Hope to Hopeless

Leave it to the 'Powers That Be' to take one of the most endearing symbols of hope--a yellow ribbon tied around an old tree--and turn it into a symbol of death and destruction.

E Pleasant Street Sugar Maple in the Public Way

Yes, in the arbor genocide currently taking place throughout Amherst the victims are marked with a yellow ribbon--in some cases resembling the ribbon-like tie that was so popular as a car magnet to support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Corner Triangle Street and Kellogg Avenue: Red Maple in the Public Way

South East Street Friday

South East Street Saturday

South East Street Friday

South East Street Saturday

The Grim Reaper

UPDATE 7/13/12 Looks like they found some different colored ribbon:

Shays Street

We know where you are

Amherst Police assisted State Police making an arrest Friday morning after a cell phone "ping" (where the carrier sends out a signal to locate and track a particular cell phone) gave authorities a general idea where the perp was hiding in North Amherst after being involved in a domestic abuse situation Thursday night in Shutesbury.

According to APD logs:


While doing area search a passing motorist stated he just observed suspicious white male in back yard on Henry Street who fled to railroad tracks.  Jacobsen observed walking down tracks where he was taken into custody.  Turned over at the scene to Massachusetts State Police.

Phillip Jacobsen, 78 Pelham Hill Rd, Shutesbury, MA, age 24, Arrested for Assault to Murder, domestic A&B

Some of you may remember Mr. Jacobsen as he was a test case in a public documents fight two years ago between the Daily Hampshire Gazette (when they were a tad less arthritic) and Northampton Police Department.

The Gazette requested his mug shot after he was arrested for--you guessed it--beating and attempting to murder his former girlfriend. NPD denied the request claiming the photo was protected because of Criminal Offender Record Information.

State Supervisor of Public Records Alan Cote sided with the Gazette and the photo was released.  But the decision was appealed and another ruling simply left it up to individual police departments as to whether mug shots could be released.

In this morning's Gazette police log article,  no mug shot or previous background accompanies the brief of Mr. Jacobsen's most recent exploits.

Phillip Huckleberry Jacobsen

Road Hazard

So for the second time this year a drunk driver ended up in front of my house, with the accompanying APD blue lights awakening my wife. I suppose if you have to be inconvenienced by a drunk driver, sleep interruption is far preferable to some of the other alternatives.

According to APD logs (3:16 AM early Sunday morning):

Pursuit initiated after suspect vehicle struck and heavily damaged a car in traffic.  Vehicle failed to stop and continued on after patrol car activated emergency blue lights.  Operator continued to speed away as his car disintegrated posing a significant public safety threat to any vehicles that would venture out as well as to himself.  Pursuit continued for a little over one mile.  Vehicle finally stopped adjacent to the DPW.  The operator was ordered from the vehicle, and upon exiting still had not secured his vehicle.  The car rolled several feet but stopped due to significant damage.  Party placed in custody for "failure to submit" to a police officer and additional charges.

According to an additional officer:

Front passenger tire was so heavily damaged it fell off during pursuit.  During interaction at scene clear signs of impairment were detected.  Montenegro refused field sobriety test and was combative and highly uncooperative.  Bail set at $2,5000.


Joseph T. Montenegro, 8 Kim Circle, Toland, CT, age 21:
Arrested for OUI liquor--2nd offense, operating to endanger, leaving scene of accident, failure to stop for police, speeding, marijuana possession.

You Can Beat City Hall

Well in this case, Amherst Town Hall.

So I had my 10:00 AM appeals hearing with Town Collector Claire McGinnis and gave her my story: No signs at the behind Town Hall hidden parking lot to inform us hapless motorists that parking enforcement is until 8:00 PM rather than 6:00 PM as it is in the more prominently located lots in front of Town Hall, with accompanying large signs prominently displaying those 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM hours.

So she voided my ticket received on a gorgeous Friday night 6:05 PM on my way to the truly tasteful Taste of Amherst.  Guess now I do not have to create a "I hate parking in Amherst" website....

Sizzling Sunday

 Kid safe shallow end of the pool

Mother Nature must feel guilty about the pounding she gave us last October 29 with that freak once in a lifetime snowstorm, because all the milestone outdoor events since then--town fair, Taste of Amherst, and now the grand opening of the long awaited War Memorial Pool--have been blessed with perfect weather.

WGGB Channel 40 TV shows up to interview acting town manager Dave Ziomek and happy participants.

New England Youth Lacrosse All Star Tournament increased car traffic dramatically

Kira poised to plunge

 

Jada the jet ready to launch

5:45 PM All's well that ends well

Google Stain

Lately I've been getting a slew of hits from a site called "something awful" (about one quarter way down page 7). Yeah, the name--with a hand grenade for an avatar--definitely got my attention.

Fortunately my sitemeters act like informative high-tech sensors on the Starship Enterprise, letting me know how readers come to me, what search terms they use, and where they are from.  When someone posts a link to me on another website, like a message board or Facebook, it is especially noticeable.  

Apparently a Cowardly Anon Nitwit who can't spell my name correctly tried to link me with an amoral idiot who founded "Blabermouth," a for-profit website that posts mug shots and arrest records--all public documents of course--but then goes a tad beyond the pale by blackmailing those individuals posted with threats of added exposure if they do not pay $100- $200 to have their names and photos removed from his website.

As usual the law has a hard time keeping up with new technology, so it may actually be legal...at the moment.  Either way, peer pressure and public shaming seems to have torpedoed the nefarious enterprise.  Fortunate for the founder because--considering the demographic he was hustling--a safe bet termination of the physical kind was just around the corner.

Since starting my "Party House of the Weekend" series almost two years ago, I've had numerous requests (by email, Facebook messages, phone calls and in one case a knock at the door) to delete published names and in a (very) few cases have actually complied:  When offenders verify they have paid the fines and actually seem remorseful about their irresponsible, obnoxious, illegal activities. 

Growing up in Amherst fifty years ago I vividly recall my mother, a public school teacher, worrying about anything negative that could forever stain your "permanent record."  I was never quite sure if she was talking about school files, which only cover K-12 activity, or police logs...or both.

These days, with the mighty all-powerful Google, it really doesn't matter--especially when you join forces with the First Amendment and Massachusetts Division of Open Government.

For better or worse, public exposure is only a click away.

Live Free or Die

 A symbol of freedom and a symbol of the cost of freedom

Assuming all 1,664 men Missing In Action from the Viet Nam War are dead, it is still of paramount importance to fly this black flag as a reminder that--all these years later--their final outcomes are still unknown.

Yesterday the town put up a new, larger POW/MIA flag to fly in tandem with the larger US flag purchased last year and originally scheduled to fly only on ceremonial occasions, but now flying daily...as it should.