Slasher Weekend

 A 15" double-edged blade can ruin your entire evening

Maybe it was the full moon, or the unseasonably warm weather or -- more likely -- too much alcohol, as this past weekend turned a tad violent with Amherst Police Department (and AFD) dealing with two separate dangerous weapon assaults.

The Pine Street incident early Saturday morning where a UMass student was stabbed multiple times by Noah Kelly Pfister, 24, who was arrested when he turned himself in at APD headquarters this afternoon.

And on Sunday a little after 10:00 PM at Village Park Apartments, adjacent to UMass, a couple of gentlemen got into a disagreement and one, Russell St. Andre, age 50, used a sword cane to settle it.

He must have grown up on James Bond movies.

   Sword Cane assault

Party House from the Past

621 East Pleasant Street, formerly known as Babetown, early November

Just to show our Building Department means business when issuing tickets for zoning violations, aka slovenly behavior, I give you this morning's proceeding in Eastern Hampshire District Court where Building Commissioner Rob Morra put in an appearance to follow up on tickets written to 621 East Pleasant Street for, among other things, cars parked on the lawn rather than in the driveway.

My more ardent readers -- who especially like to read the comments -- will remember 621 East Pleasant was the household that was going to file suit against me for shining a light on their not so neighborly behavior.

The owner of the house, Robert Bonsall, failed to appear this morning in Civil Court; and if he does not appear in Criminal Court on 12/20 to answer the charge he will be arrested.  Merry Christmas. 

Red Is The New Black

Cherry Hill Golf Course: always stormy  

Red ink continues to outline Amherst's municipal white elephant -- the appropriately titled Cherry Hill Golf Course.  Set against a bright blue sky background it might make an all-American logo for government waste and mismanagement.

Last year the beleaguered business lost $47,000 and this year -- at the half way point -- they are again on target to lose well over that amount.

Of course town officials will write it off as almost a wash or talk about "net operating profits" conveniently ignoring the hidden costs -- employee benefits, ($37,529) and capital improvements ($26,654).

Yes, the FY14 "operation budget" is $240,100 but the real cost of running the golf business this year is $304,283.  And with total revenues now at season closure standing at only $90,701 (below last year's $96,537) safe bet the course will not even generate the $242,569 total it did in FY13.

So my conservative projection for total losses in the this fiscal year finishing June 30 is $60,000 -- or a little over the cost of one full time firefighter, police officer or yes, even a teacher (well, almost). 

Next year (FY15) will be exponentially worse since the (hidden) capital improvements cost will be in the $100,000 range.

Time to board up the sinking sand trap.

Five year plan for capital improvements (not part of "operation budget")

Frisky Friday

 

APD on scene 66 Pine Street 12:55 AM

Well okay, technically early Saturday morning.  The late night  "Bewitching Hours" between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM when the Zombie herds start to stagger in a synchronous swarm:

Police and medical personnel responded quickly to 66 Pine Street, North Amherst around 12:35 AM for reports of a "stabbing to the neck."  Although upon police arrival the victim claims to have suffered the injuries in a fall.

A police officer rode in the ambulance with the victim to Cooley Dickinson Hospital and patrol officers on the scene (five cruisers at one point) called for a memory card for the camera and a detective.  Police also escorted two witnesses back to APD headquarters to give statements. 

Upon arrival at CDH the severity of his injuries were such that he was quickly shipped off to Baystate Medical Trauma Center in Springfield.  One of my sources used the term "multiple stab wounds," adding "He's lucky to be alive."

66 Pine Street, North Amherst

This morning neighbors report the house was blocked off by yellow crime scene tape as State Crime Lab investigators were on the scene. 

While police were still investigating what happened at 66 Pine Street a report came in at 12:55 AM (from private security on site)  for a fight involving up to 10 college aged youth at Townhouse Apartments a few hundred yards down the road.  UMPD was called in to respond.

And at 1:35 AM Engine 4 (Call Force) and Engine 3 responded to Brandywine Apartments in North Amherst for a drunk 23-year-old male who had punched a wall injuring his hand, and was then talking about suicide.

Since all of our ambulances were tied up, Northampton Fire Department had to respond.

@amherstac wow, what is in the water in North Amherst tonight? Or—maybe it is alcohol rather than water at work
— CitizenWald (@CitizenWald) November 16, 2013

And then, about an hour ago, this news of the weird:

AFD  en route Hamlin Dorm UMass for male student who thinks he awoke to a broken leg.  Reports drinking heavily last night.  Umm, yeah.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) November 16, 2013

MassLive catches up with story

In The Matter Of ...

Anyone who has ever lost precious personal items in a sudden catastrophe knows that hollow feeling of helplessness that washes over you, along with guilty thoughts of what maybe you could have done to prevent it. 

