Big Doings in little old Amherst

The Amherst Redevelopment Authority 7/10 meeting became a walking tour of the downtown as we exited historic Town Hall and headed over to the equally historic Lord Jeff Inn. Knowing Town Meeting’s affinity for old brick buildings, I was relieved to hear the $5 million renovation would not alter the current structure. Amherst’s skyline is safe.

The expansion behind the historic brick building will require the demolition of a house or two currently owned by Amherst College. Selectman Rob Kusner mentioned a small stream that runs immediately behind (or under) the Inn, although currently it’s bone dry.


They could always use “replication” and install a large aquarium in the new lobby.

The Town Manager pointed to the Spring Street parking lot and explained his grand vision of an Intermodal (rhythms with yodel) Transport Center melding a 400-car garage, bus depot, rail station, and bicycle storage.


Even if Amherst College donated the current parking lot (they politely declined) the cost for the transportation hub approaches $10 million and even if the Feds paid half, that still leaves a $5 million tab for the town.

Yes, the Boltwood Garage cost a little over $4 million--but Senator Rosenberg brought home the bacon in the form of a $3 million state grant. And the ARA donated the land, valued at $350,000 (with only one condition: the garage had to be expandable).

Even then it took years and years of wrangling to overcome the NIMBY concerns of neighbors, for the most part folks living in a complex the ARA renovated from a school to senior housing.

Selectman Kusner then floated the idea of taking land a little further east, closer to the tracks. Aha! No wonder the ARA has become such a hot prom date. We have the power of eminent domain, and a recent legal opinion saying we can use it anywhere in Amherst

Classic Chevrolet, 40 Dickinson Street, has been in business since 1883. Although the facility is a tad tired, it is one of those old brick buildings that Town Meeting and the Historical Commission (who can delay demolition for a year) are quite fond of. And since it touches Kelley Square, I’m kind of fond of it as well.

And, unlike the adjacent Amherst College parking lot, they pay taxes (over $8,000 last year). So NO, I would not be in favor of taking it from Ms. Fungaroli, who has owned it since 1953.


To Be Continued…

That which survives

In the middle of a sizzling heat wave, I anticipated a boring, unproductive Amherst Redevelopment Authority meeting last week, where we barely managed a quorum.

The surprise attendance of Town Manager Larry Shaffer and Selectman Rob Kusner, however, suddenly foreshadowed an interesting evening after all. More on that later.

ARA staff liaison Planning Director Jonathan Tucker is also a townie and an avid local historian. He tossed me an Amherst Record article dated 6/18/1868 detailing a “serious accident” that befell Irish laborer Tom Kelley, my great, great grandfather.

In my October, 2000 Amherst Bulletin column “A fifth Generation Found” I had stated Tom lost his right arm after falling from the roof of the Henry Hills House on Gray Street, founding family of the famous hat factory. Renowned Dickinson scholar Aife Murray placed him falling off the actual Hills Hat factory.




I relied on the remembrance of his granddaughter Catherine Kelley who was in her 90’s when a family member transcribed her recollections. Upon rereading them now, seven years later, the hesitative verb in the sentence “I think grandfather was working on the Henry Hills roof when he fell” should have raised a red flag.

Thomas William Kelley’s life altering event occurred at the Lamp Black Factory (kind of a blacksmith business) on Main Street, while installing a “fire proof roof” after the building had already burned down twice.

Tom plunged thirty feet to a cement floor impacting his right side, shattering “his pelvis two or more ribs and badly breaking the bones in his elbow join.” The arm was soon amputated.

A fellow worker J.M. Cutter also plummeted to the unforgiving floor and “landed on his feet,” but received “such a jar he was insensible for some time”. He later died. Tom is described as “about 33” (he was in fact 31) and Mr. Cutter as 59, but “in good health.”

At that time amputations had a 50/50 mortality rate. And even after constant round-the-clock care from his wife Mary and sister-in-law Maggie Mahar (Emily Dickinson’s “Northwind”) and various children he still was not ready to return to work until summer’s end.

Even after the completion of the fireproof roof the factory later burned to the ground. and did indeed became home to the Hills Hat factory, that also burned down…twice.

Tom migrated a stone’s throw away to Miss Emily’s distinctive Main Street brick house where, along with his sister-in-law Maggie and various sons and daughters, he became a Dickinson “domestic”.





Even with only one arm, his work ethic inspired the respect and friendship of the reclusive brilliant poet, who once wrote to her sister Lavinia, after hearing tragic news “ran to his blue jacket and let my Heart break there—that was the warmest place.”

