No Exit Plan (same old, same old)

Leading Edge Amherst. Sign went up six weeks before business died

The Greenfield Recorder 1/20/12

Well considering Joanne DeLong and Peter Earle gave members, instructors and the general public only a couple hours notice before they scuttled their flagship The Leading Edge in Amherst last year, I'm not surprised half of that dynamic due now publicly proclaims the Leading Edge (rowboat) in Greenfield, has "no plans to close the gym."

Planning was never their strong point.

Obviously it's w-a-y more fun to plan for opening a business rather than closing, just like it is far merrier to attend a wedding or baptism vs. a funeral or divorce proceeding.

But consumers had better be wary--very wary. Both in Greenfield and the one maybe opening soon in the same complex in Amherst as the former Leading Edge. Considering their business model (low-cost, pack them in the door to sign up, then hope they never come in to use the facility) only took 13 months to accumulate massive amounts of red ink, it's hard to imagine a sudden turnaround simply because one partner ditches the other.

Apparently customer service is not a strong point either

And strangely enough, in this case, the partner getting ditched--Peter Earle--has far more fitness experience than Joanne DeLong, who jumped into the fitness field a tad late in life, with her main experience fighting with Earle at the Gold's Gym, Inc in Amherst before it morphed into The Leading Edge which only lasted another two years before suddenly going out of business.

As Scotty, Chief Engineer on the good ship Enterprise, used to say, "Fool me once shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."

#####

This from the Greenfield Recorder:

"According to court documents, Greenfield Fitness Inc. is in default of approximately $307,000 in back rent, real estate taxes and maintenance costs. The fitness center has routinely missed payments of maintenance costs ($46,420), real estate taxes ($54,896), and back rent ($205,524) since May 2010. The business opened in March of 2009."

10/24/11 They certainly cut corners with their Greenfield sign (now a weathered banner)

Throwing my hat into the ring

Hat by Jada

Amherst School Committee
RE: Open Seat

Please consider this a formal application to enter the contest for the current open seat on the Amherst School Committee to be filled via a joint meeting with the School Committee and Amherst Select Board.

As a father with two young children in the Amherst public schools, former small business owner with 28 years experience managing a service oriented operation, and life-long multigenerational resident of the town, I feel unequivocally qualified to serve and look forward to a lively tenure.

Sincerely,

Larry Kelley

######

UPDATE (7:55 AM) Of course one of things I forgot to mention is my PR communication skill. For instance, I would have made sure the school district's snow cancellation line (413 362-1898) this morning had the correct day/date for informing multitudes of parents whether school is open for business (or any delays) today.

The new face of Amherst College?

Jim Brassord pitches Amherst College reconstruction projects to Amherst Historical Commission

Todd Diacon and Jim Brassord pitch BID to Amherst Select Board

With recent appearances before the Select Board to support the formation of a Business Improvement District as well as the Planning Board and Historical Commission for new construction and major renovations, Jim Brassord seems to be the poster boy for all things Amherst College, although President Biddy Martin did get out for the grand reopening of the stately Lord Jeffery Inn.

Amherst College President Biddy Martin (does not require a microphone)

And both the BID and Lord Jeffery Inn will contribute greatly to the revitalization of downtown Amherst. Amherst College is the largest landowner in town and even though the vast majority of their empire is tax exempt, they are still the town's largest taxpayer contributing about $350,000 last year for 40 some odd houses used to shelter professors and of course their profitable nine hole golf course that puts the town's moribund municipal offering to shame.

The Lord Jeffery Inn, open for business

Amherst College is also refurbishing the old historical Baptist church downtown for office space and launching a $200 million, six year construction project, for a new Life Science Building on campus. And all these construction/renovation projects will be protected by the Amherst Fire Department.

Amherst College owned former Baptist Church in the heart of downtown Amherst

Former Town Manger Larry Shaffer crunched the numbers four years ago to discover Amherst College cost the town about $120,000 annually for fire/ambulance protection. That year the College, kindly enough, donated $120,000 to the town's General Fund.

