Two Sides To Every Story

Peter Hechenbleikner and Alisa Brewer at last night's SB meeting

At last night's Select Board meeting, after confirming a new Town Manager, Chair Alisa Brewer brought up the school issue that has caused consternation over the past ten weeks and has now grown into a full fledged public relations nightmare.

School Committee member Vira Douangmany Cage issued Amherst and Pelham officials a vitriolic statement urging them to address the Aisha Hiza school stay away order as a social justice issue.  And to remain silent is to endorse the injustice.

After a brief discussion the board asked Temporary Town Manager Pete Hechenbleikner to write up a response for their June 6th meeting although Ms. Brewer seemed to suggest a resolution of the matter may happen before then.

In response Mr. Hechenbleikner said, "Select Board is not privy to a lot of the details.  If social injustice is being done then silence is not appropriate.  I know more than the Select Board, and there’s no social injustice being done."

Aisha Hiza begs to differ:

Click to enlarge/read

School Committee Coup D'etat?

Trevor Baptiste (right), Superintendent Maria Geryk (left)

The first half hour of last week's Regional School Committee meeting was taken up by an attempt to "reorganize" the Committee i.e. vote in a new chair, coincidentally enough to replace one who is on Maria Geryk's enemies list.

During Public Comment at the RSC April 12 meeting Mr. Baptiste allowed friends, supporters and fellow ARHS grads to read a letter decrying Aisha Hiza's ban from all Regional school grounds for advocating on behalf of her bullied child.

Some members and school officials thought it was out of order since the incident originated at Pelham Elementary School which is not part of the Region and therefor beyond the purview of the Regional Committee.

Geryk started the meeting as Chair and immediately wished for them to "reorganize."   Chair Trevor Baptiste was having none of it and the bickering began.

Geryk was relying on a previous tradition where the Region would reorganize after local town elections as well as state law that says committees must do so within ten days of said elections, which happened more than a month ago.

But Baptiste pointed out that law does not apply because the Regional Committee is not elected they are appointed by the local school committees and his town, Pelham, has yet to appoint one of their members to the Region.

Amherst School Committee Chair (and automatic member of the Region) Katherine Appy pressed for the reorganization although she told Mr. Baptiste it was nothing personal.  

Interestingly at yesterday's Joint Capital Planning Committee meeting, composed of two members each from the Finance Committee, Select Board, Library and School Committee, one School Committee member was MIA.

 Joint Capital Planning Committee yesterday (minus one School Committee member)

Ms. Appy told the JCPC that Rick Hood had not run for reelection in the March 29 election and the School Committee (which has met twice since then) has not yet appointed one of their own to replace him on the JCPC.

With neither side seeming to budge a compromise motion was made and approved to have the Regional School Committee reorganization take place at their June 14th meeting, and by then Pelham would have appointed a member to the Region.

I'll be bringing popcorn to that meeting (and a fire extinguisher).

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.

 Click to enlarge/read

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

 Click to enlarge/read

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

Click to enlarge/read

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

 Click to enlarge/read

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.