In order to trim their budget and stay within Finance Committee guide lines of no more than a 2.8% budget increase, the Regional Schools will nix Russian this coming year and German the following year.
According to Superintendent Maria Geryk: "The decision to cut German and Russian at the Region was made about 3
years ago. Since that time, no new students have been added to the
classes. We maintained enough FTE to support the students who were
already taking classes in these languages. This year is the last group
currently in Russian, and we have one more group left in German. For
FY13, there will be a .4 reduction in these areas. Therefore, Russian is
cut in FY13 totally and German will be cut in FY14."
UMPD evidence confiscated early in the evening from one vehicle
UPDATE 6:20 PM: Saturday night is not starting out so hot. Another dumpster fire at Hobart Lane. And the fireworks at North Amherst Winterfest stimulates a bevy of calls to 911
#####
Like the melody of a song that gets stuck in your head, "200 Commonwealth Ave", the Mullins Center address, will stay with me for a while as that became a loop run for Amherst Fire Department ambulances starting even before the Rusko concert (drunken young woman fell and broke her arm).
UMass Police did their best to be proactive: patrolling expansive parking lots with an armored car and unmarked patrol cars--swooping in when alcohol was visibly in possession by minors--but on nights like this, you may as well bail out the ocean with a plastic red cup.
Riot buster on patrol outside Mullins Center
The concert started at 7:30 PM, but over an hour later coatless young men in short sleeve shirts and young women dressed in even shorter black skirts with midriffs exposed, streamed down Commonwealth Avenue from the Southwest area heading toward the Mullins Center, while many of the vehicles converging on the scene had out-of-state license plates.
The good thing of course is the concert kept thousands of students on campus, the bad thing, however, is our Fire Department became like a Domino's Pizza delivery service--carrying cargo from the Mullins Center to the Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
Since a high ranking Amherst public official--obviously not a sports fan--once tried to have me arrested for using the expression "locked and loaded", I thought it safer to explain my use of the term "loaded for bear" on Facebook regarding tonight's ride along with UMass Police Department.
My weapons--I mean tools--include a Kodak z981 with 26x wide angle optical zoom and high ISO for low light conditions, flip camera for simply to use video (but better quality than a cell phone), portable tripod so the flip can become an instant dash cam, portable scanner with Amherst and Hadley first responder frequencies, digital audio recorder, and of course when all else fails, small notebook and pencil.
And no, I'm not hoping for a riot--or what photo journalists refer to as "bang bang". Any Friday night with APD or UMPD is a newsworthy evening. Although... it is unseasonably warm and there is a big concert at the Mullins Center tonight.
Amherst Fire Department will have extra staff with nine on duty professionals (7 is normal) split between Central and North Station as well as another special detail of two stationed at the Mullins Center covering the concert.
UPDATE 5:05 PM Friday:
See Comment at 5:02 PM today from Bart Hollander, Catherine Sanderson's husband.
#####
Catherine Sanderson, as usual, hit a nerve with last week's column in the venerable Amherst Bulletin questioning the glowing evaluation the Regional School Committee bestowed upon Amherst School Superintendent Maria Geryk by highlighting those inconvenient truths about the high cost of education in Amherst with mediocre MCAS results, currently the most failing in over a half-dozen years.
This week's Amherst Bulletin has not one but two columns ganging up on Dr. Sanderson, written by three-out-of-four remaining Amherst School Committee members. Interestingly not a peep from any of the four hilltown committee members who presumably were as offended as the Amherst members. Or maybe Amherst has thin skinned public officials--especially now that Catherine Sanderson and Steve Rivkin are gone.
How dare she point out the rosy report was penned by a Pelham School Committee member with a spouse working under the Superintendent!
Massachusetts public officials--both paid and volunteer--are held to a higher standard. It's not called "conflict of interest", it is called the "appearance of a conflict of interest". Kind of like in criminal cases the evidence must prove "guilt beyond a reasonable doubt" vs. civil cases were it is a "preponderance of the evidence."
