Show Me The Money!

So unlike Northampton, our real Sister City to the west, Amherst will not be voting on a Proposition 2.5 Override to balance the FY14 budget which starts July 1, 2013.  Although in Hamp's defense, it should be noted their property tax rate is only $13.35 compared to Amherst's $19.74 per $1,000 of valuation.

In addition to $6.2 million in reserves (plus the Regional Schools $1 million) Amherst also has unspent monies stashed in capital accounts previously appropriated by Town Meeting.  For instance the $200,000 for War Memorial Pool reconstruction.

After Town Meeting appropriated funds the state came through with a grant obviating the need for town money, so that's $200K sitting in an account without a mission.

   Amherst Capital Spending Report

Since it was appropriated for a recreational item at the town's oldest and largest playing field, why not use it to replace the aging wading pool with a spray park?

Spray parks are cheap to operate, easy to maintain, safe for our youngsters and not overly labor intensive.  After all, our kids grow up to be taxpayers.  And in this town, that's a heck of a burden.

Transparency Takes A Back Seat

About 80 people were invited to the B-I-G meeting between state and town officials and private landlords at UMPD headquarters this afternoon, and at least half that showed up.  Since AFD Chief Nelson and Assistant Chief Stromgren were present, I guess it's safe to assume the room was not overcrowded.

 UMPD Chief Horvath politely blocked my entrance

What did they discuss?  We will never know ... for sure.

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 My friends at Masslive cover it (sort of) 

The Official UMass Spin (no wonder they did not let me in)

 Amherst Select Board Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe arrives with UMPD escort

Dean of Student Enku Galaye arrived 1st and stayed in the shadows

 

Agenda for today's meeting (courtesy of my mole)

Right side of the room

Left side of the room 1:00 PM

 

Town Manager John Musante, before the door closed

It's My Party

Townhouse riot 2012

UMass will host a B-I-G meeting this afternoon at 1:00 PM between Amherst landlords, town officials and of course UMass mid-to-upper -level bureaucrats to discuss strategies to deal with rowdy off campus student behavior over the next six weeks.  No the Chancellor probably will not bother to show up.

It's at the spiffy (somewhat) new UMass Police Station, built with $12 million of our tax dollars,  and starts at 1:00 PM.  The press is not invited.

Also not invited are the stakeholders most impacted by the University's failure to control its students:  Neighbors.

A couple decades ago UMass owed the town $200,000 in traffic citations that the courts had mistakenly sent them instead of the town.  Naturally UMass did not want to repay it.  I of course made a major fuss.  A meeting was held at Hill Boss's house between the Chancellor and town officials to discuss the matter.  The press was not invited.

The District Attorney found the meeting to "violate the spirit of the Open Meeting Law."

The problem with a state institution holding these secret meetings and then issuing a well scripted press release is The People do not get a true picture of what goes on.

And since The People pay all these folks salaries and operations costs, they have a right to hear the whole story.

The back story in emails

Fireground: Orchard Street Northampton

The wind was on the side of the fire

Ladder Trucks were on scene, but firefighters used regular ladders in their attack

Yet another ladder. Fortunately no injuries

Firefighter using chainsaw to vent roof 

Smoke and water

 

AFD Chief Tim Nelson was on the scene with Engine 1

AFD Engine 1 on the scene

Frantic next door neighbor reunited with her dog via DPW workers

 

 Greenfield FD came to help  

Party House Benefit (Really Big) Show

To help pay off $1,800 in fines slapped on them by Amherst Police Department for "Noise" and "Nuisance House" violations late last Saturday night, the boys from Dad City, an illegal underground live music venue set in a working class neighborhood, are promoting a "benefit show" this Friday. 

At least the event will not be hosted at 665 West Street, South Amherst.

But I am a little surprised that UMass, a state institution plagued by the bad off campus behavior of a minority of students, would allow access to a taxpayer subsidized venue for an event designed to neutralize enforcement actions of the town. 

(Pro) Party House of the Weekend

 665 West Street, Amherst

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UPDATE (Wednesday morning):

The April 14 concert has been cancelled.  Ahhh ... was it something I said?

Original Post: (Tuesday morning):

So you have to wonder if the Amherst underground Punk music business is bustling enough to absorb an extra $1,800 cost of doing business bestowed upon them by the Amherst Police Department?

If so, I'm sure the Amherst Building Commissioner will be more than happy to get involved and shut down these boy wonder music entrepreneurs wannabes for all sorts of zoning violations (including parking on the front lawn).

Darn!  Sorry I missed "Anal War Head" 

Around midnight Saturday Amherst Police arrived at 665 West Street located on the front steps of Orchard Valley, one of the oldest working class neighborhoods in Amherst, to find 250 patrons crowded into the basement of this one family ranch.

And you just know the "promoters" did not have a trained employee as "crowd manager" -- a Massachusetts Fire Code enacted after the devastating conflagration at the Station Nightclub ten years ago where 100 patrons perished.

 Not much headroom in the basement

APD issued each of the three leaseholders two $300 tickets, one for Nuisance House and the other for Noise.  So at $5 head entry, the 250 patron crowd did not even generate enough revenue to cover the fines.  But more than enough to disrupt the neighborhood.

Maybe they will just increase the cover charge for the April 14th event.

Dad City, 665 West Street, Amherst

Electrcal fire waiting to happen

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The Massachusetts Daily Collegian Reports (most of the story anyway)

Boston PD uses Twitter to follow Punk parties in neighborhoods (sort of)

More kids to add to the UMass blacklist 

Getting even the artists attention 

DUI Dishonor Roll

 

Drunk drivers caused 9,878 deaths in 2011.  NO FOOLIN!

I doubt they were celebrating the resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ, but these two almost simultaneous DUI arrests could easily have been burial vault material if not taken off the road by APD very early Good Friday morning.  

Even worse, they could have taken innocent folks with them. Especially since Heidy Canalizo was arrested in the heart of downtown Amherst, near the CVS at 12:47 AM.

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And Alex Labib, arrested on Fearing Street (within spitting distance of UMass), at 12:50 AM, was a duel threat: both DUI and possession of narcotic drugs.  Not very becoming for a former UMass Student Government Association Senator.

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Early Thursday morning on Belchertown Road, one of the main roads leading to town center, APD arrested Randy Santiago for DUI and operating to endanger (which is almost redundant).