Frisky Friday

 

AFD and APD respond to report of car vs pedestrian town center 1:10 AM

Unfortunately rowdy behavior in the jurisdictional area of the Amherst Police Department ratcheted up a notch or two last night -- at least compared to Wednesday, where the rowdy "celebration" after the Red Sox win was limited to the UMass campus, and a surprisingly quiet Halloween on a drizzly Thursday.

Most of the huge crowds undulating around town last night were dressed in costumes, however. 

Amherst police had a powerful presence fielding at least seven vehicles including the Personal Transport Vehicle (not to be confused with Paddy Wagon) and UMass cruisers were also highly visible in areas immediately adjacent to the UMass campus

Like last night Amherst Fire Department was pushed almost to the breaking point having once again the need to call Northampton FD for assistance.  Naturally that NFD ambulance was in response to an intoxicated male. 

Around midnight police swooped in to break up loud parties at 240 Northampton Road (Rt 9) and 165 College Street, making over a half dozen arrests.  While on site officers took note of a lack of working smoke detectors at the Northampton Road address which resulted in an attempted inspection visit by AFD Chief Tim Nelson.

 

The Personal Transport Vehicle loading up at 165 College Street around midnight

The remaining inhabitants (who had not been arrested) refused to allow the Chief to enter the premises. 

Other byproducts of alcohol abuse also were overly evident as well:  fighting, injuries via falls, and -- most disturbing -- a young woman assaulted on Sunset Court, dead in the center of all the youthful revelry.

 Sunset Court, immediately adjacent to Umass

 At 1:10 AM a coordinated swift response from both police and fire converged on the intersection of Kellogg Avenue and North Pleasant Street for the report of a car vs pedestrian collision.   Turns out the pedestrian, a youth dressed as a cowboy, jumped on the car.

Dispatch relayed a call for help around 1:15 AM from a male Reporting Party saying he's "bleeding from every orifice" after an altercation with another young man near Rao's Coffee.  The first officer on the scene confirmed a head gash from a punch but added dryly, "most of his orifices are just fine."

 

AFD loading up an intoxicated student at the Visitors Center, Mass Ave

 A few minutes later AFD responded to Townhouse Apartments on Meadow Street in North Amherst for a "bulimic intoxicated college aged woman who was vomiting."  When the ambulance arrived they called back to dispatch for police backup because there were so many people milling about. 

And to top of the evening/early morning (1:57 AM) an intoxicated college age female in a 4th floor bathroom of Pierpont Dorm, throwing up; and a brief fist fight on North Pleasant Street near Butterfield Terrace that attracted a swarm of police cars.

DUI Dishonor Role

While there were no party house noise/nuisance arrests for the second weekend in a row, the pervasive impact of the party culture was still felt in the scary form of irresponsible individuals piloting a potentially deadly weapon while under the influence of alcohol.

Over the weekend APD arrested four drunk drivers, two of them in the heart of the downtown.   While I keep saying it only takes one to slaughter an innocent family, pedestrian or cyclist, what number gets your attention?  How many near misses did each of these four have prior to the long arm of the law reeling them in?

Because every drunk driver bagged, had been driving for a while. Take this guy for instance:  Cruising through the center of town at 1:00 AM early Saturday morning with his high beams on and two flat tires.  Yeah, that will get you noticed.  He was heading north on North Pleasant and took a left onto Hallock Street, where he was safely pulled over, administered a Field Sobriety Test, which he failed.

North Pleasant Hallock Street intersection 

Shane Bowen, 5 Eastern Ave, Northampton, Ma, age 21.  DUI, operating to endanger, failure to use care in turning.

Sunday was the most dangerous day to have been on our roads as the other three arrests all occurred in the early morning hours.

At 2:26 AM in the main intersection of town center Christopher Phann, 14 Robinson St, Lowell, MA, age 20 ran a red light and was arrested on Main Street for DUI.

At 2:49 AM on Meadow Street in North Amherst Joshua Quinn, 12 Fairmont St, Elmsford, NY, age 19 was arrested for DUI, speeding, under 21 possession of alcohol, open container, alcohol in vehicle.  

At 5:44 AM  on South East Street Michelle Buonasaro, 20 Robinwood, Norwood, MA, age 22 was arrested for DUI and failure to stop.

Labor Day in a College Town

 

Town center 1:20 AM this morning

Last night into early this morning seemed to be the busiest time this Labor Day weekend for Amherst public safety personnel.  With all hands on deck APD managed to keep things under control, with no major disruptions -- aka Blarney Blowout -- to report.