And having your volunteer spouse critique your highly paid boss clearly has the appearance of a conflict. The state, however, offers a simple solution: disclosure. You know, that thing called transparency--which we see very little of in Amherst.
Some might even argue appointing a high school student to the school committee smacks of an appearance of a conflict. Although we're told by reporter Nick Grabbe that the teacher was joking, newly appointed school committee member Solomon Goldstein-Rose was greeted with "I'm teaching my boss now" by a teacher at the High School on Tuesday.
Yeah, and you damn well better not give him too much homework!
Both columns use the same lame excuse town officials have relied on for 25 years protecting the Cherry Hill Golf Course: Wait until next year. Katherine Appy even manages to throw in liberals favorite boogeyman to blame, President Bush.
Yes, it takes time to turn around a big ship in a sea of molasses. But other nearby towns navigate in the same sea and seem to do as good a job in a far more cost efficient manner. As President Kennedy once said, "A rising tide lifts all boats." And Amherst has a rising tide of red ink.
Neither counter column answers that nagging question of why our cost per student is by far the highest in the area at $16,413 per student while state average is $13,055. Is it too much to ask why we don't get average adequate yearly progress when we pay 20% above average for our system?
Indeed, nobody likes a critic--especially when they're right!
Amherst College President Biddy Martin (speaking extemporaneously)
Perhapsit was the home field advantage, speaking from the comfort of a newly refurbished historic inn, or the friendly audience of local business and civic leaders--the "usual suspects" at an Amherst Chamber of Commerce event--or maybe her lifelong background in higher education...but more likely all of the above, as this morning Amherst College President, going on seven months now, Carolyn "Biddy" Martin gave an engaging fireside chat to a receptive audience of 86 smartly dressed men and women at the Amherst College owned Lord Jeffery Inn. First and foremost, President Martin wanted to dispel the outdated notion (from back in the day when Emily Dickinson was putting quill pen to paper) that Amherst College is an elitist, blue blood private school for the privileged. She cited the telling statistics that over half the current enrollment are a combination of international students and students of color and almost one-quarter are eligible for a PELL Grant .
She highlighted her background at Cornell and the University of Wisconsin-Madison which are both "land grant" institutions expected by charter to serve the local community. And so it will be with Amherst College, where the fortunes of the town and the college named after the town are so deeply intertwined.
Ms. Martin's short list of top priorities include hiring new faculty in the current competitive market. The education boom of the 1960s swelled the ranks of professors, who are now retiring in droves. While competition from demanding Asian colleges and universities for liberal arts professors only adds to supply problems.
She proudly pointed out the new $200 million life sciences building, which will require the next four or five years to complete and will be second to none on a national scale. One unusual component (at least for a liberal arts college) will be an "incubator" for the study of entrepreneurship. Not a space for business start ups, like at UMass or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, but a center for students to learn about the social value of starting a business.
Coincidentally enough fellow Amherst resident Donna Kelley, associate professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College, made national news last week for a major study she co-authored on women's entrepreneurship encompassing 59 economies, that found American women have greater fear of failure than American men when contemplating business creation.
Precisely the problem education can rectify--the earlier the better. Kelley also recently co-taught a Junior Achievement course at Amherst's Crocker Farm Elementary School, where her daughter is a student.
When the new Amherst College science center opens sometime in 2017, the four-story, 220,000-square-foot building will be the largest structure on campus, and an impressive trophy to attract new faculty and students.
But expensive new bricks and mortar buildings are not the only means for dispensing higher education--at least not in this digital age. Ms. Martin pointed out the importance of distance learning online as a cost effective adjunct for face-to-face communication, where maintaining an 8-1 student teacher ratio is costly. A lesson the Amherst public schools could stand learning.
If anyone in the audience harbored any uncertainty about the first female president in the 190 year history of the college, they left the Dickinson Room with those doubts dispelled.
Trolley Station on North Pleasant Street, built 1911
Those who fail to appreciate history are doomed to retweet it.
