Who Ya Gonna Call?

B2 casts a tiny shadow (bottom center) compared to Lifeflight helicopter

One of the things I lose sleep over at night is concern about low staffing of our Public Safety departments.

For instance very early this morning I was still awake to hear a Northampton ambulance come to Amherst via mutual aid to deal with an overly intoxicated student at Amherst College.

And that's in spite of AFD having four extra on duty staff paid for by UMass.  Because we only have five ambulances and they were all tied up at the time.

But that is in a sense an off seting factor, knowing that when AFD needs assistance to carry out their vital duty fellow EMS professionals from Northampton, Belchertown, South Hadley, etc are there to respond.

And in the case of a major structure fire another half-dozen or more surrounding FDs.

Another gem in the toolbox for Emergency Medical Response is the Lifeflight medivac helicopter operated by UMass Medical Center.  Because like a drone a helicopter can drop in to a small clearing, and then unlike a drone pick up a severely injured patient and safely deliver them to a critical care center in record time.

Note to readers:  I had permission of First Responders at the scene and the pilot of the helicopter to put B2 briefly in the air for a quick photo. Photos below with regular camera and iPhone.

 Look, up in the sky!

Had no concerns about being directly underneath since they are such a pro operation

A little noisier than B2, but a welcome sound for the critically injured

Today they dropped in to Amherst College soccer fields as a training exercise with the College and AFD.  While we do not use them very often they can and do make a life and death difference, which to some extent helps me sleep better at night.

A Little Disruption Now And Then

Anti-Trump protesters block traffic in town center this busy Sunday morning

After about 5 minutes APD "moved them along"

One of the criticisms of the huge gathering of Vets and their supporters at last week's Hampshire College "Raise The Flag" protest was, well, they were scary.

That many people waving American flags is scary to some I guess.

 Last week Hampshire College:  A sea of flags is scary to some

 Aerial photos show NO Confederate or Nazi flags in the crowd

But certainly none of them were accused of breaking any laws and neither APD or AFD had to respond to the scene.

This morning in Amherst town center a crowd of anti-Trump protesters used their God given, err, Founding Father given right to assemble and use their Free Speech on the Town Common which has seen protests like that for over 350 years.

Fair enough.

But then before the rally/demonstration dispersed they blocked traffic on South Pleasant street at a busy time of the morning inconveniencing those average citizens going about their business.

The specific target of their blockade I suppose was to stop a patriotic convoy that left Whately and toured through UMass and were enroute to Hampshire College.

The rally had been planned a few weeks ago and was to coincide with yet another "Raise The Flag" rally which was canceled at the last minute due to a gracious VFW leadership.

An admirable trait these downtown protesters seem to know nothing about.

Note to readers:  At no point was B2 directly over anyone's head except my own

A lone Vet with a flag greeted the caravan at main entrance to Hampshire College

A Sporting Gesture

The Rally heard round the world

The veterans who rallied around the flag at Hampshire College -- both figurative and literally -- have canceled tomorrow's Raise The Flag event, which was originally scheduled as another demonstration to pressure Hampshire College into doing the right thing, but then became sort of a victory celebration after they indeed DID THE RIGHT THING.

 Click to enlarge/read

Probably because they don't want folks to think they are gloating.

So no ticker tape parades through Times Square as we saw over 70 years ago on V-E and V-J Day, but still a major victory to be savored ... until the need arises once again. 

Freedom requires eternal vigilance.

B2 however is dissappointed

High Stakes Gamble

Amherst could apply to MSBA for Fort River Mega-School as soon as next month

The town already heard back from the Mass School Building Authority and as expected they rejected the idea of twin grades K-6 schools vs the just defeated concept of twin grades 2-6 schools as being a slight enough tweak to keep the current overall $67 million Mega School building plan in play.

   Amherst Mega School Dilemma by Larry Kelley on Scribd

For the past six months we've heard nothing but how extraordinarily bureaucratic the MSBA is, and that every i must be double dotted and every t double crossed.

