Let There be Light

So its taken over a year but the traffic lights in front of busy Big Y Supermarket are, finally, working.  After all these years of drivers relying on courtesy and common sense it will be interesting to see if automation is an improvement.

DPW electrician Fred Hartwell making the connections last week

Speaking Well of the Dead

A July 4 Parade for kids, DPW, Police, Fire, Military, farmers and families.  God bless America

So I have to admit being somewhat bemused by today's enshrining editorial simultaneously published in the venerable Daily Hampshire Gazette and Amherst Bulletin lamenting the loss of the Amherst July 4th Parade next month after a march of ten consecutive years.

This from newspapers who only four years ago told the private July 4th Parade Committee to go find another holiday while simultaneously supporting the town of Amherst nationalizing the Parade in direct violation of a 9-0 Supreme Court First Amendment ruling.

Thank God for the ACLU.  Because when the mainstream media drops the ball, who else are you going to call?

Kevin Joy always made sure the July 4th Parade ran on time

Tasty Treats

Jada enjoys dessert @ Taste of Amherst

The key ingredient for making an outdoor food festival a BIG success was ever present last night and will be for the next few days, possibly pushing the 21st annual Taste of Amherst into the record books for attendance. 

Great opening night crowd 

Food samples from 23 restaurants, round-the-clock entertainment and cold beer...what more could you ask for?  Family and friends of course; and if last night is any indication, everybody seemed to be with somebody--all having a good time.

Taste of Amherst weekend hours: Friday 5-10; Saturday 12-10; Sunday 12-4
 

Town Website helps promote Taste (but they need a copy editor)

Warren Wows Amherst

 Elizabeth Warren arrives at the Black Sheep Deli in downtown Amherst 4:00 PM

One sure way to stimulate business is to schedule an appearance by Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren--especially in a democratic stronghold like Amherst. Although she was a half hour late for her last minute appearance at the Black Sheep Deli in the heart of downtown Amherst, nobody seemed to mind. Especially Black Sheep owner Nick Seaman.

Elizabeth Warren waiting to speak to jam packed crowd at Amherst's Black Sheep Deli

And See If Anyone Salutes

Amherst Town Hall 

I've never been a huge fan of Flag Day because it seems a little too contrived--you either respect the flag 24/7 or you do not. In fact, a few years ago I asked the Select Board to trade Flag Day for 9/11 as one of the days the 29 commemorative flags are allowed to fly in town center, thus keeping the six-day restriction in place.

Some of you may have noticed the return of the flag on Town Hall. It disappeared a couple years ago when the building exterior was undergoing repointing and town officials simply got out of the habit of putting it up.

The flag first appeared soon after 9/11 when Amherst was taking a PR drubbing over ill-timed flag disparaging public comments made just 12 hours before civilian aircraft turned the Twin Towers into dust.  At the time Select Board member Anne Awad voiced her displeasure with the Town Hall flag saying it looked like somebody was trapped inside the building and using it to draw attention to their plight.

Perhaps a subliminal result of endless footage aired of helpless civilians trapped on the upper floors of the towers waiving their clothing to get first responders attention.

Last year the town also purchased an extra large flag for the main pole in town center--but only on the same occasions the 29 commemorative flags are allowed to fly.  Now I'm told that BIGGER flag will start flying 24/7 (after I complained a few years ago the town added illumination to the main pole) every day, except for when the weather is particularly inclement.

Bigger American Flag flew for Memorial Day

That starts as soon as town officials can find the b-i-g-g-e-r POW flag that accompanies the b-i-g-g-e-r American flag.  Let's hope they find it by July 4th.
Actually let's hope they find it today as the current flag is a tad, err, TATTERED. 

  UPDATE: 2:15 PM Yeah!

 

New flag is up. LONG may she wave

Dog Days of Summer

Conservation Commission: Briony Agus (Chair), Todd Walker, Elizabeth Hamin, Harvey Allen, Paris Boice, Christiane Healey

Amherst's burgeoning canine population may not jump for joy, but they will still wag their tails over tonight's 4-3 vote of the seven member Conservation Commission to maintain the current policy of allowing dogs off leash at Mill River and Amethyst Brook recreation areas for another three months--a time of peak activity for dogs and their owners--from dawn until 10:00 AM seven days a week

The vote to make the policy permanent failed by 3-4 but by most measures the six-month trial period has been a success, with dog owners taking more responsibility for keeping their pets under control and runners, walkers,bikers and nearby permanent residents also learning to respectfully coexist with an influx of exuberant four legged guests.


Dog Officer Carol Hepburn advocates for unrestricted off leash time but better education (for the dogs and owners)

Like student party houses it's the well publicized outlier incidents perpetrated by an irresponsible minority that give the responsible vast majority a bad reputation. 

25 Amherst residents showed up, the majority of them dog lovers

Gloomy Norwegian Outlook

Norway Spruce dead center is now a Dead Tree Standing

So this majestic fifty-year-old Norway Spruce will fall in order to make way for a more conveniently located driveway that routes traffic onto Railroad Street rather than busy College Street (RT9), although since the other end of Railroad Street is blockaded by owners New England Central Railroad, tenants will still have to enter/exit onto busy Rt 9.

 Closed end of Railroad Street 

Last night the Amherst Shade Tree Committee voted against the removal (3-1-1) of a healthy tree at 166 College Street,  however Amherst Tree Warden Alan Snow overruled the committee and allowed the whacking, but with conditions that a "new tree is planted where the old driveway was located and an inch per inch replacement value for the loss of the healthy public shade tree."

Current driveway 166 College Street, Amherst

Who would have thought--especially in Amherst--shade trees would be traded like public commodities.

 Less than a week after the hearing