The Final Straw?

CPA Committee voted 7-0 (with 2 absent) to support Ballot Question #5

No surprise the Amherst Community Preservation Act Committee voted last night after little to no discussion to support the ballot question doubling the CPA tax, err, I mean "surcharge," from 1.5% to 3%.  Unanimously.

Which is kind of like the fox guarding the hen house requesting the farmer, "send more chickens!"

Amherst currently has the highest tax rate in the area ($20.97/$1,000 valuation with average tax bill of $6,712/) second only to Longmeadow (at $23.15 valuation with average tax bill of $7,558)  In fact, Longmeadow has the highest tax rate in the entire state.

And our public safety departments are stretched beyond the breaking point.  We badly need 5 additional police officers, five additional firefighters and a new $12 million fire station in South Amherst.

CPA money, however, can only be spent on open space/recreation, historic preservation and public housing.  All of which are admirable, but hardly a priority over public safety. 

In 2008 the attempt failed by only 172 votes out of 10,416 cast.

In the next coming weeks a series of dominoes will fall in support of this financial burden on already overburdened taxpayers including the Historical Commission, Conservation Commission, Leisure Services and Supplemental Education (Rec Dept), Housing & Sheltering Committee and of course our illustrious town "leaders", the Select Board.

Last night, moments before taking the vote, CPA committee Chair Peter Jessop said, "It's important this be a unanimous vote."  The Committee also voted unanimously to authorize Mr. Jessop to act as a PR flack to promote the measure with the mainstream media (what's left of it).

Area Tax Rates & Average Total Tax Bill:

Amherst $20.97/$1,000 total $6,712

Hadley $10.64/$1,000 total $3,278

Northampton $15.39/$1,000 total $4,597

Belchertown $17.72/$1,000 total $4,303

Sunderland $13.98/$1,000 total $3,850

So. Hadley $16.41/$1,000 total $3,682

 
In 2007 Amherst Town Meeting spent $268,000 ($128,000 of it CPA money) to "save" the privately owned Kimball House (brick building foreground) now dwarfed by home in rear

Property Tax Rates For The Entire State (knock yourself out)

DUI Dishonor Roll

 Anthony W Alicea being arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court

The spectacular alcohol induced crash in North Amherst early Sunday morning was not the only DUI arrest over the weekend.

 Click to enlarge/read

This one history will little note nor long remember.   Although with impaired drivers, the spectacular incidents are always just around the bend.

A Cop Has To Do What A Cop Has To Do

 

Justin Knolls being arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court

So it's not just Amherst PD and  UMass PD who sometimes  -- although very infrequently -- have to resort to the use of force that includes pepper spray to bring an out of control perp into compliance.

Especially when he's a danger to himself, a large group of party goers and responding police officers who like to return home to their family after work.  Even more so when he stands 6 foot 2 inches tall, and weighs 225 pounds.

AFD responding to APD sally port for a prisoner hit with pepper spray.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) October 5, 2014

Since Amherst College does not have their own holding cell they use Amherst Police Department's just around the corner at 111 Main Street.  When Justin Knolls was brought in Amherst Fire Department had to respond to the sally port to treat him for pepper spray. 

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday Mr. Knolls was provided a public defender and his case (which includes a felony charge) was continued to next month.

Click to enlarge/read

"Showing Off"

Car vs tree (tree always wins)

At the scene of the accident that demolished his car and sent two passengers to Baystate Medical Center -- one still "critical" -- Sean M Foster admitted to police that had consumed alcohol and was "showing off" when he lost control of his vehicle in North Amherst and intersected with a tree.

You have to wonder if his lawyer will try to have his confession thrown out since he was legally drunk at the time with a Blood Alcohol Content reading of .20% (2.5 times over the legal limit).

 

Sean Foster, age 22, awaiting arraignment yesterday in Eastern Hampshire District Court

The Price of Fun?

 

Sean M Foster about to be arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court this morning

In District Court this morning with his mother, who posted $500 cash bail, Sean M. Foster had a plea of not guilty entered in his behalf and his case was continued to November 3 so he could hire his own attorney.

In addition to the $500 bail, Mr. Foster, age 22, will undergo random alcohol screening while on bail.

 

Demolished vehicle.  Note APD interviewing occupants

In a spectacular accident early Sunday morning, Sean Foster piloted his vehicle into a tree just off North East Street (yards before it becomes Henry Street) in North Amherst, where the posted speed limit is 35 MPH.

The impact demolished his car and sent two of his (four) passengers to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, one of whom is in critical condition.

1:45 AM ish

The Morning After:

 Tree seems to have survived impact

Retracing path of vehicle.  Note curve with Shutesbury Road, Flat Hills on right.  Distance to tree impact from there about 225 feet of straight road.

 Mailbox did not survive impact

View of road just before hitting tree on left

Photos/videos by Larry Kelley.  All rights reserved

Another Disturbing DUI

Car vs tree Henry Street (note engine block ripped away from frame)

Last night first responders rushed to the north end of town around 1:30 AM for reports of a high speed crash involving a car, tree, and most likely alcohol (the person calling for help from the scene sounded drunk).

 

2 AFD ambulances on scene

Initial reports from the scene indicated one person trapped and unconscious in the back seat.  But by the time the AFD Engines arrived all occupants (at least four "college aged youth") were out of the demolished vehicle.

Amherst police charged the 22-year-old driver with driving under the influence of alcohol but he's still in the hospital, so I probably will not see him tomorrow in Eastern Hampshire District Court.

The accident tied up two ambulances needed to transport two victims to Baystate Critical Care unit in Springfield.  Since Bay State is 25 miles or so from Amherst, versus 7 for Cooley Dickinson Hospital, those ambulances are out of service for two or three times longer.

Two engines responded to help clean up potentially hazardous fluids and three police cars to seal off the area and interview the occupants.  And even though it was 2:00 AM there were still service calls that had to be put on hold due to the strain on resources this one potentially deadly accident caused.

The Shadow knows ...

 The car was traveling north and crossed over the southbound lane into a tree

Last month another spectacular accident in the dead of night involving high speed and alcohol occurred on the opposite side of town, scenic South East Street.

Bumper was ripped off and thrown about 20 yards

All photos by Larry Kelley.  All rights reserved.

Timely Letter to Town Manager Musante concerning South East Street traffic

September Storm

 APD Chief Livingstone (left) UMPD Chief John Horvath (right)

The difference in number of arrests this past September between Amherst Police Department, with 45 sworn officers making 92 arrests, 45 of them UMass students , and the UMass Police Department with 62 sworn officers making 81 arrests, 55 of them UMass students is interesting but not overly startling.

Amherst police with a department 37% smaller than their UMass counterparts made 14% more arrests.   Of course the difference on the day of the infamous Blarney Blowout was far more dramatic with APD making 55 arrests to UMPD only 3. 

Last year in September, when students first flock back to Amherst, 5,500 of them freshmen leaving home for the first time, Amherst Police Department made 263 arrests or almost three times the number (92) made just this past September.  Now that is somewhat startling.

I asked APD Chief Scott Livingstone about that:

Click to enlarge/read

Since APD recently received "Department Of The Month" from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, obviously they have not slacked off on that vitally important function.

But now being down 5 officers, four of them due to on-duty injuries, the month of October -- when the weather is still conducive to outdoor socializing -- is going to be even more of a challenge.

Especially since Halloween falls on a Friday this year.  That alone is scary, even when the overworked department is at full strength.

Hate that awkward moment when your friend calls you and asks you for $240 to bail them out at UMPD. Happy Saturday
— ZooMass (@ZooMass) October 4, 2014