All We Are Saying ...

The weekly Sunday peace crowd was a little larger today in town center

After passing them by thousands of times over the past forty years, today -- for almost the full hour -- I joined them.

No,  it was not to protest the war in Afghanistan, drones taking out targets where ever it is our military drones operate, or the high financial costs of funding our military.

The sign I held aloft said "Stop The Killing", and I hope and pray it's a message everyone can embrace.

 'Twas simply a statement of solidarity with minority citizens who feel unsafe, frustrated and angry over the two highly publicized deaths earlier this week at the hands of police but in equal measures a sign of respect for the five Dallas police officers who had absolutely nothing to do with those two deaths.

Good men with family and friends who love and need them, taken from this world simply because they wear the blue uniform.  Just doing their thankless job, to serve and protect.

 Vira Douangmany Cage recorded my peace protest debut

When Bobby Kennedy broke the news to a large predominantly black crowd in Indiana on April 4, 1968 of the tragic murder of non-violent peace activist Martin Luther King, his aides feared for his safety.

As he delivered his impromptu five minute speech after the initial gasp and wail from the crowd there was nothing but silence and respect for this white man who knew the pain of losing a loved one to senseless violence.

His call for peace and understanding, a heartfelt appeal to their better angels, was embraced.  And Indianapolis was one of the few American cities that did not go up in flames that awful night. 

"Let us dedicate ourselves to that; and say a prayer for our country, and our people."

Public Safety Reinforcements

Fire started on far west side of building, entered the attic, and spread to eastern side

Alpine Commons fire June 4th

When Engine 1 first arrived from Central Station on the scene of an apartment building billowing smoke and fire last month precious minutes were wasted because the only firefighter on board was the driver, who had to wait until Engine 2 arrived with an additional three person crew.

That will likely not happen again if Chief Nelson's (3/25/2016) request for eight additional firefighters is funded by a federal SAFER grant (Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response), which funded five additional firefighters back in 2005.

Minimum on duty staffing would go from the current 7 or 8 per shift up to ten and -- most important -- to maintain a four person engine company.

 Engine 2 (the Quint) has 75' aerial ladder with 1,000 gallon per minute water nozzle

With that better staffed engine team available AFD can then meet the initial response national standard "four firefighting personnel be on scene of a fire within four minutes 80-90% of the time " rather than the current capability of meeting that target goal only 30% of the time.

And like all AFD full time professional firefighters the eight new recruits will be cross trained as paramedics or Advanced EMTs.  Medical calls account for over 75% of total AFD responses.

Currently at 1.15 firefighters per 1,000 population AFD has the lowest staffing ratio in the state for communities up to 40,000 population range and their 148.8 average calls per year per firefighter is the highest in the state.

The current system relies on "call backs" of off-duty career firefighters and then the Call Force (paid part-timers) but with the high cost of housing in Amherst many of these personnel no longer live in town, so it takes them more time to get back here for station coverage or assisting with a structure fire.

 AFD Engine 3, a 1999 pumper, seats 6 (but never sees that capacity met)

The volunteer Student Force operates out of North Station, but only when UMass is in session and they cannot staff an ambulance.

AFD protects Amherst from the ravages of fire but has for over 65 years now also contracted ambulance EMS to Leverett, Pelham, Shutesbury and Hadley.  And UMass/Amherst is pretty much a city unto itself requiring both ambulance and fire protection.

Interestingly UMass has a police force but no fire department, relying instead on Amherst Fire Department, with a total budget of $4.5 million and a staff of 45 full-time firefighters.

Whereas the combined staffing of Amherst Police Department and UMPD is 107 full-time police officers and a combined budget of $10.5 million (half paid by state and other half town funded).

 UMass has over 100 buildings, include five 22 story high rise dormitories

Better AFD staffing would also cut down on mutual aid ambulances needed every year, which averaged 78 per year for the past three years.

Mutual aid ambulances take longer to get here (the closest professional mutual aid partner is 10 miles away with an average response of 12 minutes), and the town losses the $1,000 average billing per call, or $78,000 per year.

Call backs for "station coverage" which now cost between $15 - $20,000 per year would be dramatically reduced as would annual overtime costs of $248,000 or Call Force costs of $75,000.



The SAFER grant would pay all expenses for the eight new personnel for two full years at a cost of a little over $500,000 per year.  Then it would be the town's responsibility to cover employee costs, but there is no requirement to keep all (or any) of the eight firefighters.

That way we have two years to figure out if the additional increase in people power pays for itself.

Although it's hard to put a price on saving a life.

 Rolling Green Apartments fire 1/21/2013 had one fatality (photo: Steven O'Toole)

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."