Ahh, but then the stock market slid into the toilet and Amherst College's endowment declined from $1.3 billion down to a paltry $1 billion. In response they shelved the $20 million reconstruction of the Lord Jeff, and reduced the Payment in Lieu of Taxes to Amherst from $120,000 to $90,000 and let Amherst taxpayers go back to subsidizing emergency services.

But now their endowment has W-A-Y more than recovered, sitting at a historic high, $1.6 billion. The sparkling renewed Lord Jeff is open, and work is about to commence on the former Baptist Church they purchased two years ago for $2.3 million, over twice its assessed value. But even at that lower value the building generated $16,000 in taxes to the town. And at today's whopping tax rate ($19.74/$1,000) would have generated $20,000.

Amherst College, around that same time, purchased and removed from the tax rolls houses on Hitchcock and Snell Street that today would also be generating $20,000 if still on the tax rolls.

22 Snell Street

14 Hitchcock Street

Most recently the town was overly generous with the Spring Street Parking lot renovation at the Lord Jeff's front door, spending over $350,000 in enterprise fund money and providing almost two years worth of work for an already busy enough DPW.

Spring Street Parking lot adjacent to the Lord Jeff

So let me recap: Over the past three years Amherst College has added to the protection portfolio of the Amherst Fire Department, removed buildings from the tax rolls and reduced annual payments to the town, all while their endowment has grown significantly.

Currently Amherst, the town, is cobbling together the FY13 budget which goes into effect July 1, 2012. And for the first time in many a year there's no gloom and doom talk emanating from Town Hall about devastating budget cuts, although the schools, as usual, are looking at a $500,000 shortfall.

Since Amherst the College and Amherst the Town are synonymous with education it would be both fitting and nice if the College donated a chunk of change to either the town for new fire/ambulance equipment, or the schools to help close that $500,000 sinkhole.

And I'm sure Town Manager John Musante or Superintendent Maria Geryk would buy Biddy Martin (or Jim Brassord) a beer at the Boltwood Tavern.

Recent typical weekend for AFD (note calls to Amherst College compared to UMass)

Shadow O'er the Art

Miss Emily gazes at the tree casting a shadow

Created by artist David Fichter in 2005, using $35,000 in privately raised money, the historic mural along the side of West Cemetery (where Miss Emily is buried) still looks striking. And yes, as senior planner Jonathan Tucker pointed out on Facebook, the graffiti "artists" have shown proper respect (or maybe it's the special coating/sealer that went over the finished work).

Meanwhile, on an adjacent wall...

Occupy the Web!

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Go Google! I was so startled by this, I forgot what I was going to search for.

"Why wouldn't we want to do that?"

The Amherst School Committee voted unanimously this evening to fill the seat left vacant by Steve Rivkin, although Superintendent Maria Geryk seemed skeptical that it is indeed necessary.

Once the Amherst Select Board is formally notified of this positive vote they will have time to discuss it at their January 26 meeting, issue a public call for candidates, and choose a winner at a joint meeting with the School Committee on February 6.

The new member will serve until the next election, April 4. The next few months are particularly important as the School Committees (all Amherst SC members are also members of the four town Regional School Committee along with Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury) takes up discussion of the FY13 budget.

The Regional High School budget currently faces a $500,000 shortfall and the three other towns are already griping about their expensive assessments. Just today a highly contentious $1.4 million Library Override in Shutesbury was decided by a single disputed vote ruled valid, thus increasing taxes all the more.

According to the regional agreement, three out of the four towns must vote in favor of their assessment or else it's back to the drawing board.

Art & Graffiti

So yes, the recent arrest of two Bad Boy perps for tagging the fence behind Rao's made me wonder about other sites in town where the line between art and graffiti is maybe not so clearly defined.

Amherst Cinema building. Combination art/graffiti

Eagle Crest Property Management graffiti (probably a disgruntled customer of either Eagle Crest or APD)

Art Works, Main Street (definitely art)

Snell Street Bridge. Due for replacement this year (not because of graffiti)

Whitewash

Amherst Town Hall 1/17/12

Panicked citizens flooded Amherst Town Hall with calls, emails and texts this morning as folks awakened to discover a mysterious white substance coating the entire town.

