Even In Amherst

Although trounced 10-1 in Amherst -- and some insiders were surprised it was not greater -- the town will display the 30 commemorative American flags tomorrow or early Friday morning in the downtown to honor the peaceful transition of power occurring in Washington, D.C. aka Inauguration Day, when Donald Trump becomes the 45th President of the United States.

Some of you may remember back in 2004 after the contentious reelection of President Bush, Amherst Town Meeting member Pat Church confused the flag of Puerto Rico with that of Texas and snatched it from the pole immediately in front of Town Hall.

So I am a tad concerned about the security of the 30 commemorative flags -- especially after the flag burning incident at Hampshire College.

Our country is founded on the fundamental right to peacefully protest.  And yes, even flag burning is protected by the First Amendment.

Just not these taxpayer funded public flags originally paid for out of the Veterans Department commemorations budget.

#####

Click to enlarge/read

UPDATE Friday morning:

Amhersst even broke out the really BIG flag, although not nearly large enough to absorb all the tears that will be shed in town today.

Let's Take A Vote

Shanksville Pennsylvania 10:04 AM 9/11/01

 As Flight 93 streaked toward Washington D.C. that fateful morning, passengers huddled in the back of the plane realized they had become unwilling conscripts in a suicide mission. So they decided to do something about it. 

But before they made their desperate, valiant attempt to retake the plane, they did something as American as apple pie: they took a vote.

Men and women from all walks of life decided -- in the most democratic manner possible -- to go to war defending their country.

Although they fell short of the objective that awful morning, their supreme sacrifice saved scores of fellow Americans and represented the first tactical victory in "the war on terror."

So I suppose it's fitting that the Amherst Select Board agenda for Monday night's meeting was finalized on Wednesday afternoon, the 12th anniversary of the most heinous attack on American soil in our entire history.

The Select Board will act on a voter petition I handed in two weeks ago with more than the requisite number of signatures, requesting they place the "only in Amherst" controversy of flying commemorative flags on 9/11 before the voters this March 25.

(Last year's annual town election had a 7% turnout.)

Whether you think the commemorative flags should fly annually on 9/11 -- as they do on Memorial Day -- or agree that once every five years is sufficient, surely we can all agree there's no harm in confirming that with "The People."

After all, isn't that one of the most cherished rights our flag represents?  

"We the People," cordially request ...

A simple request...

UPDATE: 9:35 PM
-----Original Message-----
From: Stephanie O'Keeffe
To: amherstac
Sent: Mon, Aug 24, 2009 9:18 pm
Subject: 8/31 Select Board meeting

Hi Larry --

The Select Board will be meeting on Monday, 8/31. This was to be a meeting just about the Town Manager evaluation and goals, but due to the time sensitivity of the 9/11 flag request, we will also address that if any Select Board member requests that it be on the agenda. If no SB member requests it, that suggests that no one feels that the current policy needs to be revisited. As you noted, Aaron has not had the opportunity to vote on this issue yet, so I will make sure he understands that this is that opportunity, if he wants it.

I will be sure to let you know if it gets placed on the agenda.

Thank you for coming in tonight.

Stephanie

-----Original Message-----
From: amherstac@aol.com
To: stephanie@okeeffe.com
Sent: Mon, Aug 24, 2009 9:32 pm
Subject: Re: 8/31 Select Board meeting

Hey Stephanie,

Thanks for the update. Can't wait to see how it plays out. Even if the answer is No, I will of course be back next year (2010) at this same time, since according to the "3-year plan" the flags are not allowed up again until 2111--the tenth anniversary.

Larry
###########################################################################

UPDATE: 9:15 PM My digital editing video is being satanic so no clip upload tonight. Meeting is probably still going on so I don't even know yet if they are meeting on August 31 and if not the next scheduled meeting is on 9/14--a tad late to discuss flying the flags on 9/11.

Princess Stephanie seemed to be using the old "pocket veto," as she would not vote on something brought up during Question Period and stated she would not put it on the agenda for the 8/31 meeting--if indeed they meet that night. She did say, however, any other Select Board member could request to put it on the agenda for public discussion and a vote if they so desired. I'm not going to hold my breath.
#################################################################
-----Original Message-----
From: amherstac@aol.com
To: selectboard@amherstma.gov
Sent: Sun, Aug 23, 2009 12:56 pm

I will appear Monday night during the opening ‘Question Period’ as I have done every late-August since 2001 to request the 29 commemorative American flags fly in the downtown on 9/11 to mark the worst attack on American soil in our nation’s history.