And after almost 20 years of routine service—including grounds keeping, plumbing, and delivering her letters, poems and gift baskets to the neighborhood—his final act for Miss Emily was the most impressive: To carry her white casket out the back door, acting as Chief Pallbearer along with five other Irish workers, and transport her all the way to West Cemetery.

According to the 5/25/1886 Gazette “The sun was shining in glory, and all the air was sweet with perfume of blossoming trees, as the mortal part of this gifted woman was laid beside those of her parents.”

Tom had purchased land in 1864 from Edward Dickinson for $1,216 (who acquired it from the Railroad five years earlier for $100) just down the hill and on the same side of the tracks. At peak “Kelley Square” —as it is still known today on assessor maps—hosted three houses, fruit trees, roses, grapes and a barn.

Now just an abandoned, overgrown patch of woods minimally taxed as “undeveloped land”. Emily Dickinson’s majestic brick Homestead looks identical today (perhaps better) as 150 years ago. But the Dickinson’s are—although far from forgotten—long gone.




The Kelley’s still remain.

Updates

So the Amherst Bulletin not only published Mr. Bowser’s diatribe about pay raises for the municipal head honchos (that I published last Sunday) the crusty old Gazette did a news article on it 7/20, published his letter 7/21, and this week's Bulletin also carried that news article on the Front Page. Not bad BANG for his buck! (or whatever two first-class stamps cost these days.)

And, finally, I heard back from the Town Manager on my July 6’th formal response to him concerning the League of Women Voters boycott letter with a request for a quick turnaround of our July 4'th 2008 Parade Permit.

With the line “We would be happy to meet and discuss this further if you think there is anything new to be said,” I was hinting that a meeting to discuss the same old, same old issue (let anybody and everybody march carrying whatever they want) is a waste of time.

The Parade Committee has scheduled an emergency meeting for Friday night at the VFW to discuss strategy prior to setting up the pow-wow with the Town Hall Chief (if we decide to meet).

In a message dated 7/18/07 2:13:55 PM, ShafferL@amherstma.gov writes:

Mr. Kelley,

Thank you for inviting me to participate in the 4th of July parade. I appreciate your kind thoughts.

Let’s discuss next year’s permit. Please call so that an appointment might be scheduled.

Thank you.

Larry

To Hell with BankofAmerica

So yeah, they are about as BIG a bank as you can get, what pundits often describe as “Too BIG to fail” (until, of course, they do), and as a result they can squander funds any way they please.

Since Bank of America touts its ‘Community Impact’ by heralding “the financial resources and expertise to help communities achieve their full potential as desirable places for people to live, work and raise families,” then why are they not rebuilding their bank at 75 East Pleasant Street, a prime commercial location?

I’m sorry for the fire, believe me. I know all too well what it’s like to have something burn down around you. My apartment complex, however, was rebuilt. And if anyone else in town owned that prime property I could assure you they would rebuild.

Last year the building was valued at $555,500 so a brand new building would probably be valued over $600,000, thus providing at least $9,000 in property taxes.

The land itself is valued at $246,300 so now Amherst loses $4,500 in revenue. And since banks, unlike Health Clubs, are exempt from the town’s “Personal Property Tax” (equipment) the drive-up ATM will not be taxed at all.

But my main concern is the loss of vitality. A cold, automated operation where once human beings dwelled to help assist customers. And those employees probably had lunch, shopped, or ran errands in our desirable downtown.

Bank of America should be embarrassed.

Take this job and...

So a few people have now wondered (in that biting sort of way my mom used to observe I could do karate all day in the basement, but couldn’t take out the garbage) if Donna’s Letter of Resignation is a public document? Well yeah...as a matter of fact, it is!

I neglected to mention that our nine Charter School Trustees (which I never was) are all volunteers… as in uncompensated. Same deal for the 15 original Founders (which I was).

And yes, I WAS Director of Marketing and Public Relations (I made up that title; they just said at the time, “Larry you handle the media”) back when we were just an enthusiastic group of concerned parents and educators collectively known as “Founders”.

But that extended firefight with certain whiney public school officials made a few folks nervous (not me of course, since I knew we were going to win.) Our entire existence as a Charter School is devoted to the language and culture of China, an overly formal nation where folks tend not to question their government (at least publicly).

And some Founders viewed local Public School officials as part of the government.

So reverting back to my old job for a moment: Yes, the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School will most certainly be open this September in the beautiful Village Square of South Amherst.

And although my wife is no longer a Trustee she, like me, can now be a “parent advocate”. Our involvement is far from over.

