What's Yours Is Mine

 40 Dickinson Street, Amherst 

Amherst Town Meeting will weigh the taking of private property by eminent domain this coming session after citizens petitions were filed by yesterday's noon deadline (only requiring the signatures of ten registered voters).

Amherst College, the largest landowner in Amherst, recently purchased the Classic Chevy building on Dickinson Street, adjacent to some of their holdings, and the College plans to continue using it as a garage for their large fleet of vehicles.

The building was assessed at $548,200 and sold for $474,000.

   Take Classic Chevy

Problem is the building now comes off the tax rolls since it is owned by a tax exempt educational institute and therefor will not pay a little over $10,000 in property taxes this year (or any year hereafter).

A few years back Amherst College also purchased the Fiber Arts Building in the downtown and removed that from the tax rolls as well (formerly paid $16,000 in taxes).

But Amherst College is also the #1 taxpayer in town for all the houses they own and rent to professors, as well as the commercial Amherst Golf Course and Lord Jeff Inn, paying roughly $500,000 this year.

And on top of that they will "donate" to the town $90,000 (for AFD protection) and another $75,000 to the Schools.

 Echo Village Apartments

Activists also want the town to take Echo Village Apartments, 24 units of formerly affordable apartments purchased last year by Jamie Cherewatti for $3 million (along with an office complex).  The property is currently assessed at $1,795,000 so it pays the town roughly $35,000 in taxes.

If Town Meeting approves an eminent domain article, which requires a two-thirds vote, the Amherst Select Board still must approve the taking by a majority vote.

   Take Echo Village

No Drones For You!

Look, up in the sky!

Amherst Town Meeting will tackle the high flying issue of a drone ban for all town departments via a citizen petition filed yesterday before the noon deadline.  

Amherst Police Department seems to be the focus of their attention, as if APD is in the habit of taking down perps without due process.

I wonder what's next, banning the use of binoculars? Or how about the Massachusetts State Police helicopter?

Chief Livingstone confirmed that APD has "no immediate plans" to use drones and then adds jokingly, "I can't afford them."

   Drone Ban Bylaw

Amherst To Set Domestic Policy?

Current Minimum Wage in Massachusetts is $8/hour, Federal rate is $7.25

Tracy Kidder once famously said of Amherst that we are the only town "to have its own foreign policy."  Well on March 19 Amherst Town Meeting could set a domestic policy not normally within the purview of local town government by passing an ordinance requiring a $15/hour minimum wage anywhere within the confines of our 27.8 square miles, surrounded by reality.

Since 200 registered voters signed the petition the Amherst Select Board had no choice but to call the Special Town Meeting, although SB Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe called it "very unusual."

The idea is the brainchild of UMass Grad Student Matthew E. Cunningham-Cook.  Originally he was going to run for Select Board in the 3/25 election but became preoccupied with collecting signatures for this Special Town Meeting.

Although it does sort of fall within his educational field of study at the UMass Labor Center.

Spring is a very busy time with the town election on March 25 and the annual Town Meeting starting April 28.   Some of the Select Board members wondered if this March 19 Special Town Meeting would get a quorum -- especially since it's only for one issue.

Without a quorum the article is defeated, as there would be no "do over."

Amherst small business owners would breathe a sigh of relief, as laying off workers can be stressful.  Although small business owners in neighboring towns would perhaps be disappointed. 

Amherst to hold Special Town Meeting to vote article calling for minimum wage in Amherst of $15/hr.  Activist collected 200 signatures.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) March 4, 2014

Targeting Blarney Blowout 2014

Hide the women and children on Saturday, March 8

Last year UMass made a monumental error not being proactive about the childish Blarney Blowout.  They failed to send out stern warnings to students and parents because they were afraid it would only add to the allure of the Blarney Blowout while providing it tons of free publicity.

Obviously the small minority of college aged youth who were going to engage in rowdy behavior that day were already well aware of the event, and perhaps took the absence of official notice from UMass as being a sign the University didn't really care.