Of course I’m mindful that last year you set a new policy allowing the flags to fly on 9/11 every third year citing Town Meeting’s vote (perhaps the most shameful in 250 years) by two-thirds against and only one-third for flying the flags every 9/11.

But I was always taught democracy is an all-or-nothing process; and that the majority rules. Would you have John McCain serve as President 46% of the time? Or based on a 7-2 Supreme Court decision, should 2 women out of 9 be denied the right to choose?

Besides, last year the 5-member Select board was down one member and the newest member has not been allowed to vote on this issue.

Larry Kelley

Amherst Redevelopment Authority
Amherst Town Meeting
5th generation resident
Citizen Journalist
#########################################
Stephanie O'Keeffe to you and Select Board - 46 min ago
To: amherstac
Cc: Select Board
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 1:30 pm


Hi Larry --

We will see you tomorrow night. Two things to note: we don't vote on anything during Public Comment period; and I don't expect Aaron to be at the meeting.

Take care.

Stephanie

########################################
From: amherstac@aol.com
To: stephanie@okeeffe.com
Sent: Sun, Aug 23, 2009 2:13 pm
Subject: Re: A simple request

Hey Stephanie,

Fair enough. Can't say I disagree with that policy. Just hope the full Select board meets one more time prior to the anniversary of that awful day.

Larry

That shameful (Only In) Amherst night at Town Meeting

Best reason in the world to change our form of government

9/11/12

Amherst Town Center 9/11/11

The Amherst Select Board, as keeper of the public ways, will hold a Public Hearing on 8/27 to decide if 29 commemorative flags can reappear in the downtown this coming 9/11 to remember 3,000 lives snuffed out in a heinous sneak attack that forever changed…everything.

And it's not you I'm concerned about ever forgetting that awful morning.

You remember exactly where you were, what you were doing when those cryptic first reports leaked out about something unusual happening in lower Manhattan.  Or that first moment you switched on the television to whatever station you were watching the night before and that stunning image of those majestic towers billowing black smoke filled the screen.

My God...how could you possibly forget?

No, it's the younger generation I'm worried about.  Those who were too young on 9/11/01 to grasp the severity of the wound inflicted on the American psyche. 

Under current town policy regulating/restricting the flags to six holidays, they can fly on 9/11 only during "milestone" anniversaries, meaning every five years.  So last year on the tenth anniversary, the first time I did not have to go before the SB with my annual request (which was denied for years on end), they did fly.

But now they will not fly again until 2016, on the 15th anniversary.  In 2020, another off year, the freshman class coming to UMass/Amherst will not have been born on 9/11/01

Those 3,000 slaughtered Americans are just as dead this year as they were last year, and still deeply deserving of our reverence: not just one-out-of-five, but every year.

SAD UPDATE

President Obama and Governor Patrick have ordered all state and federal flags to half staff to remember, honor and commemorate those killed in the Aurora, Colorado senseless mass murder.

Will Amherst remember?

UPDATE: 7:15 PM. Okay, so I was wrong. Never bet on Amherst to do the right thing. Tonight the illustrious Select Board voted 3-2 against flying the American flags in the downtown this September 11. Mr Wald and Ms. Brewer voted in favor. O'Keeffe, Hayden and Stein voted no.

And in fact, they made the current once-every-three-year policy even more restrictive by voting to fly them only once every five years.

The Springfield Republican reports

The Amherst Bulletin 9/11/08
##############################################

10:30AM

So when the sound and the fury subsides the Amherst Select Board tonight will, inevitable, do the right thing and allow the 29 commemorative flags to fly in the downtown this year to remember our most tragic losses on 9/11.

I say this knowing Chair Stephanie O'keeffe is a politician first but a flag lover second and would never go on record voting against the American flag. Seasoned Select Board member Alisa Brewer is one-for-one voting to fly the flags annually, and obviously rookie member Jim Wald, a historian by trade, will support it since the only reason it's on the brief agenda tonght is because he requested it; otherwise, as Stehanie said on Monday"'the policy (not flying them this year) would stand."