Last week I asked UMass director of campus planning Dennis Swinford about the current status of the quaint brick trolley waiting station (now recycled as a bus stop shelter) and received this ominous reply: "The Massachusetts Historical Commission issued a ruling that the structure can be demolished after photo documentation and measured drawings are prepared and submitted to the Mass Archive."
In other words, the bulldozers are already warming up.
Retired Professor Joseph Larson, a historical preservationist on a mission, recently pegged the cost to save the station at $75,000...down considerably from the original lone quote UMass received at $200,000.
Considering the Amherst flagship campus has witnessed an unprecedented construction boom over the past ten years, averaging over $100 million annually, that new quote to save a healthy piece of history comes to less than one-tenth of one percent--an even more startling statistic than the Occupy mantra centered on the 1%.
Original Trolley Barn Cowles Road North Amherst, built 1897. One year demolition delay expires 7/28/12
Not to confuse anyone with the headline, because the on-campus revelry did not seem to add much of a burden to the Amherst Fire Department above and beyond their "normal" hectic routine for weekends in a "college town."
The dumpster at Hobart Lane, scene of 30 previous fires before a perp was recently bagged red handed (currently no longer enrolled at UMass) was again the scene of wasteful, destructive fires late Friday and Sunday evenings. As Chief Nelson points out, when AFD responds to such a nuisance fire that ties up resources so they can't respond instantly to a "real" emergency.
And notice once again a cluster of ETOH (passed out drunk) calls late Friday early Saturdayonce again tied up ALL our on-duty resources, leaving the entire town (and regional towns who rely on our EMS) under the protection of the volunteer Student Force.
And in spite of their impressive capabilities, not a super situation.
In spite of issuing a $300 noise ticket to a party house at 144 Glendale Road, a classic middle class neighborhood in South Amherst and another one to an apartment dweller at 165A Boulders a classic early 1980s apartment complex also in South Amherst the winner this week is a party house that received only a written warning early Sunday morning (2:20 AM) and then a return visit by APD later that morning (11:10 AM) for a follow up verbal warning.
According to APD narrative: "Spoke with residents at #96 Montague Road regarding a large party they threw last night. Neighboring residents had beer cans and bottles strewn in lawns and mailboxes were knocked down or missing. Residents were advised of guests behavior after they had been served alcohol. Residents stated they understood."
In case you wondered why Jones Library employees were greatly concerned over the new Personnel Procedures Manual that the Personal Board worked on for three years because it seemingly increases the day to day managerial powers of the Library Trustees (i.e. micromanaging), consider this:
Jones Library Trustees President Sarah McKee ordered the elevator closed until further notice after an elderly women became temporarily stuck, then pushed every button on the panel in frustration (except for the alarm button) which did not help the situation. After making a scene she managed to get out unscathed.
An elevator technician came the next day, tested the machine and deemed it fine. About two years ago Ms. McKee had the elevator shut down for months awaiting a new panel, even though a state inspector had deemed it fine.
The Jubilat/Jones Reading Series occurred this afternoon in the Trustees Room, 3rd floor. I guess poetry aficionados also got their exercise.
Traditional American symbols have taken a beating this week: Occupy Northampton abusing an American flag on Thursday, and drunken UMass students trashing a white picket fence on Summer Street.
Early this morning (12:26 AM) Amherst police responded to a call from North Amherst reporting "a group of subjects knocking down fences in the area." They were located on Cowles Road and the reporting party identified one ("highly intoxicated") as the individual who trashed the fence and a nearby mailbox. They were told to make contact with the victim and fix the broken items.
Like the flag incident, the misdeeds of the very few tarnish the image of the very many.
My digital journalist buddy Mary Serreze, who covers Northampton like I cover Amherst, posted this photo on my Facebook wall after I commented about this obnoxious incident on hers, knowing it was an act of disrespect deserving of further mention.
And as she already pointed out, the Occupy Northampton folks also disrupted a Northampton City Council meeting last night, thus showing disrespect for our government at all levels.