 133 Fearing Street, Sunday morning

Around 10:00 PM the alcohol related arrests began -- open container, underage drinking (usually in combination) -- in and around the immediate neighboring streets to our UMass flagship:  Fearing, Phillips, Alan streets, Nutting and Lincoln Avenues, Hobart Lane, Meadow Street and with assist from UMass Police Department,  all along North Pleasant Street.

These early interventions send the message that law and order will be maintained.




Amherst Fire Department, on the other hand, was pushed to the breaking point.  Around midnight, just after dispatch issued a call for two off duty personnel to come in for station coverage.

Northampton Fire Department had to respond for a call to a high rise Southwest dorm for a female with a head injury.

At the time all five of our ambulances were tied up -- the majority of them dealing with passed out drunk students.  Late Sunday into early Monday morning AFD responded to UMass for a total of 11 emergency medical calls -- seven of them for ETOH students.



Over the course of the evening I passed by the scene of a young person down (usually female) with concerned friends trying to help them up at least a half-dozen times.  Particularly concerning because a young woman died last year after falling and hitting her head while staggering down Fearing Street with friends. 

The previous night APD and AFD responded to 45 Phillips Street for a young woman passed out in the yard.  She was only seventeen. 


127 E. Pleasant St. around midnight "First and last party of the semester."

Weekend Wrap (in a "College Town")

 Small herd of students Fearing Street Saturday night 11:25 PM

So it was neither the best of times -- although the weather on Saturday was pretty perfect -- or the worst of times -- considering how bad things have gotten before around this time of year.

Friday into early morning Saturday seemed once again to be the worst of times for Amherst Fire Department, as once again an ETOH (alcohol OD) incident occurred at a time when all five ambulances were out, many of them for ETOH students, and had to be handled by "mutual aid," courtesy of Belchertown FD.

As usual the ETOH calls came during the Third Watch, starting around midnight, with an ETOH male at UMass.  Dispatch called the ambulance en route to inform them there was another patient, also possible ETOH, who had fallen and hit his head while at the UMPD lock up. 

AFD transported one to Cooley Dickinson Hospital and UMPD kept the other in "protective custody."

At 1:15 AM an ambulance responded to the s curves in Shutesbury for a downed motorcyclist, and since that is at the farthest reaches of the AFD protection zone it would tie up an ambulance for well over an hour.

At 1:19 AM another ETOH UMass student fell and hit his head at Kennedy Dorm Southwest high rise.  As all our ambulances were tied up dispatch sent a firetruck with emergency first responders who stabilized the patient until Belchertown FD arrived to transport (A fire engine cannot transport patients).

Around 1:30 AM AFD responded to Gorman Dorm for a male student who had taken "liquid THC."  That too was initially handled by Engine 3 until an AFD ambulance could arrive to transport. 

Saturday was a very busy day in town with traffic backed up in the center for most of the morning and early afternoon.  In addition to the usual Farmers Market the town common was also hosting the Fall Apple Harvest Festival, and of course McMurphy's Uptown Tavern was attracting a hoard of college aged youth dressed in green and wearing tacky plastic Irish hats for the "Half Way To Blarney Blowout" non-event.

AFD responded to a "box alarm" (meaning smoke had been detected by an actual witness) to a UMass dorm around 1:30 PM.  The fire -- quickly extinguished by UMass Environmental Health & Safety -- was caused by a candle, and AFD engines stayed on scene to ventilate the building.

 Emerson Dorm, UMass 1:45 PM Saturday

Around 6:00 PM AFD responded to two potential Q-5 (suicide) incidents in different parts of town, one where young lady had cut her wrists.

As the gorgeous day became night the calls turned to the usual drugs/alcohol related:  Around 10:00 PM AFD responded to UMass for a female student who had "smoked something and now feels funny."  I'm guessing it was not a carcinogenic cigarette.

 AFD at 51 Phillips Street for ETOH female 11:15 PM

An hour or so later an ambulance (and APD) responded to 51 Phillips Street for an ETOH young female; and 15 minutes later another ambulance was needed at Townhouse Apartments for a young female "dazed and confused."

AFD on scene 50 Meadow Street 11:30 PM

By 1:00 AM AFD would respond two more times to UMass for ETOH students. Keep in mind the Red Sox playoff games have not even started, and it's not yet Halloween.

The (down) beat goes on ...

   AFD Sept End Runs by larry_kelley_1

And Another One Gone ...

Artefakt Gallery closing

Our beloved downtown continues its slow but steady decline with yet another shop that is not a bar or restaurant calling it quits.

And yes the stores on either side -- All Things Local and The Mercantile -- are also dead or closing by March 1st.