Last April a dozen UMass students working on end-of-the-semester projects, or maybe just blowing off steam playing games (or wasting time on the Internet) suddenly felt that sick empty feeling that comes with first realizing your computer has vanished.  Stolen.

 UMass Du Bois Library

A serial thief, Christopher Desjardin age 30,  had staked out the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, making it his personal hunting preserve.  With Mac laptops his BIG game. The perp would stalk students with Macs (a fairly ubiquitous prey) and wait for a moment of inattention.  Then simply grab and go. 

Unlike a stolen bike, car or television -- which insurance (or parents) can quickly replace -- a laptop has untold hours of irreplaceable work invested within its hard drive.  Thus the devastation is squared.

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Wednesday, Desjardin, with a public defender who cited his "remorse, guilt, shame", pled guilty to all 13 charges, 12 of them larceny over $250 and one for larceny under $250 (tools stolen from Amherst College).

The Du Bois Library only has one main point of entry, which is monitored by surveillance cameras, and after a thorough review UMPD narrowed down Desjardin as a suspect.  Plus another victim had given chase and was able to give police a description and identify him on surveillance tapes.

During a police stake out at the library he struck again, was followed by a UMPD officer to his car and quickly arrested red handed. 

Drugs played into his less than sophisticated methodology, as police recovered two hypodermic needles with heroin residue inside his vehicle. At least two of the expensive laptops were hawked at "Family Pawn Shop" in Springfield for a total of $550, well below Ebay potential. 

After reading all the charges Judge Poelher asked him "Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?" to which he responded, barely above a whisper, "yes."

The prosecution had recommended a one year sentence in the House of Correction with 6 months served and 6 months suspended with mandatory "drug treatment." 

The Judge seemingly went beyond the prosecutor's request sentencing him on each charge to 18 months (rather than 12) six months served, twelve months suspended, two years probation, mandatory drug treatment, write a "letter of apology" to each victim and make restitution. 

But the sentences are all "concurrent" rather than front to back, meaning his total time served for all 13 sentences is only six months and even that could be reduced by the sheriff in charge at the jail. 

Not a lot of time considering all the heartache induced... and labor lost.

Tip Of The Spear

Amherst Police will be assigning more officers to problem areas around UMass for alcohol enforcement thanks to a $10,000 state grant.  Good news for beleaguered neighbors since the underage youth walking down a public street with an open container of beer can soon become a noisy worker bee in a party house hive.

On busy party weekends the first wave of arrests usually commences a couple hours before midnight with underage drinking or open container violations, so at the very least it gets those party minded individuals off the streets for the night.

And So It Begins ... Again

 

I don't pretend to understand all the intricacies of "Common Core," but I do know there are a goodly number of parents greatly concerned about its implementation in the Amherst Regional Public Schools.  

Anyone interested in staying informed on a grass roots roots level can send an email to: amherstforeducation@gmail.com

 #####

All,

I just wanted to say sorry for the delay in getting everyone’s email together.  I offered to put this together as it seemed there were many parents who needed help getting organized with other parents.

For those of you who don’t now me, I have served on two School Councils, helped various SC members run for election, volunteered on Playground rebuilds, was a member of the K-16 math council, served on a few teacher hiring committees, and various other informal groups working for better schools.

My kids are no longer in the Amherst school system but from my experience in working for change I learned a few things and from others who came before me working for change.

All that being said, I hope at a minimum, I am able to get like minded parents contact information to each other.   I hope this helps each of you reach a broader community concerned with education in general and specifically today, the MS math curriculum.

To start I will be sending out a group email so each of you can contact each other.  Depending on what the group wants I can set up a list serve (which is an email that goes out to the group each time it is responded to), possibly a web site or blog depending on time and group desires.

Many people have asked if there is a meeting with Rhonda Cohen.  To my knowledge no one has come forth telling me of a group meeting.  From my experience with Rhonda she has no problem meeting with parents in groups or one on one.  If someone on this list is so inclined they could set up that first initial meeting and share it with the group.

I would recommend that each person who is posting realize that with the number of people in this group you consider all documents public documents.  Emails are easily shared.  If you would not say it in public you probably don’t want to write it here.

Also I know several of you well or fairly well and there are is a wide range of satisfaction with the schools system.  Keeping comments respectful as well as having a thick skin to harsher comments that may happen from time to time is important when working with a group.  You all want the option for strong math curriculum and likely strong curriculum in general for those kids who need or desire it.  I am sure many of the people on this list feel the need for good education on social justice issues and quality special needs education as well.  If you feel the need to vent (and we all do at times) in a way that may that may offend others in the group please try to send you communication to those very aligned with your mind set.

This being said, let me know what I can do (from experience or technical aspects) to support you and we will go from there.

Good luck

Michael Jacques