Amherst town officials were infuriated, leading to some of the more terse exchanges in recent history.  But everybody put aside their differences, and Amherst and UMass are now working closely together via the Town Gown Steering Committee to help navigate a calmer course for the two superpowers over the next few decades.

UMass also learned from last year's mistake.  Enku Galaye sent out the following email to staff, students and parents.  The UMass employee who just forwarded it to me said he "can't recall ever getting a letter like this before."

Speaking of childish:  With defenders like this ...

Blarney Blowout Letter by larry_kelley_1

Maybe we can get UNH to issue a warning to their students! 

Favorite this if you're going to Blarney Blowout at #zoomass this weekend. We all need to meet and represent!  #WildcatNation
— UNH_Confessions (@UNH_Confessions) March 5, 2014

Just Another DUI

 "There's a killer on the road ..."

While I wait for Eastern Hampshire District Court to get me the "Statement of Facts" Public Documents I requested for APD's  Driving Under the Influence arrests -- all five of them -- over this past weekend in our little "college town," here's one from last week I almost missed because it was a State Police officer who made the arrest.

Safe bet State Police will be out in force this coming weekend for the Blarney Blowout.    

   MSP Arrest Amherst DUI

DUI Dishonor Roll

By refusing to take the legally admissible breath test back at APD headquarters Frank J Dellaglio, age 32,  will be absent from the driver seat for six months .  All evidence indicates he was impaired -- especially the "Portable" Breath Test he took in the field showing him well over the .08 limit. 

But in Massachusetts the Portable Breath Test cannot be used as evidence in court; and a refusal to take the legally admissible (non "portable") breath test back at the station also cannot be used in court, although that automatically brings a six-month license suspension.

But if he should win his case in front of a judge or jury -- and with the PBT results and refusal to take the real breath test both inadmissible -- that likelihood is a tad higher, then his license is immediately reinstated.

Massachusetts needs to get serious about prosecuting drunk driving laws by allowing the state to use the results of a PBT (just tell the judge it's kind of like Twitter -- not 100% infallible) and also to allow the refusal to take the fancier chemical breath test back at the station be admissible as evidence.

 

Blarney Blowout: Another Eruption?

Blarney Blowout 2014 (3/8/2014)

From: Larry Kelley 
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2014 17:16:28 -0500 
To: UMass and Amherst town officials

Subject: Blarney Blowout FYI 

So just like last year around this time I'm now a getting a tidal way of hits over the past day or two from individuals doing a search using the term "Blarney Blowout 2014" or some variation on that theme. 

And no, it's not coming from some kid who posted a link to my latest Blarney Blowout diatribe on Reddit or Facebook. 

These are from individuals taking the time to enter the term into a search engine.

I'm talking somewhere in the range of 500 individual searches in the past 24 hours. That is a LOT. And NOT a good sign. 

Larry

#####

Larry -

Thanks for your email, I have been watching the Blarney Blowout Twitter feed for a few days and have noticed an increase in activity so I am not surprised that you are seeing an increase in traffic as well.

A few weeks ago, we had a meeting with officials from the Town to discuss plans for this off-campus event.  UMass is doing a number of things, including preparing messages to students and their parents about the consequences of negative behavior off campus as well as targeted communications to students living in apartment complexes, especially in North Amherst.

We have also been sharing information about Blarney t-shirts which include our logo or the Minuteman with our Licensing Office, as these t-shirts may be in violation of licensing agreements.

I noticed that one of the Facebook pages has already been shut down.  In addition, our Dean of Students office is reaching out to the students involved in these entrepreneurial activities to inform them about the consequences of creating an environment that leads to incivility.

On the day of the event, the UMPD stands ready to help APD and will have officers dedicated to this effort.

The campus is being and will continue to be proactive in messaging about behavior and in shutting down inappropriate activities where we have the ability to do so.

Thanks,

Nancy

Nancy Buffone
Executive Director, External Relations and University Events

 Blarney Blowout coverage more than doubled unique visitors last year

Blarney blowout could rank as one of the most overrated events ever.. Buncha people standing in the cold just yelling and throwing things

— Peter Renda (@P_Renda831) March 2, 2014