 104 - 110 North Pleasant Street

That end of downtown is turning into a crypt.

 Carriage Shops have been closed and abandoned for over a year now

Meanwhile, Kimballs Auction Barn -- a fixture in North Amherst -- is moving to 299 Russell Street (Rt9) next to Rocky's Hardware. Cinda Jones, "the Donald Trump of North Amherst", confirms she is selling the building and 47 acres of land to farmer Joe Czajikowski.

 Rt 9 certainly has more traffic than Meadow Street

Previous business was an Art Gallery

Furthermore, Should you be running out of gas on the east side of Amherst you're out of luck, as the Cumberland Farms store -- perhaps the busiest convenience store in Amherst -- is closed for at least another week due to renovations.

And the shuttered Sunoco -- Barney's -- directly across the street, still has yet to find a new tenant.

 Barney's (left) Cumbys (right)

Blarney Blowout 2013

And so it begins: Friday afternoon delivery to Stacker's.  My Anon photo contributor tells me there were at least three dozen kegs that came off this one truck.

SCROLL DOWN FOR MOST RECENT UPDATES

APD checking up on Stackers 10:55 AM Saturday morning

Hide the women and children, the 2013 Blarney Blowout has begun! And, unfortunately, the weather is fine.

Yeah, sounds like I'm writing a song.

I don't wake up this early for class but ill sure wake up this early to drink #blarneyblowout
— Tim Collins (@m0hawk_f0_sH0) March 9, 2013

Crowd waiting at The Pub much larger than Stackers or McMurphy's 10:30 AM

 Amherst Town Center 1:30 PM Post Office Bus Stop

 

 North Pleasant Street just outside Town Center

#####

4:00 PM

Townhouse Apartments Meadow Street North Amherst

Townhouse Quad area starting to look like Woodstock (including the mud) 

APD and AFD on scene for 18-year-old female passed out drunk

Couple thousand students cram into the Quad area Townhouse Apartments

#####

5:00 PM 

And we just knew this was gonna happen.  Amherst and State Police, including a K-9 unit break up the party.  Rather quickly.

Somebody is going to have a major clean up tomorrow 

How many cop cars do you count? This was shot just after Amherst and State PD broke up the party.

#####

The Morning After

45 Phillips Street 

20 Allen Street

However ... According to the venerable Daily Hampshire Gazette:

BUSY DAYS FOR AFD

Meadow Street Mayhem

 Debris field Townhouse Apartments Meadow Street North Amherst

It's not even dark and already APD has responded in force to a large unruly gathering of students in the quad area of Townhouse Apartments North Amherst breaking up a crowd of 2,000 around 4:00 PM and then an hour later called back because they party goers returned and set fire to a couch in the middle of the quad.  Officers had to dodge bottles and cans launched in their direction.

The festivities also required an AFD response for the burning couch, thus tying up both branches of our emergency first responders. Townhouse units #48, #51, #44, #104, and #125 were cited for "nuisance house" @ $300 each.

And yes, Saturday was "UMass UMake a difference day," where 200 UMass students volunteered to help clean up around Amherst.  “We are trying to show people what UMass is really like,” said Garrett Gowen, SGA vice president in the Daily Collegian.

Obviously the kids at Townhouse Apartments did not get that text message.

Arrested for Inciting a Riot:
Clyde Odei Nsiah, 72 Outlook Dr, Worcester, MA, age 23 (UMass student)

Tough guy in red hat refused to provide ID

AFD taking no chances. Hosing down nearby dumpster 

Weekend Wrap Up

 Occupants of downtown Lincoln Building party on nearby roof

In spite of it being the last weekend UMass is still in session and picture perfect weather throughout, overall the weekend went well from a pubic safety perspective:  lots of fender benders, numerous noise complaints -- but relatively few arrests -- and only one DUI, but it was a doozy.

On Sunday afternoon (only minutes after someone sent me the above photo) police responded to a complaint about a large gathering of college aged youths from Lincoln Building apartment #201 on the adjoining roof of Bueno Y Sanyo.  Police told the 30 or so perps to shut off the radio and get inside.

Which they did.  Quickly.

 Police broke up a party at 202 College Street early Sunday morning leaving each of  the two responsible tenants with $300 civil violation tickets for both "noise" and "nuisance" or a cool $600 each.  Probably could also have issued them tickets for littering. 

200/ 202 College Street early Sunday morning

And of course our young exuberant friends at the rowdy house located on well traveled North Pleasant Street (#800) were out during the day Saturday with the "You Honk We Drink" sign.