The Springfield Republican reports (as usual, Comments are the best)

Borne back ceaselessly into the past

In 2001 wi-fi emitters did not get in the way of the commemorative flags

Ten years ago today the color drained from downtown Amherst as 29 red white and blue flags were removed from their perches on a gorgeous late summer Labor Day, no different from the mid-August Monday morning when they first flew to "test the apparatus," but looked so good the veterans agent decided to keep them flying.

Ten years ago today the congestion in downtown Amherst had returned to a busy peak after a seasonal summer of slumber. College kids came and went in all directions, while harried shopkeepers set a busy pace trying to keep up.

Today, Labor Day, the flags flew again. Ten years ago they were not scheduled to fly on 9/11...but did. At half staff. This Sunday on 9/11 they are scheduled to fly. Briefly.

Those Who Fail To Learn From History

Hampshire College is the 3rd largest landowner in Amherst (but pays no property taxes)

So you know an issue has really gone stratospheric on the national stage when Snopes weighs in on it.  

The flag controversy at Hampshire College -- or perhaps I should say the lack of a flag -- is streaking along the same fast track to Public Relations nightmare Amherst regrettably wallowed in 15 years ago ... a shit-storm only pigs would love.

On the eve of 9/11 the Amherst Select Board voted to allow 29 commemorative flags to fly in the downtown on only 6 occasions and to keep them down until the first day on that list -- Veteran's Day.

At that now infamous 9/10/01 meeting a UMass professor branded our flag "A symbol of terrorism and death and fear and destruction and repression."  It would be later dubbed by the Wall Street Journal in a front page article as "The ill timed quote of the century."

Because of course only 12 hours later terrorism and death and fear and destruction reined down from a crystal clear blue sky, and before the smoke cleared 3,000 innocent people were dead.

To show what a slows news day 9/11 started out as, the Associated Press put out a brief mention of the Amherst flag flap story around dawn that morning.

In the wake of information overload a few hours later as stunning images beamed worldwide of Twin Towers making their last stand, both Fox News and CNN erroneously reported that Amherst was banning the rights of private citizens to fly the American flag.

Ouch!  

And now we have Snopes correcting that same mistake about the current flag flap.

Obviously Hampshire College President Jonathan Lash has little to no institutional memory, otherwise he would have leaned from the Amherst 9/11 commemorative flag debacle.

Especially since Hampshire College students and a professor were involved with burning American flags at an Amherst College rally only six weeks later, which garnered nationwide condemnation. 

Let's hope Mr. Lash shows up Sunday afternoon for the rally-round-the-flag demonstration at his front gate.

After all, seeing is believing. (But you have to remove your head from your ass.)

United Once More

UN Flag flies above Black Liberation flag this morning

The pretty blue United Nations flag has returned to its perch directly in front of Town Hall after the previous one was stolen during a storm and briefly replaced with a pirate flag.

I'm told the last remaining member of the original committee who brought the request to Amherst Town Meeting in 1972 donated the new flag. 

The Amherst town flag has been missing from the turret on Town Hall for about as long as the UN flag was missing.

The staff broke so it needs to be replaced before it goes back up alongside the state flag and one of the original 29 commemorative American flags (originally installed during that glorious summer of 2001) that have caused such controversy whenever the anniversary of 9/11 comes calling.

Interestingly Town Meeting this spring will no doubt unanimously support a  "citizens petition" to declare June 14 "Race Amity Day".    Of course June 14 is also "Flag Day".  Which I find exceedingly appropriate.

The American flag represents the diversity -- aka "melting pot"  -- of all the immigrants, all the races, creeds, colors, religions or sexual persuasions that built this great country.

And she represents the freedom so many of us take for granted. 

Precisely why the 29 commemorative flags should fly in the downtown this coming 9/11.

Flag Kerfuffle

Seems like Facebook, being such a visual medium, is good for a daily dose of outrage (or two).

When you use an image as powerful as the American flag it's easy to get noticed ... sometimes more so than you bargained for.

My initial reaction to a "flag flap" is always that of a police detective working a crime scene:  what's the motivation and intent of the perpetrator?

As long as no disrespect is intended and no gross liberties are taken with the (unenforced) Flag Code, I'm quick to declare innocence.

