Flag Flap

The Confederate Battle Flag under fire ... again

As seems to be the norm whenever there's a flag controversy anywhere in the "land of the free" there's a parallel with out little college town.  Take flag removal for instance.

Yesterday an activist shimmied up a 30 foot flagpole to remove the Confederate flag from a Civil War monument on public grounds in South Carolina.

She had to use tree climbing gear because the flag is fixed at that position all the way up, hence it cannot be brought down to half-staff, or all the way down for easy removal.

In Amherst back in 2004, days after the relection of President Bush, a local woman -- also known as an "activist" -- removed a flag from immediately in front of Amherst Town Hall, just below the United Nations flag.

Of course in her case it was pretty easy to accomplish since the flag is attached to a pulley system.

She mistakenly thought the flag of Puerto Rico was the state flag of Texas put up to honor the reelection of George W. Bush, and took matters into her own naive hands.

The flag pole in front of Town Hall, erected in 1972 to specifically fly the UN flag, somewhat routinely flies other flags under it for special commemorations including the Rainbow Flag that briefly replaced it after gay marriage was first legalized in our state many years ago.  

Recently the Black Liberation Flag was flown to commemorate Black History Month, or the Children's Flag flies in April to raise awareness for National Child Abuse Prevention month.  And yes, the Puerto Rican flag still flies annually as well. 

The Children's Memorial Flag flies in April under the UN flag

Perhaps we can get the ACLU to create a First Amendment flag so we can be reminded or our sacred duty to uphold it no matter how messy the going gets.

Redundant perhaps, since that is precisely what the American flag represents.


The BIG American Flag will fly for July 4th in town center as will the 29 commemorative flags

"The Lot"

Amherst Town Common as designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1874

Yes, that swath of green space south of College Street directly in front of Amherst College Converse Memorial Library is part of the original Amherst Town Common.

Click photos to enlarge

Olmsted was invited to town by Austin Dickinson on behalf of Amherst Ornamental Tree Association

Back in 1927 Amherst Town Meeting voted in favor or Article 27:

“To see if the Town will vote to relinquish the care and use of that portion of the common at the center of the town which is southerly from College Street, to the Trustees of Amherst College for their use for park purposes only, and to allow said trustees to construct a crosswalk thereon, and plant suitable shrubbery, it being understood and agreed that the area herein described shall at all times be neatly cared for and maintained or take other action thereon.”

Amherst College is therefor caretaker of the property, but not the owner.

Interestingly enough the original Amherst Town Common extends south all the way down to the railroad tracks (now the Norwottuck Rail Trail) where Amherst Farmers Supply has been located for 70 years.

Common area south and below The Octagon and in front of Memorial Hall is part of the original Town Common

Green in front of AC Alumni Gym is also part of original Town Common

Olmsted originally wanted to level the hill where Octagon now sits so folks in town center could better view Holyoke Mountain Range

Amherst is currently considering much needed basic repairs and improvements to the historic North Common located directly in town center.  Within the next few weeks a $500,000+ proposal will be submitted to the state for possible 70% reimbursement.  

If that grant proposal is turned down (as it was three years ago) maybe Amherst Town Meeting should vote to "relinquish the care and use of that portion of the common" to Amherst College.  

North Common in front of Town Hall and Grace Church is far more forested than the rest of the Town Common

North Amherst Center Reboot

Pine/Meadow/North Pleasant streets (middle). Sunderland & Montague Road slightly north

About 75 residents and town officials packed into the new Amherst Survival Center building directly opposite long-time anchor business Cowls Building Supply for a public hearing on what to do with the intersection of Montague and Sunderland road that meet directly in front of the North Amherst Library.

 North Amherst Center public forum was standing room only

The Cecil Group study completed four years ago identified the somewhat complicated meeting of five roads within the circumference of a rotary as a prime candidate for being "reconfigured and redesigned."

And since then the general area has only become busier with The Mill District coming on line, the Survival Center moved into their new building on Sunderland Road, and the PVTA  increased bus service to that location. 

Town officials presented four options, one better than "Let's Make A Deal:"

 Option #1

Door #1 would be only the slightest of changes, making the right onto Montague Road (going north) a little more than just a swoop where you can take it at warp speed, and making it a little more like a 90 degree intersection to slow you down.  

The next three options would all require taking/buying property immediately behind the North Amherst Library.   And since that property has a long history of association with automobiles, there are probably brownfield concerns.

Option #2 (green space indicates taking out concrete replacing with grass)

Option #3

Option #4

The Planning Board, Public Works Committee and Transportation Plan Task Force will all come up with "recommendations" but the Amherst Select Board, as "keepers of the public way," have final authority.

But obviously they will take into consideration the desires of those who live in the neighborhood and commuters who routinely travel through the area.

Downside of offering four choices, however, is that it's all but guaranteed the final choice will not please everyone.

Disrespect

Cook Fountain, Sweetser Park

As mothers have angrily said for generations, "That's why we can't have nice things!"  The Enos Cook Memorial Fountain in Sweetser Park is not only historic, but it's beautiful.

A little less so now after vandals tagged it with graffiti. 

Nitwit needs spell check

And situated almost dead in the center of town on a direct route to the Emily Dickinson Homestead/Museum, it gets a lot of traffic from folks interested in the history of Amherst.

Or families, coming to Sweetser Park to briefly be together with no other agenda besides being a family.

It's getting to the point where the town needs to install cameras to cover all public places.  Or attack drones.

