About That Explosion ...

 UMPD closed off Cold Storage Drive during the incident keeping folks away from lot 12

So for those of you wondering what that loud explosion was Friday night around 10:00 PM emanating from near UMass Graduate Research Center and reverberating to surrounding towns, fear not:  nothing exotic like a terrorist attack or meth lab gone awry.

Although, it was lab related:  an old, possibly unstable, container with less than 16 ounces of tetrahydrofuran turned up during a lab clean out and the normally clear liquid had started forming crystals, which are potentially explosive.   Local authorities took no chances.

AFD Chief Tim Nelson, who is a district team leader for regional HazMat response, took command at the scene.  The container was escorted to an out-of-the-way location near parking lot 12 and then detonated by Mass State Police bomb squad experts.

All in all, a seamless team effort by AFD, UMPD, UMass Environmental Health & Safety and Mass State Police.

 AFD Central Station 4/12/13.  DPW truck (rear) was used to transport chemicals out of town center

Back on April 12 AFD had a similar experience, only the potentially dangerous materials were brought directly to them.  An Amherst resident cleaning out his dad's basement (dad was a former chemist) brought a cardboard box full of old unmarked chemicals to Central Station on a busy Friday afternoon.

The items were placed in the back of a very large DPW truck and quickly but gently escorted to the top of the Notch where they were destroyed in a controlled demolition. 

AFD has four members on the Western Mass Regional Hazardous Materials Team and they drill on a monthly basis.  Last night the training came in handy.  

Unintended Consequences?

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Enku Gelaye

As we head into the fair weather weekend, in anticipation of rowdy behavior, UMass disciplinarian Enku Galaye sent out a friendly email reminder to students to be on their, um, best behavior.

After all, off campus students are ambassadors for our flagship of higher education in the state.

Can't hurt for sure.  But there are always those who are not overly receptive ...

 Other informational emails

Ban The Blarney

 

McMurphy's downtown Amherst 3/10/12 10:45 AM

UPDATE (Sunday afternoon):   

Looks like the "Half Way to Blarney Blowout" promotion disappeared from the McMurphy's Facebook page over the past 24 hours. What's up with that? Something I said, hopefully.

Original Post:

"You're name is mud" may still be a familiar expression as the negativity is obvious -- even if you don't know the sad story of Dr. Mudd and his cold hearted patient, John Wilkes Booth. 

The term "Blarney Blowout," unlike the innocent doctor just doing his job,  has also earned a mud like moniker.  A well deserved one.

This promotion encourages exuberant college aged youth to consume copious amounts of alcohol starting very early in the day, all in the name of profit.  What could go wrong?

In July an Amherst man was acquitted of rape using the "morning-after-regret" defense.  Of course the morning after was a follow up to a day of partying during the "Blarney Blowout" 2011 edition.

And we already know the pernicious public safety impact of the 2013 event, when thousands of youth packed the quad area of Townhouse Apartments requiring a bevy of police (town, state and UMass) dressed in riot gear to bring under control. 

UMass/Amherst recently became serious about the dangers of out-of-control partying.  Cancelling Fantazia at the Mullins Center due to concerns over the drug "Molly" certainly demonstrate that. 

The 5-member Amherst Select Board are also the town's "Liquor Commissioners" (and ironically enough, "Sewer Commissioners".)

If Umass can impose its will on the privately operated Mullins Center to cancel a potentially dangerous production, the Select Board should follow suit and come down on McMurphy's Uptown Tavern like a ton of kegs.

And that's no blarney.

Giving responsible drinkers a bad name

Party House Of The Weekend

Yeah, I'm running late as we're almost into another warm, sunny weekend ... where anything can happen in a college town.

Grantwood Drive is a cozy development of about three dozen single family homes  all built just over 40 years ago.  The vast majority are "owner occupied" and you never see them listed in my Party House of the Weekend series.  A few are not owner occupied.  Take #115 for instance.

115 Grantwood Drive, Amherst.  Owned by Onasta Properties aka Pipeline Properties

Amherst Police were called around 1:10 AM early Saturday morning and arrested Chris D Lewis, age 19, Luke Richardson, age 19 and Albert M Carter, age 20 for noise.
 

Meanwhile only a couple hundred yards away at about the same time (1:24 AM) Police were called to 985 E. Pleasant Street by a homeowner complaining about college aged youth urinating in her yard.

Police arrested Timothy M Vanlew, age 20, Stephen F Gardner, age 21, and Ryan J. Donnelly age 21 all three residents of 985 E. Pleasant Street, a single family home with not enough bathrooms apparently.

Since Cherewatti only paid $160,000 for the house that was valued at $255,000 in FY2012, maybe he can afford to add a bathroom.

 

985 E. Pleasant Street  Owned by Eagle Crest Mgt aka Jamie Cherewatti

(small) Fire South Amherst High School

 AFD on scene South Amherst High School

Amherst Fire Department responded to a "small fire in the office" at the alternative South Amherst High School late this morning.  The fire was both small and contained, although the school was evacuated for about an hour.

 A busload of students arrived shortly after the fire and were relocated to the park area 

Two officers were seen placing a young man in a cruiser and heading back to APD headquarters.  A detective and AFD's arson investigator were also called to the scene.  The investigation is being handled in house by APD and AFD, and the State Fire Marshal has not been called in.

 APD and AFD leaving the scene

Staff and students return to the building (no damage from fire)

W/ APD, the entire ARHS community - adults and students, alike - practiced lock down and shelter in place. Students  performed very well.
— Mark Jackson (@ARHSPrincipal) September 16, 2013

Schools are getting serious about these kinds of things

Devil In The Details

 Current tree with mirror (rt) is unstable.  New one will be near telephone pole

Flying the commemorative flags every 9/11 was not the only acrimonious issue on the Amherst Select Board's plate Monday night, as immediately before that embarrassing item they discussed the ongoing bitter battle over relocating a driveway at 666 South East Street, a public safety issue strongly endorsed by Assistant Fire Chief Don McKay.

After too long a discussion the Select Board, keepers of the public way, voted to allow Christopher Benfey and Mickey Rathbun to put up a mirror on the opposite side of their dangerous driveway to facilitate clear views of oncoming traffic up and over the hill.   But only after  "consultation" with the DPW.

Tech savvy member Aaron Hayden stated they should "be able to see all the way down to the South Amherst common" if the mirror is positioned correctly.

 Mickey Rathbun, Chris Benfey in the hot seat

The owners of 666 South East Street have decided not to move the driveway 60 feet to the north for economic reasons:   Tree Warden Alan Snow has not budged on the "replacement cost" for taking down seven trees, what amounts to a $6,000 fine.

This on top of an estimated $25,000 cost for a complicated driveway construction project.

At the Monday night SB meeting the DPW was disparaged as being "scornful" by Mr. Benfey and Mr. Snow was characterised as engaging in "unbelievable behavior."

Meanwhile yesterday the DPW removed a large old bush at the entryway to their driveway to "improve sight lines" for incoming traffic from busy Rt. 116. 

Tuesday: Bye bye big bush

Today

Select Board Rejects 9/11 Flag Question

 My view from the hot seat.  John Musante, Stephanie just-say-no O'Keeffe

UPDATE:  Tuesday 5:00 PM:

AP picks up the 9/11 flag flap story.  Again.

#####

The Amherst Select Board voted unanimously (5-0) tonight to reject a citizen voter petition reqesting they allow local voters to settle once and for all the nagging annual question of whether the commemorative American flags should fly in the downtown every 9/11 vs once every five years.

Yes, I said UNANIMOUSLY REJECTED.  Only in Amherst.

MassLive reports (as always, comments are the best)