So if a man who serves this great country of ours wants to wrap his newborn babe in an American flag, that works for me.  Especially if the photographer is also a proud veteran.

I would much rather see him doing it than a two-bit politician wrapping himself in the flag as part of an orchestrated election campaign.

The all too typical Ivory Tower induced flag controversy in California, where students at UC Irvine voted to ban the American flag from their government offices, did bring on the shiver of deja vu.

Their left wing 20 point manifesto brands the American flag as representing "colonialism and imperialism" only to "serve as symbols of patriotism or weapons for nationalism."

Kind of like the UMass professor who strongly criticized the 29 commemorative American flags hanging in downtown Amherst on the night of September 10, 2001: "Actually, what the flag stands for is a symbol of terrorism and death and fear and destruction and repression."

Even without social media that quote, dubbed "The ill timed quote of the century" in a front page Wall Street Journal article, still managed to reverberate from sea to shining sea -- almost instantly.

29 commemorative flags are allowed to remember 9/11 once every 5 years on "milestone anniversaries."  Next time up is 2016 -- the 15th anniversary

The irony of course is flag detractors oftentimes do their symbolic bid for attention at some obscure governmental meeting.  But when the Chinese curse kicks in ("Be careful what you wish for") they dive under their desks and complain about all the negative feedback.

Lesson #1 about a most precious freedom our flag represents:  The First Amendment is a two-way street.

You Can Always Go ...

 Children's Memorial Flag (in red)

Downtown Amherst is a tad more colorful at the moment with the bright red Children's Memorial Flag flying from the flagpole near Town Hall and the strip of lawn between the pole and the historic old brick building sprouting colorful pinwheels.

April is "Child Abuse Awareness Month," and the Northwestern District Attorney's office and the town are doing their part to make folks aware.  The same tagline used for terrorism probably applies equally well to suspected child abuse:  "If you see something, say something."

DPW workers forgot to take down one of the 25 or so commemorative flags that went up for a few days to remember Patriot's Day.   Probably because it blended in to the Bank of America color scheme.  Maybe after Labor Day they will forget to take them all down until, say, September 12.

 A lone commemorative flag in the heart of the downtown

The League of Women Voters book sale is coming to the town common this weekend, and workers have already erected the huge tent.  This annual event, marking its 66th year, predates the annual Farmers Market or weekly Sunday anti-war protests by decades. 

Amherst League of Women Voters subscribe to the Big Tent doctrine

 Sweetser Park fountain, bone dry

And while the Gazette certainly got all excited on Friday about Sweetser Park fountain bumbling again, it did not last long: the pump died.  DPW Chief Guilford Mooring said a new one should be installed by this coming weekend.

Sweetser Park fountain in Amherst bubbling again after remaining dry all last summer http://t.co/zYAIRKRg1q
— GazetteNET.com (@GazetteNET) April 26, 2014

Oh Say Can You See (Or Not)

 

More like a postage stamp

UPDATE:  Two hours after publication a new -- slightly larger flag -- replaced the postage stamp one.

#####

Anyone remember last month when town officials were quick to use the "BIG-American-flag-on-town-common-flies-24/7" excuse to justify their inexcusable position to ban the extra commemorative flags on 9/11?

Let's hope the BIG flag is back by Saturday, for the AFD open house.  If not, how about flying the commemorative ones?

Meanwhile, last week at Fort McHenry:

"A flag so large that the British would have no difficulty seeing it from a distance."

Photo by Lauri Hittner Finch

Flag Flap

The Confederate Battle Flag under fire ... again

As seems to be the norm whenever there's a flag controversy anywhere in the "land of the free" there's a parallel with out little college town.  Take flag removal for instance.

Yesterday an activist shimmied up a 30 foot flagpole to remove the Confederate flag from a Civil War monument on public grounds in South Carolina.

She had to use tree climbing gear because the flag is fixed at that position all the way up, hence it cannot be brought down to half-staff, or all the way down for easy removal.

In Amherst back in 2004, days after the relection of President Bush, a local woman -- also known as an "activist" -- removed a flag from immediately in front of Amherst Town Hall, just below the United Nations flag.

Of course in her case it was pretty easy to accomplish since the flag is attached to a pulley system.

She mistakenly thought the flag of Puerto Rico was the state flag of Texas put up to honor the reelection of George W. Bush, and took matters into her own naive hands.

