An Unattended Death

UMass Amherst: Not exactly a drug free zone

UPDATE January 24, 2015

My sitemeter tells me a bevy of folks are now coming to this post after doing Google searches for "heroin death UMass Amherst" or something similar, no doubt in response to the ABC 20/20 episode aired last night, which interestingly enough used the same alias for Eric Sinacori as did the Boston Globe, "Logan."

So they can interview his Mom on camera and show his picture, but not use his real name?

And I wonder when the next student dies of a heroin OD supplied by an on campus dealer who was free to ply his pernicious trade because UMPD can no longer use student informants, will 20/20 cover that?

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ORIGINAL REPORT 

Although nestled in a quaint little New England town, UMass/Amherst, the flagship of higher education in the state, is virtually a city unto itself.

So it's not overly surprising that death on occasion comes calling, even to the young of age.

Last Fall two sudden unattended deaths occurred that were (initially) covered by the local media -- Eric Sinacori, age 20, and Evan Jones, age 19.  Although technically Sinacori died off campus in his Puffton Village Apartment.

But since they both died in the town of Amherst the medical examiner files a certificate of death with the Town Clerk, although it takes up to six months. 

In Evan Jones case, death was caused by a "seizure."

In Eric Sinacori's case the injury occurred because of "Illicit substance abuse," and the immediate cause of death was, "Acute Heroin Intoxication."

Governor Deval Patrick and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan have declared war on opioid abuse.  At a press conference in late February, DA Sullivan called the surge in drug overdoses, "A public health crisis" while citing, "19 deaths in Hampshire and Franklin counties since November 1st, 2013." (Twice the rate of the rest of the state.)

And since Mr. Sinacori died just prior to November 1st he would have pushed the DA's list to 20 deaths! 

Last week in the little town of Deerfield, three individuals were saved from death by heroin overdose over the course of three days by a quick spray of Narcan.

Governor Patrick has signed off on allowing first responders statewide to carry Narcan, as well as friends and family of opioid users (with proper training).

Today UMass graduates 5,500 dedicated young adults who have worked hard over the past few years to attain their degrees.  Governor Patrick is the keynote speaker.

I hope he remembers the students who will never make their graduation ceremonies.

The Cost Of Education (In a College Town)

Amherst School Committee: in the hot seat

Town Meeting went pretty much as planned Wednesday night.  The Elementary and Regional School budgets all passed rather handily after a fair amount of discussion, but not a whole lot centered on cost -- as reflected in the (not so)average cost per student.

The Elementary Budget of $21,490,563 represents an average cost per child of $19,136 and the Regional Middle and High School budget of $29,618,478 represents $20,328 per student.  State average is dramatically lower at $13,636 per student.

Or another way of looking at it is Amherst spends at the Regional level $6,692 more per pupil than state average.   Thus the 1,457 students projected next year cost almost TEN MILLION DOLLARS ($9,750,244 to be exact) over state average.

One reason for the high cost (which are fast approaching private school price points) is "administration cost"  is 66% over state average.   And even though an overhead showed a slight increase in the percentage of the elementary budget eaten up by administration, it generated no discussion from the floor.

Overhead used at Town Meeting

Mass Dept of Education data base

Early in the Elementary School budget discussion Town Meeting member Walter Wolnik read a statement praising the financial prowess and presentation skills of Rob Detweiler, the Schools Director of Finance who mysteriously disappeared three months ago.

Wolnik wished to know if and when he would return to his duties? 

 

School Superintendent Maria Geryk and Sean Mangano (Dettweiler's replacement) listen to Walter Wolnik's statement

Detweiler was on paid Administrative Leave for six weeks (costing taxpayers $15,000) and is still on unpaid Administrative Leave.  School Superintendent Maria Geryk confirmed that he, "will not return in his role ... I appreciate your support of Mr. Detweiler, however I will not be speaking further about the reasons why he is no longer in this role."

Typical layout of classrooms at Wildwood. "Temporary walls" (going on 25 years now) don't go all the way to the ceiling

Article 17 was also an expensive school item, a $1 million Feasibility Study of Wildwood Elementary School (built 1970)  with 60% of that picked up by the state.   As usual some folks had sticker shock over the $1 million price tag even though it's really only $400,000 of town money.

But the motion passed with a solid two-thirds majority, solid enough that no standing or tally vote was required.  And the very next article, to rescind a $400,000 appropriation from last year for new boilers for Wildwood School, passed after a long discussion, thus covering the town's share of the feasibility study.

Since that study will eventually lead to a new school or major renovation (with the state picking up 60%) it doesn't make sense to replace the boilers now at 100% town cost.

 Amherst Elementary Enrollment Trends (going down, down, down)

Town Meeting Strikes Again

Amherst Town Meeting counted standing vote

Two episodes from Monday night's Town Meeting 3rd session, one amusing one not so much.

During a discussion of borrowing $322,000 for mega lawnmowers used to groom the massive amount of open space property the town owns, member Shavahn Best moved to reduce the amount by over one-third and have the DPW shop on the Internet for battery operated mowers.



When DPW Chief Guilford Mooring threw up a photo of the mower in question there was little question as to whether an electric mower could do the job.  Actually no question at all.

Town Meeting overhead of DPW mower request

Town Meeting almost unanimously voted to spend $151,000 for 20 acres of open space property (2/3 state money) in East Amherst, the same property they voted down 72 "Yes"-90 "No" back in the Fall when it required a two-thirds vote to pass.

Town officials, not taking any chances, removed the term "eminent domain" from the article and since the town was using CPA money ($41,785) it then only required a majority vote. Not that it mattered since the "Yes" votes were thunderous.  

The very next article Town Meeting once again near unanimously voted (death to the lone malcontent) to place on the November ballot a doubling of the CPA tax from 1.5% to 3%. 

Amherst already has the highest property tax rate in the area ($20.97/$1,000 compared to Hadley $10.64/$1,000).

The huge financial burden for homeowners in Amherst is they make up 90% of the tax rolls and commercial property only 10%.  Even more debilitating, half the property in Amherst is owned by tax-exempts, meaning the other half -- home and business owners -- have to carry twice the weight.

That tax exempt disconnect only worsened with the 20 acres in East Amherst acquired by the town on Monday night.

And if you are a commercial property owner, the first $100,000 in valuation is NOT exempt from CPA (costing you an additional $62.37).   If you own property in the downtown, there's the Business Improvement District extra surcharge to pay as well.

When Town Meeting voted an increase in the water/sewer rates the Town Manager defended it as "only" a couple dollars per month.  Now the CPA tax increase will add "only" $69 per year to the average home ($113 for a commercial property).

Adding to an annual tax burden that's already too big a burden.  More so if you own commercial property.  Even more so if it's located in the downtown BID area.

No wonder Amherst is considered an unforgiving place to do business. 

Party House of the Weekend

31 Shumway Street, owned by CIBA, LLC

Not only did they tie up APD, but AFD as well (as did a couple other locations)

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday all four agreed to pay the $300 town bylaw fine fee to settle the matter.

DUI Dishonor Roll

Melquan Miller being sworn in before Judge John Payne

So once again Judge John Payne disposed of back-to-back DUI cases in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday, one offense dating back to March and the other from very early Sunday morning.

Both offenders, Toryen Hadfield, age 25 and Melquan Miller, age 21,  took a standard 24D disposition:  They will lose their license for 45 days, pay $600 in fines and be on probation for a year with an addition monthly probation fee.

When asked where they had their last drink, Miller replied "private residence" and Hadfield replied "High Horse Brewery" in downtown Amherst.

Toryen Hadfield and his public defender

   Toryen Hadfield, Dui

"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