Later School Start

One of the more notorious quirks of the Amherst Elementary Schools -- half day on Wednesdays -- is about to go the way of dogs swimming at Puffer's Pond:  Abolished. 

In order to come into compliance with state law for "time on learning" but not disrupt the busy schedule of the average family, starting in September the elementary schools will start ten minutes later (8:50 AM) every day of the school week.   Dismissal will be  at the normal 3:10 PM, so the only major difference is no longer having the 1:20 PM release on Wednesdays.  

Or a net gain of one hour of school time.  Yeah.

This realignment/normalization of hours will probably also make Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury look a tad more favorably on the elementary school regionalization effort currently on a fast track. 

Blarney Blowout: Unintended Consequences

McMurphy's Uptown Tavern 9:45 AM

The Select Board last night, sort of, addressed the Public Relations nightmare caused by the "Barney Blowout," one of the more juvenile celebrations hosted in downtown Amherst.

In fact, it used to be called "Kegs 'n Eggs" but came under such criticism two years ago for boorish bad behavior that they simply changed the name rather than the behavior.

Call me a prude or a cranky old reformed drunk, but I have serious problems with a downtown public promotion that encourages heavy drinking before noon.

Especially when that production abuses Irish heritage.

Email back story

Back in Quarters

 AFD Engine 2

The Quint is back!  Out for repairs since just after the Rolling Green fatal fire five weeks ago, the quint returned to service late last week.    AFD is now back to full strength with aerial platform trucks, all two of them.

Both Ladder 1 and Engine 2 (the quint) are housed at North Station, the more modern of our two fire stations, circa 1975.  Central Station in town center was built in 1928 when firefighting equipment was a l-o-t smaller (and far less effective).

 AFD Ladder 1

Alcohol O.D. Continues

This past weekend the batting average for Amherst Fire Department was only .500 or 5-out-of-10 Emergency Medical Services calls to our #1 employer to the North for alcohol overdose, far better than the previous weekend's 9-of-11 calls.

Please note, however, one ETOH call was far more serious, as the alcohol contributed to a college aged male falling and hitting his head.  Something that sometimes is fatal. 

Of course all the exuberant youth thinks it only happens to someone else.  Until it happens to them. 

   AFD 1st Weekend March emergency runs by  

Party House of the Weekend

 62 Summer Street, North Amherst

This time we have a repeat offender, although the first offense was 18 months ago so the new regulations being promulgated by the Safe & Healthy Neighborhood Working Group would not kick in. 

The SHFNG will put forth a rental registration permit system so that a property attracting multiple noise or nuisance tickets over the course of a year could not only bring a $300 fine to the owner, but also the loss of their rental permit.

The current Noise/Nuisance by-law already has a provision for fining a landlord on the 3rd offense in a calender year and Chief Livingstone recently told the Amherst Zoning Board that it was sure to happen this Spring, as some of the usual suspects have two violation each.

But when the new rental registration/permit system goes into effect, the town will have f-a-r bigger and f-a-r sharper teeth to enforce the peace. 

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Amherst police responded to a call for "four to five gunshots in the area" of North Amherst just after midnight early Sunday morning.  Upon arriving at 62 Summer Street "Loud music and yelling heard."  The gunshots turned out to be fireworks. 

Although, tenants were -- for the most part -- cooperative, police did make one arrest:

Colin Murphy, 24 Eden Street, Charlestown, MA, age 19 for Disorderly Conduct,  and using a False Liquor ID card.

Radiant In White

Amherst History Museum displays Emily Dickinson's only surviving article of clothing: white dress (photo by Jim Wald)

On March 14 the Amherst Community Preservation Act Committee will decide the cosmetic fate of Emily Dickinson's simple, unlike her, white dress ... which has not been cleaned since the early-1980s. And even then, a task probably not all that properly performed.

What is the cost of professionally dry cleaning Superman's cape?  $1,000.  Yes, pocket change.

Although the Amherst Historical Society is also requesting an additional $20,000 for improvements to the Strong House, home of the Amherst History Museum.  The museum is located next door to Amherst's other downtown gem, the Jones Library.

Town Meeting will have to approve the CPA committee's recommendations, but they usually do.

Via the CPA Amherst has been good to our resident icon over the past few years, appropriating money to renovate/preserve the black ornate iron fence around her final resting place in West Cemetery, improving lighting and signage around the cemetery itself, and helped with a small amount of seed money for the transformation of the landscape around Miss Emily's home.

While our reclusive poetic genius was indeed, wrapped in white for her funeral then lovingly ensconced in a white coffin for her final journey to West Cemetery, it's more of an urban legend that she dressed only in white.

Still, this simple -- but priceless -- white dress is all we have.  Also priceless?  Respect!

Legal Sunshine Needed

Shawn Williams, Director
Public Records Division
One Ashburton Place, 17th Floor
Boston, MA 02108

Dear Mr. Williams,

I wish to once again appeal the decision of the Amherst Regional Public Schools to stonewall my public documents request for legal settlements that have cost Amherst taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As you may remember your office sided with me last year on a previous complaint regarding ARPS settlement agreements with terminated employees totaling over $200,000.  The schools continue to refuse releasing those documents.

Now I wish to appeal the 2/26/13 decision of Rob Detweiler, Director of Finance and Operations, to withhold settlement agreements totalling $229,300 from recent "Special Education" legal cases.

Obviously I understand certain information -- names of students for instance -- should be redacted to protect privacy, but certainly with that much settlement money involved the taxpayers have a right to know how many cases it represents and the details of those cases.

Even if the money was paid by an insurance carrier a Hampshire Superior Court judge found the settlement agreement between the Phoebe Prince family and South Hadley Schools were still a pubic document even though the $225,000 payout came from liability insurance. 

Your office has also repeatedly stuck down the concept of "non disclosure agreements" citing Washington Post ., 690 F. 2d at 263 ( a government agency cannot circumvent the Federal Freedom of Information Act with a private agreement).

Please remind the Amherst Regional Public Schools that the general public has a right to know.

Sincerly,

Larry J. Kelley

   Amherst Schools legal Bills FY13 by