Declare victory and go home

Princess Stephanie once again demonstrates her PR flack background (although odd such a true blue Dem would borrow from Tricky Dick Nixon's handbook) as she spins nothing but positives with her postmortem analysis of the just completed Amherst Town Meeting.

She forgets to mention of course that the Select Board was 0-2 on articles that garnered any press attention: A much needed zoning change, championed by the Select Board and Town Manager (and her husband on the Planning Board and her dad, Chair of the Amherst Redevelopment Authority) but panned by town meeting; and the typical anti-war advisory article the Select board had voted 4-1 for "no recommendation," but was overwhelmingly approved by Town Meeting.

Party House of the Weekend (stunning)

While not exactly "One riot, one Texas Ranger" the Amherst Police Department still did an outstanding job quelling in about a half-hour a loud drunken party of 500 individuals all crammed into a one-family house at 51 North East Street.

Officers on the scene issued three "responsible" tenants two $300 bylaw violation tickets each ($1,800 total) one for Nuisance, one for Noise; and just for good measure they arrested all three as well--thus costing the perps a few more bucks for the bail bondsman to make his midnight rounds.

One even had in his possession an illegal stun gun. I guess the shocks on him.
####################################
According to Police Narrative:

Approximately 500 people cleared from residence with loud voices and DJ equipment. Many of the guests refused to leave and hid in various rooms inside the residence while continuing to party. Residence had a large amount of trash (cans/bottles) in the yard and three males were observed actively urinating in the backyard. One individual was identified as being a minor in possession of alcohol. Residents placed under arrest for Unlawful Noise and Nuisance House.

Encore for Jonathan M. Curtis

1:30 PM Sunday afternoon: Note vapor trail from large commercial passenger jet high in the background

So there has to be an honorable balance somewhere between the overreaction of Lt. Calley in Viet Nam's horrific 1968 My Lai massacre and the overly conservative response 15 years later of our military in Beirut where a suicide truck bombing slaughtered 299 American and French soldiers while they slept, and the perimeter sentry forces--in order not to overreact were required to keep ammo clips in their pockets; and one guard reports how as he fumbled to load his weapon he could clearly see the look of rapture on the truck drivers face as he rammed his explosive laden vehicle into the barracks with devastating results.

Perhaps the response of 24 year old Jonathan M Curtis and Private 1st Class Andrew Meari, 21, who both perished foiling an insurgent from getting to 7 of of their comrades with a suicide body bomb is it. They did their job, saved fellow soldiers and the only other casualty was the bad guy, intent on doing way more damage than what actually occurred.

The Boston Herald reports


-----Original Message-----
From: State House Events (BSB)
To: amherstac@aol.com
Sent: Thu, Nov 18, 2010 11:19 am
Subject: Half Staff Notification for Sunday, November 21, 2010

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Governor Patrick is ordering the American and Commonwealth Flags lower to half staff position from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, November 21, 2010 in honor of Spc. Jonathan M. Curtis who was killed in action in Afghanistan.

Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 12:00 PM
To: Events, Sh (BSB)
Subject: Re: Half Staff Notification for Sunday, November 21, 2010

Hey Suzzette,

Not to question your efficiency and that of the Big Guy, but did we not already lower the flags for Spc. Jonathan M. Curtis on 11/9?

(Not that he doesn't deserve another!)

Larry K

To: 'amherstac@aol.com'
Sent: Thu, Nov 18, 2010 12:23 pm
Subject: RE: Half Staff Notification for Sunday, November 21, 2010

Yes, November 9th was his out of state interment. November 21st is his in state memorial service.

I hope that helps.

Suzzette

Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 12:27 PM
To: Events, Sh (BSB)
Subject: Re: Half Staff Notification for Sunday, November 21, 2010

Hey Suzzette,
I figured it was something like that. And as I hinted: nobody is more deserving.
Larry

To: 'amherstac@aol.com'
Sent: Thu, Nov 18, 2010 12:28 pm
Subject: RE: Half Staff Notification for Sunday, November 21, 2010

I totally agree!

Suzzette Waters

Dig this

"Activists" Vladimir Morales and Rob Kusner facing camera--and probably not buying vegetables at today's final Amherst Farmers Market of the season.


UPDATE: Sunday morning. Somebody alerted me to the discussion that took place over on Mother Mary Streeter's antiquated town meeting listserve over the past few days concerning this tempest in a teapot.

Leave it to Isaac BenEzra to dub his PR event a "LOVE IN". The 60s must have been good to him.