########################################################################

To: Board of Trustees
Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School

From: Donna Kelley

July 16, 2007


Dear Board Members:

I have decided to resign from the Board of Trustees of the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School. I have made this decision after my husband, Larry, violated the board’s policy relative to media contact last week. Larry acted out of a concern I share about lack of communication with parents and the negative reputation Kathy and Rich have garnered with the media. I was not aware of his actions beforehand, however, and I did not approve of what he did. Because Larry’s relationship with the media is at the opposite extreme to the high level of cautiousness endorsed by the board, I decided that it would be best for me not to be involved at a board level of the school.

I do, however, hope the school will adopt more of a middle ground in their public relations approach and develop a positive relationship with the media. We may all have negative opinions about the media, but having grown up with a father that served in a higher-level school administrator role in a regional school system, and having recently talked with him about this issue, I strongly believe that PVCI should recognize the importance of public relations.

I know there are a number of priorities that need to be tackled right now, but I must also strongly emphasize that regular communication with the parents should not be put on the back burner right now. It is an issue the board should be concerned about because it will impact school enrollment and broader, even long-term, attitudes about the school. It clearly is not optimal for parents to feel out-of-the-loop or that they're getting things second hand, nor to draw their own conclusions. We should connect with these parents regularly, and on an emotional level. We need to make them feel more comfortable about the risk they’re taking with us, and build and maintain their excitement about the choice they’re making for their child.

Please realize that these concerns are being aired in the spirit of helping the school. They are only a few issues that can be resolved fairly easily. I also realize that we aren’t going to get everything right in the beginning. I believe the range of challenges that have been tackled so far by everyone involved is tremendous and reflects the commitment and belief in the values of Chinese language and culture learning, in addition to excellent scholarship. Kathy and Rich are doing a tremendous job.

This resignation does not reflect a lack of commitment on my part to the school. I intend to be an active parent and serve in any capacity that can be helpful to PVCI. In addition, my resignation presents an opportunity for the board to add new members that can bring expertise in areas relevant to the stage of the school and the particular path it has taken since the board first came together. As the consultant stated during our board training, we have strengths in a number of areas relevant to the school, but we should identify areas where we have fewer strengths, and seek to fill those with board members that can bring new perspectives to the school’s governance.

I thank you all, and especially Rich and Kathy, for the great experience this has been so far. I intend to be in contact with Kathy and I will look forward to seeing many of you as the PVCI vision becomes a reality.

Sincerely,


Donna J. Kelley


CC: Kathy Wang
###################################################################################
[mailto:info@easthamptonwoodworks.com]
Sent: Tue 7/17/2007 10:07 AM
To: Kelley, Donna
Subject: RE: Letter of resignation

Donna,

PVCICS’s bylaws state:

“A Trustee may resign at any time by filing a written resignation with the Chair of the Board.”

It would help of you could provide a signed copy of your letter for our files. I don’t know if an email meets the bylaws requirement. As the Chair of the Board is included in your of addressees, I don’t think you need to change the text, but it would be great if you could address a copy directly to the Chair of the Board to ensure all requirements are met. The school’s mailing address is:
188 Pleasant St Easthampton, MA 01027

Sincerely,

Richard Alcorn

Chair, Board of Trustees
PVCICS

A whistleblower wails.

Yikes! I certainly hope Mr. Bowser continues to be a town employee, as Amherst could use more Stand Up Guys (and gals). And if the Gazette or Bulletin doesn’t print his on-the-money diatribe, some of us will go hmmmm…


In a message dated 7/13/07 9:07:08 PM, bowserextradry@comcast.net writes:

Larry-

I submitted this letter to the editor to both the Bulletin and the Gazette, not sure if they will ever post it. Thought maybe you could spread the word or post on your blog

Monday night July 9th the Select Board voted to approve a recommendation by the Personnel Board to reclassify over 20 non-union employees. These employees are mostly management positions, department heads, directors, and their assistants. These reclassifications will result in at least 1 level increase for each employee over the next fiscal year (a few received more than one level). These reclassifications are being phased in and some will argue that the fiscal impact is very small. But since most of these management positions are long-time employees they are probably already on the top step of their current levels and they will be to the top of their new levels again in 1or 2 years. The difference between each level is anywhere from approx. $3000-$5000. This money could have been used to help ease the health insurance burden for all employees instead of giving a select few employees an increase. On top of this increase in regular pay any COLAs, longevity and other costs based on their salary (taxes, unemployment ins, benefits, etc) will increase each year also. This will have a huge fiscal impact in the next several years and we will again be struggling to balance our budget with this added burden.

