Going, Going ... Gone

It took less than three hours to auction off 40 years worth of equipment accumulated by one of the area's premier landscaping businesses, as the auction attracted over 200 bidders, with some items bringing in $10,000 or more.

 

Heavy duty trucks

The large crowd, predominantly men, consisted of contractors, farmers, landscapers, homeowners with large yards, and perhaps someone interested in buying a memento of an old fashioned family business, now but a fond memory.

 

Fleet of pick up trucks

A Laughing Stock

So I guess if you don't make the short list for recieving a community A+ award from the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, the next best thing is to get mentioned by radio personality Monte Belmonte during his -- mostly funny -- monologue.

Although I have a feeling Amherst Select Board members probably did not laugh.

(Just wait until next year.)

Rocks Of Ages

 

15 Fearing Street

You sagacious types have probably noticed the somewhat sudden sprouting of large rocks outlining the lawns of rental property all over town.  The reason is of course to keep tenants or their guests from parking on the lawn. 

The reason absentee landlords take the issue seriously enough to decorate their property with large boulders is because they don't want a $100 fine from the building inspector. Yes, the fines go to the owners not the offenders.  And it seems to be working.

 Corner of Main and Shumway Streets

I asked code enforcement officer, aka the enforcer, Jon Thompson for a breakdown of tickets issued thus far in calender 2013:

Here is the breakdown of the 112 violations / complaints that I have responded to since January 1^st of this year.

Health Complaints:  40 (Rentals), 5 (Owner Occupied)

Parking: 56 (Rentals), 2 (Owner Occupied)

Zoning: 5 (Rentals), 3 (Owner Occupied)

Building Code: 1 (Rental)

So as you can see "parking" is #1, and the vast majority of tickets are issued to "rentals".  But the fine goes to the owners, hence the motivation to actually do something about it.  Like planting a crop of large boulders. 

South Pleasant Street

Of course there are outliers: 

20 South Whitney Street, early October

51 North East Street, early October

Puffer's Pond Tweak

 Puffer's Pond:  Paradise of Amherst

Amherst Town Meeting will vote a creative funding deal for repairs at arguably the town's #1 recreation attraction, Puffer's Pond. 

Last spring Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved $15,000 to repair the fencing around the dam to keep pesky youth (and photographers) from climbing the rocks.

Since that article passed Conservation staff subitted to the state a grant proposal for $36,000 for additional repairs to the trails and beach area.  The grant requires a 50% match, so the town will use the original $15,000 already appropriated along with $3,000 in private donations to cover the match.

 Damn people keep climbing up onto the dam

Article 8 calls for authorization of the full grant amount ($36,000) and applies the $18,000 in available funds towards that amount to cover the matching grant requirement. 

If the state approves the $36,000 grant request, thereby giving us an additional $18,000 to work with, it has to be expended before June 30, 2014.  If the state turns down the application, Amherst will simply use the original $15,000 to repair/install fencing.

Got that?

A Bridge Too Far

 Mill Street Bridge near Puffer's Pond, closed last year due to safety concerns

The Amherst Select Board heard a report this evening from Town Manager John Musante concerning the North Amherst Mill Street Bridge, closed last year by "emergency" order of the state after their inspectors discovered problems during a routine inspection six months prior to giving the town the close order.

Now suddenly they wish to put us on a "fast track" for possible renovation in 2017 (making you wonder how they would define "slow track").

The Town Manager seemed a tad timid about that and responded with a letter saying the town hired a consultant to do an engineering study to outline four possible options:  Simply keep it the way it is, closed to motor vehicles and allow only pedestrian and bicycles; replace it with an improved structure but limited to bikes and pedestrians only; rebuild a bit stronger but only for one lane of traffic; and finally, do a standard rebuild of a two lane bridge with 4' to 5' sidewalk. 

At the 6:30 Public Comment period retired UMass history professor Louis Greenbaum urged the Select Board to reopen the bridge ASAP.  During the Town Manager's report concerning the bridge Vince O'Connor presented the board with a petition urging the bridge be reopened to one-way vehicular traffic while the engineering study process is going on.

 

Some locals would like it to remain closed, keeping it a giant planter

Drunk Runs Escalate

 AFD and UMPD assist intoxicated UMass student early Sunday morning (12:53 AM)

Saturday night was even worse than Friday for all things alcohol in our little college town; but fortunately the calls were spread out -- just barely enough -- so mutual aid from a surrounding Fire Department was not required.

Of course it helps greatly that AFD brings in extra staffing on weekends, almost doubling from the weekday level of 7 first responders up to 13.  With that, five ambulances and a fire engine can be simultaneously staffed.

Ominously, the first ETOH call came in Saturday at 7:53 PM from the Mullins Center, during a UMass hockey game, for two intoxicated college aged youth, one male and one female.  The night before the first (of six) ETOH cases started later, at 9:18 PM.

Before the dawn of Sunday morning AFD would do 8 runs to UMass vs 6 the previous night.

But the one incident that stands out in my mind and makes me question whether things will ever get better occurred at Amherst College:  A3 is dispatched for an ETOH male at Crossett Dorm at 11:13 PM and upon arrival at the scene requests assistance from Engine 1.

 AFD Engine 1 and A3 Amherst College Saturday night 11:15 PM

While paramedics are all inside dealing with the patient, a pack of boisterous students in preppie attire walk by.  I hear one of them say loudly, "Go ahead, that would be awesome."

One young man sprints across the street to position himself alongside Engine 1, holds out his iPhone at arm's length taking "selfies" while holding up a can of beer in the other hand.  

Two hours later AFD would respond again to Amherst College for an ETOH female with a head laceration due to a fall.  Which of course could have been fatal.

I wonder if the smart ass who took the stupid selfies a few hours earlier gets that?

   AFD drunk runs mid-Oct by larry_kelley_1

 

Yes, 22 ETOH calls, almost two-third of them to UMass, is a new record for this year.

Pancakes!

Jaws -- I mean Jada -- enjoying her pancakes at North Station

John Belushi had his "Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger" and this morning the Amherst Fire Department had pancakes and more pancakes at the annual PANCAKE breakfast.

And yes, for us meat eaters there was also bacon and sausage.  All proceeds benefited the SAFE program (Student Awareness of Fire Education).

 AFD North Station, built 1972

Having experienced a major structure fire up close and personal, I'm living proof that it can happen to anyone.  Key word being "living".  Because when The Beast comes calling, knowing what to do can save your life.

The SAFE program brings 4th graders into this important education process; and based on reports from my older daughter Kira, the kids love it.

UPDATE Monday afternoon:  Ed the canada goose wandered off, last seen heading towards UMPD headquarters across the street.

The unofficial greeter this morning:  A Canadian Goose who waddled onto the station front yard on Friday and has taken up residence.