From: Isaac BenEzra
Date: Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:40 pm
Subject: Re: [AmhTownMtg] SAVE THE MARKET
Send Email Send Email

Dear Gerry,
John Musanti has moved a meeting with Mr. Spineti from January 2011, to next Tuesday, That is a positive step to early resolution.
Saturday's LOVE IN at the Market (11:30am) will contribute to affirming how we feel about the folks who put the food on our table.
The proposed plan to reduce the walkway between farm stands by 18 feet needs to be revisited by all concerned.
Isaac


On Mon, Nov 15, 2010 at 11:07 AM, Isaac BenEzra wrote:

SAVE THE MARKET
The Amherst Farmers' Market's space and future are in jeopardy.
Please join with the farmers and Friends of the Market on
Saturday, November 20,
8 am - 1:30 pm
to show your support for the market?

P.S. Pass this along!


#############################################
Original Post Saturday afternoon.

So this one really takes the (carrot) cake. Our dilapidated downtown is finally getting a much needed makeover--with state money no less--and the folks who have used a central prime location rent free for 37 years are whining about being moved 100 yards or so next year.

And the guy leading the charge, John Spineti, is not even an Amherst taxpayer.

Talk about self righteous gall. But hey, they are farmers and the Farmers Market is right up there with Mom, Apple Pie--and if this were anywhere but the People's Republic of Amherst--the American Flag.

Local activist and former Mayor-Daley-like Boss at ACTV (now called 'Amherst Media') Isaac BenEzra took his ever so, um, fair-and-balanced cable show (one sided) "Conversations..." on the road today (an entire half mile) to the Farmers Market in downtown Amherst, where he pretty much hangs out every Saturday anyway, so why not drag a few unpaid interns along to shoot this one-sided propaganda.

And being the consummate PT Barnum spinmeister, BenEzra even pre-alerted the Daily Hampshire Gazette that he would be taking up this cause to highlight the unfairness of the evil DPW paving paradise to put up a parking lot (not to mention sidewalk). Don't it always seem to go?

BenEzra even compares this to the Boy Scouts Christmas Tree fiasco thee years ago (a story I broke) where the scroog-like Town Mangler suddenly charged the Boy Scouts $1/tree "rent" for using Kendrick Park, a downtown location they have traditionally inhabited every December for the past 60 years.

Kind of a big difference in that Kendrick Park was not about to undergo major construction.

Any business owner who has ever endured a construction project in their front yard understands that short term inconvenience is more than made up for by the long term benefits--not just to the businesses--but also the local citizens who fund it all.
##########################################

Talk-show host targets forced relocation of farmers
By THE DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE and SCOTT MERZBACH
Staff Writers

Friday, November 19, 2010

AMHERST - The possible displacement of the weekly farmers market next summer from its long-time home on Spring Street will be the focus of a forthcoming installment of the "Conversations with Isaac BenEzra" program on Amherst Community Television.

BenEzra said Thursday that he will be interviewing both farmers and customers at the Saturday market beginning at 11:30 a.m.
##########################################

The Only in Amherst Christmas Tree Fiasco

Gold plated Amherst School employees?

If you have ever wondered why Amherst public school student cost per child is sooooo much higher than our Sister Republic of Northampton, all you need do is look at the salary comparison School Committee member Steve Rivkin (a data wonk) distributed last night at the Regional School Committee meeting. Yikes!

The Amherst elementary schools spent $15,846 per pupil and the Amherst Regional High School spent $16,909 per pupil in fiscal 2009. Northampton public schools spent $11,699--well below the state average of $13,062 (which Charter Schools also come in at).

Of course Amherst Regional High School Principal Mark Jackson pulls down $131,236 and has two assistants (this does not include the extra bonus $19,419 he was awarded to also oversee the Middle School for seven months), while Hamp's Principal is under $100-K with only one assistant.

And what's this $96,000 payment to Umass for "partnership to support teaching and learning"? Last I looked Umass sends about 60 kids from their tax-exempt housing (including two from Chancellor Holub's fancy house high on a hill) at an annual cost to Amherst taxpayers of almost $1 million, yet we also pay them $96,000?

Some partnership!

Figures don't lie! (click the hotlink)

Townwide salaries
>Dare To Compare!

If it sounds to good to be be true...

Yesterday marked a milestone as I sold off the last of the remaining equipment from my dead Health Club, having starting almost five months ago with over 100 large, heavy pieces and pretty much selling them one by one--mainly on Craigslist (where selling is free) and a few on Ebay where they take a cut of the proceeds.