The American flag belongs to all of us, all 100%! Men and women have died and will continue to die for the freedoms it represents, including the freedom to use it disrespectfully. Yes, flying the flag upside down is a legitimate way to signal distress, but dragging it on the ground is distressing to the vast majority of Americans from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
As the noisy crowd of perhaps 100 passed around us, my 10-year-old daughter took note of the American flag being used like a dust mop and said "Why are they doing that?" "Because they want to get our attention," I replied.
As my Chinese friends would say, "Be careful what you wish for."
Amherst Joint Capital Planning Committee with Public Safety Chiefs
The Joint Capital Planning Committee, comprised of two members each from Select Board, School and Finance Committees and Library Trustees, heard presentations this morning from APD Chief Livingstone and AFD Chief Nelson regarding capital items required in the next fiscal year, totally $798,000.
Since police cruisers and ambulances are on the go 24/7, it's no surprise that new ones are required annually--and that they are more expensive than regular vehicles. But that did not stop Carol Gray from questioning the purchase of four police patrol cars and nitpicking in favor of hybrids.
The Chief responded with just the facts: two of the four cruisers have over 100,000 miles and the other two (both of which had transmission failures) will have over 100,000 if they do not die before July 1.
And hybrids may save money on gas but cost significantly more upfront and do not have the heavy duty mechanics--or roll cage--required for the severe beating these front line machines endure.
Computers, cameras, emergency lights, and radar would combine to overwhelm the electrical capacity of a typical hybrid.
An entirely new radio system at a cost of $125,000 is required because a new Federal Law goes into effect 1/1/13 with strict "narrow band" requirements that our current system--purchased in 1978--will not meet.
The Fire Department had the lions share of total requests ($523,000), significant portions due to the age and deterioration of our downtown Central Fire Station top to bottom: A new roof (the current one had a tree growing out of it) at $103,000 and new floor at $63,000. The station was originally built in 1930 when fire apparatus was a lot smaller and lighter, so newer heavier machines take their toll on the floor--especially where it's not solid slab.
A new ambulance costs $205,000 but will last ten years (200,000 miles) and that appropriation comes out of the ambulance fund--money generated by insurance payments from patients. On a typical day, the department can staff three ambulances, four if they are expecting a heavy call volume, such as Superbowl weekend.
Firefighters also rely on two critical, relatively tiny, but expensive items. Thermal imaging cameras (three at $6,000 each) to "see" through smoke and debris, and 24 radios ($1,000 each) for 2-way communication. Assistant Chief Stromgren would like to get to a point where every firefighter who enters a building can carry a thermal imaging camera.
The Joint Capital Planning Committee currently has $1 million more in requests than funds available. Considering how both public safety departments are understaffed, let's hope the JCPC at least recommends (to Town Meeting) giving them the necessary tools to perform their vital duties.
Potholes inside the main station
Cracks from stress of heavy vehicles
The underside of the cracked floors shows moisture leak damage
The eyes of life. Portable thermal imaging cameras. $6,000 each
Assistant Chief Stromgren in the flesh (background), thermal image (foreground)
156 Sunset Avenue will double in occupancyNote UMass Southwest Tower on right
Last night the Amherst Planning Board voted 6-2 to support the request by Eagle Crest Property Management--owned by James Cherewatti--to convert a single family residence into a two family abode, thus making it legal for eight unrelated individuals to take up residence.
James Cherewatti on left
A few of the members cited the Apple Corps Builders motto, "Close enough for South Amherst" (although in this case it's North Amherst) as the house only missed being allowed to become a duplex "by right" by being 16" to close to the road.
Jonathan O'Keeffe pointed out that conversions of single family (formerly) owner occupied housing is a problem all over town because the lucrative practice can attract unruly tenants bringing headaches to the neighborhood--but in this case the house is already student occupied.
And the with the close proximity of UMass it's better to have the students there rather than newly introduced into a traditional neighborhood further away.
