"Deep Alcohol Stupor"

Zach Zeigler stands before Judge John Payne

Other than the Blarney Blowout, Amherst arraignments heard on Monday morning at the Eastern Hampshire District Court (covering weekend arrests) don't seem to generate much buzz as the bailiffs, prosecutors and clerks office personnel have pretty much seen it all.

Zachary Zeigler managed to make himself an outlier -- and that's a bad thing.  The almost unanimous comment I heard this morning in the courtroom while picking up my public documents request from yesterday was, "He's lucky he did not get shot!"  Indeed.

 

Click photo to enlarge/read

As the father of a seven-year-old who sleeps in a bunk bed I'm not sure how I would have reacted to finding Mr. Zeigler passed out in the lower bunk but I'm pretty sure Amherst police would have had to call in the Amherst Fire Department to transport him to the Cooley Dickinson Hospital. 

In Court yesterday Zeigler seemed to have no idea of the severity of the incident telling Judge Payne he wanted to settle the case immediately as he has a job in his hometown that starts on Friday.  The Judge barely glanced at the prosecutor's table while shaking his head side to side.

Zeigler then said he would hire an attorney.  The Judge continued his case until June 3rd and transferred probation oversight to a District Court near his hometown, but with a provision he is continuously, "tested for alcohol."

Judge Payne then glared at Zeigler and said in no uncertain terms, "If you come back before me having tested positive for alcohol, you will spend your summer in Hampshire County -- and it will not be a vacation!" 

Phillips Street Filibuster #Fail

11 Phillips Street, Amherst

By not showing up for his original "show cause hearing" before a Clerk Magistrate, Joshua Reiss, age 20, set himself up for a criminal proceeding in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Friday before a Judge for a possible felony conviction.  

He lost his case -- bringing a $1,000 fine for tampering with smoke detectors in his humble abode -- but the complaint was diverted to a civil offense, so he will not be stained for life with a felony conviction.

But considering the acts he was found guilty of, his lesson could have been a lot more costly ... like contributing to the death of a roommate.  Or the lesson you can't learn from, because you're dead.  

 APD report

AFD report

Smoke detector 11 Phillips Street: In the bag

Phillips Street has one of the largest concentrations of problem houses in the town (most of them owned by Stephan Gharabegian), but these days no neighborhoods are safe from "real estate investors" who buy up single family homes and pack them with student renters. 

 778 North Pleasant Street, Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity

Just up the road from Phillips Street, AFD Fire Prevention Officer Mike Roy recently fined the fraternity at 778 North Pleasant Street $500 for the second offense of tampering with smoke detectors. 

   UMass Frat fined safety violation

11 Phillips Street also had a second offense

Somewhat Sultry Saturday

Butterfield Terrace 12:30 p.m.

The rains held off today.  A good thing if you're into frisbee, running or cycling.  Not so good if you're a public safety first responder dealing with the final weekend before graduation in a college town.

— Barstool UMASS (@UMassBarstool) May 3, 2014

College Street (Rt 9) 3:00 p.m.

 

Corner Main Street and South Whitney 5:00 p.m.

 

Town center midnight.  Somebody plugged in the Merry Maple

UPDATE:  Sunday morning

So no, thankfully, there were no Hobart Hoedown or Blarney Blowout type incidents last night into the early morning.  

As usual the bewitching hours (10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.) produced the usual alcohol related calls:  Large noisy party at 351 Potwine Lane around 1:30 a.m. and another one busted up 15 minutes later at 310 West Street and around that same time a backyard camp fire/party at 140 Sunset Avenue doused. 

Hobart Lane private security also caught and detained a young man trying to set fire to the dumpster that was torched a couple dozen times last year. 

Police were also requested by a reporting party who sounded drunk, complaining that his girlfriend was escorted into a Party House on the corner of Main Street and South Whitney (pictured above), but he was rejected.