Video at 11:00 (if it's still present).

Tag, you're it

Graffiti filled fence behind Rao's

Amherst Police arrested two old-enough-to-know-better men late Saturday afternoon for "tagging" this fence behind Rao's Coffee, a popular spot for hipsters and townies to hang out for the great coffee and free wifi.

Thus, is you are going to deface property, you probably should wait until after a popular business closes.

#####

Cuong Ly, Sunderland, MA, Age 24. Arrested for defacing property, drug possession (class D) and warrant initiated by another agency.

Tyrus Stinson, Belchertown, MA. Age 27. Arrested for defacing property.

Cuong Ly previous exploits

The Squeaky Wheel

TMCC turns the table on reporter Scott Merzbach 1/11/12

So third time was the charm for the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee request for reporter Scott Merzbach to "join us" at the table for a friendly discussion of public relations in general and free press for their open house town meeting recruitment drive 1/31 in particular.

Pat Holland pulled the "I'm hard of hearing" routine and Mr. Merzbach was too much the gentleman to turn that down.

The Committee had listed the reporter as an agenda item, so I thought maybe they were going to upbraid him for something or other the way I was at the last Town Meeting for daring to use flash photography. But no, they just wanted to hit him up for free PR advice.

Although during the discussion they seemed to fully understand the basics. If you want to get media attention, send out a press release. Or, apparently, put them on your agenda as a discussion item.

Carol Gray: "You're welcome to come on our bus tour, Scott"

Daily Hampshire Gazette Friday the 13th (appropriately enough)

Da Boot

If you owe Amherst ticket money, don't park near Town Hall

Now if only Amherst was this aggressive with recovering those $300 nuisance house violation tickets, our neighborhoods would be soooooo much better off. And if UMass really cared, they would assist the town by linking payment of these fines to the issuance of a diploma--like they do with their parking tickets (not that party hardy types have a high graduation rate).

Yes, within hours the fines were paid

Out With A Bang

Maria Geryk, Rick Hood, Catherine Sanderson, Irv Rhodes, Steve Rivkin

Former Amherst School Committee member Steve Rivkin exited like he came in, asking the tough question no one comfortably ensconced in the current establishment wishes to answer: why do our schools have platinum costs with only base metal performance?

Comparing Amherst to Northampton he comes up with a compelling difference in number of highly paid administrators, where Amherst has ten times as many as Hamp earning over $100K (even worse when you set the bar lower at $85-K).

And anyone who has run a small business knows all too well, labor cost is you're biggest overhead--particularly in public schools, where it accounts for 90% of the budget. And in the current Fiscal Year the schools account for 53% of total town spending.

Almost two years ago when this Amherst/Hamp school cost comparison first came up, then acting Superintendent Maria Geryk told the Gazette "Sometimes comparisons are not helpful. It's not negative to look at other communities and reflect on our costs, but it takes someone very skilled at looking at finance and data reporting. It's complicated."

Interestingly, the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee--chaired by someone skilled in data analysis--was formed to get to the bottom of the problem of high cost per student compared to Northampton but essentially gave up due to a lack of cooperation by the school administration.

Kind of like the hen house shunning the fox. Geryk told the school committee, "this question is still under analysis and there will be a report soon."

Two years later, they are still waiting. And the cost difference has gotten worse. In 2009 Amherst spent $15,846 vs Northampton's $11,699 or a difference of $4,147 per elementary school child; and last year Amherst spent $16,413 vs Northampton's $12,068 or $4,345 per child, times 1242 students that difference comes to a whopping $5,396,490.

Conservative Stan Gawle pointed out, "People make comparisons when they go to the grocery store to shop, and when you see such disparity, it's incumbent on the schools to explain why."

We're still waiting...

Water, Water, Everywhere...

McClellan Street 10:30 AM

The Department of Public Works is not often thought of as "first responders" like AFD or APD, but this morning their quick response became vital, with a water main break just off town center causing water pressure to drop town wide.

Since the town has instituted a water/sewer fund price increase for the upcoming fiscal year perhaps town officials should look at improving the aging infrastructure to avoid such inconveniences in the future.

