Standing In The Way Of Progress

Sugar Maple @ 57 East Pleasant Street

So this big old sugar maple is no doubt kindling in the making even though the Amherst Shade Tree Committee voted to save it.

It stands in the way of both a town approved 5-story mixed use development by local developers Archipelago Investments, and in the kill zone for a proposed roundabout at the Triangle Street/ East Pleasant Street intersection.

Since the tree is not yet looking splendid in full bloom, probably not much of a public backlash will ensue.  And the developers have proposed planting 11 trees along Triangle and East Pleasant streets.

More controversial however will be the other rumored mega-development a hundred yards or so south of the intersection, where the same developers are warming up the bulldozers to demolish the Carriage Shops.

 Rear of the Carriage Shops facing historic West Cemetery

Because the rear of the doomed building faces and abuts historic West Cemetery (Emily Dickinson's final resting place), artist David Fichter painted a colorful lengthy mural, displaying iconic images from Amherst's past.

The $35,000 project was paid for with private money and completed in 2005.

But the local businesses who funded the endeavor probably thought they were going to get more than 10 years out of the project.

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Shelter In A BIG Place

Springfield tornado 6/1/11

If a tornado ever does drop in on downtown Amherst as one did with Springfield almost three years ago, it's nice to know the Mullins Center is close by -- within walking distance for many of us.  

And after today's practice run involving 350 participants (and a bevy of dogs) that will be my destination point should my house fall prey to the destructive power of a funnel cloud, or any other form of catastrophe.

 UMPD Incident Command vehicle

The sheltering drill brought together all manner of emergency services -- UMPD, AFD, UMass Environmental & Safety, UMass EMS, Red Cross, all under the direction of UMass Medical Reserve Corps and UMass Office of Emergency Management.

 Check in started at 2:00 p.m.

 About 100 cots set up on the main floor

All participants were tracked by electronic bracelets keeping a data base of who checked in or out so authorities would have an accurate measure of the shelter's population.  And if loved ones called to find a missing person the data base would instantly indicate if that individual was on site.  

During the 2011 October Halloween snowstorm,  that knocked out power in Amherst for up to a week, the nearest emergency shelter was in Northampton. 

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Force Multipliers

CERT uniform and tools (sparkless wrench for shutting of leaking gas)

If a zombie apocalypse should ever descend upon Amherst, our first responders could use all the help they can get.  Or  a volcanic eruption, tsunami, or mud slide ... none of which are likely to occur.

But the 2011 October Halloween storm stretched our public safety personnel to the breaking point.  And for the 22 citizen volunteers taking the 7 week Community Emergency Response Team training course that started this evening, that storm is an all too recent reminder disaster can visit our bucolic little town.

 Citizens from all walks of life, ages 13 to retired

The Springfield tornado of 2011 could just have easily decimated Amherst.

 Springfield tornado June 1, 2011

After hearing everyone in the room introduce themselves, AFD Chief Tim Nelson responded, "Everyone here brings something to the dance.  We will all learn together ... It will be cool."  This group will be much needed additional eyes and ears for public safety, or what the Chief twice referred to as "force multipliers."

Chief Tim Nelson (left) course instructor Michael Williamson

FEMA put together the CERT program so everyday citizens can help themselves and their neighbors while waiting for the professional first responders to arrive, including light search and rescue, small fire suppression and basic medical care.




In response to a major event the group would come together at a prearranged staging area, after first making sure their own house and family are in order, to do damage assessment and inventory and assist those with injuries. 

By the end of the 7 week program all participants will be certified in CPR and how to use an AED.  But more importantly they will learn to think under pressure and put into practice basic skills that could save lives.

Because in the event of a major disaster, a little training goes a long way.

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All participants get a fully stocked "go bag," in this case a backpack

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Extravaganja 2013 attracted around 6,000 fans to the Amherst Town Common

The largest public venue in the little college town of Amherst -- the quaint town green -- will once again play host to Extravaganja, a celebration of all things pot.  And these days, with the herb now practically legal, there's plenty for them to celebrate.

Interestingly, the loss of that cachet that comes with doing something illegal seems not to have hurt attendance any, as last year they had about the same peak attendance (the entire common being shoulder to shoulder) as at any time over the past 23 years.

UMass Cannabis Reform Coalition Treasurer Delany Ratner tells me the budget for this year's event is around $7,500 (renting stage and sound system, port-a-potties, garbage dumpster, printing t-shirts) so they get a lot of bang for their buck.

One thing they don't spend money on is advertising simply because there's no need.  Word of mouth and social media seem to to the trick.

While Amherst Police will be out in force on Saturday as they always are for an event that attracts such a large crowd, there really is little to no disruptive behavior.  Unlike the Blarney Blowout, which attracts somewhat less of a crowd but requires police dressed in riot gear to bring under control.

Rumor has it the "Hobart Hoedown" 2014 has been scheduled for Saturday as well, probably on purpose to coincide with Extravaganja, figuring the police will be preoccupied in town center so they can raise all sorts of hell in far flung North Amherst.

At the height of the Blarney Blowout last year (nowhere near as bad as this year) nitwits at Townhouse apartments made false 911 emergency calls claiming assaults with weapons were taking place in South Amherst to try to distract police away from their pernicious party.

It didn't work.

A major variable impacting attendance (at either event) is weather, and Saturday is suppose to be somewhat rainy.   So that could put a damper on things. 

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Standing Against Racism

Crowd on the North Common standing against racism

About 150 people showed up on the North Town Common this evening (the part of the common in front of Town Hall) to show support for Carolyn Gardner, a teacher of color who was targeted by racist graffiti left in Amherst Regional High School rest rooms.

 

Sonji Johnson-Anderson (Carol Gardner's sister) speaks to the crowd 

It was a good showing of a broad cross section of Amherst: young, old, white, black, Asian, Hispanic, men and woman (and a few dogs).  Although the perp who left the messages probably was not in the crowd.

Ms Gardner did return to teaching today for the first time in two weeks, so hopefully the schools have figured out how to prevent a recurrence of the disturbing cowardly behavior.

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I'll Be (Another) Roundabout

Intersection Triangle Street/East Pleasant Street and a main Gateway to UMass

Amherst Town Meeting under article #32 will vote on acquiring easements around Triangle and East Pleasant Streets for yet another roundabout, after the success of the double roundabouts at Atkins Corner and the original one at UMass, North Pleasant street/Eastman Lane.

All sorts of major developments are proposed for the neglected north end of town center, including the Archipelago Investments already approved five story,  mixed use --36 units of residential and ground floor retail --  Kendrick Place, which butts up against the proposed roundabout.

Archipelago Investments has also made a $4.6 million offer to buy the Carriage Shops a few hundred yards from the intersection and they will nuke the aging complex to make way for a humongous new mixed-use development.

All of which dramatically stimulates traffic -- both foot and vehicle -- to and through that end of town.

Of course you can't make them drunk driver proof

Do I hear $6 million?

ARHS for sale, but apparently not for rent

Well that's one way to solve all the problems Amherst Regional High School has been having of late with lockdowns and racial incidents.

The kids are kind of undervaluing their home however, as taxpayers put $22 million into renovating/expanding the facility back in 1996.

Senior prank from Friday: bologna used to spell out graduation year (non vegetarian students):

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