There He Goes Again

33 Phillips Street

The poster boy for lousy upkeep of student rental housing, Stephan Gharabegian, is at it once again.  On good old Phillips Street naturally, where he owns almost half the houses on the slummy street. 

Building Inspector Jon Thompson has given him until June 24 to either demolish a bootleg four bedroom basement apartment or file for a Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals, where he's been turned down in the past.

And since the illegal basement apartment did not have a second means of egress in case of fire Gharabegian is lucky the town did not file endangerment charges!

   33 Phillips Street - Cease and Desist

Important Positions Quietly Filled

With no fanfare or even just a basic announcement (other than updating the town website), Moderator Jim Pistrang made two appointments -- Stephen Braun and Bernie Kubiak -- to the all important Finance Committee, a sort of watchdog financial adviser to Town Meeting.

Former FinCom Chair Andy Steinberg resigned after winning a seat on the Select Board in the 3/25 election, and rookie member Sarah Swartz recently resigned for personal reasons.  Probably the bigger of the two losses since she had experience running a small business. 

Oddly, FinCom does not make recommendations concerning the viability of projects financed with Community Preservation Act money.

Which always seems to be used for funding controversial articles, like the recent $1.25 million in public money spent to keep 41 private units of housing at Rolling Green Apartments affordable. 

Yes, the FinCom recommendation was unanimously in favor of that warrant article.   With any CPA article, however, their deliberation is to simply confirm the purchase falls within the state guidelines for use of CPA money -- and not on the merits of the purchase itself.

And I'm quite sure more than a few Town Meeting members do not get the distinction.

Since the town attorney also goes over any use of CPA spending for legality issues, the Finance Committee duplication is a waste of time.

This becomes even more important as Town Meeting voted to place an increase in the CPA surcharge from current 1.5% to 3% on the November election ballot.

I shudder to think of the excesses we will see at future Town Meetings if that double down is enacted.  All of them unanimously approved by the Finance Committee.

Steady, Aim, Release

The Amherst Archery Academy held its annual "Spring Gathering" today at Bramble Hill Farm,  an in house event where students get to practice under tournament like conditions.  The targets were set at 15, 20, 25 and 30 yards respectively.

 

Archers taking score

Mysterious Explosion

 Residents on N. East Street, College Street and South East Street all heard/felt it

Dispatch received multiple calls last night around 8:15 PM reporting a huge explosion somewhere in east Amherst.  The reporting party on Jenks Street said it "shook the house," and upon first arriving on scene an Amherst police officer noted smoke off in the distance woods.

But by the time he hitched a ride out to the suspected area, the smoke was gone.  I went outside immediately after the first 911 call aired to scan the skies for a military jet, but did not see or hear one. 

Mystery solved.  Or NOT

What The Ruck?

5:00 AM Bramble Hill Farm: Moment of respect before the journey begins

If you happened to notice that flag bearer -- which in Amherst tends to stand out -- with a crew of 30 enthusiastic participants close behind this morning glistening under a stunning blue sky, that was the  GoRuck Light Challenge.

Kind of a one (long) day intro to special forces training, this band of brothers and sisters awoke very early this morning for an 0500 start.  And spent the next 6 hours sweating across nine scenic miles of Amherst.

10:30 AM In Amherst town center

Rucksacks are military quality backpacks sold by GoRuck, a company founded by an ex-Green Beret. GoRuck Light events use the backpack (packed with bricks), in an extended group workout that is sort of a combination of Outward Bound and Crossfit.

The event is not an individual competition where the object is to win, the goal is to come together as a team, listen to your Cadre (former special forces group leader) and then carry out his commands.  Adversity becomes the challenge to overcome.  As a team.

And for these now hardier individuals, the day was a success. Go team!

Groff Park

Inevitable End?

Food For Thought Books

Like losing a child, it's almost impossible to describe to those who have not endured it the heartbreak that coincides with locking the door to your long-time business one last time.

In America -- built on the unforgiving survival of the fittest model -- it happens all the time. 

A majority of small business start ups fail to celebrate their first anniversary, and the vast majority do not make it to double digits.

Food For Thought Books' run of 38 years was stellar.

The Internet has, after all, changed everything -- giving consumers the instant ability to find exactly what they want at the cheapest price possible.  Even worse for book and record stores or DVD rental shops (or print newspapers): the very nature of the product has been transformed from physical to digital.

Jeffery Amherst Books closed in town center half dozen years ago after 70 years in business

The upside is when consumers pay less for products they keep more money in their pockets, which they can spend on other products at another -- hopefully local -- business.

The downside is now we have another vacant commercial spot in the heart of Amherst, a town with far too few businesses as it is. 

Gallons Of Prevention

First flush sends up a geyser

AFD Fire Prevention officer Mike Roy and UMass Fire Prevention Services Supervisor Mike Swain were on scene this morning for a flushing and inspection of the water system which ties in to the sprinklers at the new Olympia Oaks affordable housing development which is scheduled for a ribbon cutting ceremony next week.

AFD does not currently have the proper equipment to do the sprinkler test so they borrow a unit from nearby UMass.  Just as AFD is almost always assisted by APD for emergency calls in town, anytime they are dispatched to the UMass campus, Environmental Health Services shows up to assist.

 UMass does not have its own Fire Department but does have Fire & Safety Services

The "Hose Monster" costs around $1,300 and the readout gauge and coupler adds another $500.

After the system is first flushed out for pebbles or other debris (which could possibly jam in the head of a sprinkler and cut off the water flow) the gauge is attached and another measurement taken with full water running.

Both buildings tested at over 42.5 on the picot scale which translates to over 250 gallons per minute flow rate, enough to pass state regulations.  With today's test completed, 15 of 17 buildings have been tested and they all passed.

 AFD inspector Mike Roy reading the Pitot Gage

Today's test was just for the underground water system as it comes into each building.    The above ground sprinkler test of all outlets inside the building is an additional inspection that also costs $125 per building plus 5 cents per square foot.

Some units are much farther along than others

Sprinkler systems combined with smoke detectors makes for a formidable defense against fire.  The most recent Amherst fire fatality occurred last year at Rolling Green Apartments, which did not have a sprinkler system.