

One of the two roundabouts is up and running

 

Work continues on the second roundabout at Bay Road intersection

 

Meanwhile, some bright news for Atkins: the solar array is now fully operational

 

From tiny acorns grow...

Four mighty oaks line west end of Kellogg Avenue (far left one cannot be saved)

Tree Warden Alan Snow will use a borrowed resistometer later this month to test the structural integrity of all the old trees along Kellogg Avenue.  But safe to say he has already decided the one closest to Rao's Coffee Shop--subject of a tree hugging Letter to the Editor in last week's Amherst Bulletin--will become kindling before summer turns to fall. 


Nobody seems to know exactly when they were planted, but guestimates are almost 100 years ago--so these statuesque specimens are barely middle aged.  During the freak October Halloween snowstorm one just down the road came crashing down almost hitting Ann Whalen Apartments, housing elderly, disabled and low income families.

33 Kellogg Ave

Last month Town Meeting approved borrowing $612,000 for 2,000 trees to be planted over the next three years. The cycle of life continues.

 Out of 16 pin oaks lining Kellogg Ave, at least three are slated for removal

Bad Day for Public Safety

Springfield Police badge in mourning

The city of Springfield is in mourning for veteran police officer Kevin Ambrose, gunned down in the line of duty.  Not since 1985, when partners Alain Beauregard and Michael Schiavina met a similar fate, has such sorrow gripped the City of Homes. 

And like that long ago but long remembered incident, today's tragedy was also a cold blooded ambush, where the perp avoided justice by killing himself. So very senseless.  So very cold. 

Once again we are all starkly reminded how precious is life.   And that those who wear the blue uniform risk everything to preserve it.  Including their own.

AG Rebukes Regional School Committee

Maria Geryk (far left) Amherst Regional School Committee to her left

A six-month investigation by the Massachusetts Division of Open Government found the Amherst Regional School Committee did indeed violate the Open Meeting Law at its November 22, 2011 public meeting--but not for the technicalities I cited in my complaint.

At the very end of a three hour Regional School Committee meeting Amherst School Committee (who make up the lions share of the Region) Chair Irv Rhodes moved to go into executive session, "never to return." The motion is never properly seconded and no mention is made of why they are going into executive session other than the brief announcement three hours earlier at the start of the meeting by Regional Chair Rick Hood.

The Attorney General found, "While the Committee announced a valid reason for entering into executive session, the Committee violated the Open Meeting Law by discussing matters in executive session that were not appropriate given the stated purpose."  And the AG points out sternly, "This is not a mere technical violation."

Interestingly the casual indifference to protocol displayed by this nonchalant executive session is consistent with the infraction that got them in trouble with the Attorney General.  In fact, even after I filed my official complaint the arrogant attitude continued as they failed to properly respond to the Attorney General, which is duly noted in this official four page finding.

The Amherst School Committee now has two new members--Amilcar Shabazz and Lawrence O'Brien--and Rick Hood will be stepping down as committee chair later this month, so perhaps things will change.

Adhering to the principles of honest open government helps to build trust.  And trust in your local government is like money, education or good health--you can never have too much of it.

AG Amherst Region Violation
Already having an impact. Most recent agenda posted to town website:

Thursday, June 7

RECEIVED: 6/5/12 at 12:27 pm. MEETING TIME: 4:30 pm. LOCATION: Amherst Regional Middle School, Superintendent's Conference Room. LIST OF TOPICS: Enter Executive Session to discuss strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel as authorized by MGL Chapter 30A, Section 21(2), with no intention to return to open session.

Ghost Bike in Hamp Center

 Ghost Bike Northampton Center

A ghostly reminder of the  tragic crash that took the life of 18-year-old Harry Delmolino, a Hadley resident, appeared recently at the Pleasant/Main street intersection in the heart of Northampton, only yards from the exact spot where the car/bike collision occurred.  A battle the car always wins.

Ghost bikes are roadside memorials set up near the site of a fatal accident that has claimed the life of a cyclist.  In Amherst a ghost bike appeared on University Drive near the location of the crash that killed Misty Bassi.   Misty was killed on Memorial Day 2009 by a distracted driver on the wrong side of the road.

Another Ghost Bike appeared on Montague Road to commemorate the 9/12/09 hit and run death (never solved) of Blake Goodman.  Amazingly the bike was later vandalized by two young men wielding axes.

Gone Like the Wind

Trolley Station on North Pleasant Street, built 1911 destroyed 5/29/12

So I can't help but wonder if this inappropriate demolition of a historic structure is a reenactment of the murder of Thomas Becket by King Henry's stooges, who thought his highness had officially ordered it.

On Tuesday a construction crew trashed the historic little gem that state officials in Boston wanted to preserve for a while longer but local UMass officials made perfectly clear they wished it gone, gone, gone.

 Gone without a trace

Interestingly, the dirty deed happens soon after thousands of students--potential witnesses-- leave campus and hidden from view by a new fence.  The first time UMass tried to demolish it back in 1994, a faculty member blew the whistle--thus giving the structure a long reprieve.

Coincidentally enough this unauthorized destruction occurs only weeks after Amherst Town Meeting showed strong support for maintaining the integrity of historical structures by overwhelmingly passing the Dickinson Historical District zoning bylaw.

Yes, our local Historical Commission had requested this particular building be preserved but they have no authority over UMass, thus they could not issue a one year demolition delay.  And even if they did issue that official restraining order, this despicable deed was supposedly done independent of owner (UMass) oversight.

Said historic preservation pit bull Joseph Larson, "Contractors can sense this indifference and are more likely to misbehave." Indeed.