Frisky Friday

 Resident of 31 Shumway Street arrested for "disorderly conduct"

As usual, the first shots fired in the skirmish on rowdyism last night started in earnest around 10:00 PM, with Amherst Police and UMPD making individual arrests among streaming crowds of college aged youths in and around the UMass periphery for alcohol related infractions.

A scenario that would play out nearly a dozen times over a four hour period.

 

Walk This Way crowd (with dog) midnight Labor Day Weekend  Fearing St

I did not see the "Walk This Way" crew out among the throng of students undulating up and down the Fearing Street neighborhood.  Not that they seem to do much good when they are at their stations.  Kind of like trying to redirect a tsunami using a child's toy plastic beach shovel.

Things kicked into high gear just after 1:00 AM with almost simultaneous noise complaints at 31 Shumway Street, 115 Grantwood Drive, and an apartment at the 24 North East Street complex, resulting in three arrests for noise/nuisance house violations, and one arrest for "disorderly conduct."

At 1:45 AM police were called to the North Pleasant/Kellogg Ave intersection in the downtown for an alcohol fueled disturbance, otherwise known as a fight.

Only minutes later a woman called from East Pleasant Street near Pine Street in North Amherst complaining about college aged youths urinating in her backyard.

According to Dispatch, "She was very upset."  Indeed.    

Let's Take A Vote

Shanksville Pennsylvania 10:04 AM 9/11/01

 As Flight 93 streaked toward Washington D.C. that fateful morning, passengers huddled in the back of the plane realized they had become unwilling conscripts in a suicide mission. So they decided to do something about it. 

But before they made their desperate, valiant attempt to retake the plane, they did something as American as apple pie: they took a vote.

Men and women from all walks of life decided -- in the most democratic manner possible -- to go to war defending their country.

Although they fell short of the objective that awful morning, their supreme sacrifice saved scores of fellow Americans and represented the first tactical victory in "the war on terror."

So I suppose it's fitting that the Amherst Select Board agenda for Monday night's meeting was finalized on Wednesday afternoon, the 12th anniversary of the most heinous attack on American soil in our entire history.

The Select Board will act on a voter petition I handed in two weeks ago with more than the requisite number of signatures, requesting they place the "only in Amherst" controversy of flying commemorative flags on 9/11 before the voters this March 25.

(Last year's annual town election had a 7% turnout.)

Whether you think the commemorative flags should fly annually on 9/11 -- as they do on Memorial Day -- or agree that once every five years is sufficient, surely we can all agree there's no harm in confirming that with "The People."

After all, isn't that one of the most cherished rights our flag represents?  

"We the People," cordially request ...

Who'll Stop The Rain

 

The center of the storm N. Pleasant Street 7:00 PM

The threatening skies unleashed a targeted downpour so sudden it made the crowd shriek, then sent them scurrying for cover: exhibitors tents, awnings of storefront businesses or below what's left of the urban tree cover in the downtown.

Block Party central to norther end of closed off roadway

Up until that time (6:55 PM) the crowd was starting to grow, as everyone seemed to enjoy walking amiably down the very center of what is normally a busy roadway through the heart of downtown Amherst.

 Block Party northern end near Kendrick Park

Still, the crowd seemed a little smaller than last year's gathering.  Perhaps the National Weather Bureau "Severe Thunderstorm Watch" earlier in the day covering the entire four hours of the party (6-10 PM) had something to do with it.

Although last year the maiden event had to contend with a mosquito borne illness alert over Eastern Equine Encephalitis where town officials -- including the Board of Health -- issued stern  warnings against outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.

Lady on stilts enthralls the kids ... well, except for the superhero on left

By 9:00 PM with the rains coming and going the crowds had thinned

Food concession stands not doing a very brisk business

So maybe it's a classic sophomore slump, or maybe people fear thunderstorms more than mosquitoes.

Either way, the concept of bringing together a broad spectrum of citizens young and old into a safe, secure brightly lit downtown for a night of food, fun and entertainment is a sound one.

Besides, third time is the charm.