The flag pole in front of Town Hall, erected in 1972 to specifically fly the UN flag, somewhat routinely flies other flags under it for special commemorations including the Rainbow Flag that briefly replaced it after gay marriage was first legalized in our state many years ago.  

Recently the Black Liberation Flag was flown to commemorate Black History Month, or the Children's Flag flies in April to raise awareness for National Child Abuse Prevention month.  And yes, the Puerto Rican flag still flies annually as well. 

The Children's Memorial Flag flies in April under the UN flag

Perhaps we can get the ACLU to create a First Amendment flag so we can be reminded or our sacred duty to uphold it no matter how messy the going gets.

Redundant perhaps, since that is precisely what the American flag represents.


The BIG American Flag will fly for July 4th in town center as will the 29 commemorative flags

Main Street USA

Amherst downtown 6/14, aka Flag Day

On the night of September 10, 2001, less than 12 hours before the world changed, the Amherst Select Board had closed the contentious public hearing concerning 29 commemorative flags flying in the downtown and they were discussing the matter among themselves before coming up with a list of days to commemorate.

After Anne Awad had grudgingly stated she would support only July 4th for the extra flags to fly Select Board chair Carl Seppala, when giving his fuller list, said in a somewhat exasperated tone, "Well, they do call it Flag Day."

Flag Day probably gets a little lost since it comes smack in the middle of  two flag centric events: Memorial Day and July 4th.  Sort of like having a birthday a little too close to Christmas. 

Any day, however, is as good as another when it comes to honoring our flag -- and the boundless sacrifice it represents.

9/11 remembered

So now Amherst is really in trouble as they have pissed off the Umass (Young) Republican Club, who will march to downtown (or maybe catch a cab) on 9/11 to display 150 American flags to protest the decision of the People's Republic not to unfurl the 29 commemorative flags; the ones that do fly on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, where we remember those have sacrificed so greatly for our country--with far too many coming as a response to 9/11.

And am I only the only one in the area annoyed by those ubiquitous radio ads for Umass football saturating the airwaves these days with a hackneyed cliched format highlighting the military, combative aspects of football?

Forgivable at first, but now they are being used to hype ticket sales to tomorrow's home game against Holy Cross which just so happens to occur on 9/11.

Sent this to my counterpart at Umass--as in I'm a critic, he's a highly paid flack.


Original Message-----
From: amherstac@aol.com
To: edblag@admin.umass.edu
Sent: Fri, Sep 10, 2010 11:06 am
Subject: 9/11 and Umass football

Hey Ed,
So those football radio commercials are pretty annoying (and I'm pro military) but now it kind of merges/conflicts with 9/11.

And I would never suggest America should give up going about its business on that day, but it would be nice if perhaps somebody in charge of the game on Saturday had a moment of silence at half-time or maybe even just before kickoff as a sign of respect.

Larry K

What so proudly we hailed

The town remembered--having forgotten Patriots Day last month--to put up the flags this morning for Memorial Day, one of the six annual days the 29 commemorative flags are allowed to fly. This year, unlike last year, they will also be allowed to fly on 9/11, the tenth anniversary of the worst attack on American soil since the founding of our great nation.

Construction workers never need to be reminded to show respect for our flag

A very unfortunate "compromise"

That didn't take long

10:30 AM
The 29 Commemorative flags come down the morning after the Amherst 250th Parade (until Veterans Day). Of course, if some people in the People's Republic had their way the flags would only fly once every 250 years.

A Final Request

Monday night marks my 14th annual visit (the 1st being in October, 2001) to the Amherst Select Board to request 9/11 be added to the permanent short list of events the 29 commemorative flags fly in the downtown to commemorate, both celebratory -- like July 4th -- or Memorial Day, which is somber.  

And over the course of my lifetime days just don't get any sadder than the morning of 9/11, which dawned as bright and beautiful as any day in the history of our country. 

But this will be my last such visit.

The board will either agree to allow the flags to fly every year rather than once every five years, thus ending the need for such annual visits; or they will say "No," to finally -- irrevocably -- suck the vital essence from my soul.

Because if this particular Select Board (where 4 of 5 individual members have previously supported annual flying) can't now come together to do the right thing, then all hope is lost.

