For which it stands

Over 150 citizens gathered to remember the Civil War service of 5 black Amherst residents

For the second late summer Sunday in a row Amherst hosted a rare solemn ceremony to remember war, something the outspoken town does rather routinely, but usually from only one perspective: anti war.

Last week we honored, remembered and cried for 3,000 Americans slaughtered ten years earlier in a two-hour killing spree unprecedented in our history--especially since civilians comprised over 90% of the casualties.

Today we gathered to remember and honor five black soldiers from Amherst who fought in the Civil War, another unprecedented event in our history--the costliest conflict ever when measured in American casualties.

The five veterans are all buried in West Cemetery, where its most famous occupant, Emily Dickinson, tends to overshadow all the other deserving souls buried there. Not today however.

Raymond Brooks, a Native American, and great-great grandson of Christopher Thompson

Bob Romer, Veterans Agent Steven Connor, Reynolds Winslow, Dave Ziomek

Charles Thompson: upstanding citizen of Amherst and the USA

Amherst's "Sacred Dead Tablets" in storage

Saturday night's alright for...

Burning the midnight oil. APD 11:30 PM

Popular PVTA bus stop North Pleasant Street

Sunday morning 7:15 AM

Let the clean up begin. But not by those responsible. This gent only picks up returnable cans & bottles

Hobart Lane

North Pleasant Street

Phillips Street

Allen Street

Basketball Jones

Coach Kellogg sets with Jada, then passes off

This morning my daughters got to meet the UMass basketball team and Coach Derek Kellogg at the Big E. What a great bunch of ambassadors they are for the game of basketball and our flagship University.

Jada's first slam dunk

Tonight UMass football takes on Rhode Island in their first home game here in Amherst, and the weather is rather pleasant. Let's hope the fans remember that they too are ambassadors for the University.

Kira getting the team's autographs

2 points!

Getting High @ UMass

With a sub headline: "The proper way."

U.S. Marine Officer Selection Office practiced take offs and landings today to generate interest in prospective candidates. Semper Fi.

The Importance of Spelling

Okay so maybe I'm being overly picky or my usual micromanaging self, but when I get an official letter, note or newsletter--even if in digital form--I expect perfect spelling. Especially when coming from, you know, a school.

The brief "note from our Superintendent," however, was quite folksy and readable--although one too many exclamation points.

Since it is their first issue, maiden voyage and all that--and the error was only in the email title--I'll forgive it...this time. But they better shape up by next month's edition, or the copy editor gets detention!

Send a stern message

Amherst Police Department, 111 Main Street

Maybe this Friday night the "Have a Heart" coalition of concerned UMass higher ups should play "good cop bad cop" with the hoards of zombie like students traipsing about nearby neighborhoods looking to party.

As the good cop they can hand out oatmeal raisin cookies while requesting restrained civility for the rest of the night while Amherst Police Department can don their riot gear and do whatever it takes to prevent a recurrence of last Friday's riot at 121 Meadow Street.

And perhaps large electronic message signs should be placed at north and south main gateways to campus blinking the stern message: "Get rowdy? Get arrested!" Either that, or spike the cookies with Thorazine.

Termination

Atkins Corner trees on West Street

Two of the least surprising official decisions to emanate from Amherst Town Hall so far this week are--in chronological order--the Select Board's unanimous vote on Monday night to kill the Committee on Homelessness, age four, and this afternoon's decision by the tree warden to allow termination of 15 more trees around Atkins Corner, some of them age 40-something.

Although in this case the Shade Tree Committee voted unanimously not to vote on the permit application because they considered the process a charade. In a previous round their unanimous vote to deny the permit was overruled.

Hwei-Ling Greeney Committee on Homelessness Chair

Since Atkins Corner construction is a state project the town and its committees have no power. So why even bother voting?

Shade Tree Committee. Alan Snow, 2nd from left, Tree Warden

Ah, if only passion was the paramount factor in deciding these controversial cases--a stay of execution would be guaranteed.