 Not a lot of honks, but they drank anyway

 

800 North Pleasant early Sunday morning 

Someone recently decorated the house on the corner of Meadow Street and North Pleasant (1190 North Pleasant), recently purchased by Jamie Cherewatti with a slogan.   Consider it, I guess, a rallying cry for Amherst Town Meeting when they take up discussion of the Rental Registration & Permit system on May 20.

"Eyesores" days are numbered.

Amherst's BIG 3

31 Spring Street, Amherst

Two weeks ago the Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals approved the conversion of 31 Spring Street to a two family abode, thereby doubling its legal occupancy. The house, contiguous with the newly renovated Lord Jeff Inn, is owned by Amherst College, the largest landowner in town.

The President's House, home to Biddy Martin, is tax exempt

Last year Amherst College, a tax-exempt education institution, paid the town $491,364 for the small part of their vast empire that is on the tax rolls: 31 single family, 5 two-family and 3 three-family houses, the profitable (unlike the town's own Cherry Hill) Amherst Golf Course on South Pleasant Street, the Dakin Property (purchased for $4.3 million in 2005) contiguous with the golf course and the scenic overlook at 69 South Pleasant Street.

In addition last year the college donated $90,000 in unrestricted funds to the town General Fund mainly for emergency services protection provided by Amherst Fire Department.

Although a couple years earlier, before the endowment took a major hit, Amherst College had donated $120,000 to the town they are named after.

Those donations have traditionally (if you call three or four years a tradition) taken place at the start of the New Year.  This past January/February, however, no announcements were forthcoming.  Odd, since their endowment is now comfortably at a historic all time high, $1.64 BILLION.

Meanwhile the "5 year strategic agreement" with UMass/Amherst expires next month.  That Payment In Lieu Of Taxes generated $325,000 per year (plus the regular $100,000 the state always gives Amherst for all state owned land in the town). Umass is the second largest landowner in Amherst--all of it tax exempt except for the Campus Center Hotel that, grudgingly, pays the local option hotel/motel meals tax.

Of course the closing and return of Mark's Meadow Elementary School to the University is a major change.

Former Mark's Meadow Elementary School

According to the expiring 5-year Town/Gown "strategic agreement":

“If, in the future, the Town builds a new elementary school and vacates the Mark’s Meadow facility, the Town, AES, ARPS and the University will negotiate a new agreement in which the University may reimburse the Town for a portion of the net costs of educating students living in University tax-exempt housing. "

Estimates of the number of children attending Amherst Public Schools from our tax exempt flagship University are somewhere between 50 and 60 (two of them Chancellor Holub's children), with our current average cost to educate at $16,413 per student, significantly over the $13,055 state average.

In other words, the $1 million it costs us to educate children coming from UMass tax exempt housing is more than double the amount they currently pay the town.

Last week Amherst Town Meeting approved an Elementary School Budget $218,000 in the red, which had to be made up by tapping reserves, currently around $6 million, but less than 10% of general fund operating revenues. 

The Fire Department also spends about 25% of its time dealing with University related emergencies; and with the AFD budget at $4 million, that too comes to a cool $1 million annually. Recently the firefighers union called upon the town and Umass to consider as part of the negotiations enough (extra) money to fund the addition of two new additional firefighter positions.

Considering the stress placed on AFD just from recent Mullins Center concerts (run by a for profit company cloaked under a tax exempt entity) a reasonable request.

Last night Amherst Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved the town operating budget (police/fire/DPW etc) without a single mention of negotiations with UMass, a guaranteed six digit amount for the FY13 budget.  And no questions concerning the supposedly imminent deal with Blue Wave Capital for placing a $10 million solar farm on the old landfill, thus generating six-digit savings in electric costs on top of $200,000 in annual property taxes.

And then we have the runt of the litter, Hampshire College, who pays the town zero in Payment in Lieu of Taxes and a grand total of $61,613 in property taxes for a few houses and the Bay Road Tennis Club.  Yet expensive trips to Hampshire College are as routine as rain for the Amherst Fire Department.

Black Walnuts near Hampshire College main entrance.  College gave the state a bike lane easement to save trees, but charged the town $200,000 in paving for an easement for Atkins Corner Project

All in all tax exempts own just over half of Amherst, meaning the other half--homeowners and to a minuscule extent, businesses--have to make up that dramatic imbalance. And on top of that we have the most expensive average school costs in the region at $16,413 per pupil, spending a whopping $12 million more per year than our sister city Northampton.

But town officials still act like beggars, pleading with our tax exempt institutes of higher education to "spare a dime." It's time to get serious...and ask (nicely) for real money.