Click to enlarge/read

@amherstac so soon ? #sarcasm

— 413Tweets (@413Tweets) August 29, 2015

Amherst Town Meeting, 2007 (another good reason to nix Town Meeting)

Select Board packet material on the sad saga of 9/11 flag commemoration

Back On Top Again

 ARPS School Superintendent Maria Geryk

Amherst School Superintendent Maria Geryk has regained the coveted #1 position as highest paid town employee (technically the "schools" are a legally separate entity) at $158,000 up from $147,000 and now eclipsing Town Manager John Musante who briefly leapfrogged her last week with his Select Board approved 2% raise bringing him to $150,628.

But you have to wonder what the impact -- using the school's favorite buzzword these days, equity --  would be if all school employees received a 7.5% raise?

Between the Regional and Elementary schools total salary costs in FY15 is $32.5 million, so that generous raise would have cost taxpayers an additional $2,437,500 -- to a school system already sky high in average cost per child to educate:  $18,388 per elementary student and $18,026 for Regional student vs state average of $13,636.

Although her current $158,000 salary after 4 years now at the helm only matches exactly the incoming salary for Alberto Rodriguez back in 2009.  After an annoying blogger made public a document showing Rodriguez was taking a total of 40 days off in his first year as Superintendent, combined with internal criticism about his management style, Rodriguez parted ways with Amherst after only 8 months. 

Geryk is now closing in on the last Superintendent with any longevity, Jere Hochman, hired in 2003 (at just over $130,000).  Hochman lasted five years, voluntarily leaving for his old stomping ground Bedford Central School District (N.Y.) with a slight pay increase to $262,000.

When Hochman was first hired his $130,000+ salary raised eyebrows, nowhere more so than the Town Manager at the time Barry Del Castilho.  The Select Board suddenly gave Del Castilho a mid-contract raise of $10,000 to sooth his ego.

 Town Meeting Annual Warrant 2004

Hwei-Ling Greeney brought an advisory petition to Town Meeting demanding the Select Board roll back the raise.  Article #38 passed 81-71, but the Select Board simply ignored the will of Town Meeting.

Of course in 2007 when Town Meeting voted to oppose flying the commemorative flags on 9/11, the Select Board routinely cites that shameful vote for an excuse to keep the flags down 4 out of 5 years.

This past year the Amherst Regional Public Schools have been in disarray over racial incidents, one particularly mishandled event which led to the High School closing down for a day.

And according to the Mass Dept of Elementary & Secondary Education neither the Regional Schools or Elementary Schools are making much progress toward their target goals.

Regional Schools 1-10

Elementary Schools 2-10

After a year like last year, what kind of a message does it send to reward leadership with a whopping 7.5% raise?

So we beat on...

UPDATE: 7:25 PM Okay, this video is a tiny bit raw, I may edit it tomorrow, but wanted to get it up ASAP





(Original Post 6:30 AM) So coincidentally enough—this being the first Select Board meeting since Anne Awad resigned—I will be going before the four she left behind tonight to ask at the getting more and more popular 6:30 Question Period as I have done every late August since the world changed, that the 29 commemorative flags be allowed to fly in the downtown on 9/11.

Or maybe I’ll ask (as an insider suggested) for them to put it on the 9/8 SB agenda for a fuller public discussion.


Can you imagine even having to discuss flying American flags to honor the 3,000 Americans we lost on 9/11? Only in Amherst.

Opportunity Lost?

Last year at the 8/27 Amherst Select Board meeting Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe did not even allow the board, our executive branch, to vote on the request to fly the 29 commemorative flags in the downtown on 9/11.

The town routinely flies the flags, purchased in the summer of 2001,  on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Flag Day, July 4th, Patriots Day and yes, even Labor Day (coming soon).

But in her closing remarks she was "sure Mr Kelley would bring this back next year, and he should do that."



And even Select Board member Aaron Hayden (who always votes "No") also remarked that night "This is an opportunity for us to really sort of put our heads together and be thoughtful, out loud, about important issues -- clearly important issues -- so I do appreciate that opportunity."



Now it's beginning to look like the issue will not even be allowed on the agenda for the SB 8/26 meeting, the last meeting prior to that awful anniversary. The old ignore it and hope it goes away routine.

So much for appreciating "that opportunity." 

Back story told in emails (click this link)