I cannot believe given the fiscal crisis that the Town is in and the grueling Town Meeting that just resulted in several cuts to personnel that the Select Board could in good conscience agree to such a recommendation. We are cutting police officers, school teachers, reducing positions/hours for lower level employees in, for example, the Finance Dept and Health Dept, and then turning around and giving their supervisors increases.

This is a slap in the face to all of us Town employees and to everyone who fought so hard to keep the Town budget under control in this recent Town Meeting. Town Meeting members and Select Board members mentioned several times about not allowing COLAs and steps and then less than a month after Town Meeting adjourns the Select Board goes behind closed doors and approves large increases for management employees and a 1% COLA. This year’s budget will now be in danger of going over due to these increases in salaries.

As a result of this year’s budget woes the Police Chief has said that response time for non-emergency calls may be delayed. The Department of Public works was not filling potholes for a time, not filling vacant positions and is possibly still dealing with a hiring freeze as well as holding off on many purchases so they do not run low at year end again. The Town Hall will be reducing its hours. Property tax increases, Water and Sewer rate increases and permits for things such as driveway permits, street openings, sewer connections have all gone up to help balance the budget.

For example a driveway permit has already increased from $50 to $200, that’s 400%! What will it have to go up to next year?

In the future I hope the Select Board does not dare ask for another override. I did not vote for this last one because I knew the Town could not stick to the Amherst Plan and curb spending. This blows that 3 year plan out of the water. They have created this problem themselves and I hope that everyone will remind them of this when next year’s budget woes come up.

Jeffrey Bowser
Town employee and Town of Amherst taxpayer

Unlike Mr. Bowser, for those of us who were not paying attention to the July 9’th Select board meeting I borrowed this from Stephanie O'Keeffe. Blogging colleen of InAmherst:


Executive Session – Collective Bargaining Agreements/Open Session – Salary Chart

The Select Board went into Executive session at approximately 7:25 p.m., with members of the Personnel Board and with Human Resources Director Kay Zlogar and Assistant to the H.R. Director Eunice Torres, for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining agreements. They reconvened in open session at approximately 8:10 p.m.

Personnel Board Chair Flo Stern said that the Personnel Board had been working on amending the non-union employee salary scale chart since January of 2006, conducting interviews with 74 employees. She said that various factors had prolonged the process, including the change of Town Manager and the National Guard deployment of the DPW Superintendent. Mr. Weiss thanked all concerned for their work on the chart.

The Select Board voted 4 to 0, 1 absent, to approve the amended salary chart.

Let the sun shine

Okay, so that duel post disappearing act probably violated a sacred rule or two of blogging, but it was either delete or divorce.

Apparently nobody actually reads these posts fully. I clearly said I was NOT a Charter School Trustee:

I am indeed one of 15 original founders of PVIC, however, after granting a Charter the state requires a smaller more concentrated Board of Trustee’s actually oversee the school; and I’m not a Trustee.

Although I didn’t mention my wife is a Trustee--or more accurately--WAS, having resigned over this tempest in a teapot. A blog is, by its very nature, a (sometimes too) personal diary--not an official proclamation.

Obviously Regional School Committee Chair Elaine Brighty read only Stephanie’s headline on inamherst.com and reacted EXACTLY as predicted in my (now defunct) lead paragraph:

So that banshee wail you’re about to hear echoing over Amherst will come from school officials hissing a spontaneous “I told you so!” as the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School--with our backs to the wall and the clock ticking--reveals that, gulp, our temporary home is none other than the People’s Republic of Amherst.

http://www.inamherst.com/2007/07/chinese_school_chooses_amherst.html#comment-379

And I’m still waiting for any offended Trustees (current or former) to indicate errors in the Gazette headline: “Chinese charter school settle on site in Amherst” or that all-important lead: “After months of trying to find a location elsewhere, the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School will open a temporary location this September in Amherst.”

News experience tells me 30% of average readers scan only the headline and another 30% also read the lead paragraph and MAYBE the remaining 40% bother with the entire story. And under ANY of those scenarios, Wednesday's (7/11) Gazette article was uncharacteristically perfect…other than sparking an instant firestorm by mentioning my blog.

Trustees issued a routine email Wednesday morning (unaware of the Gazette article or my blog) to all parents saying PVCIC would temporarily set up in Amherst…although apparently not overly specific with the address. Obviously the news about this new location was coming out Wednesday anyway.

And our local scribes need not be a Woodward or a Bernstein to uncover basic information. PVCIC is a PUBLIC entity (yes folks, Charter Schools are Public Schools.) We should be as transparent as possible.

He Ping!