Making The North Common Uncommon

From above the North Common looks more like a forest

North Common is a square island of green bordered by concrete on all sides

A dozen citizens turned out last night for the public hearing concerning the North Common, which outgoing Amherst Historical Commission Chair Mike Hanke deemed "forgotten territory," but he also pointed out it's "the centerpiece of our town."

 Only 1 downtown business person attended

Discussion centered around making the area "more inviting," like Sweetser Park which is wide open, sunny and has the beautiful Cook Fountain as a centerpiece.

 Sweetser Park was laid out by Amherst Town Common designer Frederick Law Olmsted and his son did the final design implementation

North Common does have a historic 1904 water fountain donated by Young Women's Temperance Union, but it is broken

The Public Shade Tree Committee attended and lamented the condition of many of the trees due to soil erosion and heavy foot traffic in and around exposed roots.

 The most ailing maple will need to have lights removed before it can be taken down safely

 Current Merry Maple (rt) is healthy

At least three trees -- including the oldest and largest in the center of the North Common are ailing and could come down in the near future, whether the town does renovations to the North Common or not.

 Biggest tree on the North Common (125+ years old) is not doing well

 Railroad ties used to box in trees are rotting

At least two other trees were planted as "living memorials", one -- a Tulip tree -- for former Town Manager Allen Torrey and the other a Norway Maple planted by the Valley Peace Center in 1969 to remember "casualties of the Vietnam war."

  Tulip tree planted for Amherst's first official Town Manager,  Allen Torrey

Unlike trees, plaques will be easy to move

The town will be applying for a PARC grant within the next three weeks and should hear back by the Fall.  Other than necessary tree removal the renovation of the North Common is dependent on the grant, which reimburses the town 70% of the cost.  

Town was turned down three years ago for such a grant proposal of $500,000

Drainage problems near town center and antiquated electricity hook up

Anyone who runs their own business will agree, "You only get one chance to make a good first impression."  The North Common is indeed the centerpiece of our town -- and has been for 140 years. 

Grant or no grant, it's time for a sprucing up.  Let's put a smile on the face of Amherst. 

Variety of Alleged Assaults

Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown

In addition to handling arraignments for arrests from Amherst and other local police departments (and State PD) a District Court Judge also routinely hears parole violations, magistrate appeals over civil motor vehicle violations and 258E restraining orders.

On Monday morning  Robert Chiado was arraigned before before Judge John Payne on the scary sounding charge of a"assault and battery with a dangerous weapon", an ax.  Although at his arraignment the Assistant District Attorney told the Judge, "It was just a threat, there was no active use of the ax."

Robert Chiodo, age 47, stands before Judge John Payne

He was arrested early Saturday morning for threatening two individuals with the ax after he drove his truck close to them on State Street and one of them slapped the truck with his hand. Right out of a horror movie Chiodo pulled over, exited his vehicle brandishing the ax.

He spent the next two nights at the Hampshire County Jail in Northampton but was released by Judge Payne on his own recognisance and will appear again in Court on July 21.  As he was being released the Judge's assistant asked the prosecution if there were "56A allegations" to which he replied "no."

So I was a little surprised when I returned for my public document request a few hours later and was told the police "Statement of Facts" had been "impounded."  Turns out it had nothing to do with the new 56A law, which forbids any release of information regarding "domestic abuse," but simply because one of the victims was a juvenile.

I asked why the Clerk's office couldn't simply redact the one name but was told that's not the way it works.

After Mr. Chiodo was being led out of the "lock up" on the side of the court room, Judge Payne transitioned to a 258E protection order and all eyes shifted to the front of the room where most Court business is transacted.

A gentleman introduced himself politely to Judge Payne and stated he was from the US Attorney's Office representing the Department of Homeland Security.

He basically told the Judge he was present today to ensure no special agent's testify in the case now before the Judge because the Department of Homeland Security had not yet completed their investigation and had not issued permission for any of their employees to testify.

The Judge had issued an emergency harassment order last week to a woman and today's hearing was for an extension of that Court order.  A female agent had sought protection against a male agent for bad behavior occurring at their 1550 Main Street office in Springfield.

She had brought with her another special agent from the same office to testify as a witness, and the male defendant had another "local attorney" assigned to him by the Department of Justice who told the Judge he simply wanted this hearing "continued."

He was working to get the matter transferred to a Federal Court.

Judge Payne continued the hearing until July 21 but did extend until then the 258E protection order -- no contact, no abuse, and "stay away" at least 100 yards.

One of the attorney's confirmed the defendant had been transferred from the Springfield to the Hartford office until the matter is resolved. 

I guess this shows the Department of Homeland Security is pretty much like any workplace in America.  With the 14th anniversary of 9/11 fast approaching, not an overly comforting thought.

Finally: More Housing

Presidential Apartments are located in the shadow of UMass/Amherst

The long permitted (1966) expansion of Presidential Apartments, an 85 unit complex built in the 1960s, is taking shape as 8 of the 9 new buildings are now up.

This expansion will add 54 units of badly needed housing, 12 one-bedroom and 42 two-bedroom.

In addition -- even more desperately needed -- six of those units will be "affordable," thus adding to the town's Subsidized Housing Index which currently stands at just over 11%.

If the town should fall below 10% it would then open up the possibility of a Chapter 40B housing development that bypasses local zoning ordinances as long as the project is 20% "affordable."

This will be the first project that results in affordable units built under the town's ten year old Inclusionary Zoning Article 15, which mandates 10% of units in a development requiring a Special Permit must be "affordable."

According to property manager Pat Kamins,  "All 54 units should be on line for move in on 9/1/15."

Click to enlarge