This Blessed Day

Bikes line up in front of McGuirk Stadium

The weather this morning could not be any more blessed for a long motorcycle ride.   And with AFD Chaplain Bruce Arbour's official blessing under their belts the 19 riders who left from UMass McGuirk Stadium are sure to have a blessed ride over the 100+ mile course.
 

The blessing of the bikes

Jackass 3 -- named for David Bennett Sr.'s propensity to use it as a term of endearment with his many friends and family and not for the hijinks of the movie franchise -- raises money ($1,487) for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in his memory.

 Riders exited onto University Drive

If today is any indication, memories of David Bennett Sr. will live on for a very long time. 

Living Building Taking Shape

 

Foundation and parking lot of new building at Hampshire College 

 

The Hitchcock Center's new super efficient 9,000 square foot "Living Building" on the grounds of Hampshire College seems to be coming along just fine.  The facility is expected to open in the Fall of 2016.

Hitchcock Center current building is too small

The Hitchcock Center has been leading the charge on environmental education since 1962, and currently operate out of the town owned building a few miles up the road at 525 South Pleasant Street.

They have a lease there until 2020.

Hitchcock Center current building according to new town Building Inventory 

 Town DPW is installing road/driveway over on the left as part of a previous deal relating to Atkins Corner roundabout construction a couple years ago

Another Metamorphosis

Hess Express now Speedway 486 West Street, South Amherst

Just when I get used to calling the long time,  always busy, convenience store in South Amherst by its new name they go and get bought out and change their name again.

When I first opened my business next door over 30 years ago it was a Dairy Mart, then DB Mart, then Volaro, then Hess Express and now Speedway.

The most recent metamorphosis is pretty much like all the rest: Speedway purchased 1,200 Hess Express stores for $2.8 billion dollars and simply changed the signage.  Although I'm sure the one over the front entry will get a better, more permanent one soon.

With the perfect location, location, location of this store on Rt 116 (West Street) it has never gone out of business due to a lack of business. Probably the only other store in Amherst with the same daily volume is the Cumberland Farms on Rt 9  (College Street), East Amherst.

Interestingly in the past couple years both of these locations tried to acquire a beer/wine permit, but the Select Board (acting as Liquor Commissioners) turned them down.

Concerns centered on nearby mom-and-pop liquor stores being negatively impacted and -- because they do such convenient high volume sales -- it could put liquor in the wrong hands at the wrong time, like just before getting behind the wheel of a car.

Having an even larger player now in place at that prime location can only benefit the South Amherst Village Center.   

Well I Love That Dirty Water

Umass Campus Center Pond this morning

Students returning to our beloved UMass campus over the next few weeks will find a (hopefully) cleaner Campus Center Pond, as contractors are now performing "hydro-raking" at the behest of the Physical Plant as part of their pond maintenance program.

Although, safe to say, the Campus Center Pond will never rival Puffer's Pond as a swimming hole.

Hot Run/Ride In The City

Torch Run starts at APD headquarters 111 Main Street Saturday at 7:00 PM

To heck with running with the bulls, running with the cops is a lot safer. And for a good cause:  The Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Special Olympics.

On Saturday evening at 7:00 PM a joint production of Amherst Police Department, UMass PD and the Hampden County Sheriff's Department kicks off in front of the station for a 3 mile jaunt through our picturesque downtown to UMass Southwest, which is being used as the Athlete Village for Special Olympics.

U3 Advisers Town Gown Report (Yeah, they borrowed my photo)

This Torch Run was cited by U3 advisers in their $60,000 consulting report on town/gown issues as an example of cooperation between the town and our flagship University.   Just one of many examples of "community policing" that makes our local departments shine, like a torch in the night.

Torch is fired up (2011)

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is not the only memorable benefit happening on Saturday.  Amherst Fire Department personnel will be taking part in a motorcycle ride, aka "Jackass 3," to benefit National Fallen Firefighter Foundation and honor/remember beloved AFD fallen member David Bennett Sr.

The ride starts at UMass McGuirk Stadium Saturday morning at 10:00 AM.  The weather on Saturday for both events is expected to be perfect!

Cherry Hill Golf Course: Wasted Resource

Cherry Hill absorbs a lot of sun, and tax dollars

For perhaps the first time in its entire history of municipal operation (1987) the Cherry Hill Golf Course came in under budget for expenditures consuming "only" $240,866 of its $242,949 operation budget.

Of course, also as usual, the Golf Course missed revenues by a fairway generating only $211,680 on a budget built on a $268,000 intake. So the simple math indicates Cherry Hill lost "only" $29,186.

 Click to enlarge/read

 Not shown:  $5,046 in insurance

But, as usual, that's only half the sad story. In addition to the $240,866 operation budget the White Elephant Golf business also required $39,721 in Employee Benefits, $12,500 in Capital Appropriations (lawnmower) and $5,046 in Insurance.

Or a grand total spent on golf in FY15 of $298,133 against a pitiful intake of $211,680 -- or a loss of $86,453.   Coming on the heels of a $103,964 loss last year (which could have been better spent hiring two Public Safety professionals).

 War Memorial Park former wading pool (middle/right) is now UFO landing zone

Meanwhile the wading pool at War Memorial Park was ripped out by the DPW last winter and the play equipment is as old as the Town Manager.

 60+ year old Groff Park Wading Pool needs (too much) expensive repair

And the wading pool at Groff Park is on its last legs, losing half the volume of water and requiring a 5 gallon bucket of chlorine every other day due to extensive leakage.

Last year the Town Manager sent a memo to the Select Board saying it was perhaps time to once again look at leasing out Cherry Hill to a private vendor.

At least that way it would generate tax money rather than consume it.  Amherst Golf Course, owned by Amherst College, paid the town $19,158 in property taxes for their successful golf business last year.

 Hadley Solar Array in the middle of a corn field

Better yet, since the town prides itself on being a "Green Community" the expansive swath of God's green earth should be put out to bid for a Solar Array.

Town Hall parking lot with 2 spaces reserved for electric vehicles (still awaiting final installation)

Breach? What Breach?

Attorney Regina W. Tate

So at $225/hour I guess it's a good thing that the Public Schools attorney Regina Tate is so succinct.

Her not overly prompt response to the NAACP complaint about a "substantial breach" of the 1993 "Consent Decree" was certainly short and to the point.

Just say no.

   NAACP complaint Amherst Schools