The Very Hungry Gaggle

UMass pond (pre-development)

Burn Baby Burn!

Treemageddon. 10/30/11

Apparently Town Manager John Musante learned nothing from predecessor Larry Shaffer's PR major malfunction--charging Boy Scouts a fund raising tax on selling Christmas trees. So it's time for yet another town manager to be taken to the woodshed.

Amherst is now trying to profit on the freak Halloween weekend snow storm that littered the landscape with tree debris by charging a $25 open air burn permit paid to Amherst Fire Department (money that will not even stay in their budget), something that has been free since 1759.

Unlike Belchertown or South Hadley, Amherst saved a bundle by failing to open an emergency warming shelter in those critical first few post-storm days, and charging folks $100 ton for the storm debris cold, weary citizens dragged to the heavily tax subsidized Transfer Station, although an advertising error later forced them, grudgingly, to reduce the price to $50 ton.

So maybe now they're trying to make up for it. Last week the town announced yet another hike in user fees (water/sewer) that amounts to $24 annually for the average user, but did so with six months notice in order to give users time to adapt. This new $25 burn fee came out of nowhere (and it is fairly well buried on the town website).

Yesterday an irate citizen called Town Hall to complain, and a Town Manager staff member was not even aware of the new charge.

Like potholes, these seemingly trivial customer service items are issues l-o-n-g remembered. Snuff out the burn fee--a penny wise increase in revenue at a ton foolish cost.

South Amherst 1/11/12 A bonfire waiting to happen

Run it up the flagpole

Amherst Town Flag draft

A joint meeting of Amherst Historical Commission and the Design Review Board pretty much saluted artist Barry Moser's design proposal incorporating a shield, open book and sheaves of wheat for an official town flag (even though Amherst was never known for wheat harvest) winnowed down from nine variations he submitted.

The only recommendation is to add the date 1759 in a subtle way to the background. The Amherst Select Board --a body not known as flag connoisseurs--will have final approval.

Select Board member Diana Stein first raised the idea for a town flag in June, 2010 and the town encouraged citizen submissions which resulted in 8 designs, but none of them a clear winner. Select Board member Jim Wald contacted renowned artist Barry Moser, who agreed to volunteer his design services.

The flag will hang at the Massachusetts State House in the Great Hall alongside pennants from most cities and towns in Massachusetts . Twenty years ago the state came up with the idea of hanging flags as a means of improving the acoustics in the spacious hall.

Who would have thought state government could be so practical?

And yes, Amherst is the same town that restricts the flying of 29 commemorative Americans flags on 9/11, to once every five years.

All Systems Go

The Amherst Fire Department descended on the Lord Jeffery Inn this morning for final inspections, parking their rigs at nearby Town Hall.

After spending $14 million in renovations, pretty safe bet everything checked out okay.

All they need now is an American flag

Do as I say...

Kid is thinking: What about Police and Fire?

Baer "The Turk" Tierkel is asking fellow Amherst liberals to post this town meeting recruiting poster on Facebook to drum up support for the aging institution. Now yes, Mr. Tierkel is an Amherst resident and a town meeting member, so no hypocrisy there...but, umm, he also does not send either of his children to the Amherst public schools. I guess it all depends on how you define "support."

The Catcher in the Rye

To fill a void

Amherst Regional Middle School

UPDATE (Monday morning): According to an email from SB Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe the School Committee is now scheduled to discuss this important matter at their 1/17 meeting and will make a recommendation to the Select Board for their 1/22 meeting. Let's hear it for transparency!

I also loved former chief legal counsel to Governor Romney and now State Rep Dan Winslow's tweet about this all too typical Amherst affair: "Taxation without representation in my hometown?!? Say it ain't so Amherst."
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ORIGINAL POST (Sunday night): According to policy published on the Amherst Regional Public Schools website, "When a vacancy on the Amherst or Pelham School Committee should occur for any reason the School Committee will notify the Selectmen that a vacancy has been created within 30 days after it has occurred. After one week’s notice has been given by the Committee to the Selectmen, so that voters of the town may have the opportunity to state their candidacy, the two governing bodies will meet to fill the vacancy by roll call vote."

