DUI Dishonor Roll

Yes it's hard to top the slaughter caused by an alleged drunk driver over the weekend in Easthampton, but either of these two Amherst DUI arrests -- Gino A Monsini and Dean Nemroff both age 22 --  could have been a comparable incident.

There but for the grace of God ...

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Higher Education?

The out-of-control party at Amherst College, aided and abetted by uninvited UMass students, stands out even when viewed through the staid prism of a public safety weekend run report.

All seven weekend emergency responses to Amherst College are of the nuisance kind. 

   Amherst College Disturbance by larry_kelley_1

Party House of the Weekend

 227 East Pleasant Street, Amherst

For the second time this year Amherst Police responded to a noise complaint at 227 East Pleasant Street, only this time they handed out $300 tickets to three tenants for an expensive party total of $900.

Next time maybe they will answer the door a little quicker.  Or better yet, ensure there is no next time.

And So This Is Christmas

AFD E2 arriving Amherst College late Saturday night  

UPDATE Sunday morning

About two hours after the large disturbance at Amherst College tied up (too) many of our public safety personnel, AFD and APD responded to a real (accidental), potentially deadly emergency, a chimney fire.

Had that fire occurred just two hours earlier,  the response may not have been as well coordinated ...

Original Post:

After an invasion by many hundreds of UMass students to the posh grounds of Amherst College this evening to crash an unofficial Christmas party, with escalating incidents of mayhem -- pulling fire alarms, breaking windows, spraying fire extinguishers, and trashing an outdoor Menorah -- Amherst College PD called for reinforcements.

 AFD Engine 2 on scene Crossett Dorm Amherst College

 

APD preparing to stage

Amherst Police responded in force. Amherst Fire Department was already on scene for the false alarm as well an overly intoxicated student.  After a half dozen cruisers activated their lights, horns and sirens, the quad was quickly cleared.

 APD and ACPD push crowd from south to north off the quad toward College Street

 Amherst firefighter among the crowd

A Love For Books

 George Goodman (right)

If you can't trust long-time civic minded "Friend of the Jones Library" George Goodwin with a key to the historic building, who can you trust?

Although, since it's an original key dating back to 1928, it may not still work.

 Former (forever) Library Director Bonnie Isman presents the gifts of, naturally, books

This morning in the Trustees Room Ellen and George Goodwin Room, friends, patrons and lovers of the Jones Library came together to honor a long-time champion, George Goodwin.

His co-champion wife Ellen passed away early last month, but as MC Tina Swift pointed out, she was still there in spirit.

"Unprovoked And Dastardly Attack"

USS Arizona 12/7/41

USS Arizona today

“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (12/7/41)



“With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt (12/8/41)

Total killed at Pearl Harbor 2,402

Attack begins:  7:48 a.m.

USS Arizona explodes: 8:10 a.m.

USS Arizona:  1,177 killed in action, the highest loss of live in US naval history. 

Merriest Maple Yet

Merry Maple, UMass Marching Band

Okay, so it may not be visible to the astronauts aboard the space station, but it certainly is bright enough to warm the heart of the most curmudgeon of Amherst citizens (including me).

Well done Business Improvement District, well done.