Who's In Charge?

Charter Commission opened with a moment of silence for Stan Ziomek

If aliens were to lay seige to our little college town, Thursday night would not have been a great time to attack as we had three Town Managers on site -- former 23 year occupant of Town Hall's top floor Barry Del Castilho, current Temporary Town Manager Pete Hechenbleikner and about-to-be Town Manger Paul Bockelman.

Pete Hechenbleikner, Barry Del Castilho, Andy Steinberg

Of course that could also bring up the old concern about, "too many cooks spoiling the broth."

At the Charter Commission meeting Thursday night the nine Commissioners interviewed Del Castilho, Hochenbleikner, and Select Board Vice Chair Andy Steinberg about the executive function of our current antiquated town government.

The usual questions interviewees will hear over and over is what works and doesn't work now, and how can we make it better?

Naturally Representative Town Meeting -- our oversized,  unrepresentative, legislative branch -- is a key concern, as is the power of a Town Manager vs that of a Mayor.

Interestingly Del Castilho, with 23 years experience as our Town Manager, thought a mayor gets more respect in Boston -- even a weak mayor.

Mr. Hechenbleikner on the other hand thought legislators in Boston treated town managers with the same respect as mayors.  But he thought our current Town Meeting could definitely be improved as the Amherst "legislative process is unusually difficult"

He went on to say, "Town Meeting artificially focuses activity into two periods of the year.  Most government functions grind to a halt during Town Meeting.  Other forms of government spread it out over a year."

Both Hechnbleikner and Steinberg championed the notion of "stability" of a town manager vs a mayor who faces reelection every two years.  Of course the Charter Commission can enact a minimum four year term for the mayor, which is the average nationwide.

And while Del Castilho served admirably for 23 years some officials seem to have forgotten Larry Shaffer (or blocked it out) who served not so admirably for only four years.

One of the key areas of concern for any chief executive in a "college town" is how to get that tax exempt college or university to pay their fair share for public services provided by the town.  Something Mayor Dave Narkewicz has seen success with recently in our sister city to the west, Northampton.

 Our new Town Manager Paul Bockelmen (starts August 22) was in the audience

Mr. Bockelman peeved Select Board Chair Alisa Brewer during the interview process when he spoke about the inadvertent impact of UMass on the town as being like Godzilla's tail on Tokyo.

Specifically he cited expenses relating to children from UMass tax-exempt housing coming into our public schools, something Superintendent Maria Geryk estimated cost taxpayers over $1 million per year.

All three of the executive branch panelists agreed about how critical it is for strong "collaboration" between the Town Manager and Select Board.

Brown Baby Brown

Community/Ziomek Field, War Memorial pool, ARHS track & field

Let's hope Mother Nature provides some serious irrigation for our tired fields and lawns as well as a break from the hot weather. Our neighbor to the west, Northampton, enacted a water ban weeks ago, but naturally in our little college town it's a bit more complicated.

 State officials are considering measures should the drought continue

The Select Board has to approve it first and they don't meet again until July 18th. And the Town Manager implements that policy decision and our temporary Town Manager works Mon - Wednesday.

Now if only we had a Mayor who lived in town ...

 Owens Pond:  Town officials do not recommend swimming

Gull Pond:  Yuk

Black & Blue Lives Matter

The crowd gathered on the historic North Common near Town Hall

They formed a large circle and interlocked hands and arms

The demonstration on the Amherst Town Common to protest two recent killings of black men by police was planned before the horrific events of last night, where five Dallas police officers were murdered in cold blood.

 Amilcar Shabazz being interviewed by local TV station

The peaceful event this evening drew a large crowd of nearly 200 participants of every age, gender, and ethnicity.

Prominent local black activists addressed the somber gathering from inside the circle and Trevor Baptiste asked them to pray for ALL the victims of senseless violence this week both black and white.

 Kathleen Anderson, Amilcar Shabazz, Trevor Baptiste

Amherst police presence was practically non existent, although a Massachusetts State Police helicopter ambled around the common a few times low and slow before leaving the scene.

MSP Air 1

Meanwhile the main town flag on the common is flying at half staff for the next five days at Governor Baker's order,  "in honor of the five fallen officers in Dallas, TX."

DUI Dishonor Roll X Two

About one-third of drivers arrested for drunk driving are repeat offenders

Amherst and Belchertown police each took an impaired driver off the road last weekend and in each case it was the perp's second offense.  Of course with Mass law the 3rd time is the charm, where the potentially deadly violation becomes a felony offense. 

 Gregory White, age 32 (APD booking photo)

Click to enlarge/read

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Tuesday both defendants had their cases continued to next month.

Gregory Glenn age 28

All You Need Is Love

Dallas slaughter of five officers greatest loss of life for police since 9/11

Shots fired in Dallas!  Again.

Fifty three years ago, an ambush on a slow moving Presidential motorcade sent our nation into a prolonged period of shock and grief.  Dallas would become branded as the "City of Hate".

Last night that hate manifested itself once again in a cold hearted, calculated attack on men and women in blue just doing their job, killing five.

Ironically those officers were originally on scene to oversee a citizen protest of two horrific police involved shootings of black men.

And even as officers tried desperately to tend to their own fallen comrades others risked their lives to ensure the safety of those citizens who had gathered to protest them in the first place. Because that's the nature of their calling.

At the height of the Vietnam war demonstrators used the catchphrase, "Killing for peace is like fucking for chastity."  Indeed.

Peacekeepers killing innocent civilians is wrong, as is ambushing peacekeepers just doing their job.  Or as my Irish mother used to say, "Two wrongs don't make a right."

To peacefully gather and petition our government for a "redress of grievances" is one of the most sacred rights we have as Americans. 

This outbreak of senseless violence threatens to bring about the exact opposite:  martial law.

A sad state affairs, here in the "land of the free."

Off The Streets (For Now)

APD arrests Paul Scace, age 54, June 30th at CVS

Paul Scace a "frequent flyer" with our first responders who lists his address as "streets of Amherst" was sentenced to ten days in the House of Correction after he pleaded "guilty" yesterday to the charge of "trespass" at the CVS in town center.

 Paul Scace (APD booking photo)

Which means he will not be out in time for the July 14th town sponsored community forum on homelessness .

One For Two

Centrally located Amity Street lot should reopen tomorrow

Our downtown is about half done with construction projects as the most popular downtown parking lot, adjacent to Amherst Cinema and the Jones Library, reopens for business (any minute now).

But construction continues in the north end of downtown as our DPW is preparing the area for the removal of ugly above ground utility poles, which hopefully will be completed before the lifeblood of our community -- college aged youth -- come flocking back to town the middle of next month.

 Triangle/East Pleasant intersection yesterday.  Next year will become roundabout