Don't Stop

Current drought monitor map

Drought monitor last month

While conservation measures enacted since late August have been helpful, Mother Nature's teasing response to pleas for drenching rain has been a tad less so.

Take today for instance:  Just enough to screw up your outdoor barbecue but not nearly enough to float a boat on the growing sandbar at closed Atkins Reservoir. 

On September 21, the day Atkins shut down, after we had been pumping close to one million gallons of water per day for the previous few weeks, our main reservoir stood at 9' 7" down with 60 million gallons of water remaining from 200 million gallons when full.

 Atkins Reservoir October 7th still at only 34% of capacity

On Friday, October 7, with no pumping at all for 17 days, our main reservoir stood at 8' 10" down with 76 million gallons remaining from full capacity of 200 million gallons.

 Atkins Reservoir sandbar 8/21

Atkins sandbar 10/7.  Note hot tub depression once fully underwater

In other words not all that much recharge has taken place.  And if the reservoir had not gone off line when it did it would now be at a historic low level.

Water consumption over the past few weeks has been around 3 million gallons per day but not all that much less than a year ago at this same time when no water ban was in effect.

Click to enlarge/read

Note Columbus Day weekend drop off in consumption with UMass kids gone

UMass is a ghost town over Indigenous Peoples Day weekend

The drought task force is expected to advise municipalities to maintain their water bans until at least Halloween and if a lot more rain has not fallen by then probably into the winter.

The Amherst Select Board enacted fines for water ban violations as an emergency edict until the ban is lifted but stopped short of making it a regular town bylaw since the Department of Environmental Protection would then have the authority to force the town to implement it at any time in the future.




Currently our wells are holding up just fine, although there's no way to measure the supply they draw from.

So as long as a Creepy Clown does not sabotage Wells 3 or 4 ...

Student Power

Student Union located in the heart of campus

In addition to the early voting times and places approved by the Board of Registrars last week they met again on Thursday and added UMass to the list.

Early voting will be held in these locations on the following dates from 10 AM to 4:00 PM:

10/25 – The Spot

10/27 – Cape Cod Lounge

11/1 – Cape Cod Lounge

11 /3 – The Spot

Out of about 20,000 total registered voters in town upwards of 30% are students and although they normally don't bother with our local election in the spring they do come out in droves for the Presidential contest.

Of course the big question is whether they will take any interest in Question 5, the new $67 million Mega School that will forever alter the way elementary aged children in town are educated.

A Town Gown Project

Authority Way on left, Olympia Drive right

In addition to approving the multi-million dollar ten year cable renewal contract with Comcast the Select Board yesterday also approved Town Manager Paul Bockelman's deal with UMass to pave Authority Way, owned by UMass but connecting to town owned Olympia Drive.

The town will pay $20,000 of the $84,000 total cost and UMass will pick up $64,000, the lion's share. 

The town was creating a turn around for school buses (that need to serve Olympia Oaks) anyway as well as installing a fire hydrant which represents the $20,000, and while the contractor is there anyway will pave over Authority Way.

Of course it will also help serve the privately owned Olympia Place, the newest five story student housing building owned by Archipelago Investments, LLC.

APD Did NOT Recommend Stay Away Order

Maria Geryk (rt) pondering how to spend $310K

Click to enlarge/read

Or not
 

   Maria Geryk's final emails by Larry Kelley on Scribd

Three Strikes

Bangs Community Center

So you have to wonder if state gas inspectors check for gas leaks by using a flamethrower.

The Bangs Center elevator failed a once-every-five years load test by having an expensive piston explode after the state inspector used 3,000 pounds of weight/pressure on a system rated for 2,500 pounds, or 20% over.

So that would be fifteen 200 pound occupants in the square footage not much more than a walk in closet.  Or one of those circus -- dare I say it -- CLOWN cars.

Now if this was the first time it happened that would be one thing, but just in our little town this is the the third time it has happened.  A few years ago at the Amherst police headquarters, a few months ago at Ann Whalen Apartments and now the Bangs Center.

 Ann Whalen main elevator was down for three months after load test inspection back in May

Makes you wonder how many elevators state wide have been trashed in this manner?

Perhaps the state should rethink the way they do these inspections, especially since it will cost Amherst taxpayers $80,000 to fix the Bangs Center elevator and the most recent cost to fix Ann Whalen Apartments elevator was $76,000.

Hey Governor Baker, tell your elevator inspectors to lighten up!

Downtown Merger

35 South Pleasant is adjacent to Amherst Town Common

The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and the Amherst Business Improvement District will be consolidating their two downtown offices into one larger better located one at 35 South Pleasant Street in the heart of downtown.

Chamber Director Tim O'Brien hopes to be serving hot chocolate to folks attending the lighting of the Merry Maple in early December from the new shared location.

 Chamber's current location opposite Jones Library

Since their current location is owned by Barry Roberts it probably will not take long to rent it out to another business entity or perhaps Amherst Coffee sill simply expand into it.

 Click to enlarge/read

DUI Dishonor Roll

MADD:  Every two minutes a person is injured in a drunk driving crash

Amherst police arrested three drivers on the charge of Driving Under the Influence over Homecoming Weekend and all three took the legally admissible breath test back at APD headquarters.

One of the three, Brendan Gillis, compounded his mistake by failing to appear in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday morning for arraignment and a warrant for his arrest was immediately issued.

UPDATE (10/5).  Mr Gillis appeared in Court this morning with an attorney and had his case continued to December.  

Brendan Gillis, age 22, now on the run (APD intake photo)

You can run but you can't hide -- especially in the age of supercomputers.

Anton Kolossov, age 19

Interestingly the BT may actually help Mr. Kolossov as the results are just barely over the limit.

Daniel Cutler, age 32