Also, according to a 1/4/12 email from the Town Clerk to the Select Board, "Chapter 41, s. 11 provides for such vacancy to be filled providing the remaining school committee members give written notice thereof within one month of said vacancy, to the selectmen, who, with the remaining member or members of such board, shall, after one week’s notice, fill such vacancy by roll call vote."

According to the 1/6/12 Amherst Bulletin, however, Amherst School Committee Chair Irv Rhodes has no intention of following state law and filling the seat left vacant by the December 30 resignation of Steve Rivkin. Mr. Rhodes declares the seat will remain vacant until the next local town election, April 3.

Fortunately, according to the Town Clerk, "Chapter 41, s. 11 further provides for such vacancy to be filled by the selectmen if such board (school committee) fails to give said notice within the time herein specified."

I respectfully request the Select Board place on the agenda for their 1/26 meeting a public discussion about filling the vacant School Committee seat ASAP, with that follow up vote by the Select Board scheduled for their February 6th meeting.

(And yes, I do know of one qualified candidate willing to compete for the open seat.)

Thank You,

Larry Kelley

Cc: Select Board, Town Manager John Musante, Amherst School Committee, Town Clerk Sandra Burgess, School Superintendent Maria Geryk, Nick Grabbe

More $ down the drain

Amherst Cherry Hill Golf Course (metaphorically speaking)

Just so all of us "customers" have time to adapt, Amherst announced six months in advance a 3% price hike in water and sewer rates. Yeah, that $24 annual increase takes a long time to soften the shock. Thanks.

Or I suppose households could cut back--a bath here and a toilet flush there. But try telling that to my two kids.

Now too bad the town could not correspondingly swing a magic golf club and guarantee an increase in the bottom line at our floundering golf business. Interestingly, the town has incrementally increased rates almost every year for the past decade or so but it still loses money hand over fist because of sinking interest in the expensive game of golf.

And with H-U-G-E capital infrastructure expenditures coming up soon, those already too large losses will only grow exponentially.

Government seems to do just fine in the marketplace when it has a monopoly on a vital service like running water or education, but tanks in a competitive arena where good quality at a fair price matters.

Unfortunately the taxpayers are all too easily tapped to cover the difference.

What's Old is New

Welcome to Amherst indeed

Our somewhat high-profile Amherst town website just started promoting Public Service Announcements about the wonders of Amherst, under the banner headline "NEW!" Interestingly some of the production is recycled from a few years ago when, errr, another town manager first hatched the deal with a slick marketing ad agency: free PR videos for the town, but with paid local ads around them.

I actually like the older ones a little better mainly because the voice over lady knows how to correctly pronounce the town's name. Since Am_erst seems to have adopted the motto "Where only the h is silent," you would think somebody would ensure the same from official public relations materials.

And a little fact checking would also help as the "new" education tourbook promo states Amherst is "home to five renowned colleges," including Mt. Holyoke and Smith College--a not so trivial mistake the national lamestream media occasionally makes as well.

And we now have only three "town elementary schools" (thanks to Catherine Sanderson).

Lord Jeff returns

Lord Jeffery Inn

After a too long hiatus of three years the historic--now LEED certified--Lord Jeffery Inn, revived by a $14 million overhaul, has returned to service as a downtown anchor just off the Amherst town common.

Amherst College President Biddy Martin welcomes the crowd

The project was originally announced as a $20 million endeavor but the stock market chill took a major bite out of Inn owner Amherst College's $1.3 billion endowment, so revitalization plans went into hibernation.

The return of the majestic old Inn that first opened in 1926 is good news for Amherst College, providing a high profile location to entertain important visitors and even better news for the bottom line of the town's coffers. Like their 111 year old Amherst Golf Course, the Lord Jeff Inn is on the tax rolls with an assessed value to jump from the current $2.4 million already up from $832,600 last year resulting in significant tax monies paid to the town to provide vital services.