The Zoning Board of Appeals has the ultimate authority over this conversion and will hear the case next week. It requires a unanimous vote of all three sitting members.
Currently the house is valued at $404,000 thus generating about $8,000 per year in taxes. Although the owners rent revenue will double, the assessed value will not go up because two family units are not assessed based on income generated, only four or more units.
In spite of the recent headline that the Leading Edge Health Club in Greenfield had "No Plans to close the gym" the well earned end came swiftly anyway as today their doors are locked, the music silenced and machines switched permanently off.
Apparently Home Depot did not want to forgive $300,000 in unpaid bills rung up over the past two years, probably figuring any business partnership that can fall that far behind in such a short time is not a good bet to turn around instantly simply because one loser partner purges the other.
I guess the good thing about charging a ridiculously low monthly fee is that members can't be owed too much in lost pre-paid memberships. But it is still bad for the industry, sowing seeds of distrust and giving people the wrong impression of the true cost to run a health club properly--which is reflected in normal monthly rates.
Industry standard these days is easily in the $49/month range. So when someone promises to provide the same service for $9.95/month, beware.
If it sounds to good to be true..
Still a "Grand Opening" sign over three years later
Only the top left gray screen is illuminated at night
Even worse than the beleaguered Cherry Hill Golf Course, Amherst parking ticket spoils are down a dramatic 25% half-way through the fiscal year, currently totaling $111,824 vs. last year at this time, $148,527.
The new parking system needs some getting used to, so enforcement officers have been spending more time showing folks how to use the parking machines and less time writing out tickets. The new machines can be a tad confusing because after you pay for time it does not confirm the payment and tell you to "have a nice day."
The machines are also hard to read in low light conditions, although they do take credit cards and payments can be made via a smartphone. Unfortunately those transactions have a slight catch: "Each mPARK transaction is subject to a minimum $1.00 purchase, made in $1.00 increments, plus a nominal service fee." So if you wish to run into a store for coffee and a paper you may want to park at the remaining traditional parking meters that take good old American change.
The Spring Street Parking lot in town center was also under construction for almost six months, which could account for substantial lost ticket revenues.
Frat Row neighbor, 374 N Pleasant St, Pi Kappa Alpha. Managed by Kendrick Properties
Over the weekend Amherst police and fire personnel paid professional visits to this frathouse strategically located on the Gateway to UMass. No, that's not unusual.
According to APD logs: 2:27 AM (early Saturday morning)
Narrative: Loud Party
Music could be heard upon arrival.
Earlier that evening Amherst Fire Department responded to a smoke alarm alert due to "pot smoke near detector."
Interestingly the Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals denied the conversion of a nearby (138 Nutting Avenue) sorority to a fraternity precisely because of incidents like this. In that case, the new owners have now filed suit against the town and ZBA.
On Wednesday night the Planning Board will take up a similar issue and discuss making recommendations to the Zoning Board of Appeals, who has ultimate jurisdiction:
Eagle Crest Property - 156 Sunset Avenue - to convert a dimensionally non-conforming single-family dwelling to a two-family dwelling.
And of course "two-family" does not mean a pair of 'Leave It To Beaver' households with a stay at Mom, working Dad, and two precocious kids. It means (at least) eight UMass students.
Apparently in a "college town," unseasonably mild weather and copious quantities of alcohol go together like pizza and, ummm, beer.
In addition to numerous noise complaints all over town fielded by Amherst Police Department, their brother-and-sister First Responders were kept on the go all weekend long as well, dealing with the other byproduct of too much alcohol--a legal product, when consumed without restraint could cause death.
AFD summary of runs 1/27/12 through 1/30/12 Note cluster of ETOH (alcohol poisoning) calls at UMass late Friday early Saturday morning. And yes, that did tie up all four on duty ambulances, so that the only thing left protecting the entire town of Amherst (for fire or medical) was the Student Force--God love them.
