DUI Dishonor Roll

Drunk Driving costs the United States 132 Billion per year

So let's hope this coming Christmas weekend is a drunk free one at least when it comes to driving.  Unlike last weekend where Amherst police took these two drivers off the road.

And since both volunteered for the Breathalyzer test and failed the best they can hope for is the standard 24D plea deal disposition (or I suppose be declared innocent by a jury of their peers).

 Richard Huntoon, age 39

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Jason Howard, age 21

Targeting The BIG Ones

Townehouse Apartments East Quad 4:30 PM Saturday 10/30/16

Townehouse Apartments East Quad 4:00 PM 4/24/16

If the Campus & Community Coalition has anything to say about it l-a-r-g-e rowdy outdoor parties will go the way of the party houses that plagued our neighborhoods for too many years: silent.

Connie Kruger told fellow Select Board members at their last meeting because the town's Rental Permit Bylaw and a some zoning tweaks have dramatically reduced individual party houses the CCC will be focusing more on preventing the large day drinks that formerly seemed to occur only once a season but lately seem to occur any nice weekend in spring and fall.

 Hobart Lane 3:30 PM Saturday 4/30/16

 Townehouse west quad 4:45 PM 4/23/16

One of the weapons they have always had at their disposal but never used is the ability to fine not just the tenants responsible for hosting the large party but the owner of the property as well.

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Once landlord's start getting hit with $300 fines they may figure out a way of reining in their tenants -- even if it means eviction.

A Horrible Tragedy

The District Attorney's office released a statement late this afternoon in the tragic death of a 67 year old Amherst woman last night and I guess I can see why they took their time issuing it considering the unthinkable reality of what happened.

When was the last time you looked behind your car at night to see if someone was flat on the ground near the rear tires before backing up?

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So I guess the bricks and mortar media was close when they originally portrayed it as a "car vs pedestrian."

But after the horrendous incident in town center six weeks ago where a drunk driver piloting a speeding truck trampled a man sitting on a bench waiting for a PVTA bus, people are naturally suspicious.

Especially when they see the phrase "State Police have been called in to investigate" which insiders know happens with ANY unattended death. 

Transparency is always the better option, even when the facts are so jolting. 

Round Two: Final Round?

Over 400 signatures handed in yesterday afternoon

The Town Clerk's office certified the 200 signature required to bring the $67 million Mega School back to Town Meeting for a second bite at the bitter apple.

The first time around it failed miserably and stands little chance of gaining the two thirds vote it needs to pass, since the meeting will be happening prior to the annual election (March 27) so the exact same Town Meeting membership will be voting on the exact same proposal.

The Select Board will meet Wednesday morning to confirm the Town Meeting date for the single article warrant so it will probably happen a day or two before February 1st.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Amherst Select Board meeting via remote viewing

The epic 5-4 vote of the Charter Commission on Monday night in favor of a Mayor/Council to replace antiquated Select Board/Town Meeting was kind of like the Battle of Midway, a major turning point.

But it would have been far less dramatic if it had been a 4-4 tie.

Which is why the Charter Commission asked our illustrious Select Board back in mid-June to allow them the common sense ability to do "remote participation" via Skype, Facetime, or even old fashioned conference call.

A member can participate and vote on something but they do not count towards a quorum.  Thus a 9 member body could not have 5 members participate via remote participation.

The state allowed it back in 2012 and the Regional School Committee started using it years ago.

The diffident Select Board is overly concerned because it's not just something they can grant to a particular committee, otherwise they probably would have instantly granted to the Charter Commission, but it's simply an all-or-nothing declaration.

And apparently they don't overly trust some of our many committees to figure out 21st century technology even though the average 8-tear-old has no problem doing it.

Town Manager Paul Bockelman, no stranger to using social media, will bring back a proposal for  their January 9 meeting.

Thus it should be in place for some of the epic Charter Commission island hopping engagements coming up soon where members have already stated they will not be physically able to attend.

A Fateful Decision?

Charter Commission last night (Julie Rueschemeyer not yet arrived)

 Town Meeting last moth:  four sessions, 3 hours each; Nine sessions last Spring

The Amherst Charter Commission, after nine l-o-n-g months of public meetings, made their first real decision concerning a core requirement for any form of government that's legal in Massachusetts and fortunatley it was the right one:  replace Town Meeting with a smaller more efficient and professional Council.



The first hour or so of the meeting saw each member give a brief presentation of where they are at and it was quite clear that five favored replacing Town Meeting and three did not.  But Julia Rueschemeyer was missing at the time due to car problems.

Nick Grabbe however hit the nail on the head during follow up when he said it's better to go with the right Charter even if it is only endorsed by a 6-3 vote than to compromise too much to get it to a 7-2 or 9-0 vote of the Commission.

Bingo!

Ironically the nine-member Charter Commission is pretty much acting like a nine-member City Council:  put them in a room to deliberate over a given problem and let them come up with a solution.

So even a 5-4 vote passes, and somewhere down the road if voters give it that same 55% approval it pretty much proves the Council/Commission "represents/matches the will of the voters."

Fifteen years ago in the early stage of deliberation the Charter Commission took their fateful vote and decided to ditch Town Meeting by a 7-2 margin.  And six months later when the Charter was completed it was the exact same 7-2 vote to send it to the voters.

In fact the two Town Meeting loyalists back then became almost obstructionists after that initial kill-Town-Meeting vote and started to work against the Charter well before it was complete.

Of course the other fateful decision they made by a much narrower 5-4 vote was to keep a Town Manager and give him more authority than a Mayor who would be pretty much a ceremonial figurehead.

Let's hope this Charter Commission has learned from (recent) history.

The Price of Protest

Pipeline protest prevented bank entry for 6 hours (although drive up was open)

Throughout the occupation no less than a dozen supporters were always on scene

The four arrested do-gooders who chained themselves to the main entry and exit doors of TD Bank on Triangle Street blocking access for six hours all pleaded not guilty and brokered a deal with ADA Bob Opsitnik to reimburse the town $800 for all the public safety personnel they needlessly tied up.

Now $200 each may not sound like much, but the usual court cost imposed is $50 and I've seen a few set at $100 but the only time in memory it went that high was for the infamous case of the Blarney Blowout when most of the perps reimbursed the town $200, wrote a letter of apology to APD and did 40 hours of community service.

Since these protesters were apologetic to APD the entire time of the incident, no need for a letter of apology and their idea of "community service" would probably be standing in town center with their anti-pipeline signs.

Since the four were egged on and supported throughout the occupation by about 20 other like-minded individuals if they split up the total cost it only comes to $35 or $40 each.

But I can assure you if this happens again the next four perps will not get off so (relatively) easily.  

Alyssa Johnson-Kurts

Harrison Greene

  Paxton Reed

  Marc Oston

Killer coverage via the Amherst Wire

(Although I wish they interviewed the young woman who quit to find out why)