 

AFD Engine 1 and Ambulance 1 were stationed at DPW one mile from Central  Station  to avoid congestion in town center

Slip Slidin' Away

Amherst Public Schools were closed today due to "slippery floors"

So for those of you hoping Amherst makes international news with a second straight day of school closings due to "slippery floors" I hate to disappoint you, but it looks as though there will be school tomorrow.  Yeah!

A reliable source tells me the floors dried out nicely overnight and although today's weather is not ideal, only a real monsoon with a sudden spike in temperature would change things.  

I'm sure almost all parents will be happy to hear this.  Sorry kids.

The reason why air conditioning did not negate this problem is because the older school buildings are not all that well equipped.  Crocker Farm has the best system because it was the one most recently renovated ($5.6 million project in 2002).  

But all the others leave lots to be desired.  According to my source:

The High School only has AC on the second and third floor via window units.  During the 1997 renovation ($22 million) they did not install central AC in the addition.  The original 1955 portion and 1965 addition have no AC.  So less than 50% of the building has air conditioning.

Wildwood and Fort River have limited AC throughout the entire building.  The systems were put in 1970 and 1972, are antiquated, and operate moderately.    Middle School has a 1969 AC system throughout the building and operates moderately.

The problem was not that the floor wax "melted". The school buildings were constructed on concrete slab foundations which remains cool at ground level. When warm moist air makes contact, the result is condensation. 

And, you know, the nearer your destination the more you're slip slidin away.

DUI Dishonor Role

So once again last weekend in spite of a more than a dozen arrests for alcohol related offenses -- all of them UMass student related -- only one Driving Under the Influence arrest.

And you can tell William J. Sullivan, age 22, also a UMass students, is a rookie since he allowed the Portable Breath Test, which he flunked.

9/11/13

Amherst Central Station 10:10 AM

APD

 

Chief Nelson presents fire fighter Tom Messer with the service star flag that flew at Central Station when he, along with his brother Bill (also Amherst fire fighter), were serving in Afghanistan with Mass Air National Guard.  At the time, AFD also had firefighter  Reid Frailey serving with them in Afghanistan but he has since moved on to Cambridge FD.  Both Frailey and Bill Messer were also given encased service stars.  The cases were designed and built by AFD Captain Bill Dunn

Service star flag flying with three stars May, 2012

Why are you standing here with a flag?

 

9/11/12 (Photo by Helen Thelen)

Today the provincial Amherst Select Board will hold a special meeting in the Town Manager's office at 3:00 PM to approve a one-day liquor license for Top Of The Campus, an upscale UMass bar; the Planning Board will meet in Town Hall at 7:00 PM to discuss medical marijuana zoning issues; and a "touring exhibit" about Guantanamo Bay, a prison for suspected terrorists, debuts at UMass .

Just another late summer day in the bucolic town of Amherst.

Well, except for the Fire Station ceremony at 9:45 AM at Central Station, in the heart of the downtown.  Unfortunately children will be in school and most of their parents will be at work.  Although town center will still be vibrant with college aged youth.

One of the blessings of being a "college town."

In other words, kind of like it was on THAT day 12 years ago.  Except for the ringing of the bells.  The constant clanging of the bells of St. Brigid's Church indicating something was terribly, terribly wrong. 

The main flag in town center will also be at half staff as ordered by Governor Patrick earlier today, even though President Bush made it a permanent day for the American flag to sink to a position of mourning.

And yes, as I have done since THAT day, anytime the town refuses to fly the 29 commemorative flags downtown I will stand in town center with an American flag starting at 8:46 AM for a two hour period to mark the time of the attack.

To remember the slaughter of over 3,000 Americans (if you count the workers who later died of diseases resulting from their rescue efforts at Ground Zero) murdered, simply because they were Americans.

The Select Board seems to think the commemorative flags are too "festive" even though we fly them on Memorial Day.  But if the commemorative flags were flown at half staff (as they did on the late morning of 9/11) it would be hard for anyone to misinterpret that.

Starting only a few years ago, without fail, a college aged youth would approach me curiously and ask why I was holding an American flag in the center of Amherst?  I would say, "Do you know what day this is?"  And they would respond with whatever day of the week it was.

"No, what is today's date?" After a brief pause, their facial expression would change as they would slowly nod their head up and down.

"Oh yeah ... 9/11."