Sometimes A Gorilla Is Just A Gorilla

So I almost feel like I should send this to Snopes to check out if it is real or not.  But I do follow a lot of kids on social media and I do know there's a sort of morbid fascination with Harambe these days, so maybe it's legit.

Click to enlarge/read

 Those damn "micro aggressions"

If so:   Yikes!

Never Forget: Never, Never, Never

Town broke out the BIG flag for Labor Day, and will again for 9/11

After 15 years you would think the words would come easier, with feelings less raw after the memories -- as searing as they were -- start to fade.

But no, at least not yet anyway.

Maybe for the 25th anniversary ...

(Probably not.)

Tunnel To Towers Amherst Facebook page

Click to enlarge/read

They're Ba-Ack

Townehouse Apartment east quad Saturday 4:30 PM

Townehouse Apartments east quad Sunday 6:30 AM

Townehouse apartments west quad Sunday 4:30 PM 

Townehouse apartments west quad Monday morning 6:30 AM

 click photo to enlarge

Now this is how you're supposed to party:  UMass Welcome Back BBQ (Monday 4-7 PM):

 

Drawing Fire

Sawmill will be demolished to make way for project

It didn't take long for NIMBYs to voice their public comment about Beacon Communities proposed 130 unit development in North Amherst and as usual complaints included traffic, noise, and the fear of more college aged youth moving to their neighborhood.

 NIMBYs invaded 8/29 Select Board meeting

The main suggestion was to downsize considerably the number of housing units by as much as 50%. Since the project includes a significant affordable housing component it has to be a sizable number of total units to make up for the low cost ones.

And since Amherst has an across the board housing shortage, any increase is a good thing. Beacon is using a "friendly 40B" approach to get needed concessions on height, set back and lot coverage in order to make the project work.

If the state grants them clearance they must still get approval from our Zoning Board of Appeals but unlike a normal hearing where a Special Permit requires a unanimous vote this would only require a two-thirds vote.

Yesterday the town filed a MassWorks grant proposal for $1 million to redo the funky North Amherst main intersection of Montague & Sunderland Roads with Meadow Street, North Pleasant and Pine Streets.

Sunderland and Montague Road branch off after intersection of Pine/Meadow/North Pleasant

And the state does heavily weigh future economic development before issuing the grants.

Neighbors are concerned that the town has formed an unholy alliance with Beacon and Cowls (the landowner) in order to acquire the grant and that will unduly influence the ZBA.

 Click to enlarge/read

A few years ago these same NIMBYs successfully shot down zoning changes that would have led to more development in North Amherst and as a result the state twice turned down our $4 million MassWorks grant to rehab Pine Street.

A King Is Born

233 North Pleasant Street (between former Carriage Shops and Kendrick Place)

The north end of downtown has a new destination spot for fine dining and you don't have to be Lebanese to appreciate their fresh offerings. 

Malek Shawarma (meaning "king" of the Shawarma sandwich) Mediterranean Cafe opened today just in time for the reawakening of our little college town.  The business is owned by Eliana Dabbous who operates a barber shop next door and her son Ali will be managing the restaurant.

 Ali Dabbous (right)

Anyone who has ever run a small business knows it's a full-time + commitment, and the odds of success are increased dramatically if you have a partner who shares your enthusiasm for serving the general public and the onerous work ethic that requires.

It also helps if you have a great product.

Beef slow cooking

Who Shot J.R.?

Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee

Well, maybe not the equal to TVs most famous cliffhanger but this confirmation that tell-all documents will be released Tuesday at the Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee should dramatically increase viewership.

Although I doubt Maria Geryk will be in attendance.

 Click to enlarge/read

By Any Other Name

UMass east gate entrance one month ago

UMass east gate entrance this morning (New Dirt indeed)

Ten years ago UMass Chancellor John Lombardi received pushback from some state legislators in Boston for his prolific use of the term "flagship" with UMass/Amherst because it could hurt the feelings of the state's other four UMass campuses.

But in his typical Harry Truman style he basically told them to go to Hell.

Now UMass Chancellor Subbaswamy has gone so far as branding the moniker on expensive new signage, once again risking disfavor with some in Boston.

But far worse than that, by removing the name "Amherst" from those expensive new signs it will most certainly piss off the locals.

Like WTF UMass, do we embarrass you?

If you really want to be a city onto yourself then get your own damn Fire Department. Overburdened AFD spends 20% of it's time dealing with on campus incidents and oftentimes locals have to wait for an ambulance because they are all tied up dealing with substance abuse patients from your "flagship" location.

And better yet, get your own damn Water/Sewer Department so the 30% of OUR system you consume can be held in reserve for the local taxpayers who spent tens of millions constructing it.

Or start an elementary/middle/high school for the 56 kids who attend ours from your tax exempt housing that cost Amherst taxpayers over $1 million annually.

In other words, as Harry Truman would probably say, "Go to Hell!"

 Geeze, maybe they will change their Twitter handle to "UMassFlagship"