Hot Time on Ye Ol' Landfill

Now discredited concerns over red staining around the old landfill

On what would have been a great day to generate electricity via a solar farm, Amherst's Sustainability Coordinator Stephanie Ciccarello braved the hot weather, mosquitoes, and ticks to provide an educational hike across the wide open, unshaded old landfill for a presentation to nearly 40 residents on the proposed solar energy farm.  NIMBYs proved to be the bigger nuisance, however.

 Old Landfill provides wide open flat terrain (and a nice view)

In spite of repeated assertions that she did not want "to get into a political debate," nearby neighbors came to the event loaded for bear. Constant sniping about fencing,lighting, noise, and weight on the landfill cap gave way to a full on assault as one gentleman, his voice rising, branded the proceeding "propaganda" and then invoked his Viet Nam service to remind the crowd of the memorable line, "Sometimes you have to destroy the village in order to save it."

He then stormed off with a few angry folks following close behind, reminiscent of the very first public hearing the town promoted just over a year ago. The remaining crowd gave Ms. Ciccarello polite applause.

Stephanie Ciccarello (center with back to camera, white hat) answers question for Dick Stein retired UMass professor

Town Manager John Musante won by an overwhelming Town Meeting vote the right to negotiate a 30 year deal with Blue Wave Capital for a solar array potentially generating $1 million annually to the town while significantly reducing our carbon footprint. Blue Wave has also agreed that 25% of the workforce related to the construction of the site will be from Amherst.

Musante recently stated the lucrative deal was "inches from the goal line".

NIMBYs of course specialize in goal line defense.

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Meanwhile on Sunday, not far from this heated public gathering, the South Amherst Congregational Church voted unanimously to install solar panels on their roof "in order to send a statement that we are stewards of the land ..."

South Amherst Congregational Church

Pancakes and Memories

 A long line awaiting pancakes at Mill River Recreation Area

Cloudy threatening skies did not dissuade an army of hungry (off duty) town officials, local business owners, developers, North Amherst neighbors and recreation lovers from across the Happy Valley to turn out in droves for the Puffer's Pond Pancake Breakfast fundraiser.  In fact hundreds more than expected were in attendance, said to be the biggest turnout in the 20+ year history of the event.

Maybe it was the recent North Amherst Village Center rezoning issue that played out so heatedly on the floor of Amherst Town Meeting last month as both proponents and staunch opponents came together although usually at different picnic tables.

Or it could have been the memorial service for Stephen Puffer Jr. which attracted a hundred friends, family and admirers of the town institution who passed away last December, at the grand old age of 97.

Either way, the event brought together a significant cross section of the town's eclectic movers and shakers while raising significant money to help polish a recreational jewel. Not bad for a cloudy Saturday in June.

Photo collage of Stephen Puffer's life intertwined with Amherst history

 
 Symbols of past jobs: construction,bus drive, Amherst Fire Department volunteer

 

Mr Puffer drove an antique truck before it was an antique

Amherst  250th Anniversary Parade Co-Grand Marshalls:Stan Ziomek, Steve Puffer (center), Barry Roberts 9/27/09

In 2008 Mr Puffer was honored on the floor of Amherst Town Meeting for serving on Public Works Committee for 19 years, not to mention 66 years in town meeting

A Day of Mourning

Amherst College Chapel Hill

Thousands of fellow officers--including 15 from Amherst Police Department, UMPD and Amherst College-- descended on Springfield to show solidarity to a fallen brother, creating a solemn sea of blue, spread out under equally blue but fickle skies.

Governor Patrick ordered the American flag to half staff, so hopefully citizens across our commonwealth were reminded--as they went about their business--that officer Kevin Ambrose was simply going about his routine when he gave the last full measure of devotion.

Over thirty six years on the job, officer Ambrose responded to an uncountable number of calls for service.  But all the training and experience built up over that many years was not enough to avoid a split-second moment when bad luck collided with evil intent.

Springfield Police badge in mourning

Even more depressing, this awful occurrence is far from unique.

Springfield Sunday Republican commentary

Amherst Post Office 

Legal Dynasty Reestablished

So apparently Superintendent Maria Geryk changed her mind about using Executive Session for the Amherst Regional School Committee  to coronate, errr, I mean rehire Giny Tate, errr, I mean Murphy, Hesse, Toomey and Lehane as ARPS Special Education Legal Counsel after Fred Dupere suddenly resigned earlier this week (although he is still on the payroll until June 30).

The vote was unanimous except for Amilcar Shabazz who abstained.  Voting in favor:  Katherine Appy, Rick Hood, Lawrence O'Brien, Michael DeChiara, Kip Fonsh, Deb Gould.  Annemarie Foley and Rob Spence were Missing In Action.

Ms Tate is now General Counsel for the School Committees and administration as well as Special Education Counsel, a job she was terminated from by a 5-4 Regional School Committee vote on 9/22/2010.  Her most recent Special Ed case, which concluded in March, cost taxpayers just over $40,000 in legal fees. The Bureau of Special Education Appeals found in favor of the pro se (lawyer less) parent.

Interestingly the case would have cost taxpayers twice that in legal fees if the parent had used a lawyer.  Maybe Shakespeare was right...

D-Day at ARPS

 

This afternoon at 4:30 PM Superintendent Maria Geryk and her inside circle of high level (highly paid) administrators will retire to the superintendent's conference room for an important pow-wow with the Amherst Regional School Committee to secretly discuss in executive session the sudden resignation of Special Education Legal Counsel Fred Dupere and, presumably, decide on a replacement, presumably, Gini Tate.

Since the current 9 member Regional School Committee is now different by two easy going Amherst members, the previous (9/22/2010) 5-4 vote to fire Gini Tate as Special Education Counsel can easily be overturned.  And probably will be.  In spite of her recent failure.

Remember that special education case she was grandfathered on to continue litigating (at $220/hour) because according to Regional School Committee Chair Rick Hood, " Tate had already worked extensively on it during the FY11 school year prior to Dupere being appointed the new SE attorney. Probably this is the case you are referring to. 

Where Murphy Hesse Toomey Lehane (Tate's lawfirm) was already deeply involved in a case it was thought best (and less expensive) to keep MHTL on it."

Hmmm...since issuing that statement Gini Tate ran up over $40,000 in Special Education legal services on the case; and guess what? She lost! If Tate was such a great attorney how is it she gets beat by a pro se parent without a law degree? Goes to show how egregious the case was against the schools--and any good altruistic attorney would have counseled their client to that affect.

It's a simple rule really, one that should especially resonate in Amherst:  War is seldom the right answer.

Special Ed Parent Advisory Council recommendation:  Anybody BUT Gini Tate!

It's a bird, it's a plane...

A Chinook model CH47 military helicopter  made an emergency landing safely in a big old field in Hadley last night. The copter is based at Bradley Air National Guard Base in Connecticut and operated by the Connecticut Army National Guard.
 

The big bird was on a routine training flight and fortunately managed a safe landing near the busy commercial malls nearby.  Today by the way, marks the 68th anniversary of D-Day.

After landing the helicopter was safely secured

Helicopter view from the bike path

Bye bye Birdie 1:10 PM

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.