Amherst Housing Monopoly Board

10 Tyler Place

One of Amherst's least favorite property barons just added to his already extensive housing empire.  Jamie Cherewatti, aka Rocky Hill Road Partners, purchased 10 Tyler Place for the relatively high price of $495,000.

Although the seller in this case, Joshua Hornik, paid $528,000 for it back in 2007, or $604,000 in today's dollars.

Since the building is a three family structure allowing for 12 unrelated housemates chances are pretty good it will simply remain a very profitable rental.

This is Cherewatti's second purchase in four months using the cloaking LLC, Rocky Hill Road Partners.

Echo Village Apartments, his most controversial purchase because he immediately evicted all the low income Section 8 tenants, was a much steeper investment at $3 million.  At purchase the property was valued at $2.1 million.

Interestingly, the town assessor now values Echo Village Apartments at only $1.795 million -- well below what Cherewatti paid.

Which probably has affordable housing activists salivating for the Fall Town Meeting to take it by eminent domain. 

Main Street USA

Amherst downtown 6/14, aka Flag Day

On the night of September 10, 2001, less than 12 hours before the world changed, the Amherst Select Board had closed the contentious public hearing concerning 29 commemorative flags flying in the downtown and they were discussing the matter among themselves before coming up with a list of days to commemorate.

After Anne Awad had grudgingly stated she would support only July 4th for the extra flags to fly Select Board chair Carl Seppala, when giving his fuller list, said in a somewhat exasperated tone, "Well, they do call it Flag Day."

Flag Day probably gets a little lost since it comes smack in the middle of  two flag centric events: Memorial Day and July 4th.  Sort of like having a birthday a little too close to Christmas. 

Any day, however, is as good as another when it comes to honoring our flag -- and the boundless sacrifice it represents.

Regional School Mega-Committee?

RAWG votes unanimously on governance  8:30 PM

Last night the Regional Agreement Working Group (RAWG) voted unanimously to recommend forming a system of representation via committee that significantly shortchanges Amherst, a college town where our #1 industry is education.

Currently Amherst makes up 88% of the population in the Amherst Regional School District, where all four towns participate at the Middle and High School level.  Yet if all four towns should decide to regionalize in the Pre-K to 6th grade level, the new Regional School Committee will consist of 13 members, seven from Amherst and two from each of the three Hilltowns.

Or as percentages go, Amherst with 88% of the population gets only 54% of the vote in governance. The rationale for circumventing proportional representation (one person one vote) is that Amherst voters will get a chance to weigh in on candidates from the other towns (and vice-versa) in a district wide, single ballot election.

Of course that doesn't help much if each of the Hilltowns only has two candidates running for the two open seats.  

And as part of this endeavor our elementary schools will no longer be overseen by the Amherst School Committee, because the Amherst School Committee will no longer exist. Although once rubber stamped by the current Regional School Committee the new arrangement must be approved by all four Town Meetings even if the town does not plan to join the new Region.  

RAWG also discussed at length the budgets and how a Regional Assessment would work.   And clearly it will be more expensive for Amherst -- by as much as $347,901 in the first year of transition.

Amherst Region Public Schools -- at $18,688 -- already have the highest per student cost in the area,  well over the $13,636 state average.

Even though RAWG in one form or another has been meeting for almost three years the sense of urgency in the room last night to get this Leviathan operational was almost palpable.

Andy Steinberg briefly handed off Chair duties to Kip Fonsh so he could speak freely.  Steinberg, who was most recently elected to the Amherst Select Board, acknowledged the controversy over proportional representation for Amherst but spoke in support of the motion as made.

Superintendent Maria Geryk then announced the janitor was leaving the building at 9:00 PM, so the meeting had to be over by then.

The Regional Agreement Working Group soon came to a unanimous vote supporting the 13 member committee, with Amherst getting 7 seats.

But is that any way to lay the groundwork for a $42 million regional entity?

Although, the janitor seemed pleased.

Affordable Housing Celebration

 Tenants will first start moving in July 1 with complete occupancy by first snow

Tents protected about 75 spectators from the drizzle

Federal, state, and local officials converged on a housing construction site near UMass to celebrate the impending occupancy of Olympia Oaks, an affordable 42 unit housing project that has been dreamed about for decades.

And while the weather was a tad dreary this morning, the celebrants were far from it. 

 Rep Jim McGovern (left) HAP Housing CEO Peter Gagliardi (right)

John Musante could not be present, as his mother just passed away.  But Dave Ziomek quoted a recent conversation he had with the Town Manager:  "It's not about the number of units.  It's about people; it's about family; it's about community."

The Assistant Town Manager closed with, "We welcome Olympia Oaks to the community of Amherst."

Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek:  "Amazing site, amazing location."  Also mentioned the birds and frogs he spotted or could hear on site

 

Representative Ellen Story wants to bring her 8-year-old granddaughter here to play someday

Aggressive Pot Perp

  Eli Berman, 25, appearing before Judge Hurley.  May want to dress better for his next appearance

Last week Amherst police arrested Eli Berman, age 25, who was apparently in the middle of a downtown drug deal but tried to distract an officer by calling him a, "Fucking asshole."

Not the best way to deal those vested with the authority to arrest you.  Which in his case, they did.

Another "Incident" @ ARHS?

APD (2 cruisers 1 detective vehicle) on scene Amherst Regional High School 9:45 AM

There's a heavy police presence at Amherst Regional High School at the moment and it probably has something to do with "Dialogue Day,"  although I'm guessing not a prepared, planned presence since they seemed to have parked in a hurry.

Since no students are outside the building, probably not a bomb or weapon threat.   Although an employee out front said administrators, "did not look happy."

UPDATE:  10:30 AM 

School Superintendent Maria Geryk has confirmed the incident has been safely resolved.  It was an, "unrelated student issue."

Don't Do Drugs!

Josh Sampson, age 19, standing before Judge Mary Hurley

Arrested last week in the heart of downtown Amherst 19-year-old Josh Sampson was arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday before Judge Mary Hurley.  He was given a pre-trial hearing for August 27 and assigned a public defender for which he will pay $300.

He was released on his personal recognizance but Judge Hurley gave him that cold hard stare while warning him about not screwing up in the meantime: "You have been charged with possession of an alphabet of drugs.  No more!"  To which he sheepishly responded, "Yes your honor."

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