Regional School Report Ready (Almost)

Regional Agreement Working Group 7:05 PM

After three l-o-n-g years of mostly under-the-radar meetings, the Regional Agreement Working Group voted unanimously last night (11-0 with 1 absent) to support the draft report to the Regional School Committee outlining the purported benefits of e-x-p-a-n-d-i-n-g the current four town Region (grades 7-12) all the way down to Pre-K through 6.

The 12-page sales pitch extols standardization of curriculum, time savings for the Superintendent who will no longer have to deal with three separate budgets & School Committees, and better efficiency in assigning students to schools without regard to town boundaries.

But cost savings is pretty far down on their list of reasons, citing only a 2% overall savings for the Region as a whole (And that is probably based on everything going perfectly, which things never do).

   RAWG Final Report Draft

A few minor tweaks were voted to this draft

The final report will be discussed at the upcoming January 13 Regional School Committee meeting as RAWG member Trevor Baptiste, who is also Chair of the RSC, said he has set aside 30 minutes on the RSC agenda for the presentation.

School Superintendent Maria Geryk handed out a draft "timeline" that shows the Regional School Committee voting on the matter at their March 10th meeting where it will require a two-thirds vote to pass.

Then it will be up to the four member towns -- Amherst, Pelham, Leverett, and Shutesbury -- to pass at their annual spring Town Meetings two questions:  Should the Regional Agreement be amended to allow for this new expanded Regional entity?  And if this new entity is allowed to form do we wish to join?

Interestingly enough, Amherst, who makes up the vast majority of the Region, will only vote the first question because in the body of the amendment it states that the new Region can only be formed if Amherst and one other town decide in favor.

But if even one of the other three towns votes No to the first question the issue is dead, because to amend the current 50+ year old Regional Agreement all four towns have to vote yes.

The only two Amherst residents in attendence last night both spoke about the lack of transparancy and outreach to the citizens of Amherst over the past three years, and another spectator, Dan Hayes from Shutesbury, complained, "I've had no information or input over the years, even though I requested it -- and I'm a school committee member!"

It is odd of course that this process has dragged on for over three years with little to no public relations efforts and yet now they want it voted up-or-down within the next four months.  

Regional Agreement Working Group 9:45 PM

Cowards die 1,000 deaths, Heroes But 1

Stephane Charbonnier:
"I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees."

A Good Day For Amherst

Amherst Town Manager John Musante, Governor Patrick, Stan Rosenberg 10/21/14

Today was a good day for local government: Dave Sullivan took his oath of office as Northwestern District Attorney, our "top cop" so to speak, and Amherst's own Stan Rosenberg ascended to President of the 189th Massachusetts Senate.

The Eastern centric State Legislature will have a hard time ignoring Western Massachusetts over the next few years.

And since Stan is a proud UMass graduate, good news for our flagship of higher education and the town they call home.

Unfortunately Stan's ceremony was marred by the collapse of his long time friend, well known UMass Journalism Professor Ralph Whitehead.

Fortunately staff on hand knew how to use a defibrillator and it sounds like they got him to Mass General Hospital in time.

Journey For Justice

Northwestern District Attorney Dave Sullivan kicks off his 5th year as DA

If Dave Sullivan had not pursued a career in the pubic sector legal system he would have made a formidable journalist.

Echoing the sacred mission of journalism to "give voice to the voiceless," Dave Sullivan noted his office gives voice to children who are victims of sexual abuse, and gives voice to all the other most vulnerable members of our community: elders, disabled, battered women and victims of violent crime.

 APD Chief Scott Livingstone (far left) in attendance

Taking note that the legal system must not just be one of punishment, Sullivan pointed out that we have to effectively deal with the "root cause of crime" -- poverty, racism, substance abuse, mental health issues and "just plain ignorance."

But by far his strongest criticism for crime contributors was directed squarely at drug companies like Perdue Pharmaceuticals (maker of OxyContin) who market pain medication like "M & Ms at the local convenience store."



Dave Sullivan was first elected Northwestern District Attorney four years ago, moving up from his position of Hampshire Register of Probate, where he was credited with increasing the efficiency and transparency of that office.

While he had no experience as a prosecutor his highly respected managerial style is to bring in the best and then let them do their jobs.

 Assistant District Attorneys sworn in

In a 15 minute post swearing in speech this morning at the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield Dave Sullivan exuded his passion for justice, crediting and thanking his deceased parents for instilling in him that family value.