And APD also responded to an apartment complex on East Hadley Road for another caller, who also sounded drunk, complaining he had been, "punched in the face."

Yeah, it's all fun and games until somebody gets punched in the face. 

Baby You Were Born To Run

Leader of the pack:  Crocker Farm Principal Derek Shea

Over 100 runners, walkers, and few young'uns in aerodynamic strollers descended on Wildwood Elementary School this morning for the 4th Annual Spring Sprint put on by the Amherst Education Foundation with all proceeds to benefit the public schools.

 

Clare Bertrand armed and dangerous with bullhorn and starter gun

The weather was threatening but no rain, hail, or funnel clouds descended over the time it usually takes to complete a 5K (3.1 miles).

 

Rounding the first turn with APD assistance

The Cost of Mistakes?

Rob Detweiler: Still on Administrative Leave

The schools are the largest employer in Amherst town government so it's not surprising that a tiny number of employees come and go under somewhat mysterious circumstances.

In the private sector, taxpayers in general --or even customers in particular -- have no right to know why a popular employee suddenly disappears.

Although in most cases, where the reasons are somewhat benign, the business may be forthcoming when you ask what happened to your favorite aerobics instructor, barista or convenience store clerk.

But a public entity using public money owes the general public an explanation. 

   Rob Detweiler Case

Public Documants czar to ARPS attorney Giny Tate 3 years ago (which they ignored):

Rob Detweiler still shows up on ARPS website as Director of Finance and Operations

Amherst Bulletin reports

And Another One Gone

 80 West Street, Amherst

Jamie Cherewatti, aka Eagle Crest Management, North Pleasant Street Partners LLC, Railroad Street Partners and perhaps a dozen more LLCs just purchased the home at 80 West Street (Rt 116) for $160,000.

Yes, the house and property is valued at $207,200 so he paid well below that, but the house is a tad distressed.  I live only a few houses away so it's directly on the way to Crocker Farm School, and my kids have dubbed it "the scary house."

But considering the demographic market Mr. Cherewatti caters to, it could become even scarier.

Two months ago Cherewatti purchased a four-unit complex at 310 Belchertown Road, adjacent to his Echo Village Apartments, which he purchased last year for $3 million.  

Democratic Bully Pulpit

 

Vince O'Connor on the attack

Vince O'Connor is now 1 for 2 after last night's epic fail at an attempt to hack 10% from the Planning Department budget, which was to go hand-in-hand with with his 79-74 victory Monday night to increase Social Service spending (charitable organizations) by $125,000.

So obviously many of the 79 Town Meeting members who supported his motion to bring Social Service spending back into the routine budget disagreed on his version of financing that.

Even though Mr. O'Connor last night backed away significantly from his original plan to cut $200,000 from Planning Department by reducing the amount to $100,000 -- still a 10% cut. 

O'Connor also appeared yesterday afternoon at the Rental Implementation Bylaw Group to discuss his other (of many) Town Meeting articles, #42, which originally would, "suspend the operation and enforcement of the Rental Permit bylaw" until a new more "inclusive" committee is formed.

Yeah just what Amherst needs: yet another committee, working group, or task force.

This too he has now watered down significantly by removing the threat to "suspend the operation" and now simply wants the new committee to make recommendations.  Building Commissioner Rob Morra will take Mr. O'Connor's suggestions to the Town Manager and if he buys in to the grand scheme O'Connor will move to dismiss Article #42.

Kind of a toothless threat since Town Meeting overwhelmingly supported the Rental Permit Bylaw last year  and like all new bylaws it also had to pass muster with the Attorney General.  And yes some folks (parties with a vested interest no doubt) tried unsuccessfully to sabotage that.

Plus Article #42 is last on the list of a l-o-n-g Warrant.   When the weather turns terrific with thoughts drifting to summer vacations, the last thing Town Meeting members want to do is listen to Mr. O'Connor drone on, and on, and ...