Since I was listing a dozen items per day on Craigslist I would start every morning with a scam email response, usually with just one sentence: "Is this item still available?" Once I responded in the affirmative they would come back saying they will take it--sight unseen--and will be sending a money order via courier or US Mail, and once cashed, their shipper would come pick up the item.

I was too busy with honest costumers to pay much attention to the scamers, but when I got down to the final item I decided to play along.
###################################

From: Timothy Jungbluth
To: amherstac@aol.com
Sent: Thu, Nov 4, 2010 2:07 pm
Subject: Re: Reebok bench steps with inserts - $45 (amherst)

Ok. I'll take 4. I will be paying with money orders, and i'll also arrange for a pick-up myself. I can't come to you now, because I'm on Vacation in London, So I'll instruct my assistant to mail out your payment which you will get between 3-5 working days. Once you have cashed your payment, I'll arrange for the pickup. If this is fine with you, please respond with your full name and mailing address.

Thanks
Timothy Jungbluth

Sent: Fri, Nov 5, 2010 1:03 pm
Subject: Re: Reebok bench steps with inserts - $45 (amherst)

Your payment has been sent but there is something i must bring to your notice immediately. I just discovered there is an error in the payment sent to you. My assistant sent the payment meant for another item that's more expensive than yours. I have called the post office to see if they could retrieve it but nothing positive. I really don't know what to do now. Please and Please, you can go ahead and cash out the Money Order at your Bank when you receive it, deduct your payment and send the balance via western union to the details i will provide you with. Can i trust you to do that for me? I'm so Sorry for the inconvenience this may cause.

Timothy Jungbluth

Sent: Fri, Nov 12, 2010 12:24 pm
Subject: Re: Reebok bench steps with inserts - $45 (amherst)

Hello Larry,
Waiting to hear from you.

Timothy


From: amherstac@aol.com
To: tjungbth@gmail.com
Sent: Fri, Nov 12, 2010 1:54 pm
Subject: Re: Reebok bench steps with inserts - $45 (amherst)

Hey Timothy, My very long-time banker said in order to be super-safe I should wait 10 business days (two weeks) to be absolutely certain the money orders clear, because they are as you know "international money orders" and take more time than simple in-country checks or money orders. I was forced to close my Health Club after 28 years and have been selling off all the commercial equipment over the past four months on Craigslist and have generated a fair amount...but the remaining balance I owe my bank still is far greater, so I can't afford to lose $1,910 should there be a problem with the money orders (although MoneyGram is a reputable company). Not quite sure where to go from here? I already packed the four Reebok bench steps and they are ready for pick up. But for only a $180 sale with time/travel expense to the nearest Western Union outlet to wire you back the extra balance, it really does not seem worth the risk...
Larry
###################################

Thus ended the exchanges with my pen pal, supposedly in London. I guess I should not have mentioned operating a small business for 28 years, because he probably figured that kind of experience makes a person harder to con.

Notice the return address on the money orders and envelope are in Boston but the postmark is from California. And that little problem of sending cash via wire transfer to London, which is virtually impossible to recover once sent.

The Money orders are impressive forgeries and the serial numbers are from ones previous used (but oftentimes for a much smaller amount). Any bank in America would cash them as long as you had enough money in your account to back them up, and when they returned as fraudulent the bank simply takes it out of your account.

While the Internet provides cheap overhead for these scammers to ply their pernicious plans, it also provides a medium to educate the general public about all the con artists looking to steal your hard earned dollars.

As PT Barnum's freak show competitor once said, "There's a sucker born every minute."


Craigslist Scam Alert Page

Backhand attack on The Gateway

So oddly enough, NIMBY attack dog John Fox used the Gateway Project as a hammer to pound a much needed broader zoning change (that failed to muster the two thirds required for passage) to aid smart development in overly enlightened Amherst.

And yes, it would have been a positive sign for The Gateway Project surviving the gauntlet known as Amherst Town Meeting at some future point.

Mr Fox, a former Washington lawyer no less, told town meeting he did not "understand how this will be implemented."

Hmm...Over the twenty years I suffered through town meeting with zoning articles every year, nobody in the room ever completely understood how something as complicated as zoning would be implemented and how it would look "in five years, ten years, fifteen years."


My friend and fellow blogger and still Town Meeting member Gavin Andresen came up with a new and improved acronym. BANANA: Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone. Indeed! But probably another "only in Amherst" thing.