Of course the only thing town/school officials really wanted is the extension from February 2 until March 31st to have another attempt at brow beating Amherst Town Meeting into giving it the two-thirds super majority it requires to pass.

 Town Meeting voted down Mega School 108-106

Considering it failed to even garner a simple majority last month, a Herculean task indeed no matter how much time the state gives them to lobby.

But that will not stop the Select Board from trying one last time to ram it through.

Considering how often they played the role of General Custer this past session with ALL of their unanimously supported major articles being shot down by Town Meeting, they better wear arrow proof shirts at that Special Town Meeting.

Half Full Or Half Empty?

Atkins Reservoir December 1st water level 6'7"  down from full

Atkins Reservoir 9/21 water level down 9'4"

Atkins Reservoir, after the 2.8" of recent rain, is now at 50% of its 200 million gallon capacity, or half full.

But for those of us still a little nervous about the drought and our town still relying only on wells for our vital water supply, it's half empty.

Either way it's not now in use as it was shut down on September 21st when water levels hit an almost historic low, down 9'4" with only 70 million gallons of water remaining.

Normally around this time the time we fire up Centennial Treatment Plant which processes water from our other two Pelham reservoirs, Hills and Hawley.

Click photos to enlarge/read

 Water usage in November averaged 2.9 Mgd, a tad below average

While the recent rain was a very good thing overall, it did stir up the water in all three reservoirs but DPW Chief Mooring reports the Pelham Reservoirs will be tapped "soon."

 Current drought map does not yet show impact of recent rains

Growth of drought since July

And as long as we get plenty of snow this winter the current drought could become just a bad memory.  Although a doubled-edged sword, since the DPW is also charged with keeping our roads free from snow and ice.

 Atkins sandbar 10/7

Atkins sandbar 12/1

And Our Flag Was Still There

Hampshire College main flag this morning

Flag Rally Peaceful Demonstration Sunday

Our flag may be many things to many people but almost everyone would agree it's a powerful symbol never to be taken lightly.

 Jonathan Lash (General Robert E. Lee) greets Victor Nunez Ortiz (General Ulysses S. Grant)

For the second time in 15 years the town of Amherst or one its major institutions found that out ... the hard way.

God bless America -- warts and all!

“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” 

Just Say No

East Pleasant/Triangle intersection, gateway to UMass

The Amherst Select Board responded Monday to Town Meeting's in your face 95-77 passage of an "advisory article" undoing five years worth of work by DPW staff and hard-working volunteer committees:

Drop dead!  (Or something like that).

 Vince O'Connor led the charge on the advisory petition to sabotage roundabout

After an hour of discussion including DPW Director Guilford Mooring and Public Works Committee Chair Christine Gray-Mullen the Select Board unanimously decided to stay with the roundabout concept rather than take the advice of Town Meeting and simply tweak the current traffic signals.

Mr. Mooring pointed out in order to see any improvement in the traffic lights phasing a new electrical cabinet and poles would need to be installed at a cost of between $140,000 - $200,000.

Ms. Mullen added that a roundabout is far safer than a traditional lighted intersection reducing fatalities by 90% and collisions with pedestrians by 40%.

 Christine Gray-Mullen and Guilford Mooring present to Amherst Select Board

Since work has been ongoing since Spring and all the concrete for the roundabout ordered and paid for the completion of the roundabout itself will only be another $250,000-$300,000.  That will come out of Ch 90 money which does not require Town Meeting approval.

Last year Town Meeting overwhelmingly supported an easement from Bank of America to assist with the roundabout and the town already cut down five trees at the corner of Kendrick Park.

A state $1.5 million Massworks grant is paying for the undergrounding of utility lines and pole removal near this intersection and the DPW did much of the work in-house to save money that will be applied to the roundabout.

Eversource is expected to be done with pole removal by March and the DPW will work full-time through the spring and summer, but take a brief break during graduations.  The overall roundabout should be completely by September 1st.

 The north end of downtown is being revitalized