Party Houses of the Weekend

41 Hobart Lane, Amherst 

Yeah, already I can use the pleural of Party House.  Not a good sign.

According to the above-the-fold front page story in today's venerable Gazette, UMass is taking a "lighter approach" to controlling student party behavior, using cartoon characters to enlighten them to the pitfalls of over consumption of alcohol.

Umm yeah, almost as good as handing out oatmeal cookies.

My favorite nugget of wisdom they are passing down to freshman from more senior students who presumably learned from their bad experiences is this one:  "Just because you suddenly have access to alcohol doesn't mean you have to consume it all at once."

Take for instance a young woman at 41 Hobart Lane, who was taken into Protective Custody for being ETOH (beyond drunk).

According to APD logs:

"RP reports loud music, partying and drunken shouting 1:33 AM (early Saturday)"

"Young woman observed attempting to urinate in front of residence.  Unable to state which town she was in.  Was observed to have bloodshot, glassy eyes, slurred speech."

The tenant of record at 41 Hobart was cited for violation of the town's noise bylaw ($300 fine).

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285 Main Street, Amherst (directly across from Emily Dickinson Homestead/Museum
 

 10:50 PM Friday night

"Large loud party with many individuals identified as being minors in possession of alcohol. One tenant was identified on scene. Approximately 60-100 guests cleared from apartment."

Arrested for TBL noise violation:
Nicholas Abraham, 285 Main St #2, Amherst, MA, age 19
One other cited for marijuana, $100 fine

Atkins Corner: Getting There

First roundabout 

First Roundabout 11/20/11

West Street in front of Hampshire College now paved

Parking lot in front of Atkins graded

A Matter of Respect

Law would not apply to private flags, but Big Y and Amherst College usually follow state protocol

It only takes but a moment to bring an American flag down to half staff ... the solemn respect it demonstrates lasts an eternity.  And since it would be honoring and remembering someone who gave up their life in the performance of their sworn duty to protect and serve the general public, is that really too much to ask?

Massachusetts Senate bill 1573 would require American flags in the Commonwealth (under state control) fly at half staff to commemorate a police officer or firefighter killed in the line of duty.  Hardly controversial -- and sure to pass -- since Governor Patrick has been especially attentive over his tenure with ordering our flags to half staff to honor those brave first responders and military personnel. 

So could we just please fast track the bill to get it passed by 9/11?  No other event in our entire history better symbolizes the dedication, determination and self-sacrifice of first responders quite like that morning.

That awful, awful morning.

AFD 9/11/08

Predator

Fox out hunting in a South Amherst backyard, near Crocker Farm Elementary School

Another Miss Emily?

 A mature Emily Dickinson?

Perhaps having only one known daguerreotype of Emily Dickinson has added to her mystery and allure over the years.  Not that she needed that, mind you.  Her poems speak for themselves. As loudly now as ever, even 126 years after she was called back.

Miss Emily, coffee at Rao's 

If my great, great grandfather Tom Kelley, Miss Emily's loyal "domestic", was still around he could give a positive ID one way or the other.   Of course he would also report that there was never anything especially notable about Emily Dickinson's physical wrappings, at least not nearly so compared to what emanated from her core.

Emily Dickinson Museum reports "breaking news."

Dickinson Homestead Museum, pride of Amherst  (College and the town). Miss Emily's room 2nd floor corner windows facing west&south

Missing In Action

Snell Street no bridge

Former Snell Street Bridge

The state made good progress on the Snell Street Bridge replacement this week, managing to remove the entire historic old RR bridge in just five days and only closing the road off from 7:00 AM till 3:00 PM.

Since state Department of Conservation Recreation is about as communicative as a hunk of metal, we do not know if the new bridge will be dropped into place starting next week or not.

First warning/blockade/detour for users is about 100 yards away

Blockade at bridge is formidable enough to stop a bike going full speed

And Another One Gone

 35 South Pleasant Street, heart of downtown Amherst

If only a business could run on heart, good intentions and enthusiasm, the enormous failure rate in the start up year would be -- like the bubonic plague -- all but eradicated.

35 South Cycle, an aerobic spin class business, opened in town center in January, peak month for the health fitness industry, and closed in late July, the worst month for the industry--especially one located in a college town.

I bumped into owner Jeff Brown during my brief photo shoot and asked him about prospective tenants -- as in what kind of business was he now seeking to occupy his former law office?  "Probably not a restaurant," he laughed.  Or fitness business.  Restaurants are  #1 for failing in the startup year and health fitness businesses are in the top five.

 Beautiful ornate brick walls, windows looking out onto Main Street USA

With a rent of $3,000 per month the age old wisdom of parents counseling their child about to leave the nest still applies:  Rent should not be more than 25% of your income.  So if you are going to open a business here, make sure your annual revenues exceed $150,000.

Yes, $3,000 per month sounds like a lot for 1,000 square feet of space, probably a little more than Barry Roberts charges but less than the Grandonico family, downtown landlords who own a significant portion of the downtown.

And this location, location, location does benefit by fairly significant foot traffic generated by adjacent icon AJ Hastings and less-than-iconic Bank Of America (unless of course Occupy Amherst comes a calling).

Opening your own business is like a being a member of the The Flying Wallendas:  It takes skill, courage and know how, where the rewards are great and the downside ... well ... death. 

Three-out-of-four of these prime downtown storefronts are now empty