Representative Ellen Story: Along with Jones Library the Lord Jeff is the "heart" of Amherst

Amherst also enacted the extra local option tax on food and lodging thus providing yet another lucrative benefit of having a new hotel/restaurant open for business. All in all, a great day for downtown Amherst.

Staff and dignitaries on one side spectators and media on the other

Town Manager John Musante

Last holdout surrenders

Steve Rivkin

Like our beleaguered forces at Wake Island, Steve Rivkin's surrender is an honorable one as he is moving on up to another job in Chicago at the University of Illinois.

Rivkin was elected to the Amherst School Committee two years ago and shared a foxhole with Catherine Sanderson, constantly drawing fire for daring to question why Amherst spends sooooooo much money per student with less than stellar results--especially with low income, minority students.

If fellow school committee members decide they want him replaced before the next town election in the spring, they need to send written notice to the Select Board within 30 days so the Select Board can call a joint meeting with the Amherst School Committee and pick a successor to fill out his term.

Or if the School Committee is too lazy to ask for a replacement, the Select Board can take it upon themselves to fill the position with just their majority vote.

Either way, only the "usual suspects" need bother to apply.

AG makes Fitness Zombie pay up

Letter from AG bearing a check

The New Year started off shockingly well for aerobics instructor extraordinaire Catherine Sanderson--not that she needs extra spring in her double step--as a check arrived from the Attorney General's office for back wages owed when the Leading Edge Gym (Amherst Fitness, Inc) suddenly locked their doors way back on October 20, 2010 with barely a few hours notice to staff and members.

The AG's Fair Labor Division confirmed mailing restitution checks to 37 former employees with a combined value of $14,800. Unfortunately health club members who paid for long term memberships (some of them only days before the closing) are not part of this settlement.

Don't feel bad for the former owners, Peter Earle and Joanne DeLong, as they recently sold the fire damaged small business condo in downtown Amherst for $190,000. Plus Peter (the Duke of) Earle seems to be creeping forward with his woman only fitness center a few doors down from their old "Leading Edge" location.

Although, the only thing accomplished since my previous 9/30 expose was vital window washing. And we are now into January, the number one sales month for the fitness industry nationwide. Not a great way for a new fitness business--especially one saddled with a negative rap sheet--to start the new year.

9/30/11

1/3/12

Cooper Mine tanning salon: never opened for business. Sold 7/1/11 $190,000

Get on your High Horse!

High Horse Brewery and Bistro, downtown Amherst

The High Horse Brewery and Bistro, managed by Jason DiCaprio, has opened for business in the former downtown location of Amherst Brewing Company, who moved a mile down the road into a larger location last August, space formerly occupied by the (less than) Leading Edge Health Club .

Amherst could actually use a few neighborly mature adult drinking establishments like ABC, High Horse, and the other bar Mr. DiCaprio runs in South Amherst, Moan and Dove.

And no, I do not think that's in the least bit hypocritical coming from the guy who has been on an evangelical crusade against "party houses" over the past year. B-I-G difference between businesses run by seasoned individuals concerned with long term stability and immature kids "blowing off steam" every weekend after all those arduous hours of study.

Springfield Republican reports

Hello, hello, hello?

Amherst Police responded to a Summer Street residence on Saturday morning and again Sunday night to referee an ongoing battle between a landlord and a female tenant who rents a room in the house. File this under "cost of doing business" (paid by taxpayers).

10:53 AM Saturday

RP states that her neighbor is banging on her door threatening her.

Spoke to landlord who stated the RP was supposed to be evicted today. Male party stated that he attempted to give the RP an ultimatum to sign an agreement about when she'd be leaving or that the Sheriff's office would be notified.

#######

Sunday 10:40 PM

RP requesting to speak with an officer regarding harassment from her neighbor.

Ongoing landlord/tenant issue. RP states she is being harassed by X, landlord's friend. RP rents a room from the landlord and was walking into common kitchen area, where X said "hello" to RP four times. RP thought this was harassing and threatening. I advised her that she can seek a 258E court order Tuesday at Eastern Hampshire District Court. This officer spoke with X. He states he was only being cordial by saying "hello". He has been advised not to talk with her. He agrees. Ok 95.