Oh the irony: Irresponsible actions of students required the more upstanding responsible students (Student Force) to come to the aid of the town.
When you share walls with a bevy of other apartments, a little consideration would go a long way--especially after midnight. And it would save on those $300 noise tickets.
According to APD logs:
12:30 AM (early Sunday morning): RP complaining of loud music, drums and a barking dog.
Narrative: Extremely loud music and voices heard upon arrival. Such noise did disturb the reasonable quiet of Amherst residents. All residents were extremely uncooperative throughout our interaction. Approximately 15-20 guests cleared from residence.
Arrested For Noise TBL violation (and transported to APD headquarters): Dennis Lynch, Puffton Village #330, Amherst, MA, age 21 Eric Russo, Puffton Village #330, Amherst, MA, age 21 Zachary Munsell, Puffton Village #330, Amherst, MA, age 21
Amherst Finance Director Sandy Pooler exhibited the same curious protect-at-all-costs-the-expensive-game-of-golf attitude oozed by his predecessors John Musante (now Town Manager) and Nancy Maglione, relying on the tried and true bad weather cliche for yet another abysmal performance at the Cherry Hill Golf Course budget half-way mark.
Curiously he declared revenues only "slightly down". Hmm...17% is "slightly down"!? Are these not the same town officials who screech louder than an Irish banshee if state aid to the town is reduced by 1 or 2%?
And Mr. Pooler fails to mention the $226,308 in capital improvements slated over the next five years for the ailing enterprise. But since expensive capital items (as with insurance and employee benefits) come out of a budget separate from golf course operations, town officials hope nobody will notice.
South Pleasant Street 8:15 PM (in front of my house)
Cuffed and heading towards a cruiser
After receiving a tip about an erratic auto heading north via a driver using a cell phone, the responding officer only needed to follow the car in question for a few seconds and pulled him over for driving on the wrong side of the road--a busy travel road less than a mile from Amherst town center.
Two other cruisers quickly arrived as back up. A senior officer administered a field sobriety test. The Perp failed. Now he's going to jail!
#####
According to APD logs:
RP reports white Pontiac all over the road and almost struck several other vehicles. Granby police also advised APD of this vehicle as they took a report of erratic operation as well.
MV stop for marked lanes. Observed operator (Gallagher) to have slow motor skills and pin dot pupils. Gallagher admitted to nodding off as he was on several prescriptions to wean him off heroin. Gallagher given Field Sobriety Test and several indicators of impairment were present. Gallagher was placed under arrest for OUI drugs.
Arrest: Joseph Gallagher, 120 Mill Street, Wilkes Barre, PA, age 26
The worst state report card in seven years for Amherst Elementary Schools
Not sure what Amherst Regional School Committee members were looking at in a dispassionate way (it's hard not to be passionate about a personable lady) when they came up with such a saintly review of Maria Geryk's first year as superintendent without "interim" in front of it.
At $16,413 vs state average of $13,055, Amherst elementary schools have the highest average cost per student in the Valley , a student/teacher ratio of 10 to 1 when the state average is 13.9 to 1.
And with Amherst average teacher salaries at $66,000 that enviably low student teacher ratio adds up. Now throw in the 21 administrators (Elementary and Region) making over $85,000; which is why our average cost per child for "administration" is a whopping $698 vs state average of $446.
But we get less than whopping results--especially with low income and minority children, who failed to reach proficiency at a higher rate than state average. Our Special Education results are certainly not special, with 82% failing to reach proficiency vs state average of 70%. Particularly disconcerting since Maria Geryk came from a special ed background.
A background that does not, however, include a doctorate...in a town where coffee baristas have one.
Even though Regional School Committee member Debbie Gould's husband is employed by the Regional Schools she penned the only part of the evaluation made public. No direct conflict of interest I suppose, but a little open disclosure would have been nice.
Like when Dr. Rebecca Woodland from the UMass School of Education (where Ms. Geryk attended) appeared before the School Committee 9/22/10 to sing the praise of Maria, she could have mentioned the no-bid $96,000 teacher training contract Ms. Geryk gave her that very week.
