Coming Home

 Amherst College Homecoming this weekend

I was meaning to write one of those milestone remembrances last week as I hit one million page views -- the highs and lows over six years of blogging -- but then Frankenstorm came calling and I had to live in the moment for a few days.

One very low story that haunts me to this day was the sudden death of promising young Amherst College student Jenny Kim; "sudden" being a euphemism for suicide. I still get a few web searchers coming here every week as a constant reminder.

Now I have another name that will haunt me for a very long time, probably forever: Trey Malone.

Trey too was a promising student attending Amherst College -- and like Ms. Kim he took his own life.  Unlike Jenny Kim, we now know why he took his own life.  I'll let him speak (for the final time) but provide no follow up.

I'm left speechless.

(read at your own risk)

Trey Malone's final dispatch

A Matter of Discipline

Pike Party just (barely) off campus

UMass certainly cannot complain about the high number of noise, nuisance, open container and underage drinking citations handed out by the Amherst Police Department in their ongoing war against rowdy behavior.

Although I think our flagship institute of higher education was a tad lenient on some of the 652 students who garnered the attention of our police department last year for their obnoxious off campus behavior (only 5 were expelled).

But it seems to be a different matter altogether when infractions takes place on campus.  According to head disciplinarian Enku Gelaye (more formerly known as Dean of Students), a total of 2,818 students recieved sanction last year with 2,342 of them on campus (83%) vs 476 off campus (17%). 

Now yes, UMass houses 12,400 students on campus (45% of total) but that leaves 14,869 (55%) -- the majority  of the 27,269 total students -- to find housing elsewhere.

Simply put, less than half of UMass students (those who live on campus) garnered 83% of official sanctions handed out by our flagship of higher education last year.

Considering Amherst police cited or arrested 652 students during that same time frame for bad behavior off campus, it certainly seems the town pays more attention to these students than does UMass.

Not exactly what Fox News would describe as "Fair and balanced."

Back story

 

DUI Dishonor Roll

This past weekend was a relatively safe one on our roads compared to most as APD made only two arrests for Driving Under the Influence.  Lucky for us.

I'm reminded of the chilling message the IRA sent to Maggie Thatcher after a lucky last minute change in plans saved her from being blown to bits by one of their more sophisticated time bombs:  "You have to be lucky all the time. We only have to be lucky once."

Pleasant thought as we head towards another weekend ...

Early Saturday morning 1:42 AM.  Failure to stop/yield in town center tripped up a drunk driver.
Andrew Salvio, 55 Hazelmere Rd, New Britain, CT, age 22

Also early Saturday morning 2:35 AM.  At Ground Zero for all things alcohol related: Phillips Street and North Pleasant, police arrested Britney Porcino, 120 Pulpit Hill Rd, Amherst, MA, age 19 for OUI, Marked Lanes Violation, Speeding, Possession of Marijuana.

 Note ETOH (alcohol poisoning)

AFD 1st weekend November 

Barn Blast

 290 Lincoln Avenue.  A barn no more

Despite a desperate last minute attempt from neighbors for a stay of execution, the quaint old barn at 290 Lincoln Avenue is now kindling, paving the way for the construction of an additional non-owner occupied rental unit.  The other thing neighbors are seriously concerned about.

The Historical Commission decided not to impose a one-year demolition delay on the barn, rumored to have once been used by poet Robert Frost (but a rumor started by a real estate agent, so not exactly a reliable source).  On Monday rookie Building Commissioner Rob Morra issued a demolition permit, but neighbors filed an appeal with  the Town Clerk, setting up a possible hearing with the Zoning Board of Appeals.

That deliberation, however, would only judge whether the Building Commissioner acted properly in issuing the demolition permit, and since the landowner, You-Pan Tzeng, had a legit permit in hand at the time of this morning's demolition, the episode is now moot.

Somewhere in the distance, a Barn Owl wailed.

Right Way To Party

 UMass Amherst, the flagship of higher education and #1 employer in Amherst

So yes, UMass students in general get an undeserved bad rep from a distinct minority of classmates more interested in the next party as opposed to the next mid-term paper. But this once-every-four-year election certainly demonstrates the vast majority of our town's temporary citizens will soon lead responsible, productive lives outside the Ivory Tower.

 Bangs Community Center. Students by the busloads descended on voting precincts

Since mid-August our beleaguered Town Clerk's Office registered a whopping 7,000 new voters, a 33% increase, pushing the current total to over 22,000.  Town Clerk Sandra Burgess guesstimates students make up 95% of those new registrations, overwhelmingly from UMass, but a noticeable number from Amherst and Hampshire College as well.

Late last night, after major main stream media called the election, UMass (Southwest) erupted ... but with revelry of the good kind.  Like last year when President Obama made a late night announcement that Osama Bin Laden had finally recieved his well deserved dose of old fashioned justice.  

According to UMPD Chief John Horvath last night's  gathering was, "Celebratory in nature with no arrests. The crowd dissipated and dispersed without police intervention."

While I do not celebrate the outcome of the election yesterday, I most certainly celebrate what the process represents:  America at its finest!

Patriotic Pavers

Gallagher Asphalt applies Recycled Hot Emulsified Asphalt Treatment to University Drive

How would Miss Emily vote?

The Amherst of old (before UMass/Amherst became the giganormous flagship of higher education) was a L-O-T more conservative than we are today.  So I would have to imagine our beloved reclusive poet Emily Dickinson -- never able to vote in her lifetime -- would have supported our current Senator, Scott Brown and Republican challenger, and former Governor of our liberal state, Mitt Romney for President.

And since she was brilliant, Miss Emily would also have been smart enough not to tell anyone in the Amherst of today how she voted.