Is Silence Ignoring?

 Trevor Baptiste, Vira Douangmany Cage, Regional School Committee

Select Board Chair Alisa Brewer briefly allowed a discussion about a strongly worded email they received today from School Committee member Vira Douangmany Cage asking why they have remained silent on the matter of Aisha Hiza.

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Ms. Hiza you may remember was issued a "stay away" order on March 15 by Amherst Regional Public School Superintendent Maria Geryk after she vigorously demanded school officials do something about the bullying of her young daughter at Pelham Elementary School.

School Superintendents have extraordinary power when it comes to issuing such an order, kind of like the combined power of a Clerk Magistrate and District Court Judge, but without much due process.

 Alisa Brewer:  "Silence is not ignoring.  We're not taking the easy way out"

   
The Select Board tasked Temporary Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner with coming up with a statement by their June 6th meeting so they can't be accused of remaining silent.  Mr. Hechenbleikner told the Select Board he "knew more than they did, and there's no social injustice being done."

Chair Alisa Brewer said "We are supportive of solving the stay awat order as quickly as possible" and then added, "The situation has been a very tension filled conversation across the community."

That it has. 

Bockelman It Is

Paul Bockelman, new Town Manager

After about 20 minutes sequestered away in a side office room adjacent to the Town Room the Amherst Select Board returned from executive session to confirm Paul Bockelman as new Town Manager for three years starting August 22, right around the time our beloved students come flocking back to town.

Select Board retreated behind closed doors 

Mr. Bockelman would know that of course since he lived in town as a college student who graduated from Hampshire College many years ago.

Yes, it would have been a little better if the term of the contract was only two years because now Town Meeting loyalists will use that last year buyout as an excuse to vote against a Charter Change, switching our form of government from Select Board/Town Manager/Town Meeting to Mayor/Council.

Three Year Employment Contract

 Town Press Release

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Select Board member Connie Kruger signing the contract

DUI Dishonor Roll

3x as many males were arrested for drunk driving than females in 2014

Amherst Police made no arrests for drunk driving over the long holiday weekend, a time when alcohol consumption probably goes up a tad.

Although, like rowdy student behavior, that can be weather related and Memorial Day itself was a bit wet for outdoor barbecues.

One arrest did occur in Amherst, however, by Amherst College Police Department.  Yes, they do have power of arrest and will sometimes come to the aid of our police on busy nights when APD low staffing inhibits proper responses.

 John Bedford, age 32, stands before Judge O'Grady

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In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Tuesday both individuals decided to hire their own private attorney and will appear again for pre-trail in July.

 Brett Rogers, age 22, stands before Judge O'Grady

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In & Out Sweets

Insomnia Cookies opened last week in time for the Community Fair

Town center -- the heart of our business district -- lost a somewhat established business but gained a new one to keep things in balance.  Such is the trying nature of small business.

 For sale or lease

FroyoWorld frozen yogurt opened a few years ago in direct competition with GoBerry pretty much across the street, but now their freezers are shut down.

Amherst is not so much a mecca for frozen treats as iconic Ben & Jerry's couldn't survivive in the downtown and equally revered Bart's Ice Cream was saved by a last minute buyout and their name change to Amherst Ice Cream.

The big advantage with cookies is they are easy to deliver, which I'm sure will make up the major portion of Insomnia Cookies business.

After all, who doesn't like warm cookies delivered to your door at 3:00 AM?

3 Strikes

Claude Bolling (poster at Town Hall)

Besides tying up ambulances for frequent transports to the hospital, scaring away customers in the downtown and leaving unsightly debris in their favorite haunts another problem with our homeless population is some of them can be downright dangerous.

Over the weekend APD arrested Claude Bolling for Assault & Battery on a family member.

Because of the two year old domestic abuse law designed to protect victims the justice system will not release any paperwork concerning that crime.

But Mr. Bolling had two other charges.

In Eastern Hampshire District Court today in front of Judge William O'Grady he had his bail revoked for the previous offense of "failing to register as a sex offender" (which has to be done annually) and he had a Superior Court Warrant outstanding for a probation violation.

He is currently being held for up to 90 days in the House of Correction on the bail revocation, so he will not see the "streets of Amherst" for a while. 

School Ban Battle Escalates

Aisha Hiza (overcoming obstacles)

It has now been 10 weeks since a stay away order was summarily imposed on Aisha Hiza after she repeatedly demanded Pelham School officials find a way to keep her young daughter safe from bullying.

Last month, after media inquiries, Superintendent Maria Geryk stated she would not release any information unless Aisha Hiza signed a release, which her attorney advised her not to do.

And thus far she has not signed such a release.

But on Friday, Amherst Regional Public School officials broke their silence on this sad affair ... and it did not take long for Aisha to respond (scroll down Scribd document for her response).

   School Ban War of Words

Click headline "School Ban War of Words" to go to Scribd to better read documents

Amherst Regional Public Schools Superintendent Maria Geryk

A Grateful Town Remembers

Town flag at half staff Amherst town center

Over 100 people of all ages and walks of life turned out at the VFW Post 754 this morning -- including police, fire, politicians, veterans and families -- to honor and remember all those who have paid the ultimate price to keep us free.

A reminder of course that freedom is never free and must be defended with utmost vigilance, as the men and women of our armed forces have done for 240 years.

 Master of Ceremonies Selectman Doug Slaughter.  Flowers from SB and Boys & Girl Scouts

Guest speaker Ray Elliot, who served four years in the South Pacific, reminded the crowd how far we've come as a nation in the past 100 years.

 Ray Elliot

His father before him, William S Elliot, a Buffalo Soldier, had served in France in WW1 after white commanders in the US refused to lead black soldiers in battle because they questioned their intelligence and bravery.

 William S. Elliot

His all black squadron would go on to win the highest honor France could bestow on troops -- black or white.

Even on that infamous December 7th, "a date which will live in infamy", the US army was still segregated.  Ray Elliot told the hushed audience he was once chased down by a white crowd in Biloxi, Mississippi when he strayed outside the black district, fearing he would be lynched.

Black troops would flash each other a "Double V Victory" sign using both hands to indicate not only victory over the Axis powers trying to enslave the world, but also as a sign of victory over racism at home.  

At the conclusion of his speech, which had centered around respect, he was given a standing ovation.

 State Representative Ellen Story

In her last appearance at a Memorial Day ceremony as our State Representative  Ellen Story reminded us that this somber ceremony tradition started out soon after the Civil War when citizens would visit cemeteries to leave flowers on the graves of the fallen, both Union and Confederate.

Veterans Agent Steven Connor

Steven Connor announced The Healing Wall, a portable version of the iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. will be coming to the Eastern States Exposition this August.

The names of all 58,307 troops killed or MIA, out of 3 million who served during that controversial conflict, are inscribed on the wall so we as a nation can never forget them.

Today we also remembered all those Amherst residents who served their country, lived to tell about it, but have passed away since our last Memorial Day:

 

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