And he also publicly thanked his wife, Catherine Hancock, humbly noting,"without that kind of support, you really can't be where you want to be in life."

Not often you get hugged by a Judge in Superior Court (let alone four of them)

Party House of the Weekend

Christian Rivera stands before Judge O'Grady

No matter how much you like "Stand By Me," if a police officer tells you to turn it down, you should probably turn it down.

 Click to enlarge/read

Mr. Rivera, age 21, did not -- and as a result was arrested by APD for violation of Amherst noise  bylaw.

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday he took the standard "diversion" program, having the criminal matter diverted to a civil matter in exchange for paying the $300 noise ticket and promising to stay out of trouble in the near future.

Although, since he's a UMass student, Rivera will also have to answer to the UMass Dean of Students Office as all arrests and/or Noise & Nuisance tickets issued by APD automatically get referred to Enku Gelaye for review.

Had the violation occurred on campus UMPD probably would have issued Mr. Rivera one of the new tickets they are using to speed up the process of dealing with Student Code of Conduct violations.

Click to enlarge/read

 UMass violation ticket

Only in the past few years did UMass e-x-t-e-n-d the Code of Conduct to include off campus activities such as noise and nuisance complaints handled by the understaffed Amherst Police Department.

The Electronic Age

Jim Pistrang pitches his electronic voting idea to Amherst Select Board

256-year-old Amherst Town Meeting could amble into the 21st Century if a majority of the 240+ members support the recommendation of the newly announced Amherst Town Meeting Electronic Voting Committee this coming fall.

The seven member group is the brainchild of Town Meeting Moderator Jim Pistrang, and he will be joined by Town Clerk Sandra Burgess, an IT staff person, one member of the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee and three at large members (not necessarily current Town Meeting members).

According to Mr. Pistrang electronic voting will serve to facilitate three equally important crucial things: accuracy, accountability and efficiency.

The committee will research the best system to fit the needs of Amherst, determine the total cost, and come up with wording to revise current bylaws governing Town Meeting to allow for electronic voting.

And they will draft a warrant article for the 2015 Fall Special Town Meeting to purchase the gadgets, which, if approved, would then go into full use at the 2016 Spring Annual Town Meeting.

As a sales pitch the committee will also put on a demonstration for the Fall Town Meeting showing how the system works prior to their vote (taken in the old fashioned manner -- either voice vote, standing vote, or tally vote).

 Standing vote 5/7/14 Town Meeting

The Select Board unanimously supported the idea to form the committee.

Now if we could just downsize Town Meeting by w-a-y more than half, to say 60, we could save money on the new system, increase accountability even more, and actually make members compete for their seats.

Don't Do The Crime

Thomas F. Bridges stands before Judge William O'Grady (from the lock up)

If you're going to break into the same house to commit a crime for the second time in less than a week you should think twice about wearing an item of clothing stolen in the original Breaking & Entering, as the owner may recognize it ... even something not normally all that visible:  underwear.

A neighbor on Lincoln Avenue called Amherst police early Saturday night to report a suspicious party in dark clothing "pacing and back and forth" at the rear of the house next door.  The first officer on scene noted fresh tracks in the snow leading to a basement door.

When the officer spotted a dark figure through the window he drew his service revolver and asked the person to come out, but he promptly fled deeper into the house.  Another officer ran into him trying to sneak out the back door, but he again withdrew back into the house.

Amherst police called for backup from UMass PD who arrived with two patrol officers and two detectives and Hadley PD also assisted with their K9 unit.  Officers stormed the house but the perp was nowhere to be seen, having climbed into the attic damaging the ceiling in the process (thus garnering the "destruction of property" charge).

By this time the owner of the home arrived and recognized the underwear worn by the intruder, as having been stolen on the New Year's eve break in.  Police arrested Thomas Bridges, age 25.

Thomas Bridges (mugshot)

Click to enlarge/read

In Eastern Hampshire District Court this morning the Commonwealth asked Judge William O'Grady to set cash bail at a whopping $10,000 because Mr. Bridges was on parole for two different criminal cases and the Assistant DA also pointed out he had 60 items on his criminal record.

Judge O'Grady set cash bail at $5,000 and continued the case until later this month.  Thomas Bridges was transported back to the Hampshire County Jail & House of Corrections to await trial.  

APD Statement of Facts filed in Court

APD on scene Lincoln Avenue  with Hadley and UMass PD Saturday night 8:45 PM