According to School Committee minutes: "Rebecca Woodland, parent and UMass education professor, stated that she believes it is unwarranted and unwise to go forward with a Superintendent search and doing so would amount to a vote of no confidence in Ms. Geryk. She noted that she has worked with Superintendents across the state and Ms. Geryk has accomplished more in her seven months on the job than most new superintendents accomplish in three to five years."
And considering our lack of Adequate Yearly Progress this past year, Dr. Woodland's expensive services do not seem to have resulted in better teaching.
Such a glowing review after one year as "interim superintendent" and now a full year as real deal superintendent does not give Ms. Geryk much incentive to do anything differently. Maybe the schools do not require an entire 12 step rehab program, but they could unquestionably benefit by the first step: Admit there's a problem!
APD confiscated keg stash. Friday night acquisition, on left
There's absolutely no question the fine increase to $300 for alcohol related activities in town are working, and yes they are being paid.
Last night Finance Director Sandy Pooler told the Amherst Select Board that at the half-way point this budget year court fines collected have doubled, totaling $111,000 compared to $56,000 and $54,000 previously. Unfortunately the party season expands and gets meaner in the Spring.
On Friday night around 11:00 PM Puffton Village security called APD as they spied a handful of college aged kids lugging a keg of beer towards an apartment, who when discovered, dropped the keg and scattered, kissing goodbye perfectly good beer and their $100 keg/tap deposit.
Probably cheaper, however, than a $300 ticket for "possession of an unlicensed keg" (one of the newly increased in fees town bylaw), or being arrested for under aged drinking. In basketball it's called "hearing footsteps": when a player hurries a shot --and misses--because he thinks an opponent is bearing down on him.
The town manager recently acknowledged that both police and fire departments may be understaffed. At the rate the ticket revenues are going, Amherst could fund a pair of new positions for each department.
So in addition to abiding by the School Committee's wishes to have a joint meeting February 6 to fill the seat left vacant by Steve Rivkin's departure because, as eloquently stated by Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe, it would be beyond "weird" not to indulge their wishes, the board last night also delayed approving changes to Personnel Procedures Manual that the Personal Board has been working on for three years to allow Jones Library Trustees to discuss it at their next meeting.
The changes seem to take away authority from the Town Manager and give Library Trustees--elected volunteers--power to hire and fire all employees. Union rep Tina Swift told the Select Board "impact bargaining"(on a contract that was signed only last month) needs to happen with Service Employees International Union before they adopt the revised Personnel Procedures Manual.
Librarian Susan Hugus told the board a lot of employees "are very uncomfortable about this"; and even the Town Manager agreed with delaying a decision because the original intent of the change was "to provide clarity, not sow confusion."
Barbecued Dumpster at Hobart Lane. "Arson Watch" sign was at top left.
Heads up police work by a patrol officer in an unmarked car early Sunday morning (12:45 AM) may have brought an end to the serial dumpster arson cases that have plagued North Amherst for over a year now. When the officer spotted three young men near the dumpster and detained them for questioning, one individual--Travis Consolo--was acting particularly nervous.
And for good reason: While the officer was questioning him, the dumpster--which had ArsonWatch reward poster affixed to it-- exploded into a conflagration. AFD put out the fire; Consolo, a UMass student, was arrested.
Since August of 2010 this particular dumpster has been torched 30 times. Police and Firefighters distributed informational flyers to the immediate neighborhood around Hobart Lane back in October, reinforcing the reward offer posted on the abused dumpster.
Arrested for "Burn Personalty": Travis William Consolo, 143 Birch Bark Drive, Hanson, MA, age 21
Amherst Town Hall in the middle of a storm 12:15 PM
Occupiers pulled a George-Washington-crossing-the-Delaware and successfully orchestrated an occupation of Amherst Town Hall...which is closed on Saturday.
And even if they managed to shut it down